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The Dish: 5 things to eat and drink in Boston right now
Including sushi in the South End, breakfast tacos, and the return of Fuku.
Wondering what to eat and drink in Boston this weekend? The Dish is a weekly guide to five things in the local restaurant and bar scene that are on my radar right now. Shoot me an e-mail at [email protected] to let me know what other dishes and drinks I should check out.
1. Shore Leave now serves sushi rolls and sashimi
If you’ve been to the South End’s tropical bar Shore Leave, you might know that there’s a tiny, nine-seat sushi restaurant in the back called No Relation, where chef Colin Lynch has crafted a beautiful, 14-course omakase menu. But the $120 per person price tag isn’t for everyone, so the arrival of Lynch’s sushi on the Shore Leave menu this week is especially welcome. In addition to rolls like the Shore Leave roll (shrimp tempura, hamachi, pickled pineapple, jalapeño, cilantro, nigella), the menu features nigiri, sashimi, and appetizers like Wagyu and crab fried rice. And if you’re coming with a crew, there are sushi boat menus for larger parties. Pair with some sake by the glass or bottle, or sip on one of Shore Leave’s excellent tropical concoctions.
2. Fuku’s fried chicken sandwiches are back
Remember when David Chang’s Fuku opened in the Seaport in 2018, and then shuttered two years later — with the caveat that it would eventually return? Well, it’s back. The fried chicken joint landed in Boston on Tuesday, this time in delivery-only form through a partnership with Reef Kitchens, a national platform that operates “ghost kitchens.” You can now order spicy fried chicken sandwiches, chicken fingers, and crispy waffle fries through UberEats, DoorDash, Grubhub, and Postmates. Welcome back, Fuku; see you…online?
3. Sip on a Bee’s Knees and help save the bees
Can all cocktails have their own dedicated week? Last week was Negroni Week, and this week is the start of Bee’s Knees Week, which kicks off Friday and runs through Oct. 3. Organized by Barr Hill Gin, the event serves as an effort to save the bees: For every Bee’s Knees cocktail purchased, Barr Hill will plant 10 square feet of bee habitat. In the Boston area, there are a slew of participating venues, including State Park, Woods Hill Pier 4, Catalyst, and more, and you can even tune in to the Globe Summit on Friday to catch actress and comedian Jenny Slate mixing a Bee’s Knees as part of Boston.com’s Cocktail Club. Celebrate the gin/honey/lemon cocktail, and stay tuned for Old Fashioned Week (yes, it’s a thing).
4. Eat all the Fluff at Fluff Fest
Fluff! Fun to say, delightful to eat, has its own dedicated festival — which happens to be going on right now through Sunday at a smattering of businesses around Somerville, its birthplace. Here are some of the Fluff-infused treats that caught my eye: Fluff momos at Momo n Curry, Fluff cream of wheat at The Neighborhood Restaurant, What the Fluff?! barrel aged stout at Remnant Brewing, empanada chips with Fluff dip at Buenas, and a Fluff-topped tres leches at Casa B. You can check out the entire, sticky lineup of dishes here.
5. 50Kitchen will serve breakfast tacos at City Hall
The more breakfast tacos we can inject into this city, the better, and Dorchester’s 50Kitchen is getting in on the early morning taco game with a pop-up at City Hall from Sept. 27 to Oct. 8. The restaurant is one of the latest to hold court there while the city considers a local business to become a permanent vendor at City Hall’s 8th floor cafe. But you don’t have to be a city employee to access the pop-up — anyone can order from 50Kitchen’s menu, which includes Nutella french toast, chicken and waffle sliders, honey fried cornbread, and Southwest breakfast tacos. Pop by on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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