Chef-owner Matt Jennings says his Townsman restaurant (120 Kingston St. at Essex St.) is slated to open by March 1. Jennings closed Providence’s much-loved Farmstead to open the eagerly awaited Greenway spot. The centerpiece is a 10-seat crudo counter with swivel stools — “my tip of the hat to New England diner culture,” Jennings explains — serving charcuturie, ceviche, and tartare. Jennings calls the rest of his menu “brasserie,” divvied into hors d’oeuvres, appetizers, and entrees. Prepare for charred baby octopus, broccoli rabe with whipped honey, crispy garlic, and Fresno chilies; sweetbreads topped with shredded cabbage, parsnip puree, and trout roe; and fisherman’s stew. Sean Frederick, who earned fans at Citizen Public House & Oyster Bar, will mastermind the cocktail program.
Acton is home to a new brew pub, Rapscallion Table & Tap (5 Strawberry Hill Road at Great Road), the first restaurant from Sturbridge-based Rapscallion Brewery. Many dishes showcase the brewery’s beer — like Black IPA meatloaf and Vermont cheddar ale soup, made with Acton Pale Ale (yes, the town has its very own drink). Bread comes from nearby Nashoba Brook Bakery. Rapscallion opens at 11:30 a.m. for lunch and dinner, Wednesday through Sunday, and there’s a kids’ menu. Co-owner Peter Daniel’s father-in-law, Claude Miquel, ran Chez Claude in the same space for many years.
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Cambridge’s Belly Wine Bar (1 Kendall Square) is known for pleasures often savored at sundown: pork cassoulet, fondue, stellar wine and curated cheese from sibling shop Central Bottle Wine + Provisions. Beginning this weekend, they enter the brunch game with beef tongue tartine, chicken-fried steak, and cinnamon beignets, plus shareable meat and fish boards. A full wine-by-the-glass list is on offer, plus brunch cocktails and chicory coffee. Visit between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Sundays — and maybe plan for a nap afterward.
KARA BASKIN
Kara Baskin can be reached at [email protected].
