NEWS DISHES: Del's To Open Here In July

Your Arlington

Last Updated: 23 June 2021

Written by various sources

Dishing up some Arlington restaurant-related news morsels:

Del's Lemonade is expected to open in the first week in July in Arlington's Brattle Square.

Paul Piatelli, president of Del's Lemonade Boston, provided YourArlington with the prediction, adding that the thirst-quenching drink made famous in Rhode Island will be a take-only location.

The business aimed to join others at Mass. Ave. and Brattle Street in mid-June, but construction and permitting delays push back the opening.

Goodbye to NYAJ Arlington

Posted March 31: "It's said that all things come to an end, and unfortunately that holds true for our Arlington restaurant, which we are sad to announce has closed," Peter D'Amelio, chairman and CEO of Not Your Average Joe's, said in an email Tuesday, April 20.

"We have truly enjoyed being part of the fabric of the Arlington Community, and we will miss all the great moments and friendships we've shared for years. And while this chapter may have come to a close, we invite you to join us at our Watertown location, where you can expect the same delicious dishes and warm hospitality you’ve come to know and love."

That location is 55 Main St.

The news about the closing was reported last weekend on the Arlington email list by a former employee.

Asian fusion, pizza to share ex-Great Wok

Posted March 29: The former Great Wok space in Arlington Heights plans to be the site for shared restaurants -- Ginger Exchange, an Asian-fusion restaurant with locations in Boston and Watertown -- and Master Pies Artisan Pizza.

YourArlington partner Patch reported the plan for 1181 Mass. Ave., citing the original source, Boston Restaurant Talk. Signs for both restaurants are currently hanging in the storefront.

Mediterranean restaurant coming to East Arlington

Posted March 11: As the pandemic reaches its one-year anniversary, and dining patrons are still encouraged to order take-out, Arlington will soon have an additional option.

Fattoush Restaurant, a take-out-only establishment, will offer Mediterranean and vegan-style food. Catering services are also available at 142 Mass. Ave., East Arlington. Fattoush will be open daily, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The license application includes an expected menu >>

Owner Karam T. Touma, who received license approval from the Select Board on Monday, March 8, was an assistant chef at Bô Café, Norwell. He aims to open in the spring.

Common Ground seeks new tenant

Posted Dec. 24: For Common Ground Bar and Grill, it appears to be the end of the line. The Broadway Plaza pub has a "for lease" sign out front, Boston Restaurant Talk reported, and a source told the blog that it would not be reopening.

Common Ground closed during the initial round of pandemic restrictions, and nothing has been posted on its Facebook group since March. The restaurant is also listed as "permanently closed" on Google.

Common Ground owner Bob O'Guin Jr. died in April 2019, and the original Allston location closed later that year. The Arlington restaurant, which opened in 2013, was active into last spring, Patch reported.

Kendall Square Za 'pausing'; town location remains open

Posted Dec. 17: The owner of Za in East Arlington is directing specialty-pizza customers here after deciding to close temporarily its Cambridge restaurant.

In a Facebook post from Steve Kurland of Za, Marc Hurwitz of Boston Restaurant Talk reported the "pause" at the Kendall Square location. Its final day is Dec. 23.

Kurland, also behind Evoo in Kendall Square, thanks the city and the Kendall Square Association and Cambridge Local First. He wrote: "Please consider using our Arlington location for takeout and delivery and, if you are looking for ways to help us or other restaurants, please continue to patronize all of us in any way you can and to back programs that will aid in small business recovery."

The town location is 138 Mass. Ave.

Town's take-out choices touted

Posted Dec. 14: Didn't many of us long know that Arlington's "take-out options are as great as the scenic views"?

Now restaurant-obsessed Marc Hurwitz has let a wider public know.

In his Dec. 11 Eat New England column at NECN, Hurwitz writes: "If takeout is what you opt to do and you find a decent enough day to sit outside, one of the best communities in the Greater Boston area to do both is Arlington."

Check out the places he chooses to highlight >>

Toraya to head to Retro Burger site

Posted Oct. 30: The Japanese restaurant Toraya, formerly at 890 Mass. Ave., plans to move up the street, to 795 Mass. Ave.

Bill Maund, owner of Retro Burger, announced on the Arlington List Facebook group on Friday, Oct. 30, the sale and closing of his restaurant and an agreement with the Muraki Corp.

