Winter is a great time to visit the South Shore’s hottest new restaurants. We recently checked out 10 new dining spots you won’t want to miss.
Written by Kellie Speed
The Winsor House
at Island Creek Oyster Farm
390 Washington St., Duxbury
781-934-0991
winsorhouse.islandcreekoysters.com
TEAM: Island Creek Oysters owner Skip Bennett made Duxbury synonymous with the celebrated bivalve back in 1995 and they are still going stronger than ever.
VISION: After hosting numerous oyster festivals in the parking lot of the historic Winsor House Inn, the team looked at the property through the lens of Island Creek Oysters. After several months of renovation, the reimagined concept was introduced in November 2021.
VIBE: The modernized mansion built in 1803 now offers an oyster bar, a rum bar and an expanded dining room. A mural painted by a local artist in a dining area pays homage to Duxbury’s history as a shipbuilding town.
FLAVOR: Raw bar offerings take center stage, while executive chef Ben Fisher’s small plates with fun names feature “bait toast” and “ugly sliders” designed for sharing. Heartier specialties include “driveway clams” and their signature “Winsor House Float Dinner,” a year-round clambake favorite.
Chopsticks & Forks
116 Front St., Scituate
781-545-0000
chopsticksforks.com
TEAM: Owner Sam Lin first got into the restaurant industry in 1993, operating two restaurants in Connecticut. After their son moved to Massachusetts, Lin and his wife soon followed, opening their first Bay State restaurant in April.
VISION: Lin always knew he wanted to open a restaurant by the water, so it was a “full circle” moment when the former Riva space became available. With a fully-renovated interior, the Asian-fusion restaurant now boasts a bright dining room with a sushi bar.
VIBE: Chopsticks & Forks is casual, with seating for 28 in the dining room. An open kitchen was also created to connect customers with the chef.
FLAVOR: Their signature Mai Tai features top-shelf rum uniquely topped off with Grand Marnier. Sushi Chef Jimmy Yu’s creations include their signature Scituate roll, and decadent Kobe beef roll. Exotic fish is imported from Japan weekly.
Nomai
94 Derby St., Hingham
781-385-7983
nomaihingham.com
TEAM: Owner Brian Moy expanded his collection of Boston Shōjō Group restaurants to debut an urbane spot at Derby Street Shops last January.
VISION: Moy wanted this sophisticated sibling of his Boston restaurants to feature an elevated menu of new American cuisine combined with creative Asian flavors.
VIBE: Named after the crimson Japanese maple tree, Nomai features four faux 18’ Nomai trees in the 130-seat dining room. A mural by renowned artist Shepard Fairey and commissioned pieces by local artist Markus Sebastiano line the walls.
FLAVOR: Culinary director Jason Jua and executive chef Nic Gordon oversee the food offerings that include popular dishes like Koji fried chicken, crab fried rice and lemongrass filet mignon. Award-winning bar director Justin Park has created specialty cocktails for the restaurant, including a Derby Mule and Hingham Highball, alongside his signature Oh My Mai.
Square Cafe
283 Columbia Rd., Hanover
781-924-2581
thesquarecafe.com
TEAM: Owners Luke and Carol Draheim bought the original Square Cafe in Hingham in 2019 from Patty Libby, who created the concept. The duo debuted their second location at Previte’s Marketplace in early September.
VISION: When looking for opportunities to expand their new American concept, they found the idea of opening at a popular destination like Previte’s Marketplace particularly appealing.
VIBE: While their Hingham restaurant serves guests in one big homey dining room, its casual sibling offers a more “loungey” feel and a larger bar.
FLAVOR: Popular cocktails include a Ruby Red Martini and Spicy Clementine Margarita. In keeping with tradition, Libby’s crispy hot and sour calamari and Thai spiced PEI mussels are mainstay staples while executive chef Keith Anderson’s creativity shines with dishes like the homemade Szechuan pork shrimp dumplings and bone-in pork Milanese.
Towne Tavern Treehouse
242 Mattakeesett St., Pembroke
781-293-3600
townetavern.com
TEAM: Husband-and-wife team David and Tori Barry, owners of Towne Tavern & Tap in North Attleboro, bought their second location in Pembroke in July and began renovations the day they closed on the sale.
VISION: The Halifax residents set out to transform the space that was formerly home to Lucky Dawg Tavern into a restaurant similar to their North Attleboro location. They knew they found a gem with its waterfront location and just needed to give the space a facelift.
VIBE: Staying true to its chic sibling’s style, they tried to replicate that same industrial modern/farmhouse design here. The complete gut opened up the dining room, added quartz countertops and LED lighting. This winter, the treehouse will be transformed into a winter wonderland complete with outdoor igloos and a fire pit.
FLAVOR: Creative cocktails include a s’mores martini, salted caramel mudslide and winterberry sangria. The eclectic winter menu offers their signature steak tips, homemade chicken pot pie, and famous chef’s fried rice created by Culinary Director Brian Bulzacchelli.
