The Breakaway in Danvers Has Closed

A live music venue on the North Shore has shut down.

According to a source, The Breakaway in Danvers is no longer in business, with a Facebook post from the Route 1 spot saying the following on New Year's Eve:

Happy New Year!!! Months ago I announced that tonight would be the last night at Breakaway. I wasn’t sure how the news would be taking but I hoped for the best. From our crew, musicians, regular guests (family), and all of you, I can’t say thank you enough. The support, encouragement, and outpouring of love has been overwhelming. Our management team and crew decided to announce it and try to go out on top. A farewell tour that anyone who wanted to be a part of was invited to. On behalf of the Breakaway team I can say we are humbled and grateful.

In addition to live music, The Breakaway also offered dining and drinking along with events, functions, and classes.

The address for The Breakaway was 221 Newbury Street (Route 1), Danvers, MA, 01923.

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

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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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NOTE: Leslie Hurwitz, who is the father of Marc (the founder of this site) is currently dealing with health issues and needs your help. Please donate if you can at https://gofund.me/76d8ba28, thanks!

Poutinerie by Air Canada to Pop Up in Boston's Downtown Crossing

A pop-up is on its way to the heart of Boston, and it will feature a beloved food item that is particularly north of the border.

According to a press release, the Poutinerie by Air Canada pop-up is coming to 267 Washington Street in Downtown Crossing, debuting on Thursday, October 3 and running through Sunday, October 13. The poutine pop-up, which will be open from 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM daily, will offer such options as a classic Montreal-style poutine (fries, cheese curds, and gravy), a Toronto version called "The North" (sharp cheddar cheese instead of curds and beer-braised pork added), and versions with international influences including Paris "'Tine de Triomphe" (fries, duck confit, creme de brie, black pepper), Sao Paulo "Sampa" (thick-cut fries, grilled hanger steak, chimichurri), Tokyo "The Shibu-yeah!" (thick-cut fries, ground pork, ponzu and sesame sauce, pickled daikon or shredded carrot, ginger), and others. Boston is the fourth city to host Poutinerie by Air Canada, with the pop-up previously coming to Washington, DC, London, and Denver.

Proceeds from the Poutinerie by Air Canada pop-up will benefit About Fresh, a Boston-based nonprofit that helps bring healthy food to those in need.

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)

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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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The Paddy Wagon (Inflatable Irish Pub) Is Coming to Heritage Days Festival in Scituate August 6 and 7

An annual South Shore event is returning next month, and this year it will be home to a very unique drinking spot.

According to an article from 95.9 WATD FM, an inflatable Irish pub called The Paddy Wagon will be set up at the Heritage Days Festival in Scituate, with a Facebook post saying that it will be at the event on August 6 and 7, doing beer and whiskey tastings that feature O'Hara's, Crean's, Glendalough, and Teeling. (Admission for the tastings are $20.) Last summer, we reported that The Paddy Wagon debuted in the Boston area, with the pub featuring indoor and outdoor seating, a fake fireplace, windows, two doors, and a full bar.

The website for The Paddy Wagon is at http://www.thepaddywagonpub.com/ while more information on the Heritage Days Festival can be found at http://www.scituatechamber.org/events/heritage-days.html

[Earlier Article]
The Paddy Wagon (Inflatable Irish Pub) Debuts in Boston

Follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston

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[Related article from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): Slideshow--Ten Good Places to Get Beer in the Boston Area]

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Urban Hearth to Take Over L'Impasto Space in Cambridge

An Italian restaurant in Cambridge that once received a "best of" from our sister site has shut down, and a culinary event company is moving into the space.

A Twitter post from last night mentioned that L'Impasto on Mass. Ave. looked shuttered, and a Facebook post from Urban Hearth confirms the closure of the North Cambridge dining spot, saying that it will be taking over the L'Impasto space and opening what looks to be a cafe, supper club, and apparently a place for events and recipe/product development, based on an earlier Kickstarter page. If all goes as planned, Urban Hearth will be up and running by the fall.

L'Impasto, which first opened in the summer of 2011, was a tiny Italian eatery that was known in part for its house-made pastas and breads. Our Boston's Hidden Restaurants site awarded it "best Italian restaurant" in the Boston area in 2012, with a review of the place being found at the link below:

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

The address for the now-closed L'Impasto (and upcoming Urban Hearth) is 2263 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02140. The website for Urban Hearth can be found at http://www.urbanhearth.net/

[May 27 update: The Boston Globe gives a bit more information on the upcoming Urban Hearth, saying that the 24-seat place will be a cafe at breakfast and lunch while being a supper club in the evening with themed meals (it will also have pop-up dinners on Monday and Tuesday nights).]