The 20-seat restaurant has been at 795 since May 2013. Toraya, which opened in 1999, closed earlier this year after it lost its lease to make way for a mixed-use project across from Arlington High School.

Japanese grocery-deli heading to Heights

Posted Oct. 21: Maruichi Japanese Food & Deli, which has locations in Brookline, Connecticut and New York, plans to open in the former Prime butcher shop at 1398 Mass. Ave.

Ali Carter, town economic-development coordinator, confirmed that news with the landlord . The shop's Facebook site says the opening may be in December or January. The store sells Japanese meats, bento boxes, ramen, sushi, bubble tea and more, according to Boston Restaurant Talk, which first reported the news.

Prime, Your Trusted Butcher, closed in January after opening in October 2014.

La Hacienda Pizza sold at Sons of Italy

Posted Sept. 22: In 2016, La Hacienda, an old-school Somerville dining and drinking spot that was known for its pizza, closed for good. Marc Hurwitz at Boston Restaurant Talk reports that its pizza lives on in Arlington.

According to the Friends and fans of La Hacienda Restaurant Facebook group page, La Hacienda's pizza is being sold at the Sons of Italy lodge on Prentiss Road, available to go Fridays from 4 to 8 p.m. Louis DiCecca, who had been co-owner of the Somerville restaurant and bar, says all may buy the pizza at the Arlington chapter of the century-old fraternal organization.

Cantab Lounge closes, put up for sale

Posted July 21: Another Boston-area institution has apparently fallen victim to the pandemic: Central Square’s Cantab Lounge, known for its poetry slams and as the former home of Little Joe Cook and the Thrillers.

Universal Hub have the details on the reported demise of the Cantab.

Last Tango in town was June 28

Updated June 23: After 18 years, Tango has announced on its Facebook site that Sunday, June 28, will be its last day in business.

"To our friends, customers, and those who have become like family, please know that we have cherished every birthday, anniversary, wedding, and all those special occasions you chose to spend with us. From the many batches of Chimichurri, to the double kisses on the cheek from Armando, to the cocktails poured by Gabriel, we have enjoyed every moment, and it has been our true honor to have served you.

"These last few months have been difficult in so many ways. But our hearts were filled by the outpouring of support from our customers, and the dedication and perseverance of our staff.

"When my parents, Ricardo and Nancy Mermet, started this business they never could have dreamed of what it would become. This place became their identity, and 10 years ago when I came on board it became my identity too. My family and I couldn't be more proud of what my father built here, and I know its spirit will live on long after we close our doors. So while we say goodbye for now, I hope one day we might be able to bring it all to life again.

"Until then, I hope you think of us every time you pop open a bottle of Malbec, cut into a juicy steak, or see that distinctive dance... the Tango."

E. Arlington Deli changes hands, not menu

Updated May 20: Anthony's East Side Deli has been sold, and the Italian menu is remaining the same.

Boston Restaurant Talk reported the sale, quoting a Facebook post in which owner Anthony Masci says: "After 7 years of serving the community it's time that I retire and enjoy my family ....

"The new owner, Sonny, is glad to take over and serve you with the same service."

On April 27, the Select Board approved, 4-0, a food-vendor license for applicant Sarbjit Saini, who said he had businesses in Belmont and Lexington. They served Indian food, but Masci wrote on Facebook May 19 that the menu will remain the same.

Anthony's East Side Deli, 159 Mass. Ave., opened in 2013, with the spot offering soups, salads, sandwiches, pizza, pasta and offerings for large groups, parties, functions, and events.

Toraya closes as 22-apartment project planned for block

Posted May 3: A two-decade favorite for sushi has closed because it lost its lease, though it hopes to reopen in another space, Boston Restaurant Talk reports.

"Our landlord has let us know that they are planning to demolish the building," Toraya's website says. "We didn't want to close," but were told its lease would end April 30. The note says Toraya plans to open in a new location.

Toraya opened in 1999, offering a mix of sushi and Japanese entrees, at 890 Mass. Ave., across from Arlington High School.

The closing comes as the town Redevelopment Board has scheduled a hearing for Monday, May 18, to consider a plan for 22 apartments in a proposed mix-use building to occupy the block at 882-892 Mass. Ave. Also closing at the end of May is Thana Thai Kitchen, which opened in 2015, taking over the space where Lady Siam had been.

In addition to Toraya, demolishing that block means displacing the restaurant Thana Thai and ACMi's Studio B, a cable-TV studio used by AHS students.

