Boston Fine Dining Hot Spot Mooncusser Adds a Casual Bar Downstairs — And More Openings

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BACK BAY — Two years into Mooncusser’s celebrated refresh under chef Carl Dooley, the culinary team is now expanding its purview. Previously, the ground-floor space below Mooncusser was home to Cusser’s, a casual offshoot known for its roast beef sandwiches, and cocktail hotspot LTD Bar, run by acclaimed local bartender Todd Maul. Regulars may remember that before this, the space was a beer and wine bar called Moon Bar. Now, Moon Bar is back, with a new spin: Chef de Cuisine Nelson Whittingham is heading up a menu featuring dishes that take cues from some hit flavor combinations over the years working with Dooley at Mooncusser. Look out for the black bass wrapped in a banana leaf with roti and pineapple sambal, and a red snapper and crab stew for two. Uni alum Jake Smith is behind the bar, mixing together inventive drinks like the Cat’s Pajamas, with rum, Angostura bitters, charred pineapple gum, toasted cinnamon, and lime. It’s open Tuesday through Saturday, from 5 to 10 p.m. 129 Columbus Avenue

BROOKLINE — Bakery superstar Clear Flour Bread has opened a coffee shop offshoot, Clear Flour Coffee, adjacent to the bakeshop. 178 Thorndike Street

CAMBRIDGE — Circus Cooperative Cafe, a worker-owned coffee shop run by a group of former Darwin’s employees, has risen from the ashes of a closed-down Darwin’s location in Harvard Square. 31 Putnam Avenue

CHINATOWN — Somenya, a new restaurant specializing in Japanese soba noodles, is now open in the neighborhood. 23 Hudson Street

DORCHESTER — NYC-based fast-casual chain the Halal Guys has expanded with a third Boston-area location. This one is located in Dorchester’s South Bay shopping area. 10 District Avenue

DOWNTOWN BOSTON — A new Filipino restaurant, Pinoy Kabayan, is serving up dishes like the Filipino-style egg roll lumpiang shanghai, longganisa, and a Filipino barbecue plate with pork, chicken, or beef. 71 Broad Street

FENWAY — Blue Ribbon BBQ is now open in the Time Out Market food hall, in the spot where fried chicken favorite Bisq previously stood. 401 Park Drive

FENWAY — Famed Boston hangout Eastern Standard rises again in Fenway, this time in the shiny new Bower real estate development. 771 Beacon Street

FENWAY — Eastern Standard isn’t the only brasserie making a splashy debut in the neighborhood. D.W. French, from acclaimed chef Douglass Williams, opened on Boylston in mid-October. 1391 Boylston Street

MALDEN — One of the best spots in Boston to grab a banh mi, Banh Mi Ba Le, has expanded to a space inside the 99 Asian Supermarket in Malden, according to Boston Restaurant Talk. 60 Broadway

MEDFORD — Mexican restaurant El Tacuba, from the team behind local fast-casual favorite Tenoch, is dishing up tacos, ceviches, tostadas, and more in Medford. 35 Salem Street