[Eats]

Fall Eats + Drinks

Stuff yourself with restaurant influx

By CHRISTINE LIU

163 VIETNAMESE SANDWICHES AND BUBBLE TEA | NEWLY OPEN

Replacing the late Anna's Dessert House is this new Chinatown stakeout for banh mi fans. Cheap sandwiches on toasted French bread, all priced at $2.50, range from the traditional coldcut/paté combo to a vegetarian tofu version. Wash it all down with milky bubble tea, or a durian shake if you so ever dare.

[66 Harrison Ave., Chinatown, Boston. 617.542.7903]

 

2ND CUP CAFE | EARLY OCTOBER

This bright, superclean, casual café will boast all kinds of coffee and espresso drinks -- all brewed with George Howell's (of Coffee Connection and Terroir) quality beans. Free WiFi's a big bonus, especially paired with hardwood floors, freshly made snacks and 18 (count 'em) types of tea.

[111 Brighton Ave., Allston. 617.782.8282. 2ndcupcafe.com]

 

303 CAFÉ | NEWLY OPEN

Owners Tom Clackett and Melinda Jones present this comfy-chic Eastie neighborhood spot for breakfast, lunch and Sunday brunch. Poetry nights and children's story hours are on the agenda; plus, we hear there's a killer breakfast burrito dying (of course) to fill your rumbly stomach.

[303 Sumner St., East Boston. 617.569.3001. 303cafe.com]

 

THE ACHILLES PROJECT: PERSEPHONE | LATE OCTOBER

Persephone, a restaurant headed by chef/owner Michael Leviton of Newton's Lumiere, will seamlessly pair with The Achilles Project lifestyle boutique. Expect small plates of simple, well-designed, well-executed food; locally-sourced ingredients; and a comfortable, communal aesthetic.

[283 Sumner St., Fort Point, Boston. 617.695.2257. achilles-project.com]

 

BANQ | OCTOBER

A restaurant will be joining the resident Citibank in The Penny Savings Bank condo project in South End. Early reports reveal that BanQ, "offering French cuisine with an Asian flare," will be moving into the ground floor of the complex. Anticipate away.

[22 Union Park St., Penny Savings Bank, South End, Boston. banqrestaurant.com]

 

BERRYLINE | NEWLY OPEN

Scoot over, Pinkberry; take a hike, TCBY. BerryLine's the newest fro-yo spot to hit the area, an independent café with fresh fruit-topped desserts, coffee and smoothies run by two post-docs from Harvard and MIT. Don't miss the eatery's cute, colorful mural painted by Smile Boston Project artist Bren Bataclan.

[One Arrow St., Harvard Sq., Cambridge. 617.868.3500. theberryline.com]

 

CAFETERIA | LATE OCTOBER

Amrik Pabla (of One World Cuisine), Cameron Grob (of I Boutique) and Eric Santiago (of Metropolis) present the two-level Cafeteria, peppering the Newb with Italian nibbles by chef Lawrence Scottie, previously at Armani Café and Stephanie's. Expect a slick design, charming cocktails and plenty of people watching to spare. [279A Newbury St., Boston. 617.536.2233. cafeteriaboston.com]

 

CHURCH | EARLY OCTOBER

Church reincarnates the late Linwood Grill as a revamped bar, restaurant and music venue. Chef Andrew Beer produces "creative upscale comfort food," and look out for the "7 Deadly Sins" cocktail menu boasting drinks representative of each vice. The stage, sound and lighting is all brand-new, bitches.

[69 Kilmarnock St., The Fenway, Boston. 617.236.7600. churchofboston.com]

 

GREEN LIGHT | NEWLY OPEN

On the tails of the hotly welcomed Gaslight arrives its breezy sassy cousin, Green Light. Perfect for a lunch hour or a light meal, this adjoining café space satisfies the sandwiches, salads, soup crowd. Good to know: All baked goods are 50 percent off beginning at 5pm daily. Talk about fresh turnover.

