July Openings and Closings

[hiddenboston]

Here we go again.....anyone have any info on openings and closings? A few possible openings I can think of include Journeyman in Somerville, Back Bay Social Club, Stats Bar and Grill in Southie, and Canary Square in JP.

[Allstonian]

I'm sorry to report that John's Market, the Korean market on Linden Street in Allston, has closed.

[bear]

Too bad. Great little place. I'm guessing they were significantly impacted by H Mart.

[Allstonian]

You think? Are neighborhood mini-marts really impacted that severely by suburban supermarkets?

One thing that may have hurt John's Market was its location just off the main drag, on a residential street, which I'm sure cost them foot traffic.

[bear]

I'm thinking more of myself as an example. I live in Waltham, but went to John's (after reading about it on this board) a few times for premarinated bulgogi, ban chan and other staples, as well as the great customer service. As much as I try to support local markets, I now often find myself heading to the H Mart area because I can hit up Market Basket, Trader Joe's and Bed Bath and Beyond in one trip, and get there in half the time.

I wonder how many other people outside of the city who would have made a special effort to get to places like John's now just head for convenience. I certainly could be over-estimating that, though.

-----
Trader Joe's
1427 Massachusetts Ave, Arlington, MA 02476

[joth68]

Looks like Spun finally closed for good. There is a for rent sign in the window.

[JoeM]

For the August list, the Peet's location in the financial district is closing around August 6. Apparently the landlord wanted to raise the rent and they said no.

[Gordough]

interesting. Is that the only Peet's in all of downtown? Sometimes I just don't understand landlords.

[JoeM]

That's the only one in Boston I believe; they have a sign encouraging their customers to go to Wellesley or Newton for their morning cup of coffee. Hopefully they'll be able to find another space. Someone needs to franchise a Mud Truck up here.

http://mudnyc.com/index.html

[Ralphie_in_Boston]

Their website says there's a "Partner location" at Northeastern Univ. There's also a popular location in Coolidge Corner Brookline.

I don't get why they don't expand at least a little bit more. I have several friends from the West Coast who are rabid Peets fans, and I may have to remove all sharp objects from their apartments over this news.

[Alcachofa]

Is you sure about that? I was there this morning, and there was no sign, and a line out the door.

There is a Peet's in Harvard Square. Why send people to Wellesley, when there is one right up the street (sort of) in Cambridge?

[philinunionsquare]

Bosworth's Café at MIT, in the lobby of Building 7 also sells Peets Coffee. It's more like a kiosk than a cafe although there are several table near by.

http://dining.mit.edu/venues-menus/bo...

[Suze123]

The Olde Boston Cafe on Water St downtown has closed. There appears to be an Italain eatery coming in.

[fairyinthewoods]

Walking through Union Sq. in Somerville this weekend, I noticed a "Store for rent" sign on the Neighborhood restaurant window. Anyone know if they are closing?

[philinunionsquare]

I don't have any inside information but I doubt that the Neighborhood restaurant is closing. That space used to be a barbershop and was, as far as I know, phyically separate from the Neighborhood's space.

[hiddenboston]

I called them and asked the woman if they were still open for business. She said "We're open 'till 4:00." I said, no, someone saw a a "For Rent" sign in the window and I was wondering if you were still the restaurant was still open. She laughed and said, "For Rent.....ah." I stopped the conversation at that point, but my guess is, philinunionsquare is correct about this.

[hiddenboston]

Just noticed a job post for a French restaurant coming to Kendall Square. No name, no other info. Anyone have any idea what this might be?

[TokyuFoodShow]

Not really in Kendall, but Bondir maybe? (French verb "to jump") Supposed to open in October in the old Con Sol spot on Broadway.

-----
Con Sol
279A Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02139

[hiddenboston]

Oh, maybe that's it. Bondir isn't really in Central, Kendall, or Inman, but it is close enough to Kendall so that they may have decided to list it under that area.

[jgg13]

Over the years I've found that location descriptions in mid-cambridge (including "1 kendall", which ain't in kendall proper) fluctuate in order to identify with the latest up&coming or top dog 'hood. Kendall's big now, so everyone wants to be "kendall". That "1 kendall" hangs way off the ass end of true kendall square doesn't help matters.

[yumyum]

Bondir (new joint from Jason Bond) wont be French.

Check out this article about what's going into that cute little spot:
http://stuffboston.com/feed/archive/2...

[Chocomom]

Was just search on Yelp to find a new banh mi place to try. Still missing Hau Giang's version and came across their listing for Mike's Banh Mi-listed as Closed.
Anyone know why?
I was there last weekend and noticed they were closed but just thought maybe vacation or they ran out of ingredients and closed early. Now that I'd think of it the previous visit before they weren't open either.