Rangla Punjab in Center opens

Updated Feb. 15: The closed Singh Saab in the Center is reopening as Rangla Punjab.

The 444 Mass. Ave. Indian restaurant was to be named Mini Punjab more than 18 months ago, but the owner of the long-established Punjab, at 485 Mass. Ave. expressed concern at in a 2018 letter to the Select Board, a discussion that continued in December about the similarity of the names. Despite the concern, the owners of 444 Mass. Ave. retained Punjab in its name.

Rangla Punjab received its food and alcohol licenses Wednesday, Feb. 12, the Select Board's office said, and was open Feb. 15. See photos on Facebook >>

Singh Saab first opened in Arlington Center in the summer of 2017, replacing another restaurant with "Punjab" in its name, Punjabi Tadka.

Gail Ann Coffee Shop keeps the faith

Posted Nov. 6, 2019: This is not about a new eatery in town -- it about a long-established tradition.

Kara Baskin, a Globe writer who lives in Arlington, has drawn notice to Gail Ann Coffee Shop, on Medford Street.

"The pine green awning announces 50 years in business," she writes, "but really it’s longer than that — the shop opened in 1954." Read more here >>

Mass Hole Donuts open

Posted Oct. 17: Doughnut holes are expected to pop up in Arlington this weekend as Mass Hole Donuts turns permanent. The spot at 2 Lake St., serving cake- and brioche-style doughnut holes in various Boston-inspired flavors, opened Saturday, Oct. 19, Boston Eater reports.

Co-founder and chef Alex Mansfield is no stranger to the location, having run pop-ups in the space during its previous incarnation as the Local Fare, which closed earlier this year after three years. Now, the place is entirely Mansfield’s, just in time for cider doughnut season.

Shanghai Village reopens as Taipei-Tokyo; menu added

Posted Oct. 11: An owner of an Arlington Center restaurant damaged in a in May 2018 appeared before the Select Board on Aug. 12, seeking to reopen as Taipei-Tokyo, according to its application.

A license was granted that night, but owner Andy Lian was mum about when it would open. As of Thursday, Oct. 10, it was, YourArlington confirmed.

The menu is now listed on its website. The number to call is 781-646-6897. Lian was also the owner of Shanghai Village, which opened in 1982.

On Aug. 19 a resident posted a photo on Facebook showing the new name.

Arlington Economic Development Coordinator Ali Carter confirmed Aug. 7 that Shanghai Village is expected to reopen.

The Mass. Ave. restaurant was damaged in a two-alarm fire in May 2018.

Bakery gets license, needs dough

Posted Aug. 14: Breadboard Bakery at 203A&B Broadway, East Arlington, at the site of the former Commune Kitchen, had it food license approved Monday, Aug. 12, by the Select Board.

Posting on Facebook, owner Daisy Chow wrote that, once open, she plans to bake artisan bread, assorted pastries and serves great coffee.

Meanwhile, she has launched a Kickstarter campaign "to help with minor build-out costs and equipment purchase." See the plea seeking $20,000 here >>

Mass Hole Donuts headed to 2 Lake St.

Posted July 2, 2019: A doughnut pop-up shop aims to open this summer after renovating 2 Lake St., where the Local Fare has closed, the blog Boston Eater reports.

Mass Hole Donuts serves cake- and brioche-style doughnut holes with Boston-inspired flavors.

Local Fare — a shared kitchen space that played host to local food pop-ups (including Mass Hole Donuts, which has used it as its kitchen space all along) — opened three years agoand announced its closure yesterday, with co-owners Michelle Wax and Caroline Olsen noting that they are moving on “to the next adventure.”

Mass Hole’s operation in Arlington will begin with catering this summer before opening to the public within the next few months — in time for cider doughnut season, co-founder and chef Alex Mansfield told Eater in an email.

Hip bakery headed to E. Arlington as Commune closes

Posted June 25, 2019:Breadboard Bakery -- with a location in Brookline, Cutty's -- is reportedly coming to 203 Broadway.

That will occur at some point after Commune Kitchen closes, which occured June 28, reports Marc Hurwitz in his blog, Boston Restaurant Talk.

In 2017, Commune Kitchen, which opened a year earlier, was on The Globe's 47 best new restaurants.

A post on Commune Kitchen's Facebook said: "[W]e are excited to pass the torch to @breadboard_bakery by @dchowser, a pal from Clear Flour. this bittersweet transition has left us feeling extremely grateful for the Arlington community. thanks for eating all the carbs with us - we appreciate each one of you."