[560 Harrison Ave., South End, Boston. 617.422.0224. gaslight560.com]

 

HARU | OCTOBER

The insatiable appetite for Japanese food presses on: New York-based franchise Haru moves into the previous location of Dick's Last Resort in the Pru, whipping up sushi, tempura and the works for the downtown crowd. We've got dibs on the Lobster Mango Ceviche and Komodo Dragon cocktail.

[55 Huntington Ave., Prudential Center, Boston. 617.536.0770. harusushi.com]

 

KICKASS CUPCAKES | NEWLY OPEN

Who doesn't love cupcakes?! Everyone loves cupcakes!!! CUP. CAKES. To this bakery's credit, they're even better when they're made from scratch, come in flavors like Mojito or vegan Java Jolt and are available in deep-fried form. (Yep, that's right.) Stay tuned for upcoming cupcake pajama brunches.

[378 Highland Ave., Davis Sq., Somerville. 617.628.2877. kickasscupcakes.com]

 

KINGSTON STATION | NEWLY OPEN

Prepare for a nostalgic turn with this Old World, bistro-styled eatery: Ceiling fans, wall sconces and marble mosaic floors coax you to the dining room for casual American fare; or perch at the zinc-topped mahogany bar for a classier way to scratch your Sox itch.

[25 Kingston St., Downtown Crossing, Boston. 617.482.6282. kingstonboston.com]

 

L'ANDANA GRILL | OCTOBER

Two Boston restaurant powerhouses -- chef/owner Jamie Mammano (of Mistral, Teatro, Sorellina and The Federalist) and chef David Blessing at the Four Seasons -- unite for a Tuscan-inspired, Italian country grill primed for suburban stomachs. Salute!

[86 Cambridge St., Burlington. 781.270.0100. landanagrill.com]

 

LIBERTY HOTEL: CLINK | NEWLY OPEN

ALIBI | LATE SEPTEMBER

SCAMPO | LATE OCTOBER

The Liberty Hotel's three food options throw homage to the building's past life as a prison: there's the small-plate gastropub Click, Patrick Lyons' cell-block cocktail bar Alibi and Lydia Shire's fine contemporary Italian restaurant Scampo. Yum, yum -- jailbait, indeed.

[215 Charles St., Beacon Hill, Boston. 617.224.4000. libertyhotel.com]

 

MYERS + CHANG | NEWLY OPEN

Fierce proprietors Joanne Chang (of Flour Bakery) and Christopher Myers (of Radius, Via Matta and Great Bay) are not only engaged to each other, but also to creative directions in tasty Asian food. Chang's pastry pops up in the scallion pancakes; keep out a feeler for quality dim-sum later on.

[1145 Washington St., South End, Boston. 617.532.5300. myersandchang.com]

 

OGGI GOURMET | LATE SEPTEMBER

Clever website URL aside, Oggi's new relocated perch in Harvard's Holyoke Center's catches our eye with eats like a grilled jerk chicken sandwich or garlic-cilantro marinated portobellos -- not to mention a dessert option of "madhouse munchies." Pizza available by the slice makes our indexing instincts tingle. Oooh.

[1350 Mass. Ave., Harvard Sq., Cambridge. 617.345.0022. oggistyle.com]

 

NATICK COLLECTION: FINALE, METROPOLITAN BAR & GRILL, SEL DE LA TERRE | NEWLY OPEN

At least once you've blown your wad at this chi-chi new mall -- um, collection -- you'll have some options beyond Panda Express. The Natick outposts of three esteemed restaurants boast niceties, like a vertical grill at the Met's Burger Bar, or a free cookie tomorrow at Finale's Gourmet Cookie Day on September 20.

[1245 Worcester St., Natick. 508.647.8300, finaledesserts.com; 508.651.0300, metclubandbar.com; 508.650.1800, seldelaterre.com; natickcollection.com]

 

RENDANG/ASIAN MARKET | NEWLY OPEN

Malaysian restaurant Rendang has undergone a complete makeover: more reasonably-priced dishes, a lounge with wine, beer, saketinis galore; free use of computers, printers and iPod docking stations; and a J-pop meets Bollywood aesthetic. The food-media complex will soon be officially dubbed Asian Market.

