July 2012 Openings and Closings

[hiddenboston]

any upcoming openings/closings that you can think of?

I know that Amsterdam Falafelshop in Davis Square should be opening any day now....

[okra]

Skipjacks on Needham St in Newton has closed.

To our friends and loyal guests:

After being a part of the Newton community for many years we are sad to inform you that Skipjack's is now closed. We would like to thank everyone for their patronage over the last 15 years.

55 Needham St. has been purchased by a new owner and subsequently the lease has expired. As one chapter closes a new one opens for the development of this property.

http://newton.patch.com/articles/skip...

[TechieTechie]

Lordy...I waitressed at Skipjacks when it first opened. Man, I feel old :-(

[hotoynoodle]

the trader joe's in tyngsborough is closed and a new MUCH bigger one has opened across the border in nashua. it does sell wine and beer -- weirdly though, at about the same prices as their mass. locations, which doesn't seem right?

[jira]

I did not think New Hampshire was any less expensive than Massachusetts on alcohol, although they do have sales. They didn't have the restrictions on Sunday sales that Mass used to have. They located the State Liquor stores conveniently near the state borders, with easy highway access.

[Gordough]

Really? I find the prices in the New Hampshire run liquor stores for hard liquor to be on average10-20% less than they are in Greater Boston and even a bit more if you are comparing to liquor stores in downtown Boston or some of the more affluent Boston suburbs.

[mkfisher]

+1 on this. NH liquor stores are easily 30-40% less than the stores downtown. This goes for liquor and wine. There are some bottles we buy regularly in the city for $12-$14 that we get in NH state stores for $7-$9

[hotoynoodle]

my experience has been that without the added taxes, my purchases in nh are substantially cheaper -- often 40% less than i'd pay in boston. my b/f's house beer is harpoon ipa, which was $9 a six-pack at trader joe's yesterday. we can buy it at the hudson market basket for about $6.

my house vodka is absolut. i pay $25 for a 750 ml here, or $26 for a 1.5 up there. that has been the going price up there over a year, not on-sale.

there remain good wine bargains at tj's for cheapo stuff, but nothing that seems worth a special trip.

[jgg13]

It depends. You have to know what you're looking at. I've seen things that are much less expensive than my corner liquor store in Cambridge and I've seen things that are more expensive. You can't go in assuming everything is cheaper.

[kimfair1]

Exactly. There are plenty of deals to be had in NH liquor stores, but I've seen many items across the board that are cheaper at my local liquor store.

[pemma]

I don't think there is much difference between hard liquor prices between NH liquor stores and the big Kappy's at Wellington Circle.

[jomo9501]

According to a post on Craigslist, the Aquitaine Group is opening Cinquecerto, a Roman Trattoria, in the South End late summer.

[MC Slim JB]

That's in the old Rocca space. I wondered what was up with it, hadn't heard a peep from them in months on it.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[hotoynoodle]

around 6:30 yesterday walked by the patio of the old bina space on washington. what's it called finally? sip? avery bistro? the patio tables all were full, but people only had drinks? i know the store is open for take-out, but not quite sure when sip (?) is supposed to be a go? the tables inside were set with napkins and flatware, but no patrons were inside.

i'm dubious, at best, about this place, but will try it soon since i am down there so much.

[barleywino]

called Sip..tried the crispy calamari and the hanger steak, both not bad...avoid the lemon meringue pie

[hotoynoodle]

am a lemon meringue HATER, so no worries there.

did you have any drinks/wine?

[barleywino]

I had a glass of shiraz...not a craft cocktail kind of place

[hotoynoodle]

owned by max & dylan's i wasn't expecting craft cocktails, but thanks.

[barleywino]

They did have an extensive drink list and app list, I might try their guac next time

[mkfisher]

Bon Me has applied with the city of Cambridge to open their first brick and mortar store at One Kendall.

[MC Slim JB]

Damn, they trumped my new business idea.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[mkfisher]

Also this is just a guess, but I'm thinking they're looking at the space below West Bridge (not the former Think Tank space).

[postemotional1]

Betty's Asian Fusion on Huntington Ave. has a 'CLOSED INDEFINITELY' sign in the window and it appears that a lot of furnishings have been removed. Does anyone know anything about this?

[Jenny Ondioline]

I'd be thrilled if that blight on Huntington Ave is gone for good and replaced with something good. I'd love another option for symphony nights, but that place was so awful.

[kimfair1]

That would be excellent news, but only if something of quality replaces it.

[marais]

It was awful, because the version of cubano chino cuisine that supposedly inspired it at its opening was nothing close to that from the start (and having had real cubano chino from Cuban friends before Betty's opening, I can attest to that). At least 5 Guys will be opening up across the street.
I dunno, but I think a good Greek diner (better than Anne's which used to occupy the space for decades) should move in, or Lucy (Ethiopian) or Moby Dick (Persian) should move in and take the space. Any wishes for what should replace Betty's across from Symphony Hall?

[opinionatedchef]

phone message says closed forever.well darn. We loved their cool cukes, rodeo rings, chipotle orange shanghai noodles and coconut flan. Of all the restnts loved and hated on CH, this was, for me, the biggest CH anomoly>>Betty's was for us what Amigo Taqueria is to others; we liked the former, hated the latter, and many other CHs hated the former and love the latter. The quintessential example of 'one CH's ceiling is another CH's floor.'

