ZaZiBar to Open in Boston's Seaport District

The person behind two Caribbean/Latin/Asian fusion cuisine spots in Boston is looking to open a third place, and this one will be along the waterfront.

According to a licensing board hearing page within the city's website, Orlie Roberts is planning to open ZaZiBar in the Seaport District, moving into the space on Seaport Boulevard that had been home to The Paris Creperie. The notice mentions that the new spot--which would be under the same ownership as ZaZ in Hyde Park and at City Hall Plaza in downtown Boston--will include bar and table seating along with a seasonal patio, while an earlier article from Edible Boston says that ZaZiBar will be a cocktail bar that offers tapas-style food.

Another location of The Paris Creperie remains in operation in Brookline.

The address for the upcoming ZaZiBar in the Seaport District is 60 Seaport Boulevard, Boston, MA, 02210. The website for ZaZ is at https://www.zazrestaurant.com/

[September 26 update: According to a press release, ZaZiBar is slated to open on October 10, and it will include vegan dishes on its menu along with meat and seafood options while also offering both classic and modern cocktails.]

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

NOTE: Leslie Hurwitz, who is the father of Marc (the founder of this site) is dealing with health issues and needs your help. Please donate at https://gofund.me/76d8ba28, thanks!

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[More restaurant openings/closings from the Boston's Hidden Restaurants site): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Nautilus Pier 4 Opens in the Seaport District of Boston

A popular Nantucket restaurant has expanded to the Boston waterfront.

According to a press release, Nautilus Pier 4 opens today in the city's Seaport District, with the dining spot initially being open for dinner only in their indoor area and offering seating on a first-come basis until April 6. (Lunch service and outdoor dining will begin later this spring.) As hinted at earlier here, the new location of The Nautilus will offer tapas-style dishes with Asian and Latin influences, while local beers will be available along with hard cider and a variety of wine, sake, and cocktail options, and the space will include a chef's table, dining area, bar, and private dining section.

The address for Nautilus Pier 4 is 300 Pier Four Boulevard, Boston, MA, 02210. The website for both locations can be found at https://www.thenautilus.com/

[Earlier Article]
Nautilus Pier 4 to Open in Boston's Seaport District

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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Butter "UR" Biscuit Opens in Beverly

A new dining spot that is a fusion place of sorts has come to the North Shore.

A note sent to us by Richard Auffrey of The Passionate Foodie indicates that Butter "UR" Biscuit is now open in Beverly, with the website for the Rantoul Street restaurant saying that they offer "Latin Soul Cuisine." The menu for the place includes such items as chicken and waffles, buttermilk biscuits with pulled pork or fried chicken, fried macaroni and cheese balls, guava and cheese empanadas, veggie rice bowls, pulled pork burritos, chicken quesadillas, and Caribbean rice and beans.

The address for Butter "UR" Biscuit is 131 Rantoul Street, Beverly MA, 01915. Its website can be found at https://www.butterurbiscuit.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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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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Pearl & Lime Opens in Quincy

A long-awaited restaurant with Latin influences has quietly debuted in Quincy Center.

According to a source, Pearl & Lime is now open in the former KKatie's Burger Bar space on Hancock Street, with an Instagram post from yesterday saying "Pearl and Lime is open until 10 o'clock tonight...Cheers!" As mentioned earlier, the team behind The Townshend, a nearby restaurant and bar also on Hancock Street, is running Pearl & Lime, with the new spot offering such items as street popcorn, Ecuadorian shrimp, shishito peppers, tacos, sliders, pastelillos, and more, along with beer, wine, and cocktails including several margarita options.

The address for Pearl & Lime is 1440 Hancock Street, Quincy, MA, 02169. Its website can be found at https://www.pearlandlime.com/

[Earlier Article]
Pearl & Lime Plans to Open in Quincy 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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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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Mexicali Sushi Bar Opens in East Boston

A few years ago, it was reported that a new restaurant featuring a different type of fusion cuisine could be coming to East Boston, and now we have learned that the place has finally opened.

According to a tweet from @bzref, Mexicali Sushi Bar is now open on Sumner Street, with the Facebook page for the dining spot indicating that it focuses on Mexican-Japanese fusion fare, including sushi rolls with Mexican influences and ceviche. The restaurant was first announced in June of 2017, with the city of Boston looking at its request for a common victualler license, but very little information on the place came out until recently when it opened its doors in the Maverick Square section of Eastie. The website for Mexicali Sushi Bar is not up and running yet, so it is not known what is exactly on its menu; as soon as we find more, we will post an update here.

The address for Mexicali Sushi Bar is 199 Sumner Street, East Boston, MA, 02128.

[Earlier Article]
Mexicali Sushi Bar Plans to Open in East Boston

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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Little Pecan Bistro Opens in Brighton

A new restaurant featuring two different types of cuisine has come to Brighton.

