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Fall Preview: Where and What to Eat This Fall

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It’s Fall Preview day here at Grub Street Boston and we’ll be bringing you mouthwatering news and photos of the season’s biggest openings all day long.

Despite what today’s insanely balmy temperatures may lead you to believe, fall is just around the corner and with it comes a bumper crop of new restaurants. From vegan fare at Life Alive Central Square to bivalves at Island Creek Oyster Bar, this season’s openings offer a little something for everyone. Check out our full list of 23 of the most exciting openings, and don’t miss our sneak preview slideshow of the dishes you’ll be talking about all fall.

Restaurant: Santarpio’s Pizza
Address: 71 Newbury Street, Peabody
Concept: Pizza
Why We’re Excited: The original East Boston Santarpio’s Pizza has long been one of the city’s best pizzerias. The Peabody location promises more of the same: simple pies, grilled lamb, and sausage.
Anticipated Opening Date: September 6

Restaurant: Abbey
Address: 1657 Beacon Street, Washington Square
Concept: American bistro
Why We’re Excited: Manager Damian Dowling and chef Josh Sherman have quite a track record at The Washington Square Tavern. Their new spot promises beer, booze, and bison Bolognese, all oriented toward the neighborhood.
Anticipated Opening Date: Early September

Restaurant: Life Alive
Address: 765 Massachusetts Avenue, Central Square
Concept: Organic rice bowls, wraps, salads, and smoothies
Why We’re Excited: The food at Life Alive’s original location in Lowell is filling enough to satisfy vegetarians and carnivores alike, all without breaking the bank (entrees top out at $10) and the new location promises the same reasonably priced ribstickers. Unlike the Lowell location, however, the Cambridge outpost will serve wine and beer.
Anticipated Opening Date: Early September

Restaurant: Petit Robert Central
Address: 101 Arch Street, Downtown Crossing
Concept: Casual French
Why We’re Excited: Owner Jacky Robert has been killing it at the two existing Petit Roberts in Kenmore Square and the South End and Brighton’s Jacky’s Table. Petit Robert Central promises to be an oasis in Downtown Crossing: inexpensive iterations of everything from classic French fare like foie gras with rhubarb compote to innovative dishes like a duck confit and kimchi sushi roll.
Anticipated Opening Date: September 13

Restaurant: Saus
Address: 33 Union Street, Faneuil Hall
Concept: Belgian fast food
Why We’re Excited: Five words: deep-fried egg-topped poutine. Okay, fine, here’s a few more: Saus will specialize in casual Belgian food like pommes frites, poutine, and Liege waffles. Everything from the frites to the ketchup is made in house and the restaurant will stay open until 2 a.m. on weekends, perfect for drunken revelers.
Anticipated Opening Date: Mid-September

Restaurant: The Citizen Public House and Oyster Bar
Address: 1310 Boylston Street, Fenway
Concept: Chef-inspired tavern
Why We’re Excited: The Fenway spot comes from the folks behind the Franklin Cafe, a team that’s amply proven their skills at running fun spots. Franklin Southie chef Brian Reyelt is one of Boston’s biggest up and coming chefs, and his menu of modern American fare aims to please Fenway fans looking for something a little more exciting than the Baseball Tavern.
Anticipated Opening Date: Mid-September

Restaurant: Tasty Burger
Address: 1301 Boylston Street, Boston
Concept: In-N-Out-esque burgers
Why We’re Excited: The Citizen isn’t the only big opening from the Franklin Cafe team this fall. Right across the street, they’re opening Tasty Burger, a casual burger spot that will offer hot dogs, milkshakes, and, of course, burgers topped with everything from caramelized onions to teriyaki sauce. There’s also a pool table and jukebox in store.
Anticipated Opening Date: Mid-September

Restaurant: Foundry on Elm
Address: 255 Elm Street, Somerville
Concept: Brasserie meets tavern
Why We’re Excited: Owner Ken Kelly has one hell of a track record at The Independent and he’s surrounded himself with like-minded folks at Foundry on Elm: Ashmont Grill’s Sam Putnam in the kitchen, David Flanagan of Great Bay and Temple Bar overseeing front of house, and No. 9 Park’s Andy Kilgore behind the bar. The menu has yet to be announced, but will feature a substantial raw bar selection, and there will be 32 beers on tap. The restaurant itself will open in September, with an attached speakeasy and theater to follow by next summer.
Anticipated Opening Date: Mid-September

Restaurant: Sugar Baking Company and Restaurant
Address: 4172 Washington Street, Roslindale
Concept: Locally-sourced comfort food
Why We’re Excited: The teams behind West Roxbury’s Rox Diner and The Real Deal are joining forces for a Roslindale restaurant cum bakery. Much of the ingredients will come from Allendale Farm and the dishes are shockingly refined for this stretch of Washington: think a porcini and asagio risotto cake with pancetta and a poached egg. Sugar will also be one of Roslindale’s few restaurants to offer breakfast and lunch seven days a week.
Anticipated Opening Date: Mid/Late September

Restaurant: Deuxave
Address: 371 Commonwealth Avenue, Back Bay
Concept: New American
Why We’re Excited: Chef Chris Coombs has been generating serious buzz with his work at dbar and now he’s going upscale: think diver scallops and foie gras, with entree prices in the high $20s. It’s a gutsy move from a chef better known for a casual neighborhood spot, but let’s not forget that Coombs counts a stint with Ming Tsai among his credentials.
Anticipated Opening Date: September
Related: What to Eat at Deuxave, Bringing Lobster Gnocchi to Back Bay

