Boston Restaurant Talk

Thursday, May 03, 2018

Intermission Tavern in Boston's Theater District Being Replaced by The Fourth Wall

by Marc Hurwitz

Last summer we reported that a downtown Boston watering hole popular with theatergoers was up for sale. Now we have learned that it appears to be closing, with a new spot with a possible connection to a Newton restaurant and bar moving into the space.

According to a licensing board hearing page within the city's website, the Intermission Tavern in the Theater District is seeking to transfer its liquor license to a spot tentatively called The Fourth Wall, which would operate in the Tremont Street space. The manager listed is Derek Brady while the parent company is Brewed Intentions, LLC, with a check on the business indicating (via Bizapedia) that Theodore Connolly is also involved; Brady and Connolly are two of the people behind Union Street Restaurant and Bar in Newton Centre, though it is not known if there will be a direct business connection between the two places or if they will be run separately (we will post an update as soon as we find out more on the exact connection).

The Intermission Tavern first opened in 2005, replacing a dive bar called Charlie Flynn's.

The address for the Intermission Tavern (and proposed Fourth Wall) is 228 Tremont Street, Boston, MA, 02116.

[May 31 update: Eater Boston mentions that the Intermission Tavern had been planning to close on May 24 (according to a worker at the place), but its closure has been pushed back at least a month.]

[July 20 update: A Twitter post from @BostonTweet indicates that the Intermission Tavern plans to close for good after business hours tonight.]

[July 24 update: It appears that the Intermission Tavern remains open for the time being, as a tweet mentions that the place is going day by day now, while a poster on Instagram showed that the bar was open on Sunday.]

[July 29 update: A Facebook post indicates that the Intermission Tavern is now closed, with its last day apparently being either Friday or yesterday.]

[August 1 update: Based on a tweet from @afree37, it looks like the Intermission Tavern may actually be opening back up at least for a short time, as a picture shows a sign out front saying it will reopen either on Friday or Saturday.]

[August 11 update: According to a source, The Fourth Wall is now open.]

[Earlier Article]
Intermission Tavern in Boston's Theater District Is Up for Sale

Follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston

[Related article from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): Slideshow--Ten Good Places to Get Beer in the Boston Area]

Tuesday, May 01, 2018

Cusser's Roast Beef & Seafood to Open in Boston's Back Bay

by Marc Hurwitz

The team behind an upscale seafood restaurant and a casual wine bar in Boston will be opening a North Shore-style takeout spot within the same building.

According to an article in The Boston Globe, Cusser's Roast Beef & Seafood is opening in the Back Bay on May 7, with the Stuart Street spot being a takeout window in the building where Mooncusser Fish House and Moon Bar both reside. The post says that the new place will feature roast beef sandwiches, warm and cold lobster rolls, and fish tacos, along with hot dogs, fries, onion rings, and frappes, and it will apparently be a simple setup with a takeout window at street level. Cusser's Roast Beef & Seafood will be open for lunch only--and just on weekdays--with hours being 11:30 AM to 2:00 PM.

The owners of Mooncusser Fish House and Moon Bar also run 80 Thoreau in Concord.

The address for this new takeout spot in the Back Bay is: Cusser's Roast Beef & Seafood, 304 Stuart Street, Boston, MA, 02116.

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]

Tatte Bakery & Cafe to Open Location at Northeastern University

by Marc Hurwitz

A growing local group of bakeries and cafes will be opening yet another new spot, and this one will be catering to students.

Eater Boston is reporting (via an Instagram post) that Tatte Bakery & Cafe is planning to open on the Northeastern University campus, with the Huntington Avenue outlet hoping to open in time for classes in September. The upcoming shop is one of two being planned for Boston, with another on its way to the Seaport District later this year; currently, existing locations of Tatte can be found in Beacon Hill, the Back Bay, the Fenway, Cambridge's Kendall Square (three), Harvard Square, and Brookline.

The address for this new spot at Northeastern is: Tatte Bakery & Cafe, 360 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02115. The website for all locations can be found at http://tattebakery.com/

[August 28 update: Boston Magazine mentions that the new location of Tatte opens at Northeastern tomorrow (Wednesday, August 29).]

[Earlier Article]
Tatte Bakery and Cafe to Open in Boston's Seaport District

Follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston

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

Godavari Mini Replaces India Palace in Somerville's Union Square

by Marc Hurwitz

A small group of restaurants featuring South Indian fare has expanded to Somerville, taking over the space where a longtime Indian dining spot had been.

According to an article from Eater Boston, Godavari Mini is now open in the former India Palace space in Union Square, with the eatery offering a wide variety of dosa dishes along with other Indian items, while some noodle and fried rice dishes with Chinese influences are served as well. The new restaurant is part of the Godavari group of dining spots which includes locations in Woburn and Framingham along with more than 20 other outlets around the country.

India Palace, which focused mainly on North Indian and Punjabi fare, had been around since at least the late 1980s, based on a page within the Manta site.

The address for Godavari Mini (and the now-closed India Palace) is 23 Union Square, Somerville, MA, 02143. The website for the restaurant can be found at https://www.godavarius.com/somerville/

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]

Eat with Jack O'Neill in West Roxbury Is Becoming The Squealing Pig

by Marc Hurwitz

A restaurant and bar in West Roxbury is changing over to a new spot, and it is joining a pair of pubs with locations in Boston and on the Cape.

According to a Twitter post from @DGQuoVadimus, Eat with Jack O'Neill on Centre Street is becoming a third location of The Squealing Pig, with the website for Eat with Jack O'Neill saying "we've decided to change our name to match our ever-popular sister restaurant, The Squealing Pig on Mission Hill. In early May we will officially become The Squealing Pig (of West Roxbury). You're going to love our new menu and we look forward to serving you!" Once the change is complete, the new location of The Squealing Pig will also join a location on Commercial Street in Provincetown along with its Smith Street location in Boston.

Diarmuid O'Neill of The Squealing Pig purchased the former West Roxbury Pub & Restaurant space in 2014, opening Eat with Jack O'Neill there the following year.

The address for Eat with Jack O'Neill (and the new location of The Squealing Pig) is 1885 Centre Street, West Roxbury, MA, 02132.

[May 8 update: Based on Facebook posts from the place, Eat with Jack O'Neill is now officially The Squealing Pig.]

[Related article from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): Slideshow--Ten Good Places to Get Beer in the Boston Area]

The Maiden in South Boston Has Closed

by Marc Hurwitz

An upscale restaurant known in part for its oysters, cheese, and charcuterie has shut its doors.

According to a Twitter post from the place, The Maiden in South Boston is now closed, with the West Broadway spot saying that "it's time for The Maiden to hang up her sword" and thanking its customers, staff, and neighbors. No reason for its closure has been given, nor is it known what might go into the space, so keep checking back for updates.

The Maiden first opened in December of 2015, with Esti Parsons (Zinc, Radius, Great Bay, Via Matta, Rialto), her husband Drew, and Drew's brother Jon being behind the place. All three had also been involved with Sam's, a waterfront restaurant that closed a few months before The Maiden debuted.

The address for this now-closed restaurant in South Boston was: The Maiden, 28 West Broadway, South Boston, MA, 02127.

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]