Boston Restaurant Talk

Monday, November 13, 2017

Igloos Return to The Lookout Bar in Boston's Seaport District

by Marc Hurwitz

A rooftop hotel bar in Boston's Seaport District is set up once again for the colder months, bringing back a rather unusual concept that had been in place for a short time earlier this year.

According to a web page from the spot, The Lookout at the Envoy Hotel has its "igloos" back in place from now until April of 2018, and as was the case over the past winter, they are heated and lit and with room for eight to ten people. The page says that blankets are provided for extra warmth, and that customers simply have to press a button which illuminates the igloo to get the attention of a server. A total of six igloos are set up at The Lookout, with hours being 4:00 PM through 10:00 PM Wednesday through Sunday on a first-come, first-served basis.

The page mentions that only drinks are offered in the igloos at this point in time, but that The Outlook downstairs offers food to patrons.

The address for The Lookout (along with The Outlook and the Envoy Hotel) is 70 Sleeper Street, Boston, MA, 02210.

[April 13, 2018 update: Eater Boston states that this is the last weekend of the season for The Lookout's "igloos," as they will be in place through Monday.]

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[Related article from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): Slideshow--Fifteen More Outdoor Dining Areas In the Greater Boston Area and Beyond]

Pollo Campero Is Opening in Lynn

by Marc Hurwitz

A chain of chicken spots that started out more than 35 years ago in Central America is opening its third Boston-area location.

According to a press release, Pollo Campero is having a grand opening celebration at its new shop in Lynn on Tuesday, November 14, with the State Street eatery joining two other local outlets in Chelsea in East Boston. The new location in Lynn will offer a variety of fried and grilled chicken dishes, including such options as chicken bites, empanadas, and bowls along with 8, 12, 16, or 20-piece meals. (Sides include rice, beans, yuca fries, plantains, and street corn salads.)

Pollo Campero, which opened its first shop in 1971 in Guatemala, currently has more than 70 locations across the United States.

The address for this new chicken spot in Lynn is: Pollo Campero, 25 State Street, Lynn, MA, 01901. The website for the chain can be found at http://www.campero.com/

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

Atomic Cafe Announces Closure of Its Marblehead Location; Sole Remaining Shop in Beverly Remains Open

by Marc Hurwitz

What was once a trio of North Shore cafes is now down to just one.

According to a source, Atomic Cafe has officially closed its shop in Marblehead, with a Facebook post saying that the decision is not directly related to the flooding that had caused the School Street store to shut down last month, but that the people behind the business have been looking to scale back their shops (including one in Newburyport, which closed in September) and that the flood simply "accelerated" their plans. The closing of the Marblehead and Newburyport outlets mean that only one shop remains in operation--a location on Cabot Street in Beverly. (The company's roasting operation is located in Salem.)

The address for this now-closed cafe in Marblehead was: Atomic Cafe, 14 School Street, Marblehead, MA, 01945. The website for the business can be found at http://www.atomicafe.com/

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[Related article from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): Slideshow--Ten Items from Bakeries and Pastry Shops in the Boston Area and Beyond]

Rosie's Bakery at The Street in Chestnut Hill Is Being Replaced by The Bagel Table

by Marc Hurwitz

An iconic bakery that has been in business for several decades is shutting down, and a bagel shop is replacing it.

According to a press release, Rosie's Bakery at The Street in Chestnut Hill is closing after 42 years in business, and The Bagel Table is moving into the space and featuring OMG! Bagels along with locally-smoked fishes, New York City-style deli sandwiches and desserts such as crumb cakes, black and white cookies, and cheesecake, and more. The release mentions that The Bagel Table will also carry on the legacy of Rosie's by offering a number of its items to customers, though it is not yet known which items will be sold there. It looks like The Bagel Table may debut sometime in December, and that it will be open for breakfast and lunch seven days a week.

OMG! Bagels was actually the first pop-up shop at The Street, debuting in 2015, and it was followed by such temporary shops as Kane's Donuts, Alice's Table, The Third Piece, Rancatore's, and Ronsky's, the last of which now has a permanent home there.

Rosie's also had a location in Cambridge's Inman Square, with that store shutting down for good in the spring of 2015, while another outlet had been at Boston's South Station as well. A note within its website mentions that the business is moving to a location in Brighton where it will indeed be making treats for The Bagel Table and that its products can also be picked up at Athan's in Brighton and Brookline along with Liquor Mart in Chestnut Hill until The Bagel Table opens. (It appears that the Chestnut Hill location of Rosie's has already closed, as the note says that the move to the Brighton location took place over the weekend.)

[January 16, 2018 update: Eater Boston mentions that The Bagel Table is now open, and as mentioned earlier, it features OMG! Bagels along with smoked fish, New York City-style deli sandwiches and desserts, and more.]

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[Related article from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): Slideshow--Ten Items from Bakeries and Pastry Shops in the Boston Area and Beyond]

Friday, November 10, 2017

Som Tum Modern Thai Cuisine Replaces Sticky Rice in West Roxbury

by Marc Hurwitz

A Thai restaurant that had been in business for more than six years has shut down, and another Thai spot has replaced it.

Universal Hub is reporting that Som Tum Modern Thai Cuisine is now open in West Roxbury, moving into the Centre Street space where Sticky Rice had been. An Eater Boston article mentions that the name "Som Tum" comes from a Thai dish--green papaya salad--that is a staple of Thai cuisine, while the menu at the new place includes that dish as well as such items as shumai, wonton soup, curry puffs, fried rice, mango curry, steamed fish options, basil pad Thai, drunken noodle, and more.

Sticky Rice first opened in March of 2011, replacing a Middle Eastern eatery called The King.

The address for Som Tum Modern Thai Cuisine is 1894 Centre Street, West Roxbury, MA 02132. Its website can be found at https://www.somtummodernthaicuisine.com/

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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]

East Coast Grill in Cambridge's Inman Square to Become Highland Fried

by Marc Hurwitz

A landmark Cambridge restaurant that was reborn earlier this year is apparently getting a new name.

According to a license commission agenda page within the city's website, East Coast Grill in Inman Square has applied for a name change to "Highland Fried," with the request scheduled to be looked at on November 15. At this point in time, it isn't known whether there would be any other changes to the Cambridge Street restaurant; as soon as we find out more, we will post an update here.

East Coast Grill first opened in 1985, with nationally-recognized chef and restaurateur Chris Schlesinger being behind the place. Schlesinger sold the dining spot in 2012 to three members of the East Coast Grill and it ended up closing in January of 2016, but it was learned a few months later that the people behind Highland Kitchen in Somerville would be taking it over, and East Coast Grill reopened approximately one year after shutting down.

The original East Coast Grill had been known in part for its legendary "Hell Nights" along with its seafood and barbecue offerings.

The address for East Coast Grill is 1271 Cambridge Street, Cambridge, MA, 02139. Its website can be found at https://www.eastcoastgrill.net/

[December 11 update: A tweet from @kcbaskin of The Boston Globe states that Highland Fried will open on Friday, December 15, while Boston Magazine states that East Coast Grill quietly shut down over the weekend and that Highland Fried will be a new, more casual concept that focuses on fried chicken as well as BBQ, fresh oysters, and American comfort food. (Boston Magazine also says that East Coast Grill's tiki decor, its bar program, and nearly all of its staff will remain in place.)]

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[Related article from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): Slideshow--Twelve Seafood Dishes from Boston-Area and New England Restaurants]