D E U X A V E May Be Opening in the Back Bay

A new restaurant is apparently going to be opening at some point in Boston's Back Bay, moving into the spot where a Beacon Hill bistro and bakery used to have a second location. According to the EveryBlock Boston website, D E U X A V E recently was issued a license for a restaurant to open on Mass. Ave. where Panificio used to be before closing in the spring of 2008 (the original Charles Street location of Panificio remains open). It appears that more news on D E U X A V E is available at the present time; as we receive updates, we will post them here.

The exact address for this proposed restaurant in the Back Bay is 61 Massachusetts Avenue (between Commonwealth Avenue and Marlborough Street), a few blocks east of Kenmore Square and a few blocks south of Storrow Drive and the Charles River.

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Friendly's Express to Open in Brookline

It appears that Brookline will soon join Mansfield in having a quick-casual dining spot that is part of a local ice cream chain. According to several online job postings (including one on the Craigslist site), Friendly's Express is coming to an undisclosed location in this western neighbor of Boston's. Friendly's Express had opened their first location in Mansfield this past summer, and more seem to be on their way over the coming months, including the one that is going to be in Brookline.

The Friendly's Express chain focuses on fast service and takeout orders, though they also have a dine-in option. Most of what is on the menu at the traditional Friendly's restaurants is offered at Friendly's Express, including salads, sandwiches, and ice cream, with all items being under $10.

As soon as we get information on the exact location of this new Friendly's Express in Brookline (as well as an approximate opening date), we will update the information here. [December 9 update: According to some notes from a Brookline Planning Board meeting on the Town of Brookline website, Friendly's Express will be located at 289 Harvard Street in the former Qdoba spot in Coolidge Corner. Thanks to a poster on Chowhound for initially letting us know about the address.]

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Jazz Cafe and Bar Opens in Roslindale

Roslindale continues to become more and more of a destination spot for diners, as a new place has opened just north of Roslindale Village in a space formerly occupied by a restaurant and wine bar. According to the Thrillist site, the Jazz Cafe and Bar recently opened its doors on Washington Street in the former NuVo spot, offering an eclectic array of dishes as well as (eventually) live jazz music. The restaurant, which is open for lunch and dinner, appears to feature mostly a mix of American dishes, comfort food, pasta dishes, and Cajun/Creole fare. Thrillist mentions that the Jazz Cafe and Bar has seating for 90 in its five rooms, and it also has a patio.

The Washington Street spot where the Jazz Cafe and Bar now resides has been home to a couple of restaurants over the past few years, including the aforementioned NuVo restaurant and wine bar and the Northern Italian dining spot Gusto.

The address for this new dining spot and watering hole in Roslindale is: Jazz Cafe and Bar, 4174 Washington Street, Roslindale, MA, 02131. The phone number is (617) 363-0202.

For more information on the opening of the Jazz Cafe and Bar, please go to the Thrillist link below:

Jazz Cafe and Bar

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The Bel-Aire Diner May Open Once Again in Peabody

A diner in Peabody that had been open for more than 50 years until closing a few years ago may open again if things go as planned. According to an article in the Boston Globe, the Bel-Aire Diner on Route 1 (just north of the Route 128 exit) may indeed become part of a truck stop based on a proposal that could bring the restaurant, an all-night convenience store, and a gas station to the space.

The Globe article mentions that it has been difficult to fill many of the vacant spots in the Peabody stretch of Route 1 during recent times, while further south, the Saugus stretch generally seems to be doing better. The article also states that the owner of the site could receive financing for the project very soon, with work on the spot possibly beginning before the winter.

The address for the former (and possibly future) Bel-Aire Diner is 131 Newbury Street (Route 1) in Peabody.

For more information on the possible reopening of the Bel-Aire Diner in Peabody, please go to the Boston Globe link below:

Hoping for a revival

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Mill City Gourmet in Lawrence Has Become Wichit

A cafe in Lawrence that has been serving breakfast and lunch to both locals and nearby workers for several years has changed its name and menu, and renovated its interior. Mill City Gourmet in the Everett Mills complex on Union Street became Wichit earlier this fall (same ownership) and now focuses more on organic foods and sandwiches, though some items from the Mill City Gourmet's menu are still offered. A press release put out by Wichit states that the rebranded cafe is now doing online ordering and also offers catering.

The menu at Wichit includes pulled pork breakfast burritos, frittatas, angus steak chili, a roast turkey Cobb salad, sweet potato fries, and a number of sandwiches (Cubano, chicken katsu, angus burger, ham and egg, and several others).

On a side note, Mill City Gourmet was a restaurant that we had featured on the Boston's Hidden Restaurants site. We will be heading to Wichit soon to check out the spot, but in the meantime, if you would like to read our old Mill City Gourmet review, here it is:

http://www.hiddenboston.com/MillCityGourmet.html

Hours for Wichit are 6:30 AM to 3:00 PM Monday through Friday (it is closed on weekends). The address is: Wichit, 15 Union Street, Lawrence, MA, 01840. The phone number is (978) 794-0199. And the website is at: http://www.wichitsandwich.com/

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More Restaurant Openings: Robinwood Cafe and Grille, Olde Boston Cafe

It looks like a couple more dining spots will be coming to Boston, though very little information can be found on either place at the present time.

