Dave's Hot Chicken Opens in Boston's Theatre District

A California-based chain of dining spots focusing on Nashville hot chicken has opened yet another outlet in the local area, and this is its second within Boston itself.

According to a poster (Geoff Wong) within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, Dave's Hot Chicken has opened in the Theatre District, moving into the space on Stuart Street where a location of Blaze Pizza had been until closing last spring. The new location joins another Boston outlet in Dorchester's South Bay as well as Braintree, Chelmsford, Dorchester, Framingham, Newton, Saugus, and Woburn, and like the others, it offers tenders and sliders with heat levels ranging from "no spice" to "reaper."

The address for the new location of Dave's Hot Chicken in the Theatre District is 123 Stuart Street, Boston, MA, 02116. The website for all locations can be found at https://www.daveshotchicken.com/

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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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Salvatore's in Downtown Boston Has Closed

A location of a group of Italian spots has shut down, as it makes way for what looks to be a Creole and Cajun restaurant.

According to a source, Salvatore's in downtown Boston closed last night, with a phone call placed to the Washington Street spot confirming this. As mentioned in an earlier article, the people behind both the Back Deck and Fajitas & 'Ritas on nearby West Street plan to open French Quarter in the space, though at the time of that article it was not known when Salvatore's might close. Locations of Salvatore's in Andover, Lawrence, and Medford remain in operation.

The downtown Boston location of Salvatore's first opened in 2011; another Boston location in the Seaport District had opened in 2009, but it closed its doors last year.

The address for the now-closed location of Salvatore's in downtown Boston (and the upcoming French Quarter) is 545 Washington Street, Boston, MA, 02111.

[Earlier Article]
French Quarter May Be Opening in Salvatore's Space in Downtown 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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French Quarter Plans to Open in the Salvatore's Space in Downtown Boston

A new restaurant featuring traditional New Orleans dishes may be on its way to downtown Boston, and it plans to move into the space where a location of a group of Italian spots currently resides.

According to a licensing board hearing page within the city's website, a restaurant called French Quarter is seeking the liquor license currently held by Salvatore's on Washington Street along the edge of the Theatre District, with the plan being to open in that space. The parent company listed for French Quarter is the Back Deck, Inc., and a message sent to us indicates that it indeed has a connection to the Back Deck, a dining spot on nearby West Street that is known in part for its charcoal-grilled meats, along with Fajitas & 'Ritas, a Tex-Mex place that is also on West Street. We have been told that French Quarter will focus at least in part on Creole and Cajun cuisine, with a bit more emphasis on the former; more will probably be known about the place by next week, as the hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, July 17.

Locations of Salvatore's can be found in Andover, Lawrence, and Medford in addition to the downtown Boston location.

The address for the proposed French Quarter (and Salvatore's) is 545 Washington Street, Boston, MA, 02111.

[February 24, 2020 update: A press release sent to us indicates that French Quarter soft-opens today, for dinner only, with lunch service expected to begin next week.]

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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The Tam in Boston's Theatre District Has Closed; Exact Status Unknown

by Marc Hurwitz

Last summer, it was reported that an investor group had purchased several buildings in Boston, each of which was home to a bar, and now we have learned that another one of the bars has closed down--at least for now.

According to a source, The Tam in Boston's Theatre District has shuttered, with an Instagram post confirming that the Tremont Street watering hole indeed closed down last night. A Facebook post from the place includes a comment where The Tam says that "New people bought it they say it will be the same" but then goes on to say "We'll see." This appears to follow a pattern seen by the Beacon Hill Pub on Charles Street where that bar closed down in September and was possibly going to reopen in October with no changes other than ownership and apparently a new manager, but as of now, it remains closed.

According to an earlier article from Universal Hub, Greater Boston Bar Co. had purchased the buildings housing The Tam and the Beacon Hill Pub in July, along with Mary Ann's in Cleveland Circle. The Beacon Hill Times mentioned that Sullivan's Tap near North Station was apparently purchased by the same people as well, and we later reported that it looked like this was indeed the case based on an Open Corporates page and a hearing notice; Sullivan's Tap appears to be on the verge of changing ownership and possibly going through renovations, while an earlier report mentioned that Mary Ann's could be replaced by a cannabis dispensary, though this is not a done deal by any means.

The address for The Tam is 222 Tremont Street, Boston, MA, 02116.

[December 30 update: The Boston Globe reports that The Tam will reopen tomorrow, with no real changes expected to the place. (Sullivan's Tap near North Station will be reopening today as well, and will apparently have no major changes.)]

