Dumpling Daughter Duo Will Become a Trio

There’s plenty more to Massachusetts dining than just restaurants in Boston proper. We’re keeping tabs on developments in the Greater Boston area and beyond, including openings, closures, and more. With a focus on Greater Boston suburbs but occasionally reaching out further around the state, this piece is updated weekly, with the most recent news appearing at the top. (Check out the spring 2019 archive here.)

September 18, 2019

BRAINTREE — Easy Pie (1701 Washington St.) has closed its original location in Braintree, but the newer Revere counterpart will remain open, and it’ll soon expand to Everett as well. Owner Spiros Stogiannis wrote a message on the restaurant’s Instagram account: “This little shop taught me a lot about myself and what I’m capable of. I’ve made a tremendous amount of friends in Braintree through customers and through every single person that stood by me and broke their back’s while we built this brand.” The Braintree restaurant first opened in late 2011, with Revere joining in September 2017. Stay tuned for Everett updates.

BROOKLINE — Dumpling Daughter (37 Centre St., Weston; 73 Ames St., Cambridge) will reportedly add a third location, this time in Brookline. While the restaurant hasn’t yet announced a specific address, it will likely be in the Coolidge Corner area, as indicated by a job posting. The existing locations serve Chinese dumplings, buns, noodles, soup, and more. Update, 1 p.m.: The new location will be at 1309 Beacon St., per owner Nadia Liu Spellman. Construction will begin soon.

In other Brookline news, Omori (195 Washington St.) will open within the former Best Burger Bar space in Brookline Village. The team behind New Sushi in downtown Boston and Allston, as well as Nijiya Sushi in Medford, will also operate Omori, which will reportedly serve Japanese cuisine, with seating for 40, plus a patio. It will serve lunch and dinner seven days a week.

NEEDHAM — Latina Kitchen and Bar (30 Dedham Ave.) is now open in the former L&K Lounge and Kitchen (and before that, RFK Kitchen) space. The restaurant is serving a lineup of Latin American foods with Mediterranean influences, including dishes like Peruvian-style rotisserie chicken, beef carpaccio, empanadas with dipping sauces, gazpacho, and more.

STOUGHTON — Stoughton Diner (756 Washington St.) owner Joy Harding-Dahn has added more to the menu beyond breakfast items: She’s operating a restaurant-within-a-restaurant, Under African Skies, serving West African dishes on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings. Harding-Dahn was born in Liberia and is now sharing dishes like egusi stew (made with pounded melon seeds, spinach, beef, tripe, and fish stock), plantains, and fried dumplings.

WALTHAM — Red Bird (361 Moody St.) has closed, but general manager Geoff Arvanitis told the Globe the team will be looking for a larger space. The restaurant served new American fare, including dishes like slow-simmered pork ragu, pan-seared scallops, burgers, and burrata.

WELLESLEY — Truly Yogurt (35 Grove St.) will change hands after 27 years. Owner Gary Goldman will sell the business to longtime customers Steve and Jeffrey Marcus, who will continue running the operation. The shop serves dozens of flavors of soft serve, ice cream, and frozen yogurt.

September 11, 2019

Pat Piasecki

ABINGTON — Jive Pizza Bar (460 Bedford St.) will open within Timber Lanes Bowling, which specializes in candlepin bowling. The facility is also home to Squire’s Loft Lounge, which serves bar food and alcoholic beverages.

AMESBURY — Change has come to Trina’s Starlite Lounge (37 Main St.) in Amesbury: Ownership of the restaurant has transferred from executive chef Suzi Maitland, Bea Sturm, and Josh Childs to silent partners Eric Anderson and J. Grimaldi, who have brought on Sean Toomey of Crave to run what is now called Sky Hi Kitchen + Bar. Much of the old staff remains, but a new menu will be launching soon. Maitland, Sturm, and Childs retain ownership of the original Trina’s location in Somerville, as well as Parlor Sports in Somerville, Audubon in Boston, and the Paddle Inn in Newburyport.

BELMONT — Seta’s Cafe (271 Belmont St.) has closed after six years in business. Owner Seta Dakessian shared a note on Instagram thanking her customers and supporters over the years. “All good things must come to an end. It breaks my heart to say that I am closing my doors permanently,” she wrote. Seta’s offered a variety of Mediterranean dishes, as well as catering services and prepared meals.

BEVERLY — Rev Kitchen and Bar has replaced Evviva Cucina (45 Enon St.) in Beverly, under the same ownership. True to its name, Rev serves “revved up American fare,” including pizzas, burgers, sandwiches, tacos, and grain and green bowls. There are also designated gluten-free and vegan menus. The restaurant serves craft beer and cocktails.

