Neighborhood Watch

Big Drinks, Small Plates: Your Week in Neighborhood News (Updated)

Boston, it’s been a boozy week. Plenty of fantastic bars have opened, just in time for you to fall into a preemptive stupor before heading home for the holidays. For the virtuous among us, well, there’s tapas news, too.

Union Square: Backbar opened yesterday. The Journeyman-helmed cocktail parlor features the amiable Sam Treadway (late of Drink) behind the bar. [Earlier]

Central Square: Brick & Mortar has opened in the former Enormous Room space. The bar features talent from the Enormous Room, B-Side Lounge, and Drink. [Earlier]

Davis Square: Saloon, the whiskey-soaked, manly drinking den beneath Foundry on Elm, is now open. [Earlier]

Downtown Crossing: J.M. Curley, named after that wily former Boston mayor, soft opens today. You can either drink yourself to a slow death or do yourself in swiftly with a burger topped with bacon and pulled pork. [UD]

Central SquareKendall Square: Kika Tapas, from the team behind the Back Bay’s Tapeo and Waltham’s Solea, is now open. The space is very red. [Thrillist via Eater]

Union Square: Casa B opens on Saturday. Per a release, the restaurant is a “modern interpretation” of a classic Spanish tasca. At street level is a lounge; downstairs, there’s a more intimate taverna. [Grub Street]

Somerville: Much-loved erstwhile taqueria Tacos Lupita is opening a new location in Gloucester. [Earlier]

Atlantic Wharf: Boloco has opened its 18th location. This one’s on Congress Street. [Eater]

Back Bay: Happy holidays: The OtherSide Cafe will officially close on January 28, after initially announcing that they’d shut down to make way for a furniture store by December 23 . [Boston]

Back Bay: If the idea of sushi crepes is appealing to you, you’ll be pleased to learn that The Creperie on Newbury opens this weekend. On the menu: tuna tataki and lobster Newburg crepes. Intriguing. [UD]

Inman Square: Grillo’s Pickles will open a three-month pop-up picklery in the neighborhood next year. If it goes well, a year-round pickle palace might be in the works. [Chowder, Earlier]

Big Drinks, Small Plates: Your Week in Neighborhood News (Updated)