November Openings and Closings

[hiddenboston]

Yup, November is here already (feels like December out there, actually), and with it, more upcoming restaurant openings and closings. A few I can think of are Kelly's Landing in South Boston (closed), Clover Food Lab in Harvard Square (open), Papagallo in the Fort Point district (opening), Cakes Bakery and Cafe in Arlington (opening), and Prime Roast Beef and Seafood in Lexington (opening).

Others?

[maillard]

Anyone know when Rod Dee in Cambridge will be opening? They've got menus up in the windows and lights hung (all I could see from across the street).

[hckybg]

Welcome to Chowhound.

[MC Slim JB]

Bondir officially opened last night; next service will be Friday after Thanksgiving.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[lz1982]

Get Fresh Rotisserie in Quincy Center has closed and is being replaced by a restaurant called The Overeasy. I think the sign said it would be breakfast and lunch only.

[Gordough]

There is a sign where Skipjack's in Natick used to be that says that a place called Ten-Ichi Dynamic Kitchen & Bar will be opening in the space.

[galleygirl]

I'm just thrilled there may be one place on this strip that isn't part of a chain...We stopped at China-Mirch last Saturday night, their wait was too long, but we were kinda turned off by the shiny, plastic-y feel...

[terrilynn]

It looks like the new branch of Sugar in Roslindale could open soon--the exterior is all finished. Interested to see what this one is because the sign says Sugar Bakery and Cafe--maybe it will be mostly a bakery but also sell sandwiches and pizza, like their Real Deal sisters in JP and West Roxbury?

[hynespb]

It is a partnership between Sugar bakery and Rox Dinner.

http://www.wickedlocal.com/west-roxbu...

[chickendhansak]

Little India, the Union Square Indian grocer, has finally moved into the former Somerville boxing club space next to the Market Basket. There is a beer and wine section in the back.

[itaunas]

So that's what that coming-soon sign was there. BTW, that also used to be Paper Products Warehouse or something like that (similar to but less selection than BMS Paper in JP) , which had some food service and packaging products. The boxing club was initially intended to go into either where Seabra is or more likely the space next to it, before moving into the PPW space after the first place fell through. So it was chowish one before and good to see it again, I do wish them some luck with the parking situation though, I think that would be hard on a small business and certainly affected PPW.

[chickendhansak]

I'm not sure if we are talking about the same space -- we might be. I'm referring to the building that's in the same grounds as Market Basket and has faded boxing murals on the walls. Certainly there is plenty of parking right there, but whether they could use it, is another matter of course. In practice I can't see how MB could stop it.

[itaunas]

We are talking about the same building, it used to be PPW (could be wrong on the exact name, but you can find threads about it searching the board archives). The boxing club which was originally based at the World Gym (now demolished) had signed a lease for space further down Somerville ave which fell through. Some of the parking at the side is reserved for other things in the complex. PPW itself used to have a few dedicated spots out front which on weekends Market Basket shoppers parked in. Plus weekend MB shopping parking has moved into the former employee parking and delivery area so the parking problem is worse than it was for PPW. I think parking was less of an issue for the boxing club because it was more at night where some of the other firms (including the large lot for the box company) weren't in operation.

[chickendhansak]

They have a sign asking people not to park in the MB spaces under threat of towing, so it seems that issue has not been worked out satisfactorily.

Anyway, stock is much the same as before but better laid out in the larger space. Bigger fridges so hopefully there will be more fresh food in time.

[fantundo]

As best I could tell without driving through their window, Cakes is now open in Arlington.

[hiddenboston]

Yup, it opened today.

[itaunas]

Top Steak House in Peabody (formerly O'Fado and O'Fados) is now Oliveira's Steak House which also took over Gold Beef Grill in Woburn and it is this, not the Oliveira's of Everett (atlhough they were started by relatives), is opening the Cambridge Street Oliveira's (what was Sunset Cafe).

The Somerville Cafe Belo is being renamed Zona Sul Churrascaria (same as in Quincy and there was a relationship between the people who ran Belo's entertainment in the past and Zona Sul).