(Kim, i didn't know you so disliked Betty's. I'm used to not having same taste as JO but i thought i pretty much concurred w/ your taste, Esperia et al...)

[kimfair1]

Yeah we ate there a few times years ago, and was unimpressed with the food and the service (especially when it took nearly 20 minutes to get my check one night when we had specifically mentioned that we had theater tickets). We've had our differences over the years OC, we agree on Esperia, but I know we have very different opinions on Hugo's in Portland, ME for example.

[opinionatedchef]

(ah so desu ne?) Oh, so that was you raving hugo's. i thought we agreed on the excellence of the food but i found it too "oh my precious" and you were fine w/ their portions.

[kimfair1]

That's probably a bit closer to reality! I'm fine with their (admittedly) small portions as I always get the 6 or 8 course tasting there, which is plenty of food for me.

[MC Slim JB]

Bento Express is now open at 62 Boylston, opposite the Common, in the old Beijing on the Common space. Japanese: snacks for $2-7, bento boxes $8-9, sushi $4-9, noodle and rice plates $7-9, ramen and udon $8-9. Counter service, fair amount of seating. Will have to give it a spin soon.

Meanwhile, looks like progress at Taiwan Cafe: paper off the windows, what looks to me like new furniture, but no other signs of life yet.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[barleywino]

Stopped by Shojo but they say there have been some delays (despite soft opening testimonials on yelp) so won't open until aug 8 or so

[Gordough]

Certainly far from a chow worthy destination (in fact, bordering on horrible) but the Natick outpost of Feng Shui on Route 9 west has closed. It was open for about a year. They must have spent a fortune on the build out of that space.

[MC Slim JB]

Thrillist Boston reports that the Fairmont Copley Plaza's revamped Oak Room / Oak Bar / Carousel Bar, now called the Oak Long Bar & Ktichen, will debut tonight:

http://www.thrillist.com/food/boston/ma/02116/back-bay/oak-long-bar-kitchen_bar-food_great-cocktails_latenight_lounges_outdoors_wine_american_brunch_comf

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[Dea]

There was a sign up on the space that used to house Cafe of India and a small clothing boutique on Brattle Street by Story Street in Harvard Square this morning. Apparently, Toscano is opening a second location there. The sign said they're planning to open this fall. This is a relief to me, as I was expecting more Harvard offices to take the space.

[postemotional1]

Durgin Park has been sold by Ark to Ashekenazy for $4 million according to last Friday's HERALD. Ark has been the owner/operator since 2007 when the Kelly family sold. Ark retained Seana Kelly as GM. It is unclear what will happen to the restaurant. Durgin Park was NOT owned by the city of Boston. Durgin Park and the adjoining J.J. Donavan's were essentially free standing properties. Durgin doesn't do the business that it did even a few years ago. Stay tuned.

[MC Slim JB]

If I'm reading that Herald story correctly, Ark did not sell the restaurant. Only the upper floors of the building, the ones that house Durgin-Park, have been sold. The partnership that owns J.J. Donovan's, the basement bar beneath Durgin-Park, was leasing those upper floors to Ark. They have sold only those floors to Ashkenazy, Faneuil Hall's operators.

So it just means that Ark has a new landlord, it's business as usual at Durgin-Park, and Donovan's is now the last part of the Quincy Market complex not owned by Ashkenazy.

http://www.bostonherald.com/business/real_estate/view/20220721faneuil_operator_feasts_on_durgin_4m_deal_for_marketplaceeatery_site/

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[hiddenboston]

God, I'm confused. So Ashkenazy bought the space, but not the restaurant? And one of the Kelleys is still involved, even though the Kelleys sold it to Ark a few years ago? I think I need a scorecard for this one.

[MC Slim JB]

Before: Ashkenazy owns all of Fanueil Hall except for three floors of one building that houses A.J. Donovans (basement) and Durgin-Park (top two floors). The Kelly partnership owns the Donovan's building and bar, and leases the top two floors to Ark, which owns and operates Durgin-Park.

After: Ashkenazy buys the top two floors above Donovan's from the Kelley partnership, which hangs onto the basement floor and the bar in it. Ark continues to own and operate Durgin-Park, but its lease is now held by new owner Ashkenazy.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[lergnom]

To be specific, AFAIK, Ashkenazy owns the lease rights for property that Boston owns. The lease has something like 60 years to run. So Ashkenazy is the tenant under the ground lease and is the landlord for the businesses.

They bought out the lease rights for the DP space. The price must reflect the value of rent due under DP's lease.

I assume Donovan's has a lease directly from Boston. I don't know that they actually own the property.

[Allstonian]

Not quite - according to the Herald article "[t]he city of Boston has owned the three long Faneuil Hall Marketplace buildings since the 1970s when they were redeveloped by Rouse Co. But there were exceptions: three contiguous sections of the five-story North Market building that remained in private hands through the years.

"The ownership quirk apparently accommodated Durgin-Park’s operation, but Ashkenazy’s acquisition means that the J.J. Donovan’s bar property next door stands as the sole remaining privately owned piece of the marketplace."

[Gordough]

Perhaps I missed it here but Boston.com is reporting that Bon Chon is opening a second Allston location in the old Kelly's space at the corner of Comm Ave and Harvard. Definitely not a July opening, however.