[Earlier Articles]
Beacon Hill Pub in Boston Closes Temporarily, Will Reopen Soon
Changes May Be Coming to Sullivan's Tap in Boston's North Station Area
Is Mary Ann's in Brighton's Cleveland Circle Being Replaced By a Dispensary?

Follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston

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[Related article from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): Slideshow--Ten Good Places to Get Beer in the Boston Area]

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Blaze Pizza Opening in Boston's Fenway and Theatre District

Earlier this month, we reported that a group of California-based pizza restaurants with some big names involved was opening its first Boston-area location in Cambridge. Now we have learned that two more will be coming to Boston itself.

According to an article from Eater Boston, Blaze Pizza is planning to open shops at The Viridian apartment tower near Fenway Park and in CityPlace within the State Transportation Building in the Theatre District, joining another location that will be coming to One Canal Park near the CambridgeSide Galleria. It looks like the two Boston outlets will open in the summer, while the Cambridge shop will open this spring, though no specific opening dates have been given for any of them as of yet.

[May 8 update: Based on a licensing board page within the city of Boston website, the Fenway location of Blaze Pizza could be one step closer to opening by this week, as a hearing will take place concerning its application for a common victualler license on Wednesday, May 11.]

[September 26 update: Digital Journal states that Blaze Pizza opens its Fenway shop--which will be the first location within the Boston city limits--on Thursday, September 29. (The CityPlace outlet hopes to open sometime this fall.)]

[November 2 update: A Boston Licensing Board page indicates that Blaze could be one step closer to opening in the Theatre District by today (or tomorrow, as the city often makes decisions the day following a hearing), and the notice mentions that the new shop would include an outdoor patio.]

[December 20 update: Eater Boston says that Blaze Pizza has opened at CityPlace in the Theatre District, and the place will also be celebrating its opening on Wednesday with free pizza to anyone who follows the pizzeria on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.]

A few investors who are involved with Blaze include Red Sox chairman Tom Werner, author/journalist Maria Shriver, and Cleveland Cavaliers basketball star LeBron James.

The website for Blaze is at http://www.blazepizza.com/

[Earlier Article]
Blaze Pizza to Open at One Canal Park in Cambridge

Follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston

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[Related article from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): Slideshow--Twelve Pizzas in the Boston Area and Beyond]

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Tantric in Boston's Theatre District Has Closed (Again)

An Indian restaurant in the Theatre District of Boston has closed its doors once again, though this time it looks like this is a permanent closure.

Eater Boston is reporting that Tantric within City Place in the Transportation Building is shuttered, with a post on the dining spot's Facebook page saying that "It was our pleasure serving you for the past twelve years at this location, and we are so sorry to close....We thank you for your past dining visits and wish you the very best. With warm regards from your friends at Tantric." The Stuart Street restaurant had closed back in January of 2014 as well (apparently for renovations), though it reopened the following month.

The address for this now-closed Indian restaurant in the Theatre District was: Tantric, 123 Stuart Street, Boston, MA, 02116.

[Earlier Articles]
Tantric in Boston Closed For Renovations
Tantric in Boston's Theatre District Has Reopened

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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Jimmy John's to Open inside City Place in Downtown Boston

An Illinois-based chain of gourmet sandwich shops is expanding into the Boston area once again, and this time it is looking to open a location near Boston Common.

According to a Twitter post from @DGoodison of The Boston Herald, Jimmy John's is planning on opening in City Place within the State Transportation Building where Charles Street South and Stuart Street meet. If it gets approval from the city to open, the new shop will join others in South Boston, Park Drive in the Audubon Circle area, Valenti Way by North Station, Western Avenue in Allston-Brighton, and South Braintree.

John's opened its first shop in Charleston, IL in 1983 and now has more than 2,000 locations across the United States.

The address for this upcoming sandwich shop in Boston is: Jimmy John's, 12 Charles Street South, Boston, MA, 02116. The website for the chain can be found at https://www.jimmyjohns.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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Abby Lane Owner Jason Santos Wins Marathon Race Against Non-Paying Diner

The chef and owner of a restaurant in Boston's Theatre District recently ran after a diner who allegedly didn't pay--and the race to catch him was a particularly long one.

The Boston Herald states that a "30-something, well-dressed guy" at Abby Lane on Tremont Street reportedly ran out the back door earlier this week after being confronted by Jason Santos and a bartender who told the chef/owner that the diner had walked out on a tab two weeks earlier. Santos ran after the perp in his clogs and his chef's coat, following him for more than a mile through the streets of the Theatre District before finding a police car by P.F. Chang's at Park Plaza; the police caught up with the patron over by Boston Common, according to the article. (The suspect was arrested for disorderly conduct and defrauding an innkeeper.)

