Bouchee in the Back Bay Closes; Papa Razzi Moving Into Its Space

The culinary version of the musical chairs game continues in the Back Bay of Boston, as a French restaurant on Newbury Street has closed, and a small local chain of Italian eateries is moving its original restaurant into the space.

According to the now-closed restaurant's website, Bouchee has shut its doors on Newbury (between Dartmouth and Exeter Streets) after about four years in business, and Papa Razzi will soon be opening in the space. (Papa Razzi's original location at the corner of Newbury and Dartmouth Streets will become home to a Mexican restaurant called Lolita Cocina & Tequila Bar.) The Grub Street Boston site mentions that Bouchee may be looking at reopening in a new space in the Back Bay, though nothing specific has been confirmed yet.

The closing of Bouchee, moving of Papa Razzi, and opening of Lolita Cocina & Tequila Bar are not the only changes occurring in the Back Bay; Met Back Bay will be moving into the former Joe's American Bar and Grill space at Newbury and Dartmouth Streets, as Joe's has moved to the corner of Newbury and Exeter Streets, in the space formerly occupied by TGI Friday's.

[September 9 update: According to boston.com, the original Papa Razzi on Dartmouth Street will close on September 16; its new location on Newbury Street will open on September 20.]

The address for the soon-to-open Papa Razzi in Boston's Back Bay will be: Papa Razzi, 159 Newbury Street, Boston, MA, 02116.

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Results of Twitter Cupcake Poll

Our latest Twitter poll is now complete, with this poll focusing on the best cupcakes in the Boston area. Our previous polls have included a steak and cheese poll (Carl's in Waltham won), an ice cream poll (Richardson's in Middleton), a roast beef poll (Nick's Famous Roast Beef in Beverly), a chicken wing poll (Buff's Pub in Newton), a macaroni and cheese poll (Fat Cat in Quincy), a fried clam poll (JT Farnham's in Essex), an onion ring poll (Mr. Bartley's Burger Cottage in Cambridge), a hot dog poll (Spike's Junkyard Dogs), a pizza poll (Santarpio's in East Boston), a burger poll (Mr. Bartley's Burger Cottage), and a lobster roll poll (Neptune Oysters in the North End). Here are the results of our Twitter cupcake poll:

1) Sweet Cupcakes, Back Bay and Harvard Square (27%)
2) Party Favors, Brookline (13%)
3) Kickass Cupcakes, Somerville (9%)
3) Lulu's, North End (9%)

A number of other pastry shops and bakeries were picked in the Twitter cupcake poll, including Babycakes (Quincy), Cakeology (Boston), Cupcake Boutique (Andover), Cupcake Charlie's (Plymouth), Daniel's Bakery (Brighton), Gingerbread Construction Company (Winchester), Johnny Cupcakes (Back Bay), Lyndell's Bakery (Somerville, North End, Cambridge), Mix Bakery (Boston), ShotCakes (Burlington), Sugar Bakery(West Roxbury), Treat Cupcake Bar (Needham), and Yum Bunnies Cakery (Belmont).

Thanks to everyone who has voted in all of our Twitter polls. We will start another poll soon, so keep checking back on our Twitter page at http://twitter.com/hiddenboston.

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Two Ninety Main Restaurant and Lounge In Malden Has Closed

An upscale restaurant and martini lounge in Malden that opened about a year ago has apparently closed its doors for good.

According to one of our readers who emailed us, Two Ninety Main Restaurant and Lounge, which was located on Main Street just outside of Malden Center, has shut down. A call placed to the restaurant indicated that their phone is indeed out of service now.

Two Ninety Main Restaurant and Lounge was a sleek, trendy restauant and bar that featured a mix of traditional American, New American, and Italian fare. The lounge section of the eatery included love seats and sofas and love seats, with a number of different wines, high-end liquors, and cocktails available.

The dining spot had taken over the space where Veez Grille and Tap used to be
(just south of downtown Malden) in September of 2009.

