Monday, February 12, 2018

Avi Shemtov of The Chubby Chickpea May Be Taking Over Canton Junction Sports Pub

by Marc Hurwitz

A well-known local chef hopes to turn a suburban sports bar into a casual but more upscale dining and drinking spot.

According to an article in Boston Magazine, Avi Shemtov of The Chubby Chickpea (a Middle Eastern food truck and catering business) is working with the owner of the Canton Junction Sports Pub to possibly open Salt & Sickle, with the plans being to keep the general overall feel of the bar area while changing the dining room into a "quieter, upscale bistro." The post says that the Neponset Street space has two kitchens, while will allow Shemtov to move operations for The Chubby Chickpea--along with Simcha, his Israeli pop-up--into the space, while an adjacent function room will be used for various events. Included on the Salt & Sickle menu will be scratch-made bar pizzas and wings along with fresh pasta and dishes such as seared duck breast Wellington in puff pastry with whipped feta, while both local and mass-market beers will be offered.

Boston Magazine says that the restaurant and bar at the Canton Junction Sports Pub could shut down briefly in May and that Salt & Sickle may potentially be opening by or before mid-July if all goes well.

The address for the Canton Junction Sports Pub (and the proposed Salt & Sickle) is 399 Neponset Street, Canton, MA, 02021.

[September 12 update: A message from Avi Shemtov indicates that plans have fallen through for his taking over the Canton Junction Sports Pub. (And as mentioned in a recent post here, Shemtov now plans to open Simcha, an Israeli restaurant in Sharon.)]

Follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston


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