BRAINTREE — Retro burger chain Johnny Rockets has resumed operations at the South Shore Plaza. The restaurant had been closed for more than a year.

EASTON — La Familia, an Italian restaurant with locations in Taunton and Cumberland, just expanded to Easton, opening at 520 Foundry St. Dishes include a variety of Italian classics, from pan-fried calamari and mussels to pasta with Bolognese, pork tenderloin, and more.

NEWTON — The Bagel Place (400 Needham St.) has closed in Newton. An import from Burlington, Vermont, the bagel shop first opened in early 2016, serving a variety of bagels, spreads, and coffee.

PEABODY — Hop + Grind of Durham, New Hampshire, will open a location at Peabody’s Northshore Mall this month. The restaurant, which butchers and grinds the meat served on its menu, also emphasizes local craft beer. It’s expected to open September 30, according to the mall’s website.

QUINCY — S6 (1550 Hancock St.) closed on Tuesday, September 10. The sports bar, known in particular for its bar pizza, was named for the badge number of fallen Quincy police officer Jamie Cochrane, whose brother Ed owned the bar. The building housing the bar will be demolished for construction of a new road.

SAUGUS — Friendly’s on Route 1 in Saugus has closed. This is the latest closure for the chain, which was founded in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1935. Friendly’s shut down 23 restaurants in the northeast earlier this year, but many locations remain, including two in Stoneham and Peabody.

SPRINGFIELD — A Wahlburgers breaks ground at MGM Springfield this month — yep, it’s actually happening. There was a spectacle when plans for the restaurant were announced, and the pomp and circumstance will continue September 20 when chef Paul Wahlberg and Springfield’s mayor, Domenic J. Sarno, join the casino president for a groundbreaking ceremony. The Wahlburgers food truck will be on site for the occasion.

WINCHESTER — Frozen Hoagies, a Boston-area food truck, will open a storefront in Winchester. The business has reportedly laid claim to 534 Main St., adding to its existing storefront in Somerville (864 Broadway). Frozen Hoagies specializes in cookie and ice cream sandwiches.

September 4, 2019

OctoCog Marketing & Design

BILLERICA — Mooyah Burgers and Fries (199 Boston Rd.) will reopen in Billerica on September 9. The Texas-based burger chain had closed in the spring as several other locations bowed out of the area, but the reemergence of Mooyah in Billerica will bring back fries, milkshakes, and more.

BROOKLINE — This location of El Centro (236 Washington St.) has closed, while locations in Boston’s South End, Belmont, and Dedham remain in business. A Thai restaurant is set to take over the Brookline Village space.

HOLBROOK — Pizzing’s Pizza & Wings (134 S Franklin St.) has opened a restaurant in Holbrook, where it serves a wide menu of the titular pizza and wings, as well as shrimp, calzones, sandwiches, burgers, pasta, and quesadillas, because why not. There are also salads and desserts.

NEEDHAM — Latina Kitchen and Bar (30 Dedham Ave.) opens this week in the former L&K Lounge and Kitchen/RFK Kitchen space. The restaurant has teased dishes on social media, including fried oysters with baby spinach, Peruvian-style rotisserie chicken, and beef carpaccio.

SALEM — Po’ Boys and Pies, a longtime pop-up, has opened a permanent location in Salem at 101 Lafayette St. Owner Todd Bekesha serves Southern-style sandwiches, including the restaurant’s namesake po’ boys, as well as muffalettas, for which he has the bread shipped in from New Orleans. There are pies on the menu as well, with sweet versions like pumpkin and chocolate pecan and hand pies filled with meats or veggies. The restaurant operates Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.

August 28, 2019

The Blue Ox/Official Site

LYNN — A neighborhood restaurant will come under new ownership, but that’s the extent of the changes in store. Chef and owner Matt O’Neil will hand off the Blue Ox (191 Oxford St.) to Anthony Caturano of Prezza and Tonno in early September, and the restaurant’s menu and staff will remain the same. O’Neil had previously worked for Caturano at Prezza and will carry on with his focus soundly on Ledger in Salem, which he runs with his wife and business partner, Joanna.

MARBLEHEAD — Two restaurateurs who previously ran Jack-Tar American Tavern in Marblehead could soon unveil a new restaurant in the same location (which was briefly home to Superfine, from different owners, in between). Scott Brankman and Emily Farnsworth-Brankman will reportedly open Sea Salt (126 Washington St.) in November, possibly bringing back some favorite menu items from Jack-Tar, which was known for pizza, burgers, and more.

