The Building Housing Bocelli's in South Medford Is for Sale

Three years ago, it looked like the future of a popular Italian restaurant might be in question, as a developer was considering replacing its building with a new structure. Now we have learned that the future of the dining spot may be in question once again.

According to a source, the building in South Medford that houses Bocelli's is for sale, with a Redfin post saying that the Main Street restaurant would be part of the sale and that "All restaurant furnishings, equipment, food/drink inventory" would be included. Back in 2018, a proposal had been given that would demolish a strip of businesses in the block in which Bocelli's resides, replacing it with an apartment complex on the ground floor, but the plans never came to fruition.

Bocelli's is an old-fashioned Italian restaurant that is known in part for its basement dining room; the space had formerly been home to DePasquale's, another old-school dining spot featuring Italian food.

The address for Bocelli's is 374 Main Street, Medford, MA, 02155.

[Earlier Article]
Application Submitted to Replace Bocelli's in South Medford with Apartment Complex

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

---

[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

---

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.)

Colette Bakery Could Be Opening in Former Italo Bakery Space in South Medford

It looks like a bakery could be moving into a space where another bakery known in part for its pizza had been, and it appears to have a connection to a store in the heart of downtown Boston.

According to a source, Colette Bakery is apparently planning to open in the former Italo space in South Medford, with Superpages seeming to confirm this, showing the business name "Colette Bakery LLC" along with the old Italo address. A check on a Bizapedia page indicates that there may be a connection to a place on Beacon Street in Boston that looks like it may be transforming from High Spot Deli to Colette Bakery, with the business name of that place also being Colette Bakery LLC.

Last July, Italo Bakery shut down apparently because of a sick family member overseas, but by February of this year, a "For Lease" sign had been posted out front.

The address for what could be Colette Bakery (as well as the former Italo Bakery) is 509 Main Street, Medford, MA, 02155.

[December 26 update: A post from the Medford Square Facebook group page confirms that Colette Bakery is indeed planning to open in the former Italo space and that there is apparently a sign up now for the shop.]

[Earlier Articles]
Italo Bakery in South Medford Appears to Have Closed for Good
Italo Bakery in South Medford Has Closed; Exact Future Uncertain

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

---

[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

---

Grounder Cafe Opens in South Medford

by Marc Hurwitz

A new breakfast and lunch spot has come to a section of Medford that is known in part for its Italian dining options.

According to a post from Eater Boston, Grounder Cafe is now open on Main Street in South Medford, with the address indicating that it has taken over the space where Cafe Deia had been, and before that, Caffe' Baccini. Eater says that the new eatery offers such items as muffins, omelets, acai bowls, panini, coffee, smoothies, and juices and it open from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PMdaily.

The address for this new dining spot in South Medford is: Grounder Cafe, 394 B Main Street, Medford, MA, 02155.

Follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston

---

[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

---

Tweet

Application Submitted to Replace Bocelli's in South Medford with Apartment Complex

by Marc Hurwitz

It looks like the future of a longtime favorite for Italian food could be in question, as a developer is apparently considering replacing it with a residential development.

According to an article in the Medford Transcript, developer Rick Welch of Mesiti Group has submitted an application to the Historical Commission that would demolish a strip of businesses in South Medford that includes Bocelli's Ristorante and would replace it with a 12-unit apartment complex with retail space on the ground floor. The post says that the Historical Commission voted last month that the Main Street structure--which is nearly 100 years old--is historically significant and that a public hearing on the issue is expected to take place on August 20, with a vote favoring that the building should be preferably preserved potentially keeping it from being torn down for at least 18 months. Mesiti Group has not yet submitted a formal presentation on the proposal, and Bocelli's owner Nick Catricala indicates that there is no longer a deal between him and Rick Welch, saying that "The restaurant Bocelli's is going to stay here."

Bocelli's is an old-school Italian restaurant known in part for its cozy basement dining room, with the spot residing in the space where the iconic DePasquale's restaurant had once been; our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants) has featured it as an under-the-radar spot, with the review being found at this link:

https://www.hiddenboston.com/Bocellis.html

The address for Bocelli's is 374 Main Street, Medford, MA, 02155. Its website can be found at http://www.bocellisrestaurant.com/

[August 22 update: A new article in the Medford Transcript states that the Historical Commission has voted to "preferably preserve" the building in which Bocelli's resides, which means that its demolition has been delayed for up to 18 months or until the developer and the commission reach an agreement to preserve or incorporate historic elements of the structure into any new development built there. The post also says that both the developer and the owner of the building--who also owns Bocelli's--would like to have an Italian restaurant in the ground floor of the building, but it would likely be smaller than Bocelli's, and it is not known for sure if it would be another incarnation of the dining spot or an entirely new restaurant.]

[September 24 update: The Medford Transcript is now saying that Bocelli's appears to be safe for now, as the deal to sell the restaurant--and its building--has fallen through. (In the article, owner Nick Catricala states that "I just wasn’t ready yet....The deal wasn’t really what I really wanted.")]

Follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston

---

[Related article from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): Slideshow--Twelve Pasta Dishes from Boston-Area Spots]

---

Tweet