The July Hit List: Faccia Brutta, La Saison, Bosso Ramen Tavern, and More

Is Faccia Brutta as the season’s must-visit establishment? Certainly the bi-level coastal Italian restaurant from Jamie Bissonnette and Ken Oringer warrants repeat visits to sample the housemade pastas, which range from familiar (bucatini aglio e olio with baby clams and bottarga) to obscure (pansotti stuffed with swiss chard, ricotta, walnuts, brown butter, and fiddleheads). And that’s not even cracking the embarrassment of small-plate riches, like razor clams with morel mushrooms and crab butter or swordfish spiedini with pistachio salsa verde.

A full-on bar has opened at Boston Public Market, with an emphasis on local ingredients. The freshly opened Pine Bar is New England through-and-through, from its 10-strong draught list of regional beers to a selection of Bay State wines and a cocktail list prepped with spirits distilled in Massachusetts and the surrounding states. If you need to find us, we’ll be at the eponymous bar, nursing a Parquet Punch (Deacon Giles gin, orange, pomegranate syrup) or a Hanover Street Espresso Martini (Triple Eight Vodka, Boston Harbor Coffee Liqueur, George Howell espresso).

Walk-ins only.

The fever around East Boston’s hidden-in-plain sight speakeasy has yet to break. We might credit that to the availability of Maine lobster sliders with caviar and herb aioli on brioche, or thirst-quenching cocktails like the Farmers Market (strawberry-infused Pimms, kiwi-infused gin, lemon juice, basil syrup) and the creamsicle-inspired Cancel Culture (citrus vodka, orange liqueur, vanilla kumquat syrup, lemon, lime, egg white, heavy cream, soda).

We’ll let you in on a little secret: the “Next Door” in Next Door Speakeasy & Raw Bar refers to Pazza on Porter. And while its secluded sibling spot may have received the lion’s share of attention thus far, Pazza’s tuned-up Italian American fare and clubby, leather banquette-filled dining room are worthy of a visit on their own. Otherwise, you risk missing out on a dedicated “build-your-own-Parm” section of the menu (choices include chicken, eggplant, and veal, with pasta and sauces to follow) and a “Sunday Supper” pasta that mixes up penne and ricotta with a slow-cooked ragu of pork loin, sirloin, sausage, and meatballs.

After close to half a year in business, it seems that La Royal’s crown is secure. Within its airy digs on Concord Avenue, this sequel-of-sorts to Celeste continues to explore the lesser-known reaches of Peruvian cooking. It’s a wide remit that includes Nikkei-style portobello sashimi; Peruvian-style seafood rice with shrimp, squid, and mussels; and an entire branzino grilled in plantain leaves and seasoned with an Amazonian paste prepared with garlic, turmeric, cumin, and annatto seed oil.

Since its quiet soft opening in March, the Harvard Square izakaya has continued to build up steam — and now takes reservations. They’re also serving a full menu, which features four types of ramen made from a hybrid base utilizing both chicken and pork bones. Choices include the sanmi (“sour”) made with sour cherry tomatoes, arugula, Parmesan cheese, and green shiso oil, as well as an umami enhanced by black garlic oil. Broths and bowls aside, don’t forget that Bosso is a fully functioning izakaya, whose broader menu includes torched yuzu scallop handrolls, umami chicken karaage, and scallop carpaccio.

Telegraph Hill had been serving its namesake neighborhood for a decade when the onset of Covid shut it down for more than two years. The good news is that the Telegraph is back, and a 26-month nap has only sharpened its dedication to stick-to-your-ribs pub food. For evidence, look to a fresh menu populated by short rib grilled cheese, honey buffalo chicharrons, fried calamari with cherry peppers, and other fare that would pair well with a frosty Nightshift Whirlpool or Lord Hobo Boom Sauce.

Walk-ins only.

Viet-Cajun destination Nightshade Noodle Bar specializes in tasting menus, which can run anywhere from seven to 14 courses, depending on your appetite (and budget). But each Wednesday, Nightshade makes it a little easier to sample its wares. On that day of the week, diners can make a Resy to experience five courses for just $50. While the menu changes daily and is up to the chef’s whim, you may expect shrimp toast with white sesame and pollen, smoked mussels in a puttanesca sauce with rice noodles, or bone marrow fried rice with black vinegar butter.

Since opening in late 2020, the Paris-meets-Persia stylings of La Saison — which originated in Tehran, before its baker-owner emigrated to the United States — has been pulling eager sourdough seekers and croissant cravers to the Western edges of Cambridge. Now its baked goods are much more accessible to Boston residents, as La Saison has filled a stall at Time Out Market with its feta za’tar scones, marzipan orange scones, and of course, two-pound sourdough loaves.

Walk-ins only.

The North End just added a new sandwich shop to its culinary roster, with a focus on Cambodian handhelds. Suasday, which takes its name from the Khmer word meaning “hello,” greets the lunchtime crowd with a half-dozen sandwiches on toasted baguette, including a charbroiled lemongrass chicken with pate, carrots, and green papaya, or a crawfish salad roll with celery and aioli. But the North End being the North End, there’s still an Italian sandwich — only in this case, it’s prosciutto, mortadella, ham, and provolone accented by Cambodian fixings including aioli, pate, seasoned carrots, green papaya, daikon, cucumber, and cilantro.

Walk-ins only.