And another one gone - Comedor in Newton has permanently closed
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…and Il Capricchio in Waltham has permanently closed
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Thank you for reporting on these closures, even as sad as this news is.
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It’s so sad to hear about Il Capricchio. We had a lovely and delicious meal there around New Year’s as part of our holiday. The food was top-notch and service was warm and gracious. I wish everyone there well.
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Ohhhh, very sorry to hear this. It’s been awhile since I’ve been there, but always had wonderful meals and service there.
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I am afraid the real impact on the restaurant industry will come when the second wave will hit by the end of the year.
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Oops, shoud be Il Capriccio.
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Found out today that New Saigon Sandwich in Chinatown is closed for good. They were no longer my banh mi joint of choice down that way (Mei Sum and 163 Sandwich are def. better) but they were still OK for spring rolls. I’ll miss them mostly because many many many years ago under different ownership (I think maybe they were just called Saigon Sandwich back then) this shop was the first place I ever ate a banh mi after reading about it in a John Thorne newsletter.
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Can you remind me - which one is New Saigon Sandwich? These are those closures that I fear the most. The little hidden gems, and tiny mom and pop stands or specialty shops where they depend on volume to survive, or a dedicated amount of regular customers.
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it’s the tiny, no-seats place on Washington Street, to the right of the Empire Garden marquee (which was The Pagoda Cinema when I ate my first banh mi!) as you’re facing that building. Directly across the street from Dumpling Cafe.
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…and Bar Boulud is gone…
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It’ll be missed but I never felt it reached the frisson of the Manhattan original.
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Bergamot announced they are closing, but it sounds more like they are converting to a gastropub concept under the same ownership. I know this will be mourned as Bergamot was loved by many. I had a few poor meals there hadn’t been in years, so I’ll welcome the new concept. I do enjoy Bisq, so I’m hopeful.
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We enjoyed Bergamot now and then at the bar for a few years, every other month or so, especially the lobster melt sandwich. Our favorite bartenders left one after the other and it became much less charming. One occasion I’ll never forget…I am a slow eater. We were sitting at the bar early on in the evening and there were about 5 bar seats empty, we were on our 2nd or 3rd glasses of wine when a server decided that since she hadn’t seen me take a bit of my dessert recently enough to suit her, she abruptly snatched it away without asking, as I was saying, please, I’m not finished. She disappeared and a bartender brought me a new one. She refused to even look at me after that. We tipped the bartender 50%. This was years ago and she probably disappeared well before that. It was an interesting place, as well as a good neighborhood place, and they even had free off street parking. But things change over the years.
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Those anecdotes reinforce for me the importance of fostering a consistent “culture” among staff. I can think of several places familiar to readers of this site that were once celebrated but failed to sustain a culture of warmth and generosity among their staff. Excellence in the kitchen, for us, is not sufficient to overcome front of house staff who don’t enjoy their jobs.
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Saw that Sakurabana is closing up for good due to COVID-19 too. It may no longer be that exciting a place for Japanese food around here, but it was a solid stand by for many who worked downtown when Japanese restaurants were still a rarity in this area. They always had long lines for lunch.
Sad…I actually went back in late winter/early spring when I was in the neighborhood. It certainly wasn’t the best sushi option, but I always appreciated that they did a really good bowl of udon and had a long list of sushi options.
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Tango in Arlington center is closing for good.
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So is Parsnip in Harvard Square. Ate there once and it was fabulous, sorry I never went back.
I am sad in theory about Tango, they are lovely folks and the steaks and chimichurri were fantastic or even better, but I enjoyed literally nothing else I ever put in my mouth there other than wine. However I do have fond memories of celebrations at Tango due to the lovely hospitality and aforementioned steaks, chimichurri and wine.
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Oh, I totally get this, Gretchen. We have a dear friend from Florida who always looked forward to our dinners together at Tango, and although my husband and I may have wished we could choose a different spot for the food, we would have been hard-pressed to find a place with lovelier hospitality and graciousness.
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So true of so many places, and so brilliantly said.
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