Massachusetts
More than 20 Eastern Massachusetts restaurants closed their doors during January
January is the start of a new year, but unfortunately it marked the end of the road for more than 20 restaurants in Eastern Massachusetts.
Thanks to last month’s closures, vacancies now exist in the following Wicked Local communities: Rockland, Braintree, Billerica, Newton, Cambridge, Arlington, Roslindale, Saugus, Brighton, Acton, Westwood, Tewksbury, Brighton and Hingham.
Wicked Local will keep you posted on what new restaurants may open in these locations.
Did we miss any? Let us know by emailing jtzouvelis@wickedlocal.com.
Sugo Cucina Italiana, Arlington
Sugo Cucina Italiana, 162 Massachusetts Ave. (Route 3), has closed. It had been in business since the summer of 2015.
Owner Rudy Maniscalco specialized in classic Italian fare based on the recipes of his late mother, Gina Maniscalco.
Just like Mom made: Sugo Cucina Italiana in Arlington aims to revive Italian classics
Courthouse Fish Market, Cambridge
Courthouse Fish Market, 484 Cambridge St., which had been in business since 1912, shut down in January.
A note on the shop’s website states: “Dear valued customers: We extend our heartfelt gratitude for your years of support and patronage at the fish market. It is with a heavy heart we share the news that our fish market will be closing on January 13, 2024. We sincerely thank you for your years of unwavering support and patronage. While the fish market bids farewell, we are excited to inform you that our restaurant will continue to serve you with the same dedication to quality and excellence. We look forward to welcoming you to the restaurant next door.”
Article Fifteen Brewing Co., Rockland
After four years in business — first in Weymouth, later in Rockland — Article Fifteen Brewing Co. closed on Jan. 27.
“It’s been a fun ride, but every road comes to an end,” the business announced in a Facebook post.
Article Fifteen said “the burdens of inflation, the rising costs of materials and equipment maintenance, combined with the constant regulatory challenges presented to us since our move, have made it clear that we had to make the hardest of decisions.”
Blossom Nutrition, Newton
Blossom Nutrition, 318 Walnut St., which marketed itself as a family business providing healthy options to improve customer’s lifestyles, announced it was closing in an Instagram post on Jan. 9
The post stated: “Unfortunately we closed, we wanna to say thank you everyone for support us, and God bless you always. Never stop dreaming….”
Blossom opened during the summer of 2022, offering smoothies, juices, coffee, tea and bowls.
Cafe Asiana, Braintree
After nearly 25 years in business offering Thai and Chinese fare, Café Asiana, 25 Pearl St., has closed.
A post on the Everything Braintree Facebook group page indicates the owners decided to retire and that a new Asian restaurant will open in its place.
Casa Loca Mexican Cantina, Westwood
Casa Loca Mexican Cantina, 174 University Ave., has closed. It was known as a place to relax within a homey atmosphere and enjoy doughnuts, carnitas and margaritas.
The restaurant opened at University Station in the fall of 2020. It was part of the Wellesley Restaurant Group.
Chung King Restaurant, Billerica
Chinese and Japanese restaurant Chung King Restaurant, 446 Boston Road (Route 3A), has closed.
A post on the restaurant’s Facebook page states: “We opened the restaurant during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, navigating through tough times, facing numerous challenges such as increased operating costs, and economic crises. Believe me, this was a difficult decision for our management team. We cherish the community, and we wouldn’t have come this far without your support. We want to express our gratitude to the Billerica community and surrounding towns.”
Chung King’s owners also run Jade Pacific at 770 Boston Road,where they will honor Chung King gift cards.
Deli King Restaurant, Tewksbury
An old-school dining spot in the northern suburbs of Boston is shutting down after being in business for several decades.
Deli King Restaurant, 885 Main St. (Route 38), has closed. According to WCVB, its owners, brothers-in-law Arthur Agganis and Dimitrios Gomatos, opened the cafeteria-style restaurant specializing in Greek and American cuisine in 1989.
