Whether it’s a fresh lunch option or a place you've seen getting ready to open in your neighborhood, great new restaurants have been popping up all over the city. We took a closer look at five of the top up-and-coming spots.
Café du Pays
Kendall Square
This is not exactly a French restaurant. It's "French Canadian by way of New England," which translates to a high-end yet homey and hearty menu that includes poutine (of course), cretons (a fatty pork spread on bread, with fried pig jowls), and a signature pork and venison tourtière (a meat pie). There's also plenty of fresh North Atlantic seafood and an extensive list of fine wines to balance out the heavy dishes. The small, antique-decorated establishment near MIT will cost you north of $20 for an unusual and excellent meal.
Spring Shabu-Shabu
Allston/Brighton
A buffet of veggies and noodles, a menu of meats and seafoods and five types of broth provide lots of options for anyone who wants to make themselves a hearty and healthy soup. The meat broths are based on pork bones, with veggie or bonito-kelp versions that provide lighter liquids to cook your favorite ingredients in. Most protein items aren't on the all-you-can-eat list, but with a starting price at $17 for dinner and $12 for lunch, you'll almost certainly be able to add $4 to $6 and get beef selections, tripe, chicken pork or lamb, or the seafood and shellfish selection for around $20. And don't forget the soft-serve ice cream at the end.
BenCotto
North End
This casual, modern Italian restaurant features pizzas from wood-fired brick oven and a range of pastas, meat and seafood entrees in classic styles, plus a full bar. The cozy corner location, which had been home to a popular pizzeria for years, stays fresh with open-air windows on two sides of the single room. It's also close to a number of other popular Italian restaurants, which lure in folks stuck in nearby lines. Lately, though, BenCotto (which means "well done") has been getting lines of its own.
Jerusalem Falafel & Shawarma
Somerville
The falafels are flavorful and crispy yet tender, and a plate of them with salad, hummus and rice or fries costs under $10 at this new fast-casual Mediterranean restaurant. The namesake dish also leads off a list of tasty vegetarian sandwiches that includes tabouli, baba ghaouj (eggplant) and foul mudamas. For meat-eaters, the chicken and beef shawarma options are well-seasoned but not overly so, and not too dry.
Certified Meatball
South Boston
Balls of protein made of meats and/or veggies are served as entrees, in sandwiches, on bao buns, and in creative new arrangements—like a brunch poutine that includes sausage meatballs with eggs and fries. The sparkling new Southie establishment also offers "sweetballs," which are desserts made of chocolate cake, merengue or dulce de leche flavors. And don't miss out on the specialty cocktails. Basic meatball dishes start at $9 and go up based on how you want them served.
