Boston Restaurant Talk

Monday, October 03, 2016

Spoke Wine Bar in Somerville's Davis Square Is Closing

A Somerville restaurant that has been a fave among those both inside and outside of the restaurant industry since opening a few years back has announced that it is shutting its doors.

Eater Boston is reporting that Spoke Wine Bar in Davis Square is closing for good later this year, with a Facebook post from the Holland Street spot saying "This is a tough one. On December 22, 2016, Spoke will close its doors. There's no other way to say this, except to say it. We've had a very good run. But now it is done." The note goes on to indicate that owner Flea Foster has been dealing with serious health issues and has "tried to remain at the helm from afar," but mentions that "as any of you in this industry who are owners/operators know, this is not an ideal way to run a business." While it is not yet known what might happen to the space, Foster does say that she hopes someone within the industry might want to buy it and keep it going.

Spoke Wine Bar, which first opened in March of 2013, has been known in part for its highly-regarded wine list along with its snacks, small plates, and desserts.

The address for Spoke is 89 Holland Street, Somerville, MA, 02144. Its website can be found at http://www.spokewinebar.com/

[December 12 update: A new Facebook post from the place mentions that Spoke Wine Bar still plans to close on December 22.]

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

Blue Bottle Coffee to Open in Cambridge's Harvard Square, Boston's Back Bay

A San Francisco-based coffee roaster that has retail shops in three U.S. metropolitan areas and another city overseas is planning to expand to the Greater Boston area.

The Boston Globe is reporting that Blue Bottle Coffee is looking to open a store in Cambridge's Harvard Square in the fall of 2017 and it also getting ready to sign a lease for a second shop in Boston's Back Bay, while also eyeing other potential locations in the region for 2018 openings. Once the company arrives in the local area, they will join other shops in the San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, and Tokyo areas, and based on those locations, the Boston-area stores will likely be third-wave specialty coffee shops that focus on high-quality beans, with options possibly including espresso drinks, pour-over coffee, pastries, and more.

According to the Globe, the Harvard Square location of Blue Bottle Coffee will be at 40 Bow Street; it is not yet known where the Back Bay location might be.

The website for Blue Bottle Coffee can be found at https://bluebottlecoffee.com/

[June 25, 2017 update: Blue Bottle Coffee could be one step closer to opening in Harvard Square by next week, as a license commission agenda page within the City of Cambridge website indicates that a hearing on its request for a common victualler license is expected to take place on Wednesday, June 28.]

[September 22, 2017 update: It looks like Blue Bottle Coffee may be getting close to opening one of its Boston-area shops, as a new Craigslist job post indicates that it is now looking for a barista for its "new cafe in Boston." (It is not yet known if the Cambridge or Back Bay location will be opening first, as the locations page for the company simply shows it coming to Boston this fall.)]

[January 30, 2018 update: Eater Boston states that Blue Bottle Coffee plans to open its Harvard Square shop in February, and it also looks to open two more locations in the Boston area later this year (with one of them presumably being the Back Bay shop mentioned here).]

[February 2, 2018 update: Boston Magazine says that the Harvard Square location of Blue Bottle Coffee soft-opens today, serving free coffee until 3:00 PM and having all sales of food and merchandise supporting Artists for Humanity. (The official opening of the shop is tomorrow.)]

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[Related article from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): Slideshow--Ten Items from Bakeries and Pastry Shops in the Boston Area and Beyond]

Confirmed: Kitchen on Common in Belmont Has Closed

[Ed note: This article was updated on October 24 to reflect confirmation of the restaurant's closure.]

It looks like a restaurant in the western suburbs of Boston known for its modern American dishes has closed its doors, and it is not known if/when it might reopen again.

According to a source, Kitchen on Common in Belmont is no longer in operation, having apparently shut down over the weekend, while a poster on Yelp says that the Common Street eatery indeed closed on Saturday. Our source says that the closure may be due to rent costs, but this has not been confirmed--nor has it been confirmed that this is actually a permanent closure. (Phone calls placed to Kitchen on Common go directly to a voicemail saying that they were to be closed last Monday and Tuesday but planned to reopen last Wednesday.)

Kitchen on Common opened approximately a decade ago, bringing to the Cushing Square section of Belmont a casual, family-friendly restaurant featuring New American fare such as pan-seared half chicken, grilled Vermont pork loin, red wine-braised beef stew, and farfalle with mushrooms. The menu at the restaurant changed seasonally and included food items using locally-sourced and organic ingredients.

The address for Kitchen on Common is 442 Common St, Belmont, MA 02478.