[June 28 update: There has been a bit of chatter about L'Impasto possibly moving to a new space nearby, but that prospect may be dimming a bit, as a license hearing page mentions that the restaurant has canceled its license and turned it in.]

[October 20 update: Eater Boston mentions that Urban Hearth opens on Thursday, October 27.]

Follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston

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[Related article from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): Slideshow--Twelve Pasta Dishes from Restaurants in the Boston Area and Beyond]

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b.good to Host Charity BBQ at SoWa in Boston on Sunday, July 12, 2015

After being rained out last month, a local chain of restaurants is getting ready to bring a charity BBQ event back to the city once again.

On Sunday, July 12, from 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM, b.good is hosting its annual Family BBQ at the SoWa Open Market on Harrison Avenue, with the event including food (burgers, veggie burgers, chicken sandwiches, salads, smoothies, Ben & Jerry's ice cream cones), Harpoon beer, music from local bands, carnival games, face painting, a talent show, and more. Tickets to the BBQ cost $25 in advance ($30 at the door), with children under 12 being free, and with all proceeds helping support local community leaders via grants from the b.good Family Foundation.

For more information on the 2015 b.good Family BBQ, please go to the link below:

http://www.bgood.com/12th-annual-b-good-family-bbq/

Follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston

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[Note: Please join the Friends of Boston's Hidden Restaurants Facebook Group Page to get more info on dining spots and also chat with others about Boston-area restaurants.]

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Cuisine en Locale Sets Up Weekly Locavore Brunch in Somerville

A catering and event company in Somerville that supports local farmers is now behind a rather unique weekly brunch.

The Restaurant Hub blog of The Boston Globe is reporting that Cuisine en Locale has debuted what is termed the "world's first-ever locavore function hall" at Anthony's on Highland Avenue. The post says that the company will set up a brunch each Saturday from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM, with healthy foods using local ingredients, along with drinks and live jazz. Expect to see such items as roasted potatoes with spinach and melted cheese (and topped with an egg), baked layers of eggs, cheese, and veggies with a salad on the side, short rib ragu on toast with eggs, bloody marys, and more.

The article also says that Cuisine en Locale will be hosting pop-up dinners as well, though there is no specific information on that as of yet.

The address for Anthony's is 156 Highland Avenue, Somerville, MA, 02143. The website for Cuisine en Locale can be found at http://www.cuisineenlocale.com/

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A Wild Affair to Be Held at the Stone Zoo, June 22, 2013

An unusual tasting event returns to a northern suburb of Boston this month, and as always, a number of restaurants and food purveyors will be participating.

On Saturday, June 22, A Wild Affair will be held at the Stone Zoo in Stoneham, with the 21+ event beginning at 5:30 PM. Included will be food offerings as well as live entertainment, a silent auction, and the chance to take a look at the animals at the zoo. A few of the dining spots that will be at A Wild Affair include Buffalo Wild Wings, Dockside Restaurants, Fuddruckers, Harrow's Chicken Pies, KO Catering and Pies, Polcari's Restaurant, and others.

Tickets to A Wild Affair cost $50 in advance ($60 at the gate), with proceeds supporting the zoo, including its conservation initiatives and education programs. For more information, please go to the link below:

http://www.zoonewengland.org/awildaffair

Thanks to The Stoneham Sun for bringing this to our attention.

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6th Annual Strawberry Dessert Festival to Be Held in June

A festival that focuses on strawberries is returning to the region in June.

Beginning on June 7, the 6th Annual Strawberry Dessert Festival will be held in the Boston area and elsewhere in Massachusetts, with restaurants, cafes and markets across the area offering strawberry-themed desserts to help benefit Mass Farmers Markets. Some of the spots that will be participating include A Tavola in Winchester, Flora in Arlington, Haley House Bakery Cafe in Roxbury, Highland Kitchen in Somerville, Sofra Bakery & Cafe in Cambridge, and many others.

If you would like to get more information on the 2013 Strawberry Dessert Festival, please go to the following link:

http://www.massfarmersmarkets.org/?ShowPage=FMFMCUSTOM2.aspx

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Jimmy Fund Scooper Bowl Coming to Boston's City Hall Plaza, June 4-6, 2013

An event that focuses on ice cream--and raises money for a good cause--returns to Boston once again in June.

From Tuesday, June 4 through Thursday, June 6, the 31st annual Jimmy Fund Scooper Bowl will take place at City Hall Plaza, with the event going from noon to 8:00 PM each day. The all-you-can eat festival will include ice cream, frozen yogurt, and sorbet from a variety of vendors, with flavors such as coffee almond fudge, mint chocolate chip, peaches and cream, double fudge brownie, and many others offered.

