Culinary Changes Afoot in the South End
As usual, the restaurant scene in the South End is changing, just as predictably as the seasons. One of the big changes is a new Stephanie’s restaurant taking over the former Tremont Street space of the popular, reasonably-priced Garden of Eden restaurant. A lot of South Enders aren’t thrilled by the change. The Stephanie’s currently located at 190 Newbury Street in the Back Bay is quite a bit more expensive than the old Garden of Eden restaurant, which was always a nice won’t-break-the-bank option for brunch and lunch.
In addition, a new restaurant called Circle is opening up in the space formerly occupied by Bob’s Southern Bistro, at 604 Columbus Avenue. Word on the street is that Circle will have a menu focused on contemporary French cuisine. Quite a change from the soul food that was once served at this location. With dinner menus priced between $20 and $35, the restaurant seems to follow the continued gentrification of the South End restaurant scene, even into the territory beyond Massachusetts Avenue. (The owner of the old Bob’s restaurant, by the way, opened up a new enterprise in the South End last year called The Beehive, a combination of bar, restaurant and live music club located in the Cyclorama building at 541 Tremont Street.)
Finally, Thai Village, another Tremont Street restaurant has closed its doors. The restaurant was frequented by South Enders looking for good, cheap alternatives to the House of Siam, the South End’s other Thai restaurant. No word yet on what will replace Thai Village, but if the other changes in the South End are any indication, any new restaurant is likely to be more expensive than the one it is replacing.
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