On Thursday, Time Out Market Boston opened in Fenway’s 401 Park building. The upscale food hall is sibling to the original in Lisbon; there are also markets in Miami and New York, with more to come. The 25,000-square-foot space comprises 15 food and beverage concepts from some of Boston’s top chefs, including Tim Cushman (O Ya), Tony Maws (Craigie on Main), and Michael Schlow (Tico). There are also two bars serving local beer and cider, wine, and cocktails, plus a demo kitchen and a patio.
It’s a sweeping space with high ceilings, columns, and polished gray floors, a soundtrack featuring the Smiths and the Talking Heads playing in the background. One side of the hall is equipped with kitchens for cooking hot food, while the other serves baked goods, sandwiches, and things that don’t require heating. In the middle are long, wooden communal tables where everyone gathers to eat. When you place your order, you receive a buzzer that alerts you when your food is ready.
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There’s everything from vegan fare to Japan-inspired tacos to Jewish deli to lobster rolls. With so many choices, where to begin? Here is a guide to what you’ll find at Time Out Market, with suggestions for what to order at each place.
Anoush’ella
What it is: Restaurateur Nina Festekjian opened her first Anoush’ella in the South End in 2017, drawing on her Armenian and Lebanese heritage for the menu. (“Anoush’ella” means “may it be sweet.”)
What it serves: Mezze samplers that might include hummus, labneh, chickpea fritters, grilled halloumi, and more. Wraps sandwiches: za’atar chicken with hummus, tomatoes, baked fries, pickled turnip, garlic sauce, and a side of walnut harissa; baked falafel with turnips, tahini, and tzatziki. Bowls of lentil rice pilaf and za’atar chicken, fattoush salad, and more.
Price range: $4.50 for one meze; $16 for a sampler of five. Wraps $13.50-$16. Bowls $14.
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What you should know: At lunchtime, Anoush’ella had one of the longest lines. Its food is healthy and flavorful, and it’s located near the entrance so it has good visibility.
What you should order: The Anoush’ella kofta wrap: lamb and beef meatballs with hummus, mint, pomegranate, tahini, the hot sauce zhouk, and a side of baba ganoush.
BISq
What it is: First there was Bergamot, the restaurant started by chef Keith Pooler and crew in Somerville. Then there was spinoff BISq — Bergamot Inman Square — where chef Alex Saenz and crew serve delicious, detail-oriented small plates and killer fried chicken. And now there’s a mini BISq in Time Out Market, specializing in sandwiches and charcuterie.
What it serves: Snacks such as olives, ricotta with local honey and brioche, or pimento cheese with baguette. Sandwiches: a BISq-ized version of the New Orleans muffuletta; turkey with avocado, bacon, lettuce, and buttermilk ranch on multigrain bread. Cheese and charcuterie boards.
Price range: Snacks $4-$7. Sandwiches $13. Cheese boards $15-$20. Charcuterie boards $20-$30.
What you should know: Saenz based the roast pork sandwich on a classic Peruvian version he ate as a child.
What you should order: That roast pork sandwich, which comes with sweet potato and salsa criolla on ciabatta.
Craigie Burger
What it is: Chef Tony Maws’s Craigie on Main is known for many things, not least among them the justifiably famous burger. The restaurant only serves 18 a night. Now you can have as many burgers as you want at Craigie Burger, a collaboration among Maws, Michael Leviton (formerly of Lumiere), and Nick Zappia (of the now-closed Blue Room). It’s not exactly the same, but it’s pretty darn close.
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What it serves: Three different burgers: The OG, based on the Craigie original; The Special, with Swiss cheese and kimchi Russian dressing; and the Steakburger, with cheddar, charred onions, and steak sauce. All come on a sesame-seed bun (unless you order The Bowl) with pickles and celery-root slaw. Add on a fried egg or bacon if you like. There are steakhouse fries, too, with or without chili.
Price range: Burgers $16, add-ons $2 each, fries $5-$9.
What you should know: Unless you specify otherwise, your burger will be medium-rare; if you ask, they will cook it medium-well.
What you should order: The OG with Craigie fries.
George Howell Coffee
What it is: A branch of Boston coffee guru George Howell’s cafe, which specializes in single-origin “terroir” beans — those that emphasize a sense of place.
