Boston Restaurant Talk

Monday, May 14, 2018

Gelato & Chill Is Opening in Boston's Seaport District

by Marc Hurwitz

A gelato company that is based on the South Shore will be opening a shop in an increasingly hot section of the Boston waterfront.

According to an article in the Boston Business Journal, Gelato & Chill is planning to open in the Innovation and Design Building within the city's Seaport District, with the Hingham-based business joining two other upcoming dining spots within the structure--a restaurant called Chickadee which hopes to open this summer, and a new location of Flour Bakery which also plans to open in the summer. No opening date has been given for the gelato shop as of yet, with a Twitter post simply saying to "Stay tuned for grand opening."

Gelato & Chill, which currently caters events such as birthday parties, weddings, and business gatherings, features small batch handmade gelato, with dairy-free/vegan-friendly options available.

The Innovation and Design Building is located on Drydock Avenue near the Black Falcon Cruise Terminal, while the website for Gelato & Chill can be found at https://www.gelatochill.com

[May 16 update: Eater Boston states that Gelato & Chill appears to be open.]

[May 22 update: It appears that Gelato & Chill might not be officially open after all, as a source sent us a picture from yesterday showing a "coming soon" sign up for the place and telling us it was empty.]

[June 18 update: A source tells us that Gelato & Chill is now officially open on the promenade at the Innovation and Design Building, with hours being 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM Monday through Friday.]

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]

Friday, May 11, 2018

Remnant Brewing Opens at Bow Market in Somerville's Union Square

by Marc Hurwitz

A new brewery debuts tonight in Somerville, opening at a new development that is also in the process of debuting.

Boston Magazine is reporting that Remnant Brewing opens at 8:00 PM this evening at Bow Market in Union Square, offering a handful of beers on draft tonight while it plans to debut its patio tomorrow--though the bad weather coming could delay those plans. In addition to its patio, the brewery will also have a bar and a standing area inside as well as a cafe that features coffee during the day. Initial hours for Remnant Brewing will be 8:00 PM to 11:00 PM tonight and 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM tomorrow and Sunday.

In addition to Remnant Brewing, some of the food/drink vendors coming to Bow Market will also be popping up over the weekend, tentatively being up and running Saturday afternoon and Sunday.

Bow Market is located between Somerville Avenue and Bow Street, with its website being at http://www.bowmarketsomerville.com/ while the website for Remnant Brewing can be found at https://www.remnantsomerville.com/

[Earlier Article]
Bow Market Planned for Somerville's Union Square

Follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston

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

Chili's in Burlington Has Closed

by Marc Hurwitz

A chain of Tex-Mex restaurants continues to close outlets in the local area, with a longtime location in the northern suburbs being the latest to shut down.

According to a source, Chili's in Burlington shuttered over the past day or two and that furniture was being removed from the Middlesex Turnpike space, with a check on the company's website indicating that the place has indeed been removed from its locations section. There had been much chatter about the Burlington location closing, though it was not known when (or even if) it might shut its doors until now. This is one of a handful of Chili's to close locally over the past several years, including outlets in Dedham, Hingham, and Wilmington, with others in Boston, Brockton, and Framingham also closing over the past decade or so. As of now, only five remaining locations of the chain can be found inside (or near) Route 128, including in Braintree, Chelsea, Danvers, Reading, and Walpole.

The Burlington location of Chili's had been in business for more than 30 years.

The address for this now-closed Tex-Mex restaurant in Burlington was: Chili's, 108 Middlesex Turnpike, Burlington, MA, 01803. The website for the chain can be found at https://www.chilis.com/

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]

Tsukiji Bistro in Melrose Has Closed

by Marc Hurwitz

It looks like an Asian restaurant in the northern suburbs of Boston has shut down after a very short time in business.

According to a message sent from the person behind from The Daily Lunch blog, Tsukiji Bistro in Melrose is closed, with a Yelp page for the Main Street eatery seeming to confirm this, while phone calls to the place have gone unanswered. The dining spot, which first opened this past December, featured a mix of dishes with influences from China, Japan, Thailand, Korea, and Hawaii, with a few options including sushi, gyoza, rice bowls, and hot pot. No reason has been given for the closure of Tsukiji Bistro at this point in time; if we find out more about the shutting down of the place, we will post an update here.

The address for this now-closed Asian restaurant in Melrose was: Tsukiji Bistro, 505 Main Street, Melrose, MA, 02176.

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]

Flour Bakery to Open in Boston's Seaport District

by Marc Hurwitz

A James Beard Award winner will be opening a new location of a group of bakery-cafes, with this one coming to one of the hottest sections of Boston.

Boston Magazine is reporting (via an Instagram post) that Joanne Chang is opening a new outlet of Flour Bakery in the Innovation and Design Building within the city's Seaport District, with this being the eighth shop to open in the local area.The post says that if all goes as planned, the new location of the bakery-cafe could be opening this summer.

Other locations of Flour can currently be found in the South End, Fort Point, the Back Bay (2), Cambridge's Harvard Square, Central Square, and Cambridgeport.

In addition to winning Outstanding Baker in 2016 from the James Beard Foundation, Joanne Chang is also known in part for defeating Bobby Flay in a sticky bun competition on the Food Network's "Throwdown" show back in 2007.

The Innovation and Design Building is located on Drydock Avenue near the Black Falcon Cruise Terminal, while the website for Flour can be found at http://www.flourbakery.com/

[September 27 update: Eater Boston states that the new location of Flour opens in the Innovation and Design Building on Monday, October 1.]

Follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston

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

Thursday, May 10, 2018

Cava May Be Opening in Hingham This Weekend

by Marc Hurwitz

A group of Mediterranean dining spots based in Washington, D.C. might be opening its third Boston-area location over the coming days.

According to the restaurant's locations page, Cava at the Derby Street Shoppes in Hingham is having a "Community Day" on May 12 with free lunch being offered from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM and free dinner from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM. Once it opens, it will join two existing locations in Boston's Fenway and at Legacy Place in Dedham, while a fourth location is coming to the Back Bay as well. Cava tends to have its official openings the day after Community Day, but it is not known for sure if this is the case or if it may have its official opening early next week instead; as soon as we find out more, we will post an update here.

Cava, which started out in 2011, is a fast-casual chain that features customizable items that begin with a salad/grain/soup/pita base and with items such as hummus, falafel, feta, meatballs, braised lamb, olives, grilled chicken, and pickled banana peppers added.

The address for the new location of Cava at the Derby Street Shoppes is 94 Derby Street, Hingham, MA, 02043. The website for all of the locations can be found at http://cava.com/

[May 11 update: Wicked Local confirms that Cava officially opens its doors on Sunday.]

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]