[hiddenboston]

I just tried to call Mike's Banh Mi and their phone is out of service. Not a good sign....

[Taralli]

East Side Wings opened Tuesday on Mt. Auburn St. in Coolidge Sq., Watertown. Wed, I called in a dinner order ($10.99) for buffalo wings, beer-battered onion rings & rice pilaf(you could choose 2 sides) about a block from my place & owned by Sevan Bakery. Place was slammed. My order was very generous in the # of wings, onion rings & pilaf - definitely a bargain. Place is much better than average in decor with rustic stone floor tiles, sunny walls & wood benches. Very spacious behind the counter prep & kitchen area for the staff - but they were still really sweating & sweating it, even w/the AC, due to the volume of orders & the youthfulness of the counter help. Great to have them in the neighborhood. http://eastsidewings.com/node/2

-----
Sevan Bakery
599 Mount Auburn St, Watertown, MA 02472

[Gordough]

No comment on the quality of the food, especially the wings, other than it being a bargain? I am glad it is spacious behind the counter, but tell me how the wings were dammit. :-)

[Taralli]

Ok G, next time will order wings w/sauce on the side to retain more crispyness & try mango habanero sauce. They were not overcooked, nice & moist. Had hoped "beer battered" meant big, light ,puffy, golden battered rings, but were thinny battered instead, piping hot & more than acceptable. I liked having pilaf & salad as choices for sides.

[galleygirl]

VFW Parkway in West Roxbury, Westbound. I believe it was the former Spring Blossom, or some generically named Chinese? Right past Home Depot.. Tasteful, modern rebuild underway, with a sign heralding a new Lebanese Restaurant, Al Wadi...

[hiddenboston]

I first heard about Al Wadi late last year--been waiting for it to open for awhile now. Does it look fairly close to opening?

[sallyt]

There was a sign indicating that they were hiring - I think about a week or so ago..

[Fly]

Looked like there was a fire at Tom Yum Koong II in Arlington Heights yesterday afternoon. The dining room seemed fine, but when I was walking by at 9pm or so last night, the water and smoke damage people were wrapping up their work in the kitchen.

It didn't look too severe, but the window was boarded up this morning.

[hiddenboston]

Yup, a friend of mine who works down the street said the kitchen was gutted and there was some other damage, but it could have been a lot worse.

[Highland Park]

Palio's Italian Grill on Hartwell Ave. in Lexington is gone after a short life. Judging from the reviews on this board, that is not a bad thing. It is being replaced by a Waxy O'Connors Irish Pub. Judging from the food reviews of the Foxboro location, it does not sound promising ("The food is inedible, meager and overpriced").

For those so inclined, here is the website: http://www.waxys.com/

[galleygirl]

Well, with a name like 'Waxy"...Waxy? And food? Ugh.....

[LStaff]

I wonder if they will be able to capture the lunch crowd over there with that theme/menu?

[yumyum]

That's just hilarious. I've eaten at that location (close to work people) in several different incarnations, Palio being the last of them. Waxy O'Connors sounds like a perfect next fit.

"I'll have the waxy special my good man."

[BostonZest]

Back Bay Sun reported that Tealuxe on Newbury lost their lease and is closed.

Penny
http://www.bostonzest.com/

[hiddenboston]

Barracuda Tavern in downtown Boston is having a soft opening this weekend. They are taking over the old Hank's Tavern spot.

[9lives]

Silk's from Belmont BBQ opened their cart on the Greenway across the street from the Rowes wharf Harbor Hotel..haven't been yet.

[Gordough]

I had the pulled pork recently and was pleasantly surprised. While some may disagree, I found it to have better flavor than Blue Ribbon's pulled pork which is usually my "go to" to satisfy my pulled pork craving. The guys at the cart were extremely nice and suggested that next time I try the Jamaican Jerk Chicken when I was chatting with them about their favorites.

[9lives]

Had the BBq pulled pork today. I won't compare to BR because I haven't had it there lately but Silk's makes a great sandwich. I'll be back for more.

Tomato, vinegary sauce w cole slaw on sandwich.

[66corvair]

Just drove past Bukhara in JP and it looks like all the furniture etc is gone. Renovation or closing ?

[markin617]

Can't say I'm surprised. Haven't been to Bukhara since Ghazal opened a few doors down.

[MC Slim JB]

I can't say if Bukhara is closed or not, but I did note in my Phoenix review of Ghazal how much friendlier and more attentive its service seemed than a certain nearby Indian place with a surly, sullen waitstaff.

There was a time when Boston had few Indian restaurants, and comically-hostile waiters were pretty common (it was a hallmark of Kebab-n-Kurry for years, for one). That's harder to get away with, given all the competition for your Indian dining dollar these days.

