The October Hit List: Fields West, Aquitaine, Boqueria Seaport, and More

A century-old Allston building that had most recently held the Glenville Stops is now Fields West, which is marking its new territory with an eclectic menu of shareable dishes that includes cacio e pepe tater tots, beer batter cauliflower nuggets, and stir-fried soba noodles. Meanwhile, the potable side of the ledger is served by 31 draft lines split across beer and wine.

Boqueria’s tapas empire has reached Massachusetts with a fresh location in the Seaport. Within its stylish digs, guests might encounter lamb skewers with pickled shallots and salsa verde, seared octopus served over olive oil crushed potatoes, and hand-carved, 36-month-aged jamón Ibérico topped by a runny egg. Or potentially all three, among other dishes, as part of the chef’s whim “Boqueria Experience” offered nightly.

Garrett Harker, of gone-too-soon Fenway institutions Eastern Standard, The Hawthorne, and Island Creek Oyster Bar, has officially entered his comeback phase with the opening of All That Fish + Oyster. The first of four new projects from Harker to open in the neighborhood (including a revival of Eastern Standard in a new location), All That Fish + Oyster delivers on every part of its name with such dishes as cape bluefish with creamed corn and green chiles in coconut broth, charred Hamachi collar with pickled ginger mayo, Japanese-Peruvian scallop tiradito, and… oysters.

Call 857-305-3095 for reservations.

Bow Market’s latest tenant is Southern Pines Diner Car, a casual new concept exploring Southern cuisine via sandwich. In particular, the One Potato Sweet Potato with herbed sour cream, jalapeno jelly, and sliced red onions; the Rouxgaroux, consisting of Cajun-spiced barbecue chicken thighs, roux sauce, and jalapeno slaw; or the Miss Piggy, which piles together green peppercorn “shake ’n bake” pork, Szechuan spices, and Duke’s mayo.

Walk-ins only.

Legendary luxury hotel Raffles just opened its first North American location — in Boston. Perhaps even more notably, it plays host to Amar, a new Portuguese restaurant by chef George Mendes of Aldea fame. In a dark, 17th-floor dining room overlooking Copley Square, diners will have their pick of traditional Portuguese flavors expressed through local ingredients such as spiced Maine lobster and salt cod croquettes. Dinners will conclude just as they should, with a visit from a roving trolley that will dispense choice Madeira and Port wines tableside.

It’s new pasta o’clock at The Salty Pig (a very real definition of time). And for this go-round, that means such housemade delicacies as green conchiglie with roasted garlic, zucchini and ricotta salata, or spaghetti with Maine mussels, blistered tomatoes, bottarga, fennel pollen, and breadcrumbs.

Mida’s fresh take on red sauce Italian and housemade pasta already saw expansion from the South End into Newton. And now it’s opened a third location in East Boston, where residents (and visitors) may soon be plied with Mida classics including North Shore-style fritto misto, gnocchi cacio e pepe, and paccheri Bolognese.

Call 617-996-1224 for reservations.

Boston restaurants may not be able to hold a proper happy hour — blue laws and all that. But at its Southie location, Shy Bird’s engineered something that may be even better. On weekdays from 4 to 6 p.m., a flat $9.75 buys access to such delights as fried chicken sandwiches with pecorino ranch, a bacon chili burger with piri piri aioli, and the highly ambitious “Dunk Dog” that fills a brioche roll with chicken nuggets, black pepper mayo, and chipotle barbecue sauce. Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it.

Despite racking up awards for years, Blue Ribbon Barbecue has long sat at the city’s fringes with locations in Arlington, Dedham, and West Newton. Now the micro-chain’s fourth location — in Time Out Market — is bringing its St. Louis-style ribs, North Carolina-inspired pulled pork, and Kansas City beef ends directly into Boston’s beating heart.

Walk-ins only.

You may not feel it now, but you know it’s coming: that first autumnal chill. And when it happens, you best hope you’re in the vicinity of Aquitaine Bar à Vin Bistrot, as the French favorite can provide a tonic in the form of bone broth French onion soup with aged sherry and Gruyère.