Dinner Lab Suspends Operations

The company behind a series of pop-up dinners in a number of cities across the United States--including Boston--has decided to shut down operations.

According to a note on its website, Dinner Lab is ceasing operations and suspending events effective immediately, saying that "we weren't able to turn the corner on creating a profitable enough enterprise to support our ambitions." The host of pop-up dinners, which is based in New Orleans, started out 3 1/2 years ago and has had events in such cities in Boston, New York, Baltimore; Washington, DC, San Diego, San Francisco, Chicago, St. Louis, and many others, with chefs showcasing their talents to diners in secret locations.

Thanks to a poster within the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page for initially bringing this to our attention.

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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]

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Chef Mary Dumont Leaving Harvest in Cambridge, Plans to Open New Restaurant

One of the best-known chefs in the Boston area is saying farewell to the Cambridge institution she has been a part of, with the plans being for her to open her own place.

The Boston Globe is reporting that Mary Dumont is leaving Harvest in Cambridge's Harvard Square, saying on a Facebook post that she is moving on in order to "pursue my dream of opening my own Boston-based restaurant....I can't wait for all the exciting times ahead, and to welcome you all into my new home! Stay tuned for updates on my new venture!!!!" This comes a few months after Boston Magazine mentioned that Dumont and the Harvest team were making major renovations to the Brattle Street dining spot as it approached its 40th anniversary. It is not yet known who will replace her, though it appears that she will stay on for awhile longer in order to help with the transition.

Dumont, who has been the chef at Harvest for eight years, is also known for her appearance on the Food Network's Iron Chef America and Food and Wine magazine's awarding her "best new chef" in 2006 when she was at The Dunaway Restaurant in Portsmouth, NH, according to her bio within the Food Network site.

The address for Harvest is 44 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138. Its website can be found at http://harvestcambridge.com/

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[New article from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): Slideshow--Twelve Food Items from Asian Restaurants in the Boston Area]

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Gordon Hamersley Becomes Food Columnist for The Boston Globe

Last fall saw the closing of Hamersley's Bistro, one of the best-known restaurants in all of Boston, and now we have learned that owner Gordon Hamersley will continue to be in the spotlight, this time as a writer for a local newspaper.

A Twitter post from @GlobeFood indicates that the person behind the now-closed French dining spot in the South End is now a cooking columnist for The Boston Globe, with his cooking column being in the paper's Food section every other week. Hamersley's articles will cover such areas as favorite recipes, cooking tips, food items that he has recently made, and more, according to the Globe. His first article can be seen here:

Introducing a chef you already know, Gordon Hamersley

Hamersley's Bistro shut down in October after being in its Tremont Street home for 27 years.

[Earlier Article]
Hamersley's Bistro in the South End of Boston Is Closing

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Sam Monsour (jm Curley Alum, Co-Founder of The Future of Junk Food) Moving to Los Angeles

One of the rising stars on the Boston restaurant scene is going to be moving to the West Coast.

Boston Magazine is reporting that Sam Monsour is planning to relocate to Los Angeles this fall, with his plans being to take the Future of Junk Food series national, and to open a brick-and-mortar restaurant. The article says that Monsour, who is known in part for his stint as chef at jm Curley in Boston's Downtown Crossing, will host a fifth pop-up of the Future of Junk Food series in L.A. with co-founder Mark O'Leary, followed by events in other cities around the country and beyond, including in New York, Chicago, Seattle, and other places. Monsour will also be putting the final touches of his hamburger cookbook with Richard Chudy of the Boston Burger Blog, and he will starting a Project Hunger line of aprons, according to Boston Magazine.

The article mentions Monsour will be involved with the "Biggie Brunch" at Alden & Harlow's in Cambridge on August 24 before getting ready for his move.

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Ken Oringer Leaves KO Prime; Patricia Yeo Leaving Moksa

Two well-known chefs/restaurateurs in the Boston-area restaurant scene are saying farewell to a couple of eateries, and one of them is going to be leaving Boston completely.

Eater Boston is reporting that Ken Oringer has said farewell to KO Prime in downtown Boston, where he had been a partner. Oringer will remain at his other dining spots, which include Clio/Uni, Coppa, La Verdad, Toro, and Earth (in Kennebunkport, ME). He is also planning to open a location of Toro in the Chelsea section of New York City.

Meanwhile, Grub Street Boston states that Patricia Yeo will be saying goodbye to Moksa in Cambridge, as she has received a job offer for a "corporate position" in Chicago. It is not yet known what kind of job Yeo will be doing, as she will keep it a secret until the job contract is finalized, according to Grub Street.

KO Prime is located at 90 Tremont Street in Boston, while Moksa can be found at 450 Mass. Ave. in Cambridge.


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Former Owner of La Stanza Diva to Team Up with The Restaurant in Woburn

The person who ran a now-closed Italian restaurant in Woburn Center--and subsequently teamed up with a diner south of the downtown area--is going to be working with another Woburn eatery, with this one being a Greek place near where her original dining spot used to be.

Lynne Howell, who was the chef/owner of La Stanza Diva on Main Street and who also worked with Martinos Diner near the Winchester line, will soon be teaming up with The Restaurant on Main Street, focusing on upscale appetizers and a small dinner menu along with different wines. She will be doing a "happy hour" of sorts on Tuesdays and Wednesdays with free food items at The Restaurant's new bar, and a special menu that she created for the eatery will be available Thursday through Saturday with seasonal specialties offered.

Lynne's La Stanza Diva restaurant opened about 20 years ago in the northern part of Woburn, eventually moving to the center of the community until it closed in 2010. The dining spot focused on Northern Italian, Southern Italian, and Mediterranean fare.

The Restaurant is a place that our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants) has featured as a little-known eatery to go to for their inexpensive Greek fare. The review can be found at this link:

http://www.hiddenboston.com/TheRestaurant.html

There doesn't appear to be a specific starting date for Lynne Howell at this point; as soon as we find out, we will post an update here.

The address for The Restaurant is: The Restaurant, 489 Main Street, Woburn, MA, 01801.

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Third Annual Bubbles and Bites to Be Held Wednesday, December 9, 2009

A culinary event to help prevent skin cancer is coming to Boston early this month. The third annual Bubbles and Bites will be held at the Ritz-Carlton, Boston Common on Wednesday, December 9, at 6:00 PM. The event, which is co-hosted by Curt and Shonda Schilling, will benefit the SHADE Foundation of America, a non-profit organization that aims to pre­vent skin can­cer through education.

Bubbles and Bites will feature a number of well-known Boston chefs, including Chef Todd English of Olives in Charlestown, Chef Dante de Magistris of Dante in Cambridge, Chef Jeffery Fournier of 51 Lincoln in Newton Highlands, Chef Jonathan Olson of The Ritz-Carlton, and several others. There will also be champagne stations as well as a silent auction.

Ticket prices are $150 for a regular ticket and $250 for a VIP Ticket, which includes entrance into pre-event VIP reception. Tickets are avail­able online or at (602) 424‑7190 until Tuesday, December 8, and will not be available at the door.

The address for The Ritz-Carlton, Boston Common is 10 Avery Street (between Tremont Street and Washington Street) in Boston. The phone number for the hotel is (617) 574-7100.

For more information on the Bubbles and Bites culinary event in Boston, please go to the link below:

Bubbles and Bites, Boston >> SHADE Foundation

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