Table Talk

Starting Fresh: One of the city’s most venerable restaurants is sporting a polished new look. After a winter closure, Locke-Ober reopened in April with gleaming woodwork, new lighting, and a freshened-up exterior. And while the menu was also updated with a few new entrées, traditionalists needn’t worry: It’s still anchored by old-school classics like lobster Savannah and Dover sole meunière.

Reopening: Looks like chef Chris Parsons, who transformed his Winchester seafood spot, Catch, into Parsons Table in 2010, is about to relaunch the bygone restaurant downtown. He’s close to finalizing a location, and hopes to open his doors in late summer or early fall. Will his salt-roasted clams make a reappearance on the menu? We’re holding out hope.

On the Horizon: Having spent the past 17 years focused solely on Rialto, her restaurant in Harvard Square, chef Jody Adams is launching a second venture. She plans to open Trade, a Mediterranean-inspired eatery, on Atlantic Wharf this fall.

New this Summer: Chef Jason Santos, previously of Gargoyles, is indulging his mad-scientist tendencies at Blue Inc., which was set to open last month by the Greenway. The menu features wacky inventions like a liquid-nitrogen-frozen salsa, a butterscotch–black truffle milkshake, and foamy cocktails. Prefer comfort food? Head instead to the Salty Pig in the Back Bay, new from the owners of Coda and Common Ground. Expect house-cured meats, flatbread pizzas, and hearty Reubens. Meanwhile, former Coda chef Charlie Redd has launched a solo venture in Roslindale Village, Redd’s in Rozzie. The casual place melds bistro fare (local oysters with lemon granita; roast chicken with asparagus and morels) with down-home cooking (pulled-pork sandwiches; grilled arctic char with dirty rice).