Billy Costa and Jenny Johnson to Co-Host New Show on NESN

It looks like the hosts of a canceled food show on NECN are going to be heading up a new show on another station.

The Boston Globe is reporting that Billy Costa and Jenny Johnson of "TV Diner" will co-host a show on NESN that focuses on food, including restaurant reviews and cooking demos. The article says that the show, which does not have a name at this point in time, will also have some segments that are connected to sports, including looking at where athletes dine out. It appears that Herb Chambers, who heads up a large auto dealership group in the local area, will be a "major sponsor" of the new show, according to the Globe.

NECN announced the canceling of "TV Diner" in September, with the station looking to have more of a news and weather-based format with less emphasis on lifestyle shows. The show had been on for more than a decade.

Expect to see the new show on the air sometime in February.

[Earlier Article]
TV Diner to Be Taken Off the Air by NECN

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[New article from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): Slideshow--Twelve More of the Best Food Dishes of 2013]

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Sweetgreen to Open at Chestnut Hill Square

A chain of "farm-to-table" fast food places continues its expansion plans through the Boston area, with another location coming to a new mixed-used development west of the city.

Eater Boston is reporting that Sweetgreen is planning to open at Chestnut Hill Square, an open air retail, office, and residential center that is located on the eastbound side of Route 9 near the Newton/Brookline border. Once it opens, it will join an existing location on Boylston Street in Boston's Back Bay as well as an upcoming location on Congress Street in the city's Fort Point neighborhood. Expect to see such items as salads, wraps, juices, and frozen yogurt at the new Sweetgreen, which is based on Washington, DC.

The website for Sweetgreen can be found at http://sweetgreen.com/

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Highlights for the Week Ending December 6, 2013

Several more stories and articles focusing on the Boston-area restaurant scene came out over the past week, including an Irish pub leaving Harvard Square, the folks behind a popular restaurant in Downtown Crossing opening a new place in the South End, and a new burger spot coming to the BU area. In addition, our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants) included a new review of a cozy old restaurant on the South Shore, a photo slideshow on some of the best dishes of the year, and a photo of chili from a little-known Irish bar and restaurant.

Below are links to these and other items from the past week:

Boston Restaurant Talk

Tommy Doyle's Pub in Cambridge's Harvard Square Is Closing

Focaccia in Wilmington Closes Abruptly

Merrill & Co. to Open in Boston's South End

Il Casale to Open in Nourish Space in Lexington

BurgerFi to Open by Boston University

Boston's Hidden Restaurants

New Review: The Fieldston in Marshfield, MA

Slideshow: Twelve More of the Best Food Dishes of 2013

Photo: Garlic Bread from Kelley Square Pub in East Boston, MA

Restaurant Closings and Openings for November, 2013

Photo: Chili from Finnegan's Wake in Walpole, MA

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Market at W Boston Is Closing

A high-end restaurant in downtown Boston that features dishes developed by a three-star Michelin chef is closing.

An article from Zagat confirms what A Thought For Food mentioned to us on Friday, that Market at W Boston on Stuart Street in the Theatre District will shutter at the end of the year. The post also says that an announcement on what might go into the space will come at some point and that the W Lounge within the hotel will remain open, though it will received some type of a "refresh" in 2014. The restaurant first opened in October of 2009, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten and the New York-based Culinary Concepts Hospitality Group behind it.

As mentioned earlier, Zagat also mentions that Starwood, which is behind the W Hotel, also has changes in store for its nearby Westin Copley Place Hotel--it will close the 30-year-old Turner Fisheries within the hotel later this month.

Market at W Boston, which is an elegant but casual spot that features an eclectic mix of French, Italian and Asian-influenced dishes, is one of a number of restaurants that Jean-Georges Vongerichten has helped develop, with others (including both his own and collaborations with Culinary Concepts) being in New York, Chicago, London, Paris, Shanghai, and many other locations. His website can be found at http://www.jean-georges.com/

The address for the soon-to-close Market (and the W Boston) is 100 Stuart Street, Boston, MA, 02116.

[December 10 update: A side note--Eater National mentions (via The New Potato) that Jean-Georges Vongerichten has announced he is planning to open a new restaurant in New York City in the spring of 2014, with the place being a vegetarian spot. The article also mentions that he is looking to open a taco stand in NYC called Cocina Tacos as well.]

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Smoken' Joe's in Brighton Reportedly Faces Possible Eviction

A BBQ spot in Brighton that features live music is apparently in danger of losing its home.

A series of posts on its Facebook page indicates that Smoken' Joe's BBQ & Blues on Washington Street may be facing an eviction, with the dispute between the restaurant and the landlord being discussed in detail on the page. Based on information from the posts, the place shut down in October due to "construction/water main damage" and has been closed ever since, and it is hoping to reopen on Friday night after having inspections early this week. The apparent dispute with the landlord has the folks behind Smoken' Joe's unsure of their future, saying "whether we end up moving somewhere else or working something out is up in the air right now."

As soon as we get more updates about Smoken' Joe's, we will post an update here.

The address for Smoken' Joe's BBQ & Blues is 351 Washington Street, Boston, MA, 02135.

Thanks to a poster on the Chowhound site for bringing this to our attention.

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[New article from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): Slideshow--Twelve More of the Best Food Dishes of 2013]

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Turner Fisheries in Boston's Back Bay Is Closing

A popular seafood restaurant in the Back Bay of Boston is going to be closing its doors, apparently making way for a new eatery.

Zagat confirms what A Thought For Food told us on Friday, that Turner Fisheries in The Westin Copley Place Hotel is shutting down. According to Zagat, the dining spot will close on December 21, with the plans being to "reposition" the space "based on current market dynamics and dining trends," and while Bar 10 within the hotel will remain open, it will go through an "exciting refresh" sometime next year.

Turner Fisheries, which first opened its doors approximately 30 years ago, is an upscale seafood spot that features such items as black sea bass, lobster risotto, horseradish-crusted salmon, and a New England bouillabaisse. It also offers steak, chicken, and vegan dishes.

The address for this soon-to-close seafood restaurant in the Back Bay is: Turner Fisheries, 10 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02116. The website for The Westin Copley Place Hotel can be found at http://www.westincopleyplaceboston.com/

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[New article from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): Slideshow--Twelve More of the Best Food Dishes of 2013]

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