I heard one (possibly apocryphal) explanation for this: that certain Indian restaurants (illegally) don't allow their servers to keep their tips, so the waiter makes the same pitiful wage whether you're happy with his service or not. That would make me grumpy, too.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[itaunas]

There are all sorts of issues with ethnic restaurants and how they treat/pay their employees. Some of it is cultural: in other cultures its rare to tip 15% and just because they are in the US, the patrons of such restaurants are not going to tip 20% in their own restaurants no matter how the IRS treats reported server wages. As such, some waiters actually earn more per-hour in ethnic restaurants than ones where tipping is the norm but plenty of other irregularities may occur. That said Americans tend to assume some kind of solidarity with individuals from the same ethnicity, but in the case of the employers and many cases the employees are both simply trying to get ahead and are very happy to do so on the backs of their own countrymen. What you describe is entirely possible, but its impossible to draw such a specific conclusion such as yours based on hearsay regarding the pay practices of Indian restaurants in general.

[MC Slim JB]

Agreed; I have no idea if that rumor is actually true, and would not generalize it to all Indian restaurants. It doesn't affect my tipping practices, in any event. I do think service in local Indian restaurants has gotten better overall in recent years, something I ascribe to increased competitive pressure.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[itaunas]

I think you are right on regarding the improvement, but I suspect the H1b and change in the Indian economy itself have led to a more sophisticated and demanding customer base. You are not going to want to take your work colleagues or family out to a restaurant that only college students searching for cheap eats would love. Or something upscale, but stodgy for stodgy's sake. Our Indian scene is far from the South Bay, but considering there is now even decent food court Indian a rising tide has lifted all boats. And similarly during the heyday of the Japanese economy when there were more mid-level Japanese managers working here we had options in Boston which simply don't exist today.

[MC Slim JB]

Agreed, again! The many Subcontinental natives now here on work visas in high tech, biotech, healthcare, etc. are what I ascribe our much richer array of regional Indian and Pakistani cuisines to. You wouldn't see Desi Chinese or Hyderabadi or many other regional specialties here otherwise.

It's quite a sight to go to The Pongal for lunch: it's packed with Indian ex-pats, mostly employees of nearby tech companies, and its food is terrific. Such a place was unimaginable in Billerica 20 years ago.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[hiddenboston]

Bukhara was still posting on Facebook and Twitter on Thursday, which may not mean a whole lot, but perhaps it is just a renovation? I'll try to call them later today.

[waddlers]

I have been to Bukhara many times with my son and the wait staff, whilst not winning any awards, were always pretty cool. Just saying.

[OneWorldCuisine]

Bukhara is very open, alive and kicking :)

[The Lady]

Something new called The Abbey is coming in the Dahlia's space in Washington Square in Brookline- major construction going on.

[hiddenboston]

It sounds like the owners of Dalia may also be involved with The Abbey, but I can't 100% confirm this yet.

[QCumber]

I wonder if it might be some kind of response to the popular Monk's Cell across the street at the Publick House. Or might it have something to do with the successful Armsby Abbey in Worcester looking to expand?

Q

-----
Publick House
1648 Beacon St, Brookline, MA

Armsby Abbey
144 Main Street, Worcester, MA

[hiddenboston]

QCumber, your last point had me jumping for joy. How great would that be....

[Ralphie_in_Boston]

Or the reincarnation of the Abbey Lounge ( :) )

[hiddenboston]

I'm not jumping quite as high, but still jumping! :-)

[CookieLee]

I spoke to Gerry, I think, outside Dalia's / The Abbey. He confirmed the owner of Dalia's is involved. On the other side of Starbucks, where the old B&D Deli was, a restaurant is also going in. The worker said it is going to be, "an upscale New York style restaurant". Whatever the heck that means.

[hiddenboston]

It looks like a new restaurant is going into the space where C.F. Donovan's was supposed to be in Hyde Park. No name for the spot yet, but sounds pretty good that it will happen.

[Pegmeister]

Here's a little more in on the C. F. Donovans site http://images.universalhub.com/images... Who knows they may still name it CF Donovans

[LindaWhit]

Have to say, I love the name of Donovan's corporation: Dewy, Feedum, & How. :-)

[soxgal]

Anybody have an update on Towne? Last post I saw was from 7/2 so curious if it's live yet. Thinking of stopping in tonight, but don't want to wander in the rain if it's not open yet.

[cbcpapa]

still under construction

[Gabatta]

Any new word on Towne? I am eager to try it for some reason. Should be interesting to see how smoothly they get it to run early on.

[thanksgang]

Sam's Bistro in Reading has opened. Anxious to get your first impressions.

