FOOD NEWS: A

A second life – and a new food truck – for a brewery fave

The pandemic nearly did in beloved Dominican Mexican fusion pop-up Cultrō. With their business mostly dependent on brewery collabs, the COVID shut-downs meant they closed down too. “We tried to stay afloat,” says owner and chef Daniel Núñez, who posits the fledgling business saw its best months in the ones leading up to the pandemic. But the stoppage proved too much, so Núñez closed up shop and studied to become an electrical apprentice to pay the bills.

But the Cultrō dream remained. He and his fiancé put all their money into buying a food truck, which Núñez painstakingly built out by hand. After a year of fabrication, Cultrō hit the road. Within a few weeks – and a slew of sell-out events – Núñez once again quit his day job. He plans to have regular hours near the Michael S. Van Leesten Memorial Bridge while continuing to pop up at breweries and events across the state. @Cultro_Pvd

Dominican Mexican fusion fare from Cultrō

East Side opening of a West End favorite

Fearless Fish, the fish market that made a splash on the West End, is opening a second location across town on the East Side. Owner Stuart Meltzer expects to open their doors on Hope Street in September. “It feels like we’re stepping into history,” he says of their new location in the old Davis Dairy building, which had been a kosher deli run by the same family since 1906. “There’s a lot of nostalgia that goes along with the place.” With their new build-out, the space is “going to look amazing.”

The fishmonger plans to bring the high-quality, unique local catch that customers love while adding more smoked fish varieties. “The big thing for us from the beginning was access, making it easy for people to buy fish, cook fish, and try new things. We’re excited about serving the folks on the East Side who are excited about fish.” FearlessFishMarket.com

These handcrafted cocktails are easy to swallow

Alexa Trembly and Emory Harkins, the couple behind the Twenty Stories book phenomenon, opened the cocktail lounge Glou just a few steps away from their Ives Street bookstore. “In French it means glug, the noise you make when drinking wine that goes down easy,” says Trembly. Glou’s menu of creative cocktails changes seasonally, with all juices fresh pressed in house. There are zero-proof options as well as a selection of natural wines and a small beer list. Snacks include house marinated olives, a cheese board, and on Wednesdays, tamales.

With their experience in creative community building, the extension into cocktail culture doesn’t feel like such a stretch. While their two entities are separate, Glou has a patio space where they can host author readings and other special events. “You can always pick up a book from Twenty Stories and grab a drink and read at the bar,” says Hawkins. @Glou.Pvd