By Paul Giorgio

LaScala sold.  The venerable LaScala restaurant on Shrewsbury Street was recently sold.  Long known as the home of authentic Italian American cooking, the place was owned for over 20 years by Tommy Simone.  The new owner is Kevin Zona, who owns a catering company and Worcester’s Tammany Hall.

New Vietnamese Restaurant. Pho 2000 is the new Vietnamese restaurant that has opened at the same address as the former Bamboo Hut at 1394 Main Street, Worcester.  The Bamboo Hut was an elegant Vietnamese restaurant with a French influence.  508-754-1755

Shrewsbury goes Mexican. Chipotle Mexican Grille, a chain restaurant, is set to open in the Trader Joe’s Plaza and will be located next to Bollywood, an Indian eatery. The chain also recently opened a location on Route 9 in Westboro.

Tennessee comes to Leominster. The Tennessee BBQ recently opened at 14 Commercial Street in Leominster.  The small local chain is based in Peabody, MA and have another store in Milford.  As you might expect, they do great barbeque and have won the Best of Boston Award.   The BBQ joints are owned by Dave Bara.  Leominster is a lot closer than Memphis if you have a hankerin’ for ribs.

Thai Cha Da closes.  Thai Cha Da, located at 264 Park Ave. in Worcester, closed its door in February when its lease ended.  According to a sign in the window, a new restaurant ~ Apsara ~ featuring food of South East Asia will be opening in its place.  Thai Cha Da may have been the first Thai restaurant in Worcester and had been in operation for a decade.

Rom’s reopens.  Rom’s Restaurant, a longtime Sturbridge landmark, has reopened under a new name in a new location.  It has been renamed the Hearthstone Inn and Romaldo’s Family Restaurant and is now located at 455 Main Street in Sturbridge.  The location has housed the Hearthstone Inn for years although it has been closed for the last few. Nicole Barran, the granddaughter of Rom’s founder, is the owner.

Millbury Couple featured in NBC series.  Millbury residents Dean & Shari Della Ventura recently competed on the new NBC series “The Chopping Block,” which pits 8 couples against each other for a chance to win $250,000 to open their own restaurant.  The couple met when he was the chef at Webster’s Point Breeze restaurant and she was a waitress.

G’Vanni’s update.  It looks like Frank Kirby, the owner of the former G’Vanni’s on Pearl Street in Worcester, might be thinking about re-opening.  Kirby has been in discussions with Ed Madaus and Paul Demoga, the duo who renovated the Hanover Theater and who are also opening a restaurant soon in Federal Square, about taking over the management.

Vinny T’s sold.  Shrewsbury’s Vinny T’s restaurant, which sits on Lake Quinsigamond, was recently sold.  The Shrewsbury location was part of a seven store chain owned by Bertucci’s.  The Shrewsbury restaurant has been opened since 1993, first as Vinny Testa’s.  No word on what the new owners plan to do or if they will even change the concept.

Clinton gets new bar.  The Town of Clinton saw Tailgaters Grille open its doors recently.  It is located at 521 Main Street in the spot which was previously home to the Talk of the Town.  Menu headlines include the Pre-Game, the Main Event Side Lines, and Little Leaguers.