[kimfair1]

While I'm a big fan of Bon Chon, I don't really get the point of opening a second restaurant so close to the original.

[hiddenboston]

I hear the lines are insane at the one in Allston, so perhaps there's enough demand for two.

[viperlush]

Maybe the Harvard Sq location will help with that.

[kimfair1]

They are pretty busy, but since the old Kelly's space seems to me to be about the same size as the other Allston spot, I'm not sure the demand will be high enough for two. I only eat at the sushi bar or get delivery from the original location, so I'm not sure, but I don't think the Allston location has the in table barbeque grills that the harvard Sq location has. Perhaps they will be bringing those to the new spot?

[coolaugustmoon]

They are transferring (attempting at least) the liquor license to the Kelly's spot. Doubt they will keep the Brighton Ave location open.

[kobuta]

Agreed. Now if they were moving closer to me in Quincy on the other hand...

[Luther]

Because I don't like waiting 45+ minutes for my bull dak and wings and mayo'd-up maki!

[total13]

Did anyone mention that Red Sky by F. Hall has closed? The sign says to contact The Brahmin for any catering/party needs.

[okra]

Unique Food, Harvard Ave, Allston

Closed ?

[Luther]

It was open Tuesday around 7pm

[Allstonian]

Also open last night (Thursday) shortly before 6 pm. So they may not have happened to be open when you walked by, but no, they don't appear to have closed for good.

[okra]

Ahhh, I walked by Thursday at lunchtime - my bad for assuming, but I know their history....

[Allstonian]

I have a nagging feeling this has come up before, possible in an offline conversation with a friend. Weirdly enough, they may not be open at lunchtime, but only in the late afternoon. Googling comes up with a handful of hits that suggest they don't open until 3 PM.

[Allstonian]

If so, that's again. It closed down in June or July 2011 and reopened around the beginning of this year, but while lipoff reported a wonderful spicy beef noodle soup at that time, other visitors such as tatsu and taralli had mediocre-at-best meals.
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/828412

[Bob Dobalina]

Just cross-referencing: East Asia in Somerville is closed.

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/859317

[Luther]

...supposedly for a 1-month vacation.

[MC Slim JB]

Per Yelp Talk, Buddy's Diner, long better-known as Buddy's Truck Stop, has been closed by the IRS, big "Seized" stickers all over it.

A shame: that was the last place in Boston I knew of where regulars dined "on the cuff": the owner just kept track of what they ate every day and they settled weekly.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[mats77]

Sounds like it was this type of record keeping that got the owner in trouble. Sad nonetheless.

[theuninvitedguest]

Otto Pizza is advertising open positions for a new restaurant to open on the BU campus at 888 Commonwealth Avenue (likely where Upper Crust used to be).

[kobuta]

Not a restaurant, but there's supposed to be a new Asian grocery store opening up across the way from Kam Man in Quincy.

[mwk]

in theory I like that idea, but it practice it will mean I will need to plan my day if I expect to drive down Quincy Avenue on a Saturday...

[tammyh]

Alere to open in Brookline Village. If it's as big as the article states, it's going to dwarf everything else in the Village. http://bostonrestaurants.blogspot.com...

(crap, now I see it's old news ... either way, I've been wondering what's going into that space. so far, it's just being cleaned out for reconstruction.)

[Prav]

Wow, seating for 189 people in quiet brookline village? multiple levels? why, and where will people park?

[hiddenboston]

Don't ask me, I only wrote the article. ;-) Seriously, I was thinking the same thing. When we go to Family Restaurant or Sichuan Garden, we sometimes have to circle a few times to find a spot. Parking could definitely be an issue.

[Bob Dobalina]

Park in Newton and take the T?

[tammyh]

you can park on the residential streets, too ... for up to 2 hours (officially).

I guess they're hoping to attract people from Longwood. I've seen quite a few workers in scrubs make their way over to the Village for lunch.

[Berheenia]

There's plenty of parking on Pearl St plus paid parking in the garages there. Maybe they'll work out a deal with validated parking. Back in the day when there was Hearthstone Plaza there was a movie theater and a steak house and there was parking in the garage.

[Matt H]

Nice, another name to throw out to distract people when they recommend the Smokehouse.

[opinionatedchef]

tammy, what space is it?thx.

[lergnom]

It's the 3 story brick building which once upon a time held Davio's and was the Village Coach House before that and then became offices. Facing the Japanese market, it's the building on the right.

[tammyh]

yah, I figured it was that space. I saw some work being done on the space on Friday--a company specializing in some sort of building cleaning/chemical-removal was there. seems like it's in the early stages of reconstruction.

[mvi]

Kindred coming to Davis Square, offering "hyper-local" take out food. Sounds like it won't be happening for a little while, but sounds interesting for people on the go.

http://boston.eater.com/archives/2012...

[opinionatedchef]

'hyper local' has me grimacing and laughing simultaneously ; i bet CHs could come up w/ some pretty funny definitions for this ! (all i can conjure is a rooftop garden but that isn't even funny.)

[MC Slim JB]

Let's see: you nibble the corn right off the still-growing stalk? Milk straight from the cow's udder?

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[EYErishprEYEd]

Almost sprayed coffee all over my monitor, just now. Sounds like something out of a Portlandia episode.

