Popular Restaurant To Expand Space, Menu: MA Food Week

MASSACHUSETTS — Welcome to Patch's weekly round up of food and restaurant news in Massachusetts, where we review openings, closings and more in the state's dining scene.

This week, we learned the beloved Boston restaurant Brassica Kitchen + Cafe is moving to a new, bigger space.

The restaurant's current location, a former coffee shop, which the trio of Jeremy and Rebecca Kean and Phil Kruta took over in 2015 with a pop-up called Whisk, could simply no longer comfortably accommodate the business, officials said.

This new space will not only add seats, but also much needed kitchen, prep and storage space, which will allow the team to grow, develop new skills, and expand the menu, they noted.

As a bonus for longtime diners, the new location is right next door to the original, directly across the street from the MBTA Orange Line’s Forest Hills Station.

The larger, brighter space, renovated and refurbished top to bottom by Kruta over the past two years, has a bigger kitchen with more storage, a bigger bar, a private dining room space and a wood-fired brick pizza oven.

With the new space, Brassica will be able to seat over 90 people. A seasonal patio is set to open in the spring and offer options for large parties and private events alike.

Brassica will also debut a large marble bar with seating for about 14, complemented by nearby high-top tables and a full draft beer system.

The restaurant has its customers to thank, at least partially, for completing the new space, as nearly $22,000 was raised for renovations via an online fundraiser.

The menu will now feature pizzas – both Roman and Detroit style – the doughs are fermented with the same sourdough starter that Kruta and Kean have been using since their first pop-up.

They will also feature rotating fish collars of charcoal, dry-aged duck with gogo curry and black apple, a sashimi program with pickled rice and black garlic. The menu will be constantly rotating, reflective of Brassica’s early days, when diners had to visit daily to be able to catch everything on the menu, officials said.

Several beloved menu items will remain on the menu, including the koji risotto with parmesan and parmesan shoyu, the B.K. fried chicken, served with maple umeboshi and giardiniera, and the B.K. fried rice with fresh and fermented veggies.

In addition to the new Detroit and Roman-style pizzas, the team will also introduce freshly-made pasta to their menu.

Here's what else was cooking this week in Massachusetts:

• Delivery Driver Robbed In Braintree, Police Seek Public Assistance
• Boston Grocery Store Owner Feels Uplifted By Community After Pride Flag Was Ripped Down
• Sudbury Community Food Pantry To Officially Open In Wayland
• Details Released On Downtown Reading Halloween Event