The star restaurant at the posh Boston Harbor Hotel has always been Meritage, but when we heard that the more casual Intrigue Cafe was morphing into a seafood spot, we’ve wondered whether the reigning champ might face some internal competition. What visitor to Boston doesn’t crave lobster and shellfish?

As it turns out, Meritage needn’t worry: Rowes Wharf Sea Grille, which opened in late May, is still decidedly lower-key than its upstairs counterpart. There’s the nautical blue-and-white palette; there’s the option of al fresco dining on the harbor terrace. And on Friday nights during the summer, there are movies playing on an outdoor screen, visible (though inaudible) through the Grille’s enormous windows.

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All right, we confess: While some of us at Chowder just love knowing where our food comes from (see: farm-to-table, snout-to-tail, etc.), for the rest of us, ignorance is bliss. We don’t really want to know what’s in the new Fenway Frank; we’ll just eat it. With mustard, thankyouverymuch.

At new Chinatown seafood restaurant Jade Garden, however, ignorance proves impossible. Making our way in last week, we were greeted by fish tanks crowded with all manner of ocean wildlife, including live lobster, crab, shrimp, flounder, and colossal mollusks called geoduck. (We once saw them on an episode of Dirty Jobs—enough said.) And these critters weren’t just for show. They were dinner.

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Taste of Cambridge
June 25, 5:30-8 p.m.
Technology Square courtyard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
Swing on by and sample gourmet goodies al fresco from Cambridge’s top restaurants, including Grafton Street, Upstairs on the Square, East Coast Grill, Rialto, Temple Bar, Chez Henri, Craigie on Main, and more while benefiting Youth on Fire and Club Passim’s Culture for Kids/Music Speaks. Tickets are $50 in advance, and $60 at the door. Splurge for VIP for $75, and kids get in for $15.

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When news that Bella Luna restaurant and its downstairs bar/bowling alley, Milky Way Lounge & Lanes, would be leaving its long-held spot on Centre Street in Jamaica Plain, you could practically hear the sobs of hipsters, MassArt students, and Latin Night regulars across town. (Word is, an enormous rent increase was to blame.) For a few months, it seemed that the area’s best cheap-eats, funky-casual spot would be gone for good.

But the restaurant’s owners worked out a plan B, and this spring, the business happily relocated to JP’s up-and-coming Brewery Loft complex on Amory Street, which also houses the lovely Ula Cafe.

One thing lost in the move was the candlepin bowling (sniff), but nearly every other element of the quirky nightspot has survived. And one could argue that the new Bella Luna is better than ever before. (more…)

We’re going to fill you in on a little secret. Lately, we’ve been getting a flurry of foodie news, deals, specials, and prix fixes from top restaurants. But not by the usual methods.

The tip-offs have been coming from Twitter, of course. Some of our favorite chefs and restaurateurs are using the social-networking website as their sounding board to broadcast information to customers.

For example, Tony Maws at Craigie On Main (@craigieonmain) sounds off about fresh ingredients of the day, and lets users know when, and how many, spots are available for the popular Chef’s Whim prixe fixe. And Andy Husbands (@AndyHusbands) just revealed he’ll be starring on Hell’s Kitchen on July 21. What’s the hype all about? Check out for yourself with this sampling of the latest local tweets, all in 140 characters or less.

And be sure to follow us on twitter @bostonmagazine.

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Sage 10-Year Anniversary Celebration
June 17, 6:30 p.m.
Sage, 1395 Washington St.
Twenty-five chefs and friends of Sage chef Anthony Susi will congregate in the kitchen to create hors d’oeuvres inspired by a classic Sage dish for guests to enjoy in celebration of its 10th year anniversary. Participating chefs include Ana Sortun, Andy Husbands, Jamie Bissonette, Jody Adams, Marc Orfaly, and many more. Tickets are $30 each.

