thePULSEBy Paul Giorgio
Wilkom OktoberFest. Worcester’s Shrewsbury St. is once again hosting a party. This time, it is an OktoberFest party on Sun., Oct. 7th at 4pm. The Columbus Day weekend bash will feature German music, German food, and German bands at about 15 establishments on the Street. Come join the fun! For more info, visit www.ShrewsurtStreetOktoerfest.com. Sponsors for the event include Sam Adams Octoberfest , Harpoon Ale and Wachusett Octoberfest Beers, Leominster Credit Union, Pulse Magazine, Tasteworcester.com and radio stations WXLO, The Pike 98.9, and WCRN-AM.
Faster than a lava flow. Now you see, it now you don’t. The Lava Rock on Belmont St. in Worcester was open for just 2 weeks before it closed its doors. Sources tell us that the owners realized that they did not want to work the long hours needed to make a restaurant successful. We hear that an Italian restaurant may be opening shortly in the same space. Hope they stay open longer.
Drink for a cause. The Peoples Kitchen on Worcester’s Commercial St. across from the DCU will be hosting a wine dinner to benefit Habitat for Humanity on Thursday. October 4th.
Holy Moley. The Holy Trinity Nursing Home and Rehab Center will be hosting their 6th Annual Wine & Food Festival on October 4th from 5:30-9:00pm at St. Spyridon Greek Orthodox Cathedral just off Park Ave near Elm Park in Worcester. Tickets are $40 per person or $75 per couple in advance and $50 each at the door. They will have about two dozen food and wine vendors participating in the event including The Park Grille, , Castle Restaurant, Ciao Bella, Crown Bakery, Culpepper’s Bakery & Cafe, Coral Seafood, Flying Rhino, Manor Restaurant, Jopa’s Webster House, Garden Fresh Court House Café, Ed Hyder’s Mediterranean Market, Caravan Coffee, George’s Bakery, Grill On The Hill, Holy Trinity, Lago, Mrs. Mack’s Bakery, Nuovo Restaurant, Piccolo’s, Polar Beverages, Shiraz, Sonoma of Princeton, Zorba’s, & More
No smoke for a month. Smokestack Place will be closing its current location on Worcester’s Harding St. the Canal District on Oct. 14th. But fear not, all you BBQ junkies, they will reopen in a new location right down at 139 Green St., which until recently housed Square One. Look for an early November opening and just follow the smell of the pork cookin’.
If you like Girl Scout cookies. The “Fork It Over” culinary event, will be held Oct. 30th. The event is sponsored by the Girl Scouts of Central & Western Massachusetts. The tasting event will be held at Worcester’s Coral Seafood. Participating chefs will prepare dishes using Girl Scout cookies. Event goers get to taste food prepared with their favorite cookies. Contact the local Girl Scouts for additional information.
FX isn’t just a network anymore. Downtown Worcester is getting a new three-floor music, restaurant and entertainment venue. Bar FX, scheduled to open in October at 90 Commercial St. (which has been home to a number of clubs including The Loft, The Art Bar and Vodoo Lounge), is owned by a team of Boston and northeastern U.S. nightclub veterans ~ Rich Hutchinson, Tim Bonito, Mike Barrasso, and Paul Barrasso. The club’s ground floor will host a warm and contemporary, creative-cuisine restaurant and bar offering a wide selection of beer, wine, and specialty concoctions “It’s going to be a great atmosphere – the best DJs, great food…” said co-owner Hutchinson. We wish them luck, it’s great to see downtown coming alive again!
