Moëca and Rubato may be new in town, but they already know how to satisfy Bon Appétit’s cravings. Both local restaurants landed on the publication’s 2023 list of Best New Restaurants, which compiles a mouthwatering selection of 20+ culinary newcomers across the country.
Located in between Cambridge’s Harvard and Porter Squares, Moëca caught Bon Appétit’s attention with its supersized Cape Cod scallops, semolina gnocchi, and chickpea pancakes. The sister restaurant to Giulia opened last year, serving a colorful array of dishes that are almost too artful to eat —looking at you, unicorn oysters.
South of Boston, Rubato embodies a Hong Kong cafe in Quincy, serving a bounty of bao and congee (aka a rice porridge dish). The eatery took over the Contempo Bakery space on Hancock Street last year. Bon Appétit suggests sampling treats like the house soy milk + HK french toast with lava egg yolk.
