The Mix Vault May Open in Roxbury

The people behind a Dorchester dining spot may be opening a restaurant and speakeasy with a similar name in Roxbury.

According to a licensing committee hearing page within the City of Boston website, The Mix Vault is looking to open on Shawmut Avenue, with the address indicating that it would move into a space about a block away from Malnea Cass Boulevard. The notice mentions that the proposed place would have a takeout area and a kitchen along with a "hidden" door that leads to a bar with seating for 25 and a speakeasy, and the manager listed is Rufus Faulk who is one of the owners of The Mix on Talbot Avenue in the Ashmont/Peabody Square area. Based on that restaurant, The Mix Vault could be offering a mix of Southern fare and New England seafood dishes, but more should be known once the meeting takes place next week.

The address for The Mix Vault would be 720 Shawmut Avenue, Roxbury, MA 02119. The website for The Mix in Dorchester is at https://www.mixboston.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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The Hidden Door Opens in Marblehead

A new cocktail lounge has come to the North Shore.

According to a source, The Hidden Door is now open in Marblehead, confirming what another source told us earlier, that the place would be opening on Washington Street in the center of town. We have been told that the new spot--which is run by Todd and Victoria Horvath--is located next door to The Barrelman restaurant, and it is a speakeasy-style lounge where people enter through a secret door hidden in a bookcase.

The address for The Hidden Door is 259 Washington Street, Marblehead, MA, 01945. Its Instagram page can be found at https://www.instagram.com/thehiddendoormhd

NOTE: We need your help, as Leslie Hurwitz, who is the father of Marc (the founder of this site) is dealing with health issues and some major related expenses. 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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Wink & Nod in Boston's South End Is Returning

It looks like a Boston speakeasy that operates a rotating kitchen with various popups is coming back after a long hiatus.

According to a poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, Wink & Nod in the South End is planning to reopen, with the website for the Appleton Street spot saying that "We're so excited to announce the re-opening of Wink & Nod this fall! Come back soon and follow us on Instagram for the latest news." The restaurant and bar space, which first opened in 2014, has been home to a number of popups including Kaki Lima, Pelekasis, Ripasso, HUSH, Humaari, Pareja, Gita, Akinto, and Little Owl Tavern.

Wink & Nod has been closed since March of 2020 when the pandemic first took hold.

The address for Wink & Nod is 3 Appleton Street, Boston, MA, 02116. Its website can be found at https://winkandnod.com/ while its Instagram page is at https://www.instagram.com/wink_and_nod/

[November 1 update: A message sent to us from Adam Castiglioni of the Boston Hospitality and Tourism Industry Blog indicates that Wink & Nod returns today, with Chef Louis DiBiccari (Tavern Road, CREATE), being behind a concept called SubRosa through next April there, offering a menu with Mediterranean and Middle Eastern influences while also featuring a monthly Art Gallery exposition.]

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

Next Door Is Opening in East Boston; Pazza on Porter Team Behind It

The people behind an Italian restaurant in East Boston are opening a new cocktail bar.

According to an article from Eater Boston, the Pazza on Porter folks plan to open Next Door, a speakeasy-style spot that will be a bit more "upscale and sophisticated" than traditional speakeasies and will indeed be next door to the Porter Street restaurant. The post mentions that the bar will have a hidden entrance, with the secret door having a sliding window where customers give their reservation before entering the place. Expect to find small plates, charcuterie and cheese boards, and raw bar items at Next Door, along with a variety of cocktails.

If all goes as planned, Next Door will open in early November.

The address for Next Door is 103 Porter Street, East Boston, MA, 02128. Its website is at https://www.nextdooreastie.com/

[March 30, 2022 update: According to its website, Next Door is now open in East Boston (Thursday through Sunday only, at least for now).]

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.)

The Foreign Correspondents Club Is Opening Below The Merchant in Downtown Boston

A speakeasy-style spot with international influences is on its way to the heart of Boston, and it will be moving into a space below an upscale brasserie.

According to an article from Eater Boston, the Foreign Correspondents Club is opening in the downstairs level of The Merchant Kitchen & Drinks on Franklin Street, with the place (which will also apparently be known as the FCC) featuring small plates and cocktails that are inspired by places around the globe. The post mentions that customers will be able to access the lounge by getting a vintage postcard at the host stand inside the Merchant which will allow them into the basement space. If all goes as planned, the Foreign Correspondents Club will open later this month.

The Merchant first opened in 2014, offering mostly New American fare using locally-sourced ingredients along with beer, wine, and cocktails.

The address for the Foreign Correspondents Club (and The Merchant) is 60 Franklin Street, Boston, MA, 02110. The Instagram page for the lounge can be found at https://www.instagram.com/fccdtx/

[July 18 update: An article from boston.com mentions that the Foreign Correspondents Club will initially be a pop-up that will close around the middle of the fall, with the plan being for it to reopen sometime next year.]

