October Openings and Closings

[hiddenboston]

Any upcoming openings or closings you've heard about? I walked by the soon-to-open Cafe Polonia in Salem this weekend--looks very nice. I believe they will be opening around mid-week this week.

The new Geoffrey's Cafe in the Back Bay may be opening this week as well.

[Chris VR]

I heard from a friend that Union Jack in Peabody closed about a month ago. Too bad, it had a nice selection of British candies, crisps, sodas and other sundries.

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Union Jack
134 Newbury St # 2, Peabody, MA

[Berheenia]

Overheard at breakfast yesterday "Geoffrey's in Roslindale is closing"

[jjbourgeois]

Not sure if they are closed yet, but drove by Firefly's in Quincy tonight at 6:30. Parking lot empty, no lights in the building, no lights in the parking lot. Looks like they may be closed.

[southie_chick]

I remember reading a truck smashed thru the front or side of the building earlier this week - maybe it was closed due to repairs.

[jjbourgeois]

I just saw it in the Globe. Some drunk drove into the side of the building. Not surprising for Adams St.

[Pegmeister]

There were all sorts of construction trucks there yesterday when I passed by mid-day. My guess is closed for repairs.

[mats77]

Kind of far afield but still noteworthy: Ten Tables is opening a third restaurant in Provincetown. Not sure of the exact date though.

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Ten Tables
5 Craigie Circle, Cambridge, MA 02138

[Taralli]

Looks like a Vietnamese restaurant may be going into the space vacated by City Express cleaners at 524 Mass. Ave., Central Sq., Cambridge. Hope so.

[jgg13]

wow, with that and floating rock opening up, life will be good. Have been saying for a while that i need to move to the other side of central sq, this would help mtoivate me.

[itaunas]

Out of curiosity anyone know how preparations at Bondir are coming along?

[zizzpudding]

Was by there last weekend, they said they might be able to open this weekend. I've been checking the website with anticipation.

[Berheenia]

Opening tonight at 9pm is Citizen Public House and Oyster Bar near Fenway Park in a new building on Boylston. We stopped in at lunch to look at the oyster menu and found out they didn't have one yet because they were opening tonight. Awesome whiskey list on the blackboard.

[Allstonian]

Minsok in Brookline Village is gone - I noticed a couple of weeks ago that it looked kind of defunct, and this morning I saw that it was stripped of furniture, there's a large hole in the ceiling of the "greenhouse" room, and "For Lease" signs have been posted.

[lergnom]

There was a sign that it was changing names again and becoming a Japanese restaurant and two guys started painting the building. They stopped about halfway through, so it's now colored like a bad saddle shoe.

[MC Slim JB]

That Minsok location seems to turn over every couple of years. Ugly space; I think a gas station used to occupy that spot. Minsok, Shalom Hunan, Choe's, Zoe's, Shalom Beijing, Orchid Garden, Pier 9, a Greek place whose name I don't recall. Can we call this location jinxed yet?

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

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Minsok Restaurant
92 Harvard Sq, Brookline, MA 02445

[lergnom]

It's difficult because:

1. It's not in either the Village or Coolidge Corner and doesn't benefit from foot traffic. This is the biggest reason. No sense of excitement eating in what feels like a suburban location when you're actually in Brookline.
2. On street parking is limited. It's available but you need to have a reason to go there. Again, it's a suburban style location in an urban setting but without the parking lot.

The place needs an exterior rehab to make it look more urban.

[Mike5966]

Sentence 3 of point 2 nailed it (i.e., uttered the subconscious thoughts I had in my head every time I drove by the place and decided not to go there even though I was kinda curious).

[tatsu]

I remember Shalom Hunan. A joke I run by my Jewish friends is "Hmmm, Jewish ppl LOVE sweet and sour pork!" The funny thing was, they wouldn't exactly deny it.

[Berheenia]

Blue State Coffee has moved into former spot of Cold Stone Creamery on Comm Ave in Allston. Menu doesn't look like a chain but lists healthy sandwiches and presumably they sell coffee.

[hckybg]

I have been to their New Haven location. It is a small company and I found their coffee to be good, though I don't remember it extremely well. Not a big chain or anything.

[mangorita]

I know that no one here is much of a fan...but Canolli's in Weymouth shut down a month or 2 ago and in the past week have put up a gazillion banners stating that they will be reopening soon with a new menu.
Haven't stopped to read the banners...they are loaded with information in a small font that is difficult to read as you drive by...so I can't supply full details.

