The October Hit List: Bronwyn, Nathálie, Coquette, and More

Bronwyn has again transformed itself into the Boston area’s de facto Oktoberfest HQ, replete with an outdoor biergarten, strung flags, inflatable pretzels — and most importantly — Weihenstephaner by the pint, liter, and two-liter “boot.” Just as important is the hearty, Central European fare to soak it up, which in this case means a three-course menu with choices like potato and cheese pierogis, 12-hour smoked turkey legs, and vinegar-braised sauerbraten. Naturally, you can add a beer pairing.

In the surest sign yet that Boston is ready to party again, the folks behind Yvonne’s and Mariel have unveiled a similarly decadent French spot in the Seaport. In a sprawling space that’s part Belle Epoque Salon, part Versailles drawing room (yes, that is a reproduction of the Hercules Room’s ceiling above the bar) you’ll parse a seafood tower stacked high with baked oysters Normande and buttered lobsters, or duck confit flatbreads and a 32-ounce rib eye. The cocktail program also dabbles in Francophilia with creations like the Waterloo (rye, Calvados, Bonal, Byrrh, salted brown sugar) and the Bay of Biscay (red wine, Cognac, amontillado sherry, cinnamon, pomegranate, pineapple).

Reservations accepted via email at bonjour@frenchcoquette.com.

Castle Island Brewing Co. has opened a mammoth new tap room and innovation brewery at the site of its namesake, which includes South Shore-style bar pizza from Bardo’s Pizza. Gather ‘round a crispy-edged pie topped with the likes of pickles or linguica as you consider the charms of a hazy India pale ale versus a DIPA, but don’t neglect to use the bocce ball court that abuts the patio.

The long-delayed, TD Garden-adjacent food hall has finally opened with 18 mostly local vendors. Highlights include additional outposts of local favorites like Lily P’s Fried Chicken, Cusser’s Roast Beef & Seafood, Mike’s Pastry and The Smoke Shop BBQ. But the hall hosts a few brand-new concepts too, notably a Connecticut-style pizza joint from Mida’s Douglass Williams dubbed Mida Apizza. Make a beeline to score a pepperoni slice or an “Uncle Pepe” topped by clams, roasted garlic, oregano, and pecorino.

Walk-ins only.

It used to be that the only way to experience sushi at Shore Leave was to make a Resy for No Relation, the nine-seat omakase restaurant tucked inside the underground rum bar. But now chef Colin Lynch is bringing his sushi to the masses — or at least, all of Shore Leave’s patrons — with the bar’s new sushi counter. A visit will yield tweaked standards like Jonah crab California rolls and shima-aji nigiri with onion relish, as well as an eponymous roll that packs shrimp tempura, Hamachi, pickled pineapple, jalapeno, and cilantro.

It’s never not a good time to check in on Fox & The Knife, but the start of autumn brings a new menu, and with it, dishes like fried wild mushrooms with yuzu brown butter aioli and pappardelle with braised duck and smoked cinnamon. Chef Karen Akunowicz’s brilliant pandemic pivot — Fox Pasta — remains in place, meaning you can pick up a pound of fresh spinach mafaldine or wild boar Bolognese sauce on your way out (just order ahead of time).

After taking a considerable break, Lucie is back open in the Colonnade hotel with a new menu that borrows liberally from across the globe. After taking a moment to admire how the restaurant’s midcentury-with-a-twist décor softens the Colonnade’s brutalist interior, tuck into a plate of chicken Milanese with preserved vinaigrette or perhaps coconut popcorn shrimp with mango habanero aioli. This time around the cocktail program has a decidedly classic bent, with selections including the Vieux Carré and the Lucie (read: French) 75.

For reservations, call the restaurant at 617-425-3400.

Nathálie, and its sister establishment haley.henry, are dedicating the month of October to orange wine. We’re sure you’ll learn a thing or two about that trendiest but least understood of categories, and also come away with a new appreciation for poached corn pudding with mushroom conserva, flat iron steak with fluffed farro and green goddess dressing, and peach donuts accompanied by whipped yogurt and peach compote.

Boston’s first food hall has news of its own: this month sees the return of Ms. Cluck’s Deluxe Chicken & Dumplings, the delightfully titled stall from the powers behind O Ya and Hojoko that’s sat dormant since March 2020. The re-tooled menu revisits both focuses with Cajun karaage fried chicken sandwiches and a 48-hour bone broth chicken ramen with truffled dumplings. Time Out has also gained a new tenant in Kured, which focuses on locally sourced charcuterie.

Walk-ins only.

The ever-changing, hyper-local menu at Field & Vine is as good a place as any to experience the last of summer’s bounty, and the first of fall’s. At present, that might mean dishes like tautog ceviche with a fermented habanero sauce, chilled beets with grilled fennel aioli, and countneck clams with pork and fennel sausage and garlic chive butter.