Coming Soon: The team behind Concord’s Woods Hill Table plan to open Mexican restaurant Adelita in the coming months. It replaces Vincenzo’s, a familiar spot for many a suburban date-nighter (1200 Main St. at Commonwealth Avenue). Owner Kristin Canty and chef Charlie Foster will serve lunch and dinner tacos and enchiladas using meat from Canty’s Farm at Woods Hill in Bath, N.H., plus ceviche and organic margaritas.
“I think there’s a huge need for Mexican food in this town,” she says.
California-French cuisine arrives near Boston Common thanks to Explorateur (186 Tremont St. at Boylston Street), the latest from Big Night Entertainment Group, the folks who brought you slinky spots like the Seaport’s
Empire Restaurant & Lounge. The restaurant is located inside the old Grand Masonic Lodge.
Advertisement
“The location is great — we’re at the center of the universe!” enthuses co-owner Ed Kane (pictured).
Feast on breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the bakery, cafe, and restaurant, which has pastry and pie cases, a proper leather-outfitted Library Room, and Boston Common views.
Kane was inspired by Los Angeles all-day restaurants like Gjelina when creating his newest spot, which he says has the feel of a “London hotel restaurant and bar.”
Enjoy fresh croissants, house-made doughnuts, flatbreads, and tarts, plus larger plates like whole roasted sea bass and tomahawk steak.
Up next for Big Night: the Scorpion Restaurant & Bar and third-floor “Hollywood glamorous” mega-nightclub the Grand, opening in the Seaport this fall.
“I think Boston is ready for it,” Kane says.
Explorateur is slated to open Aug. 20.
Openings: The Certified Meatball Company has opened in South Boston (429 West Broadway at F Street), featuring balls of all types — Swedish, turkey mole verde, and shrimp topped with creamy grits. Eat it alone, or pair it with a sauce (mushroom stroganoff, spicy coconut-lime curry) and top it with extras like a fried egg or bacon.
Advertisement
Brookline’s Best Burger Bar (195 Washington St. at Station Street) has opened with burgers (naturally) plus cocktails from beloved mixologist Brother Cleve (Cambridge’s B-Side Lounge, among other spots), who has crafted tiki specialties and spiked milkshakes. There are also hot dogs, chicken wings, and several permutations of french fry (poutine, short rib, smoked cheddar). And here’s a nice touch: Kids under 12 get a free burger with any adult sandwich through August.
Reopenings: North End mainstay Assaggio (29 Prince St. at Hanover Street) has reopened, now overseen by neighborhood restaurateur Frank DePasquale. Enjoy coastal cuisine inspired by the Amalfi coast, like grilled octopus and zucchini flowers stuffed with truffle ricotta. A second-floor space will host a cooking school with classes in pasta- and cheese-making.