[Bob Dobalina]

Looks like b.good is open or close to it on Washington Street near the old State House / State St. end of things.

[lz1982]

Yup, it's open. I'm not really a fan but the location has been busy the few times I've walked by, so it will probably do well in the space.

[Bob Dobalina]

Will be interesting to see whether it can compete with Wendy's and Mickey D's, at what I assume is a higher price point.

[Jenny Ondioline]

UHub reports that reconstruction has finally begun on the Fenway restaurant row, and they're targeting spring 2011 for completion.

Supposedly, El Pelon, Rod Dee and Thornton's are confirmed to reopen, and a Japanese place wants in as well.

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El Pelon
2197 Commonwealth Ave., Brighton, MA 02135

[jonabad]

Pedro's Latin Cuisine has opened up in Billerica at the former Naked Fish location, serving Venezuelan food (lots of beef and fish with rice and yucca root) as well as some more accesible Mexican favorities.
Some folks know of Pedro's from their Watertown location, which i've seen discussed previously. I've never been to that one, so I can't compare.
As for the food, what i've had has good and the menu speaks well to what my parents and I had while growing up in Venezuela.

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Naked Fish Restaurant
15 Middlesex Tpke, Billerica, MA 01821

Pedro's Latin Cuisine
15 Middlesex Turnpike, Billerica, MA 01730

[y2000k]

Beijing Star in Waltham has closed.

A sign on the door says, "Undergoing Renovations" and "MULAN Restaurant coming soon". I'm not sure if it's the same Mulan as Kendall???

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Beijing Star Restaurant
835 Main St, Waltham, MA 02451

[galangatron]

that is sad news. i will miss their lamb soup with shao ping

[fmcoxe6188]

Just saw on Twitter that Matt Murphy's in Brookline is being gutted- anyone know what is happening there? Please tell me Matt Murphy's isn't gone for good!

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Matt Murphy's
14 Harvard St, Brookline, MA 02445

[hiddenboston]

I'm trying to get to the bottom of this right now. The inside of the place looks completely cleared out.

[lergnom]

They plan to reopen in a few weeks - 11/1 - which seems far-fetched given the state of things, but that is what they said today, complete with a tweeted pic of the destruction.

[hiddenboston]

Just confirmed that they are doing renovations at Matt Murphy's. Should be open again in a couple of weeks.

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Matt Murphy's
14 Harvard St, Brookline, MA 02445

[fmcoxe6188]

Phenomenal-thanks all!

[pemma]

Salvatore's is open in Medford Square.

[groptimum]

If any Chowhounds have already made it or will make it over to Salvatore's Medford to eat, I'd love to read their thoughts!

[yummieeee]

Chinese Mirch coming soon. Route 9 east in Framingham. It's right next to stardust jewlers and right before the British beer company. Sign says it's chinese and indian.

[hiddenboston]

The new Geoffrey's Cafe opens today in the Back Bay. Also, it looks like Life Alive in Cambridge is in the process of opening.

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Life Alive
194 Middle St Apt 3R, Lowell, MA 01852

[mvi]

More good news.

[hotoynoodle]

ivy at downtown crossing has shut down.

[Gordough]

That was mentioned last week in this thread by SaraASR. No loss although they had some nice deals on a few wines.

[hotoynoodle]

sorry i missed that post and yes, i agree with your sentiment.

[postemotional1]

Ivy was doomed by the bartenders hooking up all of their friends.

I was there 3 times and got free drinks twice.

Tolerating this practice never works.

Management thinks that the number of bodies consuming free alcohol will turn into paying customers but this transformation never truly takes place.

I was acquainted with some people there and the room was nice and the food was good.

Unfortunately no one had the courage to collect from the bar clientele.

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Ivy
49 Temple Place, Boston, MA 02111

[BobB]

Latest reports on Cognac Bistro indicate it will be open before the end of the month in the old b. good space in JFK Crossing, Brookline.

[mtm7654]

Sounds like Telegraph Hill in Southie is finally open-at least according to an email I got. I'll be interested to see how it goes-funny spot but there isn't much competition in the area so they might do well.

Made it to Cafe Polonia for lunch yesterday and they've got a new menu. I didn't notice a huge difference-maybe more American type apps. And it looks like the decor changed a little too. But we were the only table in there not speaking Polish so that is a wonderful sign.

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Cafe Polonia
611 Dorchester Ave, Boston, MA 02127

[MC Slim JB]

Telegraph Hill is definitely open. Using that Irish-y font on their sign, so I'm expecting a maybe-slightly-upscale-for-Southie take on pub fare.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[Beachowolfe]

font looks strangely similar to Whiskey Priest... any connection?

