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5 restaurants we can’t wait to try in March
From a South Boston spot by a James Beard Award-winning chef to a Seaport vintage cocktail bar, these are the restaurants topping our must-try list this month.
Modern Mediterranean, a glamorous Italian supper club and a pop-up poke handroll venue are whetting our palate for a season of thrilling restaurant openings. This month also sees the expansion of an intentional eatery to South Boston and a vintage cocktail bar complete with a cabaret stage set to open in Seaport. Here’s where you’ll find us dining and drinking in March.
BAMBOLA!
A haute scene of glossy scarlet, Murano-inspired chandeliers and suede stools backed with dancing zebras juxtapose a menu of classic Roman and Southern Italian cuisine at Seaport’s newest supper club. Conceptualized by Sneaky Good Hospitality (The Flamingo, Blondie’s), Bambola, translating to doll in Italian, ushers diners into what feels like an exclusive dinner party as they follow a curved passage that opens up to a glitzy Italian villa with an elegant old-world ambiance. The menu, helmed by Roman-born chef Bartolo Bruzzaniti, reads as a selection of his bold interpretations on the classics, like fluffy focaccia, shareable paninis, decadent carbonara with hand-rolled bucatini and an expert rendition of Lasagna Napoletana. These are the dishes Bruzzaniti grew up with, savoring them during Sunday dinners with his family, which were “sacred” and a chance for the multigenerations to come together and connect. The wine and beverage program will also be deeply rooted in Italian ingredients with seasonally-updated craft cocktails inspired by regional flavors and an immersive wine list featuring both small- and household name producers.
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225 Northern Ave., Seaport
Opens: Late March
Common Craft South Boston
Already celebrated for its flagship location in Burlington that spotlights “the people, techniques, tools, and products behind the restaurant industry,” this month the Common Craft team brings the same ethos to South Boston at the base of the South Standard building. James Beard Award-winning chef Tony Messina will take the kitchen lead at this second location to prioritize an immersive culinary experience with a monthly rotating program called The Current, that spotlights a single theme and is designed to engage the diner in culinary craft. The goal is “a continuous flow of creativity, where there’s always something new to taste, see, and share,” according to their Instagram that welcomes nominations for craftspeople for them to feature. Another facet to the new location is The Stillroom, a speakeasy where the mixology team emphasizes intentional cocktail craft—every drink will tell a story that will be conveyed through taste and backstory.
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85 Damrell St., South Boston
Opens: Mid-March
Lanikai
Husband-wife team, Ronald Liu and Jessica Chiep, have expanded their Love Art Sushi to Cambridge and brought an authentic Hawaiian poke experience with them. Set within the new Canal Park address, Lanikai is an exclusive poke pop-up on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday between 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. The menu features a twist on the traditional poke bowl or platter by presenting sushi hand rolls topped with poke offerings like seaweed, chili water and specialty salts, imported directly from Hawaii. Their Limu Ahi ($13 for a set of 2), for example, includes Hawaii’s Aloha shoyu and inamona (kukui nut) and their Spicy Ahi tuna poke always uses the freshest seasonally available catch, from bluefin to big eye or yellowfin procured by New England fishermen. The pop-up menu also includes flavorful snacks like a Hawaiian mac salad, composed of cooked elbow-shaped pasta tossed with tangy kewpie mayonnaise, sweet onion, corn and shredded carrot ($6) and smashed cucumber with chili, soy, garlic and nori furikake ($6).
1 Canal Park, Cambridge
Now Open
MEZŌ Mediterranean
Hellenic character and home-style Greek dishes are at the heart of this new modern Mediterranean restaurant forthcoming to Dedham Square. The restaurant’s name, MEZŌ, is a double entendre as it pulls inspiration from the Greek word Mesógeios, or Mediterranean, as well as the shared tradition of meze from this region which focuses on an assortment of shareable, small plates that connects a table through cuisine. Generational family recipes include moussaka, a type of beef and eggplant lasagna ($24), stuffed peppers with ground beef called gemista ($24), and street-food specialities include slow-cooked chicken gyro ($15) and falafel-stuffed pita with tomato and tahini ($15). The 1,400-square-foot concept features both a charming dining room with olive trees, artisanal pottery and views into the open kitchen as well as a grab-and-go section for salads, dips, yogurt parfaits and desserts like baklava. Even though the latter option is a core part of the offering, owner George Panagopoulos hopes that the customers will experience the former as “making people feel welcomed, valued, and at home” is what MEZŌ is all about. “It’s inspired by the grandmothers and family members who taught us that food is about more than nourishment — it’s about hospitality, generosity, and bringing people together,” shared Panagopoulos. “This restaurant is a tribute to those traditions and a way to share them with a new generation.”
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551 High St., Dedham
Opens: March 4
The Girl Next Door
It might share the same address as BAMBOLA! but don’t be mistaken, The Girl Next Door is a separate venue and destination in its own right with a completely different vibe that’s more convivial than its shared venues’ cinematic feel. The more approachable space occupies the outer-facing side of the building, offering a lighter, more relaxed and effortless environment thanks to Boston-based Arrowstreet Hospitality in collaboration with SNG’s principles. The space reflects its name with a fun, flirty vibe; think, statement-making accents like a vintage, vanity-lit cabaret stage, Dolce & Gabbana Leopard print wall coverings, and an oversized disco ball that lightens the mood for any occasion here, whether a first date or last-call nightcap. The menu focuses on a balance of bespoke libations paired with Italian street food like a crusty bread-based crocchettone alla mortadella, fried pizza and polpetta e scarpetta, which literally translates to meatball and mop, as the Italian classic is served with bread to encourage diners to “mop” up every last bite of sauce from the bowl.
225 Northern Ave., Seaport
Opens: Late March
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