These days, many of the city’s top restaurants prepare their food in full view of the folks who’ll be eating it. Chefs and their knife skills practices are on full display at upscale eateries like Craigie on Main, B&G Oysters, Sportello, Scampo, and Ten Tables in JP (which is expanding to include a bar in December). The seats closest to the action are often the most coveted.

For restaurateurs, an open kitchen is a double-edged chef’s knife. On the one hand, it forces kitchen staff to interact with its clientele, and allows customers to see how the tasty magic happens. On the other, it puts things that might be better concealed—like kitchen injuries, dropped loaves of bread, and staffers spouting profanities—out for all to see and hear. Is the interaction really worth it?

Post 390 chef Eric Brennan believes it is; a large open kitchen creates a more “comfortable” atmosphere with energy, drama and exposure, he says. Greg Digiovanni of Charlestown’s petite Navy Yard Bistro believes that openness “keeps you on your toes,” and that the din of bubbling pots, sizzling pans, clattering dishes, and back-and-forth calls between chefs and keeps things lively. “[It] promotes an overall good feeling,” he says.

But as customers, does it behoove us to know exactly what goes into the preparation? Chef Mary Dumont of Cambridge’s Harvest is “not big on secrets,” she says, and doesn’t let the restaurant’s layout dictate her behavior or cooking style. “There are heated moments when I wish it wasn’t there, but I don’t hold back,” she says. For eavesdropping diners, it’s dinner and a show.

—Elizabeth Elfman

closer to home. You can feel the buzz surrounding the restaurant (opened by the owners of upscale Fenway hangout Church) just walking by, as crowds peek at the menu displayed in the window and murmur votes of approval.

The rich décor and trendy menu may not jibe with the restaurant’s casual namesake, but in this case, it’s a good thing. Chef Laura Henry-Zoubir, whose résumé includes Andover’s Lanam Club and Taranta (among other local kitchens), has devised a medley of comfort-food classics that benefit from interesting twists: Sweet potato fries are served

tempura-style; the requisite mac and cheese gets a sea-salt crust; and the ever-present gnocchi features chickpeas and cauliflower.

Nearly all of the dishes Chowder sampled on a recent visit showcased Henry-Zoubir’s skill with contrasting flavors. A jolt of caramel vinegar and sweet cubed apple balanced out the appetizer of melt-in-your-mouth pork belly, while mini tacos stuffed with tender pulled chicken, pico de gallo, and avocado mousse tasted of plenty of tangy lime. On the entrée side, Henry-Zoubir livened up two impeccably grilled double-cut lamb chops with a goat cheese crust, almond, pomegranate syrup, and mint. Pan-seared scallops boasted a slightly crunchy pistachio-brittle crust and were delectable swirled in the subtly sweet dried-cherry glaze on the side of the plate (though the side of butternut squash risotto

could’ve used a bit more gourd). The must-try dessert? White chocolate bread pudding studded with bananas.

The one aspect of the restaurant that seems like an odd afterthought is the small bar area, tucked against a wall in the back. Though the menu kicks off with a section of “bar bites” (pumpkin hummus topped with cucumber, red onion, and feta made for a nice starter) and the cocktail list is creative, the setup feels slightly awkward-and less conducive to robust socializing than perhaps the Beagle was going for. Yet it’s a minor flaw in this bustling bistro, a place neighbors will likely be loyal to for a long time to come.

The Regal Beagle, 308 Harvard St., Brookline, 617-739-5151, thebeaglebrookline.com

Being the types to eat the frosting before the cake, we’ll skip to the good parts:

He’s mad about juices. He’s talked about his commitment to putting local and seasonal food on his menu, but the same goes for his libations. Vongerichten started experimenting with fresh juices because many of the popular nonalcoholic drinks were sugary liquids with “little authentic taste.”

To create the juices, he takes fresh herbs and fruits and blanches them in water, then blends them with simple syrup, ice and soda. There are two dozen juice recipes in his repertoire, many of which are served seasonally. On the current list at Market: raspberry yuzu, lychee, passion chili, and housemade ginger ale, a soda that actually tastes like ginger and has enough spice to clear the sinuses. In the evening, the juices become the base for creative cocktails: The ginger ale is mixed with tequila and garnished with a ginger salt rim, the raspberry yuzu is mixed with vodka, the passion chili juice gets a shot of whiskey, and champagne is added to the lychee juice for a refreshing bellini. All of the cocktails are available in the W’s lobby bar as well as at Market.