[maxinboston]

They actually plant the produce at your table while you watch, and you get to sit there, water it, and watch it grow until it's ready to eat! Farm-to-tableside.

[tammyh]

oh, I was thinking they were harvesting from the streets right outside ... y'know: food wrapped in leaves from the tree down the street. water filtered from the puddle outside the door.

[LStaff]

Don't forget the smoked offerings from Redbone's dumpster.

[hckybg]

They just feed you the seeds.

[passing thru]

ha. you shouldn't be wasting these ideas on a bulletin board, you should be out looking for restaurant vc's to sucker!

[hyde]

no more stray cats in davis square!

[Uncle Yabai]

I guess they've set up a farm and vegetable garden on that playground/park/"green space" thingie at the corner of Highland Ave. and College Ave!

[EYErishprEYEd]

According to their Facebook page, the Bearded Pig in Union Sq., Somerville, is hoping to open by the end of next week, "if all goes according to plan".

[itaunas]

Apparently they are now open:

http://www.thebeardedpig.com/index.php

[MC Slim JB]

Chocolee, which seems to have pretty limited hours anyway, is closed through the end of July.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[barleywino]

the old China Pearl Cafe (next door to China Pearl) is being replaced by Shojo, a more "modern" concept supposedly, targeting opening in about a week. PS. Winsor is closed until July 23.

[viperlush]

Yoki (Japanese and sushi) has opened in Central Square in the old Floating Rock location. Interested to see how this affects Monkfish.

[coolaugustmoon]

and the Ming Tsai rumors are true... http://bostonherald.com/business/gene...

[MC Slim JB]

Herald reader comments can be painful, but I liked this one, "Can't wait to try the fake butter fish, Yummy."

Also, it notes the pending opening of another Seaport restaurant to be called "Internal Matter". Hmm. Hope that's a working title.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[hiddenboston]

Maybe the owner (who's a professional photographer) was asked by the newspapers if he was indeed opening a restaurant and he said, "That's an internal matter" and they misunderstood.

[Luther]

Organ meats specialist restaurant?

[HeinzGirl]

Not sure if this has been mentioned yet, but the old Palm space in the Copley Westin is under construction to become a Brazilian Steakhouse, Fogo de Chao.

http://www.fogodechao.com/home/

[MC Slim JB]

One expensive chain replacing another. It's a churrascaria rodizio charging something like $50-$60/pp. Has anyone ever been to one of their 17 or so other US locations? There's another seven in Brazil, too. They were shooting for an end-of-summer opening.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[viperlush]

Haven't been but I've heard that the bread and salad bar are the best parts of the meal. And that lunch is the better deal, but fewer meats are offered.

[mwk]

There are so many good, local Churrascaria rodizio places around here, and the prices are very reasonable. I imagine only the tourists will frequent this one.

[itaunas]

I have commented for a while that it was unusual that none of the chain churrascarias had set their eyes Boston yet. I have only been to their original Dallas location in the US and that was many years ago, but have dined several times at their Santo Amaro location in Sao Paulo. I would doubt the local restaurant has anything to do with where the equity firm is headquartered and more with their general expansion plans (the founders discovered financing terms were much better in the US, so that is where they grew the brand and even though they left it was the direction).

In Brazil they focused on the meats and have contributed to raising the quality of higher-end rodizios overall, although their success is due to business smarts and constency (value well raised meats, service, wines), as opposed to specialty meats which other high end churrascarias dabble in -- Imported (Uruguay or Argentina), dry aged, less common animals (boar, frogs legs), or young ("novilho" or "leitao"). There are also others with more over the top buffets (including Plataforma in the US).

Here in the US meats are more consistent overall and frankly I think a lot of their success is from some of the gimmicks -- the red/green system, the bombachas (pants), cheese bread and large salad bar. I haven't had a truely bad experience and I think its better overall than Texas de Brazil (plus they seem to use charcoal more). The differences between them and our slightly upscale churrascarias (Midwest, Rodeo) would primarily be the much larger buffet, a few additional cuts, and the larger wine list. With Beef ribs they do a cut of ribs (in Brazil its the first 5 ribs the costela de diantero) to mimic a whole slab which you won't see elsewhere locally (you will see more likely costela de ripa and Midwest only does pork ribs). They also offer fraldinha, which in the US is probably skirt and most other local churrascarias overlook this. There are some other cuts and seasonings of picanha (called top sirloin) -- Braza bar and grill in Everett was also doing this. At least in Brazil they are serving a steak cut from the shoulder clod, although perhaps not the most interesting for BBQ fans because its the same used by some other chains as a replacement for filet. They do not offer chicken hearts, which is one difference from any other local churrascaria. Consistency is going to depend on who is roasting/serving the meats, how busy they are, and frankly if you are insistent about what you want (which meants, how done) which is important at any churrascaria. It will be interesting to see if they go with a charcoal churrasqueira or gas. In any case, do as Gabatta says and throw away the red/green button and tell the servers to bring you what you want.

So they will offer something different than other local places, its certainly more business friendly than many of the more ethnic places. Ages ago I would have predicted that "New England individuality" would have shunned chain steak houses, but have been proven wrong at all price points in Boston. :-\ The same beef cuts they offer are available to other churrascarias (although they probably use choice, others may use select or no-roll beef) and if you are willing to do a bit of cutting, can do your own. Incidentally something they do offer which is different is chimarrao (aka erva mate) which none of the others offer as far as I know.