[LindaWhit]

I've been seeing that place "being built" for the longest time! Ahhh...I see they're affiliated with Stearns and Hill's Bistro in Melrose. But it's time to get rid of the Wayside Bazaar pic and the graphical drawing of the outside of Sam's and get a real website up and going.

http://www.samsbistro.com/

And it looks like a Yelper made sure they were the first to be there and posted a negative review. What did he expect! Even he said "Being in the business I should have known better than to come here when the server told the table next to us that they had only been open since Wednesday! " ::::Sigh::::

[edgewater]

Angry Ham's Garage which was scheduled to open in the near future in Framingham was denied the liquor license transfer. See article in today's Metro West News.

[emilief]

B & R Breads has a big sign "Bakery Closed." Looks empty. Hoping it was just vacation but it does not appear so. Anyone know if they are permanently closed and if they move elsewhere?

[bear]

What time was this? They close quite early.

[emilief]

About 3:30.

[bear]

The website says they close at 3, so hopefully that's what happened. Life without those baguettes would be pretty sad!

http://brartisanbread.com/WheretoBuy....

[BostonZest]

I called the phone number and it referred me to Nashoba Brook Bakery if I wanted to change or add to an order. They look forward to serving us at Nashoba Brook Bakery.

Penny
http://www.bostonzest.com/

[bear]

Oh, no. I wonder if this is just the retail operation in Framingham, or the whole operation. This is just so sad!

[edgewater]

B&R unfortunately is totally closed. There is a sign on the door from Michael and Jen thanking people for their patronage and saying that Michael had developed a bad back and was advised by his doctor to change his lifestyle. Bad News!

[MC Slim JB]

That is a blow: it was a great bakery.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[bostonbroad]

There was a blurb in today's Globe that the South End Buttery is exploring signing a lease in the Downtown Crossing area (part of a broader article about the Mayor's efforts to revitalize the area).

-----
South End Buttery
314 Shawmut Avenue, Boston, MA 02118

[hiddenboston]

I read that today as well. It also mentioned something about BerryLine looking around there.

[LindaWhit]

Not sure how far outside of Boston you note on this thread, but I just read that Santarpio's is opening a branch in Peabody, scheduled for early August.

http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/p...

[galleygirl]

Okay, I had to laugh.. "Italian music will play from a vintage CD player with the family’s favorite songs and there will be TVs in the bar area for viewing."
Vintage CD player????????

[Bob Dobalina]

Saw that too - ha. Perhaps they mean the old style turntable....

[LindaWhit]

Yeah, someone even commented on that in the comments section - what makes a CD player "vintage"? :-)

[brandywiner]

Depends on your point of view. To my neices/nephews, CD's are old tech, almost as passe as LPs were in the 90s. And they're not all that young (i.e., late 20's or so)! Maybe Santarpio's is at the forefront of a new "retro" craze!

[galleygirl]

Sky (Skye?) in Wayland/Sudbury bit the dust last Sunday...Sign is down...

[hiddenboston]

Thanks for reminding me about Sky. Yes, they are indeed history, though the one in Norwood remains open. Bistro 20 is supposed to move into the former Sky space in Sudbury (the person behind Bistro 20 also owns Bellino's in Wakefield).

-----
Bellino's Restaurant
30 Main St, Franklin, MA 02038

[atesler]

Try Treat Cupcake Bar in Needham. Make your own cupcakes as well as pre-made cupcakes in delicious flavors. Yum!

[Gordough]

I tried to the other day and while there were people working inside, there was a lame sign on the door saying that they were closed until further notice to "catch up" seems to me like they had a premature opening.

[bostonbroad]

This maybe the wrong place for this, but I've heard that another branch of Petit Robert will be moving into the space formerly occupied by Vinalia. I don't know the timeframe.

[hotoynoodle]

i dearly hope they rip out that nasty blue neon from the bar area.

[MC Slim JB]

This is true: it will be called Petit Robert Central. The former Vinalia owners will retain control of the front of the house; Jacky and co. will run the kitchen.

Sorry if it has been mentioned elsewhere, but Felt has been sold to the folks behind The Tap, The Federal, and Noche, and will become a nightclub called Sin; not sure if food is in the offing there or not.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

-----
Vinalia
101 Arch St, Boston, MA 02110

[hotoynoodle]

vinalia has a great location, but never got things quite right. plus management and ownership has been in turmoil for quite some time.

let's hope this straightens things out.

[elcaminogirl]

I read elsewhere that Vinalia wouldn't be coming back to that spot and said "good riddance." I'd been there a number of times over the years and the service was always between amateurish and laughable. I'm fine with casual, but they were always clueless and/or confused. The final time we tried the place, the bartender assured us she knew how to make a Dark & Stormy but we ended up with generic rum and ginger ale. Wine flights were always a game, because the waiters always had them misidentified.

It's very disappointing to read that the same people who orchestrated that mess will be doing the same with a better chef. I wonder if Jacky and co. ever visited Vinalia and saw first hand what they were getting in bed with.

