Paul Giorgio

Won’t you come home Bill Brady
Bill Brady, the former owner of Sonoma, before he sold it to the Beechwood Hotel in Worcester is opening a new restaurant in downtown Leominster appropriately named – Brady’s. The restaurant will be located at 37 Mechanic Street, the former home of J..C Fenwicks . We hear that the talented and well-liked Brady has future plans involving other restaurants in the North County area. Stay tuned.

Video game bar set to open. Jason Eastty, who formerly owned Escape Games at 100 Grove Street will soon open Pixels & Pints on Worcester’s Grafton Street, right at the entrance of route 290.

Nothing is really free. Freeplay Bar Arcade, which bills itself as a “retro video arcade & bar with over 160 classic video games, pinball, and Skee Ball,” recently received approval from Worcester to open in the building that once housed Maxwell Silverman’s Toolhouse. The company is based in Providence and is looking to open at the beginning of 2020.

New Ramen place. Cha Shu Ramen & Izakaya, owned by Son Vo and Tam Le will soon open in downtown Worcester on Franklin Street. The 5,000 square foot space is undergoing extensive renovation and will open soon, according to all reports.

Old Ramen Place. Stix, which was a ramen noodle eatery on the Worcester Common will reopen with a new concept. Look for the upcoming opening of Rl Torfro Street Food on Worcester’s Franklin Street across from the City Hall Common. The restaurant is a rebranding by the Grid Hospitality Group, which owns a number of places along the Franklin Street corridor.

On the Grid. Worcester-based Grid Hospitality Group has tapped a new executive chef for its Franklin Street restaurants. Terrell Wilson, who joined the company about a month ago, has been tasked with overhauling Craft Table & Bar, Revolution Pie + Pint and the Beer Garden. That means giving each menu and head-to-toe makeover with a focus on scratch cooking, using local ingredients as well as improving service throughout the company.

Finding their Niche. Still & Stir, which was located on Worcester’s Commercial Street recently reopened down the street in the space that formerly housed the Railers Tavern, another Niche property.

And the Award Goes To. Pulse Magazine’s 5th Annual Chili and Chowder Fest commenced on September 21st as 14 participants battled for the title of Best Chili and Chowder. The winners for Best Chili were:1st Place Holy Cross College, 2nd Place Puffin’s Restaurant in Millbury and People’s Choice awarded to Center Tree Bar & Grille in Rutland. The winners for Best Chowder were: 1st Place City Bar in Worcester, 2nd Place Holy Cross College, and People’s Choice awarded to Buck’s in Worcester.