Openings: Casual Italian restaurant Mida is poised to open in the South End on Nov. 29, replacing the short-lived Cluckit! poultry parlor (782 Tremont St. at Massachusetts Avenue). Chef-owner Douglass Williams has cooked at Radius, Coppa, and New York’s Corton. Now he serves handmade pastas from a menu that skips from charred to spicy, crunchy, and crispy, according to a release. Expect a friendly atmosphere, too — “handshakes and hugs are mandatory,’’ promises Mida’s website.

After a few days of quietly serving cocktails, the Automatic has officially opened for dinner in Inman Square (50 Hampshire St. at Clark Street). East Coast Grill mastermind Chris Schlesinger and beloved B-Side Lounge bartender Dave Cagle are behind the venture, housed in the old Atasca space. In a previous interview with the Globe, Cagle described the menu as “fun, fast, flavorful but not fussy.’’ Feast on decidedly unfussy dishes like Frito chili pie, fried plantains, and an “international sausage bomb of the moment’’ from chef Ian Andreotta, accompanied by banana daiquiris and frozen mudslides. It opens for lunch soon.

Closings: But a bit of sadness down the block: It’s a bleak time for those seeking burgers and creamy booze in Inman Square. The neighborhood’s WuBurger has shut down (1128 Cambridge St. at Norfolk Street) after just a few months in business. The restaurant wooed guests with boozy milkshakes, burgers, fried chicken sandwiches, and chili waffle fries. A Woburn outpost lives on.

Brunches: Belmont’s busy Italian restaurant Il Casale (50 Leonard St. at Moore Street) now serves brunch on Sundays beginning at 11:30 a.m. Enjoy French toast with pancetta, fried eggs in tomato sauce, several types of eggs Benedict, and smoked salmon on bruschetta. To drink? Perhaps a Bloody Mary swirled with chef Dante de Magistris’s signature, spicy fra diavolo mix.

Kara Baskin can be reached at kcbaskin@gmail.com. Follow her on Twitter @kcbaskin.