He likes to keep it simple. Vongerichten is dedicated to using local and seasonal ingredients, and prefers not to fuss too much with their pure flavors. “75 percent of the flavor is in the ingredient,” he says. “If you have quality ingredients, you don’t need to do much to the dish to make it taste good.”

It’s all about the produce. While there’s plenty of meat on Market’s menu, Vongerichten credits the availability of fresh vegetables, herbs and spices with chefs’ ability to make personal and unique dishes. “As a chef, you’re limited in what the world offers as far as proteins. There’s no new fish coming out of the ocean. But with vegetables, the options are endless. From one country to another, there are so many vegetables. And herbs! So many herbs and dry spices.”

He’s happy to be back in familiar territory. In order to procure high quality ingredients, Vongerichten rekindled relationships with fishermen and farmers that he had established years before, when he opened Lafayette. Coming back to Boston this year, he says, was an emotional decision. Though he has an ongoing partnership with W hotels, he does have input into which W’s he’s in. When he saw that Boston was an option for Market, he says, “I thought, ‘Wow, it’s like going back home.’” In addition to revisiting Chinatown and the reconnecting with purveyors he got to know in the ’80s, he has made an effort to get acquainted with the city’s current culinary talent, and so far has dined at B&G Oysters, Toro and Craigie on Main.

He’s leaving the restaurant in capable hands. Vongerichten has already returned to New York, but the kitchen at Market is left under the charge of chef Christopher Damskey, who has previously worked under him. So far the chatter about Market has been positive—and based on our first sips of those tasty juices, we’re  looking forward to our first bites, too.

Market, W Hotel, 100 Stuart St., Boston, 617-261-8700, starwoodhotel.com/whotels

—Abby Bielagus

From 5:30-7 p.m., Monday through Friday at the bar, Union Bar & Grille serves free nouveau-American bites like sliders, mini corn dogs, and their play on the ball park favorites, Cracker Jacks. The options vary day-to-day. 1357 Washington St., Boston, 617-423-0555,  unionrestaurant.com

Complement your margarita with free tacos at the bar every Sunday night after 10 p.m. at Cactus Club. Gracias! 939 Boylston St., Boston, 617.236.0200,  bestmargaritas.com

Bread before the meal will seem so passé once you taste Taberna de Haro’s complimentary garlicky potato salad. This treat comes to you free-of-charge while you wait for your meal at the bar or in the dining room. 999 Beacon St., Brookline, 617 277 8272,  tabernaboston.com

Dine at the bar at No.9 Park and enjoy complimentary gougéres. The French cheese puff is made of light dough with a cheesy filling. 9 Park St., Boston, 617-742-9991,  no9park.com

Don’t underestimate the art of the potato chip. Smith & Wollenksy’s Cajun spices are sprinkled on top of complimentary house-made crisps, which are served daily at the bar. 101 Arlington St., Boston, 617- 423-1112,  smithandwollenskysteakhouses.com

—Angela Giannopoulos

Community Servings is baking pies for you to take home for $25, which is probably less than it would cost you to prepare one at home (including the four pounds of butter you wasted trying to get that crust just right). Not only that, but all of the proceeds go toward feeding the critically ill and their families in Greater Boston. But you have to hurry. You only have until November 21 to place your order.

Here’s how it works: More than 150 restaurants and bakeries around town bake and donate the pies, which are then sold through pie sellers and at Pieinthesky.org. Choices include apple, pumpkin, sweet potato, or pecan. Then, on Wed., November 25 (the day before Thanksgiving), you can pick up your pie at The Castle at Park Plaza or one of 45 other locations, then open up the box and find out which restaurant or bakery it came from. The money spent on the pie provides an entire week’s worth of free, home-delivered meals for a man, woman, or child in Eastern Massachusetts who is battling a critical illness such as HIV/AIDS, cancer, diabetes or MS.

Want to help? Buy a pie or register to be a pie seller. Here’s to having a great Thanksgiving meal from beginning to end. And remember: No matter how much you gobble, there’s always room for more pie.

