Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Channel Cafe in Boston's Fort Point District Closes; Could Become Verrine in Newton

A basement-level restaurant and art gallery in the Fort Point neighborhood of Boston has closed its doors and could apparently reopen under a new name in a western suburb of the city.

Grub Steet Boston is reporting that the Channel Cafe on Summer Street is no longer in business, with the people behind the eatery deciding to try to move the place to Newton, where it could be called Verrine. The article mentions that the new restaurant, which would be located on Washington Street in the Newtonville section of the city, would be more "elaborate" with an expanded menu. The folks behind the upcoming Verrine are waiting for approval of a liquor license; if all goes well, the dining spot could be opening this spring. (It is not known whether the new spot will also have an art gallery within the space.)

[October 8 update: Plans for Verrine have apparently fallen through, as the folks behind the Channel Cafe are now looking to open a restaurant in South Easton.]

Last month it seemed like the closing of the Channel Cafe was imminent, as Universal Hub posted that Restoration Hardware (now known as RH) in the Back Bay had been looking to purchase the beer and wine license from the Fort Point eatery.

The Channel Cafe was a place that our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants) had featured as an under-the-radar spot that was worth checking out for its eclectic surroundings and freshly-made traditional and New American dishes. A review of the restaurant can be found below:

http://www.hiddenboston.com/ChannelCafe.html