Haiku closes. Haiku on Worcester’s Park Avenue abruptly closed in the middle of March. There are no details about the closing. We hear that the Sahart Family, which owns El Basha next door, has already found a new tenant. The folks who own Kenichi on Worcester’s Shrewsbury Street plan to open a sushi restaurant called Saki Bomb.
Dean Park Pizza reopens. Dean Park Pizza, a Shrewsbury dining institution, has reopened. The new owners are the old owners, one generation removed. The eatery was opened 38 years ago by John Baltas and was operated by him for a number of years. The family then leased the space; recently, John’s son, Chris, and his wife, Carolyn, assumed ownership.
Winds of change. We are told by our Webster spy that the Wind Tiki, a town landmark, has closed its doors. This will be a huge loss for the area. We will keep you posted.
We wonder. The word on Shrewsbury Street is that the Wonder Bar has closed. This place has been serving pizza for three generations. It is a Shrewsbury Street institution and was one of the street’s original restaurants, opening in 1924. We hear several people are interested in buying the building and the business, which means that it may reopen soon. We hope it does
Cupcake wars. It seems there is a new contender in Worcester’s cupcake wars with the opening of Nummy Nummies on Grafton Street. What sets this place apart from other places in town? You have to be 21 to eat some of their liquor-laced confections. These include Pina Colada, Mojito and Cosmopolitan cupcakes. Don’t fret; the bakery has all the regulars, too. Try it out. Nummy Nummies is located at 1280 Grafton St.
More Moe’s. Moe’s will open its third location in Westborough this month barring any unforeseen delays. The new Moe’s will be on Otis Street, near route 9. This is only a few miles from Moe’s Route 9 Shrewsbury location.
Café Manzi ~ late nite. Café Manzi, a Shrewsbury Street breakfast and lunch spot, will open for the after-bar crowd, beginning in May. Brian Manzi and his cousin, Mike di Giulio, will serve breakfast from 10 p.m.- 4 a.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
Finally Mezé. It appears that Mezé Greek Tapas Bar & Grille on Worcester’s Shrewsbury Street has finally opened its doors. The unique Greek-style tappas restaurant serves small plates of Greek specialties, including grilled octopus, calamari, grape leaves, stuffed peppers and the like. Most dishes are priced in the $5-$8 range and are meant for sharing. Opa!
Finally Billy’s. It also appears that Billy’s Pub on Route 70 in Shrewsbury has opened its doors after about a year of work, which took place after the Verona Grill shut down. Try it out, and please tell us why the sign has a silhouette of what appears to be Alfred Hitchcock.
By Paul Giorgio