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5 restaurants we can’t wait to try in May
From a food truck smashburger debut in the Seaport to a celebrity-favorite steakhouse in Newton, these are the restaurants topping our must-try list this month.
May is one of the busiest months for restaurant openings and this year is no exception. On the docket, a much anticipated Mediterranean taverna from the team behind SOURCE Restaurant in Harvard Square; a food truck smashburger debut that will make you want to take up padel; and the first Northeast location of a celebrity-favorite steakhouse that offers a riff on happy hour that was seemingly designed for Boston. Here’s where you’ll find us dining in May.
Alice & Monarch
After years in the making, Daniel Roughan is ready to debut two distinct concepts under one new roof: Alice, a modern, Mediterranean-inspired taverna and Monarch, a subterranean dessert speakeasy—unique for the Boston area. “Alice is deeply personal to me,” says Roughan. “It’s named for my great-grandmother, and everything about it—from the warmth of the space to the menu—is meant to feel like coming home. This ethos is strengthened by a menu centered on shareable plates, with nearly two dozen “small wonders” including a pizza bianco dipping flight, cacio e pepe chips, beef tartare with a balsamic caviar, charred octopus and tripe. There is also a salumi and formaggio selection boasting local and global cheeses and charcuteries to build your own board served with housemade piccadilly, honey, mustard, and seasonally-rotated chutneys. Entrees, too, are built to share with decadent pastas, chicken for two with a rich herb butter and a variety of Neopolitan pizzas.
Directly downstairs, “Monarch is where we let our creativity stretch a bit further,” says Roughan. “It’s more playful, more intimate, and gives us a chance to surprise people.” The dessert speakeasy is as it sounds—a swanky retreat for after dinner schmoozing with premium sweet treats and craft cocktails. On the former, the Atom is inspired by the structure of its namesake with hibiscus and Earl Grey sorbet evoking the nucleus displayed on a yogurt cake base that’s enveloped in a fluffy yuzu foam; it’s Roughan’s nod to MIT’s identity as a leading STEM university (the restaurant is set within one of the campus’ buildings). There’s also toasted almond cremeux with poached rhubarb and a baked-to-order chocolate souffle tart. Cocktails are as thoughtful and creative with the likes of El Pastor Guillotine, a combination of tequila, ayuuk, tepache honey, Cointreau and lime or the Gilded Orange, a bourbon-based sipper with Cognac, Calvados miso butter and amaro.
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238 Main St., Cambridge
Opens: May 8
Ballers Seaport
After soft opening last month, Ballers is ready to officially usher in summer in the Seaport with its grand opening party on May 14. The social racquet sports destination is on a mission to redefine Boston’s “eat, play, repeat” culture as it launches a food truck with a menu that’s highlighted by two nostalgic signatures: a double-stacked smashburger with fried onions and house pickles and a reimagined root beer float using vanilla syrup, freshly whipped cream and Olipop soda. Other sandwiches and wraps will be available to refuel players in between rounds of padel, pickleball as well as refreshing snacks like hummus and garden veggies, charred shishitos and Caesar salad. “Ballers is about more than just playing—it’s about creating a place where sport, wellness, culture, and community come together,” said David Gutstadt, cofounder and CEO on the addition of the chef-driven food truck. The menu is now live at Ballers Seaport, and the rest of the courts, spread across 30,000-square-feet, will be open by mid-month for seven days a week.
