Somerville’s Feeding Frenzy

The 'Ville has become the place for food lovers, with a slew of exciting new eateries that have raised the bar for Boston's dining scene. So what's behind this rapid influx of restaurants? A perfect storm of factors.

 

taco with peppersPhoto Anthony  Tieuli

A Timeline of the Somerville Restaurant Boom:

2007
Highland Kitchen ups the city’s hip factor with quality yet casual fare — spicy goat stew, cult-fave fried chicken — and craft cocktails.

2009
Trina’s Starlite Lounge opens and immediately establishes itself as a restaurant-industry hot spot. Posto begins offering authentic Neopolitan-style pizzas and house pastas.

2010
Journeyman debuts its avant-garde locavore cuisine. Foundry on Elm becomes a favorite local watering hole, and Bergamot’s thoughtful bistro fare is met with raves.

2011
Globally inspired pub Five Horses Tavern (its short-rib-and-pepper taco is pictured below) opens, followed by the old-school tavern Saloon, the quirky Three Little Figs bakery, and the Latin tapas restaurant Casa B. The area’s craft-cocktail scene is also solidified thanks to Backbar, from the team behind Journeyman.

2012
Posto’s Joe Cassinelli goes Mexican with the Painted Burro. Jason Owens, of South Boston gourmet-food shop American Provisions, opens inspired southern restaurant M3.

What’s Next?
Forthcoming concepts include barbecue joints the Bearded Pig and East End Grill; high-end butchery M. F. Dulock Pasture-Raised Meats; the German- and Austrian-focused Bronwyn; Peruvian restaurant La Brasa; ’80s-themed cocktail bar Daddy Jones; and Washington, DC, import Amsterdam Falafelshop. — Leah Mennies