Friday, July 31, 2015

Dates and Olives Is Opening in Brighton

It looks like a new restaurant is on its way to Brighton, and the person behind it may be known to those who watch a Food Network show.

Eater Boston is reporting (via a licensing board page) that Dates and Olives is planning to open on Chestnut Hill Avenue in the space where Bento Cafe had once been, and it seems that Renita Mendonca of the catering business Seasoned and Spiced is the manager of the spot. (The listing shows the name "Renita Mendonla," which appears to be a misspelling.) The article says that the upcoming eatery will lbe a quick-service Mediterranean restaurant, though little else is known about Dates and Olives at this point in time.

[August 31 update: According to a new article from Eater Boston, Dates and Olives is now open in Brighton, featuring rice bowls, salad bowls, and pita pockets filled with such options as beef, falafel, hummus, grilled veggies, tahini, and more, along with starters such as baba ganouj and labneh, and desserts such as rice pudding.]

According to EB, Renita Mendonca once competed on the Food Network show "Chopped" (Season 9 in 2011), with a bio on The Clarke Culinary Center site saying that she once worked at the famous Napa Valley restaurant The French Laundry.

The address for this new Mediterranean restaurant in Brighton is 160 Chestnut Hill Avenue, Brighton, MA, 02135.

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