October 2012 Openings and Closings

[hiddenboston]

Yup, it's October already (September seemed to go by really quickly this year, but maybe it's just me). What are some restaurants that may be opening or closing this month? A few possible openings I can think of include Vine Brook Tavern in Lexington, Steel and Rye in Milton, and Kareem's in Watertown. As far as closings, it looks like Saporito's in Hull could be shutting down soon. Any others?

[meeps2002]

I may just be over looking this one - but anyone know what's going on with Vlora on Boylston? It looks like it's under major construction.

[hiddenboston]

Last I heard, they were renovating and should be open by now, but maybe not, huh?

[meeps2002]

I walked by on Thursday of last week and it looked to be under construction still. Probably just some delays.

I was hoping it might turn into something new - like a Lower Depths or unique alternative.

[bluerib]

sign in Carrie Ann's Diner, Rte 135/Waverly St, Framingham says closed for business 10/15/12

[nsenada]

Bummer - I thought their donuts were pretty good.

[devilham]

Cafe Rialto in Roslindale is closing Saturday I guess. Can't say I'm surprised as there hours had gone kind of hinky lately, but that being said, I am saddened. The pizza was pretty excellent, and they had a nice beer selection. Me and my son (a pizza fiend) would eat here some saturdays, and always enjoyed the pie. Pizza was reminiscent of the Pleasant up the street, but I thought a bit better actually.

[ChemGuy]

Tonic in JP is officially closed for good. (Got info from a good source which came from the arrogant owner.)

[MC Slim JB]

A shame. It seemed like a bold experiment. Not sure what the real backstory there is, but I tend to think the owner didn't have the courage of his original convictions to do something very different for the neighborhood. Clearly a big disconnect between the opening chef, whose food I mostly liked while noting some inconsistency in execution, and what the owner hoped for.

Maybe there was also a little too much of the urban nightclub in the decor and overloud, cheesy house-music videos on the TVs. I suspect the final straw was that the food costs of doing fresh, original fare was not something the owner anticipated, or the chef effectively managed, or both. Starting a new restaurant is really hard.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[hiddenboston]

The last post on their FB page is from earlier this month, saying that they will be closed until the end of October due to some kind of medical reasons. Nothing at all from either the Tonic folks or their followers since then.

[skc]

Oh well. I walked by last night, out of curiosity, and there was an official-looking letter posted next to the "Closed Temporarily" sign. I couldn't read it (the frosting on the glass door obscured the text) but I recognized official City letterhead and a "received on" stamp. Any thoughts on what that could be?

[FinnFPM]

I have yet to see anyone mention this, but there is a new banh mi shop downtown called "Banh Mi House" in the dumpy little marketplace at 48 Winter Street, right across from Falafel King.

Anyone tried this? Sandwiches are $3.99 -- $4.25 with tax. I walked by today, but only had $4 in my wallet, and I felt a little silly contemplating getting a banh mi on Temple Place when Chinatown is only an extra ten minutes' walk away.

[FinnFPM]

I decided to stop into this place today entirely of my own accord today, though the owner may or may not have made a post yesterday -- now deleted -- asking for peoples' opinions. I don't know. I cannot confirm. Very friendly owner though!

Anyhow, it's a good banh mi; I tried the grilled beef, because that's the classic Chinatown banh mi in my opinion (the "classic" here is ham). I always compare these to Mei Sum's. Ban Mi House's beef seems more fried than grilled. It's very small, very thin, very crispy strips of it. The flavor's great for what it is, but it's almost like a shredded jerky, and I prefer a more substantive, juicy texture like Mei Sum.

The roll is also just a little more roll-ish -- more bread flavor, a little chewier -- than I would like, and I wanted it to have more cilantro (a banh mi should have a lot of it!) and more spice (they consider sriracha to be "mild" and jalepeno to be "hot" -- I got hot, but it was pretty mild, not that Mei Sum's spicy is super-spicy either).

Anyway, the most interesting thing to me about this place is that their banh mi is $4.25, whereas in Chinatown, it's $3.00. I don't know how many of their potential customers know that; I doubt many people will leave Chinatown for banh mi house, but will there be any people who pass up BMH for Chinatown?

You could set up a pretty nice arbitrage game here: go to Chinatown, get 20 banh mi for $60, sell them for $3.75 outside BMH, make $15 profit, repeat. It's a nice way to spend a few hours, until Dan Andelman swoops in on a Segway and stages a citizens arrest.

[devilham]

"until Dan Andelman swoops in on a Segway and stages a citizens arrest"

I am laughing out loud at my cube right now

[jgg13]

Something tells me that this will be ever so slightly less chow-worthy than YumeWoKatare but noticed today that there's a sign up in the strip mall on somerville ave where Seabra is for a chinese place named "Chow n' Joy". Peeking in the window it looked like it'd be more of a take out operation and it looked like it was pretty close to opening.