The address for Two Ninety Main was: Two Ninety Main Restaurant and Lounge, 290 Main Street, Malden, MA, 02148.

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Lolita Cocina and Tequila Bar Replacing Papa Razzi (Which Is Moving) in Boston's Back Bay

The Back Bay of Boston will soon be home to a new casual upscale restaurant, and it will focus on Mexican cuisine.

According to the Boston Herald, Lolita Cocina & Tequila Bar will be opening on Dartmouth Street, moving into the space where the original Papa Razzi restaurant currently resides (Papa Razzi is moving to Newbury Street, replacing Bouchee, which is hoping to open in a smaller spot). The article states that the 131-seat Mexican restaurant will be a sister dining spot of Lolita Cocina & Tequila Bar in Greenwich, CT, and that the menu will include dishes influenced by Mexican street food items. The new Lolita in the Back Bay will also have more than 300 types if tequila. Based on their sister restaurant's menu, Lolita may have such dishes as chilled gazpacho avocado soup, lobster enchiladas, pulled pork, blackened grouper, spinach and cheese quesadillas, carne asada, clay pot black beans, and chipotle potato gratin.

The Herald mentions that Lolita Cocina & Tequila Bar, which will be a dinner-only place, may be open by late in the fall.

[December 8 update: According to Thrillist Boston, Lolita Cocina & Tequila Bar is planning on opening this Friday (December 10).]

[December 17 update: According to Grub Street Boston, Lolita Cocina & Tequila Bar is now open.]

The address for this new Mexican restaurant in the Back Bay is: Lolita Cocina & Tequila Bar, 271 Dartmouth Street, Boston, MA, 02116. The website for the Greenwich, CT, location of Lolita is at: http://www.lolitamexican.com/

For more on the opening of Lolita Cocina & Tequila Bar, please go to the Boston Herald link below.

New Mexican eatery for Back Bay

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Popeyes Is Open Once Again in Kenmore Square

A fast-food chicken place in Kenmore Square that closed earlier this year has reopened.

According to posters on the Yelp site, Popeyes on Beacon Street in the heart of the square is open once again for business, and the Popeyes chain has added the location back onto their website after taking it down when it closed a few months back. The reopened Popeyes joins one other location within the Boston city limits (on the American Legion Highway in Roslindale), with a third Boston-area location being in Brockton's Westgate Mall.

Popeyes features a variety of chicken dishes, including chicken and biscuits, chicken nuggets, chicken tenders, a chicken bowl with red beans and rice, and chicken sandwiches and wraps. The chain has nearly 2,000 locations across the United States, and several hundred more in other countries around the world.

The address for this reopened fast-food chicken place in Kenmore Square is: Popeyes,21 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA, 02215. The phone number is (617) 262-1687. And the website for the chain is at http://www.popeyes.com/

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Sal's Pizza Opening Near Boston University

A local chain of pizza places and Italian restaurants continues to expand, this time opening a restaurant over by the Boston University campus in the near future.

According to one of our emailers (as well as the restaurant's website), Sal's Pizza will open a new spot on Commonwealth Avenue where a location of the Lollicup cafe chain used to be. This will be the second location of Sal's Pizza to open within the Boston city limits, as another Sal's opened on Tremont Street across from Boston Common in June. Most of the other Sal's Pizzas are north of Boston, with a few west and south of the city as well (there are also locations in Arizona, California, and Florida). Its sister restaurants are Mary's Pasta and Sandwiches and Salvatore's Italian Restaurant, the latter of which will have a new location in Medford very soon.

[October 6 update: According to their website, the new Sal's Pizza near BU is now open. Thanks to one of our viewers for alerting us of this.]

Sal's Pizza is known in part for their 19-inch pizzas and 1-pound calzones. They also have a new 12-inch pizza.

The address for this new pizza place near BU is: Sal's Pizza, 714 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA, 02215. The website for the chain is: http://www.sals-pizza.com/

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