MEDFIELD — Two takeout- and delivery-focused food businesses have opened in Medfield. Sethji’s, serving vegetarian Indian dishes, and Dugu, offering delivery of prepared West African fusion dishes, are operating at 26 Park St., serving neighboring communities.

SWAMPSCOTT — Tropical Smoothie Cafe may open a location within the Swampscott Mall (450 Paradise Rd.). The chain has origins in Florida and Georgia and serves smoothies as well as flatbreads, salads, sandwiches, quesadillas, and other light fare. There are existing Tropical Smoothie Cafes in Fairhaven, Hyannis, New Bedford, North Dartmouth, and Seekonk.

August 21, 2019

La Taqueria Taco Bar & Grill/Official Site

BRAINTREE — A comically named bakery from New York has once again expanded in the Boston area. Woops! has opened at the South Shore Plaza (250 Granite St.) where it’s serving macarons and other pastries. There are other locations in Cambridge, Burlington, North Attleborough, Natick, and Newton. Elsewhere at the mall, retro burger chain Johnny Rockets will reportedly resume business after more than a year’s hiatus. An exact reopening date has not yet been set.

BROOKLINE — A restaurant known for its kebabs, pita, hummus, and more Mediterranean and Israeli dishes has closed in Brookline. Jerusalem Pita (10 Pleasant St.) closed on August 18 after 11 years in business. The Coolidge Corner restaurant posted a message to its Facebook page thanking customers for their support over the years.

DEDHAM — La Taqueria Taco Bar and Grill (636 Hyde Park Ave., Roslindale) will aim to add a second location in Dedham. Signage is up at the new space on Washington Street, where the restaurant will presumably serve its menu of tortas, burritos, quesadillas, tacos, salads, and more.

August 14, 2019

Breadboard Bakery [Official Photo]

ARLINGTON — Breadboard Bakery, coming soon to the former Commune Kitchen space at 203 Broadway, has launched a crowdfunding campaign to support the startup of the business. Founder Daisy Chow is running a Kickstarter campaign with a goal of raising $20,000 for Breadboard. (She’s already nearing $18,000 with over three weeks to go in the campaign.) The funds will cover the cost of some equipment, as well as plumbing and electrical work to get the place running by fall 2019. When it opens, Breadboard will serve kolaches, croissants, bread, sandwiches, and more.

BURLINGTON — The Bagel Bar (282 Cambridge St.) will open in Burlington, serving toasted bagels, bagel sandwiches, and coffee during breakfast and lunch hours. Owner Michael Toulopoulos is also behind classic sports bar/pizzeria Newtowne Grille, which has locations in Cambridge and Billerica.

LYNNFIELD — Waffles have arrived at the MarketStreet development. Zinneken’s, which already has Cambridge and Peabody locations (and a truck), has opened next to JP Licks in Lynnfield. The waffle brand — tagline: “Belgian waffles made by actual Belgians” — also apparently has locations in the works for Clearwater and Tampa, Florida.

August 7, 2019

Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ/Official Site

BURLINGTON — Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ will join the ranks of restaurant establishments opening at the Burlington Mall within the coming months. The chain serves grilled barbecue items, including meats cooked over a flaming charcoal grill, as well as wings, salads, noodles, and rice dishes. Gyu-Kaku joins Caffe Nero and Uncle Julio’s in opening at the Burlington Mall, among others.

Plus, the Cosi fast-casual chain, which serves sandwiches, salads, and more, has just opened at the mall.

LEXINGTON — Prime Pizza & Subs (321 Marrett Rd.) has closed, and Spice Box Pizza has opened in its place. Prime was known for its roast beef sandwiches, while Spice Box appears to offer pizzas with Indian influences, such as a paneer tikka pizza.

MEDFORD — END Bakery will open at 17 Playstead Rd. Owner Carla Barile, who has operated the business out of her Somerville home since 2016, will transition the bakery into its permanent location for an opening around September. END Bakery (which stands for “everyone needs dessert”) will operate seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

July 31, 2019

Earls Kitchen + Bar [Official Photo]

BEVERLY — REV Kitchen and Bar will replace Evviva Cucina (45 Enon St.) in Beverly, under the same ownership. REV will reportedly serve items like fried pizza and burgers, with craft beer and cocktails on the beverage list. There will be an outdoor patio as well.

