News Bites: CambridgeSide Gets a New Food Court with Neapolitan-ish Pizza, Ramen, and More

Lala’s Neapolitan-ish Pizza will open at CambridgeSide’s CanalSide Food & Drink. / Courtesy photo

We’ve got a few days of summer weather, but it’s already pumpkin spice season in Boston—and so-many-restaurants-are-opening season. We’re back with some restaurant updates for the week: openings, closings, and other news you should know.

You can catch up on past installments of our food news roundups here, and reach out via email with news that should be on our radar.

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

Openings

Far Out Ice Cream will open at CambridgeSide’s CanalSide Food & Drink. / Courtesy photo

• East Cambridge shopping mall CambridgeSide debuts its new food court, CanalSide Food & Drink, on October 25, featuring around a dozen food and drink options. It’s mostly local businesses, including Lala’s Neapolitan-ish Pizza, Sapporo Ramen, Anoush’ella (Eastern Mediterranean bowls, salads, and wraps), InChu (Asian fusion bowls), Far Out Ice Cream (Brookline-based, New Zealand-inspired ice cream), and more, not to mention a central bar, C-Side Bar, created by Ran Duan (Baldwin Bar), Jon Rosse (Birds of Paradise), and Brahm Callahan (Grill 23 & Bar). 100 CambridgeSide Pl., Cambridge, 617-621-8666, cambridgeside.com/dine.
• It’s a busy time of year for Salem restaurants, and a new one has just debuted: Maitland Farm, Kitchen, & Spirits, from Salem’s own Maitland Mountain Farm, which is known for its pickles. Accordingly, there’s a rotating sandwich on the menu where pickles replace bread. Also on the menu: soups, salads, and other (non-pickle) sandwiches, plus retail items such as honey and kombucha from the farm. Open 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. daily to start. 84-86 Derby St., Salem, instagram.com/maitlandfarmkitchen.

Pepperoni pizza at Mida in East Boston. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

• The fourth Mida opens on October 21, taking over the Fenway space its sibling DW French occupied until August. Open daily for lunch and dinner, the new Mida will serve an Italian-inspired menu of pastas, pizzas, and more, like its siblings in the South End, Newton, and East Boston. (There’ll be a few dishes exclusive to this location, including a meat lovers’ pizza and a meatball sub.) Italian spirits and small-production Italian wines are showcased on the drinks list. 1391 Boylston St., Fenway, Boston, midaboston.com.

Closings

A scallion pancake taco with chashu pork from Monkey King Tea. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

• In a sea of giant bubble tea chains, Malden’s Monkey King Tea has been a great little indie spot for the past decade. Alas, it will say goodbye on October 26. In addition to tasty teas, the shop has been fulfilling snack cravings and curing hangovers with spicy crab rangoons, Korean corn dogs, and—our favorite—pork chashu scallion pancake tacos, not to mention desserts like egg puff waffle sundaes and pineapple buns. 249 Highland Ave., Malden, monkeykingtea.square.site.

In the Works

Butter-poached Marblehead lobster with fennel, cara cara orange, and sauce américaine at Bernadette. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

• Here’s our sneak peek at Bernadette, a French-inspired bistro opening in Salem next month from the team behind Settler. 65 Washington St., Salem, bernadettesalem.com.
• The Cambridge School of Culinary Arts is adding a café across the street—CSCA Cafe—opening in December 2024. It’ll feature croissants, cinnamon rolls, breads, and more by the school’s pastry chefs and students, as well as some products by alumni. 1995 Massachusetts Ave., Porter Square, Cambridge, cscacafe.com.

Eva’s Little Kitchen. / Photo by Brian Samuels Photography

• And more café news: Bedford-based Eva’s Little Kitchen—a bakery, café, and caterer—is expanding to West Concord in early 2025. Both locations will share the same menu of pastries, sandwiches, prepared foods, and more, but the new spot will feature expanded drink options (highlighting Broadsheet Coffee Roasters and MEM Tea, plus house-made syrups and seasonal specials) and indoor seating. 110 Commonwealth Ave., Concord, evaslittlekitchen.com.

Peanut butter chili crisp and double chocolate hot honey cookies at Nine Winters. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

• Korean American bakery Nine Winters, which resided at Somerville’s Bow Market for a while and has been popping up in various places since then, has landed a brick-and-mortar space in Cambridge. Expect plenty of Korean American pastries: Founder Marissa Ferola has previously served up cookies in flavors like peanut butter chili crisp and mugwort with turmeric sugar; slices of chocolate makgeolli cake; citrus gochujang sticky buns; and lots more. The new shop will also have an “expansive” coffee program and “social programming that uplifts adoptees, Asian Americans, and youth identity exploration,” per Ferola’s announcement. Cambridge, ninewinters.com.

In Other News

Nightshade Noodle Bar. / Photo by Alyssa Blumstein

• Go big or go home: Acclaimed Lynn restaurant Nightshade Noodle Bar, known for its French- and Vietnamese-inspired, seafood-filled tasting menus, has added an astounding 30-course option to its offerings ($395/person). Allow at least three hours. The menu’s always changing, but you might be served, for example: chilled Portuguese percebes (goose neck barnacles) with black pepper and lime dipping sauce; bone marrow bánh mì with green chili citrus butter; Marblehead sea urchin brûlée with red curry hollandaise; milk-cured “foielipop” with smoked papaya and caramelized hazelnut; and about 26 other delights. Reservations required; details here. 73 Exchange St., Lynn, 781-780-9470, nightshadenoodlebar.com.
• Love food and wine festivals and cruises? How about both at the same time? Culinary cruise Chefs Making Waves is launching a four-night, New England-based trip next October, traveling from Boston to Portland, Maine, and Saint John, New Brunswick (and back). Boston’s own Jamie Bissonnette (Somaek, etc.) will be onboard alongside Alton Brown, Anne Burrell, Alex Guarnaschelli, Andrew Zimmern, and other chefs. The presale is on now. chefsmakingwaves.com.

