/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/56002943/Ruckus_Boston___Rachel_Leah_Blumenthal_2.0.jpg)
July was a fairly busy month for restaurant openings — although not too many right in Boston proper. Boston openings include the long-awaited Amateras, serving ramen in the Leather District; Bennett’s Sandwich Shop (from Maine) in Fenway and the again-reopened Charlie’s Sandwich Shoppe in the South End (now under the ownership of the Victoria’s Diner team); the Shōjō team’s Ruckus noodle shop in Chinatown; Mooncusser Fish House in Back Bay, from the team behind 80 Thoreau in Concord; and a few others. Across the river, Cambridge got a couple of particularly exciting new spots, including Café du Pays (French-Canadian) and Pammy’s (Italian-ish). Keep reading for the full rundown.
There were a few closures, too: The Blue Room and Belly Wine Bar bid farewell to Kendall Square at the beginning of the month; Clover took its trucks off the road to focus on its restaurants; Khao Sarn shuttered in Coolidge Corner after a long run; and more.
Read on for a summary of July 2017, including the most-read news stories and maps, the openings, and the closings.
- Look Inside Yellow Door Taqueria, Opening Today in Dorchester: Antique-inspired design and Cali-Mex-inspired tacos.
- Boston Apparently Has a Lot of ‘Truly Awful’ Restaurant Names: Eater Boston’s big sister rains down harsh judgment on Boston restaurant names in a weeklong competition.
- Revere’s About to Get Roast Beef Pizza and Pepperoni Rolls: Easy Pie’s soon-to-open second location will have new menu items and a full liquor license.
- Cafe du Pays Arrives Today With French-Canadian Food Galore: A new life for the Hungry Mother space.
- Somerville’s Union Square Is Getting a New Brewery: Remnant Brewing is slated for the forthcoming Bow Market.
- Newton’s Union Street Restaurant Has Closed But Will Reopen Soon Under New Ownership: The restaurant first opened in 1989.
- Brick & Beam Tavern Opens This Evening in Quincy: Chicken parm sliders and lobster rolls.
- A Pasta Paradise Arrives With the Opening of Pammy’s in Cambridge: Now open between Central and Harvard squares.
- Tree House Unveils New Charlton Brewery: More space, more tanks, more beer.
- Ruckus Noodles From the Shōjō Team Opens This Weekend: With plenty of noodle toppings to go around.
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8875547/Lils_Cafe___Rachel_Leah_Blumenthal.jpg)
- The 38 Essential Boston Restaurants, Summer 2017: This quarterly update of the 38 included the addition of Mamaleh’s and Sportello.
- The Hottest Restaurants in Boston Right Now, July 2017: The monthly Heatmap update included the addition of Cultivar, Cunard Tavern, Ledger, and the Trillium Garden on the Greenway.
- The Hottest Brunches in Boston Right Now, July 2017: The monthly Brunch Heatmap update included the addition of Ruckus and Cunard Tavern.
- Essential Cheap Eats in Boston: Save money while eating well.
- A Guide to Dining and Drinking in Portsmouth and Kittery: Take a trip up to the New Hampshire-Maine border.
- 50 of Boston’s Most Essential Bars: Cocktail destinations, beer bars, wine bars, sports bars, and dives.
- Where to Eat Vegetarian and Vegan Food in Boston: The city has plenty of meat-free options.
- Boston’s Best After-Work Dining Deals: Boozy happy hour specials are a no-go in Massachusetts, but there are food specials aplenty.
- Outstanding Breakfast Sandwiches in Boston: Behold, some of the Boston area's most mouth-watering all-in-one breakfasts: on croissants, on biscuits, on point.
- Boston's Essential Fried Chicken: So many chicken and waffle dishes to try.
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8907373/Sarah_Storrer_Pammys_Cambridge_0028.jpg)
- Amateras (112 South St., Leather District, Boston): Finally open after around three years in the works, this downtown restaurant serves ramen.
- Bennett’s Sandwich Shop (84 Peterborough St., Fenway, Boston): A new addition to Fenway’s “restaurant row,” this fast-casual sandwich shop has a big sibling in Kennebunk, Maine (with an offshoot in Portsmouth, New Hampshire as well).
- Bon Me (441 Stuart St., Back Bay, Boston): A new brick-and-mortar location for the fast-casual Vietnamese-inspired chain of restaurants and food trucks.
- Brick & Beam Tavern (705 Adams St., Quincy): A new restaurant in the former longtime home of Villa Rosa, Brick & Beam serves comfort food.
- Broadsheet Coffee Roasters (100 Kirkland St., Cambridge): Coffee, tea, and a menu that draws inspiration from the Mediterranean and Middle East.
- Café du Pays (233 Cardinal Medeiros Ave., Kendall Square, Cambridge): French-Canadian cuisine (yes, including poutine) from the former Hungry Mother team in the former Hungry Mother space.
- Charlie’s Sandwich Shoppe (429 Columbus Ave., South End, Boston): This classic South End breakfast and lunch spot has reopened yet again, this time under the ownership of the Victoria’s Diner team.
