Vester in Cambridge's Kendall Square Plans to Expand to South Boston's Fort Point Area

A cafe in Cambridge is looking to open a new location in South Boston.

According to a tweet from @FortPointer, Vester is planning on opening on W First Street along the southern edge of the Fort Point neighborhood, with the post saying that it will be open for breakfast and lunch. We have been told by @tom_ready that this will be a second location of Vester, whose original cafe is on Ames Street in Cambridge's Kendall Square.

Vester first opened in Cambridge in 2018, taking over the space that had been home to Ames Street Deli.

The address for the upcoming location of Vester in Fort Point is 105 W First Street, South Boston, MA, 02127. The website for the Cambridge location is at https://www.vestercafe.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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Sullivan's at Castle Island Returns to the Hood Milk Bottle by the Boston Children's Museum

by Marc Hurwitz

An iconic seaside snack shack has returned to one of the most distinct landmarks in all of Boston.

According to a Facebook post, Sullivan's at Castle Island is back at the Hood Milk Bottle by the Boston Children's Museum along Fort Point Channel, with the note indicating that they will be there seven days a week from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM (11:00 AM to 9:00 PM on Fridays) until the end of September. Last year, Sullivan's took over the Milk Bottle in late June, offering a limited menu that included such items as hot dogs, lobster rolls, salads, and soft-serve ice cream. It is not yet known if the offerings are the same this season; as soon as we see the menu, we will post an update here.

Sullivan's first opened at Castle Island in South Boston in 1951.

Thanks to  Patrick Maguire of Maguire Promotions & Hospitality Consulting for bringing this to our attention.

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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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Update: State Regulators Order InterContinental Boston Hotel to Move Patio from Edge of Water Along Harborwalk

[Ed note: This article was update/corrected on July 15 to reflect new information given.]

It looks like a popular outdoor bar along the Boston waterfront may be shrinking because it has apparently been discouraging public access.

Banker & Tradesman is reporting that state regulators have told the InterContinental Boston Hotel that it has to remove the outdoor bar area along the Fort Point Channel while also taking down signs that deter people from using the space, which is technically open to the public. The post says that the hotel is in violation of the terms of its Chapter 91 license, failing to allow for public open space by putting up signs that discourage 24-hour public access, and as a result, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has ordered all restaurant and bar seating to be removed along with "any other gates, moveable landscaping, or other devices that restrict pedestrian access" to a 60-foot-wide area that goes from the seaward edge of the Boston Harborwalk. It is not known for certain how much of the bar might be going away, as the article simply says the outdoor bar area is being removed; as soon as we find out more, we will post an update here. The article says that the owner of the hotel has 30 days to correct the violations at which point it may face fines from the DEP.

[July 15 update: @FortPointer clarifies the InterContinental Boston Hotel patio issue via a couple of Twitter posts today, saying that only part of the outdoor bar would need to be removed. The tweets says that the patio is "required to recede from edge, allow access to public ramps and lawns....Public area is 60 feet from seawall, leaving sig space for bar and/or resto, including existing patio-resto running 3/4 length of building."]

The InterContinental Boston Hotel includes such dining and drinking spots as Miel, Sushi-Teq, Rumba, and Vodkaba.

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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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Sullivan's at Castle Island Is Expanding to the Hood Milk Bottle at the Boston Children's Museum

It looks like an iconic seaside snack shack is taking over one of the most offbeat landmarks not just in the city of Boston but perhaps in the entire country.

A check on a licensing board page posted last week indicated that Castle Island, LLC is applying for a new common victualler license to operate at the Hood Milk Bottle by the Boston Children's Museum along Fort Point Channel, with Brendan Sullivan of Sullivan's at Castle Island being the manager listed. A message sent to Sullivan's requesting more information was not returned, but Caught in Southie now says that "A little birdie" tells them that Sullivan's will indeed be taking over the Milk Bottle as the new food vendor, with a limited menu offered there. The post says that if all goes well, Sullivan's at the Milk Bottle could be up and running by the end of June.

The Hood Milk Bottle was once nominated by USA Today for quirkiest landmark in the United States, with the award ultimately going to the Big Tex statue at the State Fair of Texas in Dallas.

Sullivan's, which first opened in South Boston in 1951, is known for its hot dogs, hamburgers, lobster rolls, ice cream, and more.

[June 20 update: According to a segment on WCVB 5 last night, Sullivan's plans to open at the Hood Milk Bottle on Wednesday, June 28, and it will remain open through September.]

[June 28 update: Boston Magazine confirms (in an update to an earlier article) that Sullivan's opens at the Hood Milk Bottle today; its hours will be 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM daily, with closing hours possibly being later on Friday and Saturday nights.]

[June 29 update: A tweet from the place says that Sullivan's will be open until 9:00 PM on Friday nights at the Hood Milk Bottle, while it appears that it will be open until 6:00 PM all other nights, including Saturday.]

