Boston Restaurant Talk

Thursday, October 09, 2025

The New World Tavern in Plymouth and Tolson's Tap and Tavern in Pembroke Have Both Closed

A couple of dining and drinking spots south of Boston that were known in part for their live music--and which had an ownership connection--have shut down.

According to social media posts from both places, The New World Tavern in Plymouth and Tolson's Tap and Tavern in Pembroke are no longer in business, with the former closing on September 28 and the latter closing on October 5. The New World Tavern first opened 14 years ago, offering food, drink, and featuring a variety of live music acts, while Tolson's Tap and Tavern debuted a bit more than 3 years ago, also serving food and drink and having live music.

The address for The New World Tavern was 56 Main Street, Plymouth, MA, 02360, and the address for Tolson's Tap and Tavern was 15 Columbia Road, Pembroke, MA, 02359.

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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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Michette to Open a New Location in Cambridge

It looks like a bakery in East Somerville is expanding to a space in Cambridge.

A message sent by Leah Klein of City Living Boston (via a Facebook post from Somerville City Councilor Ben Ewen-Campen) mentions that Michette on Broadway is planning to open just outside of Inman Square, moving into a space on Webster Avenue by the Cambridge/Somerville line. It appears that this will be a second location of the business, and based on the original, the new shop could offer such items as breads, croissants, cookies, sandwiches, coffee, and more.

Michette debuted in East Somerville in 2023.

It appears that the address for the upcoming location of Michette is 305 Webster Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02141.

(Follow Marc on Bluesky at @marchurboston.bsky.social)

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

Please help keep Boston Restaurant Talk and Boston's Hidden Restaurants going by making a one-time contribution or via a monthly subscription. Thanks! (Donations are non-deductible.)

The Urban Grape in Boston's South End Has Closed

An award-winning wine shop in Boston has shut down.

A message sent by Leah Klein of City Living Boston mentions that The Urban Grape in the South End has closed its doors, with an Instagram post from owners TJ and Hadley Douglas of the Columbus Avenue store saying the following:

This has been a very difficult year for our company, The Urban Grape. For over 12 months, TJ and I, along with our family and a group of wonderful investors, have worked tirelessly to reach an agreement with our local SBA lender, Cambridge Savings Bank, with the hope of saving and rebuilding the store to its former inventory and success. Unfortunately, negotiations with our lender deteriorated over the past week, and we are being forced to close The Urban Grape’s Boston location immediately.

The post does indicate that TJ and Hadley Douglas may be making plans to bring back the business in some form, saying that "TJ and I spent the last two nights wondering, is this the end of our legacy? The answer is no....To follow along as we reimagine and rebuild our business, please subscribe to our Substack newsletter, The Second Bottle, linked above, and make sure you're following our Instagram page here."

The Urban Grape first opened 13 years ago, focusing mostly on wine while also selling beer and spirits and hosting countless wine tastings, and it has received much in the way of accolades over the years, including being awarded Small Business of the Year by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in 2021.

The address for The Urban Grape was 303 Columbus Avenue, Boston, MA, 02116.

(Follow Marc on Bluesky at @marchurboston.bsky.social)

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

Please help keep Boston Restaurant Talk and Boston's Hidden Restaurants going by making a one-time contribution or via a monthly subscription. Thanks! (Donations are non-deductible.)

Wednesday, October 08, 2025

Twisted Fate Brewing Opens New Taproom in Revere

A North Shore brewery has opened a second location, and this one is just north of Boston.

According to a source (Gary Goldblatt), Twisted Fate Brewing is now open in Revere, joining its original location in Danvers. An article from Mass. Brew Bros. mentions that the new location is on Salt Street in the Suffolk Downs Beachmont Square development and it will eventually offer food options while also debuting a seasonal outdoor patio next spring.

The original Twisted Fate opened in 2022 on Andover Street in Danvers.

The address for the new Twisted Fate Brewing at Beachmont Square is 64 Salt Street, Revere, MA, 02151. The website for the business is at https://twistedfatebrewing.com/

(Follow Marc on Bluesky at @marchurboston.bsky.social)

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

Please help keep Boston Restaurant Talk and Boston's Hidden Restaurants going by making a one-time contribution or via a monthly subscription. Thanks! (Donations are non-deductible.)

All'Antico Vinaio Opens in Boston's Back Bay

Earlier this year, it was reported that an award-winning group of sandwich shops with roots in Italy would be expanding to a location in Boston, and now we have learned that it is up and running.

According to a press release, All'Antico Vinaio is now open in the Back Bay, moving into a space on Boylston Street between Clarendon Street and Dartmouth Street in the Copley Square area. As mentioned in an earlier article here, All'Antico Vinaio first started out in Florence in 1991 and currently has other U.S. locations in New York, California, and Nevada, and they are known for their panini options; in 2017, Saveur included All'Antico Vinaio in an article on "The World's Best Sandwiches."

The address for the Back Bay location of All'Antico Vinaio is 565 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116. The website for all locations is at https://www.allanticovinaiousa.com/

[Earlier Article]
All'Antico Vinaio to Open in Boston's Back Bay

(Follow Marc on Bluesky at @marchurboston.bsky.social)

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

Please help keep Boston Restaurant Talk and Boston's Hidden Restaurants going by making a one-time contribution or via a monthly subscription. Thanks! (Donations are non-deductible.)

Plans for Kowloon Property in Saugus Indicate Building Being Demolished, Restaurant Moving into Smaller Space

A few years ago, it was reported that something could be in the works for the site of an iconic restaurant on the North Shore, and now we have learned more about the plans.

According to an article in The Daily Item, proposed plans for the redevelopment of the Kowloon Restaurant property in Saugus were recently reviewed by the Planning Board, with the proposal showing that two six-story mixed-use buildings are being slated for the Route 1 space and that Kowloon would move into Building 2, which would sit where the restaurant currently resides. The article mentions that there would likely be phased construction which would allow Kowloon to temporarily be housed in Building 1 while Building 2 is being built, while boston.com states that the new, permanent location of Kowloon may have 300 to 400 seats compared to its current space which has 1,200 seats.

No timeline has been given for the project, though it appears that construction could begin sometime next year, possibly taking 14 months to complete one building.

(Follow Marc on Bluesky at @marchurboston.bsky.social)

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

Please help keep Boston Restaurant Talk and Boston's Hidden Restaurants going by making a one-time contribution or via a monthly subscription. Thanks! (Donations are non-deductible.)