Boston Restaurant Talk

Friday, December 23, 2022

Craft Beer Cellar in Newtonville Is Closing

A group of specialty beer stores will be shutting down one of its locations.

According to a tweet from @BostonHanSolo, Craft Beer Cellar in Newtonville is closing its doors, with a note out front at the Austin Street shop indicating that it will shutter on December 31. This location of the beer store had originally been on Centre Street in Newton Centre before moving to its current Newtonville space.

Other locations of Craft Beer Cellar in Eastern Massachusetts can be found in Belmont, Plymouth, and Westford, with 10 others being scattered around the country.

The address for Craft Beer Cellar in Newtonville is 14 Austin Street, Newtonville, MA, 02460. The website for all locations is at https://www.craftbeercellar.com/

by Marc Hurwitz (Also 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]

NOTE: Leslie Hurwitz, who is the father of Marc (the founder of this site) is currently dealing with health issues and needs your help. Please donate if you can at https://gofund.me/76d8ba28, thanks!

Update: Cathedral Station in Boston's South End Is Not Closing After All, As the Proposed Dispensary May Open Next Door

Earlier today, it was reported that a neighborhood sports bar that is popular with the local LGBT community might be shutting down but now it appears that this is not the case after all.

A post by Michael Ratty within the South End Community Board Facebook group page indicated that he found out Cathedral Station on Washington Street may be replaced by a dispensary, with Leslie Seaton (who is the President of the East Berkeley Neighborhood Association) saying in the thread that the dining and drinking spot was indeed planning to close, and she posted a Zoom link to a January 3 EBNA meeting on the dispensary proposal. (Ratty also tweeted about the closure as well.) There has since been conflicting information on social media about this, including the possibility that there was confusion as to the address and that the dispensary may be going in next door instead. As soon as we get more clarification on this, we will post another update.

Cathedral Station first opened in 2014, taking over the space that had been home to the Red Fez, a Middle Eastern restaurant that had been open since 1940 (it reopened in 2002 after being closed for a number of years).

The address for Cathedral Station is 1222 Washington Street, Boston, MA, 02118. Its website can be found at http://www.cathedralstation.com/

by Marc Hurwitz (Also 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]

Cacao in Jamaica Plain Is Closing; Newton Highlands Location to Remain Open

A pair of chocolate, nuts, and dried fruit shops that are known in part for their hot chocolate will soon be down to just one, as the original location is closing down.

According to a poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, Cacao in Jamaica Plain is shutting its doors, with a Facebook post from the Centre Street shop saying the following:

We have made the very difficult decision to close our JP location at the end of this year. In the 80s, when our families immigrated from the Dominican Republic to Boston they settled in JP. We grew up in JP and went to JP schools so opening a business in JP was a dream come true. JP supported us from day one, made our frozen hot cocoa a summer treat to have and our hot chocolate was named one of Boston's best! Thank you JP for making us your "go to" shop for the holiday season and selling us out year after year!!

The Newton Highlands outlet, which can be found on Lincoln Street, will remain in operation.

The address for the JP location of Cacao is 660B Centre Street, Jamaica Plain, MA, 02130. The website for the business can be found at https://cacaonuts.com/

by Marc Hurwitz (Also 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]

Thursday, December 22, 2022

The Turnpike Cafe in Canton Is Closing

A roadside restaurant and bar in the southern suburbs is shutting down after more than 55 years in business.

According to a couple of sources (including a poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page), the Turnpike Cafe in Canton is closing its doors, with a post on the Facebook page for the place saying that "We, like many other restaurants, have faced staffing issues and not fully recovered from pre-COVID times." The post says that its last day is Friday, December 23.

The Turnpike Cafe, which has been under its current ownership since 2012, is known for its classic American fare and bar food including burgers, pizza, wings, steak tips, fish and chips, club sandwiches, and more.

The address for the Turnpike Cafe is 958 Turnpike Street (Route 138), Canton, MA, 02021. Its website can be found at https://www.turnpikecafecanton.com/

by Marc Hurwitz (Also 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]

Wednesday, December 21, 2022

Evviva Trattoria Is Opening in Stoneham

A growing local group of Italian restaurants will be opening a new outlet north of Boston.

According to a poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, Evviva Trattoria is planning to open in Stoneham, apparently moving into a space at Redstone Shopping Center on Main Street just south of Route 128. Once it opens, the new outlet will join others in Malden, Marlborough, Maynard, Westford, and Wrentham, and based on those restaurants it will likely offers soups, salads, panini, pasta dishes, pizza, and more, along with an extensive list of gluten-free items.

The address for the new location of Evviva Trattoria in Stoneham is 65 Main Street (Route 28), Stoneham, MA, 02180. The website for all locations can be found at https://www.evvivatrattoria.com/

[February 1, 2023 update: According to its website and social media, the Stoneham location of Evviva Trattoria is now open.]

by Marc Hurwitz (Also 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]

Herby Q in North Billerica Has Closed

A barbecue spot north of Boston has shut down.

According to a source (Gary Goldblatt), Herby Q in North Billerica has closed its doors, with a Facebook post from the Nashua Road spot saying the following:

Dear Billerica, we took a big leap and moved here and brought our southern BBQ to you. We are so grateful for your support over the last 1.5 years. Unfortunately we have to close due to extenuating family needs that require us in another state for the foreseeable future. Truly we appreciate all of the love, kind words, repeat customers, and just being a part of the community.

A comment within the thread mentions that they will "still be back in Billerica for the long term and hope to support the community in other ways," though it isn't known if they might try to reopen the restaurant at some point.

Herby Q first opened in the fall of 2021 in the former QQ Asian Grill space, offering such items as pulled chicken, pulled pork, brisket, macaroni and cheese, and nachos.

The address for Herby Q was 240 Nashua Road, North Billerica, MA, 01862.

by Marc Hurwitz (Also 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]