Newtonville’s new restaurant and KO Prime chef’s gastropub

We’ve got the details on Paul Turano’s upcoming Newtonville restaurant, Cook, opening in August. (Turano’s the guy behind Arlington’s perpetually packed Tryst.) He tells us that Cook is an “approachable, fun and introspective look at the process of being a restaurant. There’s a lot of bells and whistles in the industry, and this is kind of the opposite of that. I really wanted to make it a destination and second home for my customers. I want it to be comfortable and something that they can understand and be a part of. . . . It’s different from Tryst in that it’s more casual, and the concept is a little more open-ended.” As for the food, Turano says that it’s the kind of place where “amazing tacos can sit next to amazing flatbreads, seafood, steaks and pasta. And locally sourced produce will be front and center.” Naturally, there will be a craft cocktail program. Look for it at 825 Washington St.

The New York-based Korean chicken sensation Bon Chon is nearly ready to unveil its third Boston-area location. A Bon Chon rep tells us that a restaurant will open at 1075 Westford St., near Chelmsford’s Drum Hill Rotary, in late July or early August. Its wings, drumsticks, and strips are crunchy, numbingly spicy, and sometimes addictive. It also maintains an interesting menu of Korean specialties — its tteokbokki (rice cakes in a fiery red chili sauce) are excellent.

Acton will get its very own gastropub, helmed by KO Prime’s executive chef Josh Buehler. The Red Raven will be at 3 Nagog Park, moving to a space once occupied by local hangout the Rusty Scupper, later known as Scupper Jack’s. Buehler worked at Eastern Standard before segueing to KO Prime. His new project has all the buzzwords: It’s a gastropub with craft cocktails and farm-to-table cuisine. While this concept isn’t anything earth-shattering in Boston, it might be just the jolt Acton needs — and a pedigreed chef doesn’t hurt, either.