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Gold Beef Grill
428 Main St, Woburn, MA 01801

[hiddenboston]

Well that was quick! (re: Top Steak House)

[Mr. Mxyzptlk]

Margarita's is set to open tomorrow in the space last occupied by Naked Fish at the intersection of Rte. 30 (Commonwealth Ave.) and Speen Street in Framingham. La Carreta, I believe, is set to open by the end of the coming week according to a friend I spoke with over the weekend. They are replacing Bickford's on Rte. 30 Framingham.
Mr. M

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Naked Fish Restaurant
725 Cochituate Rd, Framingham, MA 01701

La Carreta
35 Manchester Rd, Derry, NH 03053

[tamerlanenj]

Ugh, is this an outpost of the horrible tex-mex chain scattered throughout New Hampshire and Maine? yucky

[MC Slim JB]

This Margaritas is indeed part of that Margaritas: it's their sixth Mass location. They're in Connecticut now, too. And yes: blech.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[sallyt]

Kings in West Roxbury (formerly the home of the much missed Samia's) is now closed... Sign saying "Sticky Rice Cafe - Thai food - coming soon." Great - just what we need - more Thai food in West Rox!

[BeverlyCY]

Good Riddance to King's! What a pit and the food was inedible. Thank God for the new Al Wadi!
Rather have 100 Thai restaurants in West Roxbury than 1 King's. It was THAT bad.

[galleygirl]

Pongal II, which is open on Boston Post Road in Sudbury, is having 20% off for their Grand Opening, til the end of November...It's really GREAT, albeit pricey, but it's some of the best Indian food I've ever had...

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The Pongal II
103 Boston Post Rd, Sudbury, MA 01776

[Fort Point]

Went to Papagayo's soft opening last night and the food that was passed around was very good. From a conversation I overheard it sounded like they are closing back down for a few days for training and aiming for an official opening next Wednesday. It is located on Summer St in South Boston in the space vacated by Persephone.

[sallyt]

I'm waiting for Canary Square to open in JP - where the Alchemist used to be...

[Kirs]

Yeah- it looks like it's coming along. Haven't heard anything about a proposed opening date, though.

[sallyt]

Me either - I'm a "friend" of theirs on Facebook, but they've been dodging questions about an opening date...

[mapgirl]

Yesterday's Daily Candy suggested they were opening on Monday, 3pm to 1am.
I'm looking forward to it too though, the description of their "Womanhattan" (basil bourbon, raspberry vodka, sweet vermouth, and bitters) in the Daily Candy blurb kind of gave me pause...

[Kirs]

Ewwww. That kinda thing is usually not a good sign.

[Jenny Ondioline]

Allston Cafe, formerly the Herrell's at the corner of Brighton and Harvard, is closing for good this Saturday.

No tears here, I'm afraid: it had slid from funky to just plain gross even before the split from Herrell's.

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Herrell's
155 Brighton Ave, Allston, MA 02134

[Boston_Otter]

Good Food Cafe in Somerville/Cambridge area closed sometime in the past week or so, after months of erratic hours.

[BlueTrain84]

Don otto's local organic grocery store on Tremont is closed. Sad to see it go, but they really had a limited selection of products.

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Tremont Cafe
418 Tremont St, Boston, MA 02116

[random amblings]

Wonder where I can get duck fat now?

[lipoff]

I've gotten excellent duck fat from Savenor's.

[rlove]

Formaggio Kitchen, Formaggio South End, Savenor's Market.

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Formaggio Kitchen
244 Huron Ave, Cambridge, MA 02138

Savenor's Market
92 Kirkland St, Cambridge, MA

[Jenny Ondioline]

Read this incredibly snotty note they had posted on their website and then had the good sense to remove. Apparently, they were taken from the premises in a waaaaaaaahmbulance:

"Don Otto's Market is now closed.

We featured local, high quality foods both raw and prepared. Unfortunately our products were expensive both at our cost and because we had a storefront to maintain at your cost as well. In some parts of the world people are accustomed to spending a higher percentage of their income on food, but in America we suffer from sticker shock because of Wal Mart and other discount vendors.