Butternut Bakehouse opens

Posted June 3, 2019: Butternut Bakehouse, expected to open last January in part of the former Bagels By Us space, has finally done so.

The new shop, which shares the former bagel shop with Jose's Torta Mexicana at 787-789 Mass. Ave., includes 14 inside seats and offers a variety of baked goods and pastries along with coffee, tea and juice.

Bagels by Us closed in March 2018 after being in business since 1996.

Boston Restaurant Talk, Marc Hurwitz's blog, reported the opening, citing town residents.

Pub aims to open at Balich site

Posted May 23, 2019: A new restaurant and pub hopes to open at the site of the former Balich 5 & 10 on Mass. Ave., Boston Restaurant Talk reports.

Jim O'Rourke, who operates First House Pub in Winchester, has leased the space to open The Heights Pub, at 1314 Mass. Ave., the blog by Marc Hurwitz reported. O'Rourke confirmed to YourArlington that he signed a lease this week. "Now we can proceed with the Zoning Board, Select Board and ABCC hearings," he wrote.

The restaurant is expected to serve comfort and pub food, as well as American fare. Ali Carter, town economic-development coordinator, noted May 23 that planning awaits paperwork.

Balich 5 & 10, a family-run five-and-dime at the site since 1984, closed last June.

Abbott's Frozen Custard to open in April

Posted Feb. 22, 2019: Jason Denoncourt, owner of Abbott’s Frozen Custard in Lexington and Arlington, confirmed he plans an April opening at the Broadway Plaza site. "Last year, we opened Abbott’s Lexington on Patriots Day," he told YourArlington.

Last Dec. 10, we reported the planned opening in the space vacant since Artful Heart left for Medford Street in June 2016.

The location would be about a half block from Abilyn's Frozen Bakery, at 451 Mass. Ave.

In December, Marc Hurwitz reported that the small chain of frozen custard shops would be opening its fourth Boston-area location. Read more here >>

Abbott's lists the Arlington location on its website.

Lobstah spot rolls away to Salem

Posted Jan. 5, 2019: Hopes were high for Lobstah on a Roll, the sandwich shop replacing Elton's Roast Beef at 478 Mass. Ave. in the fall of 2017. But those hopes are headed to Salem.

Restaurant Talk reported that the Arlington spot did not work out.

Ted Cohen of Marco Realty of Brookline, the landlord, confirmed the move and said Friday, Feb. 15, that "construction costs were too high."

Last May, the town Redevelopment Board approved signs for the business after applying to open in September 2017, such as the one at left. Lobstah On a Roll opened in Boston's South End in November 2017. Last November, a "for rent" sign appeared on the Arlington location. Kiss that sign goodbye.

The Salem location could open in in March or April.

Pop-up E. Arlington bakery opening in Cambridge

Posted Jan. 22, 2019: A bakery that has used Local Fare in East Arlington for pop-up locations in the past 18 months is opening a brick-and-mortar shop in Cambridge, Boston Restaurant Talk reports Jan. 22.

Marc Hurwitz, who writes the blog, reports that Brit Bakery is opening in the former Violette Gluten Free Bakery space at 247 Concord Ave., with a note on Brit's website stating that the store is slated to open Thursday, Jan. 24. The business offers such items as cakes, cupcakes, scones, tarts, cookies and breads.

Violette Gluten Free Bakery moved from Concord Avenue to a space on Mass. Ave. near Porter Square last fall.

Brattle Square's A&A Deli closes

Posted Dec. 31, 2018: A decades-old Brattle Square food shop known in part for its subs has closed.

Marc Hurwitz, who writes Boston Restaurant Talk, reports Dec. 31, 2018, the A&A Deli is no longer in business, with signs out front saying "closed" and the interior of the Mass. Ave. shop looking like it was in the process of being cleared out.

Last week, a thread on the Arlington List Facebook group page mentioned that the store was preparing to close.

A&A Deli, which had in business since at least the mid-1980s, featured a variety of sandwiches, pasta dishes and pizza, with one of its more popular items its steak-and-cheese sub.

Luigi's open at former Sabatino site

Posted September 2018: Luigi's Italian Kitchen, the takeout restaurant at Mass. Ave. and Orvis Road, where Sabatino's used to be, has opened to the public YourArlington reported Sept. 26.