Santos tells the Herald that in both instances, the diner said he had forgotten his wallet and needed to go out and get it so he could pay.

Jason Santos currently runs both Abby Lane and Back Bay Harry's on Berkeley Street, with the chef and restaurateur also appearing on the Fox show Hell's Kitchen back in 2010. (He was also involved with the now-closed Gargoyles in Somerville's Davis Square and Blue Inc. in downtown Boston.)

Follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston

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[Note: Please join the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook Group Page to get more info on dining spots and also chat with others about Boston-area restaurants.]

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California Pizza Kitchen Closes Its Outlet in Boston's Transportation Building

A national chain of pizza restaurants has closed one of its two locations within the city limits of Boston.

According to a poster on the Chowhound site, the California Pizza Kitchen within the State Transportation Building by Park Plaza is shuttered, with a check on the chain's website seeming to confirm this (it is no longer showing this location). This leaves only one remaining location in Boston--at the Prudential Center--and four others in the surrounding area, including in Cambridge, Braintree, Natick, and Wellesley. California Pizza Kitchen had been in the Transportation Building for approximately 15 years.

The California Pizza Kitchen chain first started out in the 1980s and currently is headquartered in Los Angeles, with more than 200 locations across the country.

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Former Jae's Building in Boston's Theatre District/Bay Village Neighborhood to Be Demolished

The building in Boston's Theatre District/Bay Village area that used to be home to an Asian restaurant is going to be taken down.

The Boston Business Journal is reporting that the structure on Stuart Street where a location of Jae's used to be until closing nearly 10 years ago is being demolished over the coming weeks, with the demolition work apparently starting yesterday. The article says that Northwood Investors, which owns the adjacent Revere Hotel, is also the owner of the building being taken down, though it is not yet known what the plans will be for the space.

Other locations of Jae's have closed over the years, including now-shuttered outlets in Brookline and North Adams; a South End location called Jae's Cafe remains open on Columbus Avenue.

The address for the Theatre District/Bay Village building that used to house Jae's is 212 Stuart Street, Boston, MA, 02116.

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Tantric in Boston's Theatre District Has Reopened

An Indian restaurant in the Theatre District of Boston that had closed around the beginning of the year is open once again.

As we reported in early January, Tantric in the Transportation Building on Stuart Street had shut its doors, with a note on both Facebook and Twitter saying that it had closed for renovations. Now, according to a new Facebook post, Tantric is up and running again, with the message saying "Tantric India Bistro is happy to announce our re-opening on Monday February 24. We thank you for your patience, understanding, and the many well wishes during the past month-and-a-half closure. We thank you for your past dining visits to the restaurant, and we look forward to your return and the opportunity for us to serve you again." It is not yet known what kinds of renovations have taken place; as soon as we find out more, we will post an update here.

Tantric has been in business for approximately ten years.

The address for this restaurant in the Theatre District is: Tantric, 123 Stuart Street, Boston, MA, 02116. Its website can be found at http://www.tantricbistro.com/

[Earlier Article]
Tantric in Boston Closed For Renovations

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Market at W Boston Is Closing

A high-end restaurant in downtown Boston that features dishes developed by a three-star Michelin chef is closing.

An article from Zagat confirms what A Thought For Food mentioned to us on Friday, that Market at W Boston on Stuart Street in the Theatre District will shutter at the end of the year. The post also says that an announcement on what might go into the space will come at some point and that the W Lounge within the hotel will remain open, though it will received some type of a "refresh" in 2014. The restaurant first opened in October of 2009, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten and the New York-based Culinary Concepts Hospitality Group behind it.

As mentioned earlier, Zagat also mentions that Starwood, which is behind the W Hotel, also has changes in store for its nearby Westin Copley Place Hotel--it will close the 30-year-old Turner Fisheries within the hotel later this month.

Market at W Boston, which is an elegant but casual spot that features an eclectic mix of French, Italian and Asian-influenced dishes, is one of a number of restaurants that Jean-Georges Vongerichten has helped develop, with others (including both his own and collaborations with Culinary Concepts) being in New York, Chicago, London, Paris, Shanghai, and many other locations. His website can be found at http://www.jean-georges.com/

The address for the soon-to-close Market (and the W Boston) is 100 Stuart Street, Boston, MA, 02116.

[December 10 update: A side note--Eater National mentions (via The New Potato) that Jean-Georges Vongerichten has announced he is planning to open a new restaurant in New York City in the spring of 2014, with the place being a vegetarian spot. The article also mentions that he is looking to open a taco stand in NYC called Cocina Tacos as well.]