Restaurant: Pinkberry
Address: 288 Newbury Street, Back Bay
Concept: Frozen yogurt
Why We’re Excited: Boston Proper’s first outpost of the cult fro-yoerie promises to be mobbed with the smart set and to inspire passionate debate as to whether or not it’s better than nearby Red Mango. A Harvard Square outpost will follow soon.
Anticipated Opening Date: September

Restaurant: Bondir
Address: 279A Broadway, Cambridgeport
Concept: Ultra-seasonal modern American
Why We’re Excited: Jason Bond has been killing it at Beacon Hill Bistro for years now, so striking out on his own is a pretty exciting move. Bondir’s menu will change daily and, as things stand right now, every. single. dish. will be prepared by Bond himself.
Anticipated Opening Date: October 1
Related: Jason Bond’s Bondir Brings Modern American to Area 4

Restaurant: Met Back Bay
Address: 279 Dartmouth Street, Back Bay
Concept: Upscale classics
Why We’re Excited: The fourth restaurant in the Metropolitan Club empire promises to be the mini-chain’s biggest yet. The building encompasses four separate dining concepts: a main dining room, a members’ only club called Townhouse (!), classic cocktail den The Library, and a Ham and Cheese Bar, which will serve American artisanal hams and cheeses. The menu includes offerings from Legacy Place’s Met Burger Bar and will include selections that pay homage to the space’s time as 1970s hotspot Joseph’s.
Anticipated Opening Date: October

Restaurant: Island Creek Oyster Bar
Address: 500 Commonwealth Avenue, Kenmore Square
Concept: Oyster bar
Why We’re Excited: Island Creek Oyster Bar brings to mind Passover’s Dayenu song, which names various miracles and follows each with “It would have been enough.” If cult oyster purveyors Island Creek had opened a restaurant, it would have been enough. If Eastern Standard and Lineage chef Jeremy Sewall had branched out to a third restaurant, it would have been enough. Frankly, if anything had opened in the beautiful former home of Great Bay, it would have been enough. But all three at once? Damn.
Anticipated Opening Date: October

Restaurant: Bull
Address: 57 JFK Street, Harvard Square
Concept: Korean barbecue
Why We’re Excited: See the concept above. Mike Ross isn’t the Hub’s only Korean barbecue mega-fan.
Anticipated Opening Date: October

Restaurant: Descent
Address: 100 Stuart Street, Theater District
Concept: Modern mixology mecca
Why We’re Excited: Haute barflies will be glad to learn that the W Hotel’s financial woes haven’t put a damper on Descent, the Sasha Petraske-helmed high-end cocktail lounge in the hotel’s lower level, originally slated to open in January.
Anticipated Opening Date: November

Restaurant: Max Brenner
Address: 745 Boylston Street, Back Bay
Concept: Chocolate cafe
Why We’re Excited: The international chocolate chain will open its first location in the Hub (and only its third U.S. location outside of New York) in Back Bay. When it does, everything from chocolate-topped pizza to chocolate fondue will be on offer. Between this and Sugar Heaven, Back Bay has never featured so many opportunities for a sugar high.
Anticipated Opening Date: November/December

Restaurant: Zinneken’s
Address: TBA, Harvard Square
Concept: Belgian waffles
Why We’re Excited: Saus isn’t this fall’s only Belgian opening. Zinneken’s will offer the country’s sugar pearl-filled Liege waffles topped with everything from crushed Oreos to Nutella, alongside a healthy selection of macarons, chocolate, and crepes.
Anticipated Opening Date: December

Restaurant: Canary Square
Address: 435 South Huntington Avenue, Jamaica Plain
Concept: Locally-sourced small plates
Why We’re Excited: Owners Michael Moxley and Jim Coechner are responsible for Coda and Common Ground and their new spot will be somewhere in between: cheaper than Coda, more upscale than Common Ground. The food will be locally-sourced and served in small plates. A craft cocktail program and a substantial American beer program will bring some cachet to a neighborhood devastated by the closing of Zon’s and the Milky Way Lounge’s move.
Anticipated Opening Date: Fall

Restaurant: Roxy’s Gourmet Grilled Cheese
Address: Mobile
Concept: Grilled cheese truck
Why We’re Excited: Local hardcore drummer Mike DiSabatino and his brother James have been planning Roxy’s for months and hope to get rolling this fall. The truck will offer a plethora of cheeses, meats, breads, and sauces, and roll through Boston, Cambridge, and Somerville.
Anticipated Opening Date: Fall

Restaurant: The Cupcakory
Address: Mobile
Concept: Cupcake truck
Why We’re Excited: All The Cupcakory needs is bacon to be the trendiest spot in Boston. Innovative flavors like ginger-lemon and banana caramel elevate it a step above your average bakery.
Anticipated Opening Date: Fall
Related: What to Eat at the Cupcakory, Rolling Through Boston This Fall

Restaurant: Pasta Beach
Address: 30 Rowes Wharf, Waterfront
Concept: Casual Italian
Why We’re Excited: Pasta Beach’s original Newport location has won raves for its tasty and reasonably-priced menu of pasta, pizza, and panini — a concept that has serious promise on the increasingly casual waterfront.
Anticipated Opening Date: Fall

Restaurant: Q Restaurant
Address: 660 Washington Street, Chinatown
Concept: Shabu shabu
Why We’re Excited: Little Q has developed a cult following in its Quincy and Arlington locations and now Bostonians won’t have to make the schlep to the ‘burbs!
Anticipated Opening Date: Fall

Fall Preview: Where and What to Eat This Fall