Things to Do This Week

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

Also note: Tickets are now on sale for Taste, our biggest food event of the year. Hope to see you there as we celebrate the launch of our restaurant-focused November issue.

Monday, October 21

• Alabama-born chef Kelsey Barnard Clark is in town to promote her new cookbook, Southern Get-Togethers. Chef Karen Akunowicz is hosting her at Bar Volpe for a book-signing party with cocktails and appetizers. Tickets are $70 (which includes a copy of the cookbook), choose a 5:30 or 7:30 p.m. start time. 170 W. Broadway, South Boston, 617-865-7100, barvolpe.com.

Monday, October 21-Tuesday, October 22

• Celebrate the Jewish fall harvest holiday of Sukkot at Lehrhaus Tavern, which has walk-in space available in its backyard sukkah on Monday and Tuesday evening. 425 Washington St., Somerville, lehr.haus.

Tuesday, October 22

• Taco Tuesday: Chef Maria Meza’s Providence restaurant Dolores highlights Pueblan and Oaxacan cuisine to much acclaim. On Tuesday, Dolores’ bar crew is popping up at Birds of Paradise in Brighton—and bringing some tacos. 7 p.m. to 12 a.m. Birds of Paradise, 525 Western Ave. (the Charles River Speedway), Brighton, Boston, birdsofparadisebar.com; dolorespvd.com.
• And after you hit up the Dolores pop-up, the night isn’t over. Getting tickets to Gaaeng’s award-winning pop-ups? Sometimes a challenge. But this Tuesday night pop-up (“Cold Tea Party”) at Equal Measure in the Fenway is first come, first served, and it goes from 8 until 1 a.m. or sell out, so give it a go. Food by Gaaeng, drinks by a bunch of all-stars—it’s going to be good. Equal Measure, 775 Beacon St., Fenway, Boston, equalmeasurebos.com; instagram.com/gaaeng.bos. 

Wednesday, October 23

• Pepe Raventós represents the astounding 21^st generation of a Catalonian winemaking family; his winery Raventós i Blanc is known for its biodynamic, low-intervention sparkling wines. He’ll be onsite at Hook & Line for a wine dinner, pairing his bottles with a four-course dinner by the Seaport seafood restaurant. $155/person; book online. 10 Fan Pier Blvd., Seaport District, Boston, 617-860-6003, hookandlinebos.com.

Thursday, October 24

• Boston Globe alum Joe Yonan, now the food and dining editor of The Washington Post, will be at Clover (the Financial District location) to discuss his new cookbook, Mastering the Art of Plant-Based Cooking, in conversation with Clover’s head of food, chef Chris Anderson. Tickets are $21 to attend the talk and snack on vegetarian charcuterie and chickpea fritter sandwiches; $49 for all that plus the book. 160 Federal St., Downtown Boston, cloverfoodlab.com.

Friday, October 25 – Saturday, October 26

• Hyde Park’s Roundhead Brewing Company is celebrating its second anniversary with two days of events. Friday, which is free to attend and family-friendly, includes a bottle release for a barrel-aged Scottish ale and bring-your-own-vinyl entertainment led by DJ NXN. Saturday is Contigofest, a Latino beer festival, showcasing 10 breweries—some from Puerto Rico and Peru, plus Pittsfield’s own Hot Plate Brewing. There’ll be live music and food, too. 21+; tickets are $55 in advance or $75 at the door. Powerhouse at Westinghouse Plaza, Hyde Park, Boston, 617-360-7070, roundheadbrewing.com.

Sunday, October 27

• It’s time for the 9^th annual Rise & Rumble Donut Competition, hosted this year at the Banks Seafood and Steak. Nine local pastry chefs will compete, and with your $40 ticket, you’ll taste all the creations (and get a Bloody Mary). A portion of proceeds benefit the Ellie Fund, an organization that supports breast cancer patients. 406 Stuart St., Back Bay, Boston, 617-399-0015, thebanksboston.com.

Plan Ahead

These events are further into the future, but you might want make your plans now; visit the links for more details and tickets/reservations.

• October 31: Celebrate Halloween with a Roald Dahl-inspired dinner at Juliet in Somerville, featuring four courses of “scary fun,” optionally accompanied by orange wine flights.
• November 3 and 10: Chef Kat Bayle of Somerville’s bakery and sandwich shop Shirley is popping up at Urban Hearth for a four-course, farm-to-table dinner you won’t want to miss (Nov. 3, Nov. 10).
• November 7: Chef Ana Sortun will be demonstrating Mediterranean mother sauces at the brand new Allston location of Sofra, with the event benefitting the Jacques Pépin Foundation (which supports community kitchens that offer training to adults with barriers to employment).
• November 7-16: Make your plans to head north for Portsmouth’s fall Restaurant Week.
• November 15: Embark on a guided sake tasting with the Koji Club at the Museum of Fine Arts, and then explore the museum.