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Fenway finds itself with a new source for fast-casual Mediterranean this week as Washington, DC-based Cava arrives on Boylston Street. The restaurant officially opens Friday, January 19, but it’s holding a “community day” on Thursday, January 18, welcoming donations for a local non-profit and offering free meals.
Cava (1346 Boylston St.) specializes in customizable Mediterranean dishes ranging from salads and grain bowls to pita wraps and soups. In keeping with the trends of other fast-casual spots like Chipotle and Boston’s own Saloniki (which also has a Fenway location), Cava offers diners a choice of accompanying ingredients, including spreads and dips, proteins, toppings, and dressing.
In the protein category, Cava serves falafel and roasted seasonal vegetables, as well as spicy lamb meatballs, grilled chicken, braised lamb, and grilled lemon chicken. Other toppings include hummus, jalapeño-infused feta mousse, olives, tabouleh, and raw beet and dill salad.
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Cava Fenway’s community day benefits Future Chefs, a non-profit that provides culinary instruction to teenagers. Between 12 and 2 p.m. and 5 and 7 p.m. on January 18, the restaurant is offering free meals for visitors.
The official opening on January 19 kicks off at 10:45 a.m., and the first 100 guests will receive a free cookie made for Cava by Essex-based Lark Fine Foods.
Childhood friends Ted Xenohristos, Ike Grigoropoulos, and executive chef Dimitri Moshovitis founded Cava and have worked with CEO Brett Schulman on expansion, which will bring the brand to over 65 locations across the country by the end of 2018, including four more in Greater Boston.
Fenway’s restaurant seats 39 and will operate daily from 10:45 a.m. to 10 p.m. Elsewhere in Massachusetts, Cava will open in Dedham (680 Legacy Pl.) in the spring, in Boston’s Back Bay (667 Boylston St.) and Hingham (98 Derby St.) in the summer, and in Cambridge’s Kendall Square (88 Ames St.) in the fall.
• DC-Based Mediterranean Restaurant Cava Plans More Locations in Boston [EBOS]
• Cava Mediterranean [Official Site]
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