:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47240068/65699_268338069910887_914707353_n.0.0.jpg)
A new restaurant will open soon in Belmont, bringing a mix of Mediterranean foods to a former diner space at 628 Trapelo Rd. Phinix Grill is the work of Sam Pogosov, a Yale MBA, and David Aleksanyan, of Flame Cafe in Boston, according to Boston Restaurant Talk.
Phinix Grill, branded "Mediterranean fusion," will serve items like falafel and shwarma, plus a selection of salads, hummus, and sauces.
"We want to bring in a lot of the best practices from different cuisines, different formats of dining, and really just make it the best of," Pogosov told Boston News Network. The bottom line, he said, is to make good food at a good price, and to offer a casual, healthy dining option where people can eat daily.
Pogosov, who lived in California before heading to Yale, teamed up with Aleksanyan, who has a PhD in applied mathematics but spent the last several years involved in the food industry and the opening of Flame Cafe, a Greek and Armenian restaurant in Boston’s Financial District that receives rave Yelp reviews. The pair has roots in Armenia and Russia.
They spent a year searching for a spot for their restaurant and eventually landed on Belmont, Pogosov said, because they found it to be a highly business-friendly area. The site of Phinix Grill is at the intersection of Belmont, Waltham, and Watertown, and Pogosov told BNN that he hoped it would be a well-trafficked spot. The previous tenants were Sweet Peach Diner, which closed in May, and Andros Diner before that.
Ever business-minded, Pogosov said he had his sights set high for the technological future of Phinix Grill, telling BNN he hoped to bring innovative and edgy marketing to the community, along with a smooth process for digital ordering and tracking.
Though an exact opening date is unknown, there is a report of substantial work being done on location.
