Paul Giorgio

Set your sails. The Sail to Trails WineWorks received its permits from the city a couple of weeks ago and will be opening at 100 Barber Ave, which is the old Higgins Armory Museum. This is the first winery to open in Worcester. Watch for tasting room hours.

Brookfield to get Brewery. It looks like a new brewery will soon open at Brookfield’s Oakholm Farm. The brewery will be owned by Andrew Woodward of Sturbridge. The farm was once the home of John Jeppson, whose family founded Worcester’s Norton Company, now Saint Gobain Abrasives.

Ce bonne. C’Mondz is the name of the French fusion restaurant that will open on Worcester’s Shrewsbury Street in the spot that most recently housed Meze before they moved and prior to that Porto Bello. Chef/owner Christ Mondzali will be moving his restaurant from Framingham. Originally from Paris, he has operated a restaurant in Framingham for a number of years.

If you like moonshine. Moonshiners is the name of the new Country & Western bar that will soon open on Water Street, in Worcester’s Canal District. Owner Bernie Goulet has owned several bars and music venues in New England and has been eyeing Worcester for a number of years. Goulet was the former booking agent for local promoter Dan Hartwell, who brought the city Locobazooka, a music festival held at Green Hill Park. Moonshiners will occupy the space that once housed Mambo Lounge, which was closed by the city.

Lost & Found. We previously reported that Table 12 will be operating in the space that once house Keepers on Route 12 in West Boylston. Now it appears that a new restaurant will open in the space that was home to Finder’s Pub. Ario’s Tavern will soon open and be owned by Arianna Saarinen & Richard Gallant former employees of Finders Pub.

In heaven there is no beer. Three Massachusetts cities have been ranked among the top 30 places in the United States to open a brewery according to a new study. Somerville, was ranked number one city in the country with a population of less than 100,000. It topped the list with the highest percentage of residents 21 and older, as well as a low state excise tax on barrels of beer and one of the lowest brewery license fees in the country. Boston and Worcester came in at Number 13 and Number 26 respectively, while the rest of the list was dominated by mainly western states.

Further south. A new Milford bakery will occupy the space left vacant when Ray & Dick’s Bakery which closed its doors in 2018. They had been open for about 50 years. A new sign on the 20 Exchange St.
building reads “Caney Los Panas Bakery. In addition to baked goods, they plan to serve breakfast and lunch, specializing in Venezuelan, Brazilian and American cuisine.