Nine Winters Bakery Is Opening in West Cambridge

The owner of a local bakery business is opening a permanent location in Cambridge.

According to an article from Boston Magazine, Nine Winters Bakery is planning to open on Concord Avenue in West Cambridge, moving into a space by the Walden Street intersection on the northern edge of the Huron Village neighborhood. Marissa Ferola, who is behind the new shop, started the business as a pop-up including at Honeycomb Ice Cream in Cambridge and then at Bow Market in Somerville; the new store will continue to offer baked goods and pastries with Korean influences while also expanding its menu to include lunch and dinner offerings.

If all goes as planned, the brick-and-mortar shop will open sometime this spring.

The address for Nine Winters Bakery is 292 Concord Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02138. The website for the business is at https://www.ninewinters.com/

[July 18 update: An article from boston.com mentions that Nine Winters Bakery is now open.]

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Fupo Cafe Opens in the Former Village Kitchen Space in Cambridge's Huron Village

Last month, it was reported that a neighborhood dining spot in Cambridge that focused on Italian and Mediterranean fare had closed its doors, and now we have learned that a new eatery has moved into the space.

A message sent by Leah Klein of City Living Boston indicates that Fupo Cafe is now open in Huron Village, taking over the former Village Kitchen space on Huron Avenue. The menu for the new restaurant shows such items as flatbreads, grilled cheese, tuna sandwiches, tofu and roasted veggies, chicken and roasted veggies, garlic bread, coffee, and tea, and it appears that it is currently open for lunch, with dinner also offered Friday through Sunday.

Village Kitchen had been in the space for 23 years. 

The address for Fupo Cafe is 359 Huron Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02138. Its web page can be found at https://fupocafe.square.site/

[Earlier Article]
Village Kitchen in Cambridge's Huron Village Has Closed

(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.)

 

Village Kitchen in Cambridge's Huron Village Has Closed

A neighborhood dining spot in Cambridge that focused on Italian and Mediterranean fare has shut down.

According to a poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, Village Kitchen in the Huron Village section of the city is no longer in operation, with a note out front at the Huron Avenue eatery saying "After 23 years, the time has come for our journey here to end. We thank you for your support throughout the hard and good times. It is our hope that your memories with us are as lovely as our memories with you." Village Kitchen was known in part for its pizza while also offering soups, salads, calzones, pasta dishes, subs, and more.

The address for the now-closed Village Kitchen was 359 Huron Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02138.

(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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Kismet Opens in Cambridge's Huron Village

A couple of years ago, it was reported that a local bread maker based in Cambridge was planning to open a cafe within the city, and now we have learned that it is up and running.

According to an article from Boston Magazine, Kismet is now open in the city's Huron Village neighborhood, moving into a space on Huron Avenue, and as mentioned in an earlier article, Iggy's, which is headquartered on Fawcett Street near Fresh Pond, is behind the shop. The article says that Kismet features croissants along with pretzels, coffee, and more, and the space includes a fireplace.

The address for Kismet is 348 Huron Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02138. The website for Iggy's can be found at https://www.iggysbread.com/

[Earlier Article]
Iggy's Plans to Open Cafe in Cambridge's Huron Village

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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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Iggy's Plans to Open Cafe in Cambridge's Huron Village

A local bread maker that is based in Cambridge is looking to open a cafe within one of the city's neighborhoods.

According to an article from Cambridge Day, Iggy's on Fawcett Street near Fresh Pond is planning to open a cafe in Huron Village, moving into a storefront on Huron Avenue. The post says that the new spot will focus on croissants and coffee, and if all goes well, it could be opening sometime around late February or early March of 2023.

Iggy's first started out in 1994, with their breads now being found at various restaurants and markets in the region.

It appears that the address for the upcoming cafe from Iggy's will be 348 Huron Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02138. The website for the bread maker can be found at https://www.iggysbread.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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La Royal Is Opening in Cambridge's Huron Village Neighborhood

A new restaurant is on its way to a quiet part of Cambridge, and it will have a connection to a Somerville spot.