BURLINGTON — Uncle Julio’s will join the already announced lineup of vendors slated to open at a renovated section of the Burlington Mall. The space that previously housed Sears will be converted into a mixed-use set of buildings that will accommodate housing, retail, and dining. There will also be locations of Caffe Nero, the London-based coffee chain that’s exploded in the Boston area in recent years, as well as Cava Mezze Grill, the sit-down big sibling of the fast-casual Mediterranean import from Washington, D.C., that has a few Boston-area outposts. This addition could be complete by spring 2020. Update, August 7, 2019: This section originally noted that Earls Bar + Kitchen would also be opening at the mall. However, per Sharon Mason, vice president of store development for Earls, “Contrary to what was discussed recently at a town meeting in Burlington, Earls Kitchen + Bar is not expanding to the Burlington Mall. Our Assembly Row and Prudential Center locations have seen great success and we continue to look at opportunities to broaden our presence in Massachusetts in the coming years.”

FOXBORO — Conrad’s Restaurant of Norwood, Walpole, and Sudbury is likely to take over a former Waxy O’Connor’s space in Foxboro (121 Main St.). Owner Robert Conrad has reportedly secured the lease for the space. Conrad’s serves a mix of American and Italian fare, with pizzas alongside seafood, grilled items, wings, and more.

NEEDHAM — Chef Mike’s (73 Highland Ave.) will open this Friday, August 2, serving Italian fare, with classics like lasagna, meatballs, and chicken piccata, plus salads, sandwiches, and other specials. Chef Mike Fucci was a winner of Cutthroat Kitchen on the Food Network.

WALTHAM — Noodle Hut (922 Main St.) has taken over for Jin’s Sichuan House. The menu consists of items like hot pot, noodles, fried rice, and more.

July 24, 2019

Coconut Newton [Official Photo]

ACTON — Makaha (255 Great Rd.) will close down for good following service at the end of the month. The restaurant will host a closing party on July 28, but it will officially shut down on July 31 after nearly 50 years in business. The restaurant specializes in Polynesian cuisine.

BEVERLY — Fusion Andina (150 Cabot St.) has closed permanently; it hadn’t been operating since March, but it was meant to be a temporary closure at first. The restaurant posted a message on its Facebook page indicating the closure was “due to circumstances beyond our control.” The restaurant specialized in Andean cuisine, with Peruvian and Bolivian dishes including steak tips, empanadas, croquetas, and ceviche. A new restaurant will reportedly place Fusion Andina.

MEDFORD — Olivia’s Juice & Acai Bar (56 Station Landing) will open in Medford, where it will serve items like fruit bowls, smoothies, juices, ice cream, toasts, and salads. The juice bar teased some of its menu items on social media, where it has also shared some progress on its forthcoming location.

NATICK — A fire ripped through a building in Natick, destroying several businesses, including King Wok (7 South Main St.) Chinese restaurant. Reports indicate the roof of the building collapsed and it will likely be torn down.

NEWTON — Coconut Newton (759 Beacon St.) is now open in the former Coconut Cafe space. Now run by the team that also operates Revere Thai restaurant Rice Passions, Coconut Newton retains some of the classic dishes from Coconut Cafe, as well as new items. Selections include fried wontons, chive dumplings with sweet chili sauce, papaya salad, noodle dishes, and mango with sweet blue sticky rice.

SALEM — A historic diner is for sale in Salem, but any buyer will be required to relocate the building. The Salem Diner (70 ½ Loring Ave.) closed in May, and Salem State University, which owns the diner, is now accepting bids for its removal, provided the purchaser will reopen it as a restaurant.

July 17, 2019

Parlour/Instagram

BROOKLINE — Regal Beagle closed last fall, but now there’s a new restaurant with a familiar chef in its place. The restaurant’s chef, Stacy Cogswell, and owners Meghan Murphy and Luke Hayden are all Regal Beagle alums. They have opened Parlour (308 Harvard St.), where they’re serving a mix of bar snacks (like Buffalo broccoli and red pepper feta dip), appetizers like garlic bread soup and grilled octopus, and main courses like barbecue chicken, veal milanese, and sweet and sour summer carrots. There’s also a lengthy list of cocktails — classics and “Parlour tricks” — plus beer and wine.

EAST BRIDGEWATER — Whitman’s Restoration Coffee has now opened a second location at 412 Bedford St. in East Bridgewater, where it is serving coffee and espresso beverages, tea and tea lattes, and more.

MELROSE — Kennedy’s Ice Cream Bar (888 Main St.) is now open. Brother-and-sister duo John and Lisa Kennedy are serving 12 flavors of Belgian dips (a chocolate coating that hardens around ice cream) and ice cream sandwiches with actual buns that are panini-pressed.

July 10, 2019

Nick Solares/Eater

BELMONT — The Vintage Tea and Cake Co. (129 Belmont St.) is open and serving tea, coffee, English- and Irish-style scones, macarons, lemon squares, and more. The owner, Adel Donegan, previously closed the operation in 2015 to focus on catering and wholesale but has now reopened the business.

