Momma's in North Cambridge Expands, Opening a New Location at The Charles River Speedway in Brighton

A local food shop that is known in part for its maple creemees has expanded to a second location.

According to a poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, Momma's  in North Cambridge has been joined by a new location at the Charles River Speedway on Western Avenue in Brighton, with an Instagram post from the business saying the following:

We've been working quietly on something special + something small, but a big deal in our little world. We opened our door at the Charles River Speedway [Wednesday] for the first time. We served cones to so many sweeties + saw a lot of familiar faces + talked to so many nice new to us people!....Momma’s here at the Speedway has a BIG soft-serve machine to hopefully pump out the cones! We have lots of non-alc bevvies for sitting on the patio + snacks too, like cheese, maple kettle korn, crackers, shortbreads + heirloom tomatoes (for the summer). We even have paring knives + we hope you’ll make a picnic!

The original Momma's debuted on Massachusetts in North Cambridge in 2023, with the owner being behind the now-closed Schmetterling Wine Shop in Middlebury, VT. The website for Momma's can be found at https://www.mommasgrocery.com/

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

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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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Chaji Creamery in Quincy's Wollaston Neighborhood Is Closing

An ice cream shop with Asian influences that is located just south of Boston is shutting down.

According to a poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, Chaji Creamery in Quincy is planning to close its doors, with a Facebook post from the Newport Avenue business saying the following:

Dear Friends and Loyal Customers, After much thought and with a heavy heart, we've decided to permanently close the doors of Chaji Creamery. This chapter has been filled with sweet memories, laughter, and community—moments we will forever cherish. As a small business, your support meant everything. Whether you stopped in for a scoop, shared kind words, or recommended us to a friend, we are endlessly grateful. You helped make our dream a reality, and for that, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Though the shop is closing, the memories we've made with you will always remain. Thank you for being part of our journey. From now until September 1st, we'll only have Milk Tea and Ube flavors available. If you'd like to stock up, stop by for pints while supplies they last! With heartfelt gratitude, Chaji Family

In addition to its milk tea and ube soft serve and sundae options, Chaji Creamery has also offered such items as milkshakes, fruit tea, matcha, iced coffee, and black and jasmine tea.

The address for Chaji Creamery is 293 Newport Avenue, Quincy, MA, 02170. Its website can be found at https://www.chajicreamery.com/

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

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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.)

Kennedy's Ice Cream Bar Is Opening in Melrose

What appears to be a unique ice cream shop will soon be coming to the northern suburbs of Boston.

According to an article in the Patch, Kennedy's Ice Cream Bar is planning to open in Melrose, moving into the space at the Whole Foods Plaza on Main Street where Honey Dew Donuts had been. Christine Kennedy, who will be running the shop with her husband John, says that a soft serve with a "unique Belgian chocolate dipping station of 12 flavors" and toppings will be set up in the space, and that the style is "going to be like no other," also mentioning that the ice cream will come from Blake's, a restaurant and ice cream place in Manchester, NH.

The Patch notes that Christine Kennedy's sister-in-law Lisa Kennedy O'Dowd was behind the Melrose location of Honey Dew Donuts until it shut down earlier this year.

The address for the new Kennedy's Ice Cream Bar in Melrose is 888 Main Street, Melrose, MA, 02176.

Thanks to Richard Auffrey of The Passionate Foodie for initially bringing this to our attention.

[July 12 update: The Melrose Free Press/Wicked Local states that Kennedy's Ice Cream Bar is now open in Melrose.]

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

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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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Taiyaki NYC Is Opening a Shop in Boston’s Seaport District

by Marc Hurwitz

An ice cream shop in New York City that is known in part for its unusual cones is expanding to the Boston waterfront.

Eater Boston is reporting that Taiyaki NYC is opening an outlet in the city's Seaport District, with the Seaport Boulevard shop joining two locations in New York along with a couple of others in Miami and Toronto. Based on its other stores, expect to see soft-serve ice cream in fish-shaped cones offered at the upcoming location, and toppings such as unicorn horns, stars, and hearts. (Drinks such as floats and slushes will also be available.)

If all goes as planned, the Boston location of Taiyaki could be opening this spring.

The address for this new ice cream shop in the Seaport District is: Taiyaki, 121 Seaport Boulevard, Boston, MA, 02210. The website for the business can be found at https://taiyakinyc.com/

[April 19 update: A new article from Eater Boston states that Taiyaki opens on Friday, April 26.]

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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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Dairy Queen Has Major Expansion Plans for Massachusetts

A name familiar with soft-serve lovers is planning on opening a lot more outlets in the region.

The Boston Globe is reporting that Dairy Queen is looking to bring 60 franchised locations to Massachusetts over the next five years, which would nearly triple its presence in the state (which currently has 33 shops). A few cities and towns that appear to be getting DQs include Amherst, Billerica, Burlington, Peabody, Plymouth, Stoughton, and Worcester, and it looks like Vermont--which is the only New England state currently without a Dairy Queen--may finally get some outlets as well.

Existing locations of DQ in the Greater Boston area (and a bit beyond) include shops in Abington, Ashland, Beverly, Brockton, Foxboro, Hanover, Ipswich, Lawrence, Marlboro, Middleton, Natick, North Reading, Quincy, and Weymouth.

Dairy Queen, which first started out in Illinois in 1940, is owned by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway; in addition to soft-serve ice cream (including Blizzards, dipped cones, Dilly Bars, Buster Bars, and more), the chain also offers such food items as burgers, chicken sandwiches, hot dogs, fries, and onion rings. The website for DQ can be found at http://www.dairyqueen.com/

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[Related article from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): Slideshow--Ten Great Desserts from Boston-Area Spots]

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