"Taking over the former Stoddard’s pub space in Downtown Crossing, I found Hobgoblin to be a fantastical new restaurant and bar from the operators behind the Mad Monkfish that pairs a theatrical, magical theme with Thai-rooted, snacky small plates. Chef Ginger Phomjun oversees a menu of shareable dishes like pomelo salad, duck satay skewers, and chicken wings tossed in teriyaki, Nam Tok–, or Hat Yai–style spices, while Nick Chantler Treenawong curates a California- and Europe-centric wine list. The team kept Stoddard’s gleaming wooden bar (imported from England) and some of the previous artwork, added two lampposts topped with gargoyles, and plans a seven-foot piano as the centerpiece of a live music program. They retained veteran Tony Iamunno to lead cocktails, and the opening drinks include a tom yum milk punch and the Fairy Clock (with roasted dandelion liqueur and salted honey syrup). In a playful touch, a “Magic Potions” section of the cocktail menu pairs each drink with a written spell addressing desires like fertility, money and prosperity, and love and romance that bargoers are invited to say as they drink. Hobgoblin is open Sunday–Wednesday 11:30 a.m.–midnight, Thursday 11:30 a.m.–1 a.m., and Friday–Saturday 11:30 a.m.–2 a.m.; reservations are available on Resy." - Erika Adams