The key word in the South Shore foodie scene this week is new: new restaurant, new salt shop, new grocery store.
A chain Mediterranean spot is open for business in Braintree, and a salt business now has a brick-and-mortar location in Duxbury. A new grocery store in Pembroke has also announced its opening day.
Plus, Quincy’s own celebrity chef is still in the running on the television show “Top Chef.”
(And while we have your ear and stomach, check out these other food, dining and grocery stories. Click here for the 411 on last week’s foodie news. Hear when local farmers markets will open back up for the season. Read about a Quincy Mediterranean and Middle Eastern restaurant.)
Cava opens its doors at new development in Braintree
The new Cava Restaurant at 125 Union St. in Braintree on Wednesday, May 13, 2026.
A popular chain serving Mediterranean-inspired bowls, pitas, dips and dressings is now open at 125 Union St. in Braintree.
Cava recently opened its doors in Braintree at the former Motel 6 site. The motel was torn down in 2024 to make room for new development. For a long time, it looked like a Chick-fil-A would be opening there, but that chain backed out. Instead, Shake Shack will be opening in its place, and VEG ER for Pets, an emergency care provider for animals, will open there later this year. Brookline Bank also plans to open a branch.
Cava has about 460 stores nationwide, including 19 others in Massachusetts. It also has locations in Hingham and Hanover. The Braintree location is open daily from 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Saltery gets brick-and-mortar store in Duxbury
The Saltery at 36 Railroad Ave. in Duxbury on Thursday, May 14, 2026.
Lily Leedom, who for years has been making small batch sea salt taken straight from Duxbury Bay, now has a brick-and-mortar store.
Leedom has been selling her product, Duxbury Saltworks, in more than 100 specialty stores and online. Now called Saltery, Leedom opened a store this month at 36 Railroad Ave. in Duxbury. Some of her products include truffle salt for $38, ice cream sundae dessert salt for $35, and the original product, Duxbury flake salt, for $28.
Saltery is open noon to 4 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays or by appointment and for special events. Visit saltery.store for more information.
Quincy chef makes Top 5 on latest episode of ‘Top Chef’
Chef Laurence Louie, of Rubato Hong Kong Café in Quincy, is on this season’s “Top Chef.”
Quincy chef Laurence Louie is officially one of the remaining five chefs after the May 18 episode of Bravo’s “Top Chef: Carolinas.” Louie opened Rubato, a small Hong-Kong-style café, on Hancock Street in 2022.
For the first challenge, the chefs had to create a dish with an element voted on by the fans periodically throughout the challenge, including the ingredients, how long they have to cook and how to prepare the dish. The latest twist was that fans voted for the chefs shift to the workstation to their right, meaning they are stuck cooking what another chef was planning.
Louie made crostini with peach and raisin relish, pickled peaches, arugula and yogurt sauce. The dish was among the judges’ favorites, but it doesn’t win him the challenge.
For the elimination challenge, the chefs had to prepare Michelin-star worthy dishes using rabbit for 24 diners in addition to the judges. Louie makes rabbit siu mai (shumai) with velveted loin and pork fat. The dish wasn’t among the judges’ favorites, but wasn’t one of their least favorites, either. Louie survives this week and is onto another episode.
The chefs are competing for the show’s $250,000 grand prize, along with some other major perks, including a feature in Food & Wine magazine; an appearance at the annual Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, Colorado; a chance to headline their own exclusive dinner at the historic James Beard House.
Big Y is opening soon in Pembroke
The Pembroke store, at 24 Mattakeesett St., is scheduled to open Thursday, June 18, according to Aimee Diliberto, Big Y’s manager of communications. It will take over the 38,000-square-foot space left vacant by Stop & Shop.
In March, Big Y announced it was seeking employees for the upcoming Pembroke store and encouraged prospective workers to visit its hiring site in person.
The supermarket chain operates roughly 95 stores across Massachusetts and Connecticut.
Food, dining and grocery reporter Jessica Trufant can be reached at jtrufant@patriotledger.com.
This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: South Shore food news: New Cava opens, new salt shop and grocery store
Dining and Cooking