Highlights for the Week Ending August 2, 2013

Several more stories and articles focusing on the Boston-area restaurant scene came out over the past week, including a final farewell to Anthony's Pier 4, a pair of Cambridge sandwich shops possibly being joined by a third, and a women's magazine including a Boston-area restaurant among its picks for burgers. In addition, our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants) included a new review of an Italian eatery in Brookline, a photo of a special kind of coffee roll from a donut shop in Quincy, and a blog entry on Twitter questions.

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

Boston Restaurant Talk

A Final Farewell to Anthony's Pier 4 in Boston [Photos]

Churn2 (a New Ice Cream Spot) is Coming to Cambridge's Harvard Square

Darwin's May Be Opening a Third Location in Cambridge

Redbook Includes City Streets Among Its Over-The-Top Burger Picks

Plaza Azteca Coming to Boston and Hingham; 50 Other Locations Planned for New England

Boston's Hidden Restaurants

New Review: Bottega di Capri in Brookline, MA

Photo: Chocolate Frosted Coffee Roll from Donut & Donuts in Quincy, MA

New Blog Entry: A Bit More on Twitter Questions

List of Restaurant Closings and Openings for July, 2013

Photo: Porcini Tortellini with Gorgonzola Sauce from Bottega di Capri in Brookline, MA

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Busy Bee Bakery in Melrose Has Closed

A bakery in a northern suburb of Boston has closed its doors after being in business for approximately three years.

According to a poster on the Chowhound site (and confirmed by the Melrose Patch), the Busy Bee Bakery in Melrose is now shuttered, with a note on its Facebook page indicating that it closed in late July. The Facebook note says "It is with the heaviest of hearts that we inform you the Busy Bee Bakery has closed its doors for the last time. We would like to thank all of our loyal patrons who have supported us, and made coming to work an absolute joy." The Hurd Street spot offered house-made goods such as muffins, cookies, cupcakes, and pies, as well as soups, salads, and sandwiches. (Coffee and tea were also available at the place.)

The address for this now-closed bakery in Melrose was: Busy Bee Bakery, 1 Hurd Street, Melrose, MA, 02176.

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Amanda Oakleaf Cakes Is Moving from Winthrop to Boston, Becoming Oakleaf Cakes

It looks like a cake bakery just north of Boston is going to be moving to the city.

Eater Boston is reporting that Amanda Oakleaf Cakes is planning to move from its current home on Pauline Street in Winthrop to Westland Avenue near where the Back Bay and Fenway meet (and it will be called Oakleaf Cakes). The article mentions that the new location will offer a variety of cakes and baked goods as well as coffee and espresso, and it will also have cake decorating classes. It appears that a new bakery will move into the space that is being vacated by Amanda Oakleaf Cakes.

Amanda Oakleaf, who started her cake business five years ago, was a competitor on the Food Network Cake Challenge in 2010. Her bakery has also received a "Best Of Boston" award in Boston Magazine for its wedding cakes.

The new location of Oakleaf Cakes could be open by later this month or early next month, according to Eater Boston.

[September 18 update: A new post from Eater Boston indicates that Amanda Oakleaf Cakes in Winthrop is now closed, and that Oakleaf Cakes will move into its new home in Boston within the next couple of weeks.]

[October 24 update: Another update from Eater Boston--a new article says that Amanda Oakleaf Cakes is hoping to open before Halloween.]

[October 29 update: According to a post on its Facebook page, the new Amanda Oakleaf Cakes in Boston is now open.]

The address for Oakleaf Cakes is 12 Westland Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115. Its website can be found at http://oakleafcakes.com/

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[New article from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): Slideshow--Twelve More Classic American Dishes from Boston-Area and New England Restaurants]

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Ocean Sushi to Open in Melrose

A new sushi place is going to be opening in a northern suburb of Boston, and the person behind it happens to own another Asian restaurant north of the city.

The Melrose Free Press is reporting that Ocean Sushi is planning to open in Melrose, with Lihong Li of Blue Fuji in Medford Square being the owner. The article mentions that the Main Street eatery will have room for 50 seats and will feature sushi as well as "Chinese-inspired appetizers," and alcohol may be available if Li's plans for a liquor license work out. Currently, there is no set opening date for Ocean Sushi, but if the permitting process goes smoothly, it could be open in a few months, according to the Free Press.

The address for this upcoming restaurant in Melrose is: Ocean Sushi, 2 Main Street, Melrose, MA, 02176.

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Cafe Columbus Is Opening in Boston's Back Bay

A new cafe is getting ready to open in the Back Bay of Boston, and it will be located in a brand new building for an insurance company.

According to a poster on the Chowhound site, Cafe Columbus plans to open on August 5 within the new Liberty Mutual building at the corner of Berkeley Street and Stuart Street. A page from the Liberty Mutual site states that the new cafe will offer an array of grab-and-go options including soups, salads, and sandwiches, and that it will also have cappuccino and espresso. (The Chowhound poster also says that the place will be open for breakfast and lunch.) Liberty Mutual mentions that even though it is within their office building, Cafe Columbus will be open to the public.

The address for this new cafe in the Back Bay is: Cafe Columbus, 157 Berkeley Street, Boston, MA, 02116.

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Naked Pizza in Brookline Has Closed

A New Orleans-based group of pizza places that first came onto the Greater Boston scene in the winter of 2011 has now officially disappeared from the scene, closing their Brookline location yesterday.

According to a poster on the Chowhound site, Naked Pizza on Beacon Street is papered over, with a phone call placed to the eatery confirming that the Coolidge Corner spot has indeed closed as of August 1. The only other Boston-area location of Naked Pizza--which was on Washington Street in Brighton--shuttered in January of 2012 after being in business for less than a year (both locations opened within a few weeks of each other).

Last year we had heard that Naked Pizza was considering expanding to other parts of the Boston area, but those plans seem to have fallen through (or at least put on hold).

The address for this now-closed pizza place in Coolidge Corner was: Naked Pizza, 1331 Beacon Street, Brookline, MA, 02446. The website for the company can be found at http://nakedpizza.biz/

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