Boston Restaurant Talk

Monday, July 20, 2026

Pinsa Piazza Plans to Open in the Former Taranta Space in Boston's North End

Late last year, it looked like a new restaurant serving all-day breakfast and pizza was looking to open in the North End of Boston, and now it appears that the place may have a different name, though it isn't known if the exact concept will be the same.

According to a source, Pinsa Piazza is planning to open on Hanover Street in the former Taranta space, with a photo showing a sign mentioning that it will be featuring Roman pizza made via a 72-hour fermentation process. A check within the bizapedia.com website indicates that the upcoming spot has a connection to Dolvero LLC, which had been looking to open Maria Forno in that space (and at the time, it was noted that the name could just be a placeholder).

The address for the upcoming Pinsa Piazza in the North End is 210 Hanover Street, Boston, MA, 02113.

[Earlier Article]
Maria Forno May Be Opening in the Former Taranta Space in Boston's North End

(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]

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Restaurant News for the Week Ending July 19, 2026

Below are some of the biggest restaurant and food-related news stories that have been posted between July 13, 2026, and July 19, 2026.

All'Antico Vinaio Opens in Downtown Crossing
An award-winning group of sandwich shops with roots in Italy has expanded to a second location in Boston.
Full Story

Tre Monte Restaurant and Bar in the North End Is Closed
The Boston location of a pair of Italian restaurants is locked up and dark, and it isn't known what the future holds for the place.
Full Story

Party Favors in Brookline Has Closed
A decades-old bakery that was known for its cakes has shut down.
Full Story

Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse in the Back Bay Has Closed
It looks like a group of steakhouses has shuttered one of its Boston locations.
Full Story

Chickadee at the Innovation and Design Building Is Closing
An award-winning restaurant by the Boston waterfront is shutting down.
Full Story

[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.)

Friday, July 17, 2026

IHOP in Cambridge's Harvard Square Has Closed

Another Boston-area location of a chain of pancake houses has shut down.

According to a poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, IHOP in the Harvard Square section of Cambridge has closed after being in business for approximately 20 years, joining another location in Quincy that shuttered a couple of years ago though it appears that that one will eventually reopen in a new, nearby location. A number of locations of the chain still remain in the Greater Boston area, including in Braintree, Brighton, Brockton, Dedham, Framingham, Norwood, Revere, Salem, Saugus, and Tewksbury.

The address for the now-closed IHOP in Harvard Square was 16 Eliot Street, Cambridge, MA 02138. The website for the chain is at https://restaurants.ihop.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.)

Momma's in North Cambridge Expands, Opening a New Location at The Charles River Speedway in Brighton

A local food shop that is known in part for its maple creemees has expanded to a second location.

According to a poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, Momma's in North Cambridge has been joined by a new location at the Charles River Speedway on Western Avenue in Brighton, with an Instagram post from the business saying the following:

We've been working quietly on something special + something small, but a big deal in our little world. We opened our door at the Charles River Speedway [Wednesday] for the first time. We served cones to so many sweeties + saw a lot of familiar faces + talked to so many nice new to us people!....Momma’s here at the Speedway has a BIG soft-serve machine to hopefully pump out the cones! We have lots of non-alc bevvies for sitting on the patio + snacks too, like cheese, maple kettle korn, crackers, shortbreads + heirloom tomatoes (for the summer). We even have paring knives + we hope you’ll make a picnic!

The original Momma's debuted on Massachusetts in North Cambridge in 2023, with the owner being behind the now-closed Schmetterling Wine Shop in Middlebury, VT. The website for Momma's can be found at https://www.mommasgrocery.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.)

Real Italian Gusto in Medford Has Closed Permanently; Team Behind Ebisuya Japanese Market Taking Over the Space

Earlier this week, it was reported that an Italian restaurant north of Boston appeared to have closed. We have now confirmed this, while also discovering who will be taking over the space.

A Facebook post from the restaurant confirms that Real Italian Gusto in Medford has indeed closed, with the note saying the following:

Dear friends, after 11 years of cooking, welcoming, laughing, and sharing moments together, we have made the very difficult decision to close our restaurant. This choice was not easy. This place has been our home, and all of you have been our extended family. Your support over the years has meant more to us than words can express....Today, we close this chapter to pursue new projects and new paths.

The post from the High Street dining spot goes on to say that the people behind the shuttered Ebisuya Japanese Market--which was also in Medford--will be taking over the space, saying that "they will share more details soon." (Ebisuya Japanese Market closed last year, though their other spot--Ebisuya Japanese Noodle House--remains open in Malden.)

The address for the now-closed Real Italian Gusto (and the new spot from the Ebisuya Japanese Market team) is 24 High Street, Medford, MA, 02155.

[Earlier Article]
Real Italian Gusto in Medford Is Shuttered; Future of the Place Is Unknown

(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.)

Thursday, July 16, 2026

All'Antico Vinaio Opens in Boston's Downtown Crossing

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

According to a press release, All'Antico Vinaio is now open in Downtown Crossing, moving into a space on Washington Street near where it meets Milk Street. The new location debuted yesterday, joining another on Boylston Street in the Copley Square along with a handful of other U.S. locations, and it focuses on a variety of panini (in 2017, Saveur included All'Antico Vinaio in an article on "The World's Best Sandwiches").

All'Antico Vinaio first started out in Florence in 1991.

The address for the new location of All'Antico Vinaio in Downtown Crossing is 330 Washington Street, Boston, MA, 02109. The website for All'Antico Vinaio is at https://www.allanticovinaiousa.com/

[Earlier Article]
All'Antico Vinaio Plans to Open New Location in Boston's Downtown Crossing

(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.)