A Funky Watertown Wine Bar Has Closed

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 every Wednesday, with the most recent news appearing at the top. (Check out the summer 2019 archive here.)

November 13, 2019

BURLINGTON — A restaurant called Treasury will open in the former Bonefish Grill space at 4 Wayside Rd. later this year, and it will feature two distinct cuisines, per a job posting: “fine classic Indian cuisine paired with Mediterranean Greek inspired [cuisine].”

LYNN / MELROSE / READING — D’amici’s Bakery has abruptly closed all of its locations (two in Lynn and one each in Melrose and Reading). It was founded in 1993; the current owners came onboard in 2017. Co-owner Sandrine Coyer reflected on the closure in a Facebook post, citing “overwhelming” problems with the business that became apparent right after the sale until 2017. “These issues condemned us as soon as we took over,” she wrote. “We tried until the last day, but we met a dead end.” Employees were reportedly kept in the dark until the morning of the closure.

WATERTOWN — Year-old restaurant Country Mile (136 Belmont St.) — a funky little wine bar featuring hyperlocal small plates — is now closed, shortly after owners Matt and Nancy Sargent shared that they’d be making some changes, including staffing the restaurant almost entirely on their own and moving to a more concise menu and a more casual model. Their ex-partners in the business have apparently quickly opened an Italian restaurant in the space and are still using the Country Mile name (at least for now). Meanwhile, the Sargents are seeking commercial kitchen space to support private events, pop-ups, and catering gigs.

In other Watertown news, Chulo Restaurant & Bar, originally located above Molana in the center of town, is now open in a new space at 1 Waverley Ave. (formerly home to Asiana Fusion). Chulo is serving Nepali and Indian food and has a full bar and live music, according to owner Ranjan Budhathoki.

WESTFORD — New Hampshire-based mac-and-cheese chain Mr. Mac’s, which already has a Massachusetts location in Tyngsboro, will expand to Westford in the coming weeks, opening at Westford Plaza, near I-495. The restaurant, which has franchising opportunities available, serves nearly 20 varieties of mac and cheese, each of which are further customizable.

October 30, 2019

Google Maps

BROCKTON — Development plans for a former industrial building in Brockton could begin early next year, as the people behind the project begin restoring the structural integrity of the building. The long-vacant warehouse (308 Montello St.), which was previously home to the Corcoran Supply Co., will eventually contain 30 to 35 apartments, office space, a grocery store, and a new location of a Providence business called G Pub, which will operate a rooftop bar, a restaurant, and a basement “speakeasy” at the development. While crews are still awaiting some permits and construction loans, work on the project could begin in the spring of 2020.

CHELMSFORD — A coal-fired pizza place with three locations in and around Boston will expand again, opening in the former Friendly’s space in Chelmsford (20 Boston Rd.): Brothers Max and Leo Candidus will open a new location of Max & Leo’s Pizza by mid-December. The Chelmsford Max & Leo’s will serve a similar menu to that of the other three locations (Sudbury, Newton Center, Boston), including pizza, wings, and nachos, plus beer, margaritas, and more.

WILMINGTON — Retail pie shop Pie Me Over (217 Main St.) celebrates its grand opening on November 7. Owners Marje Hammond and Feliciano Savilengo relocated the business from Las Vegas to Wilmington this year, where they’ll sell ready-to-bake pies of all types. Their savory selections include chicken pot pies, various meat options, and veggie pies, and there are four options for crust flavoring, including cheddar, garlic, and habanero cheddar, in addition to a traditional plain crust. Baking instructions are provided with each pie.

October 23, 2019

Terrence B. Doyle/Eater

BROOKLINE VILLAGE — Noah’s Kitchen (18 Harvard St.) will open in Brookline Village in a former real estate office. The restaurant will serve Chinese dishes like steamed dandelion dumplings, short rib stew, miso-cured bass, and more, plus beer, wine, sake, and tea.

LYNN — Today is opening day for Nightshade Noodle Bar (73 Exchange St.); see last week’s update below for more details on chef Rachel Miller’s new restaurant.

NEWTON — The Farmacy (25 Drydock Ave., Boston) — a cafe that serves a menu of organic cafe fare with locally sourced ingredients in dishes like salads, toasts, and grain bowls — has opened a new location in Newton (880 Walnut St.). It will also operate within the forthcoming High Street Place food hall in downtown Boston.

SAUGUS — An Italian steakhouse could take over the former Victor’s Italian Cuisine restaurant space on Route 1 in Saugus (1639 Broadway), and the team involved includes Stanley and Robert Wong, two of the owners of storied Saugus establishment Kowloon. Stanley Wong won the liquor license from Victor’s in an auction, and the Wongs have partnered with John Carlino and Joseph Bono for the new restaurant, which has not yet been named but could open next spring. The team received support from the licensing committee for the new venture, in part due to the longtime success of Kowloon.