When Boston’s food lovers around town see fresh mozzarella on their favorite menus, there’s a good chance Lourdes Fiore Smith had something to do with it. The daughter of Italian immigrants has cheesemaking in her blood, and supplies handmade mozz, burrata, and mascarpone to some of the area’s top restaurants (think Oleana, Beacon Hill Bistro, and 51 Lincoln). When Chowder learned that Smith was joining Chef Jody Adams at her monthly cooking class at Rialto a few weeks ago, we jumped at the chance to see how she makes curds and whey.

Joining Smith and Chef Adams was Harvard scientist Amy Rowat, who uses food as a medium to promote science education. Aided by sketches, Rowat simplified milk’s complicated evolution into cheese for the group of hungry gourmands, illustrating the fat globules and protein particles that make up milk. Rowat explained how adding an acid, in the form of lemon juice or vinegar, transforms milk into a solid. Chef Adams encouraged us to experiment with different types of vinegars to achieve different tasting cheeses. And while she told us this—quite literally in a matter of minutes—a pot of milk became ricotta cheese.

View a slide show of the cheesemaking process

Here’s the unbelievably easy recipe:

Milk Ricotta

1 gallon whole milk
1/2 c. lemon juice
1 tsp. kosher salt

1. In a large stainless steel pot (not one made from aluminum, as it will create an entirely different reaction), bring milk to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally to keep the milk from scorching. Use an instant-read thermometer to monitor the milk’s temperature
2. Once the milk is at 180 degrees F, add the lemon juice and stir to combine.
3. Let the milk and lemon juice to rest for a minute or two, allowing curds and whey to form. When this occurs, you will see white clotted bits floating in a yellowish milk broth. It may not look right, but it is. (The clotted white bits are the curds, and the remaining yellowish broth is the whey.)
4. Separate the curds by pouring the mixture into a large bowl covered with a piece of cheesecloth (to catch the curds). Sprinkle with salt and allow to drain for 1 hour.

You can begin to experiment by adding cream to make the cheese richer, adding herbs and salts for flavor, and adjusting the draining time to achieve different textures. Ricotta, known as a fresh cheese because it does not age, should be eaten right away.

Following the ricotta demo, chef Adams set about making lunch. Using the just-made ricotta, she served up baked ricotta, fresh ricotta, ricotta gnocchi with mushrooms and truffles, and ricotta cheesecake. Meanwhile, Smith made fresh mozzarella and shared stories about her family’s cheese shop in Hoboken. And while she couldn’t show us how to make her beloved mozzarella—unlike ricotta, which can be made in a few simple steps, mozzarella takes years to perfect—she did share bites of the warm, freshly made cheese. And lucky for you, her mozz can be found all over town. Check out fioredinonno.com to see where.

For a list of upcoming classes at Rialto, visit rialto-restaurant.com.

—Abby Bielagus

Photo by Keller + Keller

For local chef/owners, branching out from one restaurant to several is a mark of success. But while seemingly empire-minded chefs (e.g. Todd English, Ken Oringer, Barbara Lynch) make opening a 3rd, 4th, or even 10th venture look easy, the transition from chef to multi-restaurant owner requires lots of careful planning. (It also helps if you know how to juggle.)

When Krista Kranyak, owner of Ten Tables in Jamaica Plain, opened a second Ten Tables in Cambridge this past February, she was constantly shuttling between the two locations. Her survival strategy? Rely heavily on general managers Sean Callahan in Cambridge and Stan Hilbert in JP. “I have the vision of what I want to create, and I hire the right people to oversee that vision,” she says.

Now, with both restaurants serving dinner seven nights a week, Kranyak says she tries to give equal attention to each, spending about five days a week in Jamaica Plain “monitoring menu production, service details, and basically overseeing the entire operation.” In Cambridge, she explains, her role is more like a front-of-house general manager, because co-proprietor David Punch presides over the kitchen. Longtime partners work best in multi-location ventures, says Kranyak, because there’s an established sense of trust.

Paul O’Connell, executive chef/owner of Chez Henri in Cambridge, agrees. When he left Cambridge to open the Chilmark Tavern on Martha’s Vineyard—with only a month and a half to prepare—he relied heavily on his employees. “[I] originally planned to leave the cooking duties at Chez Henri in the hands of chef de cuisine Mark Thompson,” O’Connell says.  After realizing the enormity of the task ahead, he recruited Thompson to join him on the Vineyard and placed chef Brian Rebello, who had recently joined the staff at Chez Henri, into a more managerial role there.

