It has been the kind of winter that leaves some people experiencing feelings of light despair at the continual bombardment of bone-cracking cold winds, massive dumps of snow, and sore legs from trudging through the black sludge which accumulates on the street after the deluge of carbon emissions crop-dusting our city streets on any given day. It’s enough to make a sane citizen go all potty with seasonal affectation disorder. Or just be really really really sick of this goddamn weather.
So here’s a quick fly-by of the different restaurants, bars, food trucks, events, and fun shit to do that’s planning to materialize into reality somewhere between now and the summer solstice (call it mid-June). The idea of these happening soon makes us happy (some may have already happened by the time you read this). Thus, we present them here, to you, in order for you to feel equally as happy. And honestly, you’re much more enjoyable to be around when you’re happy.
Glenville Stops
The team behind Allston’s forthcoming gastropub (think: tapas, lamb meatballs, whole roasted fish, Latin fare) felt there were enough spots with glowing TV’s and cheap beer in the area. So they’re opening an exposed beam craft beer house (read: no cocktails) with twenty taps, cask ales, draft wine, and down-firing speakers serenading you while getting down to some serious drinking and noshing amongst the skinny-jean’d masses.
ETA: End of March
MORE INFO: FACEBOOK.COM/THEGLENVILLESTOPS
Aeronaut Brewing Company
While Somerville’s first brewery–founded by MIT and Harvard alum–will be opening in May next to Artisan’s Asylum (with local artists designing the six pack cans and growler labeling), a rep tells us that they’re aiming to be ready to being opening a few days a week come April for grower-filling purposes of their suds (hint: a session IPA using multiple hops and yeast strains), so there are two things to take away here. One: they’ll have growlers. And two: they’ll have growlers. Okay, one takeaway.
ETA: April
MORE INFO: AERONAUTBREWING.COM
Merrill & Co.
Because having to many new spots helmed by vets of KO Prime and Toro slinging big fun and classic New England seafood is like having too much sex, Merrill & Co. is coming. And it’s also bringing bar manager Kevin Mabry over from jm Curley (he’s overseeing both spots), a “Big Ass Bone In Ribeye”, a curated sherry selection, and slushies to the old 28 Degrees space that’s had a facelift with some subway tile work. It’s basically Botox for walls.
ETA: Soft open now
MORE INFO: MERRILLANDCOBOSTON.COM
Liquid Art House
Part 180-seat Back Bay French restaurant (killer rotisserie, house made breads), and part art gallery featuring “micro environments” and multi-sensory exhibitions highlighting paintings, sculptures, multi-media installations, photography, and digital art splashed across 221-square feet of digital wall space. Chef Rachel Klein (Asana) will tweak her menus to play off the roving visual art installations. Which should be a call to all bacon-focused artists out there to get crackin’.
ETA: First week of May
MORE INFO: FACEBOOK.COM/LIQUIDARTHOUSE
Bastille Kitchen
The return of nightlife god Seth Greenberg (Mistral, M-80) is coming in the form of a bi-level, 300-seat posh “Parisian bistro”, flanked by Prosciutto-wrapped George’s Bank Cod and Seafood Sausage Agnolotti, 11,000-square feet of space split between two levels housing multiple bars, a Chalet Bar and Lounge for private functions, craft cocktails and sliding French doors all in Fort Point. A known Francophile stronghold.
ETA: Mid April
MORE INFO: FACEBOOK.COM/BASTILLEKITCHEN
H-Mart
It takes a lot for any one of the drink-sodden neophytes in the office to get excited for a grocery store. But then again, huge Asian grocers coming with all manner of mystical produce and hard-to-find spices, supplies, and dried goods inflames the inner foodie in us. Note: there’s already one in Burlington if you want to go test the wares before it hits Central Square. Testing wares is just a good habit to have. Except if you’re a heroin dealer.
ETA: Late Spring
MORE INFO: HMART.COM
Blazing Paddles
The folks at GameOn in Fenway have heard your impotent screams. The ones you howl into the night, calling for someone to just hurry up and open a subterranean beer-fueled fun-house focused on offering a spread of 12 championship ping pong tables to flex you legendary top-spin serve on under a halo of HD TV’s while catching the game, and even private pong suites. Related: your howls are awfully specific.
