Cobblestone Cafe is the name for a new restaurant/cafe proposed by Carla Gomes at 227-237 Hanover St., the former location of Hot Tomatoes in Boston’s North End. Ms. Gomes also heads up Terramia, Antico Forno and Cafe Lil Italy on Salem St.
Represented by Attorney Daniel Toscano, Ms. Gomes appeared with Chef Joshua Breen at this week’s meeting of the North End / Waterfront Neighborhood Council (NEWNC) to present the zoning appeal and C.V. license application for the new restaurant.
The cafe was presented as offering take-out / delivery and a menu of sandwiches, burgers, salads, wraps, kabobs and casual fare. The applicant would add approximately 10 seats should a plumbing variance be allowed regarding the restroom location.
Hours of operation will be from 7:00 am to 11:00 pm, Sunday through Thursday, closing at midnight on Friday and Saturday.
NEWNC voted 9-0 in support of the proposal for Cobblestone Cafe. View the video above for the full presentation.
can someone open a good indian or mexican food place in this neighborhood? sheesh.
They tried a Mexican place on Prince St, but it never got any business (mainly because it was dimly lit and dirty inside). I agree that the neighborhood would benefit from *some* culinary diversity. The fact is, there are several (if not 15 or more) italian restaurants that are empty night in, night out, and it would make good business sense to offer something different than what everyone else is offering. Out with the old, in with the new.
Imagine if there were a sushi bar, fancy mexican, thai, and maybe a nouveau american restaurant with all that organic farming stuff on the menu. That won’t take business away from the italian restaurants or the character of the area – only add to it. I mean c’mon how about an Anna’s Taqueria or something??
The fact is, neptune oyster is not italian by any stretch and is one of the best places in the city and right here in our neighborhood. I’m frankly shocked that there isn’t a wanna-be neptune oyster elsewhere in the neighborhood.
Look at how well the new non-italian coffee place is doing — The Thinking Cup??
the reinention of mare as an oyster bar is a pure wanna-be neptune oyster place. it’s actually funny (or maybe sad) how all the places around neptune have hung signs pushing lobster rolls.
Mare is the one place that I think is somewhat like Neptune, but even their menu is more of an italian/seafood/miami beach fusion festival.
the business owners need to recognize that the neighborhood is changing quickly after the big dig. Now we have a whole complex of restaurants or a luxury hotel going in at the Haymarket, the Boston Public Market opening up later this year, the new luxury apartments over by North Station.
So the business leaders can sit back and rest on their laurels and let the North End be a singular attraction – Italian Food – or diversify a little bit. Think about the people who live in the neighborhood who have to leave whenever they want to eat something different? It doesn’t make sense.
I think we should have a great Chinese Restaurant,
like the Golden Temple in Brookline or Bernard’s in
Chestnut Hill and location is on No. Washington St.
when a certain establishment vacants and goes to the
Seaport Area.
It would be between No. Station & the No. End.
There is a restaurant in N.Y.C. called Mr. K’s and it
is probably the best looking restaurant in the city.
It has an Art Deco Chinese Flair, simply gorgeous,
located on Lexington, a bit expensive, and the food is
good, but not like the restaurants mentioned above.
No reason to keep the good stuff to the outskirts of the North End. I mean, look at Ducali, for example – the place is very much an Italian restaurant BUT IT’S FUN. Let’s get more places like that, at a minimum.
Does this have anything to do with why Carla is turning her back on Cafe Lil Italy? Why is the cafe now closing at 3 pm? I sense some sketchy liquor license claim coming up- NEWRA and NEWNC you are on notice.
Well, “tourist traps” … since you’re an expert, maybe there are no tourists after 3pm in the winter! Stop with the conspiracy theories. We’re lucky to have Carla here running the cleanest places in town that respect the people who live here. I can’t wait for the cobblestone cafe. Yay!
I TRUST NEWRA, THE OTHER COMMITTEE IS MADE UP OF RESTAURANT OWNERS & A CITY EMPLOYEE.
Just to clarify, only 2 of the 12 members of The North End Waterfront Neighborhood Council are restaurant owners.
David, No matter what way you look at it, there is a
conflict of interest when restaurant owners and city
workers are on these neighborhood committees.
Forgive me if I am wrong, but I thought Jorge from
Monica, Phillip from Ducali and Gennaro were all
connected to restaurants. Did Jorge leave this
committe?