As for local hounds just looking to chow, there are other options and if you add in parking it can be significant. If you just want to chow on picanha for cheap, check out Oliveira's in Somerville (where cafe belo was), Braza Grill in Everett, Gauchao (by weight, but get one fixed-price marmitex w/o churrasco and buy your churrasco separately), Bossa Nova in Malden. Maybe Valentim although I had a price-switching incident there. You can find deals and most of those use charcoal (not certain about Bossa Nova). Chicken Hearts don't bother with Fogo de Chao, but you can get a plate of those with fried yuca at Midwest in the bar. If your heart is on the buffet wait for it or even better pack a picnic to the esplenade, harbor islands, Decordova from Courthouse, salumeria italiana, Formagio, Capone's, Arax, etc. You can grab a bag of cheese bread from Panificadora Modelo for less than $10 and eat those warm in the car en route. You can even find a local "baile gaucho" such as at Anthony's Club in Somerville if you want to see traditional Southern Brazil costumes and dances. For a fraldinha craving Tango does a nice skirt, plus you have Grill 23 for a business or special occasion option (prime skirt) and their "Kobe cap" is much more interesting than just picanha trimmings -- a couple could get both and spend less than Fogo de Chao. The ribs are a bit harder unless you make them yourself, but meaty racks of ribs in the US are much easier to buy than in Brazil (and its not churrasco, but roasting them in a 170o oven with coarse salt is satisfying enough in the depths of winter).

[MC Slim JB]

Whoa! An education, as always: thanks, itaunas!

On another note, BoMa in the South End papers to be making progress: serious construction work going on in there.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[Gabatta]

Blech. I went twice to the Chicago location, once for a business dinner and once for a guys dinner, as a steakhouse alternative. I would much have preferred a steakhouse both times.

I found most of the meat to be garbage to average. By the 2nd visit I had learned to flip the disc to red permanently indicating I didn't want any more meat, opting instead to flag down the guy with the house special sirloin (or whatever they called it). This was the only good cut of meat I had there.

[mkfisher]

For what it's worth, Fogo de Chao was acquired by Thomas H Lee (Boston based private equity firm) back in May. I don't know how long this place has been in the works, but the fact that the new owners are based here probably had some influence on this new outpost.

[hckybg]

*Moves Fogo de Chao over to "local" category*

[MC Slim JB]

Wolfie's Kitchen and Bar in Southie has opened in the old Kelly's Landing Space (81 L Street). That renovation seemed endless.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[hiddenboston]

It reopened? I know that Wolfie's had a change in personnel, but didn't realize it had closed for a spell.

[MC Slim JB]

The "finally open" reports from locals suggest that it had a long renovation hiatus; it also looks like it has closed and re-opened twice since it first took over the space last summer.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[hiddenboston]

Twice?! Yikes, that can't be good for anybody.

[Guinness02122]

The much improved Telegraph Hill had a fire about six weeks ago. The last time I checked they were closed. I wonder if they're gone for good.

[MC Slim JB]

Prezza closed till further notice due to an early-morning kitchen fire.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[Northender]

I hope some smart bar/restaurant manager hires on (at least temporarily) Lisa and Natalie who are two great Prezza bartenders

[chuck s]

Maybe this appeared in June but I just noticed that Ginza on Beason St. has auction signs in the window.

[lergnom]

Ginza is gone and will be replaced by a Japanese barbecue chain called Gyu Kaku. This is their 1st NE location. Plan to open before end of year and will expand into the cleaners space on the corner, which has been owned by the same person. Specializes in Yakiniku food cooked at the table but has a large menu.

[meeps2002]

Why did Ginza close?

[lergnom]

The owner was quoted as saying they wanted out before they lost money. I guess an offer came along and they owned the space.

[mabelm4050]

Presto in Cleveland Circle has closed, or is this older news? I was sad to walk by today and see they had closed. I favored their sicilian slices to Pinos, and thought the service was friendlier than Pinos.

[MC Slim JB]

I hadn't noticed, but apparently Presto closed in June. Pino's is still going, for whatever that's worth.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[L2k]

Just saw this, I'm devestated.

I still say Presto was better. Not sure what I'm going to do next time I'm in the 'Circ.

[carneyvore]

Looks as if Midtown Smokehouse, formerly Village Fish, in Needham has closed.

[Bob Dobalina]

Looks like Sweet Peach Diner on Trapelo in Belmont is getting close to opening. Signage up and they were holding a private event this morning when I drove by. This is the space formerly occupied by Andros Diner, which closed I believe due to tax liens with the city.

[opinionatedchef]

wow, this will be interesting; any news of who they are/ what it will be like? Diners are rare things to open here.

[FoodDabbler]

Did Andros not know that all they needed to do was to ask others to pay their taxes?

[Bob Dobalina]

A Toscanini's reference... Never did quite understand how they got away with that.

[allthebest]

Just saw the posting on Facebook that they're open. Can't wait to try it.

[Taralli]

http://www.wickedlocal.com/belmont/ne...

[LStaff]

I have high hopes that they make a decent breakfast - as the area needs better breakfast joints than what's currently available.

