From the Parrot’s new rooftop patio — at low tide. Photo by Joan Wilder for the Boston Globe,.

WHO’S IN CHARGE

Chef Brian Houlihan has really topped himself this time. On July 4, the restaurateur slung a banner from the former Red Parrot in Hull unveiling his newest restaurant’s new name, The Parrot, and opening its doors. Never mind that three of the enormous restaurant’s reconfigured dining areas were still under construction: The expansive ground floor beach bar dining room was ready and Houlihan was in the kitchen.

Since moving to Boston from Ireland at 18, in 1993, and working in several of the city’s kitchens, including the Four Seasons, the Scituate resident has opened four successful restaurants, starting in 2003 with Bia Bistro in Cohasset. Next, came the Tinker’s Son in Norwell, the Galley Kitchen & Bar in Scituate, and Trident Galley & Raw Bar in Hingham. The long-running Red Parrot, an oceanfront behemoth sprawling over the equivalent of a city block, had gone downhill over the years and Houlihan’s wonderful transformation of it is thrilling.

Asked why he would take on such an enormous venue, Houlihan joked. “Oh, I don’t know. It’s an icon? It was my civic duty?”

Pan roasted salmon. Photo by Joan Wilder for the Boston Globe.

THE LOCALE

The new restaurant is so completely changed it’s disorienting to people who knew the old place. The beautifully spacious beach bar dining room, with its simple white walls, tin ceiling, and wood floors is an airy space completely open to the sea: The restaurant’s front wall is glass and folds out of the way, accordion-style.

Meanwhile, around back is an entirely different environment: an Irish tavern in dark gentlemanly colors with its own back door. Up a half-flight — Houlihan calls it the mezzanine — is a dining room with large windows. Go up one more flight and you’re on the rooftop patio with its amazing views. Inside, construction is still underway on a dining room that should be open by Thanksgiving. All together, The Parrot will seat 400. Houlihan may develop two menus for different areas, and is likely to shutter the beach bar in the winter and open the pub and the third-floor dining room.

First floor beach bar at the new Parrot at Nantasket Beach. Photo for Boston Globe by Joan Wilder

ON THE MENU

The Parrot’s starting summer menu smartly mixes $6-$8 burgers, tacos, sliders and other beachy fare with a nicely chosen handful each of raw bar selections, starters, salads, and entrees that top out at $48 for a 28-ounce rib eye for two. On five or six summer visits, we ate up everything: the carefree summer atmosphere of the inside-outside beach bar as well as lots of terrific plates. Among my favorites is the yellow fin tuna poke ($14), a gorgeous, velvety smooth plate of diced tuna in a ginger, garlic, soy, hoisin, lime marinade. The batter-fried Scituate haddock ($20), a.k.a. fish n’ chips, is a gorgeous filet of haddock in a batter crispy enough to let you hold it, and light enough to break apart at the touch of your teeth. The house clam chowder ($6) is a very satisfying cup thick with plenty of tender clams. All the tacos are good: the fried haddock ($8) with its pico de gallo and sriracha aioli, my favorite. The smash burger ($8) delivers a hamburger experience and the pulled pork slider ($6) is better with its smoky meat and bright slaw. Houlihan reminds me most of Houlihan in two entrees. The rustic pan-roasted salmon ($26) is enriched with bits of very crispy skin and served with fingerling potatoes and roasted Brussels sprouts over an outstanding light seafood sauce. I loved it. Equally great is the grilled swordfish ($28). The large filet is topped with a small pile of lightly pickled, sweet cucumbers and carrots and served over some sensational chimichurri sauce. All we needed was more!

A single Wellfleet oyster at Salt. Photo by Joan Wilder for the Boston Globe.

WHO’S IN CHARGE

Chef Johnny Sheehan has got himself his first restaurant on the Plymouth waterfront. Sheehan, who worked in Boston at Ken Oringer’s Clio and the remarkable but short-lived Liquid Art House, has partnered with co-owner Dan Casinelli and family to open Salt Raw Bar.

Casinelli, a Plymouth native, worked as a restaurant service consultant before opening Leena’s Kitchen across town in 2016. Meanwhile, the award-winning Sheehan, who graduated from Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Cambridge, loved Plymouth when cheffing at the town’s New World Tavern a few years back. Long acquainted, the two men reconnected at the 2018 Nantucket Food & Wine festival and a restaurant was born.

