The New Punjab Location in Arlington Looks Just About Ready

Walked through Arlington Center the other night and I noticed that the new spot that Punjab is moving into looks nearly ready. The new place looks beautiful as seen through the windows, and much bigger than the present location of Punjab (a couple of doors down).

As soon as they move into their new spot, I'll try to head over there to check the new digs out. Can't wait!

Tags: Indian restaurants Arlington restaurants

Fasika to Re-Open in Somerville

Fasika, an Ethiopian restaurant that was located in Mission Hill at the edge of Jamaica Plain before closing a few months ago, has moved to a new location at 145 Broadway in East Somerville. The restaurant is supposed to open this week, so hopefully there will be reports back soon on whether Fasika is as good as it was when it was in JP. If anyone tries it, please send a comment along. Thanks!

Tags: Ethiopian restaurants Somerville restaurants

Eastern Pier II and Seaport Bar and Grille: The Future Looks Uncertain

The South Boston waterfront property that includes the Eastern Pier II and the Seaport Bar and Grille has been sold. According to the Boston Globe, it appears that the property will probably be developed into luxury condos, along with restaurants. Whether Eastern Pier II and the Seaport Bar and Grille will stay here remains to be seen, but if luxury condos indeed go up, these two restaurants might not fit into the plans, as they are gritty dining spots that tend to cater to working- and middle-class folks.

According to the Globe, Eastern Pier II has about 5 years left on their lease, so hopefully they will be around for awhile. The lease at the Seaport Bar and Grille expires next year, so they may have a tougher time of it.

Here's hoping these two restaurants can somehow remain open, as there are precious few casual, reasonably-priced restaurants along the Boston waterfront that are still in business.

Tags: South Boston Boston restaurants Boston waterfront

Yet Another Review: Sal's Pizza in Lawrence

The latest review on the Boston's Hidden Restaurants site is Sal's Pizza, a pizza place and Italian restaurant on the Merrimac River in Lawrence. Sal's has terrific pizza, much in the style of some of the classic New York pizza places. And the atmosphere is very nice, with a large outdoor deck facing the river, and classic lounge music piped into the place.

Tags: Lawrence restaurants Boston restaurants pizza places

Desmond O'Malley's in Framingham Is Closed

Desmond O'Malley's, an Irish pub in Framingham that was built in Dublin and shipped to America and rebuilt, has closed for good. It appears that some kind of steak house may take its place.

Desmond O'Malley's was a popular spot, with decent food and drink, and good music. It will definitely be missed, as the Framingham area has relatively few decent Irish pubs.

Tags: Framingham restaurants Irish pubs

Back to the Bean!

I went with some of my family to a post-Thanksgiving meal at the Vanilla Bean Cafe in Pomfret, CT today. The Vanilla Bean is a great place to go for healthy, delicious food if you are in the Quiet Corner of Connecticut. Since it was such a nice day out, we decided that it was the perfect place to head to today.

The food, as always, was perfect; my steak and bean burrito was outstanding, as were the sandwiches that others ordered. And the desserts were terrific for the most part, with the chocolate chip cookie and the brownie being pretty sinful.

I wish the Vanilla Bean Cafe were a little closer to the Boston area, but I suppose half the fun of going there is the drive, since that part of Connecticut is so beautiful. I can't wait to go back!

Tags: Pomfret restaurants Connecticut restaurants