Word on the Street
DATE NIGHT in the dining room. Porrón pours with friends in the cocktail lounge. Family hangouts on the patio, complete with a nostalgic hot-dog cart. Common Craft, now open in South Boston, wants to be everything to everyone. And at this more foodfocused spinoff of the Burlington original, there’s always something new on the menu.
Boston Magazine (Print May 2026)
James Beard Award-winning chef Tony Messina will take the kitchen lead at this second location to prioritize an immersive culinary experience with a monthly rotating program called The Current, that spotlights a single theme and is designed to engage the diner in culinary craft.
Boston.com - Read More
There are certain buzzwords, like “Michelin star” and “James Beard Award,” that lure diners to tables. So when beloved former UNI chef and James Beard Award-winner Tony Messina was linked as a partner helming the culinary direction at Common Craft opening in South Boston, I, along with my fellow food lovers, was eager to get a table.
Modern Luxury Magazine
The menu changes based on purveyors and theme; this month, it’s Wulf’s Fish: chilled oysters with blood orange; warm peekytoe crab dip; and roasted haddock in tomato sauce with potatoes and capers. There’s an adjacent cocktail lounge, The Stillroom, highlighting botanical drinks.
Boston Globe - Read More
The Burlington-based restaurant will open a second location, this time in South Boston, in March. The Southie spot will feature a food menu overseen by James Beard Award-winning chef Tony Messina, formerly of Uni Boston
Boston Business Journal - Read More
The rotating menu is intended to change every 6-8 weeks and spotlight dishes sourced from a single purveyor or producer.
For example, the opening menu of “The Current” features Boston-based seafood purveyor Wulf’s Fish. Sample dishes include warm Parker House rolls, chilled Eros oysters, roasted haddock “Pizzaiola” and steak frites.
MassLive - Read More
A James Beard award-winning chef has a new role in Southie. Tony Messina (Uni) will oversee the culinary program at South Boston’s Common Craft (85 Damrell St.), slated to open in March.
Boston Globe - Read More
A new dining destination will be making its debut in South Boston next month, and it’s arriving with some serious culinary firepower.
Boston Chefs - Read More
Craft is a funny word when it comes to food and drink; it’s easy to reduce it to an overused buzzword, especially in the beer world. But the Common Craft team, led by founder Larry Leibowitz (who previously co-owned Salem restaurants Bambolina and Kokeshi), uses it earnestly.
Boston Magazine - Read More
James Beard Award-winning chef Tony Messina is officially back in action this week with the opening of Common Craft in South Boston, a brand new neighborhood restaurant built around seasonal cooking and New England producers.
Boston Chefs - Read More
While their first location is beverage-forward, Common Craft in Southie leans into seasonality and craft when it comes to food, with James Beard Award-winning chef Tony Messina at the helm. Its opening menu includes chilled oysters from Maine, roasted haddock “Pizzaiola,” and steak frites with duck fat fries.
Boston.com - Read More