-----
Vinalia
101 Arch St, Boston, MA 02110

[T.Clark]

South Shore:
Hull - Beachfire is now open in the former Ocean Club spot.
Plymouth - Oceanfront Grill opened in the old Crow's Nest space.
Plymouth - Alden Park opened in the former Croma space.

[hiddenboston]

Yeah, I noticed today that Alden Park was accepting reservations through OpenTable. For those who don't know, the people behind this restaurant also run Abby Park in Milton.

Beachfire....this is the first I've heard of the place; I had no idea the Ocean Club had closed. Just looked at their menu--looks like a decent mix of seafood and comfort food items. Great views from there!

-----
Ocean Club
42A State Park Rd, Hull, MA 02045

Abby Park
550 Adams Street, Milton, MA 02186

[Bob Dobalina]

Walked by Good Food Cafe at Sunday around 3pm - it was dark and there was a permit notice in the window for some sort of renovations...not clear what will be done, but it seemed that the place is closed, although I could still see tables and chairs.

[hiddenboston]

Bob, I saw that permit sign a few weeks ago as well, but they seemed to be open a week or two back. And their Twitter page said something about getting an iPhone app for the cafe, with that post being put up earlier today.

[MC Slim JB]

Whoops, accidentally posted this first to the "renovations" thread.

Probably not a July opening, but Laurel has been sold; it will be the new home of Geoffrey's Back Bay. Good news for me, as I quite liked the South End original (the Back Bay location, not so much), and don't get to Rozzie very often.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[robertlf]

British Beer Company is taking over the former Applebee's location in Westford.

[pemma]

Margarita's is open at Station Landing in Medford.

[scratchie]

Finally, a reason to go on living.

[hiddenboston]

LOL

[galleygirl]

They're also opening in September in the Framingham/Natick spot where a Naked Fish (sorely missed, I might add....) used to be...

-----
Naked Fish Restaurant
725 Cochituate Rd, Framingham, MA 01701

[hiddenboston]

Someone told me the Naked Fish in Billerica was closing as well, so I checked the Naked Fish site and the only one left appears to be in Waltham.

[Gordough]

IMO there is A LOT worse generic tex mex around than Margarita's. Acapulco's being one....

[pemma]

Another reason to live.

[L2k]

"Treat" opened in Needham, sometime since last Wednesday, when they were just waiting for permits. Had one (1) cupcake available at 7PM last night, it was delicious ($3.25). There were a few folks working behind the counter preparing to bake new ones, so I guess they are working on the ebb and flow of things. They also have a "Make Your Own" section, where you chose the cake (including vegan), the frosting, and "add-ins". I think those were $4. Quite a few people were doing that option, might be a good kids birthday party option.

[Gordough]

Be advised that I tried to stop in at Treat last night and there was a very odd sign on the door saying that they were closed until further notice so they could "catch up." Not really sure what they mean by that but they definitely were not open at 5:30pm yesterday.

[L2k]

Same thing happened to me on Thursday. Owner (I think) said they hired another baker and they hoped to be up to speed in a week. I'll try again end of this week.

[L2k]

Went back to Treat on Tuesday, cases were pretty full at 7:45PM. Some cupcakes were on a ledge behind the cases, those were cakes that "had been baked this morning, then frozen, and are still warming up for sale", but they sold two of them to us since we were taking them "to go", along with two that were "ready for sale".

Really liked the Red Velvet and the Triple Chocolate. The Peanut Butter Overload was ok.

Then last night we had dinner at Stone Hearth, and were sitting next to the manager and head baker from Treat (who combined, weren't as old as me or as "large" as me), and they remembered us from the night before. We ended up doing market research with them (what we liked and disliked, what they should add, what they were planning to add, etc). Really enjoyed talking with them.

Coming soon: Birthday room, after hours adult parties, birthday cake sized cupcakes, and more.

Trying to figure out how to get "greener" in their packaging, as the cupcakes come in very handy plastic cases, which are great for handling, but notsomuch for the environment.

They seem very open to suggestion, and are still working on adding help so they always have plenty of product on hand.

[MtVernon]

Fresh Tortrilla's in Southie closed. A sign for new Mexican-Chinese take out restaurant opening soon. I am not so sure what kind of concept this will be.

[jgg13]

I've seen places that have both mexican (well, pseudo-mexican and pseudo-texmex) and chinese under one roof around here - so if that's what they're doing, it's likely just a generic take out kinda place.

i've seen mexican-chinese featured on at least one of the various travel-food-type shows (DDD, Bourdain, etc) and it looked pretty tasty.

[hiddenboston]

I just called Fresh Tortillas' number and they said they will be closed until July 13 for renovations. So perhaps it's the same ownership but a new restaurant?