The reality is we pay for what we eat. Some are informed enough to know what that statement means. For those that don't I am not going to elaborate here there is plenty of information out there if you are looking.

Don Otto's Market wants to say we had few customers that understood customer loyalty and its importance to our business. Thank you for those that came in regularly and bought what we had though it may not have been exactly what they wanted. If you came in only for baguettes, the occasional piece of cheese, the occasional dinner, or something specific you were very disappointed we did not have, you can not tell yourself you were a supporter of our market. We hope that people that say they support small local businesses actually do support small local businesses. You may not always get what you want but you will get what you need.

Thanks to our patrons and we are sorry we couldn't educate more people in the time we needed to for such a business to work."

[bear]

I remember reading this Boston.com article when they first opened, and decided it wasn't my kind of place after I read that they charged $8.50 for a dozen eggs.

http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/food/...

[Bob Dobalina]

"If you came in only for baguettes, the occasional piece of cheese, the occasional dinner, or something specific you were very disappointed we did not have, you can not tell yourself you were a supporter of our market."

Wow! - That's messed up on so many levels...

[Jenny Ondioline]

Yes, at this point, I'm proud to say I was not a supporter of their market. I simply can't condone this attitude towards their customers...which incidentally helps explain why they're not open anymore.

[joebloe]

Good riddance. The owners are real jerks to think I am obligated to buy their one pack of egg for $8 or one pound of beef for $30 bucks.

[catsmeow]

The last time thet I was in there no one was around. I waited a few minutes and then walked out.

[bostonbroad]

Same here. I could have walked out with all of their merchandise with no one lifting a finger - maybe that's why they went of business. I was disappointed in the incredible lack of products anyway, so just as well no one showed up.

[MC Slim JB]

I stopped shopping at Don Otto's when I picked up some lemons in the store and realized that they were completely moldy and rotten, must have been festering there for days: inexcusable in a place that small. But yeah, I guess it's my fault they went out of business.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[hckybg]

I think that is proof that the statement "You may not always get what you want but you will get what you need" is actually not true.

[redelephant]

True Bistro in Teele Square will be opening on Tuesday, Nov. 9th. They had a sign announcing the news posted on their door. I'm not one to seek out vegan food, but they will be serving alcohol as well, so that makes it okay in my book. And, it's touted as "upscale"....

http://somervillescout.com/2010/10/going-upscale-vegan-in-teele-square/

Oh, it's also announced on their website: http://www.truebistroboston.com/

Jeeze, it's a bit pricey. I was hoping for something similar to the Angelica Kitchen in NYC when I read the words "upscale vegan", but this makes the Angelica Kitchen seem really cheap. And AK is BYOB. Sigh...

[Bob Dobalina]

As to pricing, I think it is maybe a couple of bucks on average higher than Red Lentil and certainly a couple of bucks higher than Pulse Cafe, but if they can deliver on quality, it seems fair for the area, in my opinion.

[meatluvr]

Although I wish these folks the best of luck - the name of the restaurant is a kinda funny after looking at the menu!

[joth68]

I'm as carnivorous as they come but the bahn mi and mushroom tacos on the lunch menu will get me in the door.

[yarm]

We ate there on Saturday night. They hired the old chefs from Prana in Newton. It is upscale and is a better place to impress a date than Red Lentil or Pulse (although depends on your date -- grungy vegan punks might prefer Allston's Grasshopper more). Good vegan wine and beer menu. Dinner was well prepared and flavorful as were the salad and dessert. Was a bit pricey especially after we splurged on a bottle of wine (think we dropped ~$90 with tip).

Will gladly return again, but it's a little too pricey to be a very regular occurrence. Perhaps next time we'll skip the booze.

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Red Lentil
600 Mt Auburn St, Watertown, MA 02472

[Maxinella]

Yes, it's a bit pricey, but it's worth it--particularly if you and your significant other are both vegetarians/vegans and want to eat in a place with a bit of atmosphere that has a wine list. We ate there last Saturday night for our anniversary and will be back.