[October 24 update: The Belmont Citizen-Herald has confirmed that Kitchen on Common has indeed closed, with a sign out front saying "the difficulty locating suitable kitchen help over the past months has made the decision to close seem our only option."]

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

In a Pig's Eye in Salem Is Reopening

Last month, we reported that a 30-year-old restaurant on the North Shore had closed its doors for what appeared to be good at that point in time. Now we have learned that it is back in business once again, with a new owner taking over the place.

According to a source within the restaurant industry, In a Pig's Eye in Salem is opening back up, with Pat Schultz--who is the former owner of Howling Wolf in Salem and also comes from the renowned (and now-closed) Dave's Bar in San Francisco--taking it over. A Facebook post from the restaurant confirms this, saying that "The Pig Lives!!! Reopening this Monday night at 5:00!!!" while going on to say that it will remain open until the end of the year when it closes for awhile for renovations. (The note says that it will continue to be a neighborhood pub with live music, and that the upgrades will be "solely intended to improve the overall quality of the establishment.")

The September closure of In a Pig's Eye was actually its second, as in February of 2015, it was briefly shut down by the commonwealth of Massachusetts because of nonpayment of taxes. The dining and drinking spot has been featured on our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants), with the review being found at the following link:

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

The address for In a Pig's Eye is 148 Derby Street, Salem, MA, 01970.

[Earlier Articles]
In a Pig's Eye in Salem in Salem Is Closing
Update: In a Pig's Eye in Salem Seized by the State, Reopens

Follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston

[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

Update: Co-Owner of James's Gate Opens The Gate in Jamaica Plain's Egleston Square

Updated on May 5, 2017)

A bit more than a year ago, we reported that an Irish pub that once received a "best of" from our sister site had closed its doors. Now we have learned that at least one of its owners is opening a new spot with a similar name.

According to a source within the restaurant industry, Paul Byrne of the old James's Gate on McBride Street in Jamaica Plain is opening a place called The Gate in the Coco's Lounge space on Washington Street in Egleston Square. No specifics on the proposed spot have been given as of yet, though a meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 4 at Curtis Hall on South Street concerning The Gate's request for a transfer of Coco's liquor license and--presumably--the exact plans for the space.

James's Gate was a two-room Irish pub and restaurant owned by Byrne and Christy Page that shut down in September of 2015, with plans for residential development within the space subsequently being announced. The Boston's Hidden Restaurants site had once featured it (and awarded it "best Irish pub" in 2014), with the review being found at the following link:
http://www.hiddenboston.com/JamesGate.html

Coco's Lounge opened in the summer of 2012, moving into the former Old Stag Tavern space.

The address for The Gate is 3169-3171 Washington Street, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130.

[January 24, 2017 update: Eater Boston states that The Gate hopes to open sometime in March, and that it will be an Irish pub run by Paul Byrne of the old James's Gate (as mentioned earlier).]

[March 21, 2017 update: A job post within the Craigslist site indicates that The Gate is now hiring line cooks as it gets ready for its grand opening, with the post also saying that it will have seating for 75 and a menu that features upscale pub food.]

[May 4, 2017 update: A new article from Eater Boston says that The Gate opens on Friday.]

[Earlier Articles]
James's Gate in Jamaica Plain Has Closed
James's Gate Property in Jamaica Plain Sold to Developer
Coco's Lounge Takes Over Former Old Stag Tavern Space in Jamaica Plain

Follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston

[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

Sunday, October 02, 2016

East End Grille in East Somerville Has Closed

It looks like a Somerville restaurant and bar that was known for its inventive takes on comfort food has shut its doors.

According to multiple sources, East End Grille on Broadway in East Somerville is no longer in business, with a check on the dining spot's website indicating that it has expired, while phone calls placed indicate that its answering machine is now off. It has not been completely confirmed that this is a permanent closure, though it appears that East End Grille has been shuttered for approximately a week with no explanation given.

East End Grille first opened in the spring of 2013, taking over the space where Khoury's State Spa had been; before the restaurant opened, the space had been looked at by the person behind La Brasa (which ended up opening at 124 Broadway) and the team behind Redbones in Davis Square.

The address for this now-closed dining and drinking spot in East Somerville was: East End Grille, 118 Broadway, Somerville, MA, 02145.

[October 3 update: According to an email newsletter from East Somerville Main Streets, this does indeed look like a permanent closure, as the space where East End Grille has resided is slated to be home to a new mixed-use apartment complex.]

Follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston

[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]