I miss this kind of joy. Before the pandemic I didn’t fully realize what the simple conviviality of restaurants has meant to me. Sigh.
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Yes! Same with enotecas. Coppa comes closest around here. Both are used as a generic tag for an ethnic restaurant. Shame on both counts.
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To Digga…
Weeping is greatly under-rated. Sometimes you just need to let it all out, and these days there is plenty. My thoughts are with you. Also, I have always enjoyed your posts. Would a hot butterscotch sundae help? Just wondering.
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I am more likely to take solace in a giant bowl of mashed potatoes (I have no sweet tooth whatsoever, but B and Spring onion do). Thank you for your sentiment, though. We are pushing through these rough times and even had a birthday party today for someone who turned 7!
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Bluebird Bar in the old Lumiere space in West Newton has opened.
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We had our farewell dinner at Loyal Nine last night. Tonight is their last. Not much point in reporting (and there were several shutting-down-soon glitches and shortfalls we’ve experienced at other places as well), but I feel I should applaud them for an excellent blood sausage and some very precisely cooked tuna croquettes (crisp, greaseless exterior, creamy interior). We’ll miss them.
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Not a restaurant, but notable to me nonetheless. I just received an email that Brattle Square Florist will be closing. This was truly the last vestige of commercial business that was Harvard Square. The gentrification and mallification of a once great neighborhood is complete. Extremely sad news.
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Very sad indeed. I hate what has happened to Harvard Square.
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Oh no. The owner is a patient of B’s. I’ll let him know. He’s gonna be so sad.
ETA: I’m sad. I couldn’t even read this mini-thread to B without tearing up 
.
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I’m sad too. Surprised how hard this one hit me. I loved Brattle Square Florist. They always did a wonderful job for me and the flowers seemed to last an exceptionally long time. My kids could go in there with their own money and they were just lovely helping them put together gifts for neighbors, teachers and family. The kids were always so proud. It’s awful the environment is so unfriendly for business like this.
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Very sad news.
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Remember walking by the open shopfront in any season and getting a gorgeous botanical/floral whiff?
And to keep this on the food tip, heading onto Shay, Charlie’s, or Grendel for cheap food and/or booze.
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In better news, Toraya has an opening date, making it into both December and 2021 by the narrowest margin! From https://toraya.jimdofree.com/:
We are excited to finally announce our official opening date: 12/31/2021! Thank you for your continued support during the relocation and renovation of Toraya’s new restaurant space at 795 Massachusetts Avenue in Arlington, MA.
Closed Monday
Tuesday - Friday Lunch: 11:30am - 2:30pm
Tuesday - Sunday Dinner: 5:00pm - 9:00pm *Sat open at 4:00pm
During our soft-opening, here are our hours:
12/31/2021 5:00pm - 9:00pm
01/01/2022 CLOSE
01/02/2022 5:00pm - 9:00pm
01/03/2022 CLOSE
01/04/2022 11:30am - 2:30pm 5:00pm - 9:00pm
I won’t be up for indoor dining for a while yet but am very much looking forward to getting take-out in the new year.
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Interesting choice of soft opening…NYE. We may be up for it.
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This one makes me mad I did not go more often!
From the BG
We started this list as the restaurant scene was changing rapidly, with closures ramping up due to COVID-19. After a somewhat calmer summer, we’re back at it. We’ll modify this list routinely with more insights, updates, and maybe even some hopeful news along the way.
Dec. 28
Bar Lyon
Age: 3
Claim to fame: French food in the South End, from the team behind fine-dining bastions such as Mistral and Ostra.
Farewell message: “After much thought and consideration by our team, it is with a heavy heart that we share that Bar Lyon will be closing its doors after dinner service this Friday, December 31st. We are so appreciative of all of our guests and the South End community who have offered their support to us over the years,” they wrote on social media.
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Bar Lyon will be closing at the end of the year according to their Instagram account
I’m sad I never got there.
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Sad to see. Recall the days when Harvard Square was funky, idiosyncratic, eclectic? Bookstores thick on the ground, Coffee Connection, Wursthaus, Spaghetti Emporium, …
I guess what I’m saying to the new Harvard Square is
Get off my lawn!
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