[MC Slim JB]

I think it's from a generic family of fonts called "Celtic" this or that. It's used in the signs of many Irish-American and faux-Irish pubs in town. Would make for a droll photo-essay, I'm guessing.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[greygarious]

Permission to pick a nit, sir? Font is the size of the print. Typeface is the style.

[BobB]

As one nit-picker (and ex-technical writer) to another - you're half right. Yes, typeface refers to the design, but font is not the size, it's the delivery method, be it physical or digital. A font can be a drawer of lead bits that all share the same typeface or a computer file containing graphical representations of said typeface.

However, turning nitpick mode off for a moment - this is a case where prescriptivist linguistics has already lost the battle. When 99.9% of the English-speaking world calls Helvetica a font - it's a font! ;-)

[MC Slim JB]

Actually, I believe font in the traditional sense refers to an entire typeface of a particular size. Since the advent of desktop publishing, font has become synonymous with typeface, with its size expressed as a separate characteristic called font size.

In general, seeing that font on a pub or restaurant sign in Boston fills me with foreboding about the food, puts me in mind of the Somers Pubs group.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[chickendhansak]

Danny's Diner on Beacon St. on the Somerville/Cambridge line looks to be changing hands.

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Danny's Diner
300 Beacon St, Somerville, MA 02143

[MC Slim JB]

I thought Danny's Diner had been closed since Danny passed on a couple of years back. Did it reopen since?

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

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Danny's Diner
300 Beacon St, Somerville, MA 02143

[chickendhansak]

It stayed open on what seemed to have been a regular schedule but was open fewer days of the week. I never exactly pinned down which days but it was definitely open. I haven't eaten there in more than a year, but pass it often.

[knoedel]

It will become Great Taste Diner, with a Peruvian-American diner menu...could be interesting. There's a short article about this on Somerville.patch.com (n.b., I'm the editor). Read the posting rules and am hoping it's OK to mention this here.

[chickendhansak]

It says so in the window so why not. Looking forward to the opening.

[mmocpi]

When is the new Pizzeria Regina in Allston (at the Depot) slated to open?

[Allstonian]

According to the Regina Pizzeria website, they're shooting for some time this month:
http://www.reginapizzeria.com/locatio...

I think they're still working on the interior, but the new signage is up outside and the message sign says they're accepting job applications.

[digga]

I called and got a date of Oct 26.

[Allstonian]

According to the sign out front, Regina at the Depot will be opening tomorrow (Wednesday, October 27) at 4pm.

[MC Slim JB]

Heard from a neighbor that Stella in the South End is changing ownership to The Aquitaine Group (Metropolis Cafe, Union Bar & Grill, Aquitaine, Gaslight).

This was shocking news to me, as the place is clearly highly successful. Maybe the owner got bored with serving essentially the same menu for over five years? Decided to start some new project and wanted to unload the cash cow first? Wonder what the story behind the story is here.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[purple bot]

Whoa! That's certainly a surprise.

[cbhcomm]

I am the publicist for both Stella and the Aquitaine Group. There is ZERO truth this rumor. It is 100% false.

Think about it, instinctively, why would Evan Deluty sell one of the most successful restaurants ever built in Boston?

[hckybg]

What time frame are we talking? Boston is a pretty old city, and I am not sure many of us can really speak to restaurant success in the 18th century.

[MC Slim JB]

I apologize for spreading false scuttlebutt, then. As I said above, the notion was baffling to me for exactly the reason you cite. (But it's not exactly inconceivable that someone might sell a restaurant even though it was profitable.)

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[hotoynoodle]

appreciate you squashing the rumor, but the hyperbole is totally not necessary, lol.

[Fort Point]

Walked by St Alphonzo's site today and there is a sign on the door indicating KO Catering & Pies is locating there. Serves Australian food.

[hiddenboston]

Yup, and it looks like there will also be a food truck on the premises. Not sure how that is going to work, as the food truck will apparently be permanently stationed there.

[Bob Dobalina]

Is Boston ready for vegemite? Is anyone?

[hiddenboston]

I am. But then again, I'm a big fan of any foods made with yeast.

[Chicken with a Capon]

That's sad to hear, I liked St Alphonzo's but it just seemed way too small to me to stay viable. Any word on the owners starting something new or just hanging it up?