[MC Slim JB]

Thrillist is reporting a soft opening of next Tuesday for Vejigantes, the new Puerto Rican place from the folks behind Merengue, in the former home of Botucatu / Don Ricardo's in the South End.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[meeps2002]

Heard a few rumors last night while out....

Mantra space was being scoped out by Mistral folks

McFadden's may have lost their license, so that prime location might be up for grabs...interesting and worth following.

Anyone have more information on either of these?

[hiddenboston]

Has McFadden's been closed for awhile now? Someone told me this may be the case, but I haven't had a chance to check.

[Groverific]

They closed the one in Providence as well. They closed without notice (to employees, at least) about a week ago.

[LuisaMex]

hi everyone, new to ChowHound, relatively new to Boston, from California. My news: Villa Mexico Cafe is STILL at the gas station and will remain there until the construction begins-if it begins at all. However, they are still looking for other spots to move out when they are given the notice to evacuate.

[mvi]

I had lunch at Harvest in Harvard Square yesterday. My friend was late, so I chatted with the hostess. She said that Dante de Magistris of Dante in Cambridge will be taking over the Casablanca space. This was news to me. Not sure what will happen to those murals or if he will be leaving the space he currently operates. Anyone know anything about this? I enjoy his food.

[Gabatta]

That would be a very welcome addition to the neighborhood!

[MC Slim JB]

Reported but unconfirmed. I will speculate that Il Casale and Dante would remain open.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[MC Slim JB]

Per Eater Boston, City Landing (in the original Sel de la Terre location near the Aquarium) will open the week after next.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[opinionatedchef]

didn't know about sel closing. must remember that for visitor restnt advice. They're not moving this outpost elsewhere? thx.

[MC Slim JB]

They sold the State Street location; Mandarin Hotel one is still going.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[MC Slim JB]

Universal Hub reports The Stockyard in Brighton has closed. Appears it has changed hands and will reopen in a few months. No word in the concept, owner rumored to be the Wesr on Centre / Blarney Stone folks.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[Jenny Ondioline]

Huh. It was by no means great, but I always liked that place. It reminded me of a lot of the places my family ate in when I was a kid. That's too bad.

[kimfair1]

We live near by, and it always held a strange place in our hearts. It will be sad to see it gone. We were wondering what was up as the lot has been empty since the 4th or so.

[pemma]

I haven't been there is a couple of years or so, but I always liked the "old-schoolness" about the place.

[gourmaniac]

I will miss the Stockyard as well. It was a step up from the Franks and Jimmy's but still affordable. It was my old neighborhood and an occasional birthday treat. I noticed then it was decreasing quality and quantity and stopped going (10 years ago). Still it's sad to see it go.

[MC Slim JB]

I have a few fond memories of the Stockyard, but it's been a long time since I've been back. Comments I've seen elsewhere on its closing suggest that the quality took a nose dive a couple of years back.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[eatntell]

Back when there was no gray in my hair and no Jacksons in my wallet, I used to pick up a frozen entree from Stockyard on my way home after work. Their creamed scallops and lasagna beat the heck out of Stouffers'. Then the quality started to slip, followed by the disappearance of the frozen entrees. Fond memories, sad to see it go.

[Luther]

Stockyard was great until their renovation about 5 years ago. When they reopened, they'd made the lighting brighter, lost a lot of the "old style" charm, plus they jacked up the prices and took a lot of the best steaks off the menu. IIRC they used to sell a very well-priced T-bone or porterhouse which then vanished in favor of the new prime rib-focused menu

[galangatron]

fedala halal restaurant is set to open near the corner of beach street and north shore road in revere. signs in the window advertise kabobs, shawarma, and tagines

[mkfisher]

Eater is reporting that Belly Wine Bar will open in Kendall Square by mid August. Anyone have a clue where it'll be? My wife and I have been saying for quite some time that the One Kendall complex could use a nice wine/cheese/organic grocery type place. Though I'd prefer that, this place sounds quite promising. I know there is free space below West Bridge (now a temporary art installation), as well as the old Think Tank space.

http://boston.eater.com/archives/2012...

[opinionatedchef]

mk, think tank closed?

[MC Slim JB]

Think Tank did close. Wasn't pretty. (Rarely is.)

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[purple bot]

Did it ever open? Wasn't that the place that flooded just before they opened, or something?

[jgg13]

It reopened a few months later. Never took off, I enjoyed my few experiences there but IMO they were too scattered in terms of theme and the space was awkward

[Boston_Otter]

The big loss is that Think Tank hosted Brother Cleve behind the bar for Tiki Tuesdays every week, and he had a nice menu of authentic tiki drinks. I'm hoping somewhere else in the area will jump on that idea and actually do it right rather than the haphazard job Think Tank did.

[MC Slim JB]

Cleve is doing Tiki Tuesdays every week at Noir through the end of the summer.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[devilham]

Brother Cleve is the man, he used to work at Looney Tunes, next to where I worked in the early 90's, and he was doing the Tiki thing way back then too...even did a stage show thingy at the Paradise, with polynesian style stuff everywhere...it was really neat (at least I am pretty sure BC was involved with that), and a lot of fun

[jgg13]

Only made it to one of those. We didn't pay attention when we went in and just grabbed empty seats at the bar. One side of the bar was crowded, one was empty - that should have been a sign. Well, Cleve was on the other end and the guy we had was very much *not* brother cleve. That has nothing to do w/ why we only went once, but it was disappointing.

