Bar Mezzana, No Relation, and Shore Leave in Boston Are Closing

Three popular dining and drinking spots that are part of a local hospitality group are all going to be shutting down.

According to an article in The Boston Globe, Bar Mezzana, No Relation, and Shore Leave in Boston's Ink Block/South End area are planning to close at the end of the year, as they have made the decision to not renew the lease because "financial realities prevailed." All three places are part of Traveler Street Hospitality, with Bar Mezzana being an Italian restaurant, No Relation being a sushi bar, and Shore Leave being a tiki lounge.

It appears that Black Lamb which is also part of Traveler Street Hospitality, will remain in operation (their other spot, FiDO Pizza, recently closed).

(Follow Marc on Bluesky at @marchurboston.bsky.social)

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Pressed Cafe Is Opening at Prudential Center in Boston; License May Be coming from A4 in the South End

A local group of dining spots may be expanding to the Prudential Center, and it is seeking its license from a restaurant in the South End that is known in part for its pizza.

According to a licensing board hearing page within the City of Boston website, Pressed Cafe is looking to open on Huntington Avenue, with the exact address given and the hearing notice indicating that it will apparently be moving into a ground floor space within the Pru complex. The notice also mentions that A4 (which is also known as Area Four) on Albany Street near the Ink Block development in the South End is petitioning to transfer its license and location to Pressed Cafe, though the exact status of A4 is not known at this point in time. Other locations of Pressed Cafe can be found in Burlington, Newton, and Nashua, NH (2).

The address for the new location of Pressed Cafe at the Prudential Center is 105 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02199.

[November 19 update: A job post within the Craigslist site indicates that the Prudential location of Pressed Cafe is getting closer to opening and is now hiring for all positions. (No specific opening date has been given as of yet.)]

[May 31 update: A check on the place indicates that Pressed Cafe is now open at the Prudential Center.]

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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Yellow Door Taqueria to Replace Lion's Tail at the Ink Block in Boston's South End

The team behind an award-winning Mexican restaurant in Dorchester and a dining and drinking spot in the South End will be shutting down the latter as the former gets ready to expand into its space.

Boston Magazine is reporting that Yellow Door Taqueria in Dorchester's Lower Mills is planning to open a second location, taking over the Lion's Tail space in the Ink Block area of the South End. The article says that Lion's Tail will be open until December 30, at which point the space will apparently go through renovations for a couple of months, with Yellow Door opening in the Harrison Avenue space in February.

Ken Casey of the Dropkick Murphys, Brian O'Donnell, and Taniya Nayak are involved with both Yellow Door Taqueria and Lion's Tail, and Boston Magazine says that general manager Andrew Toto will be a managing partner involved with the expansion of Yellow Door while Lion's Tail partner Jarek Mountain will help with the beverage program and executive chef Carolina Curtin will head up the kitchens of both locations of the Mexican eatery.

Lion's Tail first opened in late 2016 while the original location of Yellow Door Taqueria opened in the summer of 2017, with Boston Magazine awarding Yellow Door "best tacos" for 2019.

The address for Lion's Tail (and the upcoming location of Yellow Door Taqueria) is 300 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA, 02118. The website for the former is at https://www.lionstailboston.com/ and the website for the latter is at https://www.yellowdoortaqueria.com/

[February 11 update: The Tables section of The Boston Globe mentions that Yellow Door Taqueria opens in the Lion's Tail space tomorrow (Wednesday, February 12).]

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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No Relation Opens Inside Shore Leave in Boston's Ink Block Area

by Marc Hurwitz

A new sushi bar is opening in a particularly hot section of Boston, and it is located within a tiki bar.

According to an article from Eater Boston, No Relation is scheduled to open today within the Shore Leave space in the Ink Block development in the South End, with the nine-seat omakase sushi bar being found by way of a hallway in the back of the tiki spot. The post says that two seatings will take place each night (at 6:00 PM and 8:30 PM) and that the menu will change on a nightly basis, while beer, wine, sake, cocktails, and spirits will be available.

