Well, they weren't the best restaurants in Boston, but Cafe Marliave in downtown Boston and the Biltmore Cafe in Newton Upper Falls have both closed over the past couple of weeks. And I am a bit saddened by both of these closings.
Cafe Marliave was one of the few really old-fashioned Italian restaurants left in Boston (outside of the North End, of course). It had a simple charm to it, with its plain booths, red sauce dishes, and gruff waitresses. The food was average at best, but it was a place that was memorable in its own way.
The Biltmore Cafe was a true dive in a town that is surprisingly full of dives (Newton is a very wealthy community). The food was not all that great--mostly pub grub and Italian food, but it was a good place to have some beers while watching the Sox or Bruins on TV, and it was about the least pretentious place around.
I'll miss these two places. Yes, they were by no means fine dining, but they both had an old-time charm to them.