October 16, 2019

Gail Frederick/Flickr (Creative Commons)

BELMONT — Jamaica Jeff’s (61 Leonard St.) is now open in the former Kashish space in Belmont. The restaurant serves Caribbean dishes like conch fritters, jerk chicken, pork ribs, soup, and Jamaican tostitos.

BROOKLINE — A Brighton restaurant has relocated to the Coolidge Corner area of Brookline. Asahi (formerly 418 Market St., Brighton) is operating at 696 Washington St. as of October 14, where it is continuing to serve Japanese dishes, with some additions to the menu (including a bit of Chinese food). The name has changed, too; it’s now Kamiza Japanese Cuisine.

LYNN — Nightshade Noodle Bar (73 Exchange St.) will open on October 23. The restaurant started as a pop-up series from chef Rachel Miller (an alum of Bondir and Clio) that appeared primarily around the North Shore but also popped up at venues such as Buenas at Bow Market in Somerville and Brassica in Jamaica Plain. Miller’s pop-ups featured Vietnamese-inspired cuisine, and the noodle bar will continue in that vein. Look for “cafe style food and service by day and progressive Vietnamese-influenced small plates and eclectic noodle dishes by night,” per the Nightshade website. Reservations are now available online for the 30-seat restaurant, which will also serve cocktails, wine, and beer. Alongside Miller, Oleana alum Liana Van de Water is Nightshade’s wine director, and Eventide Fenway alum Samantha Kennedy is general manager.

SALEM — The historic Salem Diner could get new owners and, quite literally, a new outlook on the city. Erik and Jennifer Sayce, who own and operate cookie business Goodnight Fatty, have joined forces with Michael Sperling of Sperling Interactive and Kevin McCullough and Robert Mazow of the law firm Mazow McCullough PC to bid on the diner. The group has surprising plans to relocate the diner to a rooftop, where it would feature a rotating lineup of chefs and menus that would change every six months. The move has reportedly already been proven feasible by an engineering study, with estimated costs at around $600,000. If permitting and such go as planned, construction could begin in February with a target opening in June 2020.

WALTHAM — Craft Food Hall Project is now open at CityPoint in Waltham (200 5th Ave.). Though it operates inside an office building, the business is open to the public. It consists of two restaurants — Project X Pizza and Sousviderie — and a section where customers can pour their own beer and wine. The Craft Food Hall Project also operates within the Cross Point office complex in Lowell, and it has an additional Waltham location in the works (slated to open this fall), as well as one for Lexington (winter 2020).

October 9, 2019

Amigo’s Mexican Kitchen and Tequila Bar/Yelp (by owner)

FRAMINGHAM — Framingham Station (417 Waverly St.) could open in the former Deluxe Depot Diner space, serving Brazilian food. The forthcoming restaurant will have an all-you-can-eat buffet, meats sliced tableside, and more.

NEWTONVILLE — Kentucky-based bakery Annie May’s Sweet Cafe — which specializes in the avoidance of a number of potential allergens (peanuts, dairy, eggs, gluten, and more) — is expanding to Newtonville (108 Madison Ave.) this fall.

PEABODY — Amigo’s Mexican Kitchen and Tequila Bar (210 Andover St.) is now open at the Promenade at Northshore Mall. It joins a handful of other restaurants in the complex, including the Bancroft, Tony C’s, Hop + Grind, and more. The menu includes items like chicken chimichangas, nachos, tacos, churros, and flan, and there’s a roving guacamole cart. Amigo’s has a liquor license, and its beverage selection includes a colorful margarita flight.

QUINCY — Chinese restaurant Big Fun Cafe (18 Brook St.) opened recently in Quincy, serving dishes such as clay pot rice, congee, pork rice rolls, noodle soups, and curry fish balls. There are also milk teas and soft drinks.

STOUGHTON — Right Taste Jamaican Restaurant could expand from Boston’s Mattapan Square to Stoughton, opening at 354 Washington St. The menu may carry over from the existing establishment, which would mean an influx of curry chicken, jerk pork, rice and beans, meat patties, and more.

WALTHAM — Penang, a Malaysian restaurant in Boston’s Chinatown, may expand to Waltham, taking over the former Tiki House space (569 Moody St.).

October 2, 2019

Mae’s/Instagram

EASTHAMPTON — A Western Massachusetts restaurant captures the attention of the Boston Globe’s Devra First, who applauds Coco & the Cellar Bar (95 Main St.) for its “killer fried chicken.” First dives into the story of the family-run restaurant and the path owners Unmi Abkin and Roger Taylor took to open a place that’s representative of their collective time cooking across California and Massachusetts. Named for the couple’s daughter, Coco & the Cellar Bar has “a kitchen that runs on positive energy, work-life balance for [Abkin and Taylor] and their staff, and a collaborative atmosphere.” Read on for more.