Donut Villa, Newton
Donut Villa, has closed its Newtonville location at 344 Walnut St. The diner still has three other locations (Malden, Cambridge and Arlington).
The Newton location opened in the fall of 2022 in the former Brewer’s Coalition space. It was open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, seven days a week and of course, doughnuts were the specialty.
Imperial China, Framingham
Imperial China, 413 Worcester Road (Route 9), Framingham, has shut down.
In a post on the ChewOnThis Facebook page, the business stated: “Our business will be permanently closing January 1, 2024. We thank you for your many years of support.”
The restaurant, which had been in business for more than 30 years, was known mainly for its Chinese-American fare and its Polynesian drinks.
Nomai, Hingham
Nomai, at the Derby Street Shops, 94 Derby St., has closed.
A post on its website states: “We are announcing the unfortunate closing of Nomai. Since our opening at Hingham’s Derby Street Shops in 2022, we have had so much fun meting and feeding so many of you.”
The post also states: “We look forward to having you visit us at our other Boston and Cambridge establishments, including Shojo, Ruckus and China Pearl, opening later this year.”
OddFellows Ice Cream Co., Chestnut Hill
OddFellows Ice Cream Co., 55 Boylston St., has closed. The Chestnut Hill location was the only location in Massachusetts for the New York City-based franchise.
OddFellows opened during the summer of 2019, offering an array of ice cream flavors (including some unusual options); the business was established in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, New York, in 2013.
Rivershed, Braintree
Rivershed, 35-37 Commercial St., has closed. The business has other locations in Scituate and Killington, Vermont.
Since the fall of 2020, Rivershed specialized in burgers, barbecue and craft beer.
TGI Fridays, multiple locations
Danvers and Dedham are among the locations where casual dining chain TGI Friday operated until shutting down several of its Massachusetts restaurants in early January.
Seven TGI Friday’s remain in Massachusetts, including in Boston, Braintree, Everett, Methuen, Millbury, North Dartmouth and Stoughton.
The company announced it was closing 36 underperforming locations nationwide.
Tokyo Japanese Steak House, Newton
The Tokyo Japanese Steak House restaurant in the Chestnut Hill Mall, 199 Boylston St., is no longer in business.
The restaurant opened in 2013 offering steak, sushi and teppanyaki options, with chefs cooking in front of diners on grills at each of the tables.
The Dial and The Blue Owl, Cambridge
The Dial restaurant and the Blue Owl rooftop bar, on the ground and top floors, respectively, of a 907 Main hotel, 907 Main St., are closed.
A post on The Dial Instagram page states: “It is with a heavy heart that we have to announce the permanent closing of The Dial and The Blue Owl. We thank you all for being part of The Dial and Blue Owl community and a part of the diverse neighborhood that gives Central Square it’s unique energy. Together we celebrated birthdays, anniversaries, promotions, Pride months and return to office cocktails; whatever the occasion, we were grateful that you chose to spend it here with us.”
Jimmies Cafe, Roslindale
After 15 years in business, Jimmies Café, an ice cream shop at 48 Corinth St., has closed.
A Facebook post states: “Thank you for your support. Jimmies Café is closed indefinitely.”
Besides ice cream, Jimmies also served salads, sandwiches, chicken fingers, empanadas and fries.
Fuddruckers, Saugus
Fuddruckers announced in a press release in November that it would be closing its Saugus location, 900 Broadway (Route 1), by year’s end.
Franchise owner Adrienne LeBlanc stated: “This is not the outcome we had hoped for because we want to keep the restaurant open. Despite multiple attempts to negotiate a fair lease, however, we simply couldn’t come to an agreement with our landlord, and we were forced to make this very difficult decision.”
Fuddruckers’ Reading location, inside Jordan’s Furniture, remains open. That’s the only other Massachusetts location.
Known for its hamburgers, the company is headquartered in Texas.
