Boston Restaurant Talk

Friday, June 13, 2025

Formosa Bun & Dumpling Factory to Open in Newton Centre

A Taiwanese restaurant is on its way to the western suburbs of Boston.

According to a poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, Formosa Bun & Dumpling Factory is planning to open in Newton Centre, taking over the space on Beacon Street where Jake's Falafel Corner had been. A What Now article mentions that the upcoming eatery will focus on Taiwanese street food items, including steamed buns, fried bao, and grilled sausage, and that it hopes to open before the end of this month if all goes well.

The address for the upcoming Formosa Bun & Dumpling Factory is 740 A Beacon Street, Newton, MA, 02459.

(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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Thursday, June 12, 2025

Kanaka Cafe to Open in the Former Pinoy Kabayan Filipino Asian Cuisine Space in Downtown Boston

A new restaurant that offers Filipino dishes and more will be opening in the heart of Boston, and it will be taking over the space where another Filipino dining spot had been.

According to a poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, Kanaka Cafe is opening on Broad Street in downtown Boston, moving into the former Pinoy Kabayan Filipino Asian Cuisine space. The Instagram page for Kanaka Cafe mentions that it will be featuring "Authentic Hawaiian, Filipino dishes and Poke Bowls" including items such as garlic shrimp, fried chicken, Kalua pork, poke nachos, crab salad, pork and peas, and more.

Pinoy Kabayan Filipino Asian Cuisine debuted in September of 2023,

The address for the upcoming Kanaka Cafe is 71 Broad Street, Boston, MA, 02109.

(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, June 11, 2025

Lily P's in Cambridge's Kendall Square Is Closing

A Cambridge restaurant that is known in part for its chicken and oysters along with its live entertainment is shutting down.

According to @jhayden.bsky.social, who posted on Bluesky, Lily P's in Kendall Square is getting ready to close its doors, with a phone call placed to the Binney Street spot confirming this, saying that Thursday, June 11 will be its last day in operation. Chris Parsons first opened the restaurant in the latter part of 2019, focusing on comfort food while also being popular for its ongoing Bluegrass Tuesdays events.

We have been told that there may be a slight chance Lily P's could return at some point, though for now, it will be shuttering at least for the foreseeable future after tomorrow. (Another location of Lily P's can be found at Hub Hall in Boston's North Station area, though no news has come out about that outlet as of yet.)

The address for Lily P's is 50 Binney Street, Cambridge, MA, 02142. Its website can be found at https://lilypschicken.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.)

Not Your Average Joe's to Open in Bedford

Late last year, it was reported that a location of a local chain of family restaurants had closed, and now we have learned that a new outlet is opening up not too far away.

According to a poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, Not Your Average Joe's is planning to open in Bedford, moving into a space within Bedford Marketplace on Great Road. The new location will be one town away from where another outlet closed during the holidays at the end of 2024, with that Not Your Average Joe's being at Wayside Commons in Burlington.

Other locations of Not Your Average Joe's can be found locally in Acton, Norwell, Peabody, Waltham, Watertown, and Westwood.

The address for the upcoming location of Not Your Average Joe's in Bedford is 158 Great Road, Bedford, MA, 01730. The address for the chain can be found at https://www.notyouraveragejoes.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.)

Tuesday, June 10, 2025

Bubble Bath to Open at CitizenM Hotel in Boston's Back Bay

A champagne and wine bar that resides in a food hall in downtown Boston will soon have a new location within a hotel in the Back Bay.

According to a post within the jobs section of bostonchefs.com, Bubble Bath is planning to open at CitizenM Hotel on Newbury Street, with the listing saying the following:

Chef and restaurateur Tiffani Faison and her Boston based restaurant group, Big Heart Hospitality is seeking personable and experienced servers to join her newest venture Bubble Bath Back Bay. Opening mid-July on the top floor of the CitizenM Hotel in Back Bay. It will be a wine forward, craft cocktail bar, serving shareable light bites and caviar with an outdoor rooftop patio overlooking The Charles.

Bubble Bath, which first opened at High Street Place in March of 2022, is one of several dining and drinking spots from Tiffani Faison, including Sweet Cheeks, Fool's Errand, Tenderoni's, and Dive Bar.

The address for the upcoming location of Bubble Bath in the Back Bay is 408 Newbury Street, Boston, MA, 02115. The website for the High Street Place location is at https://www.bubblebathboston.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.)

Luna's Cakes & Coffee to Open in Newton Centre

A new bakery is on its way to the western suburbs of Boston.

According to a poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook page (via an All Over Newton post as well as a thread from Marini Real Estate), Luna's Cakes & Coffee is planning to open in Newton Centre, taking over the space on Centre Street that had been home to a location of Starbucks. The Facebook posts indicate that sisters Valeria and Valentina Restrepo, who established a home bakery business during the days of the pandemic, are behind the shop, which will feature baked goods with Colombian influences along with Colombian coffee.

The address for the upcoming Luna's Cakes & Coffee is 1269 Centre Street, Newton Centre, MA, 02459.

(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.)