On Deck

A patio party with pizzazz

alking through a warm wet blanket-that’s what the weather has been feeling like a lot this summer. But once Mother Nature decided to knock off her blistering 92-plus-degree, 100 percent humidity business, I actually started venturing outside again. It’s a good thing, too, since I was tired of being blasted in the face with a/c. What better way to indulge in summer than by sitting on a patio on a comfy teak garden set and having a party? As it so happens, Tico is ready to oblige.

Staying true to its roots, Tico (a lovey-dovey word for Costa Rican local) will bring the streets of Latin America to its beautiful Back Bay patio Saturday (July 26) from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. As part of the annual summer patio series, chefs will be stationed throughout the patio cooking up these delicious treats. When the sun goes down, the weather will get colder, but the event organizers have got things covered with patio heaters (visit a website like www.livingtheoutdoorlife.com to learn more). The event will run long into the night, and if you don’t think the heaters will keep you warm, bring a blanket!

The cost is $35-not much, considering it’s all-you-can-eat sausages with spicy mustard, empanadas with salsa verde, vegetarian quesadillas, and pork, manchego, and jalapeno quesadillas with chipotle aioli. If you need to hydrate (in a manner of speaking) against the heat, there’s a Bloody Mary bar with your name on it. There will also be super-spicy ghost chili-infused tequila, a mild blanco tequila, three house-made mixers, and a variety of house-blended spice rums. And of course there will be plenty of Cazadores margaritas to whet your whistle between spicy Latin fare, as well as roving “tequila girls” passing out samples of small-batch tequila aged in virgin oak barrels.

Executive chef Leo Asaro recently took over the reins at Tico (insider tip: His A La Plancha scallop dish is cooked to perfection and a must-order), and this will be a great way to see how he embraces the “pura vida” vibe. That’s the good life, people. Happy summer.

Small Bites
Savvor Restaurant & Lounge (it’s the French spelling of the English word “savor”) has opened at 180 Lincoln St. in the Leather District with Caribbean-influenced southern cuisine from executive chef Carey Dobies (Clio, UpStairs on the Square). There’s a late-night menu until 1:30 a.m., Thursday through Saturday.

Brass Union has opened in the former Precinct space in Union Square, with a pub-style menu and a lounge featuring a vintage tabletop video game and shuffleboard court, plus 24 beers on tap.

The steakhouse The Bancroft has opened in the 3rd Ave. development in Burlington, under James Beard-nominated chef Mario Capone (Scampo at the Liberty Hotel, Towne Stove and Spirits).

No. 8 Kitchen & Spirits has opened in Amesbury. Named for the former No. 8 Mill, the new restaurant promises an urban dining experience with American cuisine from executive chef Chris Jackson (Dante, Tico, Catalyst).

Legal Sea Foods has opened Legal Oysteria at 10 City Square in Charlestown, with coastal Italian-style seafood. The owner has invested a lot in this project, including brand new restaurant equipment from places like www.nellaonline.com and staff training, so it will be exciting to see what impact this has on the quality of customer experience.

Sweet Basil chef Dave Becker has opened a second restaurant, Juniper, a Mediterranean-style bistro at 13 Central St. in Wellesley.

Sweetgreen, a chain that features organic, farm-to-table kitchens, has opened its third Boston location in Chestnut Hill Square. Diners can design their own salads or order heartier entrees.

Itadaki Japanese Izakaya restaurant on Newbury Street has reopened after floor-to-ceiling renovations that added an outdoor patio overlooking Newbury Street and a casual-chic downstairs bar. After searching high and low for the right patio installers for the job, the restaurant finally decided on a company, and it is looking very appealing for customers. There’s a happy-hour menu from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., with prices between $3 and $8 for small bites from the kitchen and the sushi bar.

Belly wine bar at 1 Kendall Square has added a new bar to its patio, with a wood-brining grill, plus patio theme parties and live Dixieland jazz on Sunday afternoons.

Pier 6 in Charlestown also has a new deck. The deck is open Wednesdays through Fridays from 4 p.n. to 10 p.m. and weekends from noon till 10 p.m.

AKA Bistro in Lincoln, too, has opened its terrace, with a new full-patio awning to protect diners from sun, wind, and rain, and screened sides to keep the suburban bugs out.

Our friend Yankee magazine food and wine editor Amy Traverso hosts a Boston Center for Adult Education culinary tour of the Seaport Tuesday, July 29. Registration is required. Find more information here.

BOKX 109 American Prime in Newton has two new executive chefs, Israel Medina and Jason Santangelo. Medina worked his way up from dishwasher at Lydia Shire’s Biba, and Santangelo was most recently at Forum Bar & Restaurant. They’ve collaborated on new summer menu options, including flatbreads and burgers.

SKY Restaurant on Route 1in Norwood has added a Friday night lobster special through August 29: two pound-and-a-quarter lobsters for 25 bucks.

Prezza in the North End has added summer entrees including soft shell crab, roasted figs, potato gnocchi with lobster, and corn raviolini.

Bondir in Concord has begun Monday night family-style dinners from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at a prix fixe of $35 per person, featuring such specials as roasted chicken.

For summer, Crush Pizza on State Street in the Financial District has added house-made gelato in 18 rotating flavors.

Executive chef Eric Gburksi has added some barbecue dishes to the dinner menu at Estelle’s on Tremont Street in the South End, including baby back ribs, Texas brisket and Eastern North Carolina pulled pork, plus buttermilk fried chicken and Cajun cornmeal-crusted catfish.

Moksa in Central Square, Cambridge is offering a weekly hip-hop trivia night with DJ On&On and Daneja, Tuesdays at 8 p.m. There’s a $5 cover.

The Beehive has started harvesting its own honey from the Bee Sanctuary at the Best Bees Company in the South End.