food & drink

[This story first appeared on Boston Restaurant Talk.] An upscale Fort Point restaurant has shut down after being in business for a bit more than five years. According to a message sent from local restaurant critic and food/drinks feature writer MC Slim JB, Oak + Rowan on A Street is no longer in business, with an Instagram post from owner…

Mayor Michelle Wu announced Thursday that Boston’s Outdoor Dining Pilot Program will return this spring. The 2022 Outdoor Dining Pilot Program season will begin on Friday, April 1, except in the North End. The citywide program allows restaurants the use of expanded pubic spaces for outdoor dining. The program first took effect in June 2020 to help boost business at…

[This story first appeared on Boston Restaurant Talk.] An award-winning trio of restaurants that focus on seafood will be expanding to a fourth location. According to a press release, Row 34 is planning to open in the Kendall Square section of Cambridge this fall, moving into a space on Main Street next to the T station and across the street…

First look: Castle Island Brewing opens new South Boston taproom

The northwest suburbs of Boston have some terrific communities to head to for food, including Arlington, Winchester, Lexington and Burlington, though once you get beyond Route 128, you’ll start heading into such unspoiled small towns as Lincoln, Westford and Boxboro, with relatively few options for dining. Carlisle is another rural spot whose narrow, winding, wooded roads and Vermont-like village center…

[This story first appeared on Boston Restaurant Talk.] A neighborhood grocery store and meat market that has been around for a long time is shutting down. According to a Facebook post from the place, Fiore’s Market in Revere is closing permanently, with the note saying the following: After 43 years in business we have made the difficult decision to close…

Dunkin’ is kicking off this football season in New England with a new Patriots-inspired doughnut, the company announced Wednesday.  The Forever NE doughnut has vanilla frosting red and blue sprinkles, inspired by the team’s iconic uniform.  It will be for sale across New England during the football season. Also Wednesday, Dunkin’ announced that Patriots Devin McCourty and Kyle Van...

[This story first appeared on Boston Restaurant Talk.] Last month it was reported that a local group of breweries and brewpubs had shut down operations, and now we have learned that the two locations within the city of Boston may be replaced by two new dining and drinking spots. According to a licensing board hearing page within the city’s website,...

[This story first appeared on Boston Restaurant Talk.] A brand new location of a New York-based group of burger and shake spots has come to the Greater Boston area more than two years after it was first announced. According to a press release, Shake Shack opens at the Burlington Mall on Tuesday, taking over part of the space where Sears…

[This story first appeared on Boston Restaurant Talk.] Last fall, it was reported that two of the most popular Irish pubs in the Boston area had closed for the time being, with the hope being to reopen this spring. They never did open back up, though a glimmer of hope does remain for their futures. According to the Yelp pages…

[This story first appeared on Boston Restaurant Talk.] A California-based group of dining spots that focus on an increasingly popular food item will be expanding to the Boston area. According to a poster within the Friends of Boston’s Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, Dave’s Hot Chicken is bringing 10 franchised locations to Suffolk County and Norfolk County, with a...

Monday will be the first time Massachusetts officially celebrates Juneteenth, and many groups are planning to go all-out.

It’s no secret that Vermont is a beautiful state filled with quaint little towns and stunning scenes of farmland, forests and mountains, and in a little pocket of the central part of the state, the best areas seem to get even better in some ways. The Woodstock region, which includes such spots as Quechee and Bridgewater, is quite a...

Lobster is more expensive than usual this season due to a limited supply, high demand and the reopening of the economy as the nation moves past the coronavirus pandemic.

[This story first appeared on Boston Restaurant Talk.] A local cider company and taproom is saying farewell. According to Patrick Maguire of Maguire Promotions & Hospitality Consulting, Bantam Cider in the Union Square section of Somerville is closing down, with an Instagram post from the Merriam Street place saying the following: …as we look into the future, and having recently evaluated various...

[This story first appeared on Boston Restaurant Talk.] Last summer, it was reported that a landmark bar and music club in Cambridge was up for sale, and now we have learned that a new owner is indeed seeking to open the place back up. According to a Cambridge License Commission page, a transfer of the liquor license for The Cantab...

[This story first appeared on Boston Restaurant Talk.] A chain of chicken spots could be expanding further into the Greater Boston area, with a new outlet possibly coming to the northern suburbs. According to an article from The Daily Times Chronicle, Popeyes is looking to open in Woburn, with the plan being to take over the former D’Angelo space...

[This story first appeared on Boston Restaurant Talk.] An Italian restaurant in East Boston is collaborating with a local brewer to bring another beer garden to the city. According to an article in the Patch, Pazza on Porter is working with Jack’s Abby to debut a beer garden on May 29 which will apparently be part of the restaurant’s...

[This story first appeared on Boston Restaurant Talk.] Earlier this month, it was reported that a Louisiana-based restaurant chain that focuses on a popular food item was looking to open a second location in Massachusetts, and now we have learned that a third location may be on its way as well, with this one possibly coming to one of the…