thePULSEBy Paul Giorgio
Alhquist moves ahead. Worcester Restaurant Corp., owned by Rob Alhquist, has applied for its liquor license for the new location at 89 Shrewsbury St. in Worcester. No word yet on the concept but the rumor mill is rife with expectations. We hear it will be a Mediterranean restaurant with an emphasis on Italian. It will be, rumor has it, larger than the Chop House.
Tom’s Deli reopens. Tom’s International Deli at 118 Water Street in Worcester’s Canal District recently reopened with new owners. Long owned by Tom Haddad and his son John, the deli was recently sold to the Barcikowski family who hail from South Boston and own The Polania Restaurant in Boston as well as Boston’s Polish Newspaper. The Worcester operation will be headed by son Darek Barcikowski.
Lazio’s Italian Bar and Grille opens. Lazio’s will be opening in mid-January at 318 Main Street (Route 20) in Northboro. The upscale white tablecloth restaurant is owned by Peter Drake, who also owns Peter’s in Wellesley and Pizza Zone in Cohasset. The chef is Dirk Keifer, formerly of the Four Seasons in Boston. Entrees will be from the Lazio region of Italy ~ near Rome ~ and will be in the $17 to $26 range.
Cooking at Zia. Paula McCarthy of Zia Grill has announced her January Cooking Classes. Tuesday, January 16 will feature cooking from the Lombardy region of Italy and will be followed by Southern Italian cooking on Monday, January 29th. All sessions are $50 per person and you get to eat what you make. Call 508-363-3477 to sign up since space is limited.
Dante’s Inferno. If rumors are to be believed, it looks like Dante’s Restaurant on Shrewsbury Street is going down in flames. Talk on the street is that the eatery is in the process of being sold. No word on who the new owners are or what type of restaurant they will have. But this is the second major Shrewsbury Street restaurant to close this month. Stay tuned for more details.
West Side Steak & BBQ. A new BBQ place is set to open soon on Richmond Ave. in the spot that once housed Coffee Kingdom. This spot has turned over several times in the last few years so we hope this time the business will stick.
Grill 57. Bravo on Highland Street is no more. A new Brazilian eatery has opened in the spaced that once housed the trouble-plagued restaurant/night club. The new place is called Grill 57.
Angel’s Share. Angel’s Share is the name of the new room at Julio’s Liquor in Westboro ~ “Angel’s Share” refers to the portion of wine that is lost in the aging process through evaporation. The room features an automatic dispensing machine, imported from Italy, from which customers can taste a wine before they purchase it.
Bocado opens. Worcester’s first tapas bar recently opened its doors at 82 Winter Street in Worcester. The impeccably designed space looks more New York than Worcester with brown leather banquettes and suede seating in multiple colors. A large communal dining table dominates the space that was once home to SPQR an Italian caffe, while the former 86 Winter Street will serve as Bocado’s function space. The tapas concept is simple, allowing people to taste a variety of small plates. They will be open daily from 4:30pm to 2am with valet parking available.