Vine Bar
135 Front St., Scituate
781-546-2766
vinebarscituate.com
TEAM: Shannon and Joe Ewer, who also operate the wine shop Barrel & Vine in Cohasset, are the owners of this new establishment. Jenn Knowles is the operating partner, general manager and wine director.
VISION: Combining the Ewers’ shared love of wine and traveling with Knowles’ decades of experience in fine dining, is a match made in food and drink heaven.
VIBE: The industrial-chic space features a cocktail bar, wine collection viewable from the dining room, and plenty of spots to cozy up with a wine flight, local beer, wine-based seltzer from Vitamin Sea Brewing or craft cocktail.
FLAVOR: They offer 40 rotating wines available by the half glass, full glass or bottle, along with more than 100 others. which are offered by the bottle. While Knowles curates the cheese and charcuterie selections, chef Aaron Corkhum has also come on board to help expand their shareable dishes, which include Mediterranean-style lamb meatballs and French onion grilled cheese.
The Blue Oar
9 Depot Ct., Cohasset
781-923-1429
theblueoar-cohasset.com
TEAM: Richard and Tracy Vaughan, who also own The Jetty in Marshfield and Nantasket Flatts in Hull, opened their third spot in downtown Cohasset in March.
VISION: With modern American fare on their mind, the husband-wife-duo wanted to keep with the theme of their other eateries while paying homage to the town’s history.
VIBE: The renovated 70-seat space offers a nod to its coastal location with a nautical theme interior and lots of blue decor in honor of Cohasset’s sports teams. Servers collect rounds of creative cocktails from the new light wood bar top and delivery to thirsty guests. Try the homemade sangria and their signature Nor’Eastah.
FLAVOR: The restaurant has recently expanded its hours to seven days, serving upscale pub food (think Irish egg rolls, black and blue steak bites, and Jetty wings). For elevated fare, don’t miss the seared scallop tostada, blackened salmon Caesar or haddock Florentine.
Salty Days Fish Co.
85 South Main St., Cohasset
781-383-2500
saltydaysfish.com/cohasset
TEAM: Steve and Amy Flynn and their friends Sean and Joanne McDaniel are the owners of Salty Days Fish Co., a retail and takeout shop in Hingham and a new second location in Cohasset, which opened in May.
VISION: For this venture, the two couples were looking to open a sit-down restaurant and found the cozy Cohasset spot when the former Anchor & Sail space became available.
VIBE: The interior of the dining area offers a chic Nantucket style with wide plank floors, lots of shiplap and light maple tabletops. Similar to its sister eatery, this casual location offers a retail fish market and raw bar, along with a selection of freshly prepared meals that you can take home and heat.
FLAVOR: Executive chef Steve Dickson and Sushi Chef Van Nawl have created a menu that features everything from specialty sushi rolls and poke bowls to lobster rolls and fish and chips. In addition to the dining space, the Cohasset location also offers beer and wine.
TrailsEnd Bistro
1 Greenside Way North, Plymouth
508-273-7710
TEAM: After operating a pizza shop in Sagamore Beach, owners Sahin and Martina Gulsen were planning to open Black Lantern Tavern in the Redbrook community in Plymouth when COVID hit. While waiting for the development to finish, they took advantage of the time and opened this concept next door.
VISION: The couple decided to use this spot as a test kitchen to get to know the community, try new dishes and learn what sells while they prepare for Black Lantern Tavern’s opening.
VIBE: There is seating for 35 inside the main dining room of this red farmhouse where the style teeters from modern to almost retro.
FLAVOR: Seasonal cocktails include a caramel apple mimosa and harvest punch. Chef Luiz Arduini’s signature dishes include Tuscan chicken gnocchi, and five cheese tortellini with steak tips and marsala sauce.
Untold Brewing Taproom
(Coming Soon)
96 Derby St., Suite 330A Hingham
781-378-0559
untoldbrewing.com
TEAM: Owners Mike Dyer and Matt Elder are opening their second brewery and taproom to the right of Talbot’s at Derby Street Shops.
VISION: For the past two years, the team at Scituate’s Untold Brewing has been operating a seasonal beer garden at the bustling Hingham shopping center, which was hugely successful. Opening a second taproom location was the next logical step.
VIBE: Similar to the look and feel of their Scituate brewery, the casually elegant brewery features comfortable couches and warm wooden accents throughout the 2,500-square-foot space.
FLAVOR: Untold Brewing releases three to four new beers each week while also offering a rotating selection of brews on tap along with favorite staples like their East by Northwest IPA. They have partnered with the popular meal delivery service Clandestine Kitchen to also offer ready-to-enjoy salads, soups, charcuterie boards, flatbreads, birria tacos, and quinoa bowls - all scratch made and seasonally inspired.