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It’s an abrupt end to the combo store, which underwent a hard-fought battle to open in Harvard Square four years ago

Dessert chain Milk Bar, run by lauded pastry chef Christina Tosi, is calling it quits on its lone Boston-area location nine months after its partner in the Harvard Square space, fast-casual pizza chain &Pizza, also shut down. A sign posted on Milk Bar’s front window says the last day of service is February 19, according to the industry blog Boston Restaurant Talk.

The bubblegum pink-hued bakery debuted its first Boston-area location under unusual circumstances in February 2019. D.C.-based pizza chain &Pizza was already jockeying for a prime space in Harvard Square, but it was hitting roadblocks with community members in part because it was a pizza chain trying to open in an area already full of pizza restaurants. &Pizza’s leadership sweetened the proposition by promising that the operation would be a collaboration with candy-coated industry darling Milk Bar, run by Tosi, who got her start in chef David Chang’s Momofuku universe. (Both brands share an investor in RSE Ventures.) The Harvard Square location, a nod to old-school fast food combo shops, marked both &Pizza and Milk Bar’s first restaurants in the city.

The collaboration appeared to be well-received at first, with Milk Bar churning out its signature confetti sprinkles-laced birthday cakes and &Pizza producing its oblong-shaped pies, but the idea did not survive the pandemic. Last May, &Pizza shuttered its side of the restaurant, leaving Milk Bar as the lone tenant in the space. Now, the bakery has announced that it is shutting down at the end of next week.

Eater has reached out to Milk Bar for more information on the closure and will update this post if we hear back.

Last spring, it was reported that a Washington, D.C.-based pizza chain had closed its only Boston-area location, though a New York-based bakery within the space would remain open. Now we have learned that the bakery is shutting down as well.

According to a poster within the Friends of Boston’s Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, Milk Bar in the Harvard Square section of Cambridge is closing, with a note out front at the Brattle Street spot saying that its last day in operation will be February 19. Both Milk Bar and &pizza first opened in the former Tory Row/Crimson Corner space in 2019, with the pizza spot closing last May.

Milk Bar, which has shops in New York City, Washington, D.C., Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Toronto, and Vancouver, was once called “one of the most exciting bakeries in the country” by Bon Appetit Magazine.

The address for the Harvard Square location of Milk Bar is 3 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138.

Record low temperatures neither dampened the spirits of parade participants, nor deterred die-hard fans.

CAMBRIDGE — Temperatures hovered just above 13 degrees, but Christopher Rivers was decked out for Saturday’s Hasty Pudding parade in a blue miniskirt and glittery sheer top, the hairs on his bare legs standing at attention.

“It’s mind over matter. When the wind isn’t actively blowing, it’s actually OK, but every now and then a breeze comes along,” said Rivers, a member of the Hasty Pudding Theatricals tech crew. Despite pleas from friends, Rivers kept the pants he had beenwearing underneath his costume earlier that day stuffed deep in a jacket pocket.

“It’s a matter of aesthetics, and I’ll do anything for the bit,” Rivers said.

The costume, borrowed from a previous year’s show, was part of the tradition of Harvard’s Hasty Pudding Club’s annual parade, which this year honored Jennifer Coolidge as the 73rd Woman of the Year for her contributions to the entertainment industry, including, most recently, her Emmy-winning performance on HBO series “The White Lotus.” Pastwinners of the award, which began in 1951, have included Meryl Streep, Halle Berry, Sandra Bullock, and Anne Hathaway.

Bob Odenkirk, 60, the Emmy-winning actor, producer, and writer, was honored Thursday night as Hasty Pudding’s Man of the Year.

CAMBRIDGE – “The White Lotus” actress Jennifer Coolidge is being celebrated Saturday as the 2023 Woman of the Year by Harvard University’s Hasty Pudding Theatricals.

As the oldest theatrical organization in the nation and one of the oldest in the world, since 1951, Hasty Pudding Theatricals has bestowed this award annually on women “who have made lasting and impressive contributions to the world of entertainment.”