“I was very into working on something together because I know what Johnny’s capable of,” said Casinelli. The partners share a passion for serving guests fine food in the pleasurable environments that high hospitality can create. “We’re really excited to see more and more people sharing dishes and eating like a family.”

THE LOCALE

The owners gave the former Patrizia’s trattoria a facelift before opening in late 2018, but the 120-seat space didn’t need much. The pretty restaurant sprawls up a slight hillside from the street, set among the shops in the meandering Village Landing Marketplace. A beautiful front patio (peruse the outdoor sectional sofa for really comfy dining) overlooks the local scene and the harbor, and a covered side patio, up a little alleyway, offers shelter and extends the outdoor season. Inside, two dining rooms and two bars provide relaxed upscale seating.

ON THE MENU

Sheehan’s canvas is big and the menu he and Casinelli have created can only be called modern American cuisine — it’s full of flavors from all over the world. Sheehan deploys French sauces as easily as he does Asian influences while showcasing favorites featuring spices and preparations from regional America, Mexico, Italy, Peru, North Africa, and more. When developing the menu, the chef relied on good technique and fresh ingredients.

“I reached back to all the interesting flavors I love from across the globe,” said Sheehan.

Both lunch and dinner menus include creative raw fish dishes and a complement of small, large, and (at dinner) family-sized plates. Among the offerings are such diverse dishes as burgers and steak frites, salads, cheese dumplings, fried chicken marinated in Tikka Masala curry, lobster tagliatelle, seared salmon and halibut, and chateaubriand.

The service was just right on two recent visits and the kitchen sent out beautiful plates. Even a single Wellfleet oyster ($3) is given every respect: My friend’s arrived atop an earthenware bowl of ice with a slice of lemon and three sauces, including a deeply flavorful cherry mignonette. The fried cauliflower ($12) is a wonderful plate of tempura-like flowerets, seasoned with the Moroccan spice ras el hanout and scattered raisins and pistachios. The family-sized skillet of seafood fried rice ($34) is a gorgeous light summer dish studded with crab, shrimp, sausage, egg, peas, carrot, scallion, basil, and cilantro drizzled with a Peruvian spice aioli. The lobster roll ($19) is a big sandwich of lightly dressed lobster meat on that classic deliciousness that is a grilled brioche bun. On an overcast day, the Szechuan beef ramen ($17) hits the spot. This bowl of spicy broth is filled with wide slices of beef as velvety as pasta, shitake mushrooms, and noodles. I ate it with a porcelain spoon in one hand and a fork in the other. Yum.

Salt Raw Bar, 170 Water St., Plymouth, 774-283-4660, www.saltrawbarplymouth.com

Tosca winter holiday season 2018

IN THE KITCHEN

Mention something about a dish on Tosca’s menu and chef Kevin Long takes off. He’ll answer questions at length about every single ingredient and how each comes together on the plate. No food stuff is inconsequential: He could write a paper on sugars and salts alone. Long was the chef at Tosca in its golden years — the late ’90s through the mid-oughts — before becoming executive chef for a Boston restaurant group. But Long shouldn’t be running a half-dozen restaurants at a time from his computer (should anyone?). He’s built to touch and taste and feel the food. So, now, as this gorgeous Hingham restaurant celebrates its 25th year in business, Long is back. “Kevin’s got an amazing palette; we’re thrilled to have him,” said Tosca’s general manager, Chris Sugrue.

THE LOCALE

Tosca is a big but intimate space with a soaring dark cedar ceiling, brick walls, deep colors, and floor lamps illuminating fields of white linen and sparkling crystal. Its open kitchen is alive with steam and a big wood-fired oven. The restaurant is a well-oiled, high-functioning fine-dining establishment. And, if you’ve never been, don’t be put off by its high-ended-ness: You can splurge, sure, but you can also go in and have a delicious dinner without spending too much, have a drink at the bar, or dance to live music on the weekends.

ON THE MENU

Tosca’s seared sea scallops

On three recent visits, I loved almost everything we ordered. The kitchen is solidly consistent and the knowledgeable servers have sampled everything and have the time to answer questions. That said, I think I went most crazy (again) over the box of shrimp ($17). A skewer of large tempura shrimp and zucchini, it’s so delicious you lose your mind temporarily. The batter (made with seltzer) is perfectly crispy yet so extremely light that it melts in your mouth. (And they should bottle that caper berry tartar sauce.)