According to an article from Eater Boston, La Royal is planning to open in the city's Huron Village neighborhood, with Maria Rondeau and JuanMa Calderón of Celeste in Union Square being behind it. The upcoming eatery, which will be coming to an undisclosed location somewhere across from Royal Avenue, will feature a variety of dishes, including such items as conchitas a la parmesana (baked scallops with parmesan), anticuchos (grilled pinchos), jalea (breaded, deep-fried seafood platters), and . raw bar items.

Celeste, which opened in March of 2018, is known in part for its Peruvian dishes along with its variety of beer, wine, and cocktail options.

[June 9 update: Cambridge Day mentions that the address for La Royal is 221 Concord Avenue. (Thanks to @crdant for bringing this to our attention.)]

[February 23, 2022 update: A message sent by Leah Klein of City Living Boston indicates that La Royal is now open.]

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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Melting Pot Opens in Former Full Moon Space in Cambridge's Huron Village

A couple of months ago, it was reported that a popular family-friendly restaurant in Cambridge was closing, though a new spot would be replacing it and it would apparently stay mostly the same. Now we have learned that the new restaurant has opened, though it is quite a bit different from the old place.

According to a source, Melting Pot is now open in Huron Village, moving into the former Full Moon space on Huron Avenue. At the time of the announcement of Full Moon closing, a Cambridge Day article had said that new owner Bhola Pandey--who is also behind Mitho Restaurant in Winchester--would not be making any real changes, with Pandey's attorney, Joe Devlin, saying that "he's running it exactly as it is now....he's buying it to run it as [is], not to change anything about it." The article mentioned that other than the name change and an extra hour in business, no other changes were expected, but it turns out that the new Melting Pot is a Nepalese restaurant, with its menu showing curry dishes, stir-fry chili options, stir-fry noodle dishes, pan-grilled meat and seafood items such as wild boar ribs and goat, and more. [Ed note: The new restaurant has no apparent connection to The Melting Pot, a chain of fondue restaurants with locations in Bedford and Framingham.]

Mitho Restaurant, which opened in late 2018, also features Nepalese fare.

The address for Melting Pot in Huron Village is 344 Huron Ave, Cambridge, MA, 02138. Its website can be found at http://meltingpotma.com/

[January 31 update: According to a licensing commission hearing agenda page, Melting Pot is looking to change its name to Base Crave. It is not known if the requested name change has anything to do with the aforementioned restaurant chain with a similar name; as soon as we find out more information, we will post an update here.]

[February 3 update: According to a source, Melting Pot in Cambridge has officially changed its name to Base Crave.]

[Earlier Article]
Full Moon Restaurant in Cambridge's Huron Village Is Closing; Melting Pot to Replace It

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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Full Moon Restaurant in Cambridge's Huron Village Is Closing; Melting Pot to Replace It

A family-friendly restaurant in Cambridge is shutting down, though a new spot under different ownership will be taking over the space--and it promises to be the same as the restaurant it is replacing.

According to a Facebook post, Full Moon in Huron Village is closing its doors soon, with the restaurant saying that "We are proud to have stayed faithful to this mission for over 22 years but it is now time to say goodbye." While it will indeed be leaving its space, a Cambridge Day article indicates that its replacement--Melting Pot--is not expected to make any changes other than its name and an extra hour of business added each day. The article says that the new owner is Bhola Pandey, who runs Mitho Restaurant, a Nepalese eatery in Winchester, and who is taking over ownership of the space from Full Moon owner Sarah Wheaton.

Full Moon has been known over the years for its New American fare along with its children's play space near the dining tables.

The address for Full Moon (and Melting Pot) is 344 Huron Ave, Cambridge, MA, 02138.

[November 19 update: The Boston Globe mentions that Full Moon plans to close within the next four weeks.]

[November 27 update: A Facebook post from the place states that Full Moon plans to closed after brunch service on Sunday, December 1.]

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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Talulla Taking Over the Former Self Portrait/T.W. Food Space in Cambridge

by Marc Hurwitz

[Ed note: This article was updated on January 9 to reflect additional information given.]