[peregrine]

Does anyone know what's going into the former Burger King space on Huntington at Gainsborough? All BK signs have been removed and there are ladders inside, so something's happening.

[ilovedessert]

Panera Bread is opening in that space. The signs went up last week.

[Brock Lee Robb]

Craft Beer Cellar opening in Belmont Center on Wednesday 11/10. Kate Baker & Suzanne Schalow, formerly of Cambridge Common are owners. Saw them putting up finishing details today, alongside many, many dozens of different beers.

[emilief]

I read that Nelson Cognac, owner-chef of Kouzina, is opening a Bistro. Anyone have more info????

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Kouzina
1649 Beacon St, Waban, MA 02468

[Jenny Ondioline]

Search various threads for Cognac Bistro: it's in Brookline in a disused gas station, and reviews are mixed-to-positive, with some carping about the prices.

[Stride]

There appears to be a great deal of activity at the Qdoba space in Porter Square. Does anyone know what's going in there and when the ETA is?

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Qdoba
5 White St, Cambridge, MA 02140

[Boston_Otter]

I noticed "under construction" signs in the Dunkin' Donuts next door -- are they expanding into that space, I wonder?

[Stride]

Or perhaps what I took for work in the Qdoba spot was actually in the DD space. Guess we'll have to see what develops!

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Qdoba
5 White St, Cambridge, MA 02140

[afarring]

Does anyone know if Persephone is reopening in Southie? I saw a sign that said, "Now Hiring" and I believe the sign above still read, Achilles/Persephone. Also, if you know any details feel free to offer them up (same owners/chefs/menu/etc)... Thanks!!!

[hiddenboston]

Papagayo Mexican Kitchen and Bar is moving into that space.

[MC Slim JB]

Pretty sure no one connected with The Achilles Project / Persephone has anything to do with Pappa Gallo, which is from the people behind the Max & Dylan'ses, Scollay Square, and Tavern on the Water.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

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Scollay Square
21 Beacon St., Boston, MA 02108

[dlin2007]

Check out the Papagayo menu: http://static.urbandaddy.com/uploads/assets/file/pdfs//405f9f7281850ccdfe8ff07832798d56.pdf

Drink menu: http://static.urbandaddy.com/uploads/...

[bear]

Hope that's not an actual copy of the menu. If so, they need some work on their appetizer spelling. Looks pretty tacky.

[hckybg]

I ran by Jason Bond's Bondir near Inman Square today, and the interior looked nearly complete. There were even flowers on the tables. I shouted to him that I was looking forward to them opening and he said "soon." So that's excellent news for an already burgeoning dining scene (hiddenboston: you broke the story but haven't mentioned that Bosphorus, a Turkish restaurant, will be opening on Cambridge Street near Spice 'n Rice: http://bostonrestaurants.blogspot.com...).

[hiddenboston]

Bosphorus, a Turkish restaurant, will be opening on Cambridge Street near Spice 'n Rice. :-)

[hckybg]

Can't wait!

[mgp]

So excited! Any guesstimate on when Bosphorus might open?

[hiddenboston]

Haven't heard anything yet. My guess is, it'll be awhile.

[hckybg]

When I walked by, there was paper in the windows of both Akimenko Meats and the future Bosphorus. But even at 11 PM with temperatures in the 30s, hiddenboston was out there with his notepad, waiting for the scoop.

[hiddenboston]

It was closer to 10:30. :-b

[hckybg]

I thought the fedora was a nice touch.

[zizzpudding]

I walked by Bondir on Broadway today. They were painting a mural on the outside and doing some finishing touches. They said they may open as soon as next week. Hope that's true. Can't wait to see how they do.

[redelephant]

Bondir has Nov. 26 posted as its opening date on its webpage. I'm looking forward to trying it.

[JudyHP]

OK Folks...the CF Donovan's in Hyde Park that was never going to open is now going to be Annabelle's. Signs are up, they are hiring, and lots of activity going on. I don't know the date of the grand opening but I think it is going to be soon! Website is www.annabellesrestaurant.com but no menus posted yet. I'm encouraged!

