The March Hit List: Civility Social House, Comfort Kitchen, La Royal, and More

We could tell you that Civility Social House, the latest addition to Assembly Row’s dining scene, boasts a star-spangled wall mural of JFK and offers strawberry-infused Negroni variants alongside grilled pizzas and shareables, including Parmesan arancini and short rib tacos. Or we could cut right to the chase and cue you in on Civility’s most important differentiating factor: the existence of a mac ‘n’ cheese donut that’s glazed tableside and accompanied by applewood bacon, scallions, and chipotle barbecue sauce. We figured the latter was essential information.

Former pop-up Comfort Kitchen has set down roots in a historic structure in Upham’s Corner, serving the flavors of the global African diaspora. As a casual café by day, that may mean sandwiches like a confit pork belly BLT or peanut butter and pear jam sandwiches. Return in the evening for a full dinner menu that presents seared okra with masala spiced yogurt, jerk roasted duck, and potato curry cakes.

Call 617-329-6910 for reservations.

You may have heard that La Royal clinched a nomination for the James Beard Foundation’s Best New Restaurant award. You might have also heard that the Peruvian restaurant is now open seven days a week. In any case, you shouldn’t need a third reason to revisit La Royal for creamy potato terrines or whole branzino grilled in plantain leaves.

After a delay, Puritan Oyster Bar is now well and truly open in Inman Square, supplying chilled dressed oysters, egg salad-stuffed caviar cones, and crab Rangoon dip in a hideaway space tucked directly next to Puritan & Co. You might start the evening there with small bites or call it a night with heavier fare like a hot buttered lobster sandwich on challah or salt cod brandade with tapenade and thyme butter.

Walk-ins only.

There are still chilly days left for Chickadee to operate in comfort mode: a setting that the Mediterranean-inspired restaurant performs with aplomb, resulting in dishes like red wine mafaldine with wagyu Bolognese or bone-in short ribs accompanied by medjool dates, toasted almonds, and cumin yogurt.

The newest addition to the South End’s dining scene — a glitzy reboot of what had been Giacomo’s by the powers behind Ilona and Kava Neo-Taverna — has pressed the “brunch” button. Stop in on Saturdays and Sundays to be greeted by chicken Milanese piadina, ricotta butter pancakes, or bruschetta topped by poached eggs. And depending on your plans for the rest of the afternoon, consider partaking in a Hugo Spritz made with prosecco, mint, and bergamot liqueur.

Since we’ve got oysters on the brain: The outdoor, oceanfront raw bar at Island Creek Oyster’s Duxbury farm was previously solely a warm-weather pleasure. But all that’s changed now that the oyster grower has opened an indoor space whose wood paneling and mismatched furniture give it the charm of a favorite vacation home. Direct-from-the-water Island Creeks and Aunt Dottys alongside roe-topped hot dogs and crab salad sandwiches make it well worth the drive.

Walk-ins only.

At this point, it’s hard not to find a bar putting “their own spin” on the espresso martini. However, Shojo’s iteration of the reigning it-cocktail is worth a trek: its Cà Phê Martini riffs on Vietnamese coffee by combining vodka, cold-brew, and espresso liqueur with cinnamon and condensed milk. Consider following it up with bulgogi beef bao or Hong Kong-style egg waffles topped with fried chicken and five-spice butter.

Dorchester has welcomed a new purveyor of fried poultry in the form of Side Chick, which dishes out its birds in both sandwich and strip form. In the former case, that may mean a “Hot Cheeto” sandwich topped with banana peppers, lettuce, creamy cheese sauce — and yes, Cheetos — while the latter can be ordered as a three-piece or all the way up to a 50-piece box.

Walk-ins only.

Having quickly recovered from a brief closure caused by burst pipes, Little Donkey is back on its feet and more enthusiastic than ever about serving caviar with whipped butter on a Martin’s potato roll. Also in its eclectic arsenal: uni tostada with tempura nori and onion relish, ramen noodle cacio e pepe, and dry-aged beef burgers with French onion soup mayo and foie gras.