-----
Fresh Tortillas
475 W Broadway, Boston, MA 02127

[MC Slim JB]

Universal Hub reports that Skara Grill, the Greek place in West Roxbury, has closed.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[bostonbroad]

No surprise - it was NOT good.

[sallyt]

that was fast... I hope that that location doesn't stay empty for years...

[Bob Dobalina]

Yak and Yeti is offering a breakfast buffet on the weekends (not sure what if anything is happening on weekdays). I am not sure whether that's a good idea - I know they are thinking that they can take advantage of the long lines at Ball Square and SoundBites, but a cheap buffet is not going to get me out of line. I suspect it is typical American breakfast items, though I do not know for sure. If there is some sort of unique Nepalese breakfast, they should advertise that better.

[Prav]

I spoke to the owner, they'll have puri and channa (chickpeas) for breakfast as well.

[Bob Dobalina]

Thanks for the follow-up, Prav. Could you comment on what an authentic, fancy Nepalese breakfast would look like? I bet it's better than chafing dishes of eggs and sausage, and might actually get me in there to try.

[Mr Bigglesworth]

Victor's in Coolidge Corner also closed, but not a loss by any stretch.

[lergnom]

Except it is being replaced by yet another personal training place. That's at least 4 storefronts in CC and the Village that are part of this latest fad. They offer nothing to the commercial streetscape and generate no traffic for other merchants.

[Beachowolfe]

I blame @fit

[marcreichman]

We were just coming back from Bob's in Medford (First time - Why did it take so long? We're fools) and noticed that Tip-Top Thai in Somerville has a big "For Rent" sign up front. I'd noticed it wasn't open for a couple of weeks but I had my hopes up. Sad to see this unique place go, as you could get some real heat.

[bobot]

oh no! It wasn't the best in town, but I always really enjoyed the pork Moody Chef and loved talking to the owner. Sad to see it go.

[maillard]

I also just recently went to Bob's for the first time. I need to go back soon! I also think I need to do a side-by-side chicken parm comparison between Bob's and Victor's.

[cbcpapa]

Just walked by Rod Dee in Coolidge Corner. Due to lease problems they are closing the location. The sign say that they are trying to find a new place nearby.

More exciting though they are opening a new store on Mass. Ave in Porter Square. Very excited to be able to get their food in Cambridge.

[The Lady]

I wonder how much the new location in Washington Square affected the Coolidge Corner location's business, and if it pays to keep both...Good food. Spicy Eggplant with Tofu is one of my go-to dishes.

[Cachetes]

At your suggestion, and in one final fling before they move out on July 13, I had the Spicy Eggplant with Tofu last night. It was amazing - just the right amount of spice and basil. I guess I will now be making the trek out to Wash Sq., b/c I have to have this again!

[maillard]

Is this a special? I'm not seeing it on the online menus. It sounds fantastic!

[Cachetes]

No, not a special. I had trouble finding it on the menu as well, but it is in the section called "Special rice plates". Enjoy!

[avokate]

Any details on the Mass Ave location plans? That's my neighborhood and we're desperate for good Thai!!

[greenzebra]

They are doing a build out of the building that used to be Cambridge Music, near Christopher's (1906 Mass Ave), and plan to be open in a few months, according to the minutes of the Cambridge License Commission.

[another_adam]

Oh no! THe coolidge corner Rod Dee is our go-to spot for Thai, I like it way better than Dok Bua. I've wondered about the proximity with Washington Square, too- but if my own habits are any indication, the competition might be less than one might imagine. (I live just a 2 min walk from the Coolidge Corner one and pick up something on the way home from work all the time, but can't imagine making much use of the Washington Square one- for my routine, it's about as useless as a Porter Square location! There could well be lots of folks like me- in which case a lot of the Washington Sq business would be people who never went to the Coolidge one much?)

[cindywho]

Ooh- this would be great! It's one of the things I miss from living in Brookline, though I like Camberville a lot.

[jgg13]

oh hell yeah. any idea on when?

[Stride]

That's great news! Where in Porter Square will they be? I haven't noticed signs. The old Uno's space seems pretty big, but can't think of what other empty restaurant space there is right now.

[cbcpapa]

I don't remember the exact address but if you walk by the current location in CC they have a sign explaining everything. No exact dates given though.

[greenzebra]

Qdoba just closed too.

-----
Qdoba
5 White St, Cambridge, MA 02140

[Cachetes]

Count me among the unhappy. I moved recently to a place just one block from Rod Dee, and had already gone a handful of times. I don't see myself heading out to Wash Squ, so I really hope they reestablish themselves in Coolidge Corner. Not happy, though my next thought is: I wonder what will be going into that space?!? I hope not another nail salon/waxing joint.