Tickets to the Scooper Bowl (which is rain or shine) cost $10 for ages 10 and above, $5 for ages 3-9, and no charge for children under 3. All proceeds will go to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

For more information on the 2013 Jimmy Fund Scooper Bowl, please go to the link below:

http://www.scooperbowl.org/faf/home/

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Huge Wheel of Cheese to Make Its Way Through Concord in Horse-Drawn Cart

Last year we wrote about how a gigantic hunk of artisanal cheese was going to make its way through Concord, and this year a similarly huge piece of cheese will be doing the same thing.

Grub Street Boston is reporting that the largest wheel of cheese in the entire Western Hemisphere will be traveling through Concord on a horse-drawn cart on December 6, with its ultimate destination being the Concord Cheese Shop in the center of town. The 400-pound Crucolo, which is from Italy, will start its journey at 3:30 PM, being serenaded by an Italian chorale group along the way. GS also says that Concord Academy's Crucolo Dancers will "prance alongside the cart while 'brandishing large chunks of cheese.'"

The Concord Cheese Shop is located at 29 Walden Street in Concord Center.

[Earlier Article (from 2011)]
400-Pound Crucolo Cheese to Make Its Way Through Concord on December 1


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Luke's Lobster to Be at Boston's Head of the Charles Regatta

A New York-based group of lobster shacks that gets its lobsters from Maine will be coming to Boston in a few days, setting up shop at one of the city's most popular events.

An email sent to us from Luke's Lobster indicates that they will be at the Head of the Charles regatta this weekend, dishing out lobster rolls as well as shrimp and crab rolls from a tent set up at the event. Luke's will also offer chowder that will come from Maine partner Hurricane's Premium Soup and Chowder, which was awarded second place in Newport's Great Chowder Cookoff this year.

Former lobsterman and Maine resident Luke Holden--along with his father Jeff Holden and business partner Ben Conniff--established Luke's Lobster in the East Village of New York in the fall of 2009, and now has shops in the Upper West Side, Financial District, and the Plaza Food Hall in Midtown Manhattan, along with locations in Washington, DC (2), and Bethesda, MD. (Luke's also has a food truck in New York as well.) The website for Luke's Lobster can be found at http://www.lukeslobster.com/


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Taste of Perkins to Be Held in Watertown Tonight

A culinary event returns to the Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown this evening, and once again it will focus on guests testing their senses at various blind tastings to discover the flavors of food in a different way.

According to their website, the fifth annual Taste of Perkins will be held from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM tonight (Thursday, October 4, 2012) at the North Beacon Street school, with the event featuring blindfolded food and wine tastings along with a silent auction, drawings for prizes, music, and more. Tickets cost $50 each and can only be purchased at the door at this point, with proceeds benefiting the school.

The Perkins School for the Blind is the nation's first school for the visually disabled.

For more information on this event, please go to the following link:

2012 Taste of Perkins


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What the Fluff? to Be Held in Somerville, September 29, 2012

A festival that focuses on a sweet treat invented in Somerville many years ago returns to that city once again later this month.

An email from Tugboat 23 indicates that the 7th annual "What the Fluff?" festival will take place in Union Square on Saturday, September 29 from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM. As always, the event will pay tribute to Fluff--which was invented by Somerville resident Archibald Query in 1917--by offering folks a variety of Fluff-related treats along with children's events, musical and theatrical performances, humorists and inventors, a cooking contest, and more.

Volunteers for the event are needed from 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM that day, so if you are interested in helping, please contact volunteer@unionsquaremain.org

More information on the 2012 "What the Fluff?" festival can be found at the link below:

http://unionsquaremain.org/fluff-festival/


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A Few Photos from the 2012 Vermont Cheesemakers' Festival

Last Sunday the 2012 Vermont Cheesemakers' Festival was held at Shelburne Farms on the shores of Lake Champlain in Shelburne, VT. A number of cheesemakers, brewers, winemakers, food purveyors, and others took part in the event, including many "repeat" participants such as Twig Farm and Grafton Village Cheese. Below are some photos from the festival, which was a huge success (the event was sold out well before it took place, just as it had been the year before).

2012 Vermont Cheesemakers' Festival

Cheese Wheels

Plymouth Cheese

Cheese from Scholten Family Farm

Cheese from Twig Farm

Chocolate from Laughing Moon

Cheese from Vermont Farmstead

Lake Champlain from the Festival

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Food Truck for Dogs to Launch at SoWa Open Market in Boston, July 1, 2012

A different kind of food truck is on the way to Boston, with this one being of interest to our four-legged friends.

On Sunday, July 1, Chef Michael’s will be debuting a food truck for dogs at the SoWa Open Market on Harrison Avenue in the South End. The truck, which will be set up from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM, will offer "lunch" to people's pets, and food will be available for dog owners as well. Pet-inspired activities will also take place at the food truck, and samples of new Chef Michael's "Carvery Creations" will be offered. Information about the "Chef Michael’s Sweepstakes" from Food Network Magazine will be available as well.