[MC Slim JB]

Saddened to hear that Locke-Ober is closing after tonight. That's the end of an era in Boston fine dining. Glad I got there for lunch this spring, and to a Boston Cocktail Summit event there recently.

Sic transit gloria.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[Uncle Yabai]

Is it "closing closing" or just going through one of its many "resting" phases? Personally, I miss Yvonne's, the speakeasy in the back. That's been gone for a long time.

[hotoynoodle]

it is sad, but you and i both get teary over the ritz no longer having a dress code. ;)

it's more than time that space was re-imagined. plus, at this point, anything off the street and so hidden away is in a perilous location.

[Bob Dobalina]

Article on the closing - sounds like it is for good.

http://www.boston.com/metrodesk/2012/...

[ScotchandSirloin]

I'm pretty sad about this. A spring 3 martini lunch of JFK Lobster stew followed by soft shelled crabs (despite the fact that the new chef started frying them instead of sauteeing them, as was done for decades before), was one of my favorite Boston meals. The restaurants most closely associated with my childhood (South Pacific in Newton) and early adulthood (Locke Ober) have closed in the course of a month. Gone to the big Pu Pu Platter and Liver and Onions in the sky.

[greenzebra]

Not an October opening exactly, but worth reporting. According to their Facebook page, it looks like Paul Christie, formerly of Gargoyles, will be behind the bar at Spoke Wine Bar in Davis when it opens (probably in late November or December). I figured this would be welcome news to at least a few Chowhounds.

[Boston_Otter]

That's awesome news. I know he was looking at starting his own place -- but this is even better.

[Parsnipity]

Is this going to be owned by the Dave's Fresh Pasta team? I know they have been planning to expand into a wine bar for a long time. I hope if Paul's there they will give him something other than wine to pour-- it would seem a waste of his talents!

[maillard]

According to their facebook page, they will have cocktails.

[greenzebra]

Yes, this is the one owned by the Dave's Fresh Pasta team. From what I've heard, while the focus will be on wines, they are definitely planning on pouring cocktails and will have short, but carefully selected, menu of classics.

[camberville]

In this Eater Boston interview, David Dubois says Tasty Burger Harvard Square is aiming for the end of the month or early November. Also, it will be open until 4 a.m.

http://m.boston.eater.com/archives/20...

[mkfisher]

Not October related per se, but the sign reading "Closed for repairs" has been taken off the Think Tank door. From what I can tell there's been zero work done inside. There were lots of lights on in the kitchen last night, which seemed kind of curious

Also if any Think Tank owners are reading this, I'd love to buy some of your barstools.

[jgg13]

I noticed the other day that the tables were still set which amused me.

[mvi]

There's an ad up today asking for applicants to work at Insomnia Cookies. The location is 65 Mount Auburn Street in Cambridge and they will be open until 3 am. No idea when the opening date is, but it sounds like it might be soon.

[hotoynoodle]

75 wharf, a sister to 75 chestnut on beacon hill, will open tomorrow in the seaport, next door to remy's and del frisco's. friends and family last night and tonight. small space, about 40 seats, but will have a 60-seat patio as of next summer.

lower price point than the mega chains in this area and a much more neighborhoody feel.

[nightsky]

Tashi Delek in Brookline Village will be replaced by El Centro.

[lergnom]

I see the frozen yogurt bubble is continuing to expand. The space next to Trader Joe's in Coolidge Corner, Brookline has a work permit for "16 Handles", a frozen yogurt shop.

[Gordough]

It's a chain with dozens of other locations. http://16handles.com/locations.php

[lergnom]

A Fred Gwynne reference.

[MC Slim JB]

The Google failed me on that one. Love Fred Gwynne: can you elucidate?

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[bear]

It looked like Quebrada Bakery in Belmont Center was open when I drove by last night. A sign in the window listed the hours as 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

[allgimbel]

Yes...Quebrada opened last Friday.

[bear]

According to the Brand New Watch blog, Sadie's in Waltham will be closing soon.

[hiddenboston]

Yup, they just sent me a note about this. God, I'll miss their pork tips--outstanding stuff.

[Gabatta]

That sucks. They serve my favorite steak tips around. When I worked in Waltham briefly Sadies was our go to. Great bar food, TV's for the games, good service, Keno. What a shame...

[MC Slim JB]

This is very sad. Great steak tips aside, this place has a genuine old-school flavor of the kind that once it goes, it's gone forever. I used to work nearby, and lunch there reminded me of Kendall Square's old F&T Deli, with a buzz and a rare mix of customers that seems out of another time, like snapshot of the Forties. Depressing news.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[LStaff]

There's always The Common Cafe for great steak tips and Waltham local flavor. ;-)

[yumyum]

I has a sad. I really liked Sadie's.

