When Nick Lisotto first opened Sorriso Market, he and his wife painted the shop themselves. In September, Lisotto told Brookline.News what it was like to walk back into the same room after three years away. "When we went back into the store it was a flood of memories," he said. "It's exciting to go back to something you built and breathe new life into it."
Of the four food changes reported here since summer, three come from businesses that already had a past in the area. One founder returned to his old space. One cooking team kept its address and changed its name. And one roaster that built its following at weekend pop-ups inside another business is now heading up Harvard Street toward Coolidge Corner. Brookline Village is taking businesses back and sending them out at the same time.
The Wine Shop That Went Away and Came Back
Sorriso closed its Coolidge Corner arcade outlet and then sold its Brookline Village store in 2023. According to Brookline.News, sales were not the reason. The decision was Lisotto's own. The firm that bought the shop went bankrupt in 2025, and after months of legal proceedings Lisotto had the chance to take the business back.
The shop is at the same address, 27 Harvard St, but the inside has been rearranged. Lisotto changed the layout to make room for gatherings: wine tastings that run from casual weeknight pours to rare one-off bottles, balsamic tastings, and eventually pasta-making workshops. He also plans to expand the art gallery side of the store.
"I've shifted kind of the focus of the store to be more encompassing, as opposed to before when I sold my pasta, wine and some art. Now it's truly going to be an experience which I'm pretty excited about."
Lisotto said that to Brookline.News, and the new pieces of the business show what he means. A private membership gives access to the deep cellar, where the rarest and most expensive wines are kept. The everyday shelves still run from about $20 a bottle to $200. During his time away, Lisotto became one of the exclusive U.S. importers for Lini 910, a winery and balsamic producer in Canolo, Italy. He also runs Sorriso Pasta, which makes pasta from freshly milled European grains. Those two businesses explain where the balsamic tastings and pasta workshops come from.
Sorriso soft-opened over Labor Day weekend and kept Wednesday-through-Sunday hours in September. A full relaunch of events and offerings was planned for October. The September hours are no guide to October, so check the shop's site for the current schedule and tasting calendar before you go.
The Pop-Up That Outgrew Its Host
Half a block away, the reverse is happening. Newbery St, a Thai specialty coffee roaster run by Pack and Thunya, has been the "popup café in residence" at Merai Bar, 14 Harvard St. It serves pour-overs, a Black Sesame Latte, an Azuki Matcha and freshly baked salt bread. The roaster lists typical hours of 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., says it is there most weekends, and asks visitors to check Instagram first because the schedule changes.
This summer Newbery St asked its customers to help pay for a permanent café. The Kickstarter campaign closed on August 31, 2026 with $34,684 from 260 backers. The team says it reached its goal in 15 days. The campaign said the lease was signed, construction was underway, and the café was meant to open by late August. That date has passed. The team's thank-you update says "we still have plenty of work ahead" and gives no new opening date.
The new café is at 240 Harvard St, the former Cremeux space. As the Brookline Record reported, that address is near Coolidge Corner, outside Brookline Village. So the roaster that built its local following in a Village bar on weekend mornings will open its own doors in another part of town. Brookline Village gave the business a place to test its idea, and the backers paid for it to move.
For now, the weekend pop-up at Merai is still the place to get Newbery's coffee in Brookline.
What Changed, Where, and What's Settled
Here are the four food changes side by side. Only one has no earlier history in the area.
| Business |
Address |
What changed |
Status as of mid-October |
| Sorriso Market |
27 Harvard St |
Reopened by its original owner after the 2023 sale |
Open; October relaunch of events planned |
| Newbery St |
14 Harvard St, inside Merai Bar |
Weekend pop-up raising money for its own café |
Pop-up running; 240 Harvard St café has no opening date |
| Chaba Cafe |
224 Cypress St |
New name for the former So Kitchen |
Open daily, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. |
| Junbi Matcha & Tea |
Harvard Ave |
New matcha shop |
Opened in July |
A New Name on Cypress Street, and the One Truly New Arrival
Chaba Cafe is the quietest of the changes. The Thai restaurant that was So Kitchen on Cypress Street now operates as Chaba Cafe, still cooking Thai food with a focus on curries, noodles and fried rice, Brookline.News reported in August. It is at 224 Cypress St and open every day from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Anyone who ordered from So Kitchen will find the same type of menu under the new sign.
Junbi Matcha & Tea is the only newcomer of the group. It opened on Harvard Avenue in July after a lot of advance attention. The same Brookline.News roundup suggests starting with a classic ceremonial matcha before moving to specials like sea salt caramel, blueberry lavender and strawberry. It also gives the Village two places within a few blocks for matcha drinks, counting the Azuki Matcha at Newbery's weekend pop-up.
The Station Street Calendar Holds Steady
Restaurants and shops in the Village come and go. Puppet Showplace Theater at 32 Station Street runs on a published schedule, and the Brookline.News events calendar lists its shows through December 18. With Sorriso's events still settling into a schedule and Newbery's café still under construction, the theater's dates are the easiest thing in the Village to plan around:
- October 24 and 25: The Four Seasons
- October 31 and November 1: Lisa the Wise
- November 6: An Evening with Mr. Vernon Watercress
- November 11: Dig Down Deep
- November 14: Fall Puppet Slam
- November 21: NEST
- November 27: Cinderella
- December 11: The Troll that Stole Hanukkah
- December 18: The Holiday Sing-Along!
The same calendar lists Raising a Joyful Reader, a 7 p.m. discussion with educator Vicki Milstein at Turtle Books on Thursday, October 22, with RSVPs taken through the bookstore. Event listings are maintained by the organizers, so confirm times with the theater or the bookstore before you go.
A weekend morning in the Village can cover most of these changes in a few blocks. Start with a pour-over at Merai while the Newbery pop-up is running. Stop at Puppet Showplace if a show is scheduled. Then go to 27 Harvard St to see what Lisotto is pouring. When Newbery's own café opens, getting that coffee will mean a walk toward Coolidge Corner.
Colin Bayley and the Bayley & Natoli team follow storefront changes like these block by block, from 14 Harvard St to 224 Cypress St. If you own nearby and want to know how your home fits into what is happening on Harvard and Cypress Streets, request a home valuation and market plan.