- Ciao Market (212 Broadway, Chelsea): A market and cafe with space to sit and enjoy coffee and gelato (and wifi). Sibling to the nearby Ciao! Pizza and Pasta.
- Honeycomb (248 Bay Rd., Hamilton): A bakery and cafe from a husband-and-wife duo with Boston restaurant roots.
- Honeygrow (1282 Boylston St., Fenway, Boston): A stir-fry fast-casual chain based in Philadelphia.
- Honey Road (156 Church St., Burlington, Vermont): A Mediterranean mezze restaurant from an alum of Oleana and an alum of Hen of the Wood.
- Intelligentsia (810 Mt. Auburn St., Watertown): The first Boston-area location for the acclaimed Chicago-based coffee roaster, which has roasting locations and “coffeebars” in several states.
- Limoncello 2 (76 Salem St., North End, Boston): A new Italian restaurant located in the former Urban Cantina space, serving a similar menu to its very nearby sibling, Limoncello.
- Little Giant (Portland, Maine): Continental cuisine from the duo behind acclaimed Portland cocktail destination Hunt and Alpine Club. Chef Rian Wyllie is a Boston ex-pat (Lone Star, Deep Ellum).
- Mooncusser Fish House (304 Stuart St., Back Bay, Boston): A high-end seafood-focused restaurant from the team behind Concord’s acclaimed 80 Thoreau.
- Mooyah (199 Boston Rd., Billerica): A Texas-based burger chain that also recently opened a Jamaica Plain location.
- Nagoya (38 Riverside Ave., Medford): A mix of Japanese and Chinese cuisine, including sushi, ramen, and lots more.
- Pammy’s (928 Massachusetts Ave., between Harvard and Central squares, Cambridge): Italian-ish cuisine and interesting cocktails in a hospitable space.
- Ruckus (5 Tyler St., Chinatown, Boston): Noodle and rice bowls from the Shōjō team.
- Squeeze Juice Company (399 Revolution Dr., Assembly Row, Somerville): A new location of a local group of juice bars. Acai bowls, smoothies, coffee and kombucha on tap, and more.
- Sumiao Hunan Kitchen (270 Third St., Kendall Square, Cambridge): One of the only places to get Hunan cuisine, a spicy regional cuisine from China, in the Boston area.
- Tastetea Rolls (423 Park Ave., Worcester): Thai-style ice cream rolls and bubble tea.
- Tree House Brewing (129 Sturbridge Rd., Charlton): An expansion from Monson that includes a bigger brewing facility and a new taproom.
- Twyrl Pasta Bistro (315 Broadway, Arlington): Pasta, sandwiches, wine and beer, and more.
- Yellow Door Taqueria (2297 Dorchester Ave., Lower Mills, Dorchester, Boston): Tacos, ceviche, margaritas, and more from the team behind Lower Mills Tavern, Lion’s Tail, and McGreevy’s.
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/8974585/17436058_10154141379057132_8640867785295851004_o.jpg)
July 2017 closures:
- The Blue Room and Belly Wine Bar (1 Kendall Sq., Kendall Square, Cambridge): The sibling and neighbor restaurants never quite recovered from a devastating fire that kept them closed for a year. The Blue Room had been open for 26 years, 21 under the final ownership.
- Boloco (71 Mount Auburn St., Harvard Square, Cambridge): After almost 20 years, one of the oldest locations of the local burrito chain closed in July. Australia-based burrito chain Zambrero is slated to move into the space.
- Clover (Multiple locations): The trucks are off the road; founder Ayr Muir is shifting the company’s focus to the brick-and-mortar restaurants. A truck or two might stick around for events and catering, but they’ll no longer be vending regularly.
- Ferry Street Food & Drink (118 Ferry St., Malden): New American cuisine in Malden.
- Khao Sarn (250 Harvard St., Coolidge Corner, Brookline): The full-service Thai restaurant opened 16 years ago. The owners have a new fast-casual Newtonville spot, LeDu Thai Eatery.
- Pizza King (29 Salem St., Lawrence): The restaurant had been open for over 50 years.
- Susu Cafe (575 Washington St., Wellesley): The 17-year-old cafe and bakery, which frequently hosted live music, closed in mid-July.
- Sweet Kitchen & Bar (72 Shrewsbury St., Worcester): Home of the dosant, which predates the cronut.
- Trattoria Orsini (26 Congress St., Salem): The Italian restaurant opened about a year ago. It’ll be replaced by the third location of Antique Table, an Italian restaurant with locations in Winthrop and Lynn.
- Union Street (107 Union St., Newton): The restaurant and bar closed after nearly 30 years, but it’ll reopen shortly under new ownership with light renovations.
- Wagamama (57 JFK St., Harvard Square, Cambridge): The London-based chain still has Boston locations in Faneuil Hall and the Prudential, and a new one is about to open in Boston’s Seaport District.
Closures announced in July 2017 that will happen at a later date:
- Clover (Dewey Square): As noted above, all the Clover trucks came off the road, but the Dewey Square truck will continue to vend through August 7.