The group behind Bar Mezzana--which is also in the Ink Block--opened Shore Leave in November; Bar Mezzana, which features coastal Italian fare, has been open since June of 2016.

The address for No Relation (and Shore Leave) is 11 William E Mullins Way Boston, MA, 02118. Its website can be found at https://www.norelationboston.com/

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Bar Mezzana Team Opening Shore Leave (a New Tiki Bar) in Boston's Ink Block Area

by Marc Hurwitz

The group behind an Italian restaurant within a new development in Boston's South End will be opening a brand new spot across the street.

Boston Magazine is reporting that Colin Lynch, Heather Lynch, Jefferson Macklin, and Ryan Lotz of Bar Mezzana on Harrison Avenue in the Ink Block are planning to open Shore Leave, which will be a tiki bar and restaurant that is currently in design mode and could be opening later this year if all goes as planned. Very little information has been given on the upcoming spot, so stay tuned as more details start to come in.

Bar Mezzana first opened in the Ink Block in June of 2016, with the dining and drinking spot featuring coastal Italian fare.

The address for Shore Leave will be 345 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA, 02118. Its website will be at https://www.shoreleaveboston.com/

[April 27 update: A licensing board hearing page indicates that Shore Leave is hoping to get its liquor license from The Gate (which is now closed) in Jamaica Plain, and the notice says that the place plans to have two bars within its space. The hearing is scheduled to take place on May 2.]

[November 16 update: Boston Magazine states that Shore Leave plans to open by early next week.]

[November 18 update: A Facebook post from the place indicates that Shore Leave has softly opened, with its official opening taking place tomorrow (Monday, November 19) at 5:00 PM.]

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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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Lion's Tail to Open at the Ink Block in Boston's South End

It looks like a new restaurant and bar is coming to a growing development just south of downtown Boston this fall, and someone from a popular local rock band is apparently one of the people behind it.

According to a message from @InkBlockBoston, Lion's Tail is on its way to the Ink Block in the city's South End neighborhood, with a job post on the Craigslist site indicating that it will be a high-end dining spot and craft cocktail bar. A check on the restaurant's Facebook page includes a link to a place called Bottled in Bond, which redirects to the website for Lion's Tail; an earlier article from The Boston Sun mentioned that Ken Casey of the Dropkick Murphys and business partner Brian O'Donnell were behind Bottled in Bond. (No reason has been given for the name change.) Casey and O'Donnell  are also involved with other restaurants and bars in the local area, including Lower Mills Tavern in Dorchester.

Earlier, it was mentioned that Jarek Mountain from Jason Santos's Abby Lane on Tremont Street was planning to open a restaurant and bar at the Ink Block with the working name "Scofflaw." It is not known at this point in time if he is involved with Lion's Tail as well. (As soon as we find out more, we will post an update here.)

The address for the upcoming Lion's Tail at the Ink Block is 300 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA, 02118. Its website can be found at http://www.lionstailboston.com/

[December 9 update: Eater Boston states that Lion's Tail will open its doors next week, and that Ken Casey, Brian O'Donnell, Taniya Nayak (who has been involved with Lower Mills Tavern and other spots), and Jarek Mountain are all involved with the place.]

[December 14 update: A new article from Eater Boston says that Lion's Tail opens tomorrow and that its menu includes such items as corn and cheddar fritters, chocolate-braised beef short rib, egg-battered swordfish, bolognese, oysters, rock candy-braised pork belly, empanadas, and churros.]

[Earlier Article]
Scofflaw Plans to Open at the Ink Block in Boston's South End

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Sweetgreen Opens at the Ink Block in Boston's South End

A chain of farm-to-table dining spots that has expanded into the Boston area over the past few years has just expanded even further, this time opening a shop in a growing development just south of downtown.

According to Boston Magazine, Sweetgreen is now open at the Ink Block in the South End, with the eatery having seating for approximately 90, including some outdoor seating on a seasonal patio. The shop joins others in Downtown Crossing, the Back Bay (two), Fort Point, the Fenway, Chestnut Hill Square on the Newton/Brookline border, and at MarketStreet Lynnfield.

