Fried Chicken & Biscuits, Bacon & Beer, and More Updates to Start the Day

Fried Chicken & Biscuits

A fried chicken & biscuit pop-up called Fried Chicken & Biscuit popped up regularly at Asta (47 Massachusetts Ave., Back Bay, Boston) last June. It’s returning for the month of April, taking place from noon to 2 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays (plus Marathon Monday). It launches this Saturday, April 1.

Bacon & Beer

Tickets for Eat Boston’s (no relation to Eater Boston) eighth annual Bacon and Beer Festival are now on sale. This year’s event will be hosted by the Red Sox Foundation at Fenway Park on Saturday, May 13 from 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m., with proceeds benefitting the Red Sox Foundation, Lovin’ Spoonfuls, and Community Servings. A long list of local restaurants will be serving up bacon-focused dishes; participants include Blue Ribbon BBQ, Island Creek Oyster Bar, Juliet, Lord Hobo, The Smoke Shop, Trina’s Starlite Lounge, Uni, and more. General admission is $52; VIP tickets are $135. The latter includes early entrance, a bleacher ticket to the Sox-Rays game that night, an event t-shirt and tote bag, entry into a Red Sox giveaway, and a coupon for a bacon-inspired dish (to be redeemed at the game that night).

Taco Heaven

The Lower Depths (476 Commonwealth Ave., Kenmore Square, Boston) is undergoing a bit of a transformation on April 3, becoming “Poe’s Taco Cielo” and focusing on baskets of tacos, reports Boston Magazine. “Poe’s” refers to chef Brian Poe, who is collaborating with Gordon Wilcox and Suzi Samowski to make the switch. (The trio is also behind the Cambridge location of Bukowski Tavern, and Wilcox and Poe own The Tip Tap Room in Beacon Hill.) The team hasn’t yet announced how much of the existing menu — known in part for its numerous tater tot options — will stick around. Update: Here’s the new menu.

Mida

Douglass Williams’ cozy Italian-inspired restaurant, Mida (782 Tremont St., South End, Boston), opened at the end of 2016. Yesterday, the restaurant announced the launch of a late-night menu of “bites and bowls,” available from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Wednesday through Saturday evenings. Diners might find dishes such as arancini, crispy duck, pasta, rice pudding, and more. Also new at Mida: three vermouth flights ($13 each).

Fast-Casual Mediterranean Everywhere

As Boston (and probably the rest of the country) approaches peak fast-casual Mediterranean, one of several out-of-town chains continues its area expansion. As reported in December, Pittsburgh-based The Simple Greek is growing rapidly, and Boston is one of its targets. While a Boston proper location has been teased but not yet officially announced, the chain opened in Westborough earlier this year. Next up, East Providence, reports the Providence Journal. The Route 6 restaurant (73 Highland Ave.) is slated for a mid-April opening.

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