Food News

From Portuguese pastries to a buzzy Babson student-owned matcha brand opening its first brick-and-mortar, here are the latest Boston restaurant openings, dining news, and food events to know right now.

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Brick Street Bagels

Good news for those who patiently line up outside this viral South Boston bakery for a perfect bagel, especially on the busy weekends: Brick Street Bagel is opening a new location. Once a pandemic popup that led to a still-ongoing residency at the Buttery in the South End, then to a full flagship in South Boston in late 2025, another Brick Street is opening in Beacon Hill this fall. The shop is famous for its New York-style bagels with perfectly fluffy interiors, bagel sandwiches, and house-made spreads including a killer bacon scallion cream cheese. The new location will feature an espresso program and seating—both a first for Brick Street—plus early morning hours, especially helpful for employees of neighboring MGH to pop in for a pre-shift pick-me-up. Here’s hoping the new location will also feature the addictive fish and chips bagel sandwich, which sees cream cheese and smoked salmon topped with salt and vinegar chips. 

Opening date: Fall 

144 Charles St., Beacon Hill

byChae

Twenty-one year-old student David Chae is about to have a busier summer break than most of his fellow Babson classmates. The entrepreneur behind the viral byChae matcha brand—a mobile matcha truck that draws huge lines and has already sparked partnerships with the likes of Gap—is gearing up to open his first brick-and-mortar location. Chae sources premium Japanese matcha powder and serves it straight-up, letting the earthy goodness of the green tea leaf shine, or crowned with nutty roasted green tea foam, resting as a creamy “cloud” atop coconut water, and more. Past specials have included banana pudding and strawberry, too. Chae’s mindset, meanwhile, seems as firmly rooted as a green tea shrub; he’s not interested in chasing a million orders so much as creating a third space for social connection. The Newbury storefront is a testing ground for the concept and will only last for eight months until the building’s new permanent tenant moves in next year. Chae is hoping to find a permanent spot, ideally in the South End. In the meantime, if his past work is any indicator, this is one pop quiz he’s going to ace.  

Opening date: July 

222 Newbury St., Back Bay

Joey Bats Café

The newest restaurant within South Station is a bit of a sweet homecoming for Ludlow-born Joey Batista. After opening a string of successful kiosks in New York City and selling gangbusters online, Joey Bats Café opened in the South Station in late May, right next to the entrance to the train platforms. The petite café sells pasteis de nata—the famed Portuguese egg custard tart that Batistia likens to a cross between a croissant and crème brûlée—plus strong espresso to wash down the sweetness. Batista sells the original version, plus invented spins like chocolate and blueberry. Fans of Portuguese soccer coming into Boston for the World Cup will recognize posters of soccer legend Cristiano Ronaldo plastered to the walls of the kiosk. If you’re looking for a sweet treat, this one is a sure score.  

Open Now (May) 

700 Atlantic Ave., Downtown Boston 

Urban Hearth 

Some dining destinations just can’t be contained within a small footprint. Lucky for us that Urban Hearth—the restaurant that marries a locavore, farm-to-table mindset with fine-dining chops–is expanding into digs that are as expansive as the flavors. The new location sees chef/owner Erin Miller riffing on inspirations from both near and far, from dishes that deconstruct the classic lobster roll, to feta-topped spins on Mediterranean dips. All within a stunning space that features glass leaf sculptures and a chef’s counter. Miller founded Urban Hearth in 2003 as a private catering operation before opening a brick-and-mortar in 2016 within the former L’Impasto space in Cambridge, and thankfully making her cuisine more widely available. Keep an eye out for the fall when Urban Hearth’s first location is reborn as a more laid-back boîte.  

Opening date: June 20 

1281 Cambridge St., Cambridge

Bonus: $1 oysters at Bar Mezzana

As if you need an excuse to slurp down more oysters, Bar Mezzana is once again slinging $1 oysters on Wednesdays, all summer long. The specific beauties in question at the coastal Italian spot owned by Traveler Street Hospitality—who also own Shore Leave, No Relation, and Black Lamb—are Edgewater oysters. This varietal grows in Buzzards Bay and is noted for its meaty texture and salt-forward kick. Supplies are limited each evening, though, and once that last oyster is snatched up, you’re out of shuck. If you find yourself too late, stick around anyhow and dive into Bar Mezzana’s already impressive raw bar, where crudos sing thanks to the addition of Thai basil pesto, pickled chili, and more. 

Event details: Wednesdays, 5 p.m.-7p.m. (or until sold out).

Bar Mezzana, 360 Harrison Ave., South End