Tom Yum Koong II in Arlington Heights Is Being Replaced by Thai E-sarn Cuisine

[Ed note: This article was updated on September 5 to reflect the fact that a new restaurant will be moving into the recently-vacated space.]

What was once a trio of Boston-area Thai restaurants is now down to just one, as its Arlington Heights location has closed--though a new dining spot will be taking its place.

The Restaurant Hub blog of The Boston Globe is reporting that Tom Yum Koong II on Mass. Ave. is no longer in operation after being closed for renovations since the summer. This is the second location to shut down, as Tom Yum Koong III in Newton shuttered a bit earlier this year. The original Tom Yum Koong restaurant on Forest Street in Medford Square remains open.

[September 5 update: The Arlington Patch states that a new restaurant called Thai E-sarn Cuisine will be opening in the former Tom Yum Koong II space.]

[September 23 update: A new article from the Arlington Patch mentions that Thai E-sarn Cuisine has opened.]

Tom Yum Koong II first opened in Arlington Heights in September of 2009, moving into the space where another Thai eatery--Sala Thai--had been.

The address for the now-closed Tom Yum Koong II (and new Thai E-sarn Cuisine) is 1377 Mass. Ave., Arlington, MA, 02476. The website for the original Tom Yum Koong in Medford is at http://www.tomyumkoong.net/ while the website for Thai E-sarn Cuisine is at http://www.thaiesarncuisine.com/

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Highlights for the Week Ending August 30, 2013

Several more stories and articles focusing on the Boston-area restaurant scene came out over the past week, including a bakery in Cambridge closing, a diner coming to Waltham, and a celebrity chef deciding not to open a restaurant in Boston's Fort Point neighborhood. In addition, our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants) included a new review of a dining and drinking spot south of Boston, a photo of a Greek item from a restaurant north of Boston, and a blog review of a Peruvian place in the Berkshires.

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

Boston Restaurant Talk

Lyndell's Bakery Is Closing Its Shop in Cambridge's Central Square

Bliss Diner to Open in Waltham

Clay Pot Cafe Opens in Former King Fung Garden Space in Boston's Chinatown

Confirmed: Mario Batali's Babbo Pizzeria and Enoteca Will Not Be Coming to Boston's Fort Point

Whole Foods Announces Opening Dates for Somerville, Arlington

Boston's Hidden Restaurants

New Review: Doyle's Pub and Grill in Brockton, MA

Photo: Spanakopita from The Restaurant in Woburn, MA

New Blog Review: Alpamayo Restaurant in Lee, MA

Updated Review: Atwood's Tavern in Cambridge, MA

Photo: Garlic Bread from Grumpy White's in Quincy, MA

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Tasty Burger Plans to Open in Cambridge's Central Square

After several months of rumors and speculation, it appears that the folks behind several burger places in the Boston area will indeed be opening a new location in one of Cambridge's busiest neighborhoods.

According to a page on Massachusetts Public Notices (via the Cambridge Chronicle), Tasty Burger is looking to open on Prospect Street in Central Square. The address given is that of Lyndell's Bakery, which closed a few days ago (its Somerville location remains open), with the post also stating that the eatery is planning to have a capacity of 49 inside and 20 more on an outdoor patio, with proposed hours being 10:00 AM to 2:00 AM seven days per week.

The City of Cambridge will have a hearing on the proposed spot on Tuesday, September 10.

The original location of Tasty Burger can be found on Boylston Street in Boston's Fenway neighborhood, with others being inside Fenway Park along the Yawkey Way concourse, on JFK Street in Cambridge's Harvard Square, and at the corner of L Street and East 4th Street in South Boston.

The address for this upcoming burger place in Central Square is: Tasty Burger, 74 Prospect Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139. The website for Tasty Burger is at http://www.tastyburger.com/

[Earlier Article]
Lyndell's Bakery Is Closing Its Shop in Cambridge's Central Square

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The Wave Sports Pub in Waltham Has Closed

A bar west of Boston has closed its doors, and it is anyone's guess as to what might move into its enormous space.

A Twitter post from the Brand New Watch blog of Wicked Local indicates that The Wave Sports Pub in Waltham is now shuttered, with a note saying that "After 30 years in business the Wave Sports Pub has made the decision to close its doors for good effective Tuesday September 3rd, 2013." The sprawling bar, which was in the same building as the Waltham Athletic Club, was known as a place to go to shoot pool (it had a large number of tables) as well as karaoke.

Because The Wave's space is so large, it could end up being something other than a new restaurant or bar, but at this point, there is no word on what might be taking over the spot. (Keep checking back for updates.)

The address for this now-closed bar in Waltham was: The Wave Sports Pub, 411 Waverley Oaks Road, Waltham, MA, 02452.

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Confirmed: Yakitori Zai in Boston's South End Has Closed

It looks like a Japanese restaurant in Boston's South End has closed its doors for good.

Food writer MC Slim JB confirms via a Chowhound post what Eater Boston had written about earlier--that Yakitori Zai on Shawmut Avenue is officially shuttered. MC mentions that "An industry source confirms: the Yakitori Zai space is officially for sale," while a call placed to the dining spot indicates that its voicemail is full and cannot accept messages.

Yakitori Zai first opened in June of 2012, featuring small plates that included various cuts of charcoal-grilled chicken (breast, knee, gizzard, tail, neck skin, liver, etc.) as well as yams, eggplant, and baby zucchini. The dining spot "temporarily" closed this summer, but never reopened.

The address for this now-closed Japanese restaurant in the South End was: Yakitori Zai, 315 Shawmut Avenue, Boston, MA, 02118.

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Tamper Is Opening in Former Boloco Space in Medford

A new restaurant and coffee shop is on its way to Medford, and it will be moving into the space where a location of a local chain of eateries had been.

Tufts Daily is reporting that Tamper is planning to open on Boston Avenue in the former Boloco spot, and that the people behind the upcoming place are actually a couple of co-founders of the chain--Jason Hutchinson and Adam Liebman. The article mentions that the dining spot will be open for breakfast and lunch with "a specialty in coffee," with hours being 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM on weekdays and 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM on weekends. It appears that Tamper could be opening sometime early this month.

[October 7 update: A poster on the Chowhound site says that Tamper is now open.]

Boloco closed its Medford location in May, two years after it was first reported that the shop was considering shutting down. Other locations remain open in Boston, Cambridge, Natick, Wellesley, Warwick, RI, Concord, NH, Hanover, NH, Burlington, VT, Bethesda, MD, and Washington, DC.

The address for this new restaurant and coffee shop in Medford is: Tamper, 340 Boston Avenue, Medford, MA, 02155.

[Earlier Article]
Boloco in Medford Has Closed

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