ETA: This weekend
MORE INFO: FACEBOOK.COM/BLAZINGPADDLESFENWAY
Acqua Chef’s Table
The loss of the beloved tucked-away spot Ida’s in the North End was a hit to anyone who loved the quiet scene and insane meatballs. Pretty solid consolation prize: the DePasquale Ventures empire (Bricco, Mare, Quattro) is aiming for mid-spring to open Acqua Chef’s Table, which will be adding a large 40 or 50 person outdoor patio along with it. Never can have too many of those.
ETA: Late Spring
Coppersmith Hall
Take one old machine shop in Southie. Gut it. Give it an industrial feel, have it house 250 people, conjure up a menu of American comfort food offered late (1am). Throw two non-mobile food trucks inside the place for creative lunchtime grub and food competitions, a rooftop garden, and an outdoor patio. Congratulations. You just invented an awesome new spot. Caveat: Coppersmith Hall, coming in late spring, already did.
ETA: June
FOOD TRUCKS
Moyzilla
As far as food trucks go, your options for those roving meal-barns focusing solely on dumplings and yakitori style Japanese grilled chicken skewers, and Taiwanese “Night Market” style beef noodle soups have been somewhat slim as of late. Moyzilla, having grabbed some solid spots along the Greenway, will be fixing that. Get excited.
ETA: Spring
MORE INFO: FACEBOOK.COM/MOYZILLA
Stoked Wood Fired Pizza
Soon to be barreling down (and then parking) along the Greenway and various points in the city will be this pizza food truck housing a 6,000-pound wood-fired pizza inside. At the helm of all the sizzling hot pies with dough crunchy on the bottom and chewy in the middle will be co-owner Scott Riebling, formerly of 90′s rock band Letters to Cleo. This is what’s known in some circles as a “fun fact”.
ETA: First week of April
MORE INFO: FACEBOOK.COM/STOKEDWOODFIREDPIZZA
GTFO
Okemo Mountain Slush Cup
Only a moron would want to drive on up to Ludlow, Vermont on a Saturday in April to watch over 100 people in ridiculous costumes charge down a snowy hill and try to slide, ski, or skim their way across and 80-foot long slushy pond without falling in, all while you drink in the sun. And we’re just that kind of moron. You may be too. Especially if you enter to compete. Which you can.
ETA: April 5
MORE INFO: OKEMO.COM/EVENTS/SLUSH
New late service for Cape Flyer
Sometimes its the little things that makes life better with the arrival of spring. Example: the CapeFlyern Boston-Cape Cod train service is adding dedicated trains for later service on Friday nights all through the 2014 season whenventuring down to the beach. This is in no way an endorsement to work full days on Fridays in spring, of course.
ETA: Spring
MORE INFO: CAPEFLYER.COM
KUMITE
Boston Spring International Open IBJJF Championship
The International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation took one look at the fact that they have never held an open championship competition here and decided to change that. Which means you can either grab tickets to the competition and bask in all the arm bars, guillotines, and choke outs from the stands, or, if you happen to be a practitioner you can register and give it the old All Valley Karate Tournament try. Of course we had to slip a Karate Kid reference in there…
ETA: April 5
MORE INFO: IBJJF.ORG
WISHFUL THINKING
HERE’S HOPING THESE RUMORED-TO-BE-IN-2014 PLACES HAPPEN
BARCADE
There have been whispers and talks for some time that the Brooklyn-based bar-slash-fully functioning-arcade is waiting for the right location to open up. Which would be great, since you love any place that offers pinball machines, classic 1980′s games (Ladybug, Contra, Galaga, etc), and craft beer. As you should.
CHICKEN & RICE GUYS
Back in June of last year, these New York City-style kings of manifesting halal street cuisine and gyro wraps announced they were planning on opening a restaurant, and said they would be a new late-night option, and posited “where do you guys want to be drunk and eat our chicken and rice?” Let’s hope they answer that soon, followed by the words “now open”.
CMARS STACKED DONUTS
If you’ve been wondering why you’ve suddenly begun craving delicious glazed donuts topped with blood orange, or the sugar-fests found when biting down on a freshly made Boston cream pie, and well, just donuts in general, chalk it up to Stephanie Cmar–former Top Chef Season 10 contestant, and former sous chef of No. 9 Park, currently figuring out how and where to open Cmars Stacked Donuts. Her first pop up saw over 450 donuts sold, and sold out of stock in an hour. Fingers crossed.
