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Farewell Il Panino :(

July 23, 2009 by Jennifer Che 2 Comments

One of our favorite local Italian eateries, Il Panino Express in Harvard Square, is closing this Saturday. The landlord has raised the rent significantly, and he refuses to lease to Il Panino without a 5-year lease at this higher rate. Negotiations broke down, and now Il Panino must leave by Saturday. As far as I know, they do not plan on moving the restaurant elsewhere.

When asked where the workers were going next, the cashier replied, “unemployment.”

It’s so sad. This establishment has been here for almost 20 years, and most of the workers have been here since the beginning. I’ll miss the ability to walk across the street, see familiar faces, and enjoy good, solid Italian food. We’ll really miss you, Il Panino.

Even the City of Cambridge is miffed about this situation. Apparently, the City of Cambridge (I’m guessing either City Council or City Hall folks) often uses Il Panino to cater events. They have a very close business relationship. Right now, City Councilor Tim Toomey has submitted a policy order resolution imploring City Council to do something to keep this valuable establishment in Cambridge. We’ll see what happens.

We went there tonight to say our last good-by, both to the food and also to the people. We ordered our favorite dishes.

_MG_0832.jpg

Tomato Basil Mozarella Salad with Proscuitto, Gnocchi Pesto (not pictured),

Frutti Di Mare (Clams, Mussels,calamari) with Spicy Red Sauce

I guess I shouldn’t be so sad since the North End still houses an Il Panino Express and an Il Panino Trattoria. Still, I truly think this neighborhood has lost a great gem. Sadly, that building now has three empty spots (previously occupied by Loony Records, Roka, and Friendly Eating Place), now soon to be four. I just don’t understand what the landlord is thinking. Some of these spaces have been empty since 2001. Clearly, he’s not having much luck renting them out at such high rates.

Oh dear, Garden At the Cellar is in the same building!!! Please, I can’t bear to lose another good restaurant near me! 🙁

©2009-2014 Tiny Urban Kitchen
All Rights Reserved

Filed Under: Cambridge, Central Square, Harvard Square, Italian Tagged With: Italian, Restaurant

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Trackbacks

  1. Happy 15th Anniversary + Chicago! - Tiny Urban Kitchen says:
    September 8, 2016 at 2:03 am

    […] on infamous September 1st!) to how the bridesmaids and I (and my mom!) munched on sandwiches from Il Panino Express for lunch after getting our hair […]

    Log in to Reply
  2. Waypoint Cambridge -Michael Scelfo's new restaurant - Tiny Urban Kitchen says:
    January 24, 2017 at 12:47 am

    […] Square. Regular haunts for us back then included the old Cafe Sushi (hello dollar sushi!), Il Panino (now closed), Garden at the Cellar (now closed), The Plough and Stars, and the original Basta […]

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Welcome to Tiny Urban Kitchen!

JenChe

Hi, my name's Jen and welcome to my cooking, eating, and travel site! I am a Boston to Hong Kong transplant, born and raised in Ohio with parents from Taiwan. Feel free to head on over to the About page if you want to learn more about me, or just explore away, maybe starting with the Recipe Index or one of the travel pages! I hope you enjoy this site!
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