An Italian restaurant west of Boston that has been picked as a "best of" a couple of times by our sister site has closed, and a new dining spot is in the process of moving in.According to several sources, Vecchia Roma in the Nonantum section of Newton is no longer in operation, with a new owner taking over the Watertown Street space and opening a tapas spot called Sangria, which could be fully up and running by later this month. It is not known for sure why Vecchia Roma closed--or exactly when it closed--though it appears that the restaurant may have shut down sometime this week.
Vecchia Roma was featured on the Boston's Hidden Restaurants site as a place to go to for authentic Italian fare, with many items being influenced by dishes found in the Abruzzi region of Italy--and the place was awarded "best Italian restaurant" by the site in both 2011 and 2013. The review can be found at the link below:
http://www.hiddenboston.com/VecchiaRoma.html
The address for the now-closed Vecchia Roma (and upcoming Sangria) is 398 Watertown Street, Newton, MA, 02458.
[January 7, 2015 update: According to a poster on Chowhound, Sangria is now open, and based on a chat with the owner earlier as well as information from sources, it appears that the new restaurant is an upscale but casual spot with a mix of Spanish and Italian tapas options.]
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[Related article from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): Slideshow--Twelve Pasta Dishes from Restaurants in the Boston Area and Beyond]