The squash soup ($11) is the hot chocolate of soups. It’s a mix of local blue hubbard squash, onions, garlic, sugar, water, and olive oil that Long somehow almost burns, twice, in the wood-fired oven before pureeing. Warm and soothing, it’s topped with a crunch that includes seasoned sunflower and pepita seeds.

The whole branzino ($33), a frequent special, is seared then baked. The meat is tender and the skin so crispy it’s delicious. Another seafood dish, the sweet seared sea scallops ($35), is perfect. Both dishes are served with very good risottos. Another special, the house-made bucatini ($25), bolsters pasta’s bad reputation (as addictive). It’s a pancetta, butter, olive oil, and parsley sauce, topped with dollops of whipped ricotta. The small rigatoni (all the pastas are house-made) in the bolognese ($24) have a compelling texture I can’t stop wanting. And, the thin-crusted Margherita pizza ($18) is as good as pizza gets for me, with a mix of four oozing cheeses and a bright red sauce. The pressed natural chicken ($28) is a cross between chicken under a brick and chicken Marsala served with an irresistible polenta and a bright, contrasting watercress salad. Don’t sneeze at any of the vegetables: Long never does. His wilted spinach ($9) is seasoned to a depth of flavor. Just like everything else.

Tosca, 14 North St., Hingham, 781-740-0080, www.toscahingham.com

Joan Wilder can be reached at joan.wilder@gmail.com.

Roasted haddock is a tender filet of haddock served in a slightly soupy sauce of Roma tomatoes and Kalamata olives over a large portion of steamed, very fresh spinach.

IN THE KITCHEN

You can spot new chef-owner Brian Hennebury at work in the small open kitchen of 5 South Main in Cohasset for breakfast, lunch — and now, dinner, too. Fresh off a nine-year stint as executive chef of Hingham’s upscale Tosca, the Rockland resident bought this gem of an eatery from Jennifer Warshaw in March. Longtime fans of the restaurant’s popular brunch and lunch menus have nothing to worry about. “I’ve tweaked some of the dishes, but my attitude is why fix it if it isn’t broken,” said Hennebury. The big news here is that the chef has opened for dinner and, in August, secured a beer-and-wine license.

THE LOCALE

Cohasset fits the definition of a quaint New England town, and 5 South Main is in the heart of the village, just beneath the oversized bell tower of St. Stephen’s church. The restaurant seats 28 people, and another eight outside. It’s a cozy, pleasing space, with a half wall providing some angled corners for tables. You can also sit in the sun at two streetside window booths. Hennebury had been searching for a location to open his first place and, like so many, couldn’t resist the charm of this spot.

ON THE MENU Dinner — with its starters, salads, pastas, and a half-dozen entrees — lets its new chef shine. “I don’t like big menus,” Hennebury said. “With a smaller menu you can focus on keeping things fresh and made to order.” Offering pasta dishes in either starter or entrée sizes expands options and so do the protein add-ons (lemon rosemary chicken, pesto shrimp, and flat iron steak) offered with the four salads. Sitting outside one night, we start with lobster sliders ($16). Sandwiched between buttered and grilled brioche buns — a wondrous reminder of the magic of simple ingredients — the pair are overstuffed with a summery lobster salad lightly dressed with lemon aioli. Among the mains, the roasted haddock ($23) is a welcome and uncommon preparation. A tender filet of haddock is served in a slightly soupy sauce of Roma tomatoes and Kalamata olives over a large portion of steamed, very fresh spinach. I could eat it every day. Hennebury described his cuisine as casual bistro with an Italian accent, and his Bolognese says ciao. The dinner portion ($22) is a big bowl of al dente rigatoni, in a clingy ragu, topped with dollops of whipped ricotta. Even better though — actually outstanding — is his cacio e pepe ($12), the deceptively simple cheese-and-pepper dish sometimes used to measure a chef’s skills. We order it as an appetizer, and the kitchen nicely divides even that smaller portion into two beautiful bowls. Creamy yet light, the bucatini again al dente, the dish is absolutely fantastic. Another evening, we enjoy the roasted organic chicken ($21). Served with light mashed potatoes and fresh asparagus, it’s a good dish. The pesto roasted shrimp ($22), over fresh cavatelli and roasted peppers, can’t erase a longing for more cacio e pepe.

