Great cause to drink to. Julio’s Liquors has raised $5,000 for Shriners Hospitals for Children with the help of the annual Go! Whisk(e)y Festival. The nearly weeklong event was celebrated from Feb. 27- March 1. The event had a total of two dinners, 14 whisky seminars and two tastings, the largest of which was the Gram Dram tasting, which saw 1,000 attendees. All contributions to the event were matched by Julio’s Liquors.

Shrewsbury gets sushi. Sawa, a Japanese sushi and steakhouse, recently opened last month on Route 9 in Shrewsbury in the building which once was home to Newbury Comics. The owners have beautifully done over the space, which has a large bar area, a separate room for hibachi dining, a function space and an outdoor patio. For information, call 508-845-5000.

Speaking of Shrewsbury. Amici’s Trattoria, a great Italian restaurant in the center of town, is now open for breakfast. George Yantsides is the chef. He previously worked at Worcester’s Kenmore Diner for 20 years. Amici’s is open for breakfast from 6-11 a.m. Tuesday-Friday and 7 a.m.-2 p.m. on the weekends.

Breakfast in the Woo. The Miss Worcester Diner on Southbridge Street has topped BuzzFeed’s list of “21 American Diners You Should Eat At Before You Die.” The iconic Worcester lunch car serves a great Biscuits and Gravy, along with a host of other great morning meals. Also, the desserts are to die for. When in the Woo, try the Miss Woo.

Speaking about breakfast. The Rotary Club of Auburn will host a Flip for Scholars pancake breakfast from 8 a.m.-noon Sunday, May 17, at the Auburn High School cafeteria. The cost is $5 for adults and $1 for children 7 and younger. The money goes to college scholarships for Auburn High School seniors. For more information, contact Marcia Davis, president of the Rotary Club of Auburn, at 508-254-1214 or largotutor@verizon.net.

New look. Mac’s Diner, a Shrewsbury Street landmark, is sporting a new look these days. Chris McMahon, who is the third generation to run the eatery, has put in new windows and an awning, giving the venerable place a spring update.

Funky Town. Funky Murphy’s, a Shrewsbury Street watering hole and restaurant, will soon have a sibling. Funky Murphy’s will open a second location on Main Street in Marlborough. The site once housed the Lazy Dog. It will be the same formula that has proven successful in Worcester – a great bar scene, good food and good music. Look for a June opening.

Too much salt. The owners of the building that once housed the Salty Dog in Worcester’s Kelly Square are getting ready for some as-yet-unnamed new tenants. The building’s owners are redoing the storefronts and getting rid of the old signs and putting new ones up. We hear a Subway is taking part of the building, but what else is slated?

South of the border. Di Reyna has opened on Belmont Street in Worcester, opposite the UMass campus. This was in the space that was occupied by a Dangelo’s and then Johnny Fugata. We hear that the restaurant is serving a mixture of Mexican food and South American dishes.

Kyoto opens in Holden. The Kyoto Restaurant that is located in Lincoln Plaza on Worcester’s Lincoln Street recently opened a second location on Main Street in Holden.

By Paul Giorgio