Sweetgreen, which is based in Washington, DC, offers seasonal salads and grain bowls using locally-sourced ingredients.

The address for the new location of Sweetgreen at the Ink Block is 354 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA, 02118. The website for the chain is at http://www.sweetgreen.com/

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Scofflaw Plans to Open at the Ink Block in Boston's South End

It looks like a new restaurant and bar may be opening at a red-hot development just south of downtown Boston, and one of the people involved comes from a dining spot in the Theatre District.

According to a licensing board page within the City of Boston website, a place tentatively called Scofflaw is planning to open within the Ink Block and it is looking to acquire the liquor license being held by the Lower Mills Tavern in Dorchester. (The Lower Mills Tavern is taking over the space where the Lower Mills Pub had been.) The post indicates that the proposed spot would have a dining area and a bar along with a seasonal patio, with Jarek Mountain--who is the beverage manager of Jason Santos's Abby Lane on Tremont Street--being named as the manager in the listing.

Very little is known about Scofflaw at this point in time (including if "Scofflaw" is just a working name for the place); as soon as we get more information, we will post an update here.

[January 6, 2016 update: Universal Hub mentions that Scofflaw would be a small restaurant and cocktail lounge that would cater mainly to folks who live within its building on Harrison Avenue.]

[January 20, 2016 update: Eater Boston states (via the Dorchester Reporter) that the city has approved of the license transfer from the Lower Mills Tavern to Scofflaw (with the former getting a new license).]

The address for this dining and drinking spot in the South End is 300 Harrison Avenue, Boston, MA, 02118.

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Bar Mezzana Is Opening at the Ink Block in Boston's South End

A new Italian restaurant is on its way to a red-hot development just south of downtown Boston--and the people behind it come from a well-known restaurant group.

Eater Boston is reporting that Bar Mezzana is planning to open within the Sepia condo building in the Ink Block, a new complex that is located between Harrison Avenue and Albany Street in the South End. The article indicates that the restaurant will focus on coastal Italian fare, with seating for 105 in the dining area, 25 more in the bar, and another 40 on a seasonal patio. Three people from Barbara Lynch Gruppo are behind the dining spot, including Colin Lynch (executive chef of all of Gruppo), Heather Kennaway Lynch (general manager of Sportello), and Jefferson Macklin (president and COO of the group). If all goes as planned, Bar Mezzana hopes to open in the spring of 2016, according to EB.

Another location of Fuji from the JP Fuji Group (Fuji, B Cafe, Shabu Restaurant, Bistro Chi, Kama Lounge, YoCha, Shabu & Mein) is also planning to open in the Sepia condo building.

The address for this new restaurant in the Ink Block is: Bar Mezzana, 360 Harrison Ave, Boston, MA 02118. Its website will be at http://www.barmezzana.com/

[May 26, 2016 update: According to a source, Bar Mezzana opens its doors on June 1.]

[Related Article]
Fuji May Be Coming to the Ink Block in Boston's South End

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Fuji Is Opening at the Ink Block in Boston's South End

The group behind a number of Asian restaurants in the Boston area is planning to open yet another dining spot--and this one may have the same name as several of their other eateries.

The Boston Herald is reporting that Jimmy Liang and Peter Tse of JP Fuji Group have signed a lease to open a new restaurant at the Ink Block complex in the South End of Boston, with a page on the Bizapedia site indicating that the company name is "Fuji at Ink Block." Currently, JP Fuji Group operates nine dining and drinking spots, including locations of Fuji in Quincy, at Somerville's Assembly Row, and in Cambridge's Kendall Square, along with B Cafe, Shabu Restaurant, Bistro Chi, Kama Lounge, and YoCha (all in Quincy) and Shabu & Mein in Cambridge. The website for the restaurant group can be found at http://www.jpfujigroup.com/

The Ink Block is located between Harrison Avenue and Albany Street, just south of the Mass. Pike.

[August 3, 2016 update: Eater Boston states that the new Fuji at the Ink Block opens today.]

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[Related article from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): Slideshow--Twelve Food Items from Asian Restaurants in the Boston Area]

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