Acclaimed Moody’s Delicatessen Expands to Boston Next Month, and That’s Not All

Popular Waltham delicatessen Moody’s has a lot going on at the moment, locally and otherwise. First of all, it’s set to open its forthcoming Boston location at 500 Boylston St. in Back Bay in about a month. Moody’s owner Joshua Smith — Eater Boston’s 2014 chef of the year — told Eater that, barring any setbacks or delays, it’ll be open the second week of November. The menu at the Boston shop will be similar to the one in Waltham, but Smith said that it’ll also riff a bit.

“We realize that the demographic downtown is a bit different than the demographic in Waltham, so we’re going to play with some new ideas,” said Smith. “We’ll have a wood-fired oven in the new space. We’re going to have grain bowls; we’ll have some wood-fired dishes. Not everyone is coming in looking for half a pound of pastrami piled high on rye.”

Smith said the first phase of expansion is the Boylston Street space (formerly Rebecca’s Cafe), but that if it’s well-received, Moody’s may eventually look for a bigger space. The Boylston shop isn’t Moody’s only iron in the Boston fire — there is also going to be a two-month pop-up shop on Newbury Street this November.

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“There won’t be any sandwiches [at the pop-up],” said Smith. “We’ve done well with gift baskets in the past — pickles, jams, mustards, charcuterie. Guests seem to be into it. As the holidays approach, we want to expand those offerings to the downtown community. We’ve talked about it for years; we’ve just never had the bandwidth. But this just seemed like the right time to dive in and make it happen.”

Boston isn’t the only place Moody’s is expanding — Smith is also planning two new concepts on his home turf on Moody Street in Waltham: a taco and barbecue joint, as well as a raw bar, adjacent to the Backroom at Moody’s. Neither space will have its own name, according to Smith.

“We’ve been very lucky; we’ve been received so well by this community,” said Smith. “Why put a name on it?”

Smith said that in addition to oysters and crudo, the raw bar will also offer a selection of galantines and terrines. He expects both new Moody Street locations to be up and running by mid-December.

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But wait, there’s more: Moody’s is also planning to expand to Napa, California.

“This time next year, we’ll be opening a Moody’s at 1201 Main St. in Napa,” said Smith. “You know, we have the Backroom, we have a love for domestic wines. We have great relationships with winemakers out there. The planets just sort of aligned, and we want to celebrate this love.”

Keep an eye out for updates on the ever-growing Moody’s empire.

• Moody’s Continues Waltham Expansion with Oysters, Ceviche, and a Casual Taqueria [BM]
• Moody's Delicatessen to Open in Rebecca's Cafe Space in the Back Bay of Boston [BRT]
• Boston's 12 Most Anticipated Fall Restaurant Openings [Z]
• Moody’s Delicatessen & Provisions Coverage on Eater [EBOS]