Openings: A couple of weeks ago, Jody Adams bid farewell to Cambridge’s Rialto. Now it’s time for a new adventure: She will open Mediterranean restaurant
Porto (Ring Road at Boylston Street) on July 11 with Eric Papachristos and Sean Griffing. The team also runs the Greenway’s Trade, and Adams and Papachristos are behind Saloniki, the Fenway’s newish Greek sandwich shop.
Porto’s name comes from the shared Italian and Portuguese word for “port,” and Adams has promised “lots of seafood,” both raw and cooked, like fluke, lobster, octopus, seafood stew, whole roasted fish, and a Mediterranean-inspired lobster roll. There’s also a raw bar and a patio.
Sequels: Demetri Tsolakis from Fort Point’s Committee will launch fast-casual Greek restaurant Gre.Co later this summer (225 Newbury St. at Fairfield Street), showcasing “slow-cooked delicacies and hand-crafted desserts for life on the go,” says a rep. There will be a focus on loukoumades — Greek honey dumplings — with various toppings, plus bigger dishes made with meat from Savenor’s Market and produce from Eva’s Garden.
Closings: A fond farewell for a beloved sandwich shop:
Newton’s Po-Boys (67 Crafts St. at Clinton Street) has closed, reports owner Eric Cormier. The humble restaurant was known for seafood po’ boys and ultra-thin onion rings, plus Cormier’s friendly banter. He says that he’s “sad yet happy” to close the spot, because he plans to spend more time with his young son.
Coming soon: Jamie Bissonnette and Ken Oringer — the collective masterminds behind Coppa and Toro — will open Cambridge’s Little Donkey in about two weeks (505 Massachusetts Ave. at Norfolk Street), with staff training now underway. The 80-seat restaurant will serve “global small plates,” Bissonnette says. “It’s big flavors and small plates in a familiar kind of workhorse-restaurant-type space. We want it to be an outlet for all the ideas that Ken and I have that don’t fit into Italian or Spanish.” Recent Instagram snaps reveal Turkish dumplings with sour cream and Aleppo butter, and matcha profiteroles with hot fudge. The restaurant will serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Exodus (McCraw St. at Belgrade Avenue) will open soon in Roslindale, says bagel maven Adam Hirsch, who has drawn a following at farmers’ markets throughout the area. He plans to launch a Kickstarter campaign toward expenses this week. The restaurant will specialize in bagels and diner and deli food. Hirsch expects 60 seats, plus table and counter service.
KARA BASKIN
Kara Baskin can be reached at kcbaskin@gmail.com. Follow her on Twitter @kcbaskin.
