Taste of the South End to Be Held March 3, 2015

An event that helps raise funds for the largest AIDS service organization in New England is returning to Boston in early March.

According to a press release, Taste of the South End will be held on Tuesday, March 5 at The Cyclorama at Boston Center for the Arts on Tremont Street from 7:00 PM to 9:30 PM (6:00 PM for VIP), with more than 40 local restaurants participating. This year, the event will include food samplings along with complimentary beer and wine, cooking demos, a silent auction, raffle, and a Mystery Box game. A few of the dining and drinking spots that will be at Taste of the South End include Aquitaine, The Beehive, Davio's, Flour, Haley House, Myers + Chang, South End Buttery, Tremont 647, and many others.

Tickets to the 2015 Taste of the South End cost $100 ($150 for VIP tickets), with proceeds supporting the AIDS Action Committee. For more information on the event, please go to the link below:

Taste of the South End

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Firehouse Subs in Boston's Back Bay Has Closed

It looks like a Florida-based chain of sandwich shops has closed its only location in Boston proper, though the other shops in the area apparently remain in operation.

According to a Twitter post, Firehouse Subs in the Back Bay is shuttered, with the windows of the Boylston Street shop being papered over. A check on the chain's website seems to indicate that this is a permanent closure, as the location has been removed from the site; it does appear, however, that locations of the eatery in Danvers and Woburn remain open, as does its shop in Nashua, NH.

Firehouse Subs first opened in Boston in September of 2012 as part of a planned expansion that--at the time--was going to possibly include 69 locations in the Boston area alone.

The address for this now-closed sandwich shop in the Back Bay was: Firehouse Subs, 545 Boylston Street, Boston, MA, 02116. The website for the chain can be found at http://www.firehousesubs.com/

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Highlights for the Week Ending February 20, 2015

A few more stories and articles centering on the Boston-area restaurant scene came out over the past week, including personnel changes taking place at a popular Downtown Crossing restaurant, a downtown location of a burger spot closing, and a French restaurant in Kenmore Square being replaced by another French place. In addition, our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants) included a new review of an Italian restaurant in Wakefield, a photo of an appetizer from a roadhouse in Dedham, and an updated review of a breakfast spot in Dorchester.

Below are links to these and other items from the past week:

Boston Restaurant Talk

Changes Afoot at jm Curley in Boston

Grillo's Pickles Closing Its Brick-and-Mortar Shop in Cambridge's Inman Square

UBurger in Downtown Boston Has Closed Due to a "Business Dispute"

A and B Salem Is Looking to Move to Beverly

Petit Robert Bistro in Boston's Kenmore Square to Be Replaced by Josephine

Boston's Hidden Restaurants

New Review: Massimo's Ristorante in Wakefield, MA

New Photo: Nachos from The Village Manor in Dedham, MA

Restaurant Closings and Openings for February, 2015 (So Far)

New Photo: Pad Thai from Patou Thai in Belmont, MA

Updated Review: McKenna's Cafe in Dorchester, MA

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True Food Kitchen Is Coming to Boston

An Arizona-based restaurant group is going to be bringing one of its eateries to Boston, and it looks to be a spot that focuses on healthy options.

Eater Boston is reporting that Fox Restaurant Concepts is planning to open True Food Kitchen somewhere in the city, with an opening slated for 2016. Once it does open, expect to see a mix of vegetarian, meat-based, and gluten-free items with the focus being on anti-inflammatory and minimally-processed foods. A few dishes on the menu at True Food Kitchen could include miso soup, herbed hummus, seared scallops, red chili shrimp, panang curry, turkey lasagna, spaghetti squash casserole, and bison burgers.

Currently, a handful of True Food Kitchen locations can be found mainly in the South and in the West, with the closest one to Boston being in Fairfax, VA. Other brands from Fox Restaurant Concepts include Wildflower American Cuisine, The Greene House, Blanco Tacos + Tequila, and several others.

The website for True Food Kitchen is at http://www.truefoodkitchen.com/

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Forum in Boston's Back Bay Is Closing

A Back Bay restaurant that temporarily closed due to heavy damage it sustained in the Boston Marathon bombings a couple of years ago is going to be closing for good.

The Boston Globe is reporting that Forum on Boylston Street is shutting its doors on March 1 after being in business for approximately 3 1/2 years. The article mentions according to the restaurant, its closing is due to a "rent issue," as the landlord reportedly boosted the rent this year by almost three times the current rate. Other dining and drinking spots from the group behind Forum (Boston Nightlife Ventures) will remain in operation, including such places as Griddler's, The Tap Trailhouse, and Wink & Nod.

[February 25 update: A new article in The Boston Globe indicates that while Boston Nightlife Ventures president Euz Azevedo says (via a statement) that the rent is being raised by nearly three times its current rate, Paul Roiff--who is the landlord of the space--claims that this is "inaccurate," with the rent going up by "less than double" the present rate come this November. Roiff  also states in the article that the restaurant was given notice about the upcoming rent changes before it even opened in 2011.]

Forum sustained major damage from the Marathon bombings in April of 2013 and remained closed for repairs and renovations for about four months.

The address for this soon-to-close restaurant in the Back Bay is: Forum, 755 Boylston Street, Boston, MA, 02116.

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First House Pub to Open in Former Stone Hearth Pizza Space in Winchester

It looks like a brand new dining and drinking spot is coming to a northern suburb of Boston, moving into the space where a location of a group of pizza spots had been.

According to a source (and confirmed by the town's website), First House Pub is planning to open in Winchester Center, taking over the former Stone Hearth Pizza space on Main Street. (The Winchester location of Stone Hearth closed earlier this winter, though its other locations in Allston, Belmont, Cambridge, Hingham, and Needham remain in business.) Very little is currently known about First House Pub other than the fact that our source said the town approved its application for an All Alcoholic Restaurant License; as soon as we find out more--including what kind of food and drink it will offer and when it might open--we will post an update here.

[February 25 update: A message from one of the partners involved with First House Pub mentions that the 73-seat restaurant and bar--which has a connection to Conley's in Watertown--will offer upscale pub food, including salads, fresh seafood, hand-spun pizzas, burgers, house-cut steak tips, and more, along with a seasonally-rotating list of 20 beers on tap. If all goes as planned, First House Pub could be open around May 1.]

The address for this upcoming dining and drinking spot in Winchester is: First House Pub, 528 Main Street, Winchester, MA, 01890.

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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