Update: State Regulators Order InterContinental Boston Hotel to Move Patio from Edge of Water Along Harborwalk

[Ed note: This article was update/corrected on July 15 to reflect new information given.]

It looks like a popular outdoor bar along the Boston waterfront may be shrinking because it has apparently been discouraging public access.

Banker & Tradesman is reporting that state regulators have told the InterContinental Boston Hotel that it has to remove the outdoor bar area along the Fort Point Channel while also taking down signs that deter people from using the space, which is technically open to the public. The post says that the hotel is in violation of the terms of its Chapter 91 license, failing to allow for public open space by putting up signs that discourage 24-hour public access, and as a result, the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has ordered all restaurant and bar seating to be removed along with "any other gates, moveable landscaping, or other devices that restrict pedestrian access" to a 60-foot-wide area that goes from the seaward edge of the Boston Harborwalk. It is not known for certain how much of the bar might be going away, as the article simply says the outdoor bar area is being removed; as soon as we find out more, we will post an update here. The article says that the owner of the hotel has 30 days to correct the violations at which point it may face fines from the DEP.

[July 15 update: @FortPointer clarifies the InterContinental Boston Hotel patio issue via a couple of Twitter posts today, saying that only part of the outdoor bar would need to be removed. The tweets says that the patio is "required to recede from edge, allow access to public ramps and lawns....Public area is 60 feet from seawall, leaving sig space for bar and/or resto, including existing patio-resto running 3/4 length of building."]

The InterContinental Boston Hotel includes such dining and drinking spots as Miel, Sushi-Teq, Rumba, and Vodkaba.

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]

---

Tweet

Amateras Opens in Boston's Leather District

Nearly three years ago, we reported that a ramen spot was planning to open near South Station in Boston. Now we have learned that it is finally up and running.

According to an article from Eater Boston, Amateras is now open in the city's Leather District, taking over the space on South Street where Beijing Kyoto had once been. As mentioned earlier, the new eatery features a handful of ramen dishes, and Eater also says that maze soba is offered as well.

Plans for Amateras were first announced in August of 2014.

The address for this new ramen spot in the Leather District is: Amateras,  112 South Street, Boston, MA, 02111.

[Earlier Article]
Amateras Plans to Open in Beijing Kyoto Space in Boston's Leather District

Follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston

---

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

---

Tweet

Round 1 Bowling & Amusements May Be Opening in Saugus

A family entertainment spot that includes bowling, billiards, food, drink, and more may be on its way to Saugus.

According to an article in Wicked Local, Round 1 Bowling & Amusements is looking to open on the second floor of Sears at the Square One Mall, with the proposed 60,000-square-foot seeking a beer and wine license that would allow it to serve alcohol along with "typical bowling alley foods." The post says that the proposal includes the possibility of having 14 bowling lanes, 8 pool tables, 300 arcade games, a couple of dart machines and a couple of Ping Pong tables, and four private karaoke rooms. Currently, there is one other location of the Japan-based Round 1 Bowling & Amusements in Massachusetts (in Taunton) while another 14 outlets can be found in nine other states.

The website for Round 1 Bowling & Amusements is at http://www.round1usa.com/

[August 18 update: A new article from Wicked Local states that plans for Round 1 Bowling & Amusements to open at the Square One Mall have fallen through, as the company has withdrawn its proposal after town selectmen raised concerns about the plans, including worries about the draining of public safety resources and issues related to alcohol. The article does say that because the application for the place was withdrawn without prejudice, Round 1 Bowling & Amusements can still discuss the plans with Saugus police and apply once again, though it is not yet known if this will happen.]

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]

---

Tweet

COJE Restaurant Group (Yvonne's, Ruka, Lolita) to Open Restaurant at Post Office Square in Boston

The restaurant group behind three well-known Boston dining spots will be opening a new place that may just include something that is mostly gone from the local landscape.

According to an article in The Boston Herald, COJE Management is planning to open a new restaurant and bar at 10 Post Office Square in the city's Financial District, with the place possibly including a cigar bar along with a private members club. The post says that the working name for the spot is currently Santeria, but this will apparently change, as the application that has been filed is specifically for the liquor license and it will eventually have "a separate trade name." Plans for the restaurant and bar are in the early stages, and it looks like it will be more than a year before it opens for business.

COJE is the parent company of Yvonne's, a modern supper club in Boston's Downtown Crossing; Ruka, a Latin-Asian fusion spot also in the downtown area; and Lolita, a tequila bar in the Back Bay.

Currently, the only cigar bar in Boston is Stanza dei Sigari, which is on Hanover Street in the North End.

[September 7, 2018 update: An article in boston.com mentions that Santeria (and as stated earlier, this may only be a working name) will apparently be a restaurant with Cuban influences, and that it could be opening in the first quarter of 2019. (There is no mention of a cigar bar possibly being part of the space.)]

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]

---

Tweet

Khao Sarn in Brookline's Coolidge Corner Has Closed

A longtime Brookline favorite for Thai fare has shut down.

According to several sources, Khao Sarn in Coolidge Corner is no longer in business, with one source sending a picture of a sign out front that says it has indeed closed, referring people to LeDu Thai Eatery, its new "fast casual eatery" in Newtonville. Khao Sarn, which first opened 16 years ago, was a slightly upscale Thai restaurant that offered such items as crispy duck, Chinese broccoli with oyster sauce and garlic, beef noodle soup, pad Thai, Bangkok fried rice, braised pork stew, deep-fried whole striped bass, and a variety of curries.

The address for this now-closed Thai restaurant in Coolidge Corner was: Khao Sarn, 250 Harvard Street, Brookline, MA, 02446.

Follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston

---

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

---

Tweet

STK Steakhouse Will Apparently Not Be Coming to Boston's Seaport District After All

Early last year, we reported that a small New York-based group of "female-friendly" steakhouses was planning to come to Boston, but then we learned toward the end of the year that the concept was being ditched in favor of the group's original steakhouse concept. Now it appears that those plans have fallen through as well.

According to a source, STK is apparently not going to be coming to Boston's Seaport District as was originally planned, with a page on the bloomberg.com site seeming to confirm this, saying that "ONE Group and STK applied for a non-transferable liquor license, which the city licensing board denied on Jan. 30....On Feb. 7, [was Development] notified STK that it was in default, and followed that with a March 30 notification that the lease was terminated." A page from seekingalpha.com appears to give further confirmation that STK will not be coming to the Seaport District, saying in an overview statement from the company that "STK restaurants are expected to open in Dallas and Austin in 2018, and San Diego in 2017. The lease for STK Boston was terminated in March 2017."

The original plan for STK was to open STK Rebel at One Seaport Square, with One Group Hospitality CEO and founder Jonathan Segal saying of the concept, "We went into this with the sole intention to create a different steakhouse that appealed to the female market....If you want to make a lot of money in this world, focus on the female market and women, because men only get to make 3 percent of the decisions."

[Earlier Articles]
STK Rebel Plans to Open at One Seaport Square in Boston
Plans Fall Through for STK Rebel to Open in Boston; Original STK Concept May Open Instead

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]

---

Tweet