The Critics Ate Poke, Noodles, and Pasta This Week

Stand-Out Poke

The Boston Globe’s Catherine Smart visits Manoa Poke Shop in Somerville, which she writes “truly embodies the aloha spirit” with its hospitality and “simple, flavorful, fresh food.” She advises visitors dig into the ahi shoyu and salmon shoyu, which showcase the fish “in a savory sesame-soy marinade.” The Kelaguen poke is a catch of the day with coconut milk, while the Kilauea “is for spicy tuna roll lovers,” Smart writes. There are vegetarian options as well, including a poke bowl with braised tofu, and plenty of crispy toppings to add, “which add a craveable crunch to your bowl,” according to Smart, who also writes that the “refreshing” kimchi cucumbers and papaya slaw go well with the “super-crisp fried chicken.”

Banh Mi and Noodles

Marc Hurwitz visits the newly opened Noodle Market in Arlington for his latest Dig Boston review. The restaurant shows “much promise for both Vietnamese and Thai fare,” he writes, noting that the overall feel of the place is calming and peaceful. “One real highlight is the banh mi,” he writes, recommending the pork version. He also notes that the pho at Noodle Market “is a pretty solid one,” with its mix of noodles, scallions, cilantro, and a lime wedge that boosts the flavor. On the Thai side of the menu, Hurwitz praises the crispy noodle pad thai, which benefits from the added texture of the noodles.

Earth Mothers, Nature Boys, Charcuterie Stalkers

The Globe’s Devra First stops in at Eataly’s newest restaurant, Terra, for a quick bite this week. The restaurant has an “urban greenhouse-slash-potting shed” feel, she writes, and she digs into the bruschette with burrata and olive oil, grilled shrimp and lamb meatball skewers, and small plates like saffron arancini with Bolognese. For dessert, she recommends the sweet version of panzanella.

Southern Italian Hospitality

Brion O’Connor stops at Toscana Bar Italiano in Beverly for the Globe this week, writing that the restaurant “redefines ‘cozy,’” and the “menu is a reflection of the space.” O’Connor samples the long-stem artichoke appetizer, which is stuffed with goat cheese and wrapped in prosciutto, the carbonara with house-cured pancetta, and “a robust” shrimp fra diavolo. For dessert, O’Connor digs into the “decadent” mascarpone mousse.

• Manoa Poke Shop Stands Out in Somerville [BG]
• First Look: Noodle Market in Arlington [DigBoston]
• At Eataly Restaurant Terra, a View of the Sky, a Connection to the Land [BG]
• In Beverly, a Compressed Taste of Southern Italian Hospitality [BG]