By Paul Giorgio

Not enough Diners? Just when you thought that Worcester had enough authentic fifties era diners, along comes the 5 & Diner. This faux fifties diner, opening soon in Lincoln Plaza, will offer everything the real diners have. So with so many places like the Boulevard, Parkway and Kenmore, you have to ask why a diner chain?

007 plus one. Bernard Young formerly of the Foo Bar and Funky Murphy’s, is opening a club at 8 Grafton St., Worcester. The space once housed Bill’s Place, a late night eatery that specialized in breakfast. The name of the new club will be Club 008, named after the address. The extensive renovation will convert the former diner into a 2,000 square foot club. This will bring additional nighttime activity to the Union Station area. According to Young, the club “…will sport a trendy, clean cut décor with a Boston edge.” The club is being designed by Brendan Haley of Hue Devine. Joining Young in the venture is Shrewsbury resident Steve Stoney.

Beraca’s Valley. This is the name of the new Spanish restaurant located next to Armando’s on Grafton St. in Worcester. The space has been home to a couple of other ethnic restaurants, including Bora Bora, Worcester’s first African eatery.

O’Connor’s makeover. O’Connor’s, the quintessential Irish bar owned by Brendan and Claire O’Connor and right on the West Boylston-Worcester line, is undergoing a major makeover. From the look of the construction, it appears that they will almost double the size of the place. More space for the wee ones to down their Guinness.

Castellano’s thinks outside the box. Castellano’s Restaurant on Harding St. in Worcester recently received approval to offer outdoor dining. They have set up several tables on their makeshift patio overlooking the future path of the Blackstone Canal.

The Ship is relaunched. The Ship, the bar at the Kelly Sq. Yacht Club, was re-launched in late July. Now under the ownership of Bob Largesse, the Yacht Club has a checkered history to say the least. This former speakeasy, located in the Hotel Vernon right on Kelly Sq., will eventually feature a kitchen. Right now Largesse is just happy to keep the ship afloat and will be featuring blues during the week.

Anna’s Kitchen. The trials and tribulations of Anna’s Kitchen, a Hungarian restaurant located in the Regency Suites hotel on Southbridge Street in Worcester, continue as we go to press. We hear that the restaurant may be closing shortly because of a lack of parking on its site. The owners of the building are constructing a garage and that has taken most of their parking away during construction. We will keep you posted.

The Melting Pot comes to Central MA.  The Melting Pot, a Florida based chain with over 100 locations nationwide, is opening its first Massachusetts restaurant on Route 9 in Framingham.  The Melting Pot’s concept is simple ~ Fondue.  Whether it’s an appetizer, entrée or chocolate-dipped strawberries for dessert, everything involves a fondue pot.