[cannedmilkandfruitypebbles]

I will miss Think Tank. Much preferred it to Flattop Johnnies, where they always seem to be out of just about everything you'd want to drink, Tommy's poor kid college vibe, and CBC's bland atmosphere. But, yes, the space was odd ( I thought in a good way), the food was spotty, and the bartending was horrendous... inexcusably so. At least they can make a good drink at West Bridge.

[MC Slim JB]

Think Tank had one outstanding bartender, Brother Cleve, but only occasionally. West Bridge has a terrific cocktail program. The less said about Tommy Doyle's, the better.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[jgg13]

It wasn't very good and I don't know what I'd think if it were still there now but I kind of miss Coyote. I'm pretty sure that I'd at least prefer it over Tommy Doyle's.

I loathed CBC around the turn of the century. Generic late 90s brewpub beer and yuck food. Their beer has become quite good (at least w/ the non-standard stuff) and IMO the food is at least better than it was before.

I've only been to flattop johnnies a handful of times over the years and always had the same experience that cannedmilk had w/ them being out.

Still have yet to hit up West Bridge.

[Unfoodie]

The few times I saw Cleve at Think Tank he was excruciatingly slow and seemed lost behind the bar. Although his knowledge and charm made up for it even when he would drink the remainder of a cocktail directly from the shaker.

[jody]

Columbus Cafe - restaurant is completely empty. No sign.

[lc02139]

Pigtrip.net is reporting a second location of Soul Fire bbq in Brigham Circle is opening soon.

[Taralli]

Soulfire is open as of today, 7/9/12.

[maillard]

I believe Amsterdam Falafelshop is opening today. I'm going to head down there at lunch and see. Hopefully it'll be as delicious as the DC location!

[opinionatedchef]

how was it maillard?the menu of sauces etc. looks really good! is it across the street from starbucks?

http://www.falafelshop.com/files/docs...

[Parsnipity]

Same side of the street as Starbucks- in the old Diva Lounge space. Yesterday I had a single falafel (had already eaten) which they weren't sure how to charge for, so I got for free. Many salad/sauce items, no labels yet on the saucing bar so not sure what they all were. Falafel was nicely fried, hot and flavorful.

[Giglio]

Bottega Fiorentina location on Newbury street is now closed. The original on Coolidge Corner is open as it has been since 1994

[MC Slim JB]

Per Eater Boston, that Bottega Fiorentina is now Trattoria Newbury: same owner, very similar menu, merely a break in its affiliation with the Coolidge Corner original.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[Eatin in Woostah]

Not sure if this has already been reported. We tried to go to Pedro's in Billerica last night, but it was gone. Sign in the window said, "Coming soon, Max & Dylan's." Very sad - Pedro's had excellent arepas.

[ipsofatso]

Riverside Bistro in Essex appears headed for a July opening; former site of the Conomo Cafe. It is across from Woodman's.

[opinionatedchef]

If this i the same business as the one in newbport, it looks to be just standard Amer brkfst and lunch. yes?

[itaunas]

Oliveira's Brazilian Steak House has opened in the former Cafe Belo space on Washington Street in Somerville, just past McGrath Hwy heading towards Charlestown. They have some July specials including the rodizio at $16.99 dinner and $14.99 lunch. I believe this is the Oliveira's in East Boston and Peabody, which is related to but independent from Oliveira's Restaurant in Everett.

La Perle Caribbean (Haitian) Restaurant opened on Bow St just off Rt 99 in Everett. Menu looks pretty interesting with some daily specials, lots of snacks, and even a "Pu Pu Platter." Not certain about the last offering, but everything else interested me.

Tropical Cafe the Brazilian soup, salgadinho, prato feito, etc restaurant also reopened a long-closed diner car on Rt 99/Broadway close to the Rt 16 rotary in Everett. Seems like a theme since they had taken over Lloyd's Diner in Framingham, before moving to a larger location. Haven't tried it, but enjoyed their offerings at the original location in Marlborough. At Lloyds they also offered an American style brunch, but no idea if they will do that here.

A restaurant which was a hot dog stand and breakfast restaurant at different times across from the Everett high football stadium is "coming soon" as Casella's Fine Wines and Liquors (Some other options around. I know some hounds like Costco nearby for dogs, but I am curious to try Bo-jo's on Beacham and forgot to make a detour there! Dom's sells their sausages if you head out Commercial street and sometimes grills outside)

[Luther]

Here's La Perle's menu:
http://laperleboston.com/menu/

[justbeingpolite]

Cafe Darling has opened in Bedford. A little muffin and cupcake shop. Lots of varieties, they offer 7 each day from the menu. Very small, but moist and tasty, with interesting flavors: cupcakes: rum coconut cupcake, pineapple banana, boston creme,and muffins like: cranberry with a cinamon topping, chocolate chip, and popovers with maple butter or strawberry preserves. Can't remember others. At a couple of bucks a muffin or cupcake not cheap for the size, but very tasty. I'll try 'em again.

[Bob Dobalina]

That pricing does not sound any worse than Flour or Hi-(p)Rise.

[justbeingpolite]

True, but it's in Bedford.

[fantundo]

Where in Bedford?

