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5 restaurant openings we’re excited about this month
This month, we’re scurrying for reservations across town that are showcasing a global palate.
From a Nepali-Indian inspired menu in Jamaica Plain to a new European-inspired, fresh-but-fast-casual pasta, and an omakase menu accented by robatayaki cooking in Chestnut Hill, here are five restaurant openings we’re excited about for March.
BE Pasta Bar
Husband and wife team Billy and Eva Axiotis are preparing to debut Boston’s first fast-casual homemade pasta shop. Inspired by European pasta shops that serve the freshest noodles, BE Pasta Bar—the BE standing for Billy and Eva—will serve daily homemade pasta prepared with imported ingredients from across the pond, including Mr. Papou’s organic olive oil, which is produced at their family-owned vineyards in Korinthos, Greece, as well as tomato sauce and genuine pasta-making tools from Italy. “We are looking forward to bringing a new pasta experience to Brookline, and are committed to delivering high-quality meals in the fast-casual food industry,” said BE Pasta Bar co-owner, Billy Axiotis. In addition to build-your-own pasta cups of rigatoni, macaroni, fusilli and spaghetti with toppings like homemade meatballs, local sausage and freshly prepared sauces like pesto and alfredo (starting at $11) BE Pasta will also offer specialty-crafted sandwiches and fresh salads.
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1026 Commonwealth Ave.
Opens: Early March
Citrus & Salt
Since 2017, Chef Jason Santos’ Baja-inspired menu at Citrus & Salt has called Back Bay home. Next month, however, Santos relocates the popular Mexican restaurant to a larger abode in the Fort Point neighborhood. “We are super excited to move to a newer and larger location which offers features that the restaurant needed as we have outgrown the existing space,” shared Santos. “Guests will now enjoy a larger dining room, additional private dining rooms, an expansive patio and an intimate Patron Room [16 seats] with some fun and exciting surprises for guests.” The restaurant’s new space was reimagined to reflect the same 1970s, coastal, Mexican vibe as its beloved Back Bay location, with bright pops of color, hand-painted flowers and sugar skulls all integrated into the design scheme by Assembly Design Studio. The menu will reflect tried-and-true favorites like tortilla-crusted Baja fish tacos ($12 with two tacos per order) and grilled street corn with Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and cotija cheese ($14) for lunch, dinner and weekend brunch, as well as new additions like “Tacos After Dark,” a late night dining program. Beverage Director Sarah Heimreid will continue to serve up its signature margaritas with fresh fruit purées (starting at $13), as well as large format, shareable cocktails, and tequila flights.
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319 A Street
Opens: March 21
Lê Madeline
What started as a city-wide pop up evolved into a ghost kitchen at the end of last year, and now finally, Lê Madeline has a brick-and-mortar for diners seeking a seamless combination of classic and contemporary Vietnamese cuisine by chef Peter Nguyen. A perfect representation of what Nguyen is creating is portrayed with the hanger steak au poivre in a creamy Bo Kho spiced peppercorn espuma. Bo Kho is a spicy Vietnamese beef stew with noodles, yet Nguyen swaps the typical chuck roast for a French pepper steak. He teases the dish on Instagram, writing: “@tamdle [Tam Le, owner of Lê Madeline] had some cool peppercorns from the mountainous regions of Dak Lak, Vietnam. And the only thing I can think of is a dank version of a Vietnamese steak au Poivre. I mean, the French [were] in our country for six decades.. so it all makes sense! Bo Kho (Vietnamese beef stew) was also influenced by the French!” For fans of Pho Linh, which Lê Madeline replaces, there are still noodle dishes available, and the lunch menu is dedicated to the traditional Vietnamese noodle house with pho and vermicelli bowls as the main offering. Expect plenty of Vietnamese ingredients featured in the cocktail program, too, from Vietnamese coffee to regional herbs and spices as garnish.
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409 Hancock St., Quincy
Now Open
Momo Masala
A mouthwatering combination of Nepali and Indian cuisine just moved into the Jamaica Plain neighborhood. As its name suggests, there are plenty of Momo steamed dumplings—a staple in Southeast Asian cuisine, particularly Nepal and Tibet and as street food throughout Northern India—on the menu, including vegetable, chicken and tandoori varieties (starting at $13.95). The menu also features regional specialties from India, including curries, Korma and Vindaloo all prepared with your preferred protein, like paneer for vegetarians, chicken, fish, shrimp, goat and lamb (starting at $17.95). The dedicated vegan section is impressive, with the likes of aloo gobi, fresh cauliflower and potatoes cooked with five spices and herbs; Bhanta ko tarkari, a popular Anglo-Indian dish cooked with mini eggplant and roasted with tomatoes, onions, peppers, ginger and garlic; and Jhaneko dal, a royal lentil dish tempered with Himalayan herbs. “We are excited to share our culture, people, country and especially the love of our food,” shared manager Ram Dhital about Momo Masala’s opening. “The streets of Kathmandu are halfway around the world, [so] we want to bring them closer to Boston, especially in JP.”
2 Perkins St., Jamaica Plain
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Now Open
XOXO Sushi Bar
Chef Kegan Stritchko, formerly of Fat Baby Sushi and Uni, takes the helm at Fred Starikov and Steve Whalen’s new restaurant across from The Shops at Chestnut Hill. The modern Japanese restaurant and bar will offer cold and warm shareable starters but the emphasis is on the hand rolls, sushi and sashimi, with a rotating chef’s omakase menu (5 types of fish for $55, 9 types for $102). The a la carte menu presents classic sashimi-grade cuts of fresh fish with a snap of extra flavor (yet not overpowering) like ora king salmon belly ($10), kanpachi with smoked soy sauce and candied garlic ($10), and o-toro with caviar and aged parmesan ($10). Stritchko’s menu incorporates Japanese cooking techniques (like robatayaki, or robata, a method of cooking over hot charcoal) where possible, but also infuses American influences, with in-house dry aging and curing. The 16-seat bar is the centerpiece of the restaurant to highlight the food and beverage program, the latter of which diners can expect interactive cocktails like smoke-topped glasses and innovative libations utilizing that same east-meets-west ethos.
1154 Boylston St., Chestnut Hill
Opens: March 8
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