MARSHFIELD — A sandwich and pastry shop comes to Marshfield this weekend from two restaurateurs with vast experience in the Boston-area industry. Co-owners Sam Kauff (previously of Ashmont Grill, 51 Lincoln, and 16C) and Eileen Price (Formaggio Kitchen, Bagelsaurus, 16C) debut Mae’s (563 Ocean St.) on Saturday, October 5, in Marshfield. The menu will consist of a rotating array of pastries, breakfast sandwiches, granola, and lunch sandwiches with ingredients like roasted turkey breast, spicy romesco, and roasted veggies, served on house-made bread. Mae’s will operate Tuesday through Sunday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

September 25, 2019

Rachel Leah Blumenthal/Eater

BROOKLINE — A replacement is lined up for Waxy O’Connors (1032 Beacon St.). Bar ‘Cino will open in its place, from the team behind a restaurant of the same name in Newport, Rhode Island. That location of Bar ‘Cino serves Italian food, including pasta, grilled pizza, bruscetta, and more.

In other Brookline news, Brookline Village cheese shop Curds & Co. (288 Washington St.) is expanding to Boston proper, opening an outpost within the Boston Public Market (100 Hanover St.). The expansion is still in the early stages, but the shop will share updates on Instagram as it works towards opening the new location.

DEDHAM — The Tahiti (22 Mah Wy.) has been sold to a local builder, but it will remain open for at least two more years. The restaurant is known for serving a Polynesian-style menu, including Tiki drinks.

EASTON — Towneship (140 Main St.), from Chandra Gouldrup of the acclaimed Farmer’s Daughter nearby, opened to much fanfare last year, a stunning renovation of a big old Swedish church. Now a Falmouth restaurant, La Cucina Sul Mare, is reportedly slated to take over the space, focusing on seafood, Mediterranean, and Italian cuisine.

EVERETT — Bun’s House (338 Ferry St.) is now open, serving dumplings, buns, noodles, soups, and more.

MELROSE — The Rising Eagle Publick House will take over for Stearns & Hill’s Bistro at 505 Main St. The new restaurant is set to open in November, but its function and event room (called the Upham Room) is already open. Rising Eagle has teased some food items on social media, including avocado toast, scotch eggs, sandwiches, soups, and more.

NEWTON — Pátzcuaro Taqueria & Bar is now open, serving a variety of Mexican dishes. The menu features a selection of tacos, burritos, and tortas. There are assorted fillings, including lengua, chorizo, chicken, and braised pork. The restaurant also serves margaritas, cocktails, and beer.

PEABODY — Hop + Grind of Durham, New Hampshire, is now open at Peabody’s Northshore Mall. The restaurant, which butchers and grinds the meat served on its menu, also emphasizes local beer.

REVERE — Valsos Table & Bar (139 Shirley Ave.) will open in Revere with a menu influenced by Italy, Spain, and Latin America. Dishes will include arepas, steak, chocolate lava cake, and more. There will be beer and wine, as well as cocktails.

SALEM — Chez Casa (97 Bridge St.) is now open, serving up a revolving menu that features sandwiches, salads, and baked goods, including empanadas and desserts. It offers dine-in and takeout services.

A floating Tiki bar business has also come to Salem. Tiki Hut Boats offers 90-minute cruises, and customers can make reservations for $30. There are cocktails, beer, wine, soft drinks, water, coffee, and snacks available for purchase, with weekly rotating drink specials, frozen drinks, bloody marys, and mimosas on the weekends.

TAUNTON — Bella Roma (239 Broadway), an Italian restaurant that operated for nearly 30 years, is now closed “due to circumstances beyond [the owners’] control,” the restaurant’s owners posted on Facebook. “We had a great 28-year run, made a lot of friends, and we’ve had a lot of fun,” they noted.

WEYMOUTH — Union Brewhouse (550 Washington St.) will reopen soon. The business opened in 1996 but closed suddenly in mid-June 2019 due to “equipment failure.” Now, it’s on the verge of reopening and will share updates on its Facebook page.

In East Weymouth, the Venetian Restaurant (909 Broad St.) — open in its current space since 1940 but dating back to the 1920s — is getting a new owner: Boston restaurateur Eric Papachristos, who is part of the team behind Saloniki, Trade, and Porto. (He’s a Weymouth High grad, and his father owns a restaurant in town.) He will reportedly keep the restaurant’s name, make some renovations to the space (during a short closure around early 2020), and serve Italian and Italian-American food.

WOBURN — Piato (487 Main St.) celebrated its grand opening on September 20. The restaurant features seafood dishes with Mediterranean, Italian, and Peruvian influences, and there’s live jazz on Friday and Saturday nights.