Boston Restaurant Talk

Thursday, August 02, 2018

Mighty Quinn's Barbeque May Be Expanding to Boston

by Marc Hurwitz

An award-winning group of BBQ spots based in New York may be coming to Boston.

According to a post from QSR, Mighty Quinn's is looking to franchise, with Boston being one of its targeted cities along with Washington D.C. and Philadelphia (New Jersey is also mentioned as well). Currently, a dozen locations can be found in New York City, Westchester County, and New Jersey, as well as three outlets overseas, with the original being found in the East Village of Manhattan.

Mighty Quinn's has received high praise since debuting in 2012, including New York Times food critic Pete Wells giving the East Village location a 2-star rating a few months after it opened, calling the pulled pork "staggeringly good."

The website for Mighty Quinn's can be found at https://www.mightyquinnsbbq.com/

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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]

Wednesday, August 01, 2018

Some Big Local Restaurant Names Are Coming to Logan Airport

by Marc Hurwitz

It looks like travelers to and from Boston will soon find some very familiar dining options available to them.

According to a couple of press releases, MarketPlace Logan has announced that a number of popular restaurants will be expanding to Logan Airport, including Kelly's Roast Beef, Sullivan's, Lucca Restaurant & Bar, Santarpio's Pizza, Alta Strada, B.Good, Mija Cantina and Tequila Bar, Not Your Average Joe's, Saloniki Greek, Tico, Trade, Monument Restaurant & Tavern, and more. The emails also mention that Boston Public Market will be opening a 6,000-square-foot outpost at Terminal C as well, and that it will feature several businesses that currently reside at the original market near Haymarket Square.

Expect to see Kelly's and Lucca by the end of the year, with the other dining options (including Boston Public Market) opening in 2019.

[November 14 update: Eater Boston states that another big name on the Boston restaurant scene will be expanding to Logan Airport as well, as Shojo in Chinatown will be opening an outpost at Terminal C (likely in early 2019).]

[November 26 update: According to a tweet, Lucca is now open at Terminal B, while aviationpros.com says that Kelly's Roast Beef is open at Terminal B as well.]

[December 4 update: A new press release states that in addition to the places mentioned above, a few more will be opening at Logan as well, including Otto Pizza, Monica's Mercato, Tasty Burger, and Temazcal Tequila Cantina, with these opening before the end of 2019.]

[March 26, 2019 update: Boston Magazine states that Shojo is now open at Terminal C, with its first day being this past Saturday.]

[May 31, 2019 update: A post from franchising.com indicates that b.good is now open at Terminal B.]

[October 23, 2019 update: An article from boston.com mentions that Davio's has opened at Terminal C, Monica's Mercato has opened at Terminal E, and Trade and Temazcal Tequila Cantina have opened at Terminal B.]

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]

Taqueria Urban Kitchen Plans to Open in Boston's Back Bay

by Marc Hurwitz

It looks like a brand new Mexican restaurant may be on its way to the Back Bay, and the person behind several local dining spots appears to be behind this place as well.

According to a licensing hearing board page within the City of Boston website, Taqueria Urban Kitchen is planning to open on Newbury Street and that it is looking to get its liquor license from La Catrina on Commonwealth Avenue in Brighton. The manager listed in the notice is Allan Rodriguez, who is apparently the same person who runs La Catrina as well as El Centro, which has locations in the South End, Belmont, Brookline, and a soon-to-open outlet in Dedham. It is not known what the exact status of La Catrina is at this point in time, so stay tuned for updates.

The address for this proposed Mexican restaurant in the Back Bay is: Taqueria Urban Kitchen, 255 Newbury 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]

Tony's Kitchen May Open in Former Tapeo Space in Boston's Back Bay

by Marc Hurwitz

A new dining spot could be opening in the Back Bay space where one of the city's best-known restaurants had been.

According to a licensing board hearing page within the City of Boston website, Tony's Kitchen is seeking to acquire the liquor license of the now-closed Tapeo, with the plan being for the new restaurant to open within that Newbury Street space. The notice mentions that Anthony Wine would be the manager of the eatery and that it would have a dining room on the main floor as well as two outdoor patio areas during the warmer months; little other information is known about Tony's Kitchen at this point in time, so keep checking back for updates.

Tapeo, which had been in business for 22 years until closing this past January, was known for its tapas, Spanish wines, and more.

The address for the proposed Tony's Kitchen is 266 Newbury Street, Boston, MA, 02116.

[Earlier Article]
Tapeo in Boston's Back Bay Is Closing

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]

Bon Appetit Includes Pammy's, Yume Ga Arukara Among Nominees for Best New Restaurants of 2018

by Marc Hurwitz

A popular food magazine has posted its list of nominees for the best new restaurants in America, and two spots in Cambridge have been included among its picks.

According to the list from Bon Appetit, Pammy's between Harvard Square and Central Square and Yume Ga Arukara in Porter Square are two of its 50 nominees for best new dining spots in the United States for 2018, along with a couple of other New England spots--Drifters Wife and Rose Foods, both of which are located in Portland, ME. The magazine will announce which restaurants have made the top 10 on August 14.

Pammy's, which is a a New American restaurant with Italian influences, debuted on Mass. Ave. last July, while Yume Ga Arukara, which focuses on udon, opened at the Porter Square Exchange food court last September.

For a complete list of the 50 nominees for 2018, please go to the link below:

The Top 50 Nominees for America’s Best New Restaurants 2018

[August 14 update: The "Hot 10" list from Bon Appetit includes Yume Ga Arukara, which comes in at number 8--and while Pammy's and Rose Foods did not make the top 10, Drifters Wife did come in at number 9.]

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]

Paul Bakery in Natick Has Closed

by Marc Hurwitz

A chain of French bakery-cafes continues to disappear from the local landscape, with one of its two remaining shops closing its doors.

According to a source, Paul Bakery at the Natick Mall in Natick is no longer in business, with a message sent from the company confirming this, referring customers to its sole Boston-area location at Assembly Row in Somerville. Two other outlets of the bakery have closed over the past couple of years as well, including one in downtown Boston (which shut down this spring) and another in Burlington.

Paul first opened in France in 1889 and now has approximately 500 locations in a number of countries, including a handful of outlets in the United States. The website for the chain can be found at http://www.paul-usa.com/en/

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]