Boston Restaurant Talk

Thursday, May 02, 2019

Needham Junction Ice Cream Returns After Shutting Down Last Year

by Marc Hurwitz

A suburban ice cream spot that said farewell last summer after more than 20 years in business is open once again.

The Needham Times is reporting that Needham Junction Ice Cream has reopened, as no bids for the Junction Street space were submitted by the December 21 deadline, allowing them to be able to return to the space. The reasons for its initial closure are unspecified, though it appears that it had something to do with a lease-related issue.

An earlier post from the Patch posted a note from Needham Junction on Facebook that said, "Thanks to the wonderful people of Needham and your response to us having to close the window for good, we were able to come to an agreement that will allow us to reopen and continue to serve the Junction faithful."

The address for Needham Junction Ice Cream is 40 Junction Street, Needham, MA, 02492. Its website can be found at http://needhamjunctionicecream.letseat.at/

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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]

Bonchon Is Now Open on Moody Street in Waltham

by Marc Hurwitz

Back in 2016, we reported that a group of Korean fried chicken franchises was going to open a new location on a well-known "restaurant row," and now we have learned that the place is finally open.

According to a post from Eater Boston, Bonchon is now open in Waltham, joining other locations in Allston, Cambridge's Harvard Square, Salem, and Lowell. As with the other outlets, the new location offers fried wings, drumsticks, strips, and combos with sauce choices including hot sauce, soy sauce, and half-and-half, while also serving Korean items such as kimchi, bulgogi, and bi bim bap.

The address for this new dining spot in Waltham is: Bonchon, 329 Moody Street, Waltham, MA, 02453. The website for Bonchoncan be found at https://bonchon.com/

[Earlier Article]
Bonchon Plans to Open on Moody Street in Waltham

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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]

Wednesday, May 01, 2019

Blue Bottle Coffee Is Opening on Newbury Street in the Back Bay

by Marc Hurwitz

It looks like a California-based coffee roaster is opening another new cafe in the local area, and this one would be on one of Boston's busiest streets.

According to a licensing board hearing page within the city's website, Blue Bottle Coffee is planning to open on Newbury Street in the Back Bay, moving into a space between Dartmouth Street and Exeter Street. If approved, the new cafe--which would have an outdoor patio--would join others in downtown Boston, at the Prudential Center, and in Cambridge's Harvard Square, along with a new shop in the Kendall Square section of Cambridge [ed note--now open].

The Oakland-based Blue Bottle Coffee is considered to be part of the "third-wave" of specialty coffee shops that focus on high-quality beans.

The address for this new location of Blue Bottle Coffee in the Back Bay is 163 Newbury Street, Boston, MA, 02116. The website for the company is at https://bluebottlecoffee.com/

[December 9 update: According to a press release, Blue Bottle Coffee has opened its Newbury Street shop, with a grand opening expected to take place on December 14; the email also says that on December 21, the new shop will host a special Community Day with all proceeds from sales that day going to Conservation International, a nonprofit environmental organization.]

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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]

Stillwater Is Opening in the Former Townsman Space in Downtown Boston

by Marc Hurwitz

A new restaurant is opening in the heart of Boston, taking over the space where an award-winning dining spot had been until closing last year.

According to a licensing board hearing page within the city's website, Stillwater is looking to open on Kingston Street in the former Townsman space, with the listing mentioning that the restaurant would have two rooms along with an outdoor patio that would be used during the warmer months. The notice shows the manager of the place being Sarah Wade, who appears to be the same person (Sarah Hutson Wade) who has been the general manager and executive chef of Lulu's in Allston and who is known in part for her winning on the Food Network's "Chopped" early last year. Very little is known on Stillwater at this point in time, so keep checking back for updates.

Townsman, which was a high-end restaurant featuring regional fare with global influences, closed last summer after being in business for approximately 3 1/2 years. The dining spot received much praise during its time in operation, including getting a "best of" from Boston Magazine in 2015 and being included in Food & Wine's restaurants of the year list for 2016.

The address for Stillwater is 120 Kingston Street, Boston, MA, 02111.

[June 25 update: Boston Magazine states that Stillwater will feature "reimagined comfort food" along with "sexy bar snacks" and beer and cocktails, with Sarah Hutson Wade planning a warmer and more cozy vibe for the space than that of Townsman.]

[August 26 update: A Facebook post from Sarah Hutson Wade indicates that Stillwater plans to open on Wednesday, August 28.]

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]

North Square Oyster in Boston's North End Is Becoming Ciao Bella

by Marc Hurwitz

Earlier this year, we reported that a seafood restaurant in Boston's North End of Boston had closed for renovations and that it could be reopening in the spring. Now we have learned that when it does reopen, the changes to the place could include a new name.

According to a licensing board hearing page within the city's website, the people behind North Shore Oyster are petitioning to change the name of the restaurant to Ciao Bella. The notice gives no other information on any changes coming to the space, and it is not yet known what the change in concept--if any--might be, so stay tuned for updates as they come in.

North Square Oyster first opened in the spring of 2017, taking over the old Gennaro's Five North Square space; the dining spot--and presumably, the upcoming Ciao Bella--has a connection to a few nearby places, including Ward 8, Bodega Canal, and Tony & Elaine's.

It is not known if the upcoming Ciao Bella has any connection to the long-closed restaurant by the same name on Newbury Street in the Back Bay, though it appears at this point that it does not.

The address for North Square Oyster (and Ciao Bella) is 5 North Square, Boston, MA, 02113.

[May 3 update: Eater Boston states that Ciao Bella will be an "elevated" alternative to Tony & Elaine's, featuring house-made pastas, steaks, and chops while also having a small bar area called North Square Oyster Bar within the space, which will continue offering raw bar items along with lobster rolls and natural wines. If all goes as planned, Ciao Bella could be opening in early June.]

[June 4 update: A new article from Eater Boston states that Ciao Bella opens tonight, and that it will be open for dinner only for at least the time being.]

[Earlier Article]
North Square Oyster in Boston's North End Has Closed for Renovations

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]

Moon & Flower House Is Opening in the Former NextDoor Cafe Space in Allston

by Marc Hurwitz

It looks like a New York-based dining spot that features an array of comfort food items is on its way to Boston.

According to a source (Geoff Wong), a sign out front at the former NextDoor Cafe space in Allston indicates that Moon & Flower House is opening in the Brighton Avenue space. A picture sent to us shows that images on the sign have similarities to that of Moon & Flower House in Brooklyn, while an OpenCorporates page for the upcoming Allston eatery and another OpenCorporates page for the Brooklyn restaurant both show the name Zhang Li as a director/officer.

The Brooklyn location of Moon & Flower House offers such options as burgers, chicken sandwiches, wings, ramen, fried rice, BBQ meat and seafood, ice cream, and more.

The address for this new dining spot in Allston is: Moon & Flower House, 110 Brighton Avenue, Allston, MA, 02134. The website for the Brooklyn location can be found at https://www.moonandflowerhouse.com/

[May 23 update: Eater Boston states that Moon & Flower House is now open in Allston.]

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]