Sabatino's closed its Arlington restaurant in September 2016 after a heating-oil spill and burst pipe caused structural damage to the space. Last year, the company settled with a group of employees from its Arlington, Brighton and Quincy locations who sued for wage theft. See the menu here >>

Yassou opening at former Capri in Heights

Posted September 2018: Yassou, offering a Greek food, according to its sign, plans to open where pizzeria Capri had been since the early 1990s, and before that, Charlie's Pizza.

The new sign on the spot at Mass. Ave. and Park, can be translated from Greek as a friendly, casual greeting.

A Sept. 22 visit to the restaurant shows it is not yet ready to open. A sign on the window says "Closed Due to the New Opening" and, inside, pizza boxes are still piled up.

Marc Hurwitz reports on his Boston Restaurant Talk blog that sources say the spot may be featuring gyros.

Capri, at 1323 Mass. Ave., shut down twice over the past few years, Hurwitz reported, in March 2016 and again last March.

Opening for Home Taste in Heights

Posted August 2018: A Chinese restaurant in Watertown is expanding to Arlington, moving into the space where La Posada, a Mexican dining spot had been until late last year, Boston Restaurant Talk is reporting.

Boston Globe, Aug. 16: Review of new business

Marc Hurwitz’s blog reports that the new location of Home Taste, at 1312 Mass. Ave., is expected to open Wednesday, Aug. 8. Earlier, he posted a photo of a sign on its door saying, "Coming soon! Open 8/01/18."

Based on the menu at the location on Mt. Auburn Street in Watertown Square, which opened in September 2015, expect to see hand-pulled noodles, handmade dumplings, Chinese "burgers," mala pots and spicy Szechuan dishes.

La Posada closed last December after it was in business for a bit less than eight years.

Pub to replace Olivio's, noodles head to Heights

Posted June 2018: The Select Board on Monday, June 25, approved applications for two licenses:

-- The former La Posada, at 1312 Mass. Ave., in the Heights, plans to become Home Taste, a Chinese noodle and dumpling shop. Details here >>

-- Ristorante Olivio's, the long-established, 120-seat family restaurant at 193 Mass. Ave., East Arlington, plans to become Town Tavern, described as serving American pub fare by owner George Mullan of Belmont. Details here >> The restaurant is to closed July 29, as the owner is retiring.

For some background, see Marc Hurwitz's Boston Restaurant Talk >>

Again, watch the Donut Hole (not the doughnut)

Posted January 2018: "Third times the charm," Jennifer Mansfield told the Arlington email list Jan. 20. "If you haven't been able to make it to the the Local Fare (2 Lake St.) for the past two Mass Hole Donut openings, Sunday, Jan. 21, from 11 to 1, they will be at it again!

"And this time with two new additions: a boozy chocolate orange Old-Fashioned for the grownups, and a sprinkled cake doughnut ('Mama’s Lil Masshole') for the kiddos.

"But beware! They sold out before 1 p.m. last time, so don’t dilly dally."

Mansfield is the sister-in-law of one of the "doughnut guys."

478 Mass. Ave. update

Posted October 2017: Lots o' lobsters are on a roll -- two spots that we know of.

One expects to open in November at the former Elton's Roast Beef. Now called 478 Mass. Ave., when it opens it expects to called Lobstah on a Roll.

Co-owner Joe Marcus says a similarly named spot is also coming soon to 537 Columbus Ave., in the South End. He expects the Boston place to be 99 percent takeout. Further details reported Oct. 24 by Eater Boston >>

Like the Arlington location, he's calling for hand-crafted sandwiches.

Bike-path patio open at Scutra

Posted June 2017: "A sense of Italy in the back." That's what Scutra, at 92 Summer St., seeks, as it got the go-ahead from selectmen in June to add a patio with seating in the rear of its restaurant ndext to the Minuteman Bikeway. That patio is now open.

Owner Cesidia Baugniet told the board he and his wife plan to incude bike rack. Access to ther patio would be through front door only.

"You're really taking advantage of dead space," said Selectman Dan Dunn. Colleague Diane Mahon said she is "thrilled."

The vote to approve was 5-0.

Boston Restaurant Talk >>

The sources for these items are varied.

Have a tip about Arlington restaurants? Let us know here >>

YourArlington.com has provided news and opinion about Arlington, Mass., since 2006. Publisher Bob Sprague is a former editor at The Boston Globe, Boston Herald and Arlington Advocate. Read more at https://www.yourarlington.com/about.