Frost Ice Loft in Boston Is Closed; Exact Status Unknown

The first "ice bar" in New England is shuttered, and it is not known what might be happening with the place.

According to a poster on Twitter, Frost Ice Loft in downtown Boston "has supposedly closed permanently," with the poster apparently having confirmation of this from "multiple sources." A phone call placed to the Faneuil Hall spot goes to a voicemail that says it is closed for renovations and repairs starting September 26, while a check on its website indicates that it is down and could not be found.

Frost Ice Loft first started out as Frost Ice Bar in August of 2013, changing over to Frost Ice Loft a couple of years later because it said that it was "time to lose the stigma of just being a 'bar' & building a new warm event space." The place is constructed and furnished entirely of ice with an indoor temperature of around 20 degrees.

The address for Frost Ice Loft is 200 State Street (Faneuil Hall Marketplace), Boston, MA, 02109.

Thanks to @universalhub for initially bringing this to our attention (via a retweet).

[October 10 update: Things are looking a bit more grim for Frost Ice Loft, as its Facebook page has been taken down as well as its website, and we are now being told by a source that this is a "permanent" closure, though it is not known if the spot could reopen in a new space or possibly be taken over by a new owner.]

[Earlier Article]
Frost Ice Bar in Boston Rebranding, Becoming Frost Ice Loft

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City of Boston Says "No" to Full Liquor Licenses for Five North End Restaurants

Several restaurants in Boston's North End that had been hoping to get full liquor licenses have gotten some bad news from the city.

According to a Twitter post from Universal Hub, the Boston Licensing Board has denied all requests for all-alcohol licenses in the neighborhood this morning, saying that the board feels the North End is "well served with liquor already, saturated, even." UH confirms that the five dining spots (as mentioned in an earlier northendwaterfront.com article) that will not be receiving the full liquor licenses are Antico Forno, Carmelina's, Crudo, Strega, and Terramia. The earlier article states that these were "new and upgraded" licenses that would have allowed these dining spots to offer more than just beer, wine, and cordials.

It appears that the North End restaurants could apply for the licenses again in the future, or--as Universal Hub tells us--they could try to purchase existing ones on the open market.

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Da Vinci Ristorante Is Opening in Sudbury

An upscale Italian restaurant in Boston will soon have a suburban sibling with the same name--and a different vibe.

The MetroWest Daily News is reporting that Da Vinci Ristorante has received a liquor license to operate on Route 20 in Sudbury, taking over the space where Friendly's had once been. The article says that the people behind the Sudbury eatery Soul of India are also behind this restaurant, while an earlier post from the Sudbury Town Crier says that the chef comes from Da Vinci Ristorante on Columbus Avenue near where the South End, Back Bay, and Bay Village meet in Boston. Both articles say that the Sudbury location of Da Vinci will be more of a casual, family-friendly, and homey spot with reasonably-priced dishes.

If all goes as planned, Da Vinci Ristorante should be opening in Sudbury by the end of the year.

The address for this new location of Da Vinci Ristorante is 457 Boston Post Road, Sudbury, MA, 01776. The website for the original location in Boston can be found at http://www.davinciboston.com/

[March 20, 2017 update: The MetroWest Daily News states that the new location of Da Vinci Ristorante is now open.]

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Village Bar & Grill Is Opening in Everett's "Fermentation District"

An area just north of Boston that has become a hotspot for beer and spirits producers will soon be home to a brand new restaurant and bar as well.

Eater Boston is reporting that Village Bar & Grill is planning to open in an industrial and residential part of Everett that is becoming known as the "Fermentation District." The address given for the dining and drinking spot indicates that it may be in the same building as Bone Up Brewing and will be two buildings away from Short Path Distillery, while being a couple of blocks east of Night Shift Brewing. It is not yet known what kind of food Village Bar & Grill will be serving, though its Facebook page indicates that it will be open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

If all goes as planned, it looks like Village Bar & Grill will open sometime this fall.

The address for this upcoming spot in Everett is: Village Bar & Grill, 38 Norman Street, Everett, MA, 02149.

[June 23, 2017 update: A new article from Eater Boston mentions that Village Bar & Grill plans to open on Wednesday, June 28.]

[July 4, 2017 update: A Facebook post from the place indicates that Village Bar & Grill has opened in Everett.]

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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]

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Cosi to Be Delisted from The Nasdaq Stock Market

A troubled Boston-based chain of dining spots has just been hit with more bad news.

Yahoo Finance is reporting that Cosi has received a notice from The Nasdaq Stock Market saying that its common stock will be delisted, with the suspension of the company's securities taking place at the opening of the market on October 10, though it is possible--but not guaranteed--that its stock could become eligible for trading as an OTC security. The article says that the company does not plan to appeal the decision.

The news of Cosi's stock delisting was not completely unexpected, as it was reported late last year that the company was in danger of this because the bid price of its common stock had closed below $1 for 30 consecutive business days. (As of this morning, the stock had a price of four cents.) In addition, last week it was announced that Cosi filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy shortly after it was announced that its shop in Boston's Back Bay had shut down; we are still trying to find out if any of its other stores in Boston or Cambridge have also closed, or whether any might be closing at some point in the future.)

[Earlier Articles]
Cosi Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
Cosi in Boston's Back Bay Has Closed
Cosi Faces Possible Stock Delisting

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Pantry in Brookline's Washington Square Has Closed

A food shop in Brookline that offered dinner kits, cooking equipment, beer and wine, and more has closed its doors.

According to a Facebook post from the place, Pantry in Washington Square is no longer in business, saying that "the last recipe has been sold and the last knife skills class has been taught. Pantry is out of business. Thank you for all of your support over the past year." It appears that the last day for the Beacon Street store was this past Saturday, when it cleared out the last of its bulk food items along with its display props. No reason has been given for its closure and it is not known what might be moving into the space at this point in time.

Pantry first opened in the spring of 2015, bringing to Brookline a place that featured a variety of recipe kits with pre-portioned ingredients and step-by-step instructions. A few offerings included chicken tagine with apricot couscous, poached salmon with lentils and horseradish-tarragon cream, chimichurri flat iron steak with elote and arugula salad, a chorizo burger with smoky aioli, kale salad, and roasted potatoes, schnitzel with golden beet watercress salad, and ginger lime pie with graham cracker crust.

The address for this now-closed shop in Washington Square was: Pantry, 1622 Beacon Street, Brookline, MA, 02446.

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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]

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