Chinatown Icon China Pearl Is Reopening This Winter

Banquet hall and dim sum favorite China Pearl — a decades-old Chinatown institution that has kept its dining room closed to the public since 2020 — is gearing up to re-open its doors this winter. Owner Brian Moy, who is also behind hip Chinatown spots Ruckus and Shojo (which also has locations in Cambridge and Logan Airport), and Nomai in Hingham, has overseen an extensive renovation of the restaurant while it was temporarily closed; now, it’s about ready to show off newly recovered details like exposed brick walls and the restored original hardwood floors from the 1800s, according to a press release on the upcoming re-opening. The exact opening date is still under wraps for now.

Drink your fruits and vegetables

That’s the name of the game at Good Company, a stylish new cocktail bar in Charlestown (100 Hood Park Drive) run by Eastern Standard alum Seth Freidus. The team is having fun with drinks that are riffs on food — cocktails include “Blackberry,” “Pear,” and “Squash” — while keeping an eye on minimal waste practices. For example: A “Carrot” cocktail is made with tequila, curry-roasted carrots, coconut milk, and oil made from carrot tops. There is a menu with food in non-liquid form, too, including oysters, crab toast, and crispy maitake mushrooms.

A ‘Friends’ coffeehouse opens on Newbury Street

Central Perk isn’t just a fictional Friends set anymore. Warner Bros. is backing an actual, real-life Central Perk that opened permanently this week in Boston, at 205 Newbury Street. The shop is open daily from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and is serving coffee and sandwiches for now, with beer and wine and “a creative twist on an espresso martini” to follow in the coming weeks, according to a press release on the opening.

Clover Food Lab files for bankruptcy

Clover, the homegrown fast-casual vegetarian chain with a dozen Boston-area restaurants, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, citing slow sales and low customer traffic, WBUR reports. The company will keep operating through the bankruptcy and will attempt to reorganize the business to stem its financial losses, including getting out of its more costly leases.