[57 JFK St., Harvard Sq., Cambridge. 617.576.2804. amrestaurant.com]

 

SANDRINE'S BISTRO | LATE SEPTEMBER

With its hot little hands on a new full liquor license, Sandrine's now boasts an extensive bar as well as three signature cocktails: a basil gimlet, Provençal martini and Sandrine's Manhattan. The bar's undergoing a bit of remodeling to look the glamorous part, and a snappy-snacky bar menu is in the works.

[8 Holyoke St., Harvard Sq., Cambridge. 617.497.5300. sandrines.com]

 

SHIKI | NEWLY OPEN

For fans who lamented Roka's disappearance in Cambridge, wield your chopsticks anew for owner Misako Uda's new eatery. Located in the spot which previously housed Firenze, Shiki is a small, cozy restaurant emphasizing a traditional Japanese menu while mixing it up with modern twists.

[9 Babcock St., Coolidge Corner, Brookline. 617.738.0200]

 

STIX | LATE SEPTEMBER

No confusion about the concept here: Stix, perched neatly next to 33 Restaurant, serves cosmopolitan-minded shish kebabs on flavor-infused sticks, from spicy "Mexican fiesta" to herbaceous "citrus rosemary." Just wait till we get our hands on the bar's Sensitile surface, which lights up in response to touch.

[35 Stanhope St., Back Bay, Boston. 617.456.7849. stixboston.com]

 

SUSHI | NEWLY OPEN

It's practically a gastronomic baby boom, the way Allston keeps popping out cheap, international eateries. Sushi -- yup, that's the name -- doles out $1 pieces of sushi (unbeatable, that) as well as a snackable spread of Korean and Japanese food. Twenty types of craft beer and 10 types of sake keeps the neighborhood buzzing.

[1245 Comm. Ave., Allston. 617.787.2400]

 

SUMMER WINTER | OCTOBER

Mark Gaier and Clark Frazier, chefs/owners of the highly venerated Arrows restaurant in Ogunquit, Maine, are spawning a new concept in Boston -- er, Burlington. An on-site greenhouse provides seasonal veggies year-round, supplying fresh ingredients for a restaurant that will seemingly make Marriott's wildest dreams come true.

[Boston Burlington Marriott, 1 Mall Rd., Burlington. 781.229.6565. marriott.com]

 

TASHI DELEK | NEWLY OPEN

We're praying this one sticks around for good: This Tibetan restaurant recently moved into the Brookline Village space previously occupied by Café Saint Petersburg and Café Samovar. Check it out for tasty apps (Chura-Momo is "very popular with the monks"), savory stir-fried entrées and authentic salads and soups.

[236 Washington St., Brookline Village, Brookline. 617.232.4200]

 

TOSCANO | MID-OCTOBER

A respected institution for 23 years, Toscano's is undergoing one hell of a face-lift. A long-awaited renovation ("a renaissance moment for the restaurant") is transforming the space into an Old World feel with lots of stone and hardwood, while returning with its familiar, classic, traditional Tuscan menu.

[47 Charles St., Beacon Hill, Boston. 617.723.4090. toscanoboston.com]

 

VLORA | NEWLY OPEN

Bringing provocative new tastes to Boston -- like grilled ostrich steak and blue cheese spinach -- are Aldo Velaj and Cindy Tsai with the Albania-minded Vlora. Expect influences from Greek and Italian cuisine, as well authentic north-Mediterranean dishes like a simple salad of cabbage with olive oil and lemon.

[545 Boylston St., Boston. 617.638.9699. vloraboston.com]

 

Z-SQUARE | NOVEMBER

Perhaps that "Z" is versatile after all: Z-Square's adding onto its Harvard Square location with a second spot in Kenmore, serving some of the "greatest hits" from the Cambridge restaurant's comfort-American bistro menu. Soon in Boston you can snag a meal, slip into the wine bar or dine alfresco -- given cooperative weather.

[580 Comm.Ave., Kenmore Sq., Boston. 617.425.0101. z-square.com]