Boston Restaurant Talk

Thursday, March 19, 2026

New Restaurant from A Street Hospitality to Open in the Former Bristol Lounge Space Within the Four Seasons Hotel in Boston

A new dining spot is on its way to an iconic Boston space, and a local restaurant group is behind it.

According to an article from Boston Magazine, A Street Hospitality (Porto, La Padrona, Trade, Saloniki, the Venetian) is planning to open a restaurant in the old Bristol Lounge space in the Four Seasons Hotel on Boylston Street in the Back Bay, with Jody Adams, Eric Papachristos, and Jon Mendez planning to bring such classic options as Dover sole, prime rib, lobster bisque, local oysters, caviar and blini, and beef tartare to the as-of-yet unnamed spot. It is not yet known when the place might open (plans are in their early stages), but when it does, it will have dinner service daily along with a weekend brunch.

The Bristol Lounge, which closed during the pandemic, was known in part for its Bristol burger, which was considered one of Boston's best.

The website for A Street Hospitality can be found at https://www.astreethospitality.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]

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Common Craft Opens in South Boston

A second location of a dining/drinking complex has debuted after being in the works for more than a year.

According to its website, Common Craft is now open in South Boston, joining the original location at the Burlington Mall in Burlington. Unlike that location which consists of multiple sections dedicated to beer, wine, and cocktails, the South Boston location focuses more on food, with a dining area called The Current featuring a rotating menu and having James Beard-winning chef Tony Messina and Patrick Lipscomb (Menton, Uni, Bisq, Craigie on Main, Pammy's) behind it, and a cocktail lounge called The Stillroom that features different twists on classic drinks.

The address for the South Boston location of Common Craft is 85 Damrell Street, South Boston, MA, 02127. The website for the business is at https://www.commoncrafthospitality.com/

[Earlier Article]
Common Craft Could Be Opening in South Boston

(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.)

Melty in Dedham Has Closed

The sole Boston-area location of a small group of dining spots with roots out west has shut down.

Based on a check on the place this week, Melty in Dedham is no longer in business, with a message from @IrishEyesPhoto1 saying that it closed on March 8. A Facebook post from the Washington Street spot gives a bit more information, saying the following:

After much consideration, we've made the difficult decision to close Melty Dedham....Opening our doors in September 2024 was truly a dream come true. From day one, our goal was simple — to serve great food with warmth and create a place where people left feeling a little better than when they walked in. We are so proud of what we built with this community....Like many restaurants navigating a challenging environment, we faced hurdles that ultimately made it impossible to continue. This was not an easy decision, and we truly gave it everything we had....Thank you, Dedham, for welcoming us and supporting us. We are deeply grateful.

The Dedham location of Melty (whose company headquarters are in Utah) was known for its grilled cheese sandwiches along with its melts which included such options as pulled pork, bacon, corned beef, turkey, chicken, ham, ground beef, and more.

The address for the now-closed Melty in Dedham was 290 Washington Street, Dedham, MA, 02026. The website for the company is at https://www.lovemelty.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.)

Wednesday, March 18, 2026

Nine Winters Bakery in Cambridge Is Closing

A Korean-American bakery in Cambridge is closing after being in the space for less than a year.

According to multiple sources, Nine Winters Bakery in West Cambridge is shutting down after business hours on March 29, with an Instagram post from the Concord Avenue shop saying the following:

Life has taken a turn I never expected! Things have changed: it's time to for me to shift and remember that I created Nine Winters with my girls. To be frank, I miss them and have chosen to build this shop as they've grown up. I love New England, our community, and building a space that prioritizes Asian-American and adoptee voices. I also love being a parent. I'm choosing my family, as it was when we started. It's fitting that this is the full cycle and all of the reasons for everything are the same as it has been....Thank you all for your support and love along the way! I am so, so grateful for everyone I've crossed paths with, and the opportunity to share our story with you all has been incredible.

Nine Winters first opened in its West Cambridge location last July, with the business initially starting as as a pop-up at Honeycomb Ice Cream in Cambridge and then at Bow Market in Somerville.

The address for Nine Winters Bakery is 292 Concord Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02138. The website for the business is at https://www.ninewinters.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.)

Qué Mas Restaurant in Beverly Has Closed

A restaurant on the North Shore that featured Latin cuisine has shut down.

According to a couple of sources, Qué Mas Restaurant in Beverly is no longer in business, with an Instagram post from the Rantoul Street spot saying the following:

Thank you all for the endless support and love. It was a pleasure to see so many people really enjoy our food and notice all the passion that us and our staff put in. Well this is goodbye for now it isn't goodbye forever!

Qué Mas first opened in 2024, with Alex Pineda being behind it; Pineda is the son of Lydia Shire, who is known in part for her restaurant Scampo (where Pineda also worked) in the Beacon Hill/MGH area of Boston, and he was also a finalist on Alton Brown's "Chopped: Alton's Maniacal Baskets" in 2021.

The address for the now-closed Qué Mas was 114 Rantoul Street, Beverly, MA, 01915.

(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.)

Stack & Schmear Opens at High Street Place in Downtown Boston

A brand new sandwich spot has debuted at a food hall in the heart of Boston,

According to a press release, Stack & Schmear is now open at High Street Place in the city's downtown area, with the place being a deli that focuses on sandwiches made with fresh-baked bread along with house-made spreads and sauces. The new eatery joins two other spots in the food hall that are under the same ownership--Wheelhouse and Haley Jane's--with options including bagel sandwiches using bagels from Wicked Bagels, marinated shaved steak grilled with melted American cheese, hot peppers, and onions, an Italian sandwich with mortadella, salami, prosciutto and provolone, and a marinated shaved steak sandwich with gochujang aiol, while fountain sodas and dirty sodas are also available.

The Instagram page for Stack & Schmear can be found at https://www.instagram.com/stackschmearbos/

(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.)