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All the Boston Food News That Mattered in July 2019: From Barbecue to Bagels

The month in openings, closings, top news, and more

A plate of glossy red ribs with sides of slaw and pickles at the Porch in Medford.
Ribs at the Porch, now open in Medford
Brian Samuels

June’s fast-paced restaurant openings continued into July, with numerous debuts in and around the city, from an American brasserie in the South End to a delivery-only restaurant serving up karaage chicken sandwiches to a tofu-focused Korean restaurant in Allston. On the closure side, the Boston area had to say goodbye to a few old-timers, including several restaurants destroyed by fires.

Read on for a summary of July 2019, including the most-read news stories and maps, the openings, and the closings.



A hand pulls away a triangle of taleggio-stuffed focaccia bread from a plate of it.
Taleggio-stuffed focaccia at Fox and the Knife, one of the country’s best new restaurants
Sarah Storrer/Eater Boston
  1. Suburban Boston Dining News, Updated Weekly: A round-up of restaurant openings, closings, and other news outside of the immediate Boston vicinity.
  2. Medford’s Dining Scene Is Booming in 2019: Coming soon: Southern fare, bagels, a taste of Veracruz, beer, and more.
  3. An Eastern Mediterranean Oasis Opens in the South End: Ilona is now in business, with colorful booths and a diverse wine list.
  4. Back Bay Is Getting a Swanky New Oyster Bar: Chris Parsons is opening his dream restaurant in the Heritage on the Garden building.
  5. A South Boston Enoteca Is Among Eater’s Best New Restaurants of 2019: Karen Akunowicz’s Fox and the Knife makes the list.
  6. Have a Dinner Party With Friends at Beacon Hill’s Cozy New Hangout: Longtime Boston bartender Andy Kilgore wants you to feel right at home at his new restaurant, the Emory.
  7. Beer News From Boston and Beyond, Updated Weekly: Brewery openings, beer gardens, and more, with some cider, wine, and liquor news thrown in for good measure.
  8. A New ‘Ghost Restaurant’ Delivers Fried Chicken Sandwiches: Nani Chick’n Bunz, part of the Love Art Sushi / Love Art Udon family, is delivery only.
  9. One of New York’s Best Cookie Bakeries Considers Boston for Expansion: Levain Bakery will also consider expanding to Washington, D.C., and Chicago.
  10. New England Dining News Beyond Massachusetts, Updated Weekly: Restaurant openings, closings, and other news in Portsmouth, Portland, Providence, and beyond.

Glamour shot of a multi-tier seafood tower, garnished with plenty of crab claws and dry ice
Mastro’s seafood tower
Mastro’s/Official Site
  1. The 38 Essential Restaurants in Boston: Boston’s greatest restaurants for any occasion, updated quarterly.
  2. The Hottest Restaurants in Boston Right Now: Boston’s best new hotspots, updated monthly.
  3. Boston’s Best Food and Drink Events: The local events you’ll actually want to attend, updated weekly.
  4. Where to Eat Vegetarian and Vegan Food Around Boston: 25 of the area’s best meat-free options.
  5. The Cocktail Heatmap: Where to Drink Right Now: Hot new cocktail destinations to try this month.
  6. 25 Seafood Towers Worth the Splurge: Go all out with a huge feast of shellfish.
  7. Where to Eat Impossible Burgers and Other Meaty but Meatless Meals Around Boston: 16 local spots that serve Beyond Burgers, Impossible Burgers, and other similar products.
  8. Where to Eat in Medford: Medford is in the midst of a restaurant boom, but don’t ignore its older mainstays.
  9. Outstanding Breakfast Sandwiches Around Boston: Behold, some of the Boston area’s most mouth-watering, all-in-one breakfasts: on croissants, on biscuits, on point.
  10. Food and Drink Crawls Through Boston and Beyond: Multi-stop feasts for every occasion.

