Sweet Cheeks Q and Fool's Errand in Boston's Fenway Neighborhood Are Both Closing

A couple of dining and drinking spots from one of Boston's best-known chefs/restaurateurs will be shutting down.

According to an article from boston.com, Tiffani Faison is going to be closing Sweet Cheeks Q and Fool's Errand in the city's Fenway neighborhood as she has decided not to renew the lease for the two places, with Faison saying the following in the article:

It's been 15 years, and this is a heartbreaking victory lap for us, and for the city, and for our team....A restaurant staying open for 15 years, full stop, is nearly impossible. So to be able to make it this far, it's been the honor of my life. [Sweet Cheeks] is my first baby, and this is one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make....It is cost-prohibitive to have restaurants now....Right now, we're paying for fuel charges that are in addition to what we already pay because the Strait of Hormuz is closed and gas is heinously expensive. And we are paying tariffs on things that come from other countries. And then there are things that are just expensive anyway. The price of food has gone up. We pay a fair wage and that is really hard to do."

Faison says that both Sweet Cheeks (which focuses on barbecue) and Fool's Errand (which offers bar snacks, wine, and cocktails, and which shares the same liquor license as Sweet Cheeks) will be closing after business hours on November 24.

The address for Sweet Cheeks Q is 1381 Boylston Street while the address for Fool's Errand is 1377 Boylston Street.

(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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Pomona Cafe & Wine Bar Opens in East Boston

Early this year, it was reported that a dining spot with Colombian influences was finally getting close to opening after being in the works for a long time, and now we have learned that it is up and running.

According to an article in Boston Magazine, Pomona Cafe & Wine Bar is now open in East Boston, moving into a space on Meridian Street in the Maverick Square area. The article mentions that the new spot offers Colombian and other Latin American fare and is a cafe by day and a wine bar by night, with breakfast/brunch served along with small and large plates, while cocktails are available as well.

Another location of Pomona (which is loosely affiliated) can be found in Swampscott, while one had also been in Winthrop but it is closed.

The address for the new Pomona Cafe & Wine Bar in Eastie is 18 Meridian Street, East Boston, MA, 02128. Its website is at https://pomonaeastie.com/

[Earlier Article]
Pomona Cafe & Wine Bar Plans to Open in East Boston

(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.)

Pressed Cafe Opens at Cummings Center in Beverly

Last fall, it was reported that a local group of dining spots focusing on healthy, freshly-made options would be expanding to the North Shore, and now we have learned that it is up and running.

According to a press release, Pressed Cafe is now open in Beverly, moving into the space at Cummings Center that had been home to Acapulcos Mexican Family Restaurant & Cantina space. The new location is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and includes a patio, and a basement bar called The Cellar will soon be opening at the site as well, offering a full-service bar with a speakeasy feel to it.

Other locations of Pressed Cafe can be found in Boston's Back Bay and Seaport District, Burlington, Chelmsford, Lawrence, Newton, and Woburn, along with four in New Hampshire (Bedford, North Nashua, Salem, and South Nashua), with options including breakfast dishes, soups, panini, bowls, fresh-pressed juices, coffee, and more.

The address for the new location of Pressed Cafe in Beverly is 900 Cummings Center, Beverly, MA, 01915. The website for all locations is at https://www.pressedcafe.com/

[Earlier Article]
Pressed Cafe Plans to Open in Beverly

(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.)

Dumpling Center Has Opened in the Former Dumpling Palace Space in Boston's Back Bay

A new spot for dumplings and more has come to Boston, and it replaces another dumpling spot.

According to a poster (Drew Starr) within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, Dumpling Center is now open in the Back Bay, moving into the space on Massachusetts Avenue that had previously been home to Dumpling Palace. The post indicates that the menu at the new eatery is similar to that of its predecessor (though the place has different ownership), with offerings on its website including handmade dumplings, buns, noodles, sizzling dry wok specialties, and mala hot pot.

Dumpling Palace first opened in 2014, replacing Nan Ling.

The address for Dumpling Center is 179 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115. Its website can be found at https://dumplingcenter.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.)

Kima Cafe to Open in Somerville's Union Square

It looks like a coffee shop is on its way to a Somerville neighborhood.

According to a message sent to us from Leah Klein of City Living Boston, Kima Cafe is planning to open in Union Square, with the address given for the place within a public legal notice indicating that it will apparently be opening in the Fortissimo Coffeehouse space on Bow Street. The upcoming spot will offer food and drink with Korean and other Asian influences, and it hopes to open sometime in mid-September if all goes as planned.

The address for the upcoming Kima Cafe is 75 Bow Street, Somerville, MA, 02143.

(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.)

Abbott's Frozen Custard in Lexington Has Officially Closed

Last summer, it was reported that the future of a location of a small chain of frozen custard shops whose roots are in upstate New York was in question, and now we have learned that it has indeed closed for good.

According to an article from the Lexington Observer, Abbott's Frozen Custard in Lexington Center has permanently shut down after being locked up and dark (but fully set up inside) for the past few months. In June of 2025, the Arlington Heights location of Abbott's closed down and at the time, it appeared that locations in Lexington Center and Arlington Center may have shuttered as well, with the Arlington Center outlet subsequently closing permanently while the future of the Lexington Center shop remained unknown. (The only location currently remaining in operation in the Greater Boston area is in Needham.)

Abbott's dates back to 1902 when founder Arthur Abbott started selling frozen custard at carnivals along the Eastern Seaboard, with the shop opening in Rochester in 1926.

The address for the now-closed Abbott's Frozen Custard in Lexington Center was 1853 Massachusetts Avenue, Lexington, MA, 02420. The website for the chain is at http://www.abbottscustard.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.)