CommonWealth Kitchen Opens The Launchpad at MIT; Kiosks Include Bibim Box, Las Palmas, and Las Carolinas

A local nonprofit that helps establish food-based startups has helped bring three new dining spots to a local university.

According to a press release, CommonWealth Kitchen has opened The Launchpad at MIT, which includes three food kiosks inside the MIT student center run by BIPOC and immigrant-owned food businesses. The dining spots include a Korean eatery called Bibim Box, a Dominican place called Las Palmas, and a Venezuelan restaurant called Las Carolinas and we have been told that they are all open to the public, with hours being 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM Monday through Saturday and Sundays from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

The website for CommonWealth Kitchen, which is headquartered in the Grove Hall section of Boston, can be found at https://ift.tt/3w5xYXM

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

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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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Owners of Mike & Patty's to Open Flourhouse Bakery in Newton's Nonantum Neighborhood

The team behind a pair of breakfast places and sandwich spots in Boston and Somerville will be opening a brand new bakery in Newton.

According to an article from Eater Boston, Ania Zaroda and Michael Gurevich of Mike & Patty's in Bay Village and Bow Market in Union Square are planning to open Flourhouse Bakery in Nonantum, moving into a space on Adams Street that had been home to Blacker's Bread Basket. The post says that the upcoming shop will offer a variety of breads, rolls, muffins, cookies, and more, with the plan being to offer delivery and pop-up menus while also having a retail space; the business is currently taking preorders online, with pickups starting on September 23, and an open house is slated to take place on September 25.

In addition to the two Mike & Patty's locations, Zaroda and Gurevich also run Hot Box, a pizza and roast beef spot at Bow Market, and they are going to be opening two new Mike and Patty's locations at the upcoming High Street Place food hall in Boston and in Jamaica Plain.

The address for Flourhouse Bakery in Nonantum will be 140R Adams Street, Newton, MA, 02458.

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

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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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Kohi Coffee Company Opens in Boston's South End

A coffee shop with roots on the Cape has opened another location in Boston.

According to a source, Kohi Coffee Company is now open in the South End, moving into a space within The Revolution Hotel on Berkeley Street. The website for the business indicates that the new location features a walk-up window for takeout/to-go options and offers coffee, cold brew, tea, pastries, and more.

Kohi currently has other locations in downtown Boston and Brighton along with Provincetown, where it first started out. 

The address for the new location of Kohi Coffee Company in the South End is 40 Berkeley Street, Boston, MA, 02116. The website for all locations can be found at https://ift.tt/3EpFC3W

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

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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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Lucca Back Bay Is for Lease

A location of a trio of upscale Italian restaurants has been locked up and dark for awhile now, and it appears that the future of the place is very much in question.

According to a message and a photo sent by Adam Castiglioni of the Boston Hospitality and Tourism Industry Blog, Lucca Back Bay has a "restaurant space available for lease" sign out front, and a note on its web page says that the Huntington Avenue restaurant "is currently closed. Please visit one of our other locations." Back in April, social media posts from the place indicated that it was "closed right now" and that "We miss you and hope to see you soon," though it appears that the location never did open back up. The original location in Boston's North End remains in operation, as does its newest outlet in Rockland.

Lucca Back Bay first opened in 2009, replacing Sasso, which had also been run by the same family.

The address for Lucca Back Bay is 116 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02116. Its web page is at https://ift.tt/3EoJiCK

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

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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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La Cucina at Somerville's Assembly Row Has Closed

An Italian restaurant that opened within a Somerville development a couple of years ago has shut down for good.

A message sent by Leah Klein of City Living Boston indicates that La Cucina at Assembly Row is no longer in business, with the Instagram page for the place saying that "Due to unforeseen circumstances, LA CUCINA is closed permanently as of Monday 13 September 2021. We appreciate your patronage over the years." La Cucina first opened in early 2019, offering such items as pan-seared cod, chicken parmesan, salmon piccata, baked stuffed lobster, linguine vongole, bolognese, and spinach ravioli.

The address for La Cucina was 400 Assembly Row, Somerville, MA, 02145.

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

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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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J. Pace Express: Halftime King of Pizza Apparently Opening in Halftime Pizza Space in Boston's North Station Area

A new dining spot with a familiar name appears to be coming to a space across from North Station in Boston, and it would apparently be replacing a longtime pizza spot.

According to a source (Geoff Wong), a "coming soon" sign is now up for J. Pace Express: Halftime King of Pizza in the storefront on Causeway Street that has been home to Halftime Pizza. A page within the opengovus.com site seems to confirm this, showing that "Halftime King of Pizza...is a business registered with City of Boston, City Clerk," with the email given on the page being for J. Pace and Son. Currently, locations of J. Pace and Son--which is known for its Italian food, subs, and provisions--can be found in the West End, the Seaport District, and Saugus.

Halftime Pizza has been around for approximately 40 years, offering pizza, pasta dishes, subs, salads, and more to commuters, sports/music fans attending events at TD Garden, nearby office workers, and locals.

The address for the upcoming J. Pace Express: Halftime King of Pizza (and Halftime Pizza) is 115 Causeway St, Boston, MA, 02114.

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

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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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End Dates Announced for Temporary Outdoor Dining Spaces in Boston

It looks like expanding outdoor dining areas in Boston will be allowed to continue a little while longer, but there is now an end in sight, at least for now.

A tweet from @OnlyInBOS shows the end dates for temporary outdoor spaces for restaurants in the city, which is shown on the 2021 Outdoor Dining Pilot Program section within the city's website. The dates shown are as follows:

-- For public property (excluding the North End), on-street spaces will end on December 1, while sidewalk spaces will shut down on April 1, 2022.

-- For private property (excluding the North End), spaces on private ways and lots will shut down on December 1, and spaces on sidewalks along private ways will also end on December 1.

-- For both public and private property in the North End, all temporary spaces will shut down on November 1.

It is not known if temporary outdoor dining could resume sometime in the future, as it would likely be based on a number of factors, including the exact state of the pandemic. (Expanded outdoor dining started up in late March and early April of this year after temporarily ending late last year.)

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

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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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