Hennebury is about to roll out a new fall menu, which should be exciting as his creativity expands in his own kitchen. I love small neighborhood places, like this one, when a great chef-owner is behind the line.

5 South Main, 5 South Main St., Cohasset, 781-383-3555, 5southmain.com.

Joan Wilder can be reached at joan.wilder@gmail.com.

Liz Oberacker

IN THE KITCHEN

I take it as a sign of a chef’s confidence to offer salt and pepper at the table, and chef Andrea Schnell has it and does. Not that I’ve needed it — everything I’ve eaten on three visits has been perfectly seasoned. The great reputations that Schnell and her general manager, Mark Doherty, have earned over their 15 years at Hingham’s Square Café have drawn crowds to Sorelle Bar & Grill since it opened in late March. Now, with the chef in her prime and years of experience behind her, Schnell is spreading her already-wide culinary wings as she cooks in every chef’s dream: her own kitchen.

THE LOCALE

Schnell and her team bought the former Vin & Eddie’s on Route 18 in Abington in 2016 and totally renovated the space. Tall ceilings, wood finishes, windows, and wainscoting in earth tones give the 165-seat restaurant a contemporary feel. Diners have a choice of environments: a roomy dining room; a big, curved bar side with high-tops and banquets; or the restaurant’s patio. (It’s worth noting that the inside chairs have extremely comfy cushions.) Best of all, a wide open, stainless steel kitchen, with a red pizza oven, lies at the far end of the bar where you can watch the whole operation in full swing. New acoustic tile has been installed throughout the space, along with a fire pit on the patio, which should make for cozy times on cool nights.

ON THE MENU

Braised short ribs photo Joan wilder

Even if you don’t want bread, say yes when you’re asked. Not just for Sorelle’s outstanding focaccia, but to taste what a sweet, stimulating flavor chives lend an olive oil dip. But that’s just the beginning of big flavor on this menu. The mussels appetizer ($12) is a bowl of small (tender, delectable) mussels, and the lobster broth they float in is a sensational soup on its own. If you want to take this flavor to a bigger plate, do not miss the Faroe Island salmon ($24): It’s a party on a plate. Grilled salmon is served on an island of Swiss chard and fingerling potatoes floating in a lemon seafood broth filled with luscious bites: mussels, large shrimp, velvety-soft, roasted tomatoes, sausage, peas. Fantastic. And fantastic keeps coming.

On one visit, we ordered the Brussels sprouts ($10), sure they’d be good like they are at so many places, but we were wrong: They were better. Not only were they cooked somehow perfectly (not at all charred, yet crisp and tender) but the umami-rich truffle aioli on the plate transforms the vegetable into a full-bodied, meaty-tasting dish. Out of this world.

Photo for the Boston Globe by Jamie Cotten

IN THE KITCHEN

It’s nice seeing Blu Mussel chef-owner Anthony Ambrose step into the dining room to visit a table or talk with guests. Ambrose made his name when he opened his first restaurant, Ambrosia on Huntington, in the early ‘90s. Among the many accolades it received, Esquire named it one of the top 25 best new restaurants in the country and Bon Appetit called it one of Boston’s best. Ambrose’s first job in Boston was under chef Jasper White at Jaspers. Among his other big influences, Ambrose credits his time studying with French chef Olivier Roellinger and his work as executive chef at Seasons in The Bostonian Hotel.

Photo for the Boston Globe by Jamie Cotten

THE LOCALE

Located on Route 3A where the former Great Neck Grille used to be, Blu Mussel has been totally renovated. Tired of formal dining scenes, the chef-restaurateur has fashioned the 100-plus seat space to have a rustic feel. Walls and half-walls define different dining areas, passageways, a bar, and a lounge. There’s a street-side room that has the restaurant’s only windows (oh, if only they could be flung open in summer!), massive hanging barn doors that slide shut for private parties, and a fireplace. The bar takes up one side of the restaurant, and the adjacent lounge area has banquettes and cozy, low coffee tables made of six-inch-thick rounds cut from trees. A central, glass vault shows off wine, and servers cut bread at a butcher-block table in a walkway area. It’s been a tough spot for previous restaurants, but Ambrose has made Blu Mussel a pretty place.