According to EveryBlock Boston, the Robinwood Cafe and Grille will be moving into the spot in Jamaica Plain that was formerly occupied by Planet Pizza. A regular poster on the Chowhound site mentions that the new restaurant moving into the space at 536 Centre Street has booths and hardwood floors and will be serving breakfast and lunch, with dinner possibly offered as well. The Robinwood Cafe and Grille looks like it may be ready to open fairly soon, so we'll try to post an update here as soon as possible.

EveryBlock Boston also lists another new dining spot possibly on the way, this one apparently coming to downtown Boston. The place will be called the Olde Boston Cafe, and it is looking to open up at 82 Water Street, which is less than a block east of Post Office Square in the Financial District. The 82 Water Street address is where a location of Boloco used to be, so perhaps the Olde Boston Cafe may be moving into this spot. Again, as we receive updates, we will post them here.

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Caffe Graffiti Is Open Once Again in the North End

An Italian cafe in the North End of Boston that closed about two years ago has reopened in a new spot. Caffe Graffiti, which had been located on Hanover Street until 2007, recently opened its doors on Cross Street where Martignetti Liquors used to be. The new Caffe Graffiti looks to feature more in the way of food, with sit-down service in its dining room and lunch and dinner entrees offered.

Caffe Graffiti had shut its doors around the end of 2007 after being in business since 1991. Their old spot at 307 Hanover Street has been home to Ristorante Damiano since 2008.

Hours for the new Caffe Graffiti are 6:00 AM to 12:00 AM Monday through Saturday and 8:00 AM to 12:00 AM on Sundays.

The address for this reopened spot in the North End is: Caffe Graffiti, 64 Cross Street, Boston, MA, 02113. The phone number is (617) 367-3016. And the website is at: http://www.caffegraffiti.com/

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Cutty's to Open in Brookline in Early 2010

As mentioned in an earlier post, a cafe-style restaurant featuring "handcrafted food" with a focus on sandwiches will be opening in Brookline soon. According to a Boston Globe interview with the owner of the dining spot, Cutty's looks to open on Washington Street in Brookline Village in early January of 2010. The restaurant will be moving into the spot where the burger place Franky 'N the Boys used to be before closing earlier this fall.

Based on a sample menu posted by the Brookline TAB blog, Cutty's will probably offer a variety of homemade soups, salads, and sandwiches, as well as some desserts. The restaurant will also be open for breakfast, with likely items including bagels and muffins. According to the Globe interview, sandwiches should be priced somewhere between $6 and $8.

The address for this soon-to-open cafe in Brookline Village will be: Cutty's, 284 Washington Street, Brookline, MA, 02445.

For more information on the pending opening of Cutty's, please go to the Boston Globe and Brookline TAB/Wicked Local links below:

Charles Kelsey's goal: Building a better sandwich

A sample of Cutty’s fare

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Poppy's Diner and Pizza Opens in Peabody

The city of Peabody is home to a new restaurant, this one being a diner on one of the Boston area's most well-known roads.

Poppy's Diner and Pizza has just opened in Winona Plaza on the southbound side of Route 1 (a short distance north of the Route 128 exit), bringing to the area a new place for comfort food and classic American fare. Items on the menu at Poppy's include pancakes, French toast, pizza, burgers, spaghetti and meatballs, chicken and dumplings, macaroni and cheese, shepherd's pie, meatloaf, and chicken wings. Most items on the menu appear to be under $10. A brunch will be featured at Poppy's on Saturdays and Sundays.

The address for this new restaurant on the North Shore is: Poppy's Diner and Pizza, 136 Newbury Street (Route 1), Peabody, MA, 01960. The phone number is (617) 755-6402. And their website is at: http://poppysdiner.net/


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Absolutely Fabulous Opens on Main Street in Melrose

A chef and caterer who had been serving meals out of a Melrose dining spot on weekends has now moved the operation to the center of town, with the new restaurant open six days a week.

According to the Melrose Free Press and Wicked Local, Chef Lori Muse recently opened Absolutely Fabulous on Main Street where the Blues Grille used to be, bringing to Melrose Center a dining spot that features eclectic cuisine and inventive Italian fare. Absolutely Fabulous Weekends had formerly operated out of Cedar Perk, a cafe and coffee shop on West Emerson Street. According to the restaurant's Facebook page, the new Absolutely Fabulous on Main Street accepts credit cards and offers alcoholic beverages (neither of which were available when the restaurant was operating out of Cedar Perk).

Absolutely Fabulous is open from 4:00 PM to 12:00 AM on Monday and Wednesday through Saturday, and 10:30 AM to 4:00 PM on Sundays (the place is closed on Tuesdays). The address is: Absolutely Fabulous, 454 Main Street, Melrose, MA, 02176. The phone number is (781) 665-3008. And their Facebook page is at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Melrose-MA/Absolutely-Fabulous/126096524483

Thanks to a poster on the Chowhound site for letting us know about the opening of this restaurant.