Coolidge, who saw a career resurgence following her Emmy-winning turn as Tanya McQuoid-Hunt in the acclaimed HBO series “The White Lotus,” headlined a parade through the streets of Cambridge Saturday afternoon. Dressed in a leopard print coat and donning a fluffy pink hat, she waved to the crowd that had come out despite unusually frigid temperatures.

Coolidge, who also played Stifler’s sultry mom in “American Pie” and sage manicurist Paulette in the “Legally Blonde” movies, grew up in the Boston area. Later in the evening, she will attend a roast where she will be presented with her Pudding Pot award.

“It is an absolute dream for us to honor Jennifer Coolidge as our Woman of the Year on the heels of her recent accolades for ‘The White Lotus,'” Producer Sarah Mann said in a statement. “We know our Pudding Pot will look phenomenal alongside her new Golden Globe, and we swear we won’t whisk her away to a palazzo in Palermo!”

Her other film credits include roles in “Best In Show,” “A Mighty Wind” and “Shotgun Wedding,” and she has appeared in multiple television shows, including “Seinfeld,” “2 Broke Girls” and “Nip/Tuck.”

A restaurant in Boston’s Chinatown neighborhood that opened a couple of years ago is expanding across the river.

According to a source, WakuWaku Ramen & Sake is getting ready to open a new location in the Harvard Square section of Cambridge, with the website for the place indicating that it plans to debut on February 1. The original location opened on Tyler Street in Chinatown in the spring of 2021, offering an array of ramen and sake options along with such items as wings, duck bun, fried oysters, shrimp tempura, kimchi, shumai, pork chops, and more.

The website for WakuWaku mentions that another outlet could be coming to Waltham at some point as well.

The address for the new location of WakuWaku in Harvard Square is 33 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138. The website for the business can be found at https://www.wakuwakuramen.com/

A restaurant in Boston’s Chinatown neighborhood that opened a couple of years ago is expanding across the river.

According to a source, WakuWaku Ramen & Sake is getting ready to open a new location in the Harvard Square section of Cambridge, with the website for the place indicating that it plans to debut on February 1. The original location opened on Tyler Street in Chinatown in the spring of 2021, offering an array of ramen and sake options along with such items as wings, duck bun, fried oysters, shrimp tempura, kimchi, shumai, pork chops, and more.

The website for WakuWaku mentions that another outlet could be coming to Waltham at some point as well.

The address for the new location of WakuWaku in Harvard Square is 33 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138. The website for the business can be found at https://www.wakuwakuramen.com/

Now that Starbucks is back in the Square, it feels like all is well again…

Situated in the Abbot Building between the Yard and the River Houses, our new Starbucks location is spectacular. As you head for your pick-me-up beverage, you will no longer have any excuse to put off your weekly CVS haul or any of your other errands. How convenient! Not only is the location convenient, Starbucks’ hours are pleasantly surprising (it’s open until 9 p.m. all week!) Gone are the days of craving a late night peppermint mocha or matcha green tea latte and being severely disappointed when finding that Starbucks closed at 7:30 p.m. You can now fuel your unhealthy coffee addiction 16-ish hours a day, 7 days a week!

Vibes 🙂

Arezoo: The vibes of this Starbucks are absolutely adorable — being greeted by soft, ambient music along with a blast of warm air and the smell of coffee beans definitely perked me up after a day full of back-to-back sections. I think that the smaller size of the cafe adds to its homey feel, and makes it perfect to quickly stop by between classes.

Subul: It is a compact but super cute establishment. You can definitely tell it’s a brand-new, recent addition to the area by the clean and modern look of the place, and it makes it very inviting! There are no spaces to sit or work, so it’s more of a grab-and-go coffee shop. The chitter-chatter of people waiting, and the hustle and bustle of others quickly getting their drinks creates a lively atmosphere — and makes for a great people-watching experience.

