Paul Giorgio

Out of Africa. – Acacia Grill at, 1105 West Boylston St. in Worcester, has recently opened its doors. It’s food only and specializes in cuisine from Kenya. For those not familiar Kenya is located in Northeast Africa. The food tends to be hot and spicy. Worcester is exploding with African restaurants from all regions of the continent.

Outdoor dining expands-Che Empanada, located in Worcester’s Kelley Square has added outdoor dining. The few tables give you a street view of the Kelley Square peanut. The empanadas, which are hand held meat pies or vegetarian from south America are very good and made fresh daily

Go big or go home. Bay State Brewing at the Ice Center in the Canal District has applied for 400 seats of outdoor dining. That’s a lot of seats and a lot of beer. No word yet on what they will be doing with all that extra seating capacity.

Expanding concept. The company that owns the 110 Grill has a new restaurant called Evviva Trattoria located in Marlboro. They also have three other locations of the new concept they are trying out. Based on the name, I’m guessing the concept is Italian. 

Spring time is reopening time. It looks like Whiskey on Water on Worcester’s Water Street is getting ready to reopen its doors after being closed for almost a year due to the pandemic. 

Less moonshine. In other Water Street news, it appears that Moonshiners at 105 Water St. will not reopen but it looks like a Mexican restaurant may replace it. We will keep you posted.

Shrewsbury Street icon set to reopen. Mac’s Diner, across from Cristoforo Colombo Park on Worcester’s Shrewsbury Street Is set to reopen. They will be getting a beer & wine license, which is new. Mac’s has been a BYOB place for a long time. This is the restaurant that led the charge on reshaping the Shrewsbury Street dining renewal under John Grosse over 20 years ago.

Northboro’s loss is Worcester’s gain. Although it isn’t a restaurant, we bring news that Gentile’s Bakery will be relocating from Northboro to Worcester’s Plantation Street in a space that once housed Candela’s Market. Gentile’s supplies the Italian bread to a great many local restaurants.

Restaurants reopening. Word from our North of Worcester spies tell us that Brady’s in Leominster reopened at the end of May. Owned by Chef Bill Brady of Sonoma fame, Brady’s closed down when the pandemic hit.

Holden’s Val’s Restaurant has also recently reopened its dining room to customers. Owner Val James used the Covid hiatus to make some changes to the dining roomGoodbye Ruby Tuesday. A new Mexican restaurant, Torito Mexican Restaurant opened the last week of may in Worcester’s Lincoln Plaza in the spot that once was home to Ruby Tuesday, which closed because of the pandemic.