Sign up for The Dish
Stay up to date on the latest food and drink news from Boston.com.
5 restaurants we can’t wait to try in April
This month we're eyeing a Korean gastro pub in the Seaport, creative cocktail-focused bites in Somerville, and a renowned North End restaurant making a comeback.
We appreciate the variety the most recent openings are serving up across Boston. From Boston’s first Indian gastro bar to a Korean gastro pub, creative cocktail-focused bites and thoughtful, farm-focused dining.
Don’t Tell Aunty
Authentic and elevated aren’t typically used in the same sentence to describe Indian fare — and yet Back Bay’s newest Indian venue seems to defy the odds with its aesthetic, shareable plates boasting bold flavor, all in a casual setting. Open for lunch and dinner, both menus offer a variety of small bites with a foundation of traditional flavors but modern presentation, including a pachadi trio dip of homemade chutneys (Chinese okra, eggplant, tomato) served with naan chips ($12), marinated lamb ghee roast with green chillies and curry leaves ($15) and spicy podi wings ($9 for four or $16 for eight pieces). On the lunch menu: happy bowls are made with a mix of curries (starting at $14) as well as Kati rolls, a popular street-food dish from Kolkata (starting from $14). The dinner menu consists of the majority of the aforementioned dishes along with a classic curry corner where the most iconic dishes of South Indian daal, butter chicken, lamb vindaloo and fish curry live (starting from $18). Don’t Tell Aunty also presents an impressive menu of libations that are infused with culinary flavors: the Chai Felicia combines vodka, espresso and Frangelico with chai syrup, and the Rum Both Ways blends white and dark rum with caramelized pineapple and coconut milk (both $15).
Advertisement:
1080 Boylston St., Boston
Now Open
Fallow Kin
Thoughtful farm-to-table is what Fallow Kin is all about as three Boston industry veterans, and longtime friends, have come together to open this forthcoming Cambridge venue. Conor Dennehy and Danielle Ayer of the neighborhood’s existing Talulla, and Marcos Sanchez, formerly at Tasting Counter, Gray’s Hall and Tres Gatos, joined forces to prioritize a concept that sources from local farms practicing sustainable agriculture.
853 Main St., Cambridge
Opens: mid-April
Little Sage
Beloved Boston-Italian chef Tony Susi returned to his North End roots in mid-March as he opened Little Sage with partner and restaurateur, Jennifer Matarazzo. The opening marks a full circle moment as the story goes: In the 1990s, Matarazzo owned Sage where Susi worked as executive chef. In 1999, Susi purchased Sage from Matarazzo and helmed the kitchen there until he moved to NYC. Now, 30 years later, he’s returning to the venue to breathe new life into the cherished space, all with modern dining trends in mind. “The North End is still a real neighborhood where people live and send their kids to school. I wanted to create a place that residents will enjoy as well as visitors,” shared Susi, adding that his “goal is to recreate the magic of what Sage was.” The 50-seat dining room and 10-seat bar keeps Little Sage intimate, with a menu to match—elevated comfort food centered by the al forno section of seasonal items baked in the brick oven (starting from $22) and house-made pastas (starting from $20). There are also some signature items from Susi’s former Sage, including gnocchi with lobster, dandelions, stracciatella and fennel pollen ($29) and baked fazzoletti pasta with short rib, spinach, fontina cheese and cherry tomatoes ($27).
Advertisement:
352 Hanover St., Boston
Now Open
Nowon
It’s been a long time coming, but as the old adage goes, “good things come to those who wait” — and we’ve been patiently waiting for this New York City Korean-American gastropub to open its first Boston location in the Seaport. Founded by chef Jae Lee in 2019 in NYC’s East Village, Nowon is an homage to his hometown in Seoul, South Korea; both in spirit and its eponymous title. Lee’s presentation of creative Korean dishes garnered such acclaim that he opened a second outpost in Bushwick, Brooklyn in 2023. Now, Lee brings the likes of his ‘Legendary’ Cheeseburger and chopped cheese rice cakes to Boston, and we can’t wait to learn more about the exclusive items that will be specific to this destination’s menu.
119 Seaport Blvd., Boston
Opens: mid-April
Tall Order
Cocktail experts Daren Swisher and Joe Cammarata, the duo behind downtown’s Daiquiris and Daisies, just opened a new bar and grill just outside Inman Square. Tall Order was inspired by the local vibes of a neighborhood pub but also flaunts the contemporary approach and technique found at a craft cocktail bar. After a combined two decades in Boston’s food and beverage scene, this is Swisher and Cammarata’s first standalone restaurant (they worked on drink programs at jm Curly, Hojoko, backbar) with menu items ranging from bar snacks like candied Japanese peanuts ($5) and pickled mushrooms ($8) to plates like firecracker tofu ($13) and crispy duck sliders ($15), and entrees like karaage chicken sandwich with miso honey mustard ($19) and little queens pasta with roasted maitake mushroom ($19). Of course, the beverage program is one to watch, stocked with a variety of original, house drinks that also includes a low ABV section of the menu where the Little Panda lives, made with fino sherry, dry vermouth, Rhum JM, sirop and lime, as well as the Chill Out, comprising of ancho verde, Noilly Prat Extra Dry vermouth and lime (both $14). Nestled under “regular” cocktails—simply referring to a more traditional ABV-base—Mainsfield Inn features butter-washed Dewar’s, Aberfeldy 12 year, Lillet, benedictine and preserved lemon with soda water, while Green Maize combines mezcal vago elote, empirical cilantro, tomatillo and lime (both $14).
Advertisement:
70 Beacon St., Somerville
Now Open
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com