Momma's in North Cambridge Expands, Opening a New Location at The Charles River Speedway in Brighton

A local food shop that is known in part for its maple creemees has expanded to a second location.

According to a poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, Momma's  in North Cambridge has been joined by a new location at the Charles River Speedway on Western Avenue in Brighton, with an Instagram post from the business saying the following:

We've been working quietly on something special + something small, but a big deal in our little world. We opened our door at the Charles River Speedway [Wednesday] for the first time. We served cones to so many sweeties + saw a lot of familiar faces + talked to so many nice new to us people!....Momma’s here at the Speedway has a BIG soft-serve machine to hopefully pump out the cones! We have lots of non-alc bevvies for sitting on the patio + snacks too, like cheese, maple kettle korn, crackers, shortbreads + heirloom tomatoes (for the summer). We even have paring knives + we hope you’ll make a picnic!

The original Momma's debuted on Massachusetts in North Cambridge in 2023, with the owner being behind the now-closed Schmetterling Wine Shop in Middlebury, VT. The website for Momma's can be found at https://ift.tt/NeLPAJO

(Follow Marc on Bluesky at @marchurboston.bsky.social)

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Real Italian Gusto in Medford Has Closed Permanently; Team Behind Ebisuya Japanese Market Taking Over the Space

Earlier this week, it was reported that an Italian restaurant north of Boston appeared to have closed. We have now confirmed this, while also discovering who will be taking over the space.

A Facebook post from the restaurant confirms that Real Italian Gusto in Medford has indeed closed, with the note saying the following:

Dear friends, after 11 years of cooking, welcoming, laughing, and sharing moments together, we have made the very difficult decision to close our restaurant. This choice was not easy. This place has been our home, and all of you have been our extended family. Your support over the years has meant more to us than words can express....Today, we close this chapter to pursue new projects and new paths.

The post from the High Street dining spot goes on to say that the people behind the shuttered Ebisuya Japanese Market--which was also in Medford--will be taking over the space, saying that "they will share more details soon." (Ebisuya Japanese Market closed last year, though their other spot--Ebisuya Japanese Noodle House--remains open in Malden.)

The address for the now-closed Real Italian Gusto (and the new spot from the Ebisuya Japanese Market team) is 24 High Street, Medford, MA, 02155.

[Earlier Article]
Real Italian Gusto in Medford Is Shuttered; Future of the Place Is Unknown

(Follow Marc on Bluesky at @marchurboston.bsky.social)

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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All'Antico Vinaio Opens in Boston's Downtown Crossing

Earlier this year, it was reported that an award-winning group of sandwich shops with roots in Italy would be opening a second Boston location, and now we have learned that it is up and running.

According to a press release, All'Antico Vinaio is now open in Downtown Crossing, moving into a space on Washington Street near where it meets Milk Street. The new location debuted yesterday, joining another on Boylston Street in the Copley Square along with a handful of other U.S. locations, and it focuses on a variety of panini (in 2017, Saveur included All'Antico Vinaio in an article on "The World's Best Sandwiches").

All'Antico Vinaio first started out in Florence in 1991.

The address for the new location of All'Antico Vinaio in Downtown Crossing is 330 Washington Street, Boston, MA, 02109. The website for All'Antico Vinaio is at https://ift.tt/wBxVCPs

[Earlier Article]
All'Antico Vinaio Plans to Open New Location in Boston's Downtown Crossing

(Follow Marc on Bluesky at @marchurboston.bsky.social)

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Please help keep Boston Restaurant Talk and Boston's Hidden Restaurants going by making a one-time contribution or via a monthly subscription. Thanks! (Donations are non-deductible.)

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Tre Monte Restaurant and Bar in Boston's North End Is Closed; Exact Status Unknown

The Boston location of a pair of Italian restaurants is locked up and dark, and it isn't known what the future holds for the place.

According to a source, Tre Monte Restaurant and Bar in the North End is closed, while a call placed to the Salem Street dining spot indicates that the phone is out of service. There is no indication as to why the place is shuttered, though our source did send us a picture of the exterior showing a sign for a real estate company in one of the windows, so it appears that the restaurant may be gone for good.

The North End location of Tre Monte first opened in 2018, taking over the space where Limoncello 2 had once been, and before that, Urban Cantina; the Woburn location of Tre Monte remains in operation.

