The sad news this weekend was that The Littlest Bar had finally been forced to close it's doors at the current location. After months and months of wait and see it appears the Abbey Group has finally begun the push for action to construct condo's on top of what was once the Littlest footprint. We've been heading every now and again since we heard about the initial threats of closure. Owner Paddy Grace told us in March that he was scoping out a new spot to open up a bar. It probably won't be the Littlest – but he'll bring the Irish charm (and he's already got street cred if you ask us). Paddy will retain his liquor license and hopes to transfer it to a new location on Devonshire. Both of the major papers are reporting on the loss of the littlest and the hopeful move. Perhaps there's something to be said when you can walk into the bar by yourself and it's already crowded. Grace hopes that a new establishment might be open by the end of the year.
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The little Cuban place that could is still poised to make a come back. City Councilors Hennigan and Tobin were on the scene in July after El Oriental on Centre St. in Jamaica Plain had apparently been firebombed. Bostonist has walked by longingly these past few months waiting for the place to be rebuilt. An outpouring of support from the local community through cards posted to the plywood covering the exterior to donations made at a benefit concert will help to reopen one of our favorite Cuban restaurants.
For a while Bostonist had been hoping that El Oriental de Cuba in JP would be open a bit later. After downing some pints at Behan’s a walk over to El Oriental for some mashed plantains is much better than that foreman grilled cheese we end up making after bars close. Alas, they were only open on weekends until 10 p.m. Until yesterday that is, when El Oriental was firebombed overnight. Bostonist loves ethnic food and for Cuban food in Boston this little spot - located "the other way" down Centre St., away from the cute little shops that define the increasingly gentrified JP - can’t be beat. The Boston Globe recounted statements from Maura A. Hennigan, who heard the Molatov cocktail-like fire starter had been tossed through the window of El Oriental around 3:30 a.m. This unexpected arson has taken the neighborhood by surprise and left the Cuban community in Jamaica Plain distraught, waiting for the restaurant to rebuild. Nobel Garcia pledged to the community and reporters that he would reopen the restaurant he’s owned for the last 6 years. Garcia said he had no enemies and didn’t know who could have done it. The food is great, the space itself left a little something to be desired, but nothing to firebomb over.