[QCumber]

4A Coffee opened in the last couple of weeks at JFK Crossing, just a few doors down from Dok Bua on Harvard Street. Great espresso, and excellent reasonably-priced fresh-roasted whole bean coffees. But not much else - a few scones and muffins. There is some connection to Kazakhstan. They have a hard row to hoe, since their town license does not allow any seating (due to no handicap-accessible bathrooms). They roast on the premise and are apparently hoping to do a lot of mail-order business on the beans. They seem like nice people, so stop by for a shot if you are passing by - take a look at the classy modern espresso machine too.

Q

[FinnFPM]

Interesting. Per their website, they started in Kazakhstan. They have a shop there, and now here.

Tripadvisor says their staff in Kazakhstan is "snotty."

[lergnom]

They are nice but the lack of seats is, um, striking.

I'm not sure they're roasting on premises yet. They needed the permit to get done for that.

[digga]

Have you ever been to the original Barismo in East Arlington? No seating, only a stand-up bar at which to drink one's espresso...as my BIL said, it's a very serious espresso bar, Italian-style. He loved it.

[hckybg]

I just saw today that Barismo is moving a couple doors town, to a bigger space that will have seating and some baked goods, presumably from Dwelltime.

Also, I had to laugh at the post above, that the Kazakhstan edition of A4 had snotty baristas. In a world of differences, I am glad some things are true anywhere!

[NE_Wombat]

Noticed something new opening in Natick - on Rt 27 just north of Rt 9. Paper in the window says "Krua Thai" and Thai Cuisine. It seems to be going in next to Theos, in the same building as Spalla's (but on the Rt 27 facing side).

Anyone have any info? The area could use some Thai.

[TokyuFoodShow]

Heard through word of mouth that the GM at Highland Kitchen just signed an agreement to purchase the old garage on the corner of Beacon St. and Park St. in Somerville. He plans on opening a place that serves affordable comfort food and has a rooftop garden. This would be an awesome addition to the neighborhood!

[hiddenboston]

I didn't see anything about this in the minutes for various City of Somerville meetings. Did you get it from a pretty reliable source? This would be great news if it happens!

[kdemayo]

Excellent news if this is true! Sorry, I'm a long time lurker on here but just HAD to comment on this. I love HK.

[TokyuFoodShow]

Very reliable source. The liquor license application for 81 Park St. Is on the Licencing Commission agenda for Monday.

[hiddenboston]

Oh yup, I see that now on the site, thanks. It says that Cobble Hill LLC is looking at the space. Interesting....thanks for the info!

[Gordough]

Perhaps it is another location of this Thai place in Ashland? http://www.kruakhunyah.net/

[Prav]

Beacon Hill: Looks like the frozen yogurt place, BoYo, in the Charles River Park shopping center on Cambridge St, has closed. It never looked busy to me, and I thought their product was merely average.

[CTrainInbound]

Splash Lounge on Kneeland St is now open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights for late night food 2am-5am. The menu features casual food with strong Italian influences (this is a Depasquale Venture after all) and even includes the spinach and artichoke dip that used to be hugely popular back when it was News Cafe.

[pollystyrene]

I so wish you were right about the hours! The website says 5 PM-2 AM. Did I miss something?

[CTrainInbound]

They may not be advertising the late night hours online, either because it's new and they haven't had a chance to update their website, or because the city can be uptight about that sort of thing and they are already in hot water with the licensing board over a closure due to over capacity last weekend. I heard they have a hearing scheduled in a few weeks, and it won't be their first, so they may have started the late night hours as a way to generate some extra revenue in the unfortunate event that their liquor license in suspended or even worse, revoked. I can vouch personally for the late night hours though, because I stopped in last weekend.

[pollystyrene]

Thanks for clarifying, CTrain!

[ScotchandSirloin]

Andiamo next to Max & Dylan's in Charlestown has closed. I hope Legendary Restaurant Group opens something better there (a take-out Burrito joint would be perfect), but I think they are really focused on low cost ingredients and higher margins in all of their restaurants which has hurt the quality.

[ChemGuy]

They are opening "Burger Dive" at Assembly Row in Somerville in a couple weeks so you may see them expending this brand.

[Fly]

Three Gorges in East Lexington on Mass Ave has become Taipei Gourmet. Looking at the menu online, things look interesting. Has anyone tried it?

[rknrll]

Noticed the change today as well.
http://taipei-gourmet.com/

[taterjane]

I just tried it. It was not bad, not great. Will post separately on it.

[bear]

Asian Grill on Moody St. in Waltham has closed, according to the Waltham blog Brand New Watch. The blogger reports that it is likely that In a Pickle, a popular breakfast place currently on Main St., has purchased Asian Grill's liquor license and may well be expanding into the space.

