Sunday, May 08, 2016

UpperWest Is Opening in North Cambridge As a "Community Food Hub"

A proposed restaurant in Cambridge that was involved in what one writer said was "among the weirdest spectacles" ever seen at a public hearing is opening in another part of the city--but not as a restaurant.

According to its website, UpperWest is opening on Cedar Street in North Cambridge, but unlike its original plan to open as a wine bar on Mass. Ave. between Harvard Square and Central Square, it is now a "community food hub" that focuses on chef tastings, cooking classes, seminars, and other food-related events. The UpperWest site also mentions that it is hoping to get a liquor license and has a petition in place to support their efforts.

As reported earlier, plans for UpperWest to receive a liquor license for the Mass. Ave. space were rejected, with the writer for Cambridge Day saying that the place "was turned away by opposition from license commissioners and a couple of others so extreme it bordered on the bizarre," and at some point plans for it to open as a wine bar ended up falling through.

The new address for UpperWest is 1 Cedar Street, Cambridge, MA, 02140. Its website can be found at http://www.upperwestcambridge.com/

[May 12 update: According to its calendar page, UpperWest is having an open house and wine social tonight, though it does not yet appear to be officially open.]

[September 15 update: Eater Boston states that UpperWest officially opens today, and that it is open to the public Thursday through Sunday each week, offering cheese and charcuterie paired with beer, wine, and whiskey, while being used the rest of the time for demos, classes, networking and educational events, and pop-up dinners.]

[Earlier Article]
upperwest (a New Wine Bar) Hopes to Open in Cambridge

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[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]