According to a poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, Little Pecan Bistro is now open on Washington Street, with a post from Eater Boston indicating that it debuted earlier this month. The new eatery offers Asian/Latin fusion dishes, with its menu including such items as fried chicken sandwiches, an Asian steak and cheese, short rib tacos, macaroni and cheese, pecan pad Thai, tea, and smoothies, along with a variety of breakfast dishes as well.

The address for Little Pecan Bistro in Brighton is 296 Washington Street, Brighton, MA, 02135. Its website can be found at https://www.littlepecanbistro.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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Neighborhood Kitchen Opens in Former Baity Space in Medford

A new restaurant with an interesting mix of cuisines has come to Medford, moving into a space where one of the region's few Egyptian spots had been.

According to a poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, Neighborhood Kitchen is now open on Spring Street in the former Baity Space, with a Patch post indicating that the new eatery offers a mix of Asian and Caribbean fare along with American comfort food. A section of the menu on the Patch page shows such items as lemongrass beef, jerk shrimp and grits, blackened salmon with rice, chicken and waffles, Caribbean lasagna, burgers, macaroni and cheese, vegetable rangoon, and green tea mochi.

Baity closed in June after being in business for a bit more than a year, with the restaurant offering Egyptian fare.

The address for Neighborhood Kitchen is 84 Spring Street, Medford, MA, 02155. An Instagram page for the place can be found at https://www.instagram.com/theneighborhood_kitchen/ though it currently has no activity as of yet.

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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Machu Chifa Plans to Open in Downtown Boston

A new restaurant that features a type of fusion cuisine not easily found in the Greater Boston area is on its way to the heart of the city.

According to a source (Sarah Wu), Machu Chifa is opening in downtown Boston, with the Court Street eatery being a fast-casual restaurant that focuses on chifa, and in particular, Cantonese-Peruvian style fried rice bowls that can be ordered with steak, pork, shrimp, or chicken, based on information from a web page for the place. It is not known when the new restaurant might open, though it appears that it may be either on the verge of opening or already open; we have reached out to the spot and will post an update as soon as we find out more.

Currently, chifa--which includes a number of dishes with Chinese and Peruvian influences in addition to fried rice--can only be found at a few Boston-area restaurants, including Ruka in downtown Boston and Celeste in Somerville's Union Square.

The address for Machu Chifa is 55 Court Street, Boston, MA, 02203. Its Instagram page can be found at https://www.instagram.com/machuchifa/ while its web page is at https://yinm65.wixsite.com/machu-chifa/

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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Nahita in Boston Has Closed; May Be Replaced by New Concept

A fine-dining spot on the eastern edge of Boston's Back Bay has shut down, though it looks like a new restaurant could be replacing it at some point.

According to several sources, including a poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, Nahita on Arlington Street is locked up and dark and is no longer taking reservations. Another source has confirmed that the restaurant has indeed closed, but D.ream (Doguş Restaurant Entertainment and Management)--which is behind Nahita--may be bringing a new concept to the space, according to the source.

Nahita first opened in September of 2018, offering a variety of Latin-Asian dishes that also had Turkish influences. The restaurant had taken over the space where Liquid Art House had been until it closed in November of 2017.

The address for the now-closed Nahita is 100 Arlington Street, Boston, MA, 02116.

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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Nautilus Pier 4 Plans to Open in Boston's Seaport District

It looks like a trendy hotspot on Nantucket is going to be expanding to Boston.

The Tables section of The Boston Globe states that Nautilus Pier 4 is planning to open in the city's Seaport District, with the restaurant joining the original location of The Nautilus on the island. (The owners of The Nautilus also run a music club on Nantucket called Gaslight.) Based on the offerings at its existing location, Nautilus Pier 4 will likely feature small plates with Asian and Latin influences along with cocktails.

If all goes as planned, Nautilus Pier 4 will open sometime in 2020.

The address for Nautilus Pier 4 will be 300 Pier Four Boulevard, Boston, MA, 02210; the website for the Nantucket location of The Nautilus can be found at https://nautilusnantucket.com/

[November 27 update: A message from Richard Auffrey of The Passionate Foodie indicates that Nautilus Pier 4 plans to open in April of 2021.]

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.)

Casa Cana Is Opening within the Studio Allston hotel in Allston-Brighton

by Marc Hurwitz

A new Latin restaurant and rum bar is opening within a hotel across from the Charles River, moving into the site where a Chinese restaurant (and another hotel) had been.

Eater Boston is reporting that Casa Cana is opening in the Studio Allston hotel on Soldiers Field Road where the Days Hotel and Joyful Garden were. The article mentions that the upcoming spot may be focusing on nuevo latino fare while focusing on rum-based drinks as well, with the food apparently including Central and South American options along with Caribbean dishes. A specific opening date has not been given as of yet for Casa Cana (EB mentions that it plans to open soon), so keep checking back for updates.