[natasha kanieff]

My husband and I owned St. Alphonzo's Kitchen. I just wanted to sincerely thank everyone for there
very nice posts. It really means a lot to both of us. Yes we are taking a break from the restaurant business. I am working at Salon Patrice Vinci on Newbury Street. And Peter is at Baker's Best in Newton. We still reside in South Boston. Again thank you we couldn't have asked for nicer costumers. Sincerely, Natasha

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St. Alphonzo's Kitchen
87 A Street South, Boston, MA

[southie]

I wish you both the best. I have lived in Southie for 7 years but only started visiting your restaurant over the past 18 months. I can't believe I missed out on so many great meals. Besides the great food, your front-of-the-house presence added so much! Just after our first visit, you remembered what we liked to drink and eat. What a great environment!

Keep us posted if you re-enter the restaurant world. There are a lot of people that will be clammering to come back!

Best wishes!

[erikamwalleston]

You will be missed. I was just thinking of your ruben the other day :(

[Fort Point]

Understand KO Catering is opening Tuesday

[granolagurl]

Banjos near Porter Square in Cambridge has been "closed for remodeling" for the past several months. I was pretty sure that meant they were closed for good. Today as I was walking by, I see a bunch of trucks and remodeling being done. It is hard to believe Banjos would be coming back. Does anyone have any idea of what is happening with that space?????

[mats77]

Looks like a place called Darul Kebab is going in there.

http://blogs.wickedlocal.com/cambridg...

[Boston_Otter]

Sadly, I was actually holding out hope that KFC was returning.

[SaraASR]

Friend got OpenTable email today canceling her reservation to Ivy for tomorrow night because it's CLOSED.

[iloveporkbelly]

That could be some of the best news that I have heard in a long time. Hopefully it is true.

[hardi]

A couple of changes going on in Winthrop Center. The former Moonstruck Cafe closed and is moving a couple of doors down in the former Luna Boutique. I think they are set to open later this month. Also saw a sign in the former Moonstruck storefront that Blackstrap BBQ will be opening later this month. Their Facebook site says it's being opened by a couple of people that own Tasty Plates catering company.

I've been missing Moonstruck's lattes and blueberry scones- sure hope the location change doesn't change the quality.

[Chris VR]

Salvatore's in Medford is scheduled to open next week. Another outpost of this place http://salvatoresrestaurants.com/ which I don't know much about.

Edit... oh, maybe the same people as Sal's PIzza?

[hiddenboston]

Definitely the same people. The Salvatore's in Lawrence is kind of a mix of the two places, with pizza offered as well as Italian meals.

[itaunas]

Oliveira's Brazilian Restaurant (of Everett and other locations) is taking over the Sunset Cafe location on Cambridge Street across from the King school dunno an exact date when they plan to open.

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Oliveira's
751 Broadway, Everett, MA 02149

[mvi]

Oh, it's nice to think of that space being used in a good way. This street is continuing to offer a nice array of options. If anyone knows what is happening to the old Muqueca location, I'd like to find out. After a couple of months of inactivity since the move, there's been some action on the building. Hopefully that means something productive is going to happen.

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Muqueca
1010 Cambridge St, Cambridge, MA 02139

[dulce de leche]

The plan I heard is to make the smaller location into a cafe/coffee place. (Tony & Fafa will still be the proprietors.)

[mvi]

Nice!

[Cathleen02]

I got an email that says Cafe Polonia opened today:

Café Polonia now Open!
We are pleased to announce the opening of Cafe Polonia on Wednesday, October 6, 2010. Featuring a rich menu of Polish, German and Eastern European cuisine, the restaurant will bring a new culinary tradition to the dining destination that Salem has become. Cafe Polonia will be open daily for lunch and dinner as well as Polka brunch on Sundays and will feature Octoberfest specials in the European style Beer Garden through Halloween. Reservations now being taken at [phone].

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Cafe Polonia
611 Dorchester Ave, Boston, MA 02127

[Bob Dobalina]

The Red Barn Roasters outlet in Faneuil Hall has to close up shop by October 31, for renovations to the building. (The post office station there is gone without a trace.) They are looking for new digs in the area, but their loss will be great for the area around Gov't Center / Quincy Market which has little in the way of good coffee.

[lergnom]

True, but it's a short walk to Boston Common Coffee on Salem Street.

[Bob Dobalina]

I should have said North End excluded. It's a 20 minute walk if you are arriving by Gov't Center T and I rarely have that kind of time in the a.m.

I should also mention that a new cafe opened just off State Street across the side street from the Starbucks - Arista or something - they have a sandwich board out with sandwich specials.
Have to see if they are open in the morning - looks like a possibility of well-made coffee.

