A. Boschetto Bakery in Roslindale Is Closed

A local bakery in the Roslindale section of Boston that had been in business for nearly 60 years has closed its doors. According to both the bakery's website and The West Roxbury Transcript, A. Boschetto Bakery on Washington Street shut down for good on Monday, October 26. The bakery's website states that they were forced to close due to current economic conditions. The Transcript article mentions that Boston Mayor Thomas Menino tried to help A. Boschetto Bakery stay in business, but attempts were unsuccessful.

A. Boschetto Bakery, which was located about two blocks north of Roslindale Square, first started out in 1952 and was a popular neighborhood bakery, offering everything from artisan breads to cookies and danishes to prepared foods to coffee and tea.

To read more about the closing of A. Boschetto Bakery in Roslindale, please go to the Wicked Local/West Roxbury Transcript link below:

A. Boschetto Bakery closes after 57 years in Roslindale

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Congas Opens Today in Harvard Square

A new Latin American tapas restaurant in Harvard Square that we had written about awhile ago is now open. According to Grub Street Boston, Congas opens today on Eliot Street in the square, and will be featuring some American dishes in addition to its Latin fare. Congas replaces an Asian hotpot place called Shabu Square that closed this spring after being in business for under a year. As mentioned earlier, this new dining spot is being run by the owner of the now closed Shabu Square as well as two other Harvard Square restaurants (Spice Thai Cuisine and 9 Tastes).

Items on the menu at Congas include duck with cherry sauce, Spanish sausage, baked empanadas, burgers, BBQ spare ribs, Cubanos, mofongo, and fried yuca. Congas also offers a variety of beers and wines.

The address for this new dining spot in the Harvard Square section of Cambridge is: Conga Restaurant, 1 Eliot Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138. The phone number is (617) 868-8882. And the website is at: http://congarestaurant.com/

For more information on the opening of Congas, please go to the Grub Street Boston link below:

What to Eat at Congas, Opening Tomorrow in Harvard Square

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The Lyceum Reopens Today in Salem

A restaurant in Salem that has been around for 20 years is reopening today with a fresh look, a brand new culinary team, a new menu, and a slightly changed name. The Lyceum Bar and Grill is becoming The Lyceum, and will be featuring Mediterranean dishes in a modern, casual bistro environment.

Items on the new menu at this Church Street dining spot will include crispy chicken livers, jumbo crab cakes, French onion soup, gnocchi with wild mushroom sauce, pan-seared salmon in a white bean ragu, duck a l'orange, and Berkshire pork ossobuco. Prices for dinner entrees look to be mostly between $15 and $30.

The address for this revamped restaurant in downtown Salem is: The Lyceum, 43 Church Street, Salem, MA, 01970. The phone number is (978) 745-7665. And the website is at: http://www.thelyceum.com/

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Kelly's Roast Beef Opening in Allston

A local chain that is famous for its roast beef sandwiches, fried clams, and lobster rolls is planning on opening a new location in Allston. According to the Allston/Brighton TAB and Wicked Local, Kelly's Roast Beef is looking to open a new spot on Harvard Avenue where Marty's Liquors used to be. The article mentions that the opening of Kelly's is in the planning/proposal stage, but it sounds like the chances are pretty good of this happening.

[February 25 update: According to the Allston/Brighton TAB and Wicked Local, Kelly's Roast Beef has gained approval from the Boston Licensing Board to open in Allston. The article mentions that the new Kelly's could be open as early as April.]

[May 27 update: According to Universal Hub and Allston City Limits, Kelly's Roast Beef in Allston is now open.]

Kelly's Roast Beef first opened across from Revere Beach in the early 1950s and continues to operate there today. In addition to its Revere location, Kelly's also has restaurants in Danvers, Medford, Natick, and Saugus.

To read more about the upcoming opening of Kelly's Roast Beef in Allston, please go to the Allston/Brighton TAB and Wicked Local link below:

Three Allston restaurants want to stay open later at night

Thanks to a poster on the Chowhound site for bringing this to our attention.

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PJ Kelleher's Bar and Grill Opens Once Again in Roslindale

A neighborhood restaurant and watering hole in the Roslindale section of Boston that has been closed for a year or so is opening once again. According to parkwayboston.com, PJ Kelleher's Bar and Grill will soon reopen its doors on Centre Street (a few blocks southwest of the Arnold Arboretum and the Faulkner Hospital). Kelleher's, which had been closed since the summer of 2008, will have new owners, a fresh look, and a revamped menu, according to the website. It appears that a soft opening for Kelleher's was on Friday, October 30, with the official opening coming very soon. [November 23 update: Kelleher's is now open for business.]

The address for this restaurant and bar near the Roslindale/Jamaica Plain border is: PJ Kelleher's Bar and Grill, 1410 Centre Street, Roslindale, MA, 02131.

For more information on the reopening of Kelleher's Bar and Grill, please go to the parkwayboston.com website below:

Kelleher's Bar is Re-Opening Very Soon – Not Friday As First Reported

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Forest Cafe in Cambridge Is Closing

A restaurant just outside of Harvard Square in Cambridge that has been around since before World War II will be closing its doors. According to both Grub Street Boston and Chowhound, the Forest Cafe, a casual restaurant and bar that features a variety of traditional Mexican and Mexican-American dishes, will close its doors on Mass. Ave. at some point in the future. (Grub Street reports that the exact closing date is unknown at this time.)

[February 2 update: It looks like the Forest Cafe has officially closed. A few people notified us that the Forest Cafe looked shut down, and calls put in to the restaurant went unanswered. Also, a posting on the blog of writer Cecilia Tan indicates that the Forest Cafe indeed closed in January. And a further check on the Forest Cafe Facebook page showed that the last night for food was January 12. One more note: According to an earlier article in Wicked Local and the Cambridge Chronicle, the owners of the Clear Conscience Cafe in Central Square are planning on opening a bistro specializing in all-natural American fare in the spot where the Forest Cafe has been, with a possible opening in February of 2010.]

The Forest Cafe first opened its doors in 1935 and has been known as a place to get Mexican food and beer in a low-key, unpretentious environment. The menu at the Forest Cafe has featured such items as green beans sauteed in garlic and olive oil, chicken soup with coriander and vegetables, enchiladas with mushrooms, spinach, and creamed poblano pepper cream sauce, smoked pork chops in mole sauce, and sauteed shrimp with an orange-chipotle sauce.

The address for this Mexican restaurant and bar between Harvard and Porter Squares is: Forest Cafe, 1682 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02138. The phone number is (617) 661-7810.

The Grub Street Boston article on the closing of the Forest Cafe in Cambridge can be found at this link:

Forest Cafe to Shutter

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