Boston Restaurant Talk

Wednesday, December 02, 2020

OTTO Pizza Opens in Andover

A small group of pizzerias specializing in gourmet thin-crust pies has opened another location in Eastern Massachusetts, with this one being north of Boston.

A press release confirms what multiple sources told us, that OTTO Pizza opens today in Andover, moving into a space on Main Street in the center of town. The new eatery is open for takeout and delivery and features a walk-up window, while its indoor dining area will eventually open up once the COVID crisis lessens (and it will feature a full bar).

Other locations of OTTO can be found in Arlington, Boston/Brookline (BU area), Brookline's Coolidge Corner, Cambridge's Harvard Square, Lynnfield, Newburyport, and South Boston as well as seven outlets in Maine, where it first started out.

The address for the new location of OTTO in Andover is 27 Main Street, Andover, MA, 01810. The website for all locations is at https://www.ottoportland.com/

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

[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.)

Saltie Girl Seafood Pizza Is Opening in Boston's Back Bay

A new pizzeria with a familiar name is opening in the Back Bay this week.

According to a press release, Saltie Girl Seafood Pizza debuts tomorrow (Thursday, December 3) in the Saltie Girl space on Dartmouth Street, with the eatery being open for dinner Wednesday through Sunday from 5:00 PM until the pizzas are sold out. Some of the toppings offered will include clams, lobster, smoked salmon, tinned fish, and caviar, while cheeses will include mozzarella, reggiano, burrata, and taleggio--and salads and pizza chips will also be served. Saltie Girl Seafood Pizza will be open for dine-in service with a full bar while also offering takeout/curbside pickup and delivery.

Currently, the original Saltie Girl is operating out of the adjacent Met Back Bay space, while Met is temporarily closed.

The address for Saltie Girl Seafood Pizza is 281 Dartmouth St, Boston, MA, 02116. The web page for the dining spot is at https://www.saltiegirl.com/seafoodpizza/

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

[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.)

Little Donkey in Cambridge, Spoke in Somerville, Summer Shack in Boston Go into Winter Hibernation

Three more Boston-area dining spots have decided to shut down for the time being as the pandemic continues to ravage the local restaurant industry.

According to posters within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, Little Donkey in Cambridge's Central Square, Spoke in Somerville's Davis Square, and Summer Shack in Boston's Back Bay have all gone into hibernation, with Jamie Bissonnette of Little Donkey saying that they will reopen "on the other side," Spoke stating that they will return in the spring, and Summer Shack also mentioning the springtime for their reopening. The three restaurants join a large number of dining and drinking spots that have already closed for the winter, with most saying that they either hope to open back up in the spring or whenever conditions are more favorable once vaccines and/or therapeutics are firmly in place.

To see some of the other restaurants and bars in the Greater Boston area that have gone into hibernation, please click here.

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

[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.)

Jersey Mike's Subs Opens in Dedham

A New Jersey-based chain of sub shops has opened another outlet in the Greater Boston area, with this one being in the southwest suburbs.

According to a tweet from @JeremyKrantz, Jersey Mike's Subs is now open in Dedham, moving into a space on the Providence Highway just outside of Dedham Square. The new location of the chain joins a few others in the Greater Boston area, including in Beverly, Quincy, and Swampscott, along with eight others in Massachusetts.

Jersey Mike's Subs, which started out in 1956 in Point Pleasant, NJ, features both hot and cold subs including cheese steaks, tuna, roast beef and provolone, Italians, and BLTs.

The address for the new location of Jersey Mike's Subs in Dedham is 395 Providence Highway, Dedham, MA, 02026. The website for all outlets can be found at https://www.jerseymikes.com/

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

[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.)

Tuesday, December 01, 2020

Abby Lane in Boston's Theater District Goes into Winter Hibernation

A restaurant in downtown Boston that has a celebrity chef behind it is one of the latest dining spots to go into hibernation.

Based on information from a couple of sources, Abby Lane in Boston's Theater District has shut down for the time being, with owner Jason Santos confirming this to us and indicating that the Tremont Street spot will close for the winter "at most." (Santos also indicates that the lack of a patio along with no theatergoers in the area both played a role in the decision.) It appears that his other dining spots, including Buttermilk & Bourbon and Citrus & Salt in the Back Bay and the new B&B Fish in Marblehead, remain in operation for now.

Jason Santos, who is known in part for his TV appearances (including on Hell's Kitchen), first opened Abby Lane in 2012, with the restaurant offering a mix of New American and classic American fare along with craft cocktails.

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

[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 Halal Guys to Open in Cambridge's Porter Square

A group of restaurants and carts based in New York City that opened its first Boston-area location in the Theater District is opening a second outlet, with this one being across the river.

According to a source, The Halal Guys are planning to open in the Porter Square section of Cambridge, with the address indicating that it will be opening in the Porter Square Shopping Center. The new eatery will join another on Stuart Street in Boston along with nearly 100 other locations in the United States and elsewhere, and based on the offerings at the Boston location, expect to see such items as chicken and rice, gyros, falafel sandwiches, hummus, baklava, and more.

The Halal Guys started out in 1990 as a food cart in Manhattan, with the original owners coming from Egypt.

The address for the upcoming location of The Halal Guys in Porter Square is 15 White Street, Cambridge, MA, 02140. The website for all locations is at https://thehalalguys.com/ while the Facebook page for the Cambridge outlet is at https://www.facebook.com/thehalalguysincambridge/

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

[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.)