Joshua Smith Opening Oyster/Ceviche Bar and Taco/BBQ Spot Next To Moody's Deli and The Backroom

The person behind an award-winning deli and dining room on Waltham's "Restaurant Row" is expanding, taking over the two empty spaces next door.

According to an email sent from The Daily Lunch blog, Joshua Smith of the Moody's Deli and The Backroom is taking over the now-closed Santa Banta on Moody Street, while a phone called placed to Smith indicates that he is planning to open an oyster/ceviche bar within the Santa Banta space that will be accessed by an archway leading from The Backroom, while a taco and BBQ spot will open in a separate space next to the oyster bar that is accessed from Moody Street--and one which had been home to a Haitian market. This jibes with earlier information we had that stated Smith was planning to open a spot featuring smoked meats and more in the former Haitian market space, while also indicating he was looking to open an oyster bar somewhere on Moody Street as well. (Smith is also behind New England Charcuterie, a meat-processing plant that is near the Waltham/Belmont line.)

Santa Banta first opened in the fall of 2014, taking over the space where Bombay Mahal had been since the late 1980s.

The oyster bar from Moody's will be at 458 Moody Street while the taco and BBQ spot will be at 454 Moody Street. (Smith indicates that both should be opening in the fall.)

[February 21, 2018 update: Boston Magazine states that Moody's Backroom has now officially expanded into the former Santa Banta space (which will add 70 seats to the place), and with it, the menu has expanded as well to include raw seafood, flatbreads, fresh pastas, and more. (The article also says that the separate taqueria could be opening in approximately five weeks.)]

[May 7, 2018 update: A new article from Boston Magazine indicates that the taqueria and BBQ spot will be called El Rincon de Moody's, and that it quietly had a one-day preview opening over the weekend, with its actual opening coming up sometime this month.]

[May 23, 2018 update: An update from Boston Magazine mentions that El Rincon de Moody's is now open.]

[Earlier Article]
Joshua Smith of Moody's Deli in Waltham to Open Shop Featuring Smoked Meats, Baked Goods

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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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Puro Ceviche Bar Replaces Trattoria Newbury in Boston's Back Bay

A new spot that focuses on seafood opens in Boston's Back Bay this evening, and it replaces an Italian eatery owned by the same people.

Eater Boston is reporting that Puro Ceviche Bar opens on Newbury Street tonight, taking over the space where Trattoria Newbury had been. The article says that the owners of Trattoria Newbury--George Axiotis, Irakli Gogitidze, and Shahrokh Reza--have turned the place into "a ceviche bar with Latin soul" that offers "energetic service with good music and traditional Latin small plates in a creative space." The team also runs Kava Neo-Taverna on Shawmut Avenue in the South End.

The menu at Puro includes ceviche, salads, grilled seafood and meat, a variety of small plates, beer, wine, and cocktails, and more.

Trattoria Newbury had previously been home to Bottega Fiorentina.

The address for Puro Ceviche Bar is 264 Newbury Street, Boston, MA, 02116. Its website can be found at http://www.purocevichebar.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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Mario Batali May Be Looking to Open New Restaurant on Boston Waterfront

A celebrity chef and restaurateur is apparently not done yet with opening new spots in Boston.

According to an article in the Boston Herald, Mario Batali is reportedly looking at sites along the Boston waterfront and mentions that "I’ve always loved the idea of a ceviche and raw bar with a great beer program." This comes on the heels of this week's opening of Eataly, an Italian emporium in the Prudential Center that Batali is involved with, joining Babbo, a waterfront pizzeria and enoteca that Batali and his business partners opened last year.

As soon as we find out more about Batali's plans for a possible new restaurant coming to the waterfront, we will post an update here.

[Earlier Article]
Eataly Is Opening within the Prudential Center in Boston's Back Bay in November

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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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