Photo for the Boston Globe by Jamie Cotten

ON THE MENU

First of all, the green curry and coconut blu mussel appetizer ($14) deserves to have a restaurant named after it. Served in a big, pleasing asymmetrical bowl, the lemony, coconut broth is as heavenly as the little mussels. I sipped a cup of it by the spoonful.

On each of three visits, the menu was a bit different. Ambrose says that 80 percent of the dishes will be constants, and that he’ll swap out a few others here and there.

I can tell you that the meaty Bolognese ($22) with the house-made, al dente fettuccini isn’t going anywhere soon. We enjoyed the chicken and fresh lemon pasta ($19), too, and were charmed by its frilly ballerine pasta. If I were choosing among meaty pastas, I’d take the Bolognese over the spaghetti and meatballs ($19), although the fresh spaghetti in it is great. Pasta plates are big (Ambrose doesn’t want anybody to leave hungry), and the kitchen is very obliging about splitting ours.

The fried fish in the tempura fish and chips ($21) is the best fried fish I’ve ever had. The batter is light but very crispy — just perfect. I needed classic tartar sauce, though, and not the sweet house version. (I will ask for some next time.) One evening, a grilled monkfish with bacon special ($26) is sided with grilled radicchio and mashed potatoes. The fish is lovely (and better without the bacon).

The Crab Louis salad ($22), served in early summer, is a mound of sweet lump crabmeat served over bright greens and sided with avocado, green beans, and boiled egg. In late summer, we loved the roasted root vegetables and the scallion mashed potatoes that sided the wintery-good short rib dish ($29).

“I’ve lived the high-end restaurant life,” says Ambrose. “This place is just about the food.”

Photo by Dina Rudick for The Boston Globe

To get the picture, you have to understand this: Art’s is owned by the dynamic brother and sister who ran the iconic Arthur and Pat’s in Marshfield for more than 30 years until the weather-beaten beach place simply couldn’t be resurrected after the bruising winter of 2014-15. Art D’Allessandro is the cooking talent in the family and De D’Allessandro, the talent front of house. Although Art’s is a big upgrade in size and infrastructure, the siblings are still delivering “food with personality” (their old slogan), which is to say they care – about their food, their guests, and their staff. A pretty new space with amazing views, fabulous decks for dining, great eats, and a big following have made Art’s an instant hit since opening in April.

THE LOCAL

Photo by Dina Rudick for The Boston Globe

The restaurant is perched above Hull’s Sunset Bay Marina, on the second and third floors of the marina building at the site of the former Seadog Brew Pub. The peninsular town juts out into Boston Harbor, so Art’s has a bird’s-eye view of the city. The stunning panorama is all water and sky and islands — Peddocks, Thompson, Spectacle — with the Boston skyline rising sharply in the distance.

ON THE MENU

The all-day menu has everything from bar bites and starters to big salads with protein add-ons, all sorts of seafood, usual and unusual sandwiches, tacos, a daily breakfast option, and creative specials. After three visits, we haven’t even made a dent in it.

If you’re looking for the quintessential New England summer fix, Art’s has it. The fried fish is light and crispy, and comes with homemade tartar sauce — a must-have that most places don’t. The fish and the sandwiches come with a choice of fries or coleslaw and mixed greens. The shrimp, scallops, whole belly clams, and cod in the seafood platter ($32) are all tender and just right. Same for the fish n’ chips ($18). And the fish sandwich ($14) is a great option with a lighter price tag. The Crazy Caesar ($18) is a plate of romaine with beautifully cooked, springy shrimp, packed with hunks of fresh mozzarella, roasted cherry tomatoes, asparagus, and shaved Parmesan, in a light, garlicky dressing. The added-on marinated steak tips (plus $9) in the classic Caesar ($10) are tender and juicy, and the steak sandwich with chimichurri ($19) is a grilled, boneless rib eye with a buttery richness. The chicken pesto sandwich ($14) hits the mark beautifully, and the lobster grilled cheese ($18) is as irresistible as a grilled cheese can get. Funny, although it’s packed with lobster, you can’t really taste it, which makes you wonder what Art’s $5 grilled cheese (kid-friendly choice) might be like. The thick-cut slab bacon ($5) is an interesting bite — smoky and bacon-good. The pastrami and Swiss omelet ($14) breakfast special one day has caramelized onions from heaven. And, the satisfying Mediterranean platter ($18) features homemade hummus with piles of Kalamata olives, perfectly roasted red pepper, carrots, cucumbers, feta cheese, artichokes, and mushrooms. For dessert, do not miss the coconut layer cake ($8). It’s out of this world.