[August 8 update: Boston Magazine states that the Foreign Correspondents Club debuts tomorrow (Friday, August 9) and plans to remain open until September 21.]

[October 9 update: A Facebook post from The Merchant indicates that the Foreign Correspondents Club has closed "for the season."]

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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G Pub Being Proposed for Brockton's Downtown Area

by Marc Hurwitz

It appears that a gastropub that would have a retro vibe and a rooftop area is being planned for a city south of Boston that is in the process of redeveloping its downtown area.

Wicked Local is reporting that Colin Geoffroy of G Hospitality is looking to open a location of G Pub in the Corcoran Building (which is being redeveloped into a mixed-use residential complex) in Brockton, joining the original location which can be found in Providence. The article says that the Montello Street spot would have 7,000 square feet of space and have a speakeasy feel to it while having a scratch kitchen, TVs at each of the booths, entertainment such as pool tables, arcade games, and shuffleboard, and a rooftop terrace that is open during the warmer months.

If all goes as planned, the new G Pub could open in the spring or summer of 2020, and it would possibly be a third location of the place, as G Hospitality is planning to open another outlet of the spot in Plymouth this fall. (The restaurant group also runs Rooftop at the ProvidenceG as well.)

The website for the original G Pub in Providence can be found at http://www.providencegpub.com/

[November 1 update: Plans are moving forward with G Pub in Brockton, with a Facebook post mentioning that construction on the place is slated to begin this winter.]

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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Shelter Opens in Back Room of Hurricane O’Reilly's Near Boston's North Station

A speakeasy-style bar with Caribbean-influenced cocktails has opened in the back room of a West End drinking spot, and it should be popular with both commuters and sports fans.

Eater Boston is reporting that Shelter is now open on Friend Street in the former spillover room for Hurricane O’Reilly's (which is on Canal Street), a short distance from both North Station and TD Garden. The article mentions that the bar, which opened this past Thursday, features drinks that are inspired by those found on islands such as Cuba and Puerto Rico, including daiquiris, mojitos and smoked cocktails. Food will be available from the North East of the Border food truck, which is popping up in the Hurricane O’Reilly's kitchen this summer (expect a variety of tacos), while live jazz will also be featured.

Shelter is open Wednesday through Saturday nights from 6:00 PM to 2:00 AM.

The address for Shelter is 237 Friend Street while the address for Hurricane O'Reilly's is 150 Canal Street.

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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Whisk Team to Work at Wink & Nod in Boston's South End

It looks like the chefs behind a pop-up spot that features a tasting menu have found a new home at an upcoming restaurant and bar in the South End of Boston.

The Restaurant Hub Blog of The Boston Globe is reporting that Philip Kruta and Jeremy Kean of Whisk will be working the kitchen at Wink & Nod, which is expected to open on Appleton Street this month. The article mentions that the chefs had been looking to open a dining spot in Jamaica Plain after shutting their North End pop-up at the end of 2013, but now they will be at this speakeasy-themed South End spot instead. Expect to see New American fare and bar bites, according to the Globe.

Wink & Nod is replacing Noche, which had taken over the former Icarus space a few years back.

The address for Wink & Nod is 3 Appleton Street, Boston, MA, 02116.

[Earlier Articles]
Wink & Nod to Move into the Noche Space in Boston's South End
Whisk Will Be in the North End Until the End of the Year; No Confirmation on Permanent Spot

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Storyville Is Opening in Boston's Back Bay

A speakeasy-type place is coming to the Back Bay of Boston, and it will be featuring dining, drinking, music, and dancing.

According to Grub Street Boston and The Boston Globe, a new spot called Storyville is planning to open in the former Saint space on Exeter Street. Both articles mention that the name comes from a landmark club that once occupied the same spot and featured such famous musicians as Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, and others. The new rendition of Storyville will focus on the foods of both New Orleans and Boston along with an array of cocktails (including tiki and New Orleans-style drinks), as well as occasional live entertainment and a DJ booth. Louis DiBiccari, who is behind Chef Louie Night, will be the chef at Storyville, while William "English Bill" Codman of Woodward in downtown Boston will be in charge of the beverages.

Grub Street says that Storyville may be opening later this month.

[September 12 update: According to UrbanDaddy,, Storyville is planning to open sometime this week.]

[September 15 update: According to Grub Street Boston, Storyville may be opening tomorrow (Friday. September 16). Grub Street mentions that one of the rooms within the space will be called the "Bordello Room," and that drinks offered will include sours, smashes, fizzes, and, as mentioned earlier, tiki drinks.]

[September 16 update: According to UrbanDaddy, Storyville opens tonight.]

The address for this new spot in the Back Bay is: Storyville, 90 Exeter Street, Boston, MA, 02116. the website can be found at http://storyvilleboston.com/

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