Aleppo Palace Opens in Former Moody's Falafel Palace Space in Cambridge's Central Square

by Marc Hurwitz

A new Middle Eastern spot has come to Cambridge, opening in the space that had been home to another Middle Eastern eatery.

According to its Facebook page and website, Aleppo Palace is now open in the former Moody's Falafel Palace space at 25 Central Square, with the dining spot offering such items as lentil soup, falafel, shawarma, hummus, baba ghanouj, tabouli, stuffed grape leaves, spinach pie, meat pies, baklava, and Arabic coffee. The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner seven days a week, with its website indicating that closing time is 3:00 AM daily.

Moody's Falafel Palace, which closed last fall, was known in part for its falafel and shawarma dishes.

The website for Aleppo Palace can be found at http://aleppopalace.com/

[March 19 update: Eater Boston states that Aleppo Palace is actually under the same ownership as Moody's Falafel Palace, with owner MK Seffo naming it after where he comes from in Syria. (Eater also mentions that the space went through extensive renovations before opening under the new name.)]

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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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Frank McClelland (L'Espalier) Is Opening Frank in Beverly

by Marc Hurwitz

The person behind a nationally-recognized Boston restaurant that closed a couple of months ago will be opening a new dining spot and grocery store on the North Shore.

According to an article in The Salem News, Frank McClelland of L'Espalier is looking to open a restaurant and specialty market in Beverly, with both places being located in the new Holmes Beverly luxury apartment building on Rantoul Street. The post says that the 148-seat dining spot will have an outdoor patio and will feature "New England heritage food, with a little bit of European food" while the grocery store will include a coffee shop and bakery with seating for 16 and will also offer to-go meals.

McClelland closed down L'Espalier at the end of 2018 after 30 years in business, saying that "The lease is up, and I don't really have the desire to continue to do this and renew." The restaurant was a high-end spot that featured French and regional cuisine and had served a number of celebrities such as Mick Jagger, Henry Kissinger, and Julia Child. (McClelland was also involved in the opening of Riversbend in Essex a few years ago, but The Salem News says he is no longer involved with it.)

The address for the new restaurant and market from Frank McClelland is 110 Rantoul Street, Beverly, MA, 01915.

Thanks to a poster on the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page for bringing this to our attention.

[April 30 update: North Shore Magazine states that the new restaurant from will be called "Frank" and that it will be a casual spot that is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.]

[November 14 update: The Tables section of The Boston Globe indicates that Frank is now open, with @kcbaskin of the Globe mentioning that its official opening is tomorrow. (A source confirms that it is already open and was there yesterday).]

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

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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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The Future of The Salem Diner Is Up in the Air

by Marc Hurwitz

A North Shore diner that is also an historic landmark is now facing what appears to be an uncertain future.

According to an article in The Salem News, the future of The Salem Diner is now unclear, as Salem State University--which purchased the Loring Avenue eatery in 2013--is in the middle of consolidating its on-campus food options in order to make things more efficient for its students, and because the diner is one of the options, it is not known what might happen to the place. The article says that because the nearby Marsh Hall has a food service area, and the university also wants to redevelop the diner's space, it is now facing a possible closure, with university President John Keenan saying that "One of the things [consultants] had suggested is we may not want to continue to deliver dining options in the diner."

The Salem News mentions that it is possible that The Salem Diner--which has been in business for nearly 80 years and which is on the National Register of Historic Places--could conceivably be moved to another space and possibly reopen under new ownership, though this is all speculation at this point.

The address for The Salem Diner is 70 Loring Avenue, Salem, MA, 01970.

[May 2 update: A Facebook post from the Salem Food Digest and a new article from The Salem News both indicate that The Salem Diner will be forced to close, with the latter saying that its last day will be May 31. The hope remains that the diner will be purchased and relocated to another space, according to both the Facebook post and the article.]

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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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Pomodoro in Boston's North End May Be Moving Again

by Marc Hurwitz

It looks like a North End restaurant that moved to a new space a few years ago could be moving once again.

