It looks like a new bookstore/cafe may be on its way to a Boston neighborhood. According to a licensing board hearing page within the City of Boston website, justBook-ish is planning to open in Dorchester, moving into a space on Dorchester Avenue in the Fields Corner area. The notice mentions that the place is seeking a beer and wine license and would include a retail bookshop and cafe with seating for 17 on the ground floor of a new building called Dot Crossing. More should be known about the plans for justBook-ish by the middle of next week, so stay tuned for details. The address for the pro ..read more

It looks like an Asian supermarket chain is going to be opening a new location in Somerville, confirming chatter that has been taking place for a number of months now. According to an article in The Tufts Daily, H Mart is planning to open in Davis Square, moving into the space on Elm Street that had been home to a location of bfresh. The article states that employees at locations in Burlington and Cambridge mentioned the upcoming opening, with one worker indicating that it could be opening sometime this summer. (An earlier LLC filing seems to confirm the planned opening as well.) In addition t ..read more

A local restaurant group is bringing a new dining spot to West Roxbury, taking over the space where a steakhouse had been until shutting down last month. According to a poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, Mission on Fire is planning to open in the former Sofia Italian Steakhouse space on VFW Parkway, with the sign for the place showing a similar logo to that of Mission on the Bay in Swampscott, Mission Oak Grill in Newburyport, and Mission Boathouse in Beverly, all of which are operated by the Mission Restaurant Group. Very little information is o ..read more

A local restaurant chain that features vegetarian fare is exiting bankruptcy and is now looking to expand. According to a press release, Clover Food Lab is emerging from Chapter 11 bankruptcy this week, using the time from last November to now to restructure while closing its outlets in Boston's Copley Square and Somerville's Assembly Row along with a Dedham warehouse. They are now looking to add to their current group of 13 restaurants, with the 5-year plan including 47 new outlets (initially opening locations in the Greater Boston area and then elsewhere in New England), focusing on smaller ..read more

An Asian dining spot that features vegan food is shutting down, though it could be reborn in a new space. According to multiple sources, including a poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, Grasshopper Vegan Restaurant in Allston is getting ready to close, with a note on the N Beacon Street eatery saying, "Due to leasing disagreements Grasshopper Vegan will be ceasing operations on May 29, 2024." Another note mentions something about following their Facebook page for a reopening location and date, but no details have been given on that as of yet. Grasshoppe ..read more

A small group of upscale restaurants based in Upstate New York is going to be opening a second location in the Greater Boston area. According to its website, Black & Blue Steak and Crab is opening soon in Wellesley, with an earlier Swellesley Report article indicating that it will move into a space on Central Street in Wellesley Square. Once it debuts, the new outlet will join another in Burlington that opened in 2018, along with others in Rochester (where it first started out), Buffalo, and Albany. Based on its other locations, the new outlet could be offering such items as oysters, crab ..read more

A local restaurant group is planning to open a new dining spot in the heart of downtown Boston. According to a job post within the bostonchefs.com site, Amber Road is opening in the city's Financial District, with the listing indicating that it will be a fine dining establishment from the group behind Tradesman, Fin Point Oyster Bar & Grille, and Urban Wild (Third Door Hospitality). An address of 100 Federal Street is shown within the listing, but it isn't known for sure whether this is where Amber Road will be (one of the Tradesman locations is at 100 Federal Street). [A related post from ..read more

A new cocktail bar is on its way to Cambridge, and a well-known local bartender and beverage director appears to be involved. According to a job post within the bostonchefs.com website, Darling is planning to open in Central Square, with the address indicating that it may be moving into the space that had been home to Mary Chung until closing at the end of 2022. The email address within the job post belongs to Brian Callahan, who has worked at such spots as Row 34, Orfano, Tiger Mama, Coquette, and Grafton Street while the listing says that the place will offer "Dim Sum influenced small plates ..read more

An Asian restaurant in Providence whose chef/owner was in the running for a prestigious award earlier this year is expanding to the local area. According to an article from Boston Magazine, Jahunger on Wickenden Street in Fox Point is going to be joined by a second location on Brookline Street in Cambridgeport, featuring Uyghur cuisine (which is found in the northwest section of China), including such options as lamb dumplings, chicken stew, hand-pulled noodles, lamb skewers, and Asian chili with eggplant in garlic sauce. If all goes well, the new location of Jahunger could open ..read more

A suburban delicatessen that has been in business for more than 30 years has shut down. According to multiple sources, including a poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, Maxie's Deli in Stoughton has closed its doors, with a phone call placed to the restaurant confirming this. The deli, which was located on Sharon Street in Cobb's Corner, first opened in 1993, offering such items as matzo ball soup, potato salad, pastrami and corned beef sandwiches, potato latkes, noodle kugel, blintzes, and more. The address for Maxie's Deli was 117 Sharon Street, S ..read more