Grotto, a longstanding Italian restaurant in Beacon Hill, is bowing out in September. Chef and owner Scott Herrit wrote in a message on the website that it “has been a very difficult decision, but the time has come for a new chapter.” Herrit launched the restaurant 22 years ago, at 37 Bowdoin Street, in a small, subterranean space with exposed brick walls and a cozy feel. Tables were often crowded with plates of pasta, from short rib gnocchi with mushrooms and gorgonzola to the crowd-pleasing spaghetti and meatballs with “Grotto’s Insanely Fabulous Tomato Sauce.”
The exact closing date has not yet been announced, but the restaurant’s lease is up in September, and the final night of service will happen sometime before it expires. Until then, Grotto is open for dinner nightly from 5 to 9 p.m.
A Back Bay pastry favorite unexpectedly closes
Jonquils Cafe & Bakery, the Newbury Street cafe known for its elegant, geometric pastries, unexpectedly closed down this week. The cafe posted a vague message on Instagram announcing that the business would be closed “until further notice.” It’s not clear why the shutdown occurred, or when or if the cafe will reopen. Eater has reached out for more information.
An African all-day cafe expands to Northeastern University
Nubian Markets — the all-day cafe that traces the African diaspora with hits like a must-try burger with berbere-citrus mayo, plus a halal butchery and market showcasing goods from local Black-owned vendors — is expanding. After two years in Roxbury’s Nubian Square, the team is adding another location in the neighborhood, at 742 Columbus Avenue, in the former Underground Cafe and Lounge space near Northeastern University. No word yet on an exact opening date, but keep an eye on the market’s Instagram for more details as construction progresses.
Dining and Cooking