Tag Archives: EBNA

Coda Restaurant Group looks to open a new restaurant “Baleia” at the Troy Boston in the South End

Earlier this month, the Coda Restaurant Group (which own/manage The Salty Pig and SRV) came before the East Berkeley Neighborhood Association (EBNA) to share plans to open a new restaurant in the Troy Boston residential building later this year.

However, this isn’t the first time these two men have introduced the idea of opening a new restaurant in this space. Back in February 2022, Jim Cochener of Coda Restaurant Group and Ted Hawkins, General Manager of SRV Boston joined the EBNA to discuss a liquor license request for a new restaurant they wanted to open in the Troy Boston. At that meeting, they described the restaurant as a full-service, “Mediterranean-focused” restaurant and raw bar with ~100 seats inside, a 16-seat bar, and ~20-patio seats on East Berkeley Street.

Although nothing materialized, it appears their plans are back on track. Jim and Ted indicated when they joined the EBNA earlier this month that the restaurant will be called Baleia (a Portuguese word that means whale) and will be open daily for dinner with plans to also offer Sunday Brunch. On the call, the team indicated that they are targeting a late summer / early fall opening.

When Baleia opens, it will join two other restaurants that are just blocks away that also have a menu focused on Mediterranean cuisine with an emphasis on seafood – Atlantico, and Marseille (scheduled to open in the spring of 2023). Is this the start of a new food trend? I do love seafood and wish the Coda team much luck. As I learn more, I’ll be sure to share it.

Cathedral Station will remain open

It appears the EBNA’s message to the South End Community Facebook Group indicating that Cathedral Station would be closing was incorrect and due to a typo. In yesterday’s post I shared a copy of their January 3rd meeting agenda, here.

However, in a separeate conversation on Reddit last night Jostlose_w8 shared this message. Indicating that the owner of the building is entertaining renting space at 1220 Washington Street to a dispensary. I’ve included the City of Boston’s community meeting for proposed cannabis establishment invite below the Reddit comment. Under the image I’ve also included a link if you’d like to know more about that meeting and wish to attend / participate.

For more infomration about this meeting on January 18, 2023 click here.

Is Cathedral Station about to close to make way for a new cannabis dispensary

UPDATE: The EBNA reported the incorrect address for the cannabis dispensary.

On Tuesday, January 3, 2023, The East Berkeley Neighborhood Association (EBNA) will host their monthly meeting online. Time has been set aside to discuss the proposal for a new cannabis dispensary at 1222 Washington Street. This address is currently home to Cathedral Station, which calls into question the future of this popular bar that serves Boston’s gay community.

If you are a resident in the neighborhood and would like to attend the EBNA neighborhood meeting, click here for the Zoom Link.

At this time, I’ve not been able to get a comment from Cathedral Station on what is happening, and I don’t want to perpetuate rumors. I don’t know when their lease is ending or the intentions of the owner Georges Market LLC. It would be sad to think the bar is closing after weathering the recent COVID-19 pandemic, but if that is the case, I do hope Cathy’s can find a new space in the South End to call home.

It would be a significant loss for Boston’s LGBTQ+ community and the South End in particular to lose another bar. Cathedral Station has been a welcoming space for everyone to enjoy since it first opened in 2014.

Much thanks to my good friend and neighbor, C.J. for sharing the EBNA monthly meeting calendar. As I learn more, I’ll be sure to share it here on my blog. If you have any information, please reach out to me at bosguymail@gmail.com.