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State Street Cafe
114 State St, Boston, MA 02109

[lergnom]

It's Aristo with an o, though my mind still says it should be an a. Says they are Parisian-style, and they do have the look. Stopped in and they are trying to be upscale in presentation and ingredients. Sandwiches are mostly $7.50 and, as I said, I think they are aiming for quality more than quantity. I noticed they have a bunch of hot chocolates, which could be a nice thing.

I almost forgot to mention that I stopped in because I saw they serve Rao's coffee. That's good stuff.

[hiddenboston]

I thought Aristo Cafe opened last year(?)

[Bob Dobalina]

Really? Wow...maybe that sandwich board was money really well spent!
Because I don't recall seeing them before on several trips down State Street to Al's.

[JoeM]

Yes, they've been open for a while. Sandwiches are good and very high quality, but very expensive given their size.

[lergnom]

You'd think the location would be good but it's nearly impossible to see. I've noticed it several times and yet unless you stand right at the door and look at an angle you can't see much at all.

[MC Slim JB]

Geoffrey's Back Bay, f/k/a Laurel, is set to open Wed, Oct 13.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[sinned61]

Sammy Jo's Italian Bakery and Cafe opened yesterday at 2 Haven St in Reading.

[MIDGETFISTER]

Anyone have any intel on Bull BBQ in Harvard Square? I need to get my bon chon on.

[MIDGETFISTER]

Just stumbled across this:

"Other establishments scheduled to debut in the near future include Bull BBQ—a Korean barbeque restaurant—which will occupy the space formerly home to Shilla Sushi at 57 JFK Street by the end of October or early November, according to Jillson.

Initially stymied by the scarcity of beer and wine licenses for sale, Bull BBQ has now obtained the proper permit and awaits approval by the Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission, Jillson said.

“We anticipate that the license will be approved and they will be opening hopefully by Head of the Charles weekend,” she added."

http://www.thecrimson.harvard.edu/art...

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Shilla Restaurant
57 Jfk St Ste 9, Cambridge, MA 02138

[MIDGETFISTER]

Well I just swung by the renovation site. Bull look WEEKS away from opening, if not months.

[Uncle Yabai]

Maybe it will open at the same time as "First Printer". They could merge and call it "Bull Printer".

[msw79]

New place called Telegraph Hill Kitchen & Bar opened on Dorchester Street in South Boston the other day. Can't find much info online and website still says "Coming Soon".

[hiddenboston]

When you click on "Menu" on the Telegraph Hill site, it has a form asking people to leave a reply. :-D Maybe they're taking requests?

[lulu806]

District 7 opened up this past weekend on Pleasant St. in Malden (down from Hugh O'Neills and All Seasons Table). Don't think it replaced anything but I'm not sure. Some friends of mine checked it out and said the food (pub grub, burgers, steaks, seafood, etc.) was solid especially the prime rib special and that it has a comfortable, neighborhood bar feel. It appears they have a facebook page with a menu up but website has basically a business card up and says it's in development. We'll probably stop in this week after work to check it out.

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All Seasons Table Restaurant
64 Pleasant St, Malden, MA 02148

[gini]

Pretty sure Floating Rock in Cambridge opens this month.

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Floating Rock
485 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA

[9lives]

I'm on their mailing list and they are interviewing for staff this week. I hope they open soon or I'll be on the Blue Line soon fora fix from Thmor Dat..:)

[gini]

I cannot wait. It's down the street from my office and I plan to go for lunch...I don't know...every day. Is that too often?

[9lives]

No..:)

[Gabatta]

Not new news, but very much looking forward to the Island Creek Oyster Bar opening in Kenmore. Hopefully it happens this month.

[Mike5966]

Island Creek Oyster Bar to open at 5 PM today according to their Twitter feed.

[hckybg]

The other day I noticed that the New Asia in Union Square, Somerville has magically reopened. They were cleaning up the space over the last couple months but it appears refreshed and once again in business.

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New Asia Restaurant
326 Somerville Ave, Somerville, MA 02143

[Gordough]

I've got one in Metro West that I just saw last night although an October opening may be a long shot. It's called Feng Shui and is opening on Route westbound 9 in Natick where Vinny T's used to be (adjacent to Chuck E Cheese) and the sign says "Hibachi and Sushi Room". I have no information as to opening date.

Edit to add that a google search reveals there is a restaurant in Chelmsford with the same name and concept so these are likely related.