More information on Chef Michael's can be found on their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/foodfordogs

The SoWa Open Market website is at http://www.sowaopenmarket.com/


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Hyper-Local Craft Brew Tasting Coming to The Armory in Somerville, June 16, 2012

An event that beer lovers might not want to miss is on its way to Somerville.

According to its events page, the Hyper-Local Craft Brew Tasting will be coming to The Armory on Highland Avenue on June 16, with a first session starting at 3:00 PM and a second session starting at 7:00 PM. A number of local brewers will be at the event, along with vintners and distillers, and food from local spots will be offered as well. A few of the brewers that will be at the tasting include Cape Ann Brewing Company, Idle Hands Craft Ales, Notch Brewing, Peak Organic Brewing Co., Rapscallion, and others, while wine and cordials will be provided by Coastal Vineyards, Farnum Hill Ciders, Turtle Creek, and more. Food will be provided by such places as EH Chocolatier, Five Horses Tavern, Singh's Roti, and Valicenti Organico.

Tickets for each session cost $30.

For more information on the Hyper-Local Craft Brew Tasting, please go to the events page below.

http://hyperlocalbrew.eventbrite.com/

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Fenway Park to Be the Site of the World's Largest Toast

Fenway Park is gearing up for its 100th year in existence, and one event that is planned for the home of the Red Sox is a rather unusual one to say the least.

Grub Street Boston reports that Welch's Grape Juice is looking to get into the Guinness Book of World Records by giving everyone at the April 20 Sox/Yankees game a Welch's Sparking Grape Juice Cocktail, with the hopes that it can set the record for the world's largest toast in one venue. The mlb.com website mentions that the current record for a toast is 27,126, which was set at a baseball game in Japan a couple of years ago. Since Fenway Park can hold more than 37,000 people, it seems that there is a good chance the record will fall next month in Beantown.

Welch's is based on Concord, MA, and recently celebrated an anniversary of its own (140 years in business).

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"Pig: A Restaurant" Comes to ImprovBoston in Cambridge March 23, 2012

A comedy show that lampoons the food culture is on its way to the Boston area, and one of the people behind it may be familiar to those who follow the local restaurant scene.

On Friday, March 23, Pig: A Restaurant will make its Boston-area debut at ImprovBoston on Prospect Street in Cambridge, with the starting time being 7:00 PM. The show, which was inspired by Leila Cohan-Miccio's time as editor of Grub Street Boston (a popular food and restaurant site that is part of New York Magazine), follows seven characters at the opening party for a new meat-obsessed restaurant. All of the parts are played by Lauren Conlin Adams, a food industry veteran who has worked at some of New York's top restaurants, including Balthazar and DB Bistro Moderne.

Tickets cost $12, which includes both Pig: A Restaurant and a stand-up set. For more information, please go to the following link:

http://www.womenincomedyfestival.com/shows/2012/pig-restaurant-and-special-guest

[Photo Credit: Sarah Gainer]

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CitySprouts Spring Cocktail Fundraiser Party Coming to Cambridge, March 22, 2012

A food and drinks event that helps raise money for garden-based education programs in the Cambridge public schools is coming to Harvard Square next month.

On Thursday, March 22, the CitySprouts Spring Cocktail Fundraiser Party 2012 will be held at the Regattabar within the Charles Hotel, starting at 6:00 PM. The event will include tapas and wine as well as live jazz music and a silent auction. All proceeds from the event will help support CitySprouts, which is a non-profit organization that provides school garden education in Cambridge's schools.

Tickets to the CitySprouts Spring Cocktail Fundraiser Party 2012 cost $125 and can be ordered at the link below.

http://www.citysprouts.org/about-us/news-and-events

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Breakfast with the Gorillas Coming to the Franklin Park Zoo

Last month, we told you about the Franklin Park Zoo having a birthday party for a baby gorilla, complete with chocolate cupcakes with banana buttercream frosting. Now, another event will be taking place there that involves gorillas, and this one will focus on a continental breakfast.

According to the Zoo New England website, Breakfast with the Gorillas will be held at the zoo this Saturday (December 17) from 9:15 AM to 10:00 AM. A post from Adam's Hospitality and Tourism Industry Blog indicates that the event, which is part of Zoo New England's Breakfast with the Animals for Families educational initiative, will allow folks to gain early entry to the zoo and have breakfast in the gorilla exhibit, with staff talking about the gorillas and answering any questions that guests may have.

Ticket prices to Breakfast with the Gorillas are $10 per participant and $7 for each additional participant. More information can be found at the following link (at the bottom of the page). http://www.zoonewengland.org/page.aspx?pid=354

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