Chinese Mirch in Boston's Symphony Hall Area Is Now Mumbai Spice

A restaurant near Symphony Hall that combines two types of Asian cuisine has gone through a name change--though it appears to be a similar dining spot.

According to a message from @TheDrewStarr, Chinese Mirch on Mass. Ave. is now Mumbai Spice, with a new sign up (though the old Chinese Mirch sign appears to remain up as well) and the interior seemingly not being renovated at all. As of this weekend, people were already dining in the place, though it is not known whether it was a soft opening or an official opening, and no information on the restaurant can be found anywhere online, except for a licensing board page from the city of Boston indicating that Chinese Mirch has indeed become Mumbai Spice, and that a change of manager has taken place.

As soon as we find out more about Mumbai Spice, we will post an update here.

Chinese Mirch first opened in the Symphony Hall area of Boston last November, featuring what they call "Chinese food made in India and fine Indian cuisine." The restaurant was part of a small chain of eateries that includes a location on Route 9 in Framingham that appears to remain open, at least for now.

The address for Chinese Mirch/Mumbai Spice is 251 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115.

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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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Hill Country Barbecue Market Plans to Open in Boston's Fort Point

It looks like a New York-based BBQ spot is planning to open a location in one of the hottest parts of Boston.

According to a Twitter post from @DGoodison of The Boston Herald, Hill Country Barbecue Market is seeking a liquor license to operate at 374 Congress Street in the city's Fort Point neighborhood. If approved, this would be the fourth location of the dining spot, with others being in the Flatiron section of Manhattan, downtown Brooklyn, and the Penn Quarter area of Washington, DC.

[October 21 update: The Fort Point Boston blog confirms that Hill Country is indeed looking to open on Congress Street, with a post showing there will be a neighborhood meeting on the proposal on October 27.]

[November 10 update: Eater Boston states that Hill Country has signed a lease for the Congress Street space and that it is looking at a late 2016 opening. (The 8,000-square-foot space will include a dining room, bar, private club area, and marketplace.]

[January 19, 2016 update: A licensing board page within the City of Boston website indicates that Hill Country is seeking the liquor license of Coco's Lounge in Jamaica Plain's Egleston Square, with the hearing taking place on January 27. (A source tells us that Coco's is going to be closing, though it is not known exactly when at this point in time.)]

[June 16, 2016 update: Hill Country appears to be getting closer to opening, as Boston Herald writer @DGoodison mentions that the restaurant is now seeking an entertainment license that potentially allows for live music, DJs, and dancing. (The hearing page for the request shows that it will take place on June 22.)]

Hill Country focuses on food items inspired by the barbecue joints of Central Texas, including red chili, brisket, beef shoulder, spare ribs, pork loin, sausage, macaroni and cheese, beer-braised pinto beans, green bean casserole, and banana pudding. According to its website, meats are smoked low and slow over Texas post oak and served by the pound on butcher paper.

The website for Hill Country Barbecue Market can be found at http://www.hillcountryny.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]

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Medieval Manor in Boston Is Closing

A landmark theater and restaurant that features Middle Ages-themed musical comedy along with dinner and drinks is going to be closing.

An email sent this morning indicates that the Medieval Manor in Boston's South End is shutting its doors at the end of the year, with the website for the E Berkeley Street spot confirming this. The email says that "after 42 years and nearly 13,000 performances we will be closing our doors this December....Thank you for fooling around during dinner. We will miss you very much." No reason has been given for the closure of the Medieval Manor at this point in time.

[October 16 update: Universal Hub reports that Medieval Manor owner Don Akin says he is closing the place because "We were not able to keep up with the rising cost of business," with rising rents being at least one of those costs. Akin does say positive things about the landlord, however, mentioning that "The past five years, he's been so patient with us," and he also says that the landlord may look to bring in a similar type of theater rather than selling to a developer.]

[November 10 update: A licensing board page within the City of Boston website indicates that the Medieval Manor is petitioning to transfer its liquor license to the upcoming Bar Mezzana, which will be located one block north within the Sepia condo building in the Ink Block. (See article on Bar Mezzana here.)]

[December 8 update: According to its website, Medieval Manor has added shows on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays for its final month because its Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday shows are either sold out or close to being sold out.]