Joyful Garden is reopening in the former Old Country Buffet space at the Watertown Mall, with earlier reports saying it could open in August though it isn't known if this is still a possibility.

The address for Casa Cana is 1234 Soldiers Field Road, Boston, MA, 02135.

[August 9 update: A Twitter post indicates that Casa Cana has soft-opened, with its official opening taking place this weekend.]

[Earlier Article]
Joyful Garden Is Reopening in Watertown

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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Mexicali Sushi Bar Plans to Open in East Boston

A new restaurant may be on its way to East Boston, and if its name is any indication, it looks like it could be a fusion spot.

According to a Boston Licensing Board hearing page, Mexicali Sushi Bar is looking to open on Sumner Street in Maverick Square, with the hearing notice stating that the proposed eatery would have two seating areas and possible opening hours of 9:00 AM to 2:00 AM, with the manager being Roberto Trujillo. No other information has been given on the spot as of yet, but it is possible that sushi burritos could be at least one of the offerings at the restaurant based on its name. (Sushi burritos are an increasingly hot trend in the area and can currently be found at such places as Yoki Express in Boston's Seaport District, Love Art Sushi near where the Back Bay and the Fenway meet, OGinger and Pokeworks in Somerville's Davis Square, and Poke City near Cambridge's Porter Square.)

The address for this proposed restaurant in Maverick Square is: Mexicali Sushi Bar, 191-201 Sumner Street, East Boston, MA, 02128.

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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DÔA May Be Coming to Boston

A casual Latin/Asian fusion restaurant in Miami may be expanding to Boston.

Eater Boston is reporting that London-based restaurateur Arjun Waney is looking to open a location of DÔA somewhere in Boston along with Washington, DC, joining the original location of the "LatAsian" concept at South Beach. (An article from The Real Deal also mentions that locations of the dining spot could be coming to Atlanta and Chicago as well.) EB says that DÔA would feature nikkei- and chifa-inspired food items, with the former being a mix of Japanese and Peruvian fare and the latter being a fusion of Chinese and Peruvian fare; as mentioned here in an earlier article, the downtown Boston restaurant Ruka also offers these types of fusion cuisines.

Arjun Waney is involved with a number of restaurants across the world, including some big-name spots in London.

As soon as we find out when and where DÔA could open, we will post an update here.

The website for the original location of DÔA can be found at http://doacantina.com/

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 Qchara Is Opening in Melrose

A new restaurant is on its way to Melrose, and the person behind it also happens to own another eatery nearby.

The Melrose Free Press is reporting that Lorenzo Tenreiro of Coffee Tea and Me on Main Street is going to be opening La Qchara on Franklin Street, with the new dining spot featuring Latin fusion cuisine. The article mentions that the restaurant, which will move into the former Peacuddy's Café and Bakery space, will include dishes that are influenced by a variety of Spanish influences, with the focus leaning toward Central American and South American fare. It appears that the breakfast and lunch spot could be open by the end of the summer.

[October 9 update: A note on Facebook indicates that La Qchara has opened; the post says that the new restaurant has food items such as arepas, cachapas, and tortas, along with a smoothie bar and raw juice bar, and coffee, tea, and espresso.]

The address for this new spot in Melrose is: La Qchara, 506 Franklin Street, Melrose, MA, 02176.

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Betty's Wok and Noodle in Boston Has Closed "Indefinitely"

An eclectic Boston restaurant known in part for its Asian/Latino fusion cuisine has closed its doors, possibly for good.

According to a poster on the Chowhound site, Betty's Wok & Noodle on Huntington Avenue has a sign in the window that says "Closed Indefinitely" and much of the furnishings inside are apparently gone. A call placed to the dining spot went to a voicemail that said Betty's has indeed closed indefinitely, and ends with the following statement that implies the restaurant may not be reopening: "We thank you for your years of loyal patronage."

Betty's Wok & Noodle first opened in 1999, offering diners an offbeat mix of dishes that included wontons in a Cuban dip, sake-glazed ribs, fried plantains, onion rings, Szechuan eggplant, tropical chicken, arroz con carne, pad Thai, and kung pao beef.

The address for this restaurant is: Betty's Wok & Noodle, 250 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115.


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Mixtura Opens in Somerville

A Peruvian and Latin Fusion restaurant has just opened in Somerville, and the folks behind it also happen to own a Peruvian dining spot in another part of the city.

According to their website, the people who run Machu Picchu in Union Square have opened Mixtura on Beacon Street, with the restaurant moving into the space where Great Taste Diner had been until closing a couple of months ago. The new eatery, which is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, focuses on house-made meals using natural ingredients, with such items as omelets, French toast, burritos, papusas, tamales, sandwiches, carne asada, and spare ribs offered.

The address for this new restaurant in Somerville is: Mixtura, 300 Beacon Street, Somerville, MA, 02143. Their website can be found at http://mixturasomerville.com/

Thanks to a poster on the Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook page for bringing this to our attention.

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