Pour one out for hidden upstairs cocktail haven Brick & Mortar, a Central Square staple with sneakily good food—it’s closing sometime in the coming weeks after 13 years. But it’s not really goodbye, as wife-and-husband owners Avery Appleton and Gary Strack have a new project up their sleeves for the same space: Acqua & Bocca, debuting around January 2025.

The intimate Italian bar will pay homage to apericena culture—think aperitivo hour, but with more food. “The public is looking for aperitivo culture,” says Strack. “A looser, less expensive way to dine that still has style and is chef-focused, with lower-ABV drinks, organic and biodynamic wines.”