According to a licensing board hearing page within the City of Boston website, Pomodoro is seeking a change of location from its present home at 351 Hanover Street (not 204 Hanover Street as shown in the notice--see below) to 364 Hanover Street, which is where Maurizio's used to be until closing in late 2017. If approved, this would be the second move for Pomodoro, as it had been at 319 Hanover Street until losing its lease there, with the restaurant temporarily moving to 351 Hanover Street while planning to settle into a permanent space at 204 Hanover Street which never happened. (The hearing notice actually mentions the 204 Hanover Street address.)

The hearing on Pomodoro's planned move is scheduled for Wednesday, March 13.

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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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Jongro BBQ to Replace Ittoku in Brighton; Ittoku to Move to Porter Exchange Building in Cambridge

by Marc Hurwitz

[Ed note: This article was updated on March 7 to reflect the fact that Ittoku will be moving to a new space.]

It looks like a new restaurant may be moving into the space in Brighton where a Japanese dining spot currently resides.

According to a licensing board hearing page within the City of Boston website, Jongro BBQ is looking to acquire the beer and wine license from Ittoku on Commonwealth Avenue, with the plan being to operate in that space. Based on the name, it appears that the proposed eatery would feature Korean cuisine, though it does not seem to be connected to a Korean restaurant in Manhattan with the exact same name.

The hearing is scheduled for March 13, so more may be known on the planned new restaurant (and the exact status of Ittoku) by later next week.

Ittoku first opened in late 2013, taking over the space where a location of Petit Robert Bistro had once been; the dining spot offers such items as sushi, yakitori, ramen, and more.

The address for Ittoku (and the upcoming Jongro BBQ) is 1414 Commonwealth Avenue, Brighton, MA, 02135.

[March 7 update: Eater Boston reports that Ittoku will actually be moving to Cambridge, taking over a space in the Porter Exchange building that's home to a number of Asian eateries; if all goes as planned, Ittoku could be opening in that building in May or June.]

[March 12 update: According to a source, Ittoku will be taking over the Wafu-Ya space within the Porter Exchange building.]

[September 25 update: A new article from Eater Boston states that Ittoku has closed its Brighton location, with the plan being to reopen in Porter Square sometime in October.]

[October 24 update: Eater Boston states that Ittoku is now open in Porter Square.]

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[Related article from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): Slideshow--Twelve Food Items from Asian Restaurants in the Boston Area]

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Update: Pho Vietnam in South Braintree Has Closed; Owners of Pho Paris in Peabody Taking Over the Space

by Marc Hurwitz

[Ed note: This article was updated on March 8 to reflect the fact that the space is under new ownership.]

A Vietnamese restaurant on the South Shore that opened less than a year ago has closed.

According to several sources, Pho Vietnam in South Braintree has been locked up and dark for at least a week, and there is no sign of what may be happening with the space. The restaurant first opened last summer, taking over part of where Sintra used to be; Sintra was an upscale dining spot that featured New American and Mediterranean fare and had been open for a bit less than 15 years.

As soon as we find out the exact status of Pho Vietnam, we will post an update here.

The address for Pho Vietnam is 906 Washington Street, Braintree, MA, 02184.

[March 8 update: A poster on the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page states that the owners of Pho Paris in Peabody are taking over the space, with a Facebook post from the place confirming this, saying that they will have a grand opening on March 14--though it is not yet known if the new spot will also be called Pho Paris.]

[March 17 update: A new Facebook post from the place mentions that Pho Paris is now open, though it is still in the process of officially changing the name of the restaurant from Pho Vietnam to Pho Paris.]

[April 23 update: A check on the place indicates that its name is now officially Pho Paris.]

[Earlier Article]
Pho Vietnam Is Opening in the Former Sintra Space in South Braintree

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[Related article from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): Slideshow--Twelve Food Items from Asian Restaurants in the Boston Area]

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