Chef George Mendes to Open Agosto, Baby Sister in Boston's South End

An acclaimed chef who was once based in New York City and now calls Boston his home is planning to open not one, but two new spots in the city.

According to an article in Boston Magazine, George Mendes is planning to open Agosto and Baby Sister in the South End, with the former being a 45-seat restaurant on Washington Street with a chef's counter and a tasting menu, while the latter will be a bakery-cafe that is located next door (and both will have Portuguese influences). It looks like Agosto could open next summer, and Baby Sister is hoping to debut later next year.

George Mendes was the opening chef at Amar at Raffles in the Back Bay which opened in 2023, while also being behind Aldea, a Michelin-starred Manhattan restaurant with Portuguese and Spanish influences that closed in 2020 after more than 10 years in operation.

The address for Agosto and Baby Sister will be 1673 and 1679 Washington Street in the South End.

(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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Toscana Forno to Open in Reading

The people behind three dining spots in the northern suburbs of Boston will be opening a fourth restaurant north of the city, and this will be a second location of one of their businesses.

According to an article from the Reading Recap, Toscana Forno is planning to open in Reading, moving into the space on Walkers Brook Drive that had been home to a location of Bertucci's. Once it opens, the new spot will join another Toscana Forno in Peabody along with Toscana's Ristorante (also in Peabody) and Toscana Bar Italiano in Beverly, all of which are run by the Perrina family.

If all goes as planned, Toscana Forno could be opening in Reading at the beginning of February.

The address for the upcoming Toscana Forno is 45 Walkers Brook Drive, Reading, MA, 01867. The website for the Peabody location is at https://toscanaforno.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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Temazcal Tequila Cantina and Tony C's in Boston's Seaport District Are Closing

It looks like a couple of dining spots along the Boston waterfront that are part of the same restaurant group are shutting down.

According to multiple sources, along with an article from the Boston Business Journal, Temazcal Tequila Cantina and Tony C's in the city's Seaport District are both slated to close their doors because of non-renewal of their leases, with the BBJ getting the information on the closures from a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act filing that indicates both places shuttering January 31. Both spots (which are located in the same building on Northern Avenue) are part of Rebel Restaurants, Inc. and have multiple locations, with the Seaport location of Temazcal opening in 2011 and the Seaport location of Tony C's debuting in 2016.

The address for Temazcal and Tony C's is 250 Northern Avenue, Boston, MA, 02210. The website for Rebel Restaurants is at https://rebelrestaurants.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.)

The Spur Cowboy Bar to Open in the Former Eddie C's Space in East Boston

A new bar is on its way to East Boston, and it will be taking over the space where a longtime dive bar had been before shutting down a few months ago.

According to an X post from @megansarahj, The Spur Cowboy Bar is planning to open in Eastie, moving into the former Eddie C's space in Maverick Square. No information has been given on the upcoming drinking spot, though based on the name, it is possible that it could be a place to listen to country music. (As soon as more info is available, we will post an update here.)

Eddie C's, which shuttered in September, had previously been home to Charlie Zuff's Cafe, and before that, Vincent's Bar-B-Que.

The address for The Spur Cowboy Bar is 34 Maverick Square, East Boston, MA, 02128.

(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.)

Restaurant News for the Week Ending December 14, 2025

Below are some of the biggest restaurant and food-related news stories that have been posted between December 8, 2025, and December 14, 2025.

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Flying Dreams Brewing Co. in Marlborough Is Closing
A brewery west of Boston is shutting down.
Full Story

K-Bok Korean Fried Chicken Opens in Union Square
A chicken place has come to Somerville after being in the works for a year.
Full Story

Daddy Jones in Magoun Square Is Closing
A Greek restaurant in Somerville is shutting down after being in business for more than a decade.
Full Story

Cactus Club Cafe Opens in the Back Bay
After being in the works for more than two years, the Boston location of a Canadian chain of casual upscale restaurants has debuted.
Full Story

Ten Tables in Jamaica Plain Is Closing; New Concept Coming to the Space
A longtime neighborhood restaurant in Jamaica Plain that has been known for its locally-sourced seasonal New American fare is shutting down, though the owner of the place will apparently be opening a new concept there.
Full Story

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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.)

  

Flying Dreams Brewing Co. in Marlborough Is Closing

A brewery west of Boston is shutting down.

According to a poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page along with a Facebook post from the business, Flying Dreams Brewing Co. in Marlborough is going to be closing its doors, with the post from the brewery saying the following:

To all the Flying Dreams friends and family that make up our happy little beery community, It's with much sadness, lots of fond memories and no little resistance to giving up or letting go, that we have reached a place, where it’s time to let go.  We've decided our last day will be on Saturday, December 27th. We wanted to have a place where regular folks with regular lives could come together and have extraordinary conversations over great beer.  Unfortunately, no matter how much fun it’s been and no matter all the wonderful people around us, keeping us going, keeping us laughing, the numbers won't let us. 

Flying Dreams first opened in Worcester in 2015, opening a second location in Marlborough three years later which became its sole location when the Worcester facility shuttered in 2020.

The address for Flying Dreams Brewing Co. in Marlborough is 277 Main Street, Marlborough, MA, 01752. Its website can be found at https://flyingdreamsbrewing.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.)