Longtime Somerville Pizza Shop Reopens as Vegetarian Restaurant

A pizzeria and sandwich shop near Tufts has undergone changes and reemerged as a vegetarian restaurant called Sassafras (688 Broadway, Ball Square, Somerville). The former Eat at Jumbo’s now offers weeknight dinner service and weekend brunch.

Eat at Jumbo’s owner Grover Taylor had already been championing a variety of meat-free options at the restaurant, and with this rebranding to Sassafras, Christopher Silva — who is newly in charge of day-to-day operations, while Taylor is moving into the role of creative director — will take that tradition to the next level with a fully vegetarian (and largely vegan) menu.

Potential dishes include a meatless Big Mac-inspired burger made with the Impossible Burger, seitan steak chimichurri, vegan “whitefish” sushi, cinnamon muffins, vegan sugar cookies and more. There are also meat-free charcuterie boards featuring seasonal vegetables, nuts, olives, and pickles, among other items.

Sassafras operates six days a week, Tuesday through Sunday. Weekday dinner begins at 5 p.m., and the restaurant serves brunch on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sassafras has not yet started its lunch service. Stay tuned to social media for further details on the restaurant’s evolving menu and hours (as well as limited delivery) as it ramps up to a full opening.

• Somerville Pizza Shop Goes Totally Vegetarian [EBOS]