[justbeingpolite]

Next to the gas station on the South side of the Great Road, just before the town center

[Stride]

Brunello Bistro, which supposedly was going to morph into Brunello Brazilian Steakhouse and Buffet following a facelift, now has a "For Lease" sign in the window.

This space has been many things; wonder what's next?

[somervilleoldtimer]

I miss Bickfords, which used to be in that space for many years.

[Parsnipity]

Someone answered the phone at Amsterdam Falafel yesterday (yes, July 4th!) and said they were doing a soft opening Sun night and will be open for business on Monday.

[MC Slim JB]

Yakitori Zai is closed untll Friday, July 6, at which point its menu will expand to include a bunch of a la carte items.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[Matt H]

And word on what their hours are this weekend? The website is not all that helpful.

[Mike5966]

Was there last night. Tsukune with onsen egg was great. They said they were gonna close at 10 or 11 PM that night, can't remember. Regular weekday hours may be different.

[CookieLee]

Dante Yogurt Bar opened on Comm Ave, near Harvard St, in what was a Bank of America ATM kiosk.

[MC Slim JB]

Galleria Umberto'a summer holiday hiatus runs through July 30.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[Fort Point]

Local South Boston rumor is that Ming Tsai is looking to open a restaurant in the Fort Point channel area; possibly in the empty Hav a Bite space at the corner of A and Melcher. He was very recently spotted in the area.

[hiddenboston]

Hmmmm, well, there was talk of an "iron chef" possibly being involved in the opening of a restaurant around the Seaport District, but maybe these are two different rumors.

[deglazer]

I lived at that corner for years in the 90s. What is Hav a Bite? Is that the A Street Deli space?

[Fort Point]

My recollection is Hav A Bite was the name of the restaurant when we moved into the area in the mid 80's. It went out of business and was replaced I believe by A Street Deli.

[deglazer]

Thanks! Did not know that.

[MC Slim JB]

Just gotta say, deglazer, that The Pixies start running through my head every time you post here, for which I am grateful.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[deglazer]

slicing up eyeballs
I want you to know

Weird sort of random handle, but it definitely was a Pixies reference in my mind. With a cooking spin. Glad it brings you a small bit of pleasure.

[Fort Point]

Actually after it closed I think the sign was changed to Had A Bite

[chuck s]

It'a on A St. at the corner of Melcher.

[BC1994]

Any word on what is going in to where the old Kirkland bar was, next to Dali? Looks like it is under construction.

We were at Dali the other day and overheard the bartender there say (I believe) that an Italian restaurant was going in there...?

[MC Slim JB]

Last I heard, it was going to be something called the Deco Cafe, with a Euro / Eclectic kind of menu, if memory serves, but I haven't heard a peep about it in months.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[hckybg]

The construction hasn't budged in months, either. Here's a 2010 article about Deco. That was a while ago now...
http://www.wickedlocal.com/somerville...

[yarm]

That is odd especially after they did all that work to update water/sewer lines going/leaving there. The side walk was torn up for a few days when they did that work. And getting that done to please the city isn't cheap...

http://cocktailvirgin.blogspot.com/

[hazel240]

The exterior work that they did (some decorative stone/granite work) was taken down last week. doesn't look like anything is going on in the space anymore.

[muscles_marinara]

I live in the building across the street. Looks like there are some people in and out of there periodically. They took the marble slabs down off of the columns only about 24 hours after one of the middle ones fell and shattered on the sidewalk. The work definitely isn't going anywhere close to as quickly as it was, but I don't think it has totally stopped.

[muscles_marinara]

Just saw the door open a couple of days ago, seemed to be some construction manager types milling about. Looks like they've done pretty extensive framing inside but no finish work.

[bear]

Ocean State Job Lot in the Shaw's plaza on River St. in Waltham has a sign saying they are opening on Tuesday (today). It's fun to walk around their food area and look for interesting, inexpensive things. I've picked up jars of caperberries and other pickled foods at very reasonable prices.

[Jenny Ondioline]

Oh, that'll be a fun addition to that area. Cool!

[MC Slim JB]

Franklin Cafe South End is closed July 2-5 for renovations.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[Beachowolfe]

Did you post this as a "closed for (cough) renovations" or were they actually just closed for renovations?

[yarm]

One of the Franklin Southie bartenders checked in tonight via the OnTheBar app so it's open tonight, July 6th, as promised. The Franklin/Citizen/Tasty Burger empire is growing, not shrinking.

http://cocktailvirgin.blogspot.com/

[mvi]

I walked by the old Bosphorus location on Cambridge Street today. The door was wide open, and there were people hard at work in there. The place was all torn up. Not sure what is happening, but there was activity. Anyone have an update? Have I missed something?

[MC Slim JB]

That's the future home of bridgestreet, the new restaurant from Will Gilson, ex- Garden at The Cellar. Some details here: http://blogs.bostonmagazine.com/chowder/2012/03/08/details-on-bridgestreet-will-gilsons-upcoming-cambridge-restaurant/

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[mvi]

Oh, thanks! Will keep an eye peeled for more news of this space. Appreciate it.

[Bob Dobalina]

110 seats in Inman - that's impressive.

[hckybg]

It's hard to tell if they are taking the space that was once supposed to be Akimenko Meats. It doesn't seem that the dividing wall has been taken out, but the construction seems big enough and 110 seats suggests a bigger space than Bosphorus (or a very different use of the space).