The address for the now-closed Tre Monte Restaurant and Bar in the North End was 76 Salem Street, Boston, MA, 02113. The website for the business is at https://ift.tt/TI5mdLN

(Follow Marc on Bluesky at @marchurboston.bsky.social)

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Please help keep Boston Restaurant Talk and Boston's Hidden Restaurants going by making a one-time contribution or via a monthly subscription. Thanks! (Donations are non-deductible.)

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Party Favors in Brookline Has Closed

A decades-old bakery in Brookline that was known for its cakes has shut down.

According to its Instagram page, Party Favors in Coolidge Corner is now closed, with the last day in operation for the Beacon Street shop being yesterday. There had an earlier note on its website saying "The news is true, after 35 years we are closing our doors. It has been a pleasure to serve you, and to be a part of your celebrations." while a Brookline News article quoted co-owner John Pergantis as saying that "There's no walking traffic anymore. People are still ordering stuff online. The cake business is great, but we can' t keep it going on just cakes without some other revenue coming in." Co-owner Mary Lynn Pergantis also states that "I don’t think people quite understand the volume of business it takes to pay the bills as a retailer....We really don't need this kind of space anymore, and we really can't justify paying the rent to be in this kind of space anymore."

The article does mention that the business could be reborn in a smaller space, with Mary Lynn saying that "Hopefully we can find something smaller and kind of work it a little differently and build it up and then be able to retire."

The address for the now-closed Party Favors was 1356 Beacon Street, Brookline, MA, 02446.

(Follow Marc on Bluesky at @marchurboston.bsky.social)

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Please help keep Boston Restaurant Talk and Boston's Hidden Restaurants going by making a one-time contribution or via a monthly subscription. Thanks! (Donations are non-deductible.)

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Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse in Boston's Back Bay Has Closed

It looks like a location of a group of steakhouses has shuttered one of its Boston locations.

According to multiple sources, Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse at the Prudential Center in the Back Bay has closed. This information was temporarily shown on the Instagram page of Mayor Wu (wutrain), and an Instagram post from Bret Clancy also mentions it while MassLive states that Del Frisco's has indeed shut down. Clancy's page (which was also shown on Mayor Wu's page) says that Din Tai Fung, a Taiwanese chain known in part for its soup dumplings, could be coming to the space, though this has not been confirmed as of yet; as soon as we get more information, we will post an update here.

The Seaport District location of Del Frisco's remains open for business.

(Follow Marc on Bluesky at @marchurboston.bsky.social)

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Please help keep Boston Restaurant Talk and Boston's Hidden Restaurants going by making a one-time contribution or via a monthly subscription. Thanks! (Donations are non-deductible.)

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Breaking Grounds Cafe in Peabody Is Closing

A cafe on the North Shore that gives job training to people with disabilities including autism is going to be closing its doors.

According to an Instagram post from Northeast Arc (which operates the place), Breaking Grounds Cafe in Peabody is getting ready to shut down, with the post saying the following:

Northeast Arc has made the difficult decision to close Breaking Grounds Cafe in Peabody after 9 years of operation. This was not an easy choice, but it is the right move for the financial health of our organization as we face rising costs and an uncertain state and federal funding landscape....Closing Breaking Grounds will allow Northeast Arc to direct all of our resources toward our core mission of helping people with disabilities and autism live as fully included members of their communities. Our commitment to job training remains unchanged and we will continue preparing individuals for community employment through our other internship programs. Existing Breaking Grounds employees will have the opportunity to apply for other positions within Northeast Arc. We are so thankful to all of the incredible employees and participants who have contributed to making Breaking Grounds such a vibrant and welcoming place for nine years. We are also grateful for the continued partnership and support of the City of Peabody.

The post mentions that Breaking Grounds Cafe will close after business hours on July 31.

The address for Breaking Grounds Cafe is 67 Main Street, Peabody, MA, 01960. Its website can be found at https://ift.tt/Ynyj2AC

(Follow Marc on Bluesky at @marchurboston.bsky.social)

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]

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Please help keep Boston Restaurant Talk and Boston's Hidden Restaurants going by making a one-time contribution or via a monthly subscription. Thanks! (Donations are non-deductible.)

Read more »