Considering we live in one of the country’s northernmost cities, Bostonians have been noticeably obsessed with Southern cuisine lately. Between Hungry Mother (opened in March 2008), Highland Kitchen (opened in January 2008), Roadhouse (opened in September 2008), and Trina’s Starlite Lounge (set to open this summer), there’s been no shortage of grits, ribs, and gumbo around town. (Whether any of it is authentic is up for debate; truth be told, we’re partial to Hungry Mother, as is Food & Wine.)

Now Tupelo joins the club. Taking over the former Magnolia’s space in Inman Square, this just-opened neighborhood boite focuses on creole-inflected, New Orleans-inspired “comfort food with a Southern drawl.” Chef Rembs Layman’s family hails from NoLa, and his C.V. includes stints at Chez Henri, La Morra, and Pomodoro, so all signs point to yum.

(Except the décor, which was of the unfancy-corner-resto-in-Cambridge-with-restricted-budget-furniture ilk, but who cares when you’re staring down a plate of jambalaya?)

Popping in for dinner on Sunday night, we started with fried oysters and green tomatoes. It’s a tasty presentation of three monstrous oysters that balanced crispy, fatty, and brightly acidic flavors nicely, though the giant-sized bivalves made eating them a bit awkward—they’re too big to pop whole, but impossible to bite in half without ending up with oyster juice running down your chin. (more…)

Bands of at-home sushi chefs are mourning the imminent closing of their beloved Kotobukiya Japanese Market. Come May 10, the one-stop shop in Cambridge for raw fish, sticky rice and imported wasabi will be converted into a new Lesley University bookstore.

“Everybody is upset here,” says Sumie Sato. She has worked as a cashier at Kotobukiya for 14 years. “There is no other Japanese market like it.”

For 20 years, Kotobukiya has stocked an impressive variety of imported Japanese groceries. Aisles of miso powders and rice seasonings line its humble abode, tucked away in the university-owned Porter Square Exchange. But the real reason customers trek the MBTA red line is to seize the fish market’s sushi-grade tuna, salmon, yellowtail and octopus. Kotobukiya is the only full service Japanese fish market in the city. (more…)

We know you already know about the Boston Beer Summit and the Wine Riot!, as well as all the pre-marathon carbo loading dinners, but here are some extra foodie events going on next week.

Cooking with New England’s 1st Spring Crops
April 19, 4-7 p.m.
Sofra
Sofra and Oleana chef-owner Ana Sortun and pastry chef Maura Kilpatrick are launching their spring cooking class series, and they’ll focus on foods found at farmer’s markets. This Sunday, students will learn how to use parsnips, sunchokes, nettles, ramps, and sorrel to create dishes like nettle soup, parsnips with Moroccan spices and sugared almonds, sunchokes with chorizo, and halibut with roasted grapes and sorrel butter.

Tuesday Tequila Tasting
April 21, 5:30-7 p.m.
Ole Mexican Grille
There are more than 900 brands of registered tequila, and while you may have experienced quite a few on spring break circa 2002, there are still plenty left to try. Ole Mexican Grill hosts tequila tastings on the third Tuesday of every month. Guests can learn about and enjoy samples of tequila for $18, which includes several small plates.

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Easter Brunch Picks
April 12, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
We rounded up some of our favorite places that are featuring special menus for Easter Brunch. 33 Restaurant & Lounge is also donating $3.33 from every brunch served to help the victims of the devastating earthquake in Italy. Book your reservation today.

Passover Menu in the Soiree Room
April 10, 14, and 16, 5:30-10 p.m.
UpStairs on the Square
Chef Steven Brand calls upon the flavors and traditions of his years growing up among the great food traditions of a Jewish home. He’ll serve up his favorite Passover dishes for your pleasure.

Olives Throwback Friday Menu
Every Friday evening, 5:30-10 p.m.
Celebrate 20 years at Todd English’s flagship. Every Friday night through April 24, you can order off the original 1989 menu, which features the dishes that made Olives so popular in the first place. And, you’ll also pay 1989 prices, including beef carpaccio for $5.50, grilled octopus with chickpeas for $5.95, brick oven roasted half chicken for $12.95, and bouillabaise for $15.95. Read an article about Todd English’s success in the April issue of Boston magazine.

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Down:2:Earth’s Sustainable Living Expo
April 3, 5-9 p.m.
Hynes Convention Center
The event kicks off with a “Local Bites” Preview Party featuring chefs, food producers, and wineries from the Boston area that are making culinary steps in the right direction: sustainability. Chef Mary Dumont of Harvest, chef Jay Silva of Bambara, and chef Jeffrey Fournier of 51 Lincoln are just some of the guests throughout a weekend any informed foodie shouldn’t miss.

Shucking Lessons
April 4, 1 p.m.
Mercato del Mare, 99 Salem St., Boston
Shucking oysters isn’t just a skill for brawny seamen, Head over to Mercato del Mare with your family and friends to master the art of shucking oysters and clams. Then learn how to wow people with recipes for oysters on a half shell, oyster shooters, oysters Rockefeller, clam dip, and fried clams.
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A relatively small neighborhood packed with restaurants and foodies alike, Brookline’s Coolidge Corner offers a fertile ground for rivalries (the Anna’s–Boca Grande burrito war of the early aughts, for instance, continues to simmer). Has another gauntlet been thrown down with the arrival of Jerusalem Pita, as a challenger to the reigning local purveyor of Israeli-style kosher falafel, Rami’s?

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If you’re a grazer like me, you want to try one of everything on the menu. And guests can do just that, somewhat affordably, at Tastings Wine Bar and Bistro. Located at Patriot Place in Foxboro, just steps away from Gillette Stadium, the restaurant serves up small plates, priced at $7 to $16 each—the price of a burger at one of the nearby sports bars.

With its hardwood floors, exposed brick, wine-painted walls, and hand-scraped hickory tables, the dining room feels South End cozy. Ask for the corner booth piled with comfy silk pillows, but be warned: You’ll be tempted to nap in between all the satisfying courses.

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