A takeout container of dry-fried noodles with beef at Silk Road Express in Allston, served on a striped wooden table with a pair of chopsticks.
Dry-fried noodles at Silk Road Express in Allston
Terrence B. Doyle/Eater Boston
  • 110 Grill (South Bay, 1 District Ave., Dorchester, Boston): This local modern American brand continues its rapid expansion with its first Boston proper location.
  • 111 East (11 Fan Pier Blvd., Seaport District, Boston): From the Lola 41/Lola 42 team, 111 East serves hot pot and “Asian bistro” fare.
  • 465 Bar and Restaurant (Inside Museum of Fine Arts, 465 Huntington Ave., Fenway, Boston): The revamped version of Bravo restaurant in the Linde Family Wing, showcasing local farms and producers.
  • Black Jack Pasta Kitchen (1401 Washington St., South End, Boston): Relocated from Fenway, this fast-casual pasta shop offers 21 different sauces.
  • Black Lamb (571 Tremont St., South End, Boston): This American brasserie is the latest addition to the Bar Mezzana/Shore Leave/No Relation family.
  • Chef Mike’s (73 Highland Ave., Needham): Cutthroat Kitchen alum Mike Fucci is serving casual Italian, including lasagna, chicken piccata, sandwiches, and more.
  • Coconut Newton (759 Beacon St., Newton): The revamped Coconut Cafe, now owned by the team behind Rice Passions in Revere.
  • Crush Pizza (1250 Hancock St., Quincy): Fast-casual wood-fired pizzeria with a sibling in downtown Boston.
  • Domenic’s (54 Salem St., North End, Boston): Vito’s Tavern, a North End sports bar, has been revamped (under the same ownership) into a restaurant serving Italian-American fare with a hint of Calabria.
  • Egalitea Organic Cafe (248 Newbury St., Back Bay, Boston): A tea-focused cafe with various cafe fare and tea ice creams.
  • The Emory (21 Beacon St., Beacon Hill, Boston): A neighborhood spot meant to feel like a dinner party with friends from longtime Boston bartender Andy Kilgore.
  • Greco (Pier 4 Blvd., Seaport District, Boston): The second location for a fast-casual Greek spot that serves gyros, loukoumas, and more; the first is in Back Bay.
  • Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ (South Bay, 23 District Ave., Dorchester, Boston): Another location for the expanding chain, which serves DIY Japanese barbecue.
  • Ilona (783 Tremont St., South End, Boston): With ties to Kava and Puro, Ilona serves Eastern Mediterranean food, drawing inspiration from Greece, Turkey, Lebanon, and beyond.
  • Kennedy’s Ice Cream Bar (888 Main St., Melrose): Ice cream with 12 flavors of Belgian dips, plus ice cream sandwiches that are pressed like panini.
  • Kim’s Tofu (160 Brighton Ave., Allston, Boston): Specializing in Korean tofu stew (sundubu), Kim’s makes its tofu in-house.
  • Kingston Cuts (25 Kingston St., Downtown Crossing, Boston): This revamp of Kingston Grille & Bar features steak frites.
  • Larry J’s BBQ Cafe (1148 N. Shore Rd., Revere): This casual barbecue spot has expanded from Boston’s Seaport District to Revere.
  • Nani Chick’n Bunz (around the Boston area): This sibling of Love Art Udon and Love Art Sushi is a “ghost restaurant” — it only delivers (and does pop-up events). The focus is karaage chicken sandwiches on Japanese sweet buns.
  • The Oyster Club at the Heritage (Heritage on the Garden, 79 Park Plz., Back Bay, Boston): A seafood-focused project from chef Chris Parsons, formerly of Steel & Rye, Parsons Table, and Catch. It’s the first of two spots he’ll open this year.
  • Parlour (308 Harvard St., Coolidge Corner, Brookline): A team of Regal Beagle alums, including chef Stacy Cogswell, have opened a new restaurant in the Beagle’s old space, serving dishes like Buffalo broccoli, barbecue chicken, veal milanese, and garlic bread soup, along with plenty of cocktails.
  • The Parrot (1 Hull Shore Dr., Hull): The Parrot has replaced the Red Parrot on Nantasket Beach. Hours are limited while construction continues on the Parrot’s roof deck.
  • Peregrine (Whitney Hotel, 170 Charles St., Beacon Hill, Boston): The second restaurant from the Juliet team showcases Mediterranean cuisine with a particular focus on Sardinia, Sicily, Corsica, and Catalonia. Located in a hotel, Peregrine is open all day, every day.
  • The Porch (175 Rivers Edge Dr., Medford): This Southern restaurant has moved from Wakefield and opened a much larger venue, complete with live music.
  • Restoration Coffee (412 Bedford St., East Bridgwater): This Whitman coffee shop has expanded to East Bridgewater with espresso, tea lattes, and more.
  • Sally’s Sandwiches (Inside Blackbird Doughnuts, 492 Tremont St., South End, Boston): Hearty breakfast and lunch sandwiches from the Gallows Group, inside the original Blackbird Doughnuts location.
  • Silk Road Express (Super 88 Market, 1 Brighton Ave., Allston, Boston): Located inside the Super 88 food hall, this fast-casual offshoot of Silk Road in Cambridge serves Uyghur cuisine, with noodles, dumplings, and more.
  • Soc’s Ice Cream (Inside Lobstah on a Roll, 135 Lafayette St., Salem): This Saugus ice cream shop now has a Salem location, serving 14 flavors year-round.
  • SunBar (Outside of the Institute of Contemporary Art, 25 Harbor Shore Dr., Seaport District, Boston): Go to the ICA, and then go to the museum’s new seasonal outdoor bar for frosé, beer, wine, and snacks.
  • Tatte Bakery & Cafe (Berklee, 160 Massachusetts Ave., Back Bay, Boston): The 13th location for the growing Boston bakery and cafe chain. This one took over the former Back Bay Beats location on Berklee’s campus.
  • The Vintage Tea and Cake Co. (129 Belmont St., Belmont): Tea, coffee, scones, and other treats.

The Kirkland Tap & Trotter burger, served on a bun with poppyseeds, alongside fries.
The burger at the Kirkland Tap & Trotter
Rachel Leah Blumenthal/Eater
  • Bagel Bin Deli (207 Shirley Ave., Revere): Open for over 30 years, the bagel shop was destroyed in a fire but vows to rebuild.
  • Fusion Andina (150 Cabot St., Beverly): The Peruvian and Bolivian restaurant had been closed since March, but it was supposed to be temporary; it announced in July that the closure was permanent.
  • King Wok (7 South Main St., Natick): Destroyed in a fire that affected several Natick businesses.
  • The Kirkland Tap & Trotter (425 Washington St., Somerville): Open for six years, the little sibling to Craigie on Main featured wood-fired cooking and a casual, family-friendly ambiance.
  • Makaha (255 Great Rd., Acton): The Polynesian restaurant had been in business for nearly 50 years.
  • New China Pearl (288 Mishawum Rd., Woburn): The decade-old restaurant closed in mid-July when its lease was up.