Paul Giorgio

Turn Back the Clock: 1885, at 48 Green Street, is currently being renovated into a bar with Cameron Brigham and Nicholas Oliveri listed as owners. The building was used by Westerman’s Restaurant Supply for a very long time and sits directly across the street from Pickett Plaza, one of the main entrances to Polar Park.

And Further Down the Street:  It appears that the Banner also on Green Street is for sale.  According to Loopnet, a real estate website, the price is a cool $2.1 million.

Who’s Tapping at the Window:  Worcester’s Canal District has a new bar, the 107 Tap opened the 3^rd week of March at 107 Water Street. It is owned by Jeff Maririan who formerly owned the Blackstone Tap just a few feet away. Word is that a Mexi-Cali restaurant will be opening in the space next door and as the name suggests, it will feature Mexican/Californian cuisine.

Art is Gone:  Art’s Diner has new owners and a new name, the Trackside Tavern. Their official Grand Opening was held the last week of February. Trackside is now open serving lunch and dinner and craft cocktails. No word on if the trains stop there. 

Leominster Gets a New Dining Room: Luccas American Kitchen recently opened in Leominster. These are temporary quarters as the original site, which formerly housed the Gondola Restaurant for over five decades, is being rebuilt after a fire struck the building in 2021.

Who Left the Barn Door Open:  Princeton’s The Barn restaurant, which was formerly the Mountain Barn, turned its stoves on the first week of March. Go and check it out on route 31 in Princeton.

It’s Not Caddy Shack: The Shack restaurant on Worcester’s Park Ave at Pleasant Street has reopened. This is the second year for the owners who offer up Indian cuisine.

What Would Fidel Say?  Havana Nights, a Cuban themed restaurant and lounge, will soon take over the space that for eight years formerly housed Sake Bomb on Worcester’s Park Ave. Set to open sometime in May, the new restaurant will feature authentic Cuban cuisine, according to Julio Roque, owner and manager of the restaurant.

No More Chateau: The site of the former Chateau restaurant in Westboro has been sold.  A new Asian restaurant will soon open at 95 Turnpike Road. The eatery will be about 8,000 square feet with an additional outside patio/dining area.

Café Society: The Fidelity Ice rink in Worcester’s Canal District once again has a café on its first floor. Friends Mhaine Riberio and Nathalia Araujo opened Infused Café the first week of March. The two 20 somethings hope to expand the business in the future. The cafe has a decidedly Brazilian flare to it, since their families emigrated from there.