A new restaurant may be on its way to a space in Cambridge that has been home to a couple of fine-dining spots, and the couple behind it has a connection to one of those places.

Eater Boston is reporting that Conor Dennehy and Danielle Ayer are looking to open Talulla--which is named for their infant daughter--in the former Self Portrait and T.W. Food space on Walden Street in Huron Village, with Dennehy and Ayer both being T.W. Food alums while Ayer has also worked at Bronwyn in Somerville's Union Square and is currently at Menton, according to an email that we received. (Dennehy also worked at Formaggio in Cambridge after T.W. Food.) Self Portrait and T.W. Food were run by Tim and Bronwyn Wiechmann--who also operate Bronwyn--and Eater says that the Wiechmanns offered the space to Dennehy and Ayer, who will feature dishes influenced by some of the French items at T.W. Food while also including Italian, Spanish, and Japanese influences as well.

Dennehy and Ayer, who also operate a catering and hospitality business called Belly to Bones, are running a Kickstarter campaign to try to raise the rest of the funds needed for Talulla, with a check on the page indicating that as of January 9, they have raised more than half the money needed to reach their $27,000 goal.

A hearing with the city of Cambridge is expected to take place concerning an operating license for Talulla, followed by a hearing for a full liquor license six to eight weeks later; if all goes well, the restaurant could be opening in April, according to Eater Boston.

The address for Talulla in Huron Village is 377 Walden Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138.

[March 1 update: Eater Boston mentions that Talulla has met its fundraising goal.]

[April 6 update: The Tables section of The Boston Globe indicates that Talulla opens on April 20.]

[Earlier Articles]
Self Portrait in Cambridge Has Closed
Self-Portrait Is Opening in Former T.W. Food Space in Cambridge This Month
T.W. Food in Cambridge Is Closing; New Concept on the Way

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Self Portrait in Cambridge Has Closed

by Marc Hurwitz

It looks like a French bistro in Cambridge has closed after only being in business for approximately a half year.

According to a source who got in touch yesterday afternoon, Self Portrait on Walden Street in the Huron Village neighborhood appears to be shut down, with a message from Bronwyn in Somerville's Union Square (which is affiliated with the restaurant) saying last night that Self Portrait was actually still in operation. An article from Boston Magazine today, however, states that it has indeed shuttered while a voicemail from the dining spot seems to confirm this, saying that it is permanently closed. [Ed note: A couple of calls also went to another voicemail that explained how to make reservations, but this could just be a possible bug in the voicemail system.]

Self Portrait first opened in April of this year, taking over the space where T.W. Food had been. Both Self Portrait and T.W. Food were run by Bronwyn and Tim Wiechmann, as is Bronwyn in Somerville along with the now-closed Playska in Cambridge's Inman Square.

The address for the now-closed Self Portrait was 377 Walden Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138.

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House of Chang Opens in Huron Village, Cambridge

A new Chinese restaurant recently opened in the Huron Village neighborhood of Cambridge, replacing another Chinese restaurant that had been in existence for decades. House of Chang opened in November on Concord Avenue in this mostly residential section of the city, replacing Lucky Garden, a Chinese-American spot that closed over the summer.

According to the restaurant's website and a Boston Globe article, House of Chang is run by the same family that has previously owned Changsho on Mass. Ave. in Cambridge and a couple of other restaurants in Lexington and Newton. The dining spot features mostly Chinese-American fare, including crab rangoon, beef teriyaki, General Gau's chicken, Monogolian beef, sweet and sour fish, pork with spicy black bean sauce, chow foon, and chop suey. According to the Globe article, liquor is not available at House of Chang.

Hours for House of Chang are 11:30 AM to 10:00 PM Sunday to Thursday and 11:30 AM to 11:00 PM on Fridays and Saturdays. The address is: House of Chang, 282 Concord Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02138. The phone number is (617) 547-9888. And the website is at: http://www.houseofchangcambridge.com/

For a review of House of Chang, please go to the Boston Globe link below:

House of Chang a neighborly spot in Cambridge

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