It’s a Good Day to Eat Half a Duck and Poutine (and More Updates)

Welcome back to Morning Briefing, an almost-daily round-up of mini news bites to kick off the day.

Booyah, Mooyah

Texas-based burger chain Mooyah, which recently opened in Jamaica Plain, is now also open in Billerica, reports Boston Restaurant Talk. Find it at the plaza at 199 Boston Rd., near 7 Nana Japanese Steakhouse for burgers, “ice cream shakes” (aka frappes), and more. Elsewhere in Massachusetts, there’s a location at Northborough Crossing in Northborough and one coming soon to Berlin, which is about 15 miles northeast of Worcester.

Chef Fitness

Life in the kitchen takes a big physical toll, but a lot of chefs are keeping an eye on their health through various fitness routines. Boston Magazine takes a look at a few. Karen Akunowicz (Myers + Chang executive chef and partner), for example, powerlifts at Mike’s Fitness, once tackling a 14-hour work day after lifting a total of 10,000 pounds.

Dine in the Country While the Weather’s Good

Harvard Magazine has some “countryside” dining recommendations, perfect for late summer road trips. Find the “magical” Dream Away Lodge in Becket, for example, to enjoy an “oft-changing menu” that is “a tasty mix of basic, affordable fare (burgers, mac and cheese, spinach salad) and more elevated entrées (tarragon chicken, seared scallops, rack of lamb)” — plus live bands, art shows, poetry, plays, and other performances.

One Thing You Should Eat Today

Café Du Pays (233 Cardinal Medeiros Ave., Kendall Square, Cambridge) has arrived, a cozy rebirth of the former Hungry Mother space, courtesy of the Hungry Mother/State Park/Mamaleh’s team. As promised, it brings French-Canadian fare to Cambridge — a cuisine difficult to find in the Boston area, aside from many attempts at or twists on poutine. (Yes, Café Du Pays has poutine, and yes, the menu calls it “Yes, we have poutine.” Yes, you should eat it.) Poutine aside, the must-try dish on a solid debut menu is the half duck, which comes complete with smoked leg and tomato salad. At $40, it’s priced as the shareable centerpiece of the meal; fill in with some smaller shared plates, especially one that comes with freshly baked bread (the ham and Dijon or the cultured butter and radishes, for example), and it’ll be a suitable feast.

Rachel Leah Blumenthal for Eater

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