[Parsnipity]

Praise to the gods! Someone must have read my thread on lack of good Thai food in Camberville.

[HubFlyer]

Looks like Belmont's Andros Diner will be added to this list if they can't come up with the back taxes owed.

http://www.boston.com/yourtown/news/b...

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Andros Diner
628 Trapelo Rd, Belmont, MA 02478

[scratchie]

Too bad, they're pretty good.

Banjo's in Cambridge has been closed for awhile; I think the sign says "renovations", but it seems like it's been at least a couple of weeks now with no sign of activity.

[hiddenboston]

Andros Diner has reopened. They worked out a payment plan with the state.

-----
Andros Diner
628 Trapelo Rd, Belmont, MA 02478

[mortimerpickle]

thank God the Vinny T's (or whatever it was) closed in Lexington. In 10 years of living in Lexington, I had never eaten there.

[tatsu]

Oversized dishes are gross but oversized limp pasta is revolting.

[MC Slim JB]

I heard that Buca di Beppo is taking over several Vinny T's location, which means pretty much more of the same thing: a chain fake-Italian hog trough.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[trufflehound]

Planet Hollywood has applied for the Shrewbury liquor license.

[hiddenboston]

And along with Buca di Beppo will be a new Olive Garden planned for Danvers. with places like these, we won't need to go into the North End anymore! :-b

[trufflehound]

Olive Garden. Love the Bologna Alfredo.

-----
Olive Garden
8 Allstate Rd, Dorchester, MA 02125

[hiddenboston]

Yum, two of my favorite foods--bologna and alfredo. ;-)

[Ralphie_in_Boston]

" a chain fake-Italian hog trough."
LOL, I'm going to use that expression in conversations with my friends about popular local establishments, if you don't mind!

Makes sense....doesn't Buca di Beppo basically mean "Joey's Mouth" in Italian?

[scratchie]

LOL indeed. That also sounds like a description of the place that's (eventually) going in next to the Capitol Theater in Arlington : http://www.comellasrestaurants.com/

[Ralphie_in_Boston]

Comella's is loved by many on CH, that's the difference between it and VinnyT's. Unfortunately for me, I don't like Comella's either. Their sauce is too sweet and their pasta is too overcooked. I wanted to like them, but I don't.

-----
Comella's
1302 Washington St, Newton, MA 02465

[CookieLee]

I was v. disappointed in Comella's. It reminded me of school lunches.

[bluesjack]

at the risk of losing what little chowhound credibility I have, at one time, it was Vinny Testa's (before they sold out and changed the name) and it was not that bad a place

[Bob Dobalina]

I agree with you - I was "forced" there a couple of times in the Testa days and it was fine for what it was. When they figured that "Testa" was just too ethnic, I spat on the ground and vowed never to return.

[Guinness02122]

Stats is coming along quick. Didn't think they'd open in July.

[Guinness02122]

Stats is now open.

[Mr Bigglesworth]

The Meat House is opening another location in Coolidge Corner, right next to the Bodyscapes gym. I've heard mixed things about their other locations, but given its proximity to the Coolidge T, and Trader Joe's offering so so selections of meat, I think it will do extremely well here whenever it opens.

-----
Trader Joe's
1427 Massachusetts Ave, Arlington, MA 02476

Meat House
655 Main St, Walpole, MA 02081

[Bob Dobalina]

That's ironic.

[The_SBK]

Anyone know when the Meat House is going to open in CC? Walked past it today and it looked like it would be a little while. I don't know too much about them but I'm hopeful!

www.OnceUponASmallBostonKitchen.blogs...

-----
Meat House
655 Main St, Walpole, MA 02081

[Pegmeister]

Not sure of the timeline for opening, but the ledger is reporting that there is a new restaurant proposed for the old Littlenecks then Karma location. The new restaurant will be named Stockholders and is being proposed by the owners of Inn at Bay Pointe.

[tatsu]

Towne is definitely opening, all they need to do is hook up the gas and electric in the kitchen.

Dewey Cheeham & Howe are the offices of The Car Talk guys on NPR, Tom and Ray Magliozzi.

Unique Chinese Food on Cambridge St, Cambridge will be closing. He plans on upgrading the Allston location after that and not only bringing the "real" menu over, but expanding it. I'm enjoying it while it lasts in Cambridge, the dumpling are really good, so are lot of items, such as the handmade noodles, so many things!

He told me Thai owners purchased his restaurant.

[hiddenboston]

Just read that a new restaurant called Poe's Pub is going to be opening on Tremont just west of Mass. Ave. in the South End. Anyone know anything about this place?

[tatsu]

I wonder if it's Brian Poe from Rattlesnake, as his operation there is dubbed "Poe's Kitchen at the Rattlesnake"

[hiddenboston]

That's what I was wondering, too.

