News Bites: Tree House Brewing Opens a Boston Shop

Get Tree House Brewing’s beers at the Prudential Center without leaving your car. / Courtesy photo

Tired of dodging Marty the Robot while doing your grocery shopping? Bored of the endless search for the simplest of simple grilled cheeses somewhere in Boston? Don’t worry: There’s plenty of other good food to eat this week. Read on for the latest news bites, from restaurant openings to delicious events. (You can catch up on past installments of our Monday food news roundups here, and reach out via email with news that should be on our radar.)

Jump to:  Openings | In the Works | Things to Do This Week

Openings

• Chennai Eats has debuted in Watertown. Find it in the longtime Strip-T’s space, which more recently housed the Don’s BBQ. The Chennai Eats menu showcases South Indian cuisine, from dosas to kothu parotta to Chettinad-style biryani, plus a handful of Indo-Chinese noodle and fried rice dishes. 93 School St., Watertown, chennaieatsma.com.
• Boston’s gay bar scene isn’t what it once was, and the city hasn’t had a dedicated lesbian bar in decades, so it’s particularly exciting that the long-awaited Dani’s Queer Bar is finally open. Owner Thais Rocha, who named the business after her dog, knows a thing or two about throwing a party; she founded LGBTQ Nightlife Events, bringing lesbian-friendly events to a variety of venues for the past several years. Now, event series like Sapphic Nights Boston will have a permanent home. Watch Instagram for updates on hours going forward following a busy opening weekend. 909 Boylston St., Back Bay, Boston, danisqueerbar.com.
• Fiorella’s—a small local group of Italian restaurants, with three “fine-fast” trattorias and (now) three full-service cucinas—has just opened its latest cucina at the Burlington Mall. The intricately designed space is full of chandeliers and floral accents, and the menu features Neapolitan-inspired pizza, lots of pastas, and more. 75 Middlesex Tpke., 781-328-8777, fiorellas.com.
• Amba sibling/neighbor First Street Market—a new indoor, year-round farmers market—debuts September 20 and 21 (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.) with goods from local farms and makers. Amba and the market bar will both be open, too, so you can sip, snack, and shop. 57 First St., East Cambridge, ambacambridge.com/first-street-market.
• The best H Mart locations have food courts, and now Quincy can be counted among those. Get your shopping done, and snack on Korean fried chicken, Korean-Chinese noodles, ramen, bubble tea, and more. Between now and October 13, get 20 percent off of food court purchases (at all vendors except for Tous Les Jours) in celebration of the opening. 101 Falls Blvd., Quincy, 857-392-5029, hmart.com.
• Scobie’s Café & Bar, from the team behind South Boston’s Shamrock Pub, is now open in Dorchester’s Adams Village. The all-day restaurant serves breakfast (including a full Irish breakfast), lunch, dinner (watch for the roast of the day), and weekend brunch, and there’s live music—Irish trad sessions. 782 Adams St., Dorchester, Boston, 617-765-8075, scobiesboston.com.
• Ice cream alert: Third Time Ice Cream is now open inside of Fauve Chocolate at Somerville’s Bow Market. Owner Nick Ladin-Sienne (an alum of Oleana, Sofra, and Puritan & Co.) is scooping a rotating list of small-batch, made-in-house flavors with historical inspiration. Take the Coltelli, for example—Tandem coffee with smoked salt, an homage to 17^th century gelato pioneer Francesco dei Coltelli. Try your ice cream in a waffle cone dipped in Fauve Chocolate, optionally spicy. 1 Bow Market Way (Bow Market), Union Square, Somerville, thirdtimeicecream.co.
• South Korea’s Gopchang Story chain—highlighting grilled offal—arrived in Boston a couple years ago. Now sibling spot Tofu Story is here too, set to open this week in Allston. The star, of course, is tofu, made in-house and served in sundubu, soft tofu stew, in several varieties. But there are some hefty meat options, too, like the made-for-two mountain of spicy short ribs topped with torched cheese. 85 Harvard Ave., Allston, Boston, 857-316-2104, tofustoryboston.com.
• Tree House Brewing Co. isn’t the small brewery it once was, attracting hordes of dedicated fans to Central Massachusetts to get their hands on the coveted beers; nowadays it has several sprawling locations in Massachusetts (and one in Connecticut). But Bostonians can now easily get the tasty brews—like Julius, an American IPA—right in the city. A Tree House retail shop has opened at the Prudential Center, and it even has a drive-through pickup option in the mall’s garage. 800 Boylston St. (Prudential Center), Back Bay, Boston, treehousebrew.com.

