What to Eat (and Drink) This Weekend

The Fuku x Little Donkey snack box is availble Thursday and Friday only in Cambridge. / Photo provided

A First Taste of Fuku

Before celeb chef David Chang’s fried chicken counter Fuku opens in the Seaport, the Momofuku crew is teaming up with Little Donkey this week only. A special $10 “Snack Box” is on the LD lunch-and-dinner menus today and Friday, Sept. 14 (as long as they last), full of Fuku crispy chicken bites with sweet jalapeño seasoning, and a side of squash pakora fritters from host-chefs Ken Oringer and Jamie Bissonnette. Make a happy meal by adding on a $13, boozy yuzu slushie from the bar. When Fuku opens in Boston mid-fall, it will serve non-alcoholic slushies, along with sandwiches, French fries, and more.

Little Donkey, 505 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, 617-945-1008, littledonkeybos.com.

Brasserie Jo closes in October after 20 years in Boston. / Photo provided

A Final Taste of Brasserie Jo

The farewell tour begins for Brasserie Jo at the Colonnade Hotel: The 20-year-old French stalwart closes October 7, reports the Boston Globe, before the hotel undergoes a “holistic reimagining” to be unveiled in 2019. Get in a final visit or reservation on the books for founding chef Jean Joho’s distinctive carrot crudité, classic choucroute, and more Alsatian fare; the James Beard Award winner is leaving the hotel. Executive chef Nick Calias, who has helmed the restaurant and all Colonnade food and beverage operations (including amenities at the rooftop pool) since 2006, will stay on through the impending changes. Brasserie Jo has attracted varied fans over the decades, from Symphony goers seeking a late-night bowl of onion soup to office workers on their lunch break. Even Red Sox legend Pedro Martinez is a fan—the brasserie is his go-to Boston restaurant. Stay tuned for what’s next for the Colonnade, and for 2015 Massachusetts Restaurant Association Chef of the Year Calias, but say au revoir to Brasserie Jo.—By Mary Meisenzahl

120 Huntington Avenue, Boston, 617-425-3240, brasseriejoboston.com.

New City Microcreamery is now open in Cambridge / Photo provided

Ice Cream!

New City Microcreamery is an award-winning Central Mass. maker known for fresh flavors and a creamy texture derived from freezing by liquid nitrogen. After confirming a second location with Boston last week, it officially opens today in Central Square, around the corner from the once and future home of Toscanini’s and more essential dining options. The soft-opening period continues Thursday-Sunday from 4-10 p.m., says partner Michael Kasseris, and hours will soon ramp up. “Our goal is to have different types of desserts, baked goods, breakfast sandwiches, coffee, tea, some craft sodas, and of course our ice cream,” including some Cambridge-only flavors to come. But this pleasant weekend, pop in to try classic New City flavors like fresh mint chip, blueberry rooibos, chocolate croissant crunch, vegan options, and more. Kasseris grew up in Belmont with one of his business partners, and they are excited about new opportunities in familiar territory. “We are inspired by other local shops, and are looking forward to collaborating with some of the other food minds in Central Square and Cambridge and come up with flavors that represent the neighborhood.” Follow @newcitymicrocreamery for updates on hours, menu items, and more.

403 Massachusetts Ave., Central Square, Cambridge, 978-333-7144, newcitymicrocreamery.com.

Image provided by Mystic Brewery

Mystic Brewery’s Orange Dinosaur Double IPA

The rare Orange Dinosaur double IPA from Mystic Brewery is almost as iconic by now as the Route 1 landmark that inspired it. First brewed in 2015 when the real orange dino’s fate was in question, the aggressively hopped, bright-juicy-citrusy-piney flavor bomb is one of two special beer releases this weekend to mark the brewery’s seventh anniversary. (Day of Doom, the Belgian quad, is also on deck.) Orange Dino cans will be for sale both Friday and Saturday beginning at 11 a.m., and festivities also include free Kayem franks and veggies from the grill, charcuterie and cheeses, and more fun and games. Cheers to seven years of Best of Boston-worthy brews (and beer labels. Rawr!)

174 Williams St., Chelsea, 617-466-2079, mystic-brewery.com.

A crispy-edged bar pizza and roast beef sandwiches from Hot Box, now open at Bow Market. / Photo by

A Very Massachusetts Lunch

Take the North Shore vs. South Shore grudge match to your tastebuds with a side-by-side sampling of each region’s snack food specialty: Hot Box, the latest from the sandwich pros at Mike & Patty’s, has softly opened at Bow Market. Now softly open limited hours Wednesday-Sunday, Hot Box offers a super beef three-way on an onion roll, a junior version on sesame seed bun, and South Shore bar pizzas (including a dill pickle pie!). Order from both camps to help you decide, once and for all, which Greater Boston region’s culinary classic reigns supreme. The plan at Hot Box is to start serving around 4 p.m. on weekdays and noon on weekends, until the food runs out, with solid hours set by the grand opening on September 27, says chef-owner Mike Gurevich. Follow @eat.hotbox for updates, and hit up Bow Market for an increasingly exciting one-stop food crawl.

Bow Market, One Bow Market Way, Union Square, Somerville, bowmarketsomerville.com, eathotbox.com.