The August Hit List: Saltie Girl, T&B Wood-Fired, Menya Jiro, and More

During the pandemic, Saltie Girl took over the space of its much -arger sister restaurant, Met Back Bay, and it appears that this new arrangement has been made permanent. Those who once queued for a seat at the tiny original can instead make a Resy to enjoy rock crab carbonara or a two-pound ginger scallion lobster in its greatly expanded dining room.

Opened by the Himmel Hospitality Group in the space that once held Post 390, Banks Fish House is a swank new seafood destination that includes an upstairs raw bar (The Topshell at The Banks) and a downstairs cocktail bar (Three Sheets at The Banks). Within its yachty interior, you’ll encounter locally caught seafood in classic New England-y preparations like fried whole belly clams with tarragon remoulade, a lobster bake with chorizo, potatoes and corn, and even a “Chowda” flatbread graced with smoked bacon, clams, crème fraiche and oyster crackers.

For reservations, call the restaurant at 617-399-0015.

T&B, which transitioned into a takeout-only Montreal bagel joint through the course of the pandemic, has re-opened indoors and returned to slinging wood-fired pizzas. These days the Neapolitan-style pies come in the likes of ‘nduja and green garlic, potato with thick-cut bacon and crème fraiche, and roasted Mexican street corn with feta and guajillo pepper aioli.

Harvard Square now hosts the first Bay State location of Menya Jiro, a Japanese ramen chain that previously made landfall in NYC. Menya Jiro hails from Japan’s Kagoshima Prefecture, and serves three distinct styles of tonkotsu broth: the spicy Sakurajima, the creamy Ibusuki, and the lighter Kagoshima. Non-carnivores can also partake in its vegetarian miso broth, which comes in spicy and non-spicy iterations.

Walk-ins only.

The buzzy French-Vietnamese spot that put Lynn on the Greater Boston dining map has fully reopened for indoor dining and refreshed its menu to boot. Admire a wall mural marked by floating palm fronds in neon-bright colors while you await plates of pho-spiced shrimp cocktail, housemade egg noodles in caramel garlic sauce, and a lobster roll dressed with lemongrass Cajun butter.

The Langham Boston has reopened after a two-year renovation, and its refreshed setting includes a new cocktail bar with a posh appearance and an emphasis on London-style pub fare. Settle into a wingback chair or a tufted banquette before divvying up a glizzy stick (an all-beef hot dog wrapped in crispy potato) or an “XXL toastie” (translation: grilled cheese) filled with a melty three-cheese blend, sharp mustard and horseradish. The cocktail program is helmed by an Yvonne’s vet, whose creations include the Daq-Carré (cacao nib-infused white rum, white vermouth, cognac, Bénédictine, bitters) and Kool & The Gang (Bully Boy gin, raspberry, lime, ginger, aquafaba, tonic).

Walk-ins only.

Matthew Kenney’s plant-based pizza chain, which has locations in L.A. and NYC, has touched down on Newbury Street to give health-conscious (or health-curious) shoppers the chance to sample a margherita topped with tomatoes and cashew mozzarella or a potato pie made substantial with cashew cream and rosemary. Its non-pizza offerings include a Bolognese created with wild mushroom ragout and eggplant Parmesan with rice mozzarella and macadamia ricotta.

For reservations, call the restaurant at 857-350-3405.

In what may be the surest sign yet of things returning to normalcy, Bar Mezzana’s “Chicken Parmezzana” is again available in the restaurant’s bar and lounge area every Monday starting at 5 p.m. Quantities are limited, so you’ll want to visit earlier should a fried chicken sandwich slathered with mozzarella and tomato sauce on a soft, seeded bun be on the agenda.

Country-fried chicken wings with housemade ranch, baked short rib mac ‘n’ cheese, and bacon-crusted burgers with special sauce on black pepper brioche are just a few of the gastropub indulgences you might encounter at the recently reopened Westland. And while doing so, you can avail yourself of a Trader Vic’s Mai Tai or a Lawless Skies (gin, Luxardo, crème de violette, lemon).

The Brookline newcomer’s cocktail focus may have made it a natural candidate for an evening visit, but those who venture in for brunch will be richly rewarded with the likes of crispy chicken biscuits with housemade sausage and pickled greens, trout lox on avocado toast with miso cream cheese, and duck egg carbonara with pecorino and garlic breadcrumbs. And should you wish to request a Bloody Mary to enhance your enjoyment of said dishes, we’re sure it won’t be a problem.