A spread of dishes at Jahunger. / Courtesy photo Jahunger—a Uyghur restaurant in Providence with a James Beard semifinalist chef and co-owner—is certainly worth the drive from Boston. But soon, locals won’t have to make the trip: The restaurant—run by Subat Dilmurat, who received the recent Beard nod in the Best Chef: Northeast category—is expanding to Cambridge, opening on Brookline Street in Cambridgeport around early May. When Jahunger opened in Providence in 2017, it was one of the only restaurants serving Uyghur food in New England—a central Asian cuisine rich in “roasted mutton, fragra ..read more

For over 100 years, Kennebunkport has been one of the most popular vacation destinations in Maine. The historic fishing village offers the idyllic Vacationland experience visitors expect: mornings spent strolling through historic Dock Square, afternoons lounging on Gooch’s Beach, and evening walks on Ocean Avenue where you stop and smell the beach roses—and of course, spot the Bush Compound (if that’s your kind of thing).  While there’s no shortage of venues to find the quintessential Holy Trinity of Maine—chowder, lobster roll, whoopie pie—there’s a lot more than just standard vacation f ..read more

A spread of dishes from the opening menu at Merai, with lobster-topped khao soi fettuccine in the foreground. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal Thai flavors meet global dishes and refreshing highballs at Merai, the soon-to-open second restaurant from the team behind Brookline Village’s award-winning Thai restaurant Mahaniyom. Set to debut in April in the former Matt Murphy’s Pub space, just steps away in Brookline Village, Merai is an “elevated dive bar,” says co-owner Chompon “Boong” Boonnak. Think: dark, moody interior (until you get to the technicolor bathroom, that is); a concise food me ..read more

Seamark’s lobster frites. / Photo by Paolo Verzani for Seamark Seafood & Cocktails April is here; spring is…maybe here? Lately, some days have us ready for rooftop dining season and others have us pulling the winter boots back out, but whatever the weather, we’re eating well, whether we’re checking out exciting new spots or revisiting old favorites. Here’s the latest installment of our monthly guide on where to eat around Greater Boston—a mix of new restaurants, old restaurants doing new things, a few particularly great meals we’ve enjoyed lately, and a peek ahead at imminent openings ..read more

A spread of dishes and banchan at Somaek. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal Downtown Crossing is now home to a taste, or three, of contemporary Asian cuisine, culture, and cocktails with the debut of a trio of new food and beverage venues. Under the same ownership—but each with its own distinct personality—the spots opened in late March, paying homage to Korea and Japan in what chef and partner Jamie Bissonnette, a James Beard Award winner, describes as his “most personal” projects yet. There’s Somaek, a Korean restaurant influenced by home-cooking and family; Temple Records, a music-focused ..read more

Valentine Howell Jr. / Photo by Stephanie Diani/Bravo Dorchester native Valentine Howell Jr. had a wave of nausea while standing at the judges’ table, but once the Boston-based chef reminded himself that this was real life, he was able to smile for the rolling cameras and accept the comments he’d always dreamed of receiving. “It was nerve-racking and fantastic all at the same time,” says Howell, 38. “I’ve been watching Top Chef since the inception of the show, dreaming: One day, maybe I want to be on it. But I never thought the time was right.” Now, with a James Beard award nomination to his ..read more

Lyrik Back Bay. / Rendering by Elkus Manfredi Architects A massive development is aiming to reinvent the intersection between Newbury Street and Massachusetts Avenue—complete with an elevated public plaza stretching across the Pike—and a quartet of restaurants and cafés will be among the retail tenants. Developer Samuel & Associates shared details on Lyrik Back Bay this week, noting that 65% of the retail space has now been leased, with tenants slated to open this year and next. Among those: Greek restaurant Avra Estiatorio, smoothie and juice bar Pink Carrot, tea shop ChiCha San Chen, a ..read more

The live Boston diver scallop at XOXO Sushi Bar, now open in Chestnut Hill. / Photo by Margaret Flynn When we first published this guide, we were a month into 2024, and the Boston dining scene was already jam-packed with delicious new openings—Mexican in Somerville! Noodles times two in Cambridge! A café/plant shop on Mission Hill! A pepperoni Negroni-filled food hall downtown! Casual omakase in Charlestown! Now, six weeks later, even more spots have opened, and even more chefs and restaurant groups have announced upcoming plans, so we’re adding some updates. As 2024 continues, we’re looking ..read more

Rendering of Matria at InterContinental Boston. / Courtesy image Italian steakhouse fare is landing on the Boston waterfront: The InterContinental Boston hotel is revamping its dining program after nearly two decades. Gone is Miel, a Provence-inspired brasserie, and the rum-focused bar RumBa; coming soon is Piedmont-inspired steakhouse Matria and a new drinking spot, Bar Fellini, both set to open in late spring. Matria’s menu will nod to the hearty, meaty cuisine of northern Italy with dishes like agnolotti, a stuffed pasta, not to mention other pastas made in-house, and plenty of steaks, in ..read more

Chef Karen Akunowicz. / Photo by Jim Sullivan / Photo by Jim Sullivan Now you can get a taste of northern Italy before boarding a plane at Logan Airport. This month chef and restaurateur Karen Akunowicz has opened Fox & Flight, an offshoot of her Modena-inspired South Boston restaurant Fox & the Knife, in Terminal A. In convenient airport-restaurant fashion, Fox & Flight is open all day: Think eggs and polenta or pancakes with lemon curd and blueberries for breakfast, followed by Akunowicz’s take on comforting northern Italian dishes for lunch and dinner (rigatoni Bolognese, pork ..read more