The best comfort food dishes to eat this fall at Time Out Market Boston

A warm bowl of ramen is a fall staple, and Ms. Clucks comes through year-round with its signature spicy chicken-and- dumpling-noodle soup. But this new-ish menu item takes the cozy crown: Ramen noodles, crispy chicken karaage nuggets and sliced scallions top this bowl of silky soup, which combines Clucks’ chicken broth with smoky gouda cheese for a surprisingly light and satisfying verson of macaroni and cheese. 

As much as we love Taqueria el Barrio’s house-made flour tortillas (so much!), you really can’t beat birria tacos on corn tortillas—especially when there’s a chill in the air. The textured, earthy, slightly sweet corn taste of the vessel stands up the rich braised beef and bichi (the savory broth it comes with for dipping). Order “Tijuana-style” to get a layer of melted cheese on your birria tacos.

Is there anything better than an apple cider doughnut in the fall? Fans of Union Square Donuts think not: The cinnamon-sugar-dusted, seasonal special is the best-selling cake doughnut all year from the multi-store bakery. Made with local Carlson Orchards cider, USD's apple cider cake doughnut has a subtle fresh apple flavor. There is also a chai-spiced, glazed vegan version available all fall. Pumpkin spice lovers, you’re not forgotten about, either. The PSL doughnut has a fall-spice glaze and a creamy espresso drizzle on top, and there’s also a vegan version.

We are counting down the days until Friday, Nov. 1, which is when pumpkin pie ice cream hits the menu at Far Out. The November-long special starts with Far Out’s best-selling vanilla soft serve as a base to blend in chunks of real pumpkin pie. For a true seasonal treat, pair it with a cup of “hot choccy,” a decadent cup of cocoa crowned with brown-butter whipped cream.

The market's newest vendor, POE-Lenta is an Italian café by noted Boston chef Brian Poe and Guillermo Guzman, chef de cuisine at Poe’s Beacon Hill eateries, the Tip Tap Room and Crane River Cheese Club. Known for American comfort food with a global bent, the chef-partners use pastas, sandwiches and salads as the canvases for their technique-driven playfulness at Time Out Market Boston. From the seasonal POE-Lenta of the moment to wild game bolognese, dishes are deceptively simple and bursting with flavor and fresh ingredients.

Figs are particularly plump and sweet in the fall, so we’re craving A&B Burgers sweet-and-salty stack extra hard these days. The spot’s hefty beef patty gets bacon, lettuce, creamy burrata cheese and a delicious fig jam on top, which ties it all together. It’s a satisfying lunch or dinner all on its own, but if you’re still feeling snackish, order up the ESP pretzel bites with a side of beer cheese; it’s a great match with Time Out’s top-shelf fall beer list.

A house specialty at Lala’s Neapolitan-ish, Molly’s Vice knows no season—but the lightly smoky, sweet and oh-so-savory flavor combination is right at home in the fall. This quick-fired, blistered pizza is topped with aged mozzarella, oregano, red onion, roasted mushrooms and local bacon.

There are many ways to mix-and-match the Eastern Mediterranean fare at anoush’ella—and atop a bowl of lentil rice is one of our cozy-season favorites. Choose a protein, like beef kebab or grilled halloumi cheese, to go with the herby legume-grain base, which is served with sides of tangy labne, Armenian-style cucumber and tomato salad and peppery walnut harissa.

Garlicky teriyaki sauce gets nice and caramelized when the kitchen crew at gogo ya fires fresh salmon to order. Tucked into crispy tempura-fried nori shells with warm rice, scallions and sesame seeds, these salmon tacos are brightened up with lemon zest. The light yet rich filling for this duo of sushi tacos is perfect for fall.

Breakfast, or dessert? Anytime is right for the Elvis, a comforting concoction of creamy peanut butter, banana, cacao nibs, date and oat milk. You can substitute almond or apple juice for the standard oat milk for a lighter, or sweeter version of this favorite smoothie.

A year-round menu essential at Cusser’s, the New England roast-beef-and-seafood shop from the team behind Boston’s beautiful Mooncusser, 80 Thoreau is a hearty sandwich on a savory griddled onion roll. Thinly sliced, rare wagyu beef gets topped with cheddar cheese, pickled red onions and Thoreau sauce, an irresistable spicy mayo that chef Carolyn Johnson first developed for a burger at the team’s Concord restaurant, 80 Thoreau.

Fall foods aren’t all about rich dishes and warm spices. Sometimes, you want something bright and fresh that reminds you of warmer days. Enter the Thai pad krapow bowl a InChu. With your choice of protein over greens or rice, this colorful lunch adds red cabbage, carrot slaw, bean sprouts, green onion, basil and other herbs, chilis, peanut and hot pepper sauces—and the pièce de résistance, pickled mango that tastes like sunshine.

How to make macaroni and cheese even more soul-warming? Top it with smoked meats, of course! Choose among pulled pork, chicken or beef burnt ends. Blue Ribbon Barbecue kicks it up even further with a drizzle of the tangy-sweet house barbecue sauce, crunchy cornbread crouton crumbs and chopped tomatoes and scallions for a little fresh relief. 

The newest vendor at Time Out Market, PRB Crêperie specializes in traditional crêpes as they are made in Brittany, France. It starts with buckwheat flour, which imparts a heftier chew and deeper flavor to savory crȇpes. This special combination features fall’s favorite fowl, roasted turkey, sliced thinly and tucked into the thin, crispy pancake with earthy mushrooms and creamy brie. For a sweeter take on French crêpes, try the goat cheese and honey toppings.