Cafe Barada in North Cambridge Is Closing

A decades-old Middle Eastern restaurant is going to be closing its doors.

According to a Facebook post from the place, Cafe Barada in North Cambridge is shutting down a bit over a month from now, with the post saying the following:

Hello friends, It is with deep sadness that we share the news that Cafe Barada will be closing its full-service dining at 2269 Mass Ave on Saturday, December 5th....Although this chapter is coming to a close, we hope it is not a final goodbye. We look forward to continuing to share our food with you through future endeavors. As we prepare for this transition, we want to express our deepest gratitude. Thank you for your loyalty, your kindness, your laughter, and for welcoming us into your lives throughout the years. 

Cafe Barada first opened in Arlington in 1985, moving to North Cambridge in 2002; the restaurant has been known for its Lebanese fare, including such items as hoummos, baba ghannouj, tabbouleh, stuffed grape leaves, falafel, kibby, and shish kebab.

The address for Cafe Barada is 2269 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02140. Its website can be found at https://www.cafebarada.net/

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

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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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Komorebi to Open a Brick-and-Mortar Restaurant in Brookline

The people behind a local ghost kitchen known for its premium sushi and bento boxes will be opening a permanent storefront.

According to a poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, Komorebi is planning to open a brick-and-mortar location in Brookline, apparently moving into a space on Beacon Street in the Coolidge Corner area. The business first started out a couple of years ago, focusing on online ordering for pickup/delivery and working out of a space in Revere. Based on various job listings for the upcoming restaurant, the space will include a counter and a dining area, and expect omakase-style bentos using seasonal ingredients. (The job notices for the Brookline location of Komorebi indicate that it could be opening in mid-November.)

The website for Komorebi can be found at https://www.komorebiii.com/ while its Instagram page can be found at https://www.instagram.com/komorebi.bos/

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

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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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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.)

Mattie's Provisions & Spirits to Open in Brighton in November

A brand new gourmet shop is getting ready to open in a Boston neighborhood.

According to a listing within the jobs section of the bostonchefs.com website, Mattie's Provisions & Spirits is planning to open in Brighton in November, moving into a space on Commonwealth Avenue by Boston College. The listing mentions that the place will be "a new gourmet market – offering wine, spirits, craft beer, gourmet snacks and a morning coffee/pastry service" while an earlier Universal Hub article quoted Boston Licensing Board chair Kathleen Joyce as saying "It seems like an upscale gourmet cheese store."

The address for the upcoming Mattie's Provisions & Spirits is 2193 Commonwealth Avenue, Brighton, MA, 02135. Its website will be at https://mattiesprovisions.com/

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

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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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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.)

Antojitos Gourmet Opens in Malden

A new restaurant featuring Latin American fare has opened a few miles north of Boston.

According to a poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, Antojitos Gourmet is now open in Malden, moving into a space on Route 99 just north of where it intersects Route 60. The new dining spot features Colombian and other Latin American dishes, including such options as ceviche, tamales, empanadas, arepas, lechona, buñuelos, and more, and it offers catering as well (the people behind Antojitos Gourmet first started out as caterers several years ago).

The address for Antojitos Gourmet is 251 Broadway (Route 99), Malden, MA, 02148. Its website can be found at https://antojitosgourmet.com/

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

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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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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.)

Honeycomb Creamery Team to Open Crisscross Bakehouse in Cambridge

The people behind an ice cream shop in Cambridge will be opening a new bakery next door.

According to a source, (Sarah Wu), Crisscross Bakehouse is planning to open on Massachusetts Avenue between Porter Square and Harvard Square and adjacent to Honeycomb Creamery, with an Instagram post from the ice cream shop saying the following:

We got big news, y'all... We're opening a bakery! @crisscrossbakehouse will open right next door to our shop in the near future, with a menu full of delicious savory and sweet pastries, coffee and tea. While we wait for the space to finish getting set up, Crisscross will be popping up at our shop starting Thursday, October 29th! We'll be serving a sneak peek of the bakery's menu Thursday through Sunday, 8am-noon every week until 1700A is ready for operation. We're so excited to share what we're working on at Crisscross with y'all!

Honeycomb Creamery got its start in 2015 selling its ice cream at local shops, farmers markets, and popup events, moving into its brick-and-mortar storefront a year later.

The Instagram page for Crisscross Bakehouse is at https://www.instagram.com/crisscrossbakehouse/

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

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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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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.)

Old Friend Pizza Opens in West Roxbury

A Detroit-style pizza business known for its pop-ups and residency at an historic Roslindale space has opened a brick-and-mortar in West Roxbury.

According to an article from Universal Hub, Old Friend is opening on Washington Street, with the website and Instagram page for the place indicating that it is having a soft opening today. The article mentions that Alden Caldwell is behind the business, which began as a pop-up that moved on to the Exodus Bagels Airstream before setting up at The Substation (it can also be found at the Roslindale Farmers Market).

The Old Friend website mentions the following about its Detroit-style pizza: "Alden makes every pan from scratch: a three-day fermented dough, sauce built on Jersey tomatoes, and a cheddar-and-mozzarella crown that caramelizes against the steel pan."

The address for Old Friend in West Roxbury is 5272 Washington Street, West Roxbury, MA, 02132. Its website is at https://oldfriendpizza.com/ while its Instagram page can be found at https://www.instagram.com/oldfriendpizza/

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

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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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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.)