Replacements: Brookline Italian restaurant Ribelle (1665 Beacon St. at Winthrop Road) has closed and chef Tim Maslow has departed for Tiger Mama, but the space won’t remain vacant for long: A rep for the Alpine Restaurant Group’s Joe Cassinelli confirms that the Burro Bar, a “smaller sibling’’ to his busy Painted Burro in Davis Square, will move in. The opening is slated for late fall or early winter. The Painted Burro is known for its upscale Mexican food and vast tequila bar. The group also runs Posto in Davis Square and in Waltham, as well as Rosebud in Davis Square.
Openings: The team behind Chinatown’s Dumpling Cafe and the Back Bay’s Dumpling Palace has opened Allston’s Dumpling Kingdom (137 Harvard Ave. at Brighton Avenue). Feast on dishes both comforting and unusual, from oyster pancakes and soup dumplings to grilled duck tongue and chilled jellyfish, until 2 a.m. daily.
L’Espalier’s Frank McClelland has opened Riversbend at the Essex Marina (35 Dodge St.). It’s open for lunch and dinner daily, serving wood-fired oven, rotisserie, and grilled meals next to the Essex River.
Coming Soon: Giulia chef-owner Michael Pagliarini shares a few more details about Benedetto, his upcoming Italian restaurant at the Charles Hotel, which replaces Rialto (1 Bennett St. at Eliot Street). “Giulia is my heart, soul, and compass, but with Benedetto, we’re going to dig even deeper — a little more refined and sophisticated,’’ he says. He considers Benedetto a higher-end version of Porter Square’s Giulia, which he calls a “neighborhood trattoria.’’ Expect more “culinary activity’’ in the dining room, he says, including handmade pastas and truffles served tableside. The restaurant will serve dinner only and aims to open in the fall.
Commonwealth chef Steve “Nookie’’ Postal hopes to open a coffee shop at 197 Elm St. in Davis Square, he reports, though the concept isn’t definite. Regardless, Postal says that he loves the space and looks forward to moving in. “It has great bones and history. Did you know it was the home of the very first Bertucci’s ever?’’ he asks. “And there’s a bocce court in the basement.’’ What more could a restaurateur crave?
Kara Baskin can be reached at kcbaskin@gmail.com. Follow her on Twitter @kcbaskin.