For more information on the opening of Absolutely Fabulous in Melrose Center, please go to the Melrose Free Press/Wicked Local link below:

Absolutely Fabulous to open on Main Street in Melrose

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Sal's Pizza to Open in Norwell

About two weeks after reporting on a new Sal's Pizza opening up in Woburn, we have just learned that yet another location of this rapidly-growing chain of pizza places and Italian restaurants is going to be opening, this one south of Boston. According to a job posting on the Craigslist site, Sal's will be opening on Grove Street in Norwell (at the Route 53 intersection), a short distance south of the Hingham line. Sal's Pizza (and its sister restaurants Mary's Pasta and Sandwiches and Salvatores Italian Restaurant) are mostly located north of Boston, with no locations on the South Shore at the present time, so when it opens, the new Sal's in Norwell will indeed be the first time many South Shore residents get to try the chain's popular 19-inch pizzas and 1-pound calzones.

No specific date has been given as to the opening of Sal's Pizza in Norwell. As we get more information, we will post an update here.

The address for this soon-to-open pizza place in Norwell will be: Sal's Pizza, 9 Grove Street, Norwell, MA, 02061.

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Santarpio's Pizza May Open a Second Location in Peabody

A classic old-school pizza joint in East Boston might soon have a second location.

According to both The Hubster and Grub Street Boston, Santarpio's Pizza is looking at possibly moving into the old Bennigan's spot on Route 1 in Peabody (the Bennigan's in Peabody closed last year after the chain filed for bankruptcy). The Hubster states that if all goes as planned, the new Santarpio's might open by March of 2010, though Grub Street Boston mentions that the new Peabody location won't be a sure thing until the middle of December.

Santarpio's first opened as a bakery in East Boston more than a hundred years ago, with the pizzeria opening in the 1930s. The Chelsea Street restaurant and bar has become a local institution over the years, and is considered by many to have the best pizza in the Greater Boston area. In addition to pizza, Santarpio's also offers sausage and lamb skewers, as well as beer and wine.

For more information on the possible opening of a second Santarpio's in Peabody, please go to The Hubster and Grub Street Boston links below.

Santarpio's North?

Santarpio's Eyes Peabody

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Two More Possible Boston Restaurant Openings: Whiskey Priest, The Citizen

A couple more restaurants may be coming to Boston, though it appears that both places are in the very early stages of planning, with little or no information on either one at this point.

The first restaurant (and bar), tentatively called The Whiskey Priest, looks like it may open at some point at 150 Northern Avenue in the Seaport District of Boston. This happens to be the current address of the Seaport Bar and Grille, but it is not known whether The Whiskey Priest will eventually take over a section of this dining spot or whether it may actually replace it.

The second restaurant may go by the name The Citizen: An American Gastropub, with its tentative location at 1330 Boylston Street in the heart of the Fenway neighborhood of Boston (just south of Fenway Park). 1330 Boylston is a mixed-use complex with luxury apartments as well as retail space on the ground floor (a location of the Upper Crust Pizzeria is in the building).

As we receive more information on The Whiskey Priest and The Citizen, we will post updates here, so keep checking back over the coming weeks.

Thanks to the EveryBlock Boston website for bringing both of these places to our attention.

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Beacon Grille to Open in Woburn This Winter

A new casual high-end restaurant and bar will soon be opening in Woburn. According to the restaurant's website and Facebook page, the Beacon Grille is looking to open at the TradeCenter complex just north of Route 128 possibly as early as January of 2010. The restaurant will have a capacity of about 250, and will feature American bistro-style fare for both lunch and dinner (dinner only on Saturdays, and apparently closed on Sundays). A 60-seat bar and lounge will also be within the dining spot.

The lunch and dinner menus at the Beacon Grille will include such dishes as fish chowder, roast beef au jus, a grilled chicken panini, a 20-ounce rib eye, roasted bourbon-glazed pork chops, chicken pot pie, grilled salmon, and boiled Maine lobster. The dinner menu will also feature small plates and pizzatas. Entree prices range upward to the mid-30s, with most items being in the teens and twenties.

The address for this restaurant coming to the northern suburbs of Boston will be: Beacon Grille, 400 TradeCenter 128 (Suite 1900), 100 Sylvan Road, Woburn, MA, 01801. The website is at: http://www.thebeacongrille.com/

Thanks to a poster on the Chowhound site for bringing this restaurant to our attention.

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Upper Crust Pizzeria Coming to Wellesley

A local chain of pizza places continues its expansion through the Boston area with news of a shop coming to Wellesley. According to Wellesley MA's Swellesley Report (and confirmed on the restaurant's Twitter page), The Upper Crust Pizzeria will be opening on Central Street (Route 135) near the western edge of the town center in 2010. Currently, there are a number of other Upper Crust locations all over the Boston area, including Brookline, Cambridge, Hingham, Lexington, Newburyport, Plymouth, Salem, Waltham, and Watertown, and West Roxbury.

The address for this upcoming pizza place west of Boston will be: The Upper Crust Pizzeria, 99 Central Street, Wellesley, MA, 02482. The Web site for the chain is at: http://www.theuppercrustpizzeria.com/

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