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25 Pier 4 Blvd., Seaport
Now Open
Biltmore Tavern
Dating back to the 1920s, “The Biltmore” as its Newton neighbors know it, was a former speakeasy frequented by politicians, celebrities and socialites. With a four-lane bowling alley in the basement, there was never a dull moment—until prohibition. While the venue has seen transferred ownership over the years, it’s always remained a local gathering place and its newest owners, Scott Drago and Adam Patti plan to keep it that way. “We love the whole nostalgia of it and want to see it come back to its day,” Drago tells Boston.com. The duo purchased the tavern last year and closed it for a cosmetic upgrade led by Drago who decided on the textures, colors, lighting and design to achieve the feel he wanted to achieve—an upscale tavern with 1920s allure. He kept the original tin ceiling, poured time into bringing the original maple floors back to life; he added brick walls and Edison bulb lighting for a more rustic look to evoke its 20s character. Drago opened up the kitchen, kept the bar structure with 24 local beers on tap, but added new hightops with a backroom that features a private nook lined with a long banquette. These are the aesthetic changes that regulars will notice, but Drago also redesigned the menu. “It’s no longer just a bar and grill,” he says, noting you can come in comfortable attire but get an upscale experience with craft pizza, pastas, and favored entrees like baked haddock and Denver steak tips, with a priority on local purveyors like Kinnealey Meats in Brockton and Captain Marden’s in Westwood.
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1205 Chestnut St., Newton
Opens: Late May
Maple & Ash
The long-awaited opening of this celebrity-favorite steakhouse’s fourth location finally debuted yesterday in Boston’s Seaport neighborhood. Helmed by Michelin-lauded chef Danny Grant, the new outpost is the brand’s first in the Northeast as it plans to introduce an already seafood-loving region to its signature “Tower Hour” (4-5 p.m., Tuesday-Saturday), a modern interpretation of happy hour with a multi-level display of Manila clams, scallops, black tiger prawns, and Alaskan king crab, roasted in the hearth and finished with garlic butter and chili oil. The 12,000-square-foot steakhouse is divided into three spaces to offer diners a trio of unique dining experiences, including a bar-lounge area that features an exclusive Boston-designed bar menu, an open-format dining room flanked by leather chairs and tufted banquettes, and an al fresco trellis. The core menu includes its iconic selection of aged meats, like the 22-ounce, 28-day dry-aged bone-in ribeye and The Eisenhower, a 40-ounce, 45-day dry-aged porterhouse as well as starters like Wagyu carpaccio and Wagyu skewers with black fig, lime, and coriander. There are also plenty of pescatarian and vegetable-forward options like the restaurant’s signature Fork & Knife Caesar with a base of wood-grilled romaine, golden beet, and burrata with jicama; and for entrees, whole roasted Acadian redfish with Roman beans and ricotta agnolotti with winter truffle. In addition to its lavish tower selection, other sea treasures include caviar service, oysters on the half shell, crudo, and Alaskan king crab legs. Finally, if you’re feeling indecisive, Maple & Ash brings its playful “IDGAF” menu to the table, which includes a collection of fire-roasted shellfish, steak, and seafood sent out leisurely for the table (price is per person).
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131 Seaport Blvd. (The Superette), Seaport
Now Open
The Zebra Room
Sultry and stylish, the ruby-lit room tucked behind a bookshelf in the library at Yvonne’s is home to a new, 10-table steakhouse curated to reflect the intimacy of a dinner party with friends. Geometric wallpaper, lush scarlet banquettes, and a mirrored ceiling are a few of the design highlights that transport diners back to the 1970s when conversation pits encouraged their namesake and dinner parties were the height of entertainment. COJE Management Group is the mastermind behind it, with Chris Jamison, CEO and managing partner explaining how the space “exudes the hospitality we aspire to deliver and the kind of place where we want to be, to dine, to entertain our friends.” Make no mistake: the theatrical take on a great American steakhouse doesn’t sacrifice premium cuts. There’s Australian Wagyu, Brandt Beef’s 55-day dry aged Prime Flat Iron, a Wagyu ribeye cap from Northern Washington and for a true dinner party feel, an option of 10- or 16-oz prime roast beef. Corporate Wine Director Nick Morisi compiled a Napa-centric wine menu to accompany the globally-sourced beef and Director of Bars Ray Tremblay curated a beverage selection that riffs on timeless cocktails like the Fat Cap Manhattan that uses wagyu fat to add texture to the classic recipe and the Zebra Negroni with strawberry, rhubarb and olive oil. To keep the exclusive allure, reservations are only available by request.
4 Winter Place, Downtown Boston
Now Open
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