The September Hit List: Oleana, Bianca, Shojo, Ivory Pearl, and More

In concert with other Mediterranean restaurants in the Boston area, Oleana is offering a “Beirut Box” takeout option, the proceeds of which will go to support relief operations in the Lebanese capital. In Oleana’s case, the box includes a baked tomato stuffed with shrimp, pine nuts, and wheat; za’atar mana’eesh with goat’s milk labneh and swiss chard; and Fairy Tale eggplant with tahini and green olives. The regular Oleana menu continues to be served via patio dining or takeout as well. 

Dining status: patio dining by reservation; or order here for takeout. 

Bianca, the new Tim and Nancy Cushman project that was originally slated for a March 2020 launch, is just now opening for dining in. But the Cushmans have also debuted a new takeout-only concept inside Bianca dubbed “Mr. Roni Cups,” which specializes in thick, Roman-style pizza in preparations like classic margherita, mushroom, fontina and provolone, or pepperoni. Also on deck are wood-fired rotisserie chickens, future Bianca dishes like a Caesar salad with anchovy and Parmesan, and sushi rolls and sashimi ported over from Hojoko, the Cushmans’ still-closed Japanese izakaya concept.

Dining status: Limited indoor and outdoor dining. Or order here for takeout.

Tracy Chang’s Central Square restaurant has recently expanded its delivery net to encompass Cambridge, Somerville, Back Bay, Fenway and Lexington, at least on Wednesdays. Of course, you can also drop by their generous patio to experience uni toast on squid-ink brioche, curry crab croquetas with coconut, and cedar-smoked black cod with shio miso.

Dining status: patio dining by reservation; order here for takeout or delivery.

There’s fresh reason to visit the Seaport Mediterranean restaurant, as Chickadee has opened a new cocktail bar dubbed Mayday! within a shipping container abutting its patio. It’s dispensing margaritas and blended classics, including frozen piña coladas and strawberry daiquiris, which should pair excellently with a platter of fried chicken and spiced cheddar biscuits eaten on the adjacent patio, or ordered via takeout.

Dining status: patio and indoor dining by reservation; order here for takeout and delivery.

After close to a half-year of hibernation, Alden & Harlow is once again open for indoor and outdoor dining, via a newly expanded patio that runs from the street out front to a scenic back alley. Diners can re-discover A&H classics like the pickled corn pancakes and grilled broccoli with butternut squash hummus, plus new dishes like tomato leaf pasta with carrot Bolognese. But the biggest news may be the expanded availability of the once strictly limited “Secret Burger,” which can now be ordered at will.

Dining status: patio and indoor dining by reservation; call the restaurant at 617-864-2100.

Cambridge’s favorite quasi-dive has returned for outdoor dining through its freshly grown patio space, as well as takeout. Stop in or place an order for snap-pea and crispy pig-ear salads, American cheese-stuffed “Juicy Lucy” burgers, and Nashville hot chicken platters. And if you’re in search of good takeout cocktails, State Park has you covered: Options include frozen palomas, Bloody Marys by the quart, and DIY kits allowing you to assemble their famed State Park beer-cocktail at home.

Dining status: patio dining by walk-in only. Or order here for takeout.

Shojo’s back, and the eclectic Chinatown restaurant is accepting takeout orders from Sunday to Wednesday for Saturday-only pickup. The line-up includes “Shadowless” duck fat fries smothered in kimcheese sauce and scallions, smoked barbecue pork bao, and five-spice BBQ “Wu-Tang” ribs with crispy garlic. Also available to go is its large selection of sake and Japanese craft beer. 

Dining status: takeout only. Order here.

The team responsible for The Baldwin Bar and Blossom Bar have proved that you can still have an exciting restaurant opening in 2020. As expected, the drink menu is top-notch and envelope-pushing: of particular interest are cocktails built to imitate the texture and flavor of wine, such as the Champagne-inspired Champagne Papi, made with vodka, honey, and koji rice, or the lambrusco-aping Golden Hour, mixed with aquavit, Nonino aperitivo, and golden beets. And while the food menu leans higher-end, with fatty tuna rice bowls and whole Maine lobsters with ginger scallion, don’t sleep on the smash-style “IP Burger” served with Hatch green chilies and special sauce.

Dining status: patio and indoor dining by walk-in or reservation; call the restaurant at 617-487-5297.

The rotisserie chicken-centric restaurant has yielded to popular demand and brought back its five-piece fried chicken as a Monday special for the foreseeable future. While the crispy, buttermilk-brined chicken is certainly worth planning for, you can find chipotle pork ribs, roasted salmon with snap peas, and of course, whole rotisserie chickens with pecorino ranch or honey mustard sauce sides any night of the week.

Dining status: patio and indoor dining by reservation; or order here for takeout and delivery.

The yachty environs and skyline-facing patio of East Boston’s Reelhouse is the perfect venue for taking in end-of-summer nights. Also worth taking in: ahi tuna poke; salmon tartare tacos; and seafood fra diavolo with shrimp, clams, mussels, and swordfish, all of which are also available to go.

Dining status: patio and indoor dining by reservation; or order here for takeout.