In the Works

• Porter Square Books’ big move isn’t the only Cambridge bookstore/café combo in the works: Lovestruck Books is set to open in Harvard Square this fall, showcasing the romance genre and accompanying its books with a daytime café and evening wine bar. 44 Brattle St., Harvard Square, Cambridge, lovestruckbooks.com.
• Prepare for paninis—not to mention “soulful soups and crisp salads with an Italian flair”—when chef Jim Donovan opens Nonantum Press Room this fall. (Years ago, he was the one to start serving Buffalo-style wings at Buff’s Pub in Newton, cementing its reputation as a wing destination.) 191 Adams St., Newton, instagram.com/nonantumpressroom.
• Colette Wine Bistro in Porter Square is transforming into Margeaux Supper Parlor later this month, featuring New England- and Southern-inspired food served by the flight (trios of small—but bigger than tapas—plates). Diners will see dishes such as deviled eggs with fried Maine oyster, maple bourbon glazed steak tips, and shrimp and Boursin grits. 1924 Massachusetts Ave. (Porter Square Hotel), Porter Square, Cambridge, instagram.com/margeaux.boston.

Things to Do This Week

See also: our general Things to Do guide for music, comedy, art, and lots more

Ongoing

• Head out on a road trip: Our new Portuguese food guide will take you from trendy new Boston spots to classics in Fall River, New Bedford, Provincetown, and beyond, and our updated farm-fresh cider doughnut guide will help you accept that summer is ending.
• “Back 2 The Video Store” is a nostalgic pop-up bar—the Boston version is hosted by West End Johnnie’s—that brings us back to the days of, well, video stores, with themed cocktails, mocktails, and décor galore. Your ticket ($22) includes one drink, with more food and drink available for purchase. Runs through October 5. 138 Portland St., West End, Boston, instagram.com/backtovideostore.

Tuesday, September 17

• East Somerville Main Streets’ popular food crawl is back for its 13^th year. Your ticket ($10-$25)—advance purchase required—gets you samples of a global selection of foods from the neighborhood’s extensive collection of restaurants, celebrating the cuisines of Mexico, China, France, and beyond. Rain date: September 18. Broadway, East Somerville, eastsomervillemainstreets.org.

Thursday, September 19

• Supporting the Greater Boston Food Bank and taking place at its Yawkey Distribution Center, Taste of the Food Bank is bringing together a pretty epic lineup of over two dozen local chefs, curated by host chef-restaurateurs Jody Adams (La Padrona) and Steve DiFillippo (Davio’s). Live entertainment, an auction, and various brand activations will round out the evening, celebrating the Food Bank and helping it deliver over 90 million meals per year to people in need. General admission is $350; VIP is $500, which includes expedited check-in and access to a special VIP lounge hosted by Adams and DiFillippo. 70 South Bay Ave., South Boston, tasteofthefoodbank.com.

Saturday, September 21

• Cunard Tavern is bidding farewell to summer with a yacht rock-themed brunch. Don your most luxurious leisure wear, watch for nautical-inspired food and drink specials, and enjoy a playlist of smooth favorites from the 1970s and 1980s. Reservations recommended. 24 Orleans St., East Boston, 617-567-7609, cunardtavern.com.
• The stickiest food fest—Somerville’s What the Fluff? Festival—is back for its 19^th year, celebrating the invention of Marshmallow Fluff with Fluff jousting, Fluff hairdos, Fluff musical chairs, food and craft vendors, and other messy fun. Union Square, Somerville, flufffestival.com.
• Sake lovers, this one’s for you. Sake Day East returns for its 4^th year, celebrating the beginning of Japan’s sake brewing season. General admission is $99, which lets you taste over 70 sakes. There are several guided tasting sessions, too (a $39-$49 add-on). A percentage of event sales will go towards the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake Sake Brewery Support Project. Light apps will be served, with additional food available for purchase. 100 High St., 9^th floor, Downtown Boston, sakedayeast.com.
• Boston Night Market is crossing the river to throw a food-filled party in Cambridge. Central Square Night Market will include tons of food vendors, a beer garden, and live music and other entertainment. (Vendors at past Night Market events have included Dakzen, Riceburg, Reign Drink Lab, Taiyaki NYC, Shaking Crab, and lots more.) Tickets are free, but you’ve got to reserve your spot. University Park, Central Square, Cambridge, nightmarketboston.com.

Sunday, September 22

• What happens when a brewery (Aeronaut) teams up with a waffle shop (Zinneken’s) and a community green space (Somerville Community Growing Center)? In this case, a sweet celebration of maple in support of the Somerville Maple Syrup Project. Your ticket ($25) gets you a taste of Aeronaut’s maple beer, Tetra Maple Bock, made with local sap, plus Zinneken’s waffles with your choice of toppings. 14 Tyler St. (Aeronaut Brewing), Somerville, aeronautbrewing.com.
• This collab is not to be missed. Brassica Kitchen is hosting Matthew Bullock of Southern Pines Supper Club, Marissa Ferola of Nine Winters Bakery, and fermentation expert Rich Shih for a five-course tasting menu “focused on building a harmony between the traditions of the American South and Korea.” Dishes include hoe cake pajeon with yukhoe and quail egg; kimchi gazpacho; chocolate chicory cake; and more. $125 per person, with two seatings available. 3710 Washington St., Jamaica Plain, Boston.