Taste of Cambridge
June 25, 5:30-8 p.m. (Please note that due to projected rain, the Taste of Cambridge has been rescheduled!)
Technology Square courtyard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge
Swing on by and sample gourmet goodies al fresco from Cambridge’s top restaurants, including Grafton Street, Upstairs on the Square, East Coast Grill, Rialto, Temple Bar, Chez Henri, Craigie on Main, and more while benefiting Youth on Fire and Club Passim’s Culture for Kids/Music Speaks. Tickets are $50 in advance, and $60 at the door. Splurge for VIP for $75, and kids get in for $15.
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Things were looking grim for the restaurant business last January. The tanking economy seemed to reached its nadir during what is already the slowest dining month of the year (too many people feeling too cash-strapped or too stuffed to eat out after the holidays).

Everyone looked a little blue from all the extended breath-holding. There were anxious rumors — mass closings, a blighted dining landscape. I heard the word “bloodbath” a couple of times.

And then?

Nothing.

Well, not exactly nothing. Excelsior closed, but that wasn’t a shock to anyone–the restaurant had long seemed to struggle to find its audience (despite Eric Brennan’s fine cooking). The Dish, a South End neighborhood favorite closed up shop, and Marc Orfaly’s attempt to break the Restaurant L curse failed after just a few months.

But none of it was shocking, and nothing came close to reaching bloodbath proportions.

Which is why it was so alarming that week in late May/early June when three restaurants announced they were closing by July. Aujourd’hui, Great Bay, and Icarus; all award-winning, fine dining restaurants, gone from the scene. Was this a sign of the Armageddon we’d been waiting for?

I’ve been discussing this question with industry folks for the past few weeks, and the answer I’m hearing is, happily, “no.” (more…)

As continents go, Africa’s pretty underrepresented in the Hub dining scene. We have Europe covered (heavy on trattorias and brasseries, bien sur). For Asian food, there’s all of Chinatown (and Malden). Central and South America pop up here and there. But Africa? There’s that Ethiopian place, Addis Red Sea, Cambridge’s Baraka Cafe, and, uh…

So the arrival of Senegalese cuisine to the South End comes as a happy surprise. Teranga fills a simply adorned space on Washington Street between Mike’s City Diner and Cru (a newish wine store) and offers equally funky option to South Enders who’ve had their fill of—or can’t get into—tapas hotspot Toro. Carved gourds decorate the tables, and colorful, West Africa-inspired paintings hang on the walls. There’s a small bar pouring beer and wine, and two rows of two-tops that can be pushed together to accommodate groups.

Sadly, we can’t vouch for the food’s authenticity, since we don’t have a lot of experience with Senegalese cooking. But if this is it, we like it. (more…)

The Scooper Bowl
June 10 & 11, Noon-8 p.m.
City Hall Plaza
Get your spoon warmed up (or cooled down) for all the ice cream, frozen yogurt, sorbet, or gelati you can eat. Try as many as you’d like guilt free: The proceeds go to The Jimmy Fund. There will also be live music, contests, and games. $8 for adults, and $4 for kids 3-9.

Step into Summer
June 11, 5-8 p.m.
Neiman Marcus, Copley Place
Food, drinks, fashion, charity! Join the Kitchen Cabinet and Neiman Marcus to get a look at the latest trends in fashion and food. Models will show off head-to-toe styles of the season as you munch on bites from Sage, Bambara, and Domenic & Anthony’s. Sip on style-inspired cocktails from Cold River Vodka and wine by Truro Vineyards. $65 per person.

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I spoke with Toro’s Jamie Bissonnette today about his forthcoming new project in the South End with Boston star Ken Oringer, called Coppa–a “neighborhood enoteca” that will occupy the Shawmut Avenue storefront which previously housed Dish. Some of the details have already been revealed–Coppa will be Italian in spirit and style (a first for Oringer, who’s tackled Spanish, Mexican, steak, and haute cuisine to great acclaim).

It’ll serve lunch and dinner, featuring a selection of small plates, pastas, and pizzas, all priced under $13. And there will be a strong emphasis on local sourcing.

“We want it to be sustainable,” Bissonnette says. “We don’t want to beat people over the head with where we get our greens, but we want to be artisanal and local. As much house-cured salami as possible, Vermont cheeses, eggs from Round the Bend Farm in Dartmouth for our pasta dough. We’re hoping they can supply us with a whole animal each week. I’ve always been really into nose-to-tail cooking, but I want to be even more into it here.” (more…)