One down side to running more than one restaurant, admits O’Connell, is that he worked harder than he has in years, traveling back and forth between the island and the mainland every couple of days. Still, knowing he could depend on “Chef B” and general manager Beth Sprouse to run Chez Henri, he felt comfortable being away on his so-called “excellent adventure.” And while some chefs thrive on the madness of running multiples, he’s happy to be a one-restaurant guy once again—for the winter, at least. - Abby Bielagus

Holiday Classes at Bina

Bina Osteria/Alimentari is holding seasonal cooking classes and workshops every Saturday at 2 p.m., now through December. This weekend’s workshop is an olive oil tasting on Oct. 24,  followed by candy making for Halloween on Oct. 31 , and wine and cheese pairings on Nov. 7. There will also be other November classes on Scotch and holiday pies, and December classes on gingerbreads, cookies, and more. Most of the classes are free, and you can bring the kids.

Bina osteria/alimentari , 581 Washington St., Boston, binaboston.com, 617-357-0888

Learn How to Butcher at The Butcher Shop

Every Saturday at 2 p.m., Barbara Lynch’s cleaver-wielding meat pros will explain how to select quality cuts, then conduct demonstrations on how to prepare them. You’ll gain insider tips and new recipes, and enjoy tastes from the kitchen. Each lesson is 20 minutes, with a new class offered every week; topics range from veal to lamb to turkey for Thanksgiving.

The Butcher Shop, 552 Tremont St., Boston, 617-423-4800, thebutchershopboston.com

Group Bonding at Taranta

To put a twist on your annual holiday party, book a group cooking lesson at North End Italian/Peruvian favorite Taranta. All you need is 15 co-workers, friends, family members, or fellow foodies. Each group will be divided into teams and headed by a visiting chef to guide you in creating a five-course meal from scratch.

Taranta, 210 Hanover St., Boston, 617-720-0052, tarantarist.com

Holiday Classes at Radius

Radius will kick off a series of cooking classes on November 7. The topic: ”Holiday Survival Guide.” The series will continue on Dec. 12 with a visit from Via Matta at Radius, and then in January, they’ll do a class on “One Pot Winter Dishes.” After each class, guests can sit and enjoy the meal they’ve just learned how to prepare, accompanied by a wine and beer pairing.

Radius, 8 High St., Boston, 617-426-1234, radiusrestaurant.com

Cambodian Cooking at The Elephant Walk

The local masters of Cambodian fusion cuisine are teaching the masses the tricks of their trade. Oct. 24 features a demo on game birds, followed by “All About Chicken” on Nov. 7 and “Cambodian Comfort Food” on Nov. 14. On Dec. 5, guests are invited to celebrate the arrival of Le Beaujolais Nouveau.

Elephant Walk, 900 Beacon St., Boston, 617-247-1500; 2067 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, 617-492-6900, elephantwalk.com/classes

-Angela Giannopoulos

Todd English’s “Latin steakhouse” Bonfire has closed, but Pairings will open in its place at the Park Plaza Hotel on October 26. We’re not sure what to make of the “food and drink with personality” it promises–we like our food silent–but we do know that there will be small plates for sharing and good selection of wines by the glass. Executive chef Robert Bean will continue dishing out locally and seasonally crafted selections.
Pairings, 50 Park Plaza, Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers, 50 Park Plaza, Boston, 617-262-3473, pairingsboston.com
Hours: Breakfast: Mon.-Sun., 6:30–11 a.m.; Lunch: Mon.-Sun., 11:30 a.m.–2 p.m.; Dinner: Mon.-Sat., 5–10 p.m.; Bar menu: Mon.–Thurs., -10 p.m.–1 a.m. and Fri. & Sat., 10 p.m-2 a.m.

Stoddard’s Fine Food & Ale is slated to open November 17 at 50 Temple Place in Boston’s Ladder District, serving gastropub-ish plates, Baroque era cocktails, five cask ales, and 140 beers, plus a gentlemen-only, invitation-only ”Friday Club” on the lower level. (And you thought chauvinism was dead.) Basically, it’s one big Man Town. Bonus: The historic building was among the only structures on Temple Place to survive the Great Fire of 1872, so you can busy yourself looking at turn-of-the-century artifacts while you chow.
Stoddard’s Fine Food & Ale, 50 Temple Place, Boston, stoddardsfinefoodandale.com
Hours: Dinner: Tues.-Sun., 5 p.m.-1 a.m.; Bar: 4 p.m.-2 a.m.

