Shuttered 28 Degrees to heat up as new restaurant run by jm Curley group

The owners of jm Curley hoped to replace the shuttered 28 Degrees on Appleton Street with a new restaurant focusing on New England fare, including seafood.

The Boston Licensing Board votes tomorrow whether to let Merrill & Co. spend $300,000 to buy 28 Degrees's all-alcohol license.

At a hearing today, Merrill & Co. managers said they hope to open this spring after renovations.

They said they hope to open for brunch on weekends, possibly with live jazz.

And they sought permission to stay open only until 1 a.m., which made board Chairwoman Nicole Murati Ferrer curious, since most restaurants these days try to get a 2 a.m. license.

Manager Babak Bina explained the restaurant would be a neighborhood place in a neighborhood that doesn't know the jm Curley folks - and located on the edge of a residential block - so they didn't want to start out alienating nearby residents or turning the restaurant into a late-night destination. If residents later start asking for a later closing time, he said, the restaurant might apply for a new license.