[tatsu]

Well I can ask Brian I guess, might be a bit embarrassing if it wasn't him

[MC Slim JB]

The Herald reported a few months back that Brian Poe was doing two things with the Bukowski people: Persia, a Mediterranean-themed place in the South End, and another Poe's Kitchen, location TBD. Not sure how this South End space fits into those plans.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

-----
Bukowski's
1281 Cambridge St, Cambridge, MA 02139

[Beachowolfe]

How far would you say one can travel west of Mass ave and still call it the south end? I always thought that Mass ave was the boundary for no particular reason.

[MC Slim JB]

Other possible openings this month: Towne, Umami, Bull, Canteen, Vapiano.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[MParente]

MC- Can you give more info on Umami, Bull, and Canteen?

[hiddenboston]

Canteen is actually open. http://www.yelp.com/biz/canteen-cambr...

[MC Slim JB]

Umami is the new Japanese/pan-Asian place outside of Washington Square in Brookline.

Bull is the Korean/Japanese place and new holder of the Bon Chon Chicken franchise in the downstairs of the Galleria in Harvard Square, former home of Shilla.

Canteen is the Slow Food fast food place in the former home of the Friendly Eating Place between Harvard and Central Square: I knew they were in soft-open mode, not officially open.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[jgg13]

If theyre still in soft opening, it's been a long time. I'm a fan, but I wouldn't call it destination dining by any means. You could do a lot worse if you're nearby though

[Prav]

Sounds like a law firm...

[Bob Dobalina]

Especially the second attorney...

[digga]

FYI - "Bull" is "fire" in Korean phonetically just as "bulgogi" literally means "fire beef." I guess it'll be a place with in-table kalbi/bulgogi grilling?

[MC Slim JB]

I believe you are right about this: grill-table BBQ will be a focus at Bull.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[Alcachofa]

I wonder if they'll have dog-meat soup.

[MC Slim JB]

Last I looked, that would be illegal here. It's not very popular in Korea, either: technically illegal in the South, where I believe it is mostly consumed occasionally by older Koreans for alleged health properties (like virility).

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[southie_chick]

Speaking of law firms, Bull is located in Harvard Square, as is my fave law firm name of all time: Dewey,Cheatem (SP?),& Howe, which is across from Cardullos.

[Fly]

Just to be clear, that's actually Car Talk headquarters, from NPR. Not an actual law firm.

[fredid]

Excuse me!! They are Car Talk's LAW FIRM! ( ;>} !! )

[southie_chick]

If I remember correctly, they started off as a patnership - Dewey & Howe. When they decided to add a 3rd partner, they decided to put Cheatem's name in the middle - it gave them a LOT of publicity that way (the window even shows up sometimes on Ally McBeal I think).

[lergnom]

To be clear, their lawyer is Hugh Louis Dewey - as in Donald Duck's nephews - and that is his law firm. The law firm name is a very old lawyer joke, probably predates vaudeville.

[bostonbroad]

The Three Stooges used that in bits all the time : )

[Ralphie_in_Boston]

Yep, I remember that. It never stopped being funny either!

[kbarry1726]

Vapiano opened on the 24th. Went in on the 25th. Definitely some growing pains -- the food was surprisingly quite good (i had a pasta dish with sausage) and it was fun to watch it cooked right there, but the concept left me wandering aimlessly at first. Didn't know if I had to bus my own table, one item was brought to me but the other I had to wait for, and I was served a different pasta than what I asked for. Still, it was fascinating to watch the chefs go at it like clockwork, which is where it seems the majority of training was focused. I'll come back for the food, and hopefully it runs smoother when I return. I'd say it would make a good quick lunch spot and a good "first date" kind of place -- built in entertainment in case the date is a dud!

[soxgal]

Funny, I had same experience when they opened in Dallas. Food is quite good and the atmosphere in the bar area was right on, but the whole process is a bit weird. I went twice and it never seemed to flow...or maybe it was just me... I think your description is spot on, though.

[purple bot]

I'd be shocked if Canary Square opened in July. I hear they're going to do major renovations. What's Back Bay Social Club?

[hiddenboston]

Back Bay Social Club is going to be a casual American neighborhood-style bistro that is moving into the old Vinny T's space on Boylston Street. The Lyons Group (Summer Shack, La Verdad, House of Blues, etc.) is behind it.

[gutterman]

What information do you have about Canary Square?
Where is it goning to be?
What will it be?

thanks
gutterman

[hiddenboston]

I can't really post a link to the article I wrote on the place, but Canary Square looks like it will be a bit like Coda in the South End (the Coda/Common Ground folks are behind the place). Figure on comfort food and a decent beer list.

[purple bot]

What hiddenboston said... and as far as "where", it will be where the alchemist was in JP.