Bocca Bella Cafe & Bistro in Newton's Auburndale Neighborhood Is Closing

An Italian restaurant in the western suburbs of Boston is shutting down.

According to a source, Bocca Bella Cafe & Bistro in the Auburndale Section of Newton is going to be closing on November 27, with a Facebook post from the Lexington Street spot saying the following:

For the past 14 years, Bocca Bella Cafe & Bistro has been a vital part of the Auburndale community, making this letter difficult for us to write. Over the last four years, we've found ourselves in a challenging situation, with our future largely dependent on our landlord. While we navigated the uncertainties of the pandemic—thanks to the support of our loyal customers—we now face another hurdle. Although we have invested a small fortune and much sweat and pain to rehab and renovate the café space, we have been unable to secure a long-term lease from the landlord to keep the business operating and to allow us to better compete with improved space. This isn't a sustainable arrangement for us or for any business looking for long-term investment returns.

Bocca Bella, which first opened in the fall of 2010, offers antipasto, panini, pasta, chicken and veal dishes, seafood, and more.

The address for Bocca Bella Cafe & Bistro is 442 Lexington Street, Auburndale, MA, 02466. Its website can be found at http://www.boccabellacafe.com/

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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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Finagle a Bagel Closes Its Bakery-Cafe and Test Kitchen in Newton's Auburndale Neighborhood

A local group of bagel shops has closed one of its locations, which means that only two outlets remain.

Universal Hub confirms what a source told us awhile back, that Finagle a Bagel in the Auburndale section of Newton is no longer in business, with the Rowe Street outlet being both a bakery-cafe and a test kitchen. With its closure, the only locations of the bagel chain remaining are on Boylston Street in Boston's Copley Square area and at MGH. (UH mentions that at one time, there were 21 locations.)

The Auburndale location of Finagle a Bagel first opened in 2016.

The address for the now-closed Finagle a Bagel in Auburndale was 77 Rowe Street, Newton, MA, 02466. The website for the company can be found at https://www.finagleabagel.com/

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

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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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Ward 4 Opens in Auburndale

A restaurant and bar that has been in a works for a long time has finally opened in a section of Newton that has relatively few dining options.

According to a poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, Ward 4 is now open in Auburndale, moving into a space on Auburn Street just south of Commonwealth Avenue. The new spot, whose plans went all the way back to at least 2015, offers a variety of comfort food items including poutine, burgers, wings, tacos, macaroni and cheese, steak tips, and fish and chips, while drink options include beer, wine, and cocktails. 

The address for Ward 4 is 277 Auburn Street, Newton, MA, 02466. Its website can be found at https://www.ward-4.com/

[Earlier Article]
Ward 4 Plans to Open in Auburndale

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

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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.)

Ward 4 Plans to Open in Auburndale

A new restaurant and bar is planning to come to a section of Newton that currently has few full-service dining and drinking spots, and it appears that plans for the place have been in the works for awhile.

According to a source, Ward 4 is looking to open in Auburndale, moving into a space on Auburn Street a short distance south of Commonwealth Avenue and just north of the Mass. Pike. Our source says that the upcoming spot could be serving at least some BBQ items, though the Facebook page for the place only indicates that it will be an "American" restaurant. A post within the Auburndale Library Community site hints that discussions on Ward 4 go all the way back to at least 2015, though it appears that plans are now moving forward.

Auburndale currently has only a handful of dining options, including The Knotty Pine and Bocca Bella Cafe & Bistro.

The address for this upcoming restaurant and bar in Auburndale is: Ward 4, 277 Auburn Street, Newton, MA, 02466. Its website can be found at https://www.ward-4.com/

[March 30, 2020 update: A Facebook post from the place indicates that Ward 4 is finally getting close to opening, though with the ongoing restaurant restrictions in place, it is not sure how this might affect when exactly the new dining and drinking spot might open.]

[June 11, 2021 update: According to a poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, Ward 4 hopes to open on June 19, with the website for the restaurant confirming this on its home page.]

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

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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.)

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Finagle a Bagel Opens Bakery, Cafe, and Test Kitchen in Newton

A local group of bagel shops has opened a new location--and this one apparently has a few different features to it.

According to a Twitter post from the place, Finagle a Bagel is in the process of opening a bakery, cafe, and test kitchen in the Auburndale section of Newton, with an earlier boston.com article indicating that the Rowe Street space is located within the company's headquarters and it will show how its bagels are made, along with letting customers try new menu items before they debut at their other shops. The locations page for the business mentions that seats are arriving today and that it is indeed open, though the grand opening celebrations begin December 5.

Based on an old Yelp page, it appears that the headquarters for Finagle a Bagel contained a factory outlet several years ago; it is not yet known if the new shop will be going into this exact space.

Finagle a Bagel currently has a shop on Boylston Street in Boston's Back Bay along with a location at MGH and a kiosk within the Kinko's building in Chestnut Hill.

The address for Finagle a Bagel bakery, cafe, and test kitchen is 77 Rowe Street, Auburndale (Newton), MA, 02466. The website for the company can be found at http://www.finagleabagel.com/

Follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston

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[Related article from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): Slideshow--Ten Items from Bakeries and Pastry Shops in the Boston Area and Beyond]

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Bocca Bella Cafe and Bistro Opens in the Auburndale Section of Newton

A new Italian dining spot has just opened in a section of Newton that traditionally hasn't had much in the way of restaurants.

According to posters on Chowhound and Yelp, Bocca Bella Cafe & Bistro is now open on Lexington Street in Auburndale (just off Route 30, and about a mile east of Routes 95/128). Based on a page within the Newton Patch, the new eatery is open for lunch and dinner and features such items as panini and pasta dishes, as well as some American items such as burgers. The restaurant is a small, casual spot, with 14 tables in its dining area, according to the Patch.

The address for this new restaurant in the Auburndale section of Newton is: Bocca Bella Cafe & Bistro, 442 Lexington Street, Auburndale, MA, 02466.

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