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July 2017 in Review, From Ramen to Roast Beef-Topped Pizza

The month in openings, closings, top news, and more

A white bowl with a thick, ink-like swoosh of black around the rim is filled with spicy miso ramen, including corn, bean sprouts, and egg, and other ingredients.
Spicy miso ramen at Ruckus
Rachel Leah Blumenthal for Eater

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.



Close up of a taco topped with pickled onions; two plates with tacos in the background
Tacos at Yellow Door Taqueria
Cayden Grooms
  1. Look Inside Yellow Door Taqueria, Opening Today in Dorchester: Antique-inspired design and Cali-Mex-inspired tacos.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Cafe du Pays Arrives Today With French-Canadian Food Galore: A new life for the Hungry Mother space.
  5. Somerville’s Union Square Is Getting a New Brewery: Remnant Brewing is slated for the forthcoming Bow Market.
  6. Newton’s Union Street Restaurant Has Closed But Will Reopen Soon Under New Ownership: The restaurant first opened in 1989.
  7. Brick & Beam Tavern Opens This Evening in Quincy: Chicken parm sliders and lobster rolls.
  8. A Pasta Paradise Arrives With the Opening of Pammy’s in Cambridge: Now open between Central and Harvard squares.
  9. Tree House Unveils New Charlton Brewery: More space, more tanks, more beer.
  10. Ruckus Noodles From the Shōjō Team Opens This Weekend: With plenty of noodle toppings to go around.

Overhead view of a cruller with a white glaze. It sits on white tissue paper on the surface of an aged picnic table.
Cruller at Lil’s Cafe in Kittery, Maine
Rachel Leah Blumenthal/Eater
  1. The 38 Essential Boston Restaurants, Summer 2017: This quarterly update of the 38 included the addition of Mamaleh’s and Sportello.
  2. 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.
  3. The Hottest Brunches in Boston Right Now, July 2017: The monthly Brunch Heatmap update included the addition of Ruckus and Cunard Tavern.
  4. Essential Cheap Eats in Boston: Save money while eating well.
  5. A Guide to Dining and Drinking in Portsmouth and Kittery: Take a trip up to the New Hampshire-Maine border.
  6. 50 of Boston’s Most Essential Bars: Cocktail destinations, beer bars, wine bars, sports bars, and dives.
  7. Where to Eat Vegetarian and Vegan Food in Boston: The city has plenty of meat-free options.
  8. Boston’s Best After-Work Dining Deals: Boozy happy hour specials are a no-go in Massachusetts, but there are food specials aplenty.
  9. 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.
  10. Boston's Essential Fried Chicken: So many chicken and waffle dishes to try.

Pammy’s
A dish at Pammy’s
Sarah Storrer/Eater
  • 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.

Cupcakes at Sweet in Worcester
Cupcakes at Sweet in Worcester
Facebook

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.