City Table has replaced Azure on Exeter Street in the Back Bay. Though it’s in a hotel, it’s meant to be a ”neighborhood eatery,” and its menu features affordable stuff like under-$10 sandwiches and starters like caramelized potato gnocchi with braised veal, shitake mushrooms, and pears, and a flatbread pizza topped with figs and duck prosciutto.
61 Exeter St., The Lenox Hotel, Boston, 617-933-4800, briar-group.com
Hours: Food served daily until 1 a.m.

Bistro du Midi, a Provençal-inspired restaurant and bar, is coming in November to the old Excelsior spot at The Heritage On The Garden, overlooking the Boston Public Garden. The executive chef is Robert Sisca, who previously served as executive sous chef at New York seafood mecca (and keeper of three Michelin stars) Le Bernardin, and he plans to turn out elegant-rustic fare like parmesan and black olive shortbread, deep-fried pumpkin and sage parcels, and stuffed calamari with squid ink pasta and tomato sauce.
Bistro du Midi, The Heritage On The Garden, 272 Boylston St., Boston, 617-426-7878, bistrodumidi.com
Hours: 1st floor: Mon.-Sun.: 11:30 a.m.-Midnight; 2nd floor: Sun.-Wed., 5-10 p.m.; Thurs.-Sat., 5-11 p.m.; Brunch on Saturday and Sunday from 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m.

Piattini on Newbury Street has opened Piattini Gelateria and Café, which serves housemade Italian gelato using local and seasonal ingredients, plus breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We’re intrigued by exotic flavors like sweet potato with pecan praline gelato, fig and persimmon sobetti, and blood Orange sorbetto, but we’re betting the chocolate’s pretty good, too.
Piattini Gelateria and Café, 224 Newbury St., Boston, 617-536-7500, piattini.com
Hours: Mon.-Sat. 7 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sun., 10 a.m.-9 p.m.

Oh, and one more piece of food news you can use: Lunch service is back at Locke-Ober!

In Union Square, husband and wife team Ben Dryer and Karen Coughlin recently expanded the space next to their popular Sherman Cafe to include the newly opened Sherman Market, selling locally-grown goodies and other household staples. As the store’s been open for only a couple of weeks, the  shelves will be stocked “as they go,” says manager Jodi Malone, and already feature a selection of New England cheeses (heavy on Vermont), B&R Artisan Bread, homemade jam, and milk and produce from local farms (delivered by fellow local entrepreneur Metro Pedal Power). Many of the farmers and artisans sold at the market have long supplied Sherman Café, Malone says, so the market is simply making use of these existing relationships. Our favorite feature? Sherman Market will sell herbs in smaller bunches, putting an end to our sad practice of throwing out shriveled yellow bunches of unused parsley.

Over in the South End, 570 Tremont joins Lionette’s Market and Foodie’s Urban Market as another purveyor for upscale groceries. 570, which opened this past spring, makes smart use of its small space, featuring an impressive produce section, a variety of baked goods, a deli counter and even high-end grooming products. As with the other two markets, 570 aims to provide local and organic foods whenever possible, but what sets this market apart is an extensive selection of fair-trade items—and the homemade cinnamon buns.

Want a little wine to go with that locally produced cheese and bread? If you can hold out for a couple more weeks, Central Bottle in Central Square will be able to help you out.  From Maureen Rubino, David Rubino, Liz Vilardi, and Nick Zappia, the forces behind The Blue Room in Kendall Square, this new shop will sell small-production, handcrafted, sustainable, organic and biodynamic wines from all over the world (raise a toast to no-guilt drinking!), as well as microbrew and craft beers. You’ll also find cicchetti (Italian small bites) and gourmet food items inside, and the owners plan to invite local chefs over to cook wine-friendly food for in-store tastings. Even better, wine-tasting newbies are welcome: Per the website, Central Bottle will “aim to offer up fun, educated, value driven wine experiences for the neighborhood and get to know you all like old friends.” Count us in.

But that’s not all. Keep an eye out for changes at Plum Produce, Barbara Lynch’s small produce shop in the South End. It’s currently closed, and a message on the website says it will re-open “with a fresh look to better serve the neighborhood.”

–Abby Bielagus