Article 24, Brighton
After eight years, Article 24, 458 Western Ave., announced Jan. 14 on Facebook that it would close.
Its post states: “It is with a heavy heart that we announce the closure of our doors after 8 wonderful years. Join us for one last gathering today before we bid farewell. Your presence will make this farewell special.”
Ginger Court, Acton
In business since the 1990s, Ginger Court, 344 Great Road (Route 2A), is closed.
A sign on the door indicates that owners had until Jan. 25 to vacate the premises and remove all personal property or the landlord would take possession.
Owner Po Pai also owns Acton Asian Market, up the street at 279 Great Road.
Massachusetts
Meteor Lands In Cape Cod + Bus Crash Kills 5 From MA + Wind Storm Knocks Out Power To Thousands: MA Weekend
MASSACHUSETTS — Residents throughout New England were simultaneously startled as a meteor that landed in Cape Cod caused a sonic boom this past weekend.
Meanwhile, a bus driver is facing charges after five Massachusetts residents died in a crash on a highway in Virginia.
Plus, another State Trooper was caught handling a wrong-way driver situation on Route 1.
Mysterious Boom Heard Across MA Was An Exploding Meteor, Experts Say
The noises were heard around 2:11 p.m. Saturday, with people describing a sudden bang that rattled windows and even shook some homes. The American Meteor Society said that the booms heard were actually caused by a meteor about three feet wide entering the atmosphere near the border of Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
Residents as far as Ipswich and Johnston, Rhode Island, reported hearing and feeling the sensations. Meteorologist Nick Stewart shared satellite images from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, showing where the meteor entered the atmosphere and combusted while traveling at 75,000 miles per hour above the ocean.
Bus Driver Charged After MA Family Of 4, Worcester Woman Killed In VA Crash
Jing S. Dong, of Staten Island, New York, now faces two counts of involuntary manslaughter in connection with the collision, which occurred around 2:35 a.m. Friday on southbound I-95 near Quantico. Among those killed were a 45-year-old man, a 44-year-old woman, a 13-year-old girl and a 7-year-old boy, all from Greenfield, Massachusetts. All were in the Acura, which police said caught fire after the collisions. Police on Saturday evening identified the fifth person killed as Priscilla R. Mafalda, 25, of Worcester, Massachusetts, who was riding in the Suburban struck by the bus.
In total, about 44 people were transported to area hospitals, including three with critical injuries.
State Trooper Hospitalized After Route 1 Wrong-Way Crash In Peabody
State Police said the trooper was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries after police acted in coordination to protect traffic and stop the driver, who was traveling southbound on Route 1 North in Peabody. The incident occurred not far from the location on Route 1 where State Trooper Kevin Trainor was killed when his cruiser was hit head-on in a wrong-way crash in Lynnfield last month. The driver in Sunday’s crash was also hospitalized and charged with operating under the influence of liquor, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, and driving the wrong way on a state highway.
Rapidly Expanding Grocery Chain Has Big Plans For MA
Sprouts Farmers Market is slated to launch up to 40 locations throughout the region in the coming years. Construction has begun for the first Massachusetts spot in Weymouth, which has an opening date of 2028. The Phoenix-based organic grocery chain has more than 480 stores in 25 states.
Saturday’s Meteorite Was ‘Fishy Squisher’ And NASA Knows Where To Find It In Cape Cod Bay
Data from NASA suggest fragments of the meteorite lie in waters from the middle of the bay to about 10 miles northeast of the town of Sandwich. The agency said late Saturday it picked up radar signatures of the fragments from four radar sites, and termed the strike a “fishy squisher.” The meteorite entered Earth’s atmosphere about 40 miles above the Bay State and southern New Hampshire, creating the sonic boom. Water in the bombarded portion of Cape Cod Bay is about 100 feet deep.
