The Critics Ate Cuban Spring Rolls and Hearty Chicken Parm Sandwiches This Week

Offbeat Pub Grub

The Boston Globe’s Kara Baskin visits Cunard Tavern in East Boston for a quick bite this week. There’s a selection of hot and cold appetizers, she writes, plus entrees and popovers. “Nearly everyone appears to be eating grilled lime shrimp atop a creamy pink chipotle avocado mac-and-cheese,” according to Baskin, who also spots Cuban spring rolls and octopus dumplings. There are also pan-seared scallops and steak frites, as well as a burger topped with fried clams.

‘Pitch-Perfect North End’

Sheryl Julian checks out BenCotto in the North End for the Globe this week. The menu is classic for the neighborhood, she writes, including items like “chicken and eggplant Parm, big plates of pasta, seafood, pizzas, and a waiter who comes around with a chunk of Parmesan in a little grater.” Julian recommends the fig salad with shrimp and writes that the Margherita grilled pizza has a “mildly sweet sauce.” She calls the chicken Parm (with homemade ciabatta) a “hearty, satisfying sandwich” and approves of the “deliciously crisp” fried calamari with hot cherry peppers.

• At Cunard Tavern, Octopus Dumplings & Nutella Fluffernutters Both at Home [BG]
• New North End Spot BenCotto Is Pitch-Perfect for the Neighborhood [BG]