It's a new year and that time when food writers and foodies in general think about what may be coming in 2020. With the recent bombshell that Top Of The Hub will be closing all sorts of other things were called into question. The moment after the press release arrived in our email the story was already going viral and was actually the top story on all of the local newscasts. We have many happy memories of Top Of The Hub and it was always THE snag of the year to dine there late enough on July 4th to basically see the fireworks explode at eye level. However, like most who are lamenting the loss, we haven't eaten there in years. A venerable spot without doubt and for many a tradition or rite of passage.
Each year food writers predict that the bubble will burst, there are too many restaurants chasing too few diners, more people are eating delivery service at home from a favorite restaurant and with the worsening traffic and exorbitant parking prices who wants to drive into the city? Can you blame them? Yet each year seems to bring more new restaurants that overshadow the few that close.
Just in our own neighborhood we see Modern Pastry closed for renovations. That's a good thing, right? Business must be great. Yet literally across the street is a sign for a new tequila bar that will be opening soon - in 2018! It's owned by the same people who operate the very successful Tenoch Mexican eateries.
Modern is one of those places that has gone cash only in this increasingly digital world while other restaurants are going in the opposite direction and accepting no cash.
Then there are the food halls. Faneuil Hall still gets a lot of foot traffic albeit tourists. Then there is the much newer Boston Market just around the corner that seems to get a lot emptier every time we visit. Add to that Eataly, Smith Center in Harvard Square and the new Time Out Market. Also on the horizon are High Street in Downtown Crossing and yet another slated for The Hub On Causeway. How many food halls can one city take?
There has been a plethora of West End restaurants opened in the past year or so and many more on the way. If there is no event or game at TD Garden will people still flock there just to dine? Yes, there is a lot of foot traffic through North Station but it's mostly running to get to the Commuter Rail from what we can see.
Fine dining has also taken flight to the suburbs - Burlington and Lynn are just two of the areas where the rents are much cheaper (as are the liquor licenses) and the plentiful parking is free. FREE. Add in the minimum wage laws changing and the growing FOH/BOH dichotomy as some places sneak in service charges (yes, some are very upfront about it, too) and the uphill battle of converting the populace to accept no tip dining at all. It seems to work in some places and fails miserably in others.
The Greater Boston food and restaurant world is notoriously tight-lipped and gossipy at the same time. The national chains with deep pockets dot far more of the landscape than do independents. And some of them are really cleaning up in Boston. Then there is the Encore Casino, which is not. Honestly, we don't know of a single person who has gone there solely to dine at all except for the buffet. And what about that brilliant Cat Cafe idea?
The only thing that seems certain for 2020 is that there will be a lot of uncertainty. So, we're not making any predictions at all.
Uncertainty is clearly the word!It is more than a little alarming that we have more restaurants than ever before which may even be too many after decades of too few.
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