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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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Owners of James Hook & Co. Plan to Build Residential Tower, Restaurant at Waterfront Site

Over the summer we mentioned that a landmark seafood vendor on the Boston waterfront was possibly looking to develop the site on which it resides. Now we have learned more of their plans.

The Boston Globe is reporting that the owners of James Hook & Co. on Atlantic Avenue are considering the construction of a 22-story residential tower at the site, with the structure including a 9,000-square-foot James Hook seafood restaurant on the ground floor. A rendering of the plan shows that the dining spot would have a large outdoor patio on the water, and that the building would feature a lot of glass and a pedestrian walkway along Fort Point Channel. The Globe article mentions that zoning changes would need to take place in order for this project to happen, as regulations currently have a building height cap of 55 feet along Boston Harbor.

James Hook & Co. first opened its seafood store back in 1925.

The address for James Hook & Co. is 440 Atlantic Avenue, Boston, MA, 02210. Its website can be found at http://www.jameshooklobster.com/

[Earlier Article]
James Hook & Co. Site in Boston May Be Redeveloped; Store Plans to Stay Put

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Nebo in Boston Starts Serving Pizza (Again)

After months of anticipation, an upscale Italian restaurant that recently moved from Boston's North End to Atlantic Wharf is now serving pizza once again.

An email sent today indicates that Nebo on Atlantic Avenue will offer pizza starting tonight, with the selection including old favorites such as the Gino (cherry peppers, spicy sausage) along with new ones such as the Lardo (lardo, wild mushrooms, sage, caramelized onions). At this point in time, a total of eight pizza options will be available at the dining spot.

Nebo closed its North End location this past March, reopening in its new home in June. This will be the first time that the restaurant serves pizza in its new spot, as the original pizza ovens brought into the place were faulty.

The address for Nebo is 520 Atlantic Avenue, Boston, MA, 02210. Its website can be found at http://neborestaurant.com/

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Tavern and Tea Room Coming to Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum

The Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum is going to be opening once again on the city's waterfront, and it will feature a "publik house" that will offer food and drink.

Adam's Hospitality & Tourism Blog reports that the museum will be reopening on June 25, and included within it will be "The Tavern & Tea Room," which will serve muffins, scones, five types of tea that were dumped from the ships back in the 1700s, and possibly alcoholic beverages, based on information from a post by Eater Boston. The museum itself includes three restored tall ships, including The Beaver and Dartmouth (two whaleships) and Eleanor (a full rigged ship). Adam's Hospitality & Tourism Blog mentions that Dartmouth won't be opening until 2013.

The Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum site has been closed for more than 10 years, as back in 2001 it was heavily damaged due to a fire caused by a lightning strike.

The website for the museum can be found at http://www.bostonteapartyship.com/

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The Barking Crab Makes Zagat's List of 10 Tackiest Restaurants in America

A popular restaurant guide has just come out with a list of tackiest restaurants in the America, and a Boston eatery just happens to be on the list.

According to Zagat, The Barking Crab has been included in the guide's list of "10 Tackiest Restaurants in the U.S." due in part to the "circus-like tent" and decor that "consists of fishing nets and wooden barrels...as if you needed to be reminded you are eating at a seafood restaurant." The waterfront dining spot shares the honor with such places as Milon in Manhattan's East Village (where they do "their own Hindi Pop version of 'Happy Birthday'"), Casa Bonita in Denver (of South Park fame), Pinnacle Peak Steakhouse in San Dimas, CA (where ties are not allowed, and in fact get chopped off and pinned it to the wall), and both Bugaboo Creek and the Rainforest Cafe, which are two chains that may be familiar to Bostonians.

The Barking Crab is located at 88 Sleeper Street, which is near where Fort Point Channel meets Boston Harbor. They also have a location in Newport, RI.

For a complete list of restaurants on the list, please go to the Zagat link below.

The 10 Tackiest Restaurants in the U.S.

Thanks to Eater Boston for bringing this to our attention.

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Achilles-Persephone (The Achilles Project) Has Closed

After a number of conflicting reports over the past few days, it has been confirmed that Achilles-Persephone (which is also known as The Achilles Project) has indeed closed down. An email sent by the restaurant/boutique in the Fort Point Channel area of Boston confirmed that they have gone out of business after being open for about a year and a half. According to the note, The Achilles Project closed at the end of the day on Saturday, August 1.

The Achilles Project had been located at 283 Summer Street in the Fort Point neighborhood of Boston.

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Sportello Opens in the Fort Point Channel District

A casual Italian restaurant called Sportello has officially opened in the Fort Point Channel District of Boston. As reported earlier, this is another Barbara Lynch spot in the Fort Point area, the second of three spots that has opened (Drink was the first).

At this point in time, it appears that hours are limited at Sportello. It is probably a good idea to call in advance to check on when they are open at this time.

The address for Sportello is 348 Congress Street, Boston, MA, 02210. The phone number is (617) 737-1234.