BURLINGTON — Shake Shack could open at the Burlington Mall, adding to existing area locations in Boston’s Seaport District, Back Bay, Harvard Square, Chestnut Hill, and Dedham. Another forthcoming location is slated for Arsenal Yards in Watertown. The international fast-casual chain, which got its start in New York City, now has over 100 locations, serving up burgers, shakes, and more.

CHESTNUT HILL — Pineapple Thai (17 Boylston St.) is now open at the Street; it’s the sibling to a four-year-old restaurant by the same name in Brookline.

DEDHAM — Small Batch Cafe (125 Washington St.) will open in the former Roadworthy space, serving breakfast and lunch. The owners are reportedly specialists in making bacon.

HULL — The Parrot (1 Hull Shore Dr.) is open on Nantasket Beach where the Red Parrot previously operated. The restaurant’s roof deck is still under construction, so the restaurant is just open on weekends for the time being.

MEDFORD — The Porch Southern Fare & Juke Joint (175 River’s Edge Dr.) makes its debut in Medford very soon, probably later this week. (It already held a pre-opening event for friends, family, and the mayor.) Relocated from Wakefield, the restaurant is part of a dining boom in Medford right now, and it will serve a selection of Southern food when it opens, plus plenty of beer and whiskey.

REVERE — Larry J’s BBQ Cafe (1148 N Shore Rd.) has opened in Revere, joining a counterpart on D Street in Boston’s Seaport District. The restaurant is known for serving Southern fare, including smoked wings, fried pickles, cheese fries, brisket, and more smoked meats.

SALEM — Soc’s Ice Cream from Saugus has opened inside Lobstah on a Roll in Salem, where it’s offering 14 flavors. It will operate year-round from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

WINCHESTER — Eleni’s Mediterranean Grill (599 Main St.) will replace Greek Grill later this month. The restaurant, from owner Eleni Plegi, will serve dishes like moussaka, gyros, and baklava. There will also be daily specials.

WOBURN — New China Pearl (288 Mishawum Rd.) will close following service on July 16. The restaurant’s lease is up at that time.

July 3, 2019

Crush/Official Site

PLAINVILLE — The Tavern From Tower Square (119 Washington St.) is closed as of June 29 after 24 years in business. The establishment thanked patrons and supporters from over the years, as well as staff. Yet that’s not the final curtain for the space: Bar manager Kevin Hodgman (son of the ownership family) and sous chef Perry Perreault will reopen with a smaller capacity at the same location.

QUINCY — Crush Pizza (1250 Hancock St.) is now open in Quincy, joining a sibling in downtown Boston. The restaurant serves a selection of wood-fired pizzas, salads, and appetizers.

SALEM — Po’ Boys and Pies, a longtime pop-up, has secured a permanent location in Salem, where it will open with a menu of Southern-style sandwiches. The restaurant is getting samples of bread shipped in from the original po’boy bakery, Gendusa Bakery, in New Orleans, Louisiana. Keep an eye out on Instagram for opening updates.

SUDBURY — Paani (530 A Boston Post Rd.) is now open, serving a selection of Indian fare, including biryani and various meat and vegetable entrees. The restaurant operates for lunch and dinner.

WEST NEWTON — Coney Island Ice Cream Cafe (1284 Washington St.) has closed. The cafe owners have reportedly retired. The cafe was known for its ice cream as well as soups, salads, and sandwiches.

June 26, 2019

Sarah Storrer/Eater

BROOKLINE — Gen Sou En Tea House (299 Harvard St., Coolidge Corner) has closed, about a year and a half after its initial opening. In that time, the Japanese restaurant and cafe — which was tied to a Japanese tea company in Japan — underwent a bit of a revamp, emerging serving items like katsu sandwiches, udon, and pork gyoza, in addition to cafe fare and pastries. The restaurant noted on the closure on Facebook, thanking the community for its support and referring customers to Amazon to continue to buy Gen Sou En tea and matcha products.

Also in Brookline, El Centro (236 Washington St., Brookline Village) has reportedly outgrown its Brookline Village location. Chef-owner Allan Rodriguez said the restaurant had seen a boost in sales of late, to the point that it cannot accommodate the demand in that area. Other locations of El Centro will remain open, and a Thai restaurant will take over the space in Brookline Village.

NEEDHAM — Chef Mike’s will take over for a D’Angelo location at 73 Highland Ave. in Needham. Owner Mike Fucci won an episode of Cutthroat Kitchen on the Food Network in 2017, and now he’s opening a fast-casual Italian restaurant.