Art’s, 2 A St., Hull, 781-773-1382, www.artsinhull.com.

Joan Wilder can be reached at joan.wilder@gmail.com.

Catalina salad, Globe staff photo by John Tlumacki

IN THE KITCHEN

After years of owning Carmen’s Café Nicole on Plymouth Harbor, with its tourist-based, weather-driven seasonal uncertainties, Nicole DiGuisto is thrilled to have landed in Norwell in a year-round, busy location. Her new breakfast-and-lunch place, Little Carmen’s, opened in late March. The restaurant’s namesake is DiGuisto’s father, Carmen DiGuisto, who owned Carmen’s Mexican American restaurants in both Weymouth and Abington from 1978 for about 25 years. Nicole grew up working in those restaurants, doing everything from washing dishes to cheffing to managing. She’s a seasoned restaurateur and chef able to quickly turn out brimming platefuls of food to the crowds the restaurant is already attracting.

THE LOCALE

Little Carmen’s is tucked into a small strip mall steps from the intersection of Route 228 and Route 53 (aka Queen Anne’s corner), where Windy City Dogs & More used to be. The 30-seat place is an ample, no-frills family restaurant. Booths and tables are comfortable, large front windows let the light in, paintings and framed articles line the walls, and a flat screen TV is installed but isn’t regularly on. The four or five terrific servers I’ve had on several visits are all related to, or friends with, Nicole, and chat away with the cook and customers alike. The new restaurant has already begun to establish a regular clientele who are verbal about liking the food, the easy atmosphere, and the central location.

ON THE MENU

Little Carmen’s breakfast and lunch menus are big. Nicole serves all the breakfast dishes any large American breakfast place would offer, along with egg white creations with veggies, avocado, and more, granola, huevos rancheros, breakfast burritos, and many unique DiGuisto family favorites. Lunch is similarly large and mixed. There are all kinds of finger foods, salads, wraps, sandwiches, soups, homemade potato chips, and Mexican dishes, served ala carte or with refried or black beans and rice.

The Eggs Benedict ($9.99) is two perfectly poached eggs (runny yokes, solid whites), thick slices of ham, a light Hollandaise (I wanted more Hollandaise flavor), and crispy, potatoey hash browns.

The vegetarian lunch special. Globe staff photo by John Tlumacki

The vegetarian luncheon special ($10.99) makes a good breakfast or lunch. It’s a platter filled with a chili rellano wrapped in an omelet, a cheese and fresh baby spinach enchilada, pico de gallo, corn salsa, a tiny corn muffin, rice, and your choice of black or refried beans.

Ala carte tacos ($3.49) are a low cost, neat little lunch whether you order them with roasted veggies, roasted pork, beef, or chicken — on a corn or flour tortilla. The fish taco is a bit more money ($4.99) and is one of the only light, inexpensive grilled haddock lunches around. I’ve had it several times. Ordered with a shot of guacamole ($1), a single one can hit the spot. Same goes for the shrimp taco ($4.99), made with nicely done large grilled shrimp. Both are served with shredded cabbage and cotija cheese. The Catalina salad ($13.99) features six large, grilled shrimp over a bed of mesclun greens, sliced avocado, black beans, corn, cotija cheese, and tortilla strips. The ala carte chicken enchilada ($5.99) is gooey and good, baked in a red enchilada sauce, and topped with diced onion and cheese. And burritos ($4.99), made with a choice of the same fillings as the tacos, are a handy Tex-Mex rollup to take away.

Funny: Little Carmen’s doesn’t have dessert. But every morning between 11 and 11:30, it serves both breakfast and lunch. So, you can go at 11, have lunch, and at 11:29 a.m., order the caramel banana French toast ($7.99) from the breakfast menu for dessert. Done!

Little Carmen’s, 43 Washington St., Norwell, 339-469-1670.