Drinks

Arezoo: In the spirit of the holiday season, I ordered a grande iced sugar cookie almond milk latte. This drink can be a hit or miss, but today it was definitely a major hit! The drink was perfectly sweet, and the added red and green sprinkles made it even better (aesthetics matter!). They ran out of almond milk but were quick to offer up many alternatives, including oat milk, which I ultimately chose. Would 10/10 recommend this drink to put you in the winter spirit!

Subul: I celebrated the beginning of the holiday season by ordering a caramel brulée latte, and words cannot describe how phenomenal it was. It hit the spot, and I am still dreaming about it. I should probably branch out and try another holiday drink, but every part of me wants to continue ordering the caramel brulée latte again and again. We could all use a dose of serotonin when our routines get robotic and our days get cold, and I cannot recommend this drink enough.

Speed

Arezoo: I knew that the store would probably be busy, but I did not anticipate anywhere near the line that I found when I visited. Since it was Red Cup Day, people of all ages flocked to the new Starbucks. Despite this, I was very impressed with how the staff was able to handle the number of customers. Not to mention that they had enough red cups to last them until 4:30 p.m. — but they did run out five minutes before I got to the front of the line though. R.I.P.

The Norwell native will be honored with a parade and roast on February 4.

The awards keep rolling in for Jennifer Coolidge.

After snagging a Golden Globe statuette earlier this month for her role in “The White Lotus,” Coolidge was named the 2023 Woman of the Year by Harvard University’s Hasty Pudding Theatricals on Tuesday.

The award ceremony will be a homecoming for Coolidge in more ways than one: The actress was born in Boston and raised in Norwell, and one of her most famous roles was in the 2001 film “Legally Blonde,” which was set around Harvard’s law school campus.

“We are so excited to welcome Jennifer Coolidge back to her hometown and to Harvard, the iconic setting of Legally Blonde,” Hasty Pudding Man & Woman of the Year Coordinator Maya Dubin said in a press release. “Her glittering personality and comedic presence are so Pudding.”

Coolidge will be honored with a parade through Harvard Square at 1:45 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 4, followed by a roast at 7 p.m., where she will be given the group’s Pudding Pot.

Coolidge joins previous Hasty Pudding Woman of the Year winners including Meryl Streep, Octavia Spencer, and fellow Massachusetts natives Elizabeth Banks and Amy Poehler.

Along with her roles in “White Lotus” and “Legally Blonde,” Coolidge gained significant attention for her role in the teen comedy “American Pie.” Other notable credits include “A Mighty Wind,” “Best in Show,” “A Cinderella Story,” and the recent romcom “Shotgun Wedding.”

CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) — Jennifer Coolidge, who saw a career resurgence following her Emmy-winning turn as Tanya McQuoid-Hunt in the acclaimed HBO series “The White Lotus,” was named the 2023 Woman of the Year by Harvard University’s Hasty Pudding Theatricals on Tuesday.

The Pudding is the oldest theatrical organization in the nation and one of the oldest in the world. Since 1951, it has bestowed this award annually on women “who have made lasting and impressive contributions to the world of entertainment.”

Coolidge, who also played Stifler’s sultry mom in “American Pie” and sage manicurist Paulette in the “Legally Blonde” movies, grew up in the Boston area.

“We are so excited to welcome Jennifer Coolidge back to her hometown and to Harvard, the iconic setting of Legally Blonde,” Man and Woman of the Year coordinator Maya Dubin said in a press release. “Her glittering personality and comedic presence are so Pudding.”

Coolidge will be honored with a parade through Harvard Square on Feb. 4 followed by a roast when she will be presented her Pudding Pot.

Her other film credits include roles in “Best In Show,” “A Mighty Wind” and “Shotgun Wedding” while she has appeared multiple television shows including “Seinfeld,” “2 Broke Girls” and “Nip/Tuck.”

Previous winners of the Woman of the Year Award include Meryl Streep, Viola Davis and Debbie Reynolds.

Bob Odenkirk was named the 2023 Hasty Pudding Man of the Year last week. He will be honored on Feb. 2.

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