It’s only been a couple years since Ōmori Izakaya debuted in Brookline Village, but the Japanese pub has already expanded to Malden, where its booze-friendly snacks, particularly yakitori and kushiyaki (skewers of grilled meats), are making a splash. There’s plenty of sushi, too; try the chirashi for a good sampling. Keep an eye out for lunch specials and shochu-based cocktails.

New Cambridge wine bar Dear Annie is a collaboration between the teams from two popular Somerville venues: funky wine bar Rebel Rebel and lovely farm-to-table restaurant Field & Vine. At Dear Annie, service is casual — order at the counter, and find a place among the communal seating. (And you can bring your own records to play, if you’d like.) The menu is pescatarian and changes with the seasons; think Jonah crab toast, Arctic char tartare, and slices of pie. Bring proof of COVID vaccination or negative PCR test for indoor seating (not required for the heated patio outdoors).

Leave the cellphone at home: It’s not allowed at Zuzu’s Petals, a new wine and dessert bar in Inman Square that wants you to live in the moment, sipping a glass of something special while digging into irresistible versions of classic desserts like tiramisu and creme brulee.

East Cambridge newcomer Geppetto, from the Puritan & Co. team, is part of the group’s trio of restaurants at the Cambridge Crossing development. The Italian-inspired restaurant is the type of place where one can eat dishes like black truffle and taleggio bread; tuna and lardo crudo; and pumpkin agnolotti with wild mushrooms. Oh, and there’s an amaro cart.

New England meets Japan at Judy’s Bay, an izakaya-style restaurant that highlights locally sourced seafood in dishes like Maine mussels with gochujang butter and whole steamed Rhode Island black sea bass with miso soup, sesame salad, and edamame. The Judy’s Bay team, wife-and-husband duo Kim Vo and Lukas Dow, have previously appeared around the area with an Asian-inspired barbecue pop-up.

Mario LaPosta is a veteran pizzaiolo who previously worked at the now-closed Babbo Pizzeria e Enoteca in the Seaport, not to mention various pizzerias around Italy; now he has his own pizzeria and restaurant in Newton, Da LaPosta, serving wood-fired pizza, pasta, and a few other items, like suppli and salt cod croquettes. While LaPosta’s pizza skills are serious, he isn’t afraid to have a little fun with the menu: There’s a clam pizza inspired by New Haven, for example, not to mention a “buffalo e bufala” pizza topped with chicken, Buffalo sauce, buffalo mozzarella, and gorgonzola. 

Parisian bistro Café Sauvage, from wife-and-husband duo Anaïs and Antoine Lambert, is meant to pay homage to the multicultural influences on the Paris food scene, from Vietnam to Ethiopia: “There is more to Parisian food than just beef bourguignon and escargots,” as Anaïs Lambert previously told Eater. So there’s steak frites and a croque madame, yes, but there’s also a banh mi, injera crepes, and roasted chicken that’s served with jollof rice and fried plantains. The intimate restaurant, located in the former Hsin Hsin Cafe space in Back Bay, features a striking accent wall with tropical wallpaper.

Whether one is looking to sip rosé at a bar and snack on chowder flatbread or have a fancy date night over a caviar-and-shellfish tower or host a seafood-filled private event, Back Bay newcomer the Banks Fish House wants to fill pretty much all seafood-related dining needs. Sibling to nearby steakhouse Grill 23, the Banks hits similar upscale notes (but don’t worry — there’s also some fried seafood for a real New England-y feel). And make note for the winter: There are multiple fireplaces.

From chef Karen Akunowicz of the acclaimed Fox & the Knife comes a second Italian restaurant in South Boston, Bar Volpe. While its big sibling up the street focuses on northern Italy, Bar Volpe — which is also a pasta shop — focuses on the south, with dishes like culurgiones, a Sardinian stuffed pasta; fritti misti, inspired by Sicily (with a hint of Rhode Island); and rotisserie chicken stuffed with black truffle mayo.