What it serves: Coffee in its many forms — pour-overs, cold brew, espresso drinks — as well as tea and hot chocolate. There’s even something called coffee sangria: iced coffee steeped with fruit and honey and served over ice. There’s also a caseful of croissants, muffins, and sticky buns from Seven Stars Bakery in Providence.
Price range: Coffee $3.25-$6. Pastries $4.25-$5.50.
What you should know: It’s right next to Union Square Donuts, so the choreography is thus: Order your coffee, wait in line for doughnuts, purchase doughnuts, notice your buzzer is lighting up, pick up your coffee, swan out of there with caffeine and sugar in hand.
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What you should order: A cortado, which offers the perfect ratio of steamed milk to espresso: just enough but not too much.
Gelato & Chill
What it is: Artisanal gelato maker Vincent Turco uses local ingredients to make the daily selection of small-batch gelato and sorbetto.
What it serves: Gelato flavors might include stracciatella, ricotta with fig, and pistachio. Blood orange, plum, and pineapple with rosemary have been some of the featured sorbetti (these are vegan). Each order comes with a heart-shaped cookie or a mini cone.
Price range: $4.50-$6.50.
What you should know: On opening day, they ran out of some flavors, so if your heart is set on a specific flavor, head over early.
What you should order: The beautifully creamy nocciola (hazelnut).
Gogo Ya
What it is: From the team behind Japan-inspired restaurants Hojoko and O Ya (note the end of its name), Gogo Ya specializes in crispy nori tacos. Instead of the usual tortilla or hard shell, here ingredients are folded into seaweed.
What it serves: The tacos come with several different filling combinations, from smoked soy salmon with roe, cucumber, and yuzu kosho aioli to mushroom tempura. There are also bento bowls and a few sides (edamame, miso soup).
Price range: Two tacos for $18. Bowls $14-$17. Sides $4.
What you should know: If you go around to the other side of Gogo Ya, you can sit on a stool at the bar and watch the staff torch fish with panache.
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What you should order: The spicy torched hamachi taco with truffled jalapeno butter and scallion.
Mamaleh’s
What it is: Mamaleh’s brought Jewish deli with a hipster accent to Kendall Square. The Time Out Market Mamaleh’s follows suit, with a slightly pared-back menu.
What it serves: Hand-rolled bagels (plain, sesame, everything, pumpernickel) with a schmear, topped with nova lox or whitefish salad, or as part of a smoked-fish platter. Pastrami and smoked mushroom Reubens. Egg sandwiches on challah rolls. In a glass case you’ll find chocolate layer cake and halvah.
Price range: $6.90-$24.95.
What you should know: “Mamaleh” is a Yiddish word meaning “little mother,” used fondly to refer to a small girl. The team behind Mamaleh’s used to run Hungry Mother and currently also operates the nearby State Park and Cafe du Pays.
What you should order: The smoked-fish platter, to share with a friend. It includes two bagels, cream cheese, nova, and whitefish salad, along with capers, onions, and all the other fixings.
MC Kitchen
What it is: Vegan food made with ingredients from local farms.
What it serves: Raw beet ravioli with almond ricotta, buffalo cauliflower tacos, mushroom and tempeh rice noodle bowls, and more.
Price range: $8-$16.
What you should know: “MC” stands for Mobile Cooks. It started as a vegan catering and pop-up company, and it’s here for a three-month residency.
What you should order: Corn cakes with aioli and purple cabbage slaw.
Michael Schlow’s Italian Kitchen
What it is: The well-known chef again highlights the Italian flavors he’s celebrated at Alta Strada and the now-defunct, long-beloved Via Matta.
What it serves: Antipasti: “Mimi’s famous meatballs” with whipped ricotta and spicy tomato-basil sauce, mozzarella with broccoli rabe pesto and grilled bread. Secondi: Spaghetti cacio e pepe, chicken Milanese with arugula.
Price range: $11-$19.
What you should know: The lines are longer at dinnertime than lunch, so plan accordingly.
What you should order: The big, generously dressed salad of baby artichokes, asparagus, peas, greens, mint, and chiles.