Novara investor Jordan Knight of New Kids on the Block (photo by DeBee Tlumacki for Boston Globe)

IN THE KITCHEN

The open, V-shaped, stainless steel kitchen in the rear of Novara looks like the crowded prow of a ship forging the way forward. At the helm, overseeing six to eight cooks, is executive chef Tony DiRienzo, who performs the same role at Abby Park, two doors up the street. A ’94 graduate of Johnson & Wales University, DiRienzo cut his teeth cooking under various Boston chefs, including Lydia Shire. With subsequent experience as an executive chef at several area restaurants, DiRienzo consulted on the design of Abby Park in 2009, and subsequently took the lead on Novara.

THE LOCALE

Originally the home of the old Milton Cinema movie theater in East Milton Square, the space is a soaring, open rectangle with 23-foot ceilings (as tall as a two-story house). The 170-seat restaurant is owned by the crew from Abby Park, along with a few other investors, including Jordan Knight of New Kids on the Block. Designed to look like an outdoor Italian piazza, the space has stone finishes, rustic sconces, street lamp-inspired lighting, polished concrete floors, and a marble bar. One trompe l’oeil wall is painted to look like the exterior of a building, complete with windows from which Juliet might call out to Romeo below. Two massive TVs at the bar are dwarfed by a 163-inch flat screen, high above the kitchen. And in the warm months, a wall of glass doors will open onto a small outdoor patio (the better to get away from the TVs)!

ON THE MENU

On three recent visits, the restaurant was completely packed with couples, old and young, groups of friends, and families. Novara was built for a crowd, and a full house makes it a lively, exciting place to be.

I love small menus, and this one is a great size with 10 appetizers, a handful of salads and sides, several homemade pastas, five or six mains, and a half-dozen pizzas. Things are still evolving as the kitchen learns what’s working best: New dishes appear, others disappear, and still others get modified. DiRienzo’s flavors are robust. Among the early best bets: the Tuscan white bean soup ($8) with crispy pancetta, topped with wilted kale, and the burrata appetizer ($13) — a nicely-sourced, creamy ball served amid slices of tomatoes, basil, and balsamic. You can also enjoy the burrata sliced atop the pizza Margherita ($15, pictured), which, like all Novara’s pizzas, is a wonderful, thin, nicely-charred pie. If, like us, you had a pizza here in January with a crust as hard as a cracker, try again: The kitchen was getting used to its pizza oven. Several of the pizzas can be ordered gluten-free ($18), which are never great anywhere but Novara’s was still ever so welcome by our gluten-free friend. DiRienzo’s red sauce — sampled with the olive oil and Parmesan that come with the crusty house bread — is very, very good. It also makes the chicken Parmesan meatball appetizer ($11) delicious.

The crispy-skinned brazino ($29), now gone from the menu, was two fantastic filets served with crushed potatoes in a tomato lemon cream sauce with truffled arugula. In its place is a good but lesser fish dish: salmon piccata ($25), served with baby potatoes and roasted red pepper pesto. The porchetta ($25) is a confusing spiral slice of slow-roasted pork loin with pork belly, and the delicious beef tenderloin ($32) comes with leek Gorgonzola mashed potatoes and a meaty mushroom ragout. I love DiRienzo on principle for putting so much garlic in the saltimbocca sandwich ($15), but I might be alone on that one. Never mind, have a delicious dark chocolate mousse ($8) or an affogato ($7) for dessert, wend your way through the happy crowd, and call it a night.

Novara, 556 Adams St., Milton, 617-696-8400, www.novararestaurant.com.

Chef Paul Wahlberg, Joan Wilder, and CEO Rick Vanzura at the taste test of recipes submitted for the contest.
Photo ARAM BOGHOSIAN, story Jessica Bartlett FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE

Chef Paul Wahlberg sat at the head of the table in the café side of Wahlburgers, pristine white apron matching the sheet of paper covered in scribblings in front of him.

There was the recipe for “Stuffed Chili Dog Burger,” with hot dog, chili, and cheese nestled between two hamburger buns before being topped with sauerkraut, mustard, Sriracha sauce, and onion. Then there was “The Heart Stopper” — two beef patties, government cheese, bacon, onion rings, and the restaurant’s secret Wahl sauce.