Upscale NYC-based ice cream purveyor Van Leeuwen has announced plans to open three (!) scoop shops in the Boston area this year. According to a news release, the ice cream shop will open a location in Chestnut Hill (inside shopping center The Street at Chesnut Hill) this spring, followed by a Seaport shop (at 131 Seaport Boulevard) in the summer, and a Harvard Square shop (at 1 Brattle Square) in the fall. The chain, which currently has over 50 locations across the country, is known for traditional flavors done very well, like vanilla bean and Sicilian pistachio, some knockout vegan ice creams, and the occasional left turn into stunt-y limited-edition flavors like Kraft cheese and Hidden Valley ranch ice cream.
Chef Karen Akunowicz opens a restaurant at Logan airport
Logan has been dialing in its food options in recent years, and here’s yet another welcome addition: Chef Karen Akunowicz of popular Boston Italian restaurants Fox & the Knife and Bar Volpe has opened Fox & Flight, a cheeky offshoot of Fox & the Knife, inside Terminal A at the airport. According to a release, as of March 9, the 95-seat restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, serving classic Italian plates like eggs and polenta, rigatoni Bolognese, and pork milanese, plus a full slate of cocktails, beer, and wine.
Seabiscuit, an East Boston destination known for its savory pies, is shutting down
Seabiscuit owners Andrew and Greta Platt are winding down operations for the East Boston shop, the pair announced on Instagram last week. “It’s been a fun, wacky ride, but it must come to an end,” the post signaling the closure reads. Customers have until March 14 (Pi Day!) to stock up on sausage rolls and braised lamb shank pies before the shop shuts down.
Fan-favorite pop-up Mimi’s Chūka Diner lands a permanent home
Those crispy, delicious gyoza are back, baby. Mimi’s Chūka Diner, the lauded pop-up centered around chūka ryōri — Japanese interpretations of Chinese food — has secured a permanent space inside Aeronaut Brewing Company in Somerville, in the former home of fine dining spot Tasting Counter. Co-founder Ted Woo tells Boston Magazine that the new location will allow the team to expand far beyond its regular pop-up menu; plans are in the works for full-service, sit-down dining, a bar with snack-y small plates, and a takeout-specific menu. Oh, and brunch is on the way, too. The restaurant is slated to open in spring or early summer.