Monti Roman Pizza
What it is: There are a few small plates for variety, but this is first and foremost a place for wood-fired, Roman-style pizza.
What it serves: Pies shaped like a football and cut into eight slices. They come in seven varieties, including the sauce-free bianco, prosciutto and arugula, and wild mushroom.
Price range: $9-$19.
What you should know: Chef Michael Schlow is also behind this concept.
What you should order: The margherita pie, classic and simple.
Ms. Clucks Deluxe Chicken & Dumplings
What it is: Another one from the O Ya team, this time celebrating the very versatile chicken.
What it serves: Spicy, crispy chicken sandwiches with bacon and nori buttermilk ranch; Japanese-style fried chicken and waffle fries; smashed wonton toast (who needs avocados?); and other poultry preparations.
Price range: $8-$14.
What you should know: People love chicken! They lined up early and often for this one.
What you should order: Clucks Deluxe Chicken & Dumpling Noodle Soup. It’s basically ramen with wontons. The noodles are nicely al dente and all the components are tasty, but it’s the deeply flavored 48-hour bone broth that makes the dish special.
Revolution Health Kitchen
What it is: Come here when your system needs a break from doughnuts and pizza. Revolution Health Kitchen focuses on a whole-food, plant-based diet.
What it serves: Smoothies and juices, acai bowls, salads (kale with black beans, corn, avocado, and more) and soups (red lentil coconut curry), and toasts topped with avocado or hummus.
Price range: $5-$12.95.
What you should know: Everything here is vegan.
What you should order: The Boom smoothie, made with mango, banana, dates, kale, spinach, and mint.
Saltie Girl
What it is: Restaurateur Kathy Sidell and chef Kyle McClelland’s cozy, pricy, and excellent Newbury Street seafood bar/tinned fish specialist, here writ even smaller.
What it serves: The classics: New England clam chowder, fish and chips, warm and cold lobster rolls. The not-so-classics: uni arancini and octopus empanadas. And plenty of tinned seafood.
Price range: $8-$26. (There are a few pricier tins, such as spiced octopus in olive oil for $38.)
What you should know: Clam and lobster rolls are market price; on opening day they are $18 and $26, respectively. A passerby covetously eyes my warm lobster roll, claws pointing outward like coral-colored horns, brioche bun butter-soaked. He asks how much it costs and gasps when I tell him: “It’s so small! You don’t even get fries?”
What you should order: The warm lobster roll. You only live once.
Tasting Counter
What it is: The original Tasting Counter is located inside the Aeronaut Brewing Company space. The 20-seat restaurant from chef Peter Ungár features ticketed multicourse tastings and a wine bar with a more-casual a la carte menu that’s similar to the one here.
What it serves: Applewood-smoked shishito peppers with black lime, sesame, and tamari vinaigrette; orange and white sweet potato fries with fermented chile emulsion; king crab risotto with fermented rice; fish glazed in molasses and soy with leeks, pickled mushrooms, and red curry.
Price range: $6-$24.
What you should know: Ungár is one of the area’s most interesting and sure-footed chefs. He and wife/GM Ginhee are also focused on running a sustainable business; at least half of their ingredients are from Massachusetts, and they aim for a zero-carbon footprint.
What you should order: The rice smoked duck breast over garlicky greens with spicy yuzu kosho and fermented black bean vinaigrette. It looks and tastes like a dish you’d get in an upscale restaurant, composed of surprising, complex flavors.
Union Square Donuts
What it is: The latest outpost of the Somerville company that helped introduce the Boston area to artisanal doughnuts.
What it serves: Doughnuts and nothing but doughnuts, in rotating flavors that include maple bacon, Boston cream, sea salt bourbon caramel, and jumbleberry.
Price range: $3-$4
What you should know: There are vegan options available, as well as doughnut holes.
What you should order: The brown butter hazelnut crunch doughnut, one of their bestsellers.
401 Park Drive, Fenway, Boston, www.timeout.com/boston/time-out-market. Open Sun 9 a.m.-11 p.m., Mon-Thu 7:30 a.m.-11 p.m., Fri 7:30 a.m.-midnight, Sat 9 a.m.-midnight.
Devra First can be reached at devra.first@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @devrafirst.