[itaunas]

Don Frito a Puerto Rican trailer has opened on Beacham Rd in Chelsea near the New England Produce Center. They are offering "fritos" (fried snacks), some comida criolla (homestyle Puerto Rican food), and did have a sign mentioning "lechon assado." Although I had planned a trip to Bo-Jo's Dogs just up the road, this has jumped up the list. That location was the prior home of a non-remarkable salvadoran taqueria and more recently "back way falafel" which I never got around to trying and its always was a bit dingy, so until someone reports keep that in mind.

[bear]

The new Quebrada in Belmont Center has a temporary sign up and the window coverings are down, so I'm guessing they'll be open soon.

[FinnFPM]

Something called "Portofino's Italian Kitchen" is moving into 71 Broad Street in the Financial District, per the big sign hanging in the window. Right next to Mr. Dooley's. This was, I think, an El Triunfo for just about a year.

Phew. I was beginning to get worried about the shortage of Italian places in the area.

[y2000k]

Anyone have any update on OYA Cuban Restaurant in Malden (121 Exchange street)? I was told it aims for an Oct opening. http://oyacubancafe.com/

[opinionatedchef]

i'm guessing you alrdy know this, but just in case, if Cuban food is a fav of yours, there's a recent Striper guy thread on a new exc Cuban place in Belmont.

[MC Slim JB]

A Yelper tells me that Pupuseria Mama Blanca in East Boston has closed, and it appears it will be supplanted by a place call La Esquinita. I'm now wondering if Blanca's Grill in the old El Buen Gusto space was basically Pupuseria moving to a better location.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[divinebaboon]

Looks like the long awaited ramen joint Yumewokatare will finally open on October 12.
http://boston.eater.com/archives/2012...
Edit: oops repost

[Bob Dobalina]

Will be interested to hear comparisons between the ramen at the new place and the kiosks in the Porter Exchange. I know the new kid is going to get all the attention, but I wonder if there will be a measurable difference in quality.

[divinebaboon]

I mean, the new guy has 5 stores in Japan, and they serve this kind of ramen, which is pretty different from Sapporo and others in the porter exchange

[tatsu]

Perhaps a perceptible difference in quality, aside from stylistic or regional differences. I am hoping for NYC quality, which isn't unrecognizable from Japan. Sapporo in Porter Exchange seriously revamped and improved a few years ago, but there's room for more. I am revisiting Sapporo this weekend to give myself a baseline comparison when Yume opens.

[granolagurl]

i am SUPER sad that the broth is pork-based and that there does not seem to be a vegetarian option-boo! :(

[David_A]

There have been huge lines out the door and around the corner from this place every night!

[MC Slim JB]

Renovation activity going on at the former Columbus Cafe space in the South End. Haven't heard what might be going in there for a long time. A one-time notion that Jamie Bissonnette might do a breakfast/lunch spot there has long since been abandoned, apparently. He will be busy for a while opening Toro NYC.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[MC Slim JB]

Update: per Eater Boston, it appears that the folks behind Five Horses Tavern in Davis Square have taken over the old Columbus Cafe space. No notion of name or concept yet, though it is suggested that the two places will have similar menus.

From the same source, the Waltham Upper Crust has closed. I don't wish misfortune on any restaurant -- employees need jobs -- but screw those owners.

http://mcslimjb.blogspot.com/

[hiddenboston]

I heard about Five Horses a little awhile ago, though at the time I wasn't sure if it was public info. I heard it could be called Five Horses South, but that could just be a rumor.

[opinionatedchef]

ah ha. we might then want to remember to leave out Toro when making Boston restnt suggestions to NYC visitors.

[mfhazz]

Cask and Flagon, Marshfield is opening this week, they had a soft open this weekend.

[bluerib]

alot of activity in Newton

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

has lots of info

also Bertucci's is looking into opening i at 300 Needham St in Newton

[L2k]

I didn't know there was space there. And that would be pretty close to the existing location on Highland Avenue in Needham.

[bluerib]

City of Newton has scheduled October 9 for the Bertuccis hearing so someone must think it's a good idea.

[Gordough]

They did recently lose their Atrium location down the road so perhaps there are enough people who like sub-par brick oven pizza to support 2 locations within a couple miles.

[FinnFPM]

BoMa will probably open this week in the South End, maybe as soon as Friday (the 5th).

Per Eater, YumeWoKatare in Porter Square (ramen joint) will open October 12th.

Puritan & Co, Will Gilson's new place in Inman Square, seems to have a shot at an October opening.

Five Guys should open up on Summer St. in Downtown Crossing.

[Fort Point]

Lincoln Bar and Restaurant on West Broadway in South Boston scheduled for an early Oct. opening. Seems to be the same people as Paramont.

[FinnFPM]

Their Soft Opening is tonight, according to Eater.