[bugsmum]

Does anybody know when the restaurant (MuLan?) going into the Beijing Star space in Waltham is opening?

[jomo9501]

A new Persian restaurant in Easton - Chaloos Restaurant. From their website - "A Culinary journey down Silk Road at Chaloos restaurant. The best Persian House of Kabobs located in town of Easton Massachusetts."

http://www.chaloosrestaurant.com/

[catsmeow]

I thought Kelly's Landing closed for the winter around this time every year.

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Kelly's Landing
159 Bridge St, Weymouth, MA 02191

[hiddenboston]

This time it has closed for good. The owner decided to retire.

[catsmeow]

:-(

[chefematician]

Is Bull in Harvard Square open yet?

[jgg13]

no

[MIDGETFISTER]

They are really taking their sweet time...it was supposed to open in freaking May. I swung by yesterday to take some pictures. The inside is a ghost town and the outside doesn't look very promising.

[Prav]

lol @ your screenname :D

[MC Slim JB]

The Wholy Grain, a new storefront sandwich shop down the block on Shawmut Ave from Coppa -- and former "social club" / business office of the late mobster who used to own the bygone Waltham Tavern -- has shown a lot of construction progress recently after a long fallow period: http://wholygrain.com/

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

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Coppa
253 Shawmut Ave, Boston, MA 02118

[rlove]

A sandwich shop going in the unit that used to have the gambling events? I always wondered what was up with that place. A social club, huh?

[Fort Point]

Do we know if is going to be called Papagallo or Papagayo? Have seen both listed. Also is it part of a chain?

[mats77]

Same group as Max and Dylan's, Tavern on the Water and Scollay Square

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Scollay Square
21 Beacon St., Boston, MA 02108

[Matt H]

The sign at Voltage Coffee and Art in Kendall says they will be open Wednesday.

[hiddenboston]

Yup. Their Twitter page mentions a soft opening that day.

[Matt H]

Really looking forward to an alternative to Starbucks on that end of Kendall. Extra bonus that it is right downstairs.

[hiddenboston]

jealous

[smtucker]

Certainly hope that Qingdao Garden is reopening today. Has anyone walked by the space recently?

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Qingdao Garden Restaurant
2382 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02140

[Bob Dobalina]

Website still says closed until 10/31 - tried calling yesterday - no answer
Went to Wang's instead - dumplings were really good and fresh, pork chop in the pork chop noodle soup had a lot of five spice flavor - singapore rice noodles were too oily, but had a good amount of heat from hot peppers.

[lipoff]

Wang's is terrific, but the Singapore rice sticks is literally the worst dish I've had on their menu. I also hope Qingdao Garden re-opens soon.

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Qingdao Garden Restaurant
2382 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02140

[cindywho]

No answer today either. I was hoping to go tomorrow :(

[MESsmate]

I walked by and it looks like they have a ways to go. Having withdrawal!

[maillard]

Website says December 2 now: http://www.qingdaogarden.com/

[smtucker]

How can I wait this long?

[maillard]

I know! If I'd know they were going to be closing I would've stocked up on dumplings. In the meantime, I went to Fuloon the other night to help with my Qingdao withdrawal. Very tasty stuff. And I discovered that the JingDu pork pancake is very similar to a new item that East Asia has (I forget what they call it, but it was on the specials board last time I was there). Yum.

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East Asia Restaurant
868 Broadway, Somerville, MA 02144

[hiddenboston]

Deluxe will definitely be opening a second diner in Newton Centre. Not sure exactly when at this point. And Little Mary's Bagels looks like it might not open for a little while longer. Last time I went by there (about 4 days ago) it looked like some work was being done inside.

[bear]

I peeked into Prime RB yesterday and it looks pretty close to opening.

Any news on Little Mary's Bagels in Arlington? They haven't updated their facebook page in a while.

[Prav]

Wow, Kelly's Landing closed? That place has been around a while...

Also, is it true that Deluxe Town Diner will be opening another location in Newton Centre?