thePULSEHot & Now: 10/2004
Openings, openings, openings
September 2004 – Stop your whinin’ – Downtown Worcester finally has a place for you wine enthusiasts. On September 30, KJ Baron’s Fine Wine and Spirits opened its doors at 340 Main Street in the Commerce Building. KJ Baaron’s bills itself as a “unique high end provider of premium and rare wine, spirits and cigars.”
Chirp on in – The Blue Cricket, an American Bistro opened this summer at 372 Chandler Street in the same building that houses Nancy Chang’s. Owned by Leon Saucier, former Struck Café chef and Tatnuck Country Club executive chef, the bistro serves homemade American classics. The interior of the space, which last housed the short lived Café Henri, has a warm atmosphere due in a large part to the expansive brick walls.
The restaurant is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Shrewsbury Junior – Located on the corner of Worcester’s Adams and Shrewsbury Streets, Junior’s Restaurant is slated to open later this month. Owners Jeremy and Tom O’Connor, Tony Tyan and Kevin Reando have taken the old Phil’s Used Cars building and converted it into a first class restaurant space.
According to Jeremy O’Connor, Junior’s will be a full restaurant, offering specialty thin crust pizza, fish, traditional American sandwiches and burgers.
The average dinner will be in the $10 range with pizza costing around $7 or $8 and sandwiches about $6. Junior’s will provide a limited delivery service of pizza and sandwiches.
Shrewsbury Senior – Bread & Pasta has finally reopened after a summer of reconstruction, both in the restaurant and on Shrewsbury Street. Owner John Grosse has returned to his roots with a new menu that features groundbreaking cuisine similar to his previous endeavor, the East Park Grille. Appetizers will be priced at $6 to $7, entrees $9 to $14.
Bread & Pasta is open Monday – Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
“When he pours, he reigns” – Jared Brown beat out several other contenders in the first annual Best Bartender Contest. The event, sponsored by Pulse Magazine, Shaker’s Vodka and Miller Beer, was held on August 26 at the Foo Bar on Park Ave.
Bartenders were judged in a variety of competitions, including flaring, speed pouring and best overall performance. Other contestants included Scott Neary from Irish Times, Sammy from El Basha and JT from Cactus Pete’s.
Brown was presented with a $200 check, a leather jacket from Shaker’s and a golf shirt from Miller Lite.
