OPENINGS: Watertown’s lovely Latin restaurant Casa de Pedro, which closed in 2019, rises again. Pedro’s Kitchen in Allston (85 Glenville Ave.) serves empanadas, arepas, mango ceviche, and garlic shrimp; many dishes are signatures from the old location. There’s also live entertainment. Visit Thursdays and Fridays from 4 p.m., and on weekends from 11:30 a.m.
In adjacent Allston excitement, Dorchester’s acclaimed Comfort Kitchen team has opened Ama at the Atlas (40 Western Ave.). The 180-seat, all-day restaurant promises a calm, nourishing environment — Ama is the Nepali word for mother. Expect French toast flavored with Nepali spiced tea, Senegalese-inspired yassa chicken salad sandwiches, tamarind-glazed trout, and Berbere-spiced fried chicken, plus prickly pear sorbet and brown butter pineapple cake. Visit daily for breakfast from 7 a.m., lunch from 11 a.m., and dinner from 5 p.m.
Special events: You know the weather’s bad when it’s too cold for chocolate: Harvard Square’s annual Taste of Chocolate Festival, slated for this weekend, now happens on Saturday, March 7. But there’s a sweet silver lining: Neighborhood businesses will still hold lots of promotions and events in the coming days, like parent-kid chocolate art classes (that go beyond licking the bowl); a chocolate sommelier class for those who want to embrace Dry January in a new way; and dessert specials at restaurants like Grendel’s Den, Lou’s, and more. Scope the full lineup at www.harvardsquare.com.
Deals: Valentine’s Day looms, but romance should linger all month long. Did you know that Myers + Chang in the South End (1145 Washington St.) offers a Great Date Night prix-fixe Mondays through Wednesdays? The two-person menus start at $70: Choose between a plant-based party, an omnivore’s delight, or a fish-oriented, fin-tastic feast. Woo your beloved beginning at 4 p.m.
Kara Baskin can be reached at kara.baskin@globe.com. Follow her @kcbaskin.