The Medieval Manor has been a popular spot for birthday parties, reunions, corporate events, bachelor/bachelorette parties, and more over the years, with its website saying that the comedic roots of its interactive dinner theater are in "vaudeville and burlesque."

The address for this soon-to-close theater and restaurant is: Medieval Manor, 246 E Berkeley Street, Boston, MA, 02116. Its website can be found at http://www.medievalmanor.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]

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The Rising Is Opening in Cambridge's Inman Square

It looks like a new gastropub is on its way to one of the busiest parts of Cambridge, and it is possible that it may be moving into the space where an eclectic sports bar had been.

The BostonChefs.com jobs section indicates that The Rising is planning to open in Inman Square, with the listing saying that the spot will be a "new gastropub style restaurant and sports bar." No other information has been given, but it appears this is be the same place mentioned in an earlier article where restaurateur Kevin Treanor had been planning to open a place in the old Hit Wicket space on Cambridge Street. A YouTube video seems to further confirm this, with Treanor saying the new spot opening in that space would be a gastropub.

Treanor is connected to such restaurants and bars as Phoenix Landing in Cambridge's Central Square, Hugh O'Neill's in Malden, O'Neill's in Salem, and The Merchant in downtown Boston.

It looks like the address for The Rising will be 1172 Cambridge Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139.

[December 31 update: The website for The Rising confirms that it will indeed be opening in the former Hit Wicket space, while a Craigslist job post notes that it plans to open in early January.]

[January 21, 2016 update: According to a source within the restaurant industry, The Rising may have its final inspection this week and if all goes well, it could be opening as early as this weekend (keep checking back for updates on this).]

[January 22, 2016 update: A Facebook post from the place indicates that The Rising will soft open today at 5:00 PM with a limited menu. (The full menu will be available starting next week.)]

[Earlier Article]
Kevin Treanor to Take Over Hit Wicket Space in Cambridge's Inman Square

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[Related article from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): Slideshow--Ten Good Places to Get Beer in the Boston Area]

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Esquire's Best New Restaurants List Includes Townsman in Boston

A popular men's magazine has posted its top 14 picks for new restaurants in the United States for 2015, and a dining spot in Boston has been included.

According to the new article that came out earlier this week, Esquire Magazine has picked Townsman in downtown Boston as one of the best new restaurants in the country. A few of the items mentioned by the magazine include the blood-sausage mortadella, summer-squash fritter, beef tartare, collard kimchi, and foie gras, with the writer writing that "At Townsman, New England cuisine erupts like the blueberries of the summer." No other New England restaurants were picked by Esquire this year, though four New York dining spots made the list (Little Park, Mountain Bird, Santina, and Shuko).

Matt and Kate Jennings opened Townsman on Kingston Street in February; before that, they had operated Farmstead in Providence's Wayland Square.

For a complate look at Esquire's list of best new restaurants for 2015, please go to the link below:

Esquire's Best New Restaurants in America 2015

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Granite Rail Tavern and Home Ice Sports Bar in Quincy to Close

It looks like a couple of bars in Quincy Center are getting ready to shut down forever.

The Patriot Ledger is reporting that the Granite Rail Tavern on Cottage Avenue and the Home Ice Sports Bar on Washington Street are both closing their doors, with the former shutting down this Saturday after 30 years in business and the latter closing soon after a bit less than two years in operation. The article says that the Granite Rail Tavern has been sold, with an unspecified business moving in, while the Home Ice Sports Bar is in the process of being sold (and is still open for now), with the new owners--who come from the nearby Townshend restaurant and bar--looking to replace it with a dining spot that will tentatively be called The Quill.

[October 21 update: The Patriot Ledger states that the city of Quincy has approved of a license transfer from the Home Ice Sports Bar to The Quill.]

[October 21 update #2: According to a Twitter post from @TheJeffSullivan, a new restaurant from Barbara Lynch and Kerri Lynch-Delaney called C16 will move into the former Granite Rail Tavern space.]

Quincy Center is in the middle of undergoing major renovations, with a number of new businesses looking to move in--including a dining spot that famed restaurateur Barbara Lynch is opening with her niece.

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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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