Cast Iron Kitchen in Maynard Has Apparently Closed

It looks like an upscale comfort food spot west of Boston has closed its doors. A Twitter note from @moviequill indicates that Cast Iron Kitchen in Maynard is no longer in business, with the place recently shutting down (possibly earlier this week). Cast Iron Kitchen featured inventive takes on classic American dishes such as macaroni and cheese, fish and chips, steak frites, and braised short ribs, along with some Italian items as well. The restaurant has been featured on our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants), with a review of the eatery being found at the link below:

http://www.hiddenboston.com/CastIronKitchen.html

The address for this now-closed restaurant in Maynard was: Cast Iron Kitchen, 177 Main Street, Maynard, MA, 01754.


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Buca di Beppo in Dedham Has Closed

A Florida-based chain of Italian restaurants that opened several locations in Massachusetts a couple of years back is now down to one, as it just closed an outlet in a southwest suburb of Boston.

According to one of our sources (and confirmed via the chain's site), Buca di Beppo in Dedham has shuttered, making this the third branch in the state to close (the others being in Lexington and Seekonk). This leaves Shrewsbury as being the sole remaining location in Massachusetts.

Buca di Beppo started out in Minneapolis in 1993, gradually expanding across the country over the years, though it did not come to New England until 2010. (The Boston Business Journal states that their headquarters are now in Orlando, FL.) The chain offers a mix of Northern and Southern Italian fare in a family-friendly environment.

The address for this now-closed restaurant in Dedham was: Buca di Beppo, 233 Elm Street, Dedham, MA, 02026.


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Video of a b.good Burger Launched into Outer Space

A little more than a week ago, we wrote about how b.good was planning to have one of its burgers launched into outer space. Well, we are happy to report that the mission has been completed, with only minor issues occurring at the end. On the weekend of October 27-28, the b.good burger was launched in Sturbridge, with a mostly successful landing happening in Byfield. The burger got caught in a tree upon landing, however, so a tree company needed to be hired to bring it down.

Here is the video of the burger's trip into space and back:




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Highlights for the Week Ending November 2, 2012

A few more stories and articles centering on the Boston-area restaurant scene came out over the past week, including a local magazine coming out with its top dining picks for 2012, a South End space deciding to have trucks all year round, and a California-based pizza restaurant possibly coming to Boston. In addition, our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants) included an updated list of restaurant closings and openings, a photo of a pasta dish from a Roslindale eatery, and a question on a specific type of cuisine.

Below are links to these and other items from the past week:

Boston Restaurant Talk

Boston Magazine Chooses Its 50 Top Restaurants of 2012

SoWa Food Truck Court Will Be Open All Year Round

Dante in Cambridge to Host the Unknown Calzone Dethrone, November 18, 2012

Blaze Pizza May Be Coming to the Boston Area

Discovery Cafe to Open in Cambridge's Kendall Square

Boston's Hidden Restaurants

Completed List of Restaurant Closings/Openings for October

Photo: Tater Tots from Cambridge Common in Cambridge, MA

Updated Dive Bar Photo Gallery

Photo: Lasagna from Pleasant Cafe in Roslindale, MA

Question: Favorite Chinese Restaurant in Boston?


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Panera Cares Cafe Is Opening at Center Plaza in Boston

A chain of bakery-cafes is planning to open a new location in the heart of downtown Boston, though this one will be a nonprofit "community cafe" whose goal is to help fight hunger.

Universal Hub is reporting that Panera Bread is eyeing Center Plaza (across from City Hall Plaza) as the site of their latest Panera Cares outlet. Unlike other Panera branches, the new cafe would not have prices for their items, but would instead give suggested donation prices for food, with the option of having folks volunteer at the cafe if they can't afford to pay. Panera Cares is run by the nonprofit Panera Bread Foundation, which looks to the cafes as being a way to address hunger "in a restaurant setting that maintains one's dignity and fills one's belly."

The Boston Licensing Board will look into the proposed Panera Cares cafe this Wednesday at City Hall, with the meeting including the cafe's request for a license, according to UH.

[December 26 update: Plans to open Panera Cares are now moving along, with The Boston Globe mentioning that it could be opening up sometime in January.]

[January 10, 2013 update: The new Panera Cares community cafe is opening in Boston on Wednesday, January 23.]

The address for this new cafe is: Panera Cares, 3 Center Plaza, Boston, MA, 02108. The website for Panera Cares can be found at http://paneracares.org/

Thanks to Adam's Hospitality & Tourism Industry Blog for bringing this to our attention.


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Tonic in Jamaica Plain Is Reopening

A restaurant and bar in Jamaica Plain that has been the subject of many rumors over the past few months is going to be reopening.

A post on their Facebook page indicates that Tonic on Washington Street in the Forest Hills section of JP is planning to open back up this Friday (November 9) with new menus in place. Tonic first opened in April of this year only to close its doors in August shortly after Chef Ryan Kelly left. Since then, rumors have been swirling about whether the place was permanently closed, temporarily closed while the folks behind it were on vacation, closed for the time being due to medical issues, or closed with a reopening on the way that would include a change in concept (which appears to be the case here).

As soon as we find out what kinds of changes will be coming to the soon-to-reopen Tonic, we will post an update here.

[November 9 update: Eater Boston reports that Tonic will reopen today at 4:00 PM, with the menu including mostly classic American dishes such as burgers, chicken wings, pan-seared scallops, pork chops, and baked haddock.]

The address for this restaurant and bar is: Tonic, 3698 Washington Street, Jamaica Plain, MA, 02130.


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