Boston Restaurant Talk

Monday, October 31, 2022

Sunset Cantina in Boston Is Returning

It looks like a Tex-Mex restaurant that is particularly popular with college students is being reborn.

According its Instagram page, Sunset Cantina on Commonwealth Avenue by Boston University is planning to reopen, with one post saying "A renovated, vibrant and exciting cantina is coming! Are you ready #Boston?" A listing within the Boston Restaurant Group website indicates that the space is under agreement and it has a new lease with BU which hints that there is an ownership change, though no other details have been given.

Sunset Cantina had once been under the same ownership as Sunset Grill & Tap in Allston, but the parent company filed for bankruptcy and Sunset Grill closed while Sunset Cantina ultimately was acquired by East Coast Tavern Group (Emmet's, Roxanne's, Scholars, Carrie Nation). The restaurant--which is known in part for its nachos--has been shuttered for at least a couple of months now.

The address for Sunset Cantina is 916 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA, 02215.

[January 25, 2023 update: An article from Bostonia indicates that Sunset Cantina is open once again, with Catarina Chang of Koy near Faneuil Hall being the one of the new owners. The post mentions that the restaurant continues to serve the same type of nachos offered in its previous incarnation along with other Tex-Mex faves, while also adding "elevated" authentic Mexican fare to the menu as well. (Thanks to Adam Castiglioni for bringing the opening to our attention.)]

by Marc Hurwitz (Also 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]

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Friday, October 28, 2022

Via Cannuccia Is Opening in the Former Caffe Zia Gianna Space in Dorchester

A brand new Italian restaurant is on its way to a Boston neighborhood, opening where an Italian bakery and cafe had been.

Universal Hub is reporting (via a licensing board hearing) that Via Cannuccia is planning to open in Dorchester, moving into the former Caffe Zia Gianna space on Dorchester Avenue between Fields Corner and Ashmont. The article mentions that Stefano and Tsedenia Kiros are behind the proposed dining spot, which would be a casual restaurant with ten tables and a four-seat bar, and the hope is that it would offer beer and wine pending approval for a license.

Caffe Zia Gianna closed this spring after being in business for approximately five years; the space had also once been home to Dot 2 Dot Cafe.

The address for Via Cannuccia is 1739 Dorchester Avenue, Dorchester, MA, 02124.

[April 12, 2023 update: According to a source, Via Cannuccia is now open in Dorchester, with its menu including Tuscan soup, polpette, eggplant parmigiana, pizza, cacio e pepe, risotto, short ribs, and fettuccine bolognese.]

[Earlier Article]
Caffe Zia Gianna in Dorchester Has Closed

by Marc Hurwitz (Also 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]

Donut Villa Diner Is Opening in the Former Common Ground Space in Arlington Center

A trio of dining spots known for their donuts and diner food will be opening a fourth, and this one will move into a space in the northwest suburbs that had been home to a gastropub.

According to a poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, Donut Villa Diner is looking to open in Arlington Center, taking over the former Common Ground space at Broadway Plaza. A hearing agenda page within the town's website mentions that owner Erin Bashllari is planning to have seating for 195, an outdoor patio, and a dining room inside the place, and a menu that features American fare--and Bashllari is also seeking a full liquor license for the space. If approved, the new location of Donut Villa will join others in Malden, Cambridge, and Newtonville.

The Arlington location of Common Ground closed down in 2020 after being in business for approximately six years; the original location of Common Ground had been in Allston until shutting down in 2019.

The address for the new Donut Villa Diner in Arlington Center is 319 Broadway, Arlington, MA, 02474. The website for all locations is at https://www.donutvilladiner.com/

[February 13, 2023 update: An article from Your Arlington indicates that Donut Villa Diner is now open in Arlington Center.]

by Marc Hurwitz (Also 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]

Fin's Sushi and Grill Is Opening in Waltham

A trio of Japanese restaurants will be joined by a fourth location, and this one will move into a space west of Boston that had been home to a few other dining spots.

According to a source, Fin's Sushi and Grill is planning to open in Waltham, with a post on the Bring Retail to Waltham Facebook page indicating that it will take over the space on Main Street that had been home to such dining spots as A Lee 88 Chinese Restaurant, Jiang Nan, Noodle Hut, and Jin's Sichuan House. Once it opens, the new outlet of Fin's will join others in Boston's Beacon Hill, Kenmore Square, and Brighton, and expect it to offer such options as soups, salads, appetizers, sushi, noodle and rice dishes, and various entrees.

The address for the new location of Fin's Sushi and Grill is 922 Main Street, Waltham, MA, 02451. The website for all locations of Fin's is at http://www.finsboston.com/

[February 10, 2023 update: A source tells us (via a Facebook post within the Waltham, MA Residents group) that the Waltham location of Fin's Sushi and Grill is now open.]

by Marc Hurwitz (Also 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]

Thursday, October 27, 2022

Butternut Bakehouse Plans to Open in Belmont Center

A bakery in the northwest suburbs is expanding to a new space a few minutes away from the original shop.

A message sent by Leah Klein of City Living Boston indicates that Butternut Bakehouse in Arlington is going to be joined by another location in Belmont Center, with a photo sent to us indicating that it is taking over the space on Leonard Street where Craft Beer Cellar had been before moving to a new space just up the road. Based on the offerings from the Mass. Ave. shop (which opened in 2019), the new store could offer breads, cakes, cookies, croissants, danish, scones, biscuits, quiche, sandwiches, and more.

The address for the upcoming location of Butternut Bakehouse in Belmont Center is 51 Leonard Street, Belmont, MA, 02478. The website for the original shop in Arlington is at https://www.butternutbakehouse.com/

[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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Szechuan Mountain House in NYC Plans to Expand to Allston

A pair of restaurants in New York City that are known for their authentic Sichuan fare could be expanding to Boston.

According to a licensing board hearing page within the city's website, Szechuan Mountain House is planning to open in Allston, with the address indicating that it would be moving into a space within a new apartment complex at the corner of Brighton Avenue and Linden Street. The manager listed for the proposed restaurant is Ming Lin, which seems to confirm a connection to locations of Szechuan Mountain House in Flushing and the East Village, while the hearing notice also says that the dining spot would have seating for approximately 80 and it would offer beer and wine, pending license approval. While a tentative menu has not been seen as of yet for the Allston location, some of the offerings at the New York restaurants include spicy frog, green pepper eel, braised pork belly, pepper chicken intestines, pig brain and tofu, braised lamb spine, grilled beef ribs, shredded potato, tomato fish stew, and steamed crab.

An Eater article from 2017 mentioned that the people behind Szechuan Mountain House were "aiming high" with the East Village location, with the article saying that the "owners want the restaurant to win a Michelin star at some point."

The address for the proposed location of Szechuan Mountain House in Allston is 89 Brighton Avenue, Allston, MA, 02134. The website for the locations in New York can be found at https://www.szechuanmountainhouse.com/

by Marc Hurwitz (Also 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]