Russ & Mimi’s, a Neighborhood Market, Opens in Roslindale Soon

Russ & Mimi’s muffuletta: capicola, salami, mortadella, provolone, and olive tapenade. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

Steps from the Roslindale Village commuter rail station, a new one-stop shop is about to debut: Russ & Mimi’s opens this month with grab-and-go breakfast and lunch, gourmet provisions for a great dinner at home, bottles of bubbly, and lots more, all to the tune of meticulously curated playlists.

Russ & Mimi’s faces Distraction Brewing Co. (with the birch tree mural) and a pedestrian-only area with room for outdoor seating. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

Named for owner Kelly Walsh’s parents—“regular, hardworking people,” she says—Russ & Mimi’s is meant to be a friendly neighborhood market. Size-wise, it’s the smallest project Walsh has done in years; from 2011 to 2020, she was co-owner and operator of major Boston restaurant group Big Heart Hospitality (including Sweet Cheeks, Tiger Mama, and more). But Russ & Mimi’s has been “the most complicated and challenging in a lot of ways,” Walsh says, and immensely personal. There’s a lot of thought behind every detail.

House-made yogurt with coconut milk jam, granola, and passionfruit. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

“I really wanted to open something that is going to be a bright spot in people’s days,” says Walsh. “Come in and grab a hot roast chicken, a big, delicious salad when you get off the train, a bottle of wine. Take it home and feel good about feeding your family.”

Russ & Mimi’s. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

Russ & Mimi’s sits in a Roslindale Square nook with “kind of a European feel,” says Walsh, with cozy pedestrian spaces both in front and back with room for outdoor seating (alongside Roslindale mainstay and Best of Boston winner Sophia’s Grotto). “I first saw this space back in 2021 and really loved it,” says Walsh. “I love the brick, the courtyard, the walkability of Roslindale in general. There’s just so much charm, and the community here is incredibly supportive and close-knit.”

Russ & Mimi’s. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

The original plan was a wine and beer store, maybe spirits, but area residents kept asking Walsh if there would be food. It became clear that that’s what the square needed, so the idea evolved to add food in various forms: sandwich-focused takeout breakfast and lunch options, rotating grab-and-go prepared foods, and retail snacks and meals, from potato chips to frozen burritos.

Russ & Mimi’s roasted cauliflower with tahini, pickled shallot, Thai chili, navel orange, candied cashews, and puffed rice. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

Consulting chef Stephen Marcaurelle (Nautilus Pier 4, Tres Gatos) has created a menu that includes dishes such as: the Foxy Loxy, a breakfast sandwich on an everything bagel from Roslindale’s own Exodus Bagels; “low and slow” cheesy grits with braised bacon and maple gastrique; and a yeasted overnight waffle with pistachio and brown butter for breakfast. When lunchtime rolls around, look for sandwiches like a Cubano, turkey BLT, muffuletta, and three-cheese grilled cheese with caramelized onion. Grab-and-go items include house-made yogurt with granola, coconut milk jam, and passionfruit; overnight oats with blueberry preserves; roasted cauliflower with tahini and candied cashews; and more.

To drink, the team is sourcing coffee from La Colombe and tea from Cambridge-based Mem Tea. Iced shaken espresso, dirty chai tea lattes, and other fun café drinks join classic coffee and tea options.

Russ & Mimi’s. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

On the retail side, the philosophy is basically “all the things that you want in your house,” says Walsh. There are a variety of local products showcased, such as empanadas from Buenas in Somerville and pastries from Salt Patisserie in Newton, but also some favorites from afar. Walsh is particularly excited about Caramelo tortillas from Kansas, for example, and pizza aficionados will be pleased to find frozen pies from Brooklyn-based Roberta’s. There’s a bit of produce, too—lemons, limes, etc.—and fresh flowers. (Walsh is particularly excited for dahlia season—her mother, who lives with her in Jamaica Plain, loves planting dahlias.) The selection will evolve over time based on what people want. Says Walsh, “We’re customer-obsessed.”

A salad at Russ & Mimi’s / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

As for wine, there are over 100 bottles, including a lot of sparkling options: “I want to normalize drinking bubbles every day,” says buyer and wine aficionado Nicole Valva (Urban Grape, Waypoint). Also on the shelves: grower Champagnes, intriguing orange wines, and lots more, with an eye toward affordability—and entertaining. As Valva puts it, “What would we have at our house that we want to open with our friends?”

Russ & Mimi’s. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

Russ & Mimi’s was a recipient of a SPACE Grant from the City of Boston’s Office of Economic Opportunity and Inclusion, a program helping a number of independent restaurants and other small businesses open or expand. (See also: Democracy Brewing, expanding to East Boston next year with SPACE Grant help.) The aim of the program is to revitalize the local economy by supporting businesses, especially in the most pandemic-affected industries. Walsh’s shop is a natural fit for the program’s mission, bringing new life (and lots of bubbly) to the area. Roslindale Square isn’t devoid of dining and drinking options—there’s a café, brewery, Italian restaurant, and all-day neighborhood restaurant within steps of Russ & Mimi’s—but the new shop feels like a complement to the landscape.

Russ & Mimi’s Foxy Loxy: lox, scallion-caper cream cheese, heirloom tomato, and dill on an Exodus everything bagel. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal

“We want to be that neighborhood spot that really brings people together,” says Walsh. “You’ll see your neighbors here; you’ll see your friends,” and you’ll probably leave with a new favorite bottle of wine or gourmet snack.

UPDATE: Russ & Mimi’s opened on December 11, 2024.

Open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. 16 Birch St., Roslindale, Boston, russandmimis.com.

Russ & Mimi’s. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal