For the first time since opening in 1981, Milk Street Cafe has undergone renovations. The lunch spot, which began as a vegetarian restaurant, has expanded from standard cafe fare to include a bakery, sushi counter, and meat. The overhaul to Downtown Boston’s only kosher eatery was just completed. The cafe has not served meat before, but is using recipes offered through its catering service, which accounts for over 90 percent of its business. New sandwiches include roast turkey and avocado ($8.95) and grilled chicken pesto ($8.95). Soups and other hot bowls ($3.25 and $3.95), including tomato bisque and corn chowder, rotate by season. To overcome logistical obstacles of serving both kosher meat and dairy dishes in the same restaurant, explains owner Marc Epstein, he uses a 2,500 square-foot kitchen in the basement for meat only, and converted, with rabbinical supervision, the old meat kitchen (used exclusively for catering) into the sushi-prep area. Don’t worry, you won’t find matzo balls in your maki rolls. Milk Street Cafe, 50 Milk St., Financial District, Boston, 617-542-3663, www.milkstreetcafe.com.
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JON MAEL