Restaurants in Kendall and Beyond Make Progress After Fires

Last August, a fire hit a handful of restaurants at 1 Kendall Sq., leaving the spaces with water and smoke damage. Now, months later, the restaurants are on the rebound, albeit at different stages of rebuilding.

The proprietors of Belly + The Blue Room spent four months working with insurance companies, landlords, and fire investigators to reach a point where they could begin reconstructing the space, co-owner Nick Zappia told Eater. The current plan is to start work this month and get up and running around March or April.

"With any luck our staff, the majority of which we placed in the loving hands of our friend's restaurants, will flock back in and we'll be off to the races. Hopefully our timing will coincide with the reopening of the One Kendall Square complex after months of renovations," said Zappia.

The Blue Room's neighbor, Flat Top Johnny's, is also rebuilding and has plans to expand its bar. The restaurant applied for a permit to alter the description of the premises on account of the remodel post-fire, according to a Cambridge license commission hearing page.

Beantowne Coffee House, next door to Flat Top Johnny's, posted updates on its progress on Facebook. The shop said it is still making changes to the space, but is almost there, with its sights set on a March reopening.

One post read: "There are great things on the horizon, and we hope you'll join us in creating something truly wonderful, that reflects the absolute best in all of us (with delicious food and amazing coffee)".

Outside the city in Belmont, a fire hit Il Casale on January 7 and caused minor damage, according to Boston Restaurant Talk. The restaurant announced on Facebook it would be closed through this past weekend and hoped to open sometime this week. In the meantime, its Lexington location and the associated Dante Restaurant in Cambridge are still open.

And in Somerville, after an August electric fire brought a building to a grinding halt, eventually permanently shuttering A4 Pizza, Dosa N Curry has been waiting for inspections for the last few days.