35K Without Power As Winter-Like Storm Pummels MA With 55+ MPH Winds
Massachusetts residents throughout the North Shore were without power on Saturday morning as a winter-like storm tore a path of tree damage, downpours, and fierce winds throughout New England. Widespread tree damage was reported across the state, with the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency reporting 34,228 customers without power as of 11:20 a.m. Wind speeds reached a high of 55 miles per hour. Temperatures dropped into the 40s with wind chills in the 30s as the storm arrived across the Bay State. The unsettled weather will continue through Monday and Tuesday before a warming trend takes hold later in the week.
See Also:
Cape Shoreline Named Among The Nation’s 10 Best, According To ‘Dr. Beach’
U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, a moderate Massachusetts Democrat, secured enough delegate support Saturday to appear on the state’s primary ballot as he challenges incumbent U.S. Sen. Ed Markey in this year’s Senate race.
Yet even though Moulton cleared a key hurdle to continue his Senate bid, it was Markey who won the party’s endorsement after winning more than 50% of the delegation’s support.
“You have a choice, you have to decide what the future looks like and what you’re going to demand,” Markey said Saturday in front of more than 4,000 delegates.
Markey won nearly 73% of the delegates’ support, while Moulton won nearly 27% of the vote. Massachusetts Democratic Party rules require statewide candidates to get at least 15% of delegate support to appear on primary ballots.
In heavily Democratic Massachusetts, the Senate primary contest is one of the most closely watched in the country as Moulton, 47, has centered his campaign on changing the status quo and demanding a generational shift in leadership.
If reelected, Markey would be 80 before his third six-year term would begin. While Markey has touted his stamina and embrace of progressive policies, questions about age have continued to swirl around Democratic candidates as they fight to take back control of Congress.
Incumbent Sen. Ed Markey is leading Rep. Seth Moulton, but if Rep. Ayanna Pressley were to enter the Democratic primary, it would change the picture, according to a new poll from Suffolk University and The Boston Globe.
In his nomination speech, Moulton argued that the Democratic Party needed more than “incremental change” and needed to start anew.
“It’s time for the generation that grew up with the internet, and will have to live for decades with AI, to lead our way through it,” Moulton said.
Moulton only addressed his opponent briefly during his nomination speech, giving a passing nod on not waiting another six years for generational change and later calling on Markey to participate in multiple debates before the September primary. Currently, the two candidates have agreed to participate in one debate later this summer.
Markey, instead, took a more critical approach by attacking Moulton’s previous comments about transgender kids and accepting corporate PAC money.
“Massachusetts deserves better than a senator who scapegoats trans kids,” Markey said to loud cheers.
In 2024, Moulton caught flak from some members of his party for saying he didn’t want his daughters playing in sports against transgender girls. Critics said Moulton echoed Trump’s talking points against allowing transgender athletes in girls’ and women’s sports.
Moulton has since said his intent with that statement “was to point out that, as a party, we need to be willing to have difficult conversations.”
Moulton, who enlisted in the Marines after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and served four tours of duty in Iraq, was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2014. He briefly launched a 2020 presidential campaign, but he dropped that bid after a few months.
Markey served as a Massachusetts congressman for nearly 40 years before winning the Senate seat in 2013. He fended off a challenge in 2020 from Rep. Joe Kennedy III in the Senate primary by turning to his progressive allies to overcome a challenge from a younger rival from America’s most famous political family.
The Massachusetts primary is Sept. 1.
RANDOLPH, Mass. (WWLP) – A Randolph resident has won a $1 million prize through the final drawing of the Massachusetts State Lottery “$4,000,000 Monopoly Doubler” instant ticket game.
Brenda Mellor of Randolph claimed the game’s tenth and final $1 million prize.
She selected the cash option and received a one-time payment of $650,000 before taxes. Mellor said she plans to use the winnings to pay for home improvements, including renovations to her roof and pool.
The winning ticket was purchased at The Variety Store at 2 Mazzeo Drive in Randolph. The retailer will receive a $10,000 bonus for selling the ticket.
Local News Headlines
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