[December 23 update: A phone call placed to the W Boston indicates that Market has officially closed, though it sounds like plans are definitely in the works for a new restaurant to open in the space in 2014.]

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Tunnel Is Opening in the W Boston Hotel

A new nightclub and lounge is opening within a hotel in the Theatre District of Boston, replacing a cocktail lounge that closed over the winter.

UrbanDaddy is reporting that Tunnel opens today underneath the W Boston Hotel, with the dance club taking over the former Descent space. According to UD, the new spot features a "custom-made artificial intelligence program" that is able to run 65,000 non-repeating light displays, with a total of 3,600 LED lights used. (Access to Tunnel is via a private elevator.)

The address for this new club in the Theatre District (as well as the W Boston Hotel itself) is 100 Stuart Street, Boston, MA, 02116. The website for the hotel is at http://www.starwoodhotels.com/whotels/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=1787

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Vapiano in Boston's Theatre District Has Closed

A chain of fresh casual restaurants that features Italian food has closed its Boston location, and it is not yet known whether the place will reopen.

The Boston Hospitality and Tourism Industry Blog is reporting that Vapiano on Stuart Street is shuttered, with one sign out front saying that it was going to be closed for the July 4 weekend and another sign saying that it is closed for renovations. A note sent to the restaurant has gone unanswered, and others in the media (including The Boston Globe) have not had any luck getting answers, either.

Vapiano first opened in Boston in the summer of 2010, being one of a handful of locations in the United States (most of them are located in Europe).

As soon as we find out the exact status of Vapiano, we will post an update here.

[July 22 update: An update from the Boston Hospitality and Tourism Industry Blog mentions (via a note on the door) that Vapiano in Boston has shuttered because the franchise partner who headed up the location has returned to Germany (where he is originally from) for family reasons, and that the restaurant is "closed until further notice."]

[July 24 update: A Twitter post sent to us today seems to confirm that Vapiano in Boston is closed for good, as that location is no longer shown on the restaurant chain's website.]

The address for this now-closed restaurant in the Theatre District is: Vapiano's, 191 Stuart Street, Boston, MA, 02116. The website for the chain can be found at http://www.vapianointernational.com/vapiano/

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Avila in Boston Is Closing

A Mediterranean restaurant on the edge of Boston's Theatre District is closing this weekend.

The Boston Hospitality and Tourism Industry Blog is reporting that Avila on Charles Street South is shutting its doors for good after business hours on Saturday, with no indication of what might replace the eatery at this point. The article mentions that Avila is part of the Davio's restaurant group, which has locations of that dining spot in Boston and Chestnut Hill, as well as an upcoming branch in Lynnfield.

Avila has featured such items as steamed mussels, tuna tartare, gnocchi, tagliatelle bolognese, braised short ribs, and chicken under a brick on its menu.

The address for this soon-to-close restaurant is: Avila, 1 Charles Street South, Boston, MA, 02116.

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Genki Ya Is Opening in Boston's Theatre District

A trio of Japanese restaurants that focus on healthy eating will soon have a fourth location, and this one will be located in the heart of Boston.

The Boston Hospitality and Tourism Industry Blog is reporting that Genki Ya is planning to open on Tremont Street in the city's Theatre District, taking over the space where Shanghai Restaurant had been. Once it opens, the new eatery will join locations in Brookline, Cambridge, and Dedham and will feature sushi and Japanese entrees made using organic ingredients.

[May 30 update: Eater Boston states that the new Genki Ya in the Theatre District is now open.]

Our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants) has reviewed the original Genki Ya in Brookline, saying that it is a little-known spot to check out for Japanese fare. The review for it can be found below:

http://www.hiddenboston.com/GenkiYa.html

The address for this new restaurant in the Theatre District is: Genki Ya, 232 Tremont Street, Boston, MA, 02116. The website for all of the locations is at http://www.genkiyasushi.com/

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Pigalle in Boston to Become a New Restaurant

The chef and owner of a French restaurant in Boston's Theatre District area is planning to re-concept the place, with the focus being more on American food in a casual setting.

Grub Street Boston is reporting that Marc Orfaly of Pigalle on Charles Street South is going to be closing the eatery in order to bring a new spot with "American-inspired tavern fare" into the space. GS says that Orfaly is teaming up with Matt Camilleri (who had been at The Biltmore and Local 149) to open the restaurant, which will feature bar snacks and meals made in an open kitchen, along with a raw bar and craft beer options. The unnamed dining spot could be opening sometime in late May.

Pigalle has been in business for more than ten years.

The address for Pigalle (and Orfaly's upcoming restaurant) is 75 Charles Street South, Boston, MA, 02116.

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