NESN Sets Up a "Best Sports Bar Dish" Competition

A sports network that is owned by a couple of Boston teams has begun a voting competition for the best sports bar dish in the area, with the voting bracket including 16 dishes from local spots.

According to the NESN site, a four-week-long bracket is now in place (@JohnBeattieNESN mentioned that it began last Monday), with the 16-bar bracket including such items as the fried clams from the Baseball Tavern, pork chops from Sweet Caroline's, chicken fingers from The Greatest Bar, Big Tasty from Tasty Burger, atomic hot wings from Game On!, nachos from Happy's, and more. The voting bracket page includes links where readers can watch features on the dishes, then vote.

For more information on the sports bar dish competition, please go to the link below:

http://nesn.com/2012/12/bostons-best-sports-bar-dish-bracket/

NESN, which first started out in 1984, is owned by both the Boston Red Sox and the Boston Bruins.

[December 10 update: Round 2 has begun, with eight dishes from various restaurants remaining. The updated bracket can be found here: Best Sports Bar Dish--Second Round]

[December 18 update: Round 3 (which is the "Final Four") has begun, with dishes from CBS Scene, Dillon's, Pour House, and North Star in the running. The updated bracket can be found at this link: Best Sports Bar Dish--Third Round (Final Four)]

[December 27 update: The final round for the NESN competition is now upon us, with CBS Scene facing North Star. Voting will end on Monday, January 7, with the results being posted soon thereafter. Updated info can be found at the following link: Is The North Star's Joey Chestnut Sampler or CBS Scene's Pastrami Burger the Better Sports Bar Dish?]

[January 10, 2013 update: The winner of the best sports bar dish competition is North Star, with their Joey Chestnut Sampler just beating CBS Scene's Pastrami Burger by the slightest of margins. More information on the outcome can be found at this link: The North Star's Joey Chestnut Sampler Earns Title of Boston’s Best Sports Bar Dish]

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Tavern in the Square Is Opening in Burlington

A local chain of neighborhood restaurants is going to be opening a new location, and this one will be in a northern suburb of Boston.

According to their website, Tavern in the Square is planning to open at New England Executive Park in Burlington (next to the Burlington Mall). This will be the fifth location of the restaurant, with other locations being in Cambridge's Central Square and Porter Square as well as Allston and Salem (Union Street restaurant in Newton Centre is also part of the restaurant group).

The Tavern in the Square restaurants focus mainly on pub grub and classic American fare, including such items as nachos, wings, fried pickles, crab cakes, burgers, burritos, quesadillas, meatloaf, and steak tips.

Expect a spring 2012 opening for the new Tavern in the Square in Burlington.

[February 10, 2012 update: According to the Burlington Patch, the new Tavern in the Square in Burlington is planning to open in April.]

[August 1, 2012 update: According to their website, Tavern in the Square in Burlington is now open for dinner, with lunch bring served starting Monday, August 6.]

The address for this new dining spot and bar in Burlington is: Tavern in the Square, 1 New England Executive Park, Burlington, MA, 01803. The website for all of the restaurants can be found at http://www.taverninthesquare.com/tavern/

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Maggie's Farm Is Opening in Middleton

A new restaurant featuring an unusual mix of food items will be opening north of Boston at the beginning of 2012, and the group behind it also runs a number of other North Shore eateries.

According to their Twitter page, Maggie's Farm is planning to open in Middleton on January 2, bringing to the area a place that will have pub food, a sushi bar, and live music. The Town of Middleton website mentions that Maggie's Farm has received a transfer of alcohol, victualler, and entertainment licenses from Rock's Tavern, a restaurant on Route 114 that first opened in the winter of 2010 (Rock's Tavern has apparently closed; a call placed to the spot shows that their phone has been disconnected) and it also indicates that Serenitee Restaurant Group--which is behind such places as 15 Walnut in Hamilton, Latitude 43 in Gloucester, and Hale Street Tavern in Beverly--is opening the new spot.

[May 15, 2012 update: According to their Facebook page, Maggie's Farm in Middleton is now open.]

The address for Maggie's Farm is: Maggie's Farm, 119 S Main Street (Route 114), Middleton, MA, 01949. Their website can be found at http://maggiesfarmmiddleton.com/

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Stadium Sports Bar and Grill to Open in Waltham

A sports bar with locations in South Boston and Quincy is planning to open a third spot, with this one being in the heart of a "restaurant row" area west of Boston.

According to the Waltham Patch, Stadium Sports Bar and Grill is going to be opening on Moody Street, moving into the space where Robert's Restaurant and Bar used to be. The article mentions that the Stadium still has some steps to go before it can open (including getting approval from the Massachusetts Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission), and that it is possible the new restaurant could be open by this fall, just in time for the beginning of the NFL season.

[February 28, 2012 update: The new Stadium Sports Bar and Grill in Waltham is now open.]

As with the other two locations, the new Stadium Sports Bar and Grill in Waltham will likely have such comfort food and pub grub items as nachos, calamari, burgers, pulled pork sandwiches, wings, pizza, macaroni and cheese, meatloaf, chicken marsala, and more.

The address for this upcoming restaurant in Waltham will be: Stadium Sports Bar and Grill, 342 Moody Street, Waltham, MA, 02453. the website for the group of restaurants can be found at http://www.stadiumbars.com/

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80 Thoreau Opening in Concord

A new restaurant is going to be opening in Concord early next year, and it will be moving into the space where several high-end dining spots had been.

According to the Concord Patch, 80 Thoreau is planning to open in the Concord Depot section of town in January, 2011, taking over the spot where Aigo Bistro, Different Drummer, and Cafe L'Orange all used to be. The article indicates that the new eatery will be open for lunch and dinner, and it will feature French and American fare as well as pub food in its bar. 80 Thoreau will have more than 3,000 square feet of space and a capacity of nearly 75 in its dining area, with room for 18 more at the bar, according to the Patch.

[April 21, 2011 update: According to Grub Street Boston, 80 Thoreau is now open for business, and the people behind it are folks connected with Rialto in Cambridge as well as Craft and Per Se in New York City.]

The address for this new restaurant in Concord Depot is 80 Thoreau, 80 Thoreau Street, Concord, MA, 01742.

For more information on the opening of 80 Thoreau, please go to the Concord Patch link below.

Selectmen Approve Restaurant License

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Venus III Opens in Hanson

A pair of restaurants south of Boston that are known in part for their pizza has been joined by a third eatery. According to the Whitman-Hanson Express, Venus III has opened on Route 27 in Hanson where another restaurant called Woody's used to reside. The new eatery, which has an outdoor deck, offers a combination of American fare and pub grub. The article mentions although that Venus III is indeed open, a grand opening will be held at some point this month.

Venus III joins the original Venus, which is located on Route 27 in Whitman, and Venus II, which is on Ocean Avenue in Marshfield. The Whitman location focuses on bar pizza while the menu at the Marshfield location has pizza as well as a variety of sandwiches/subs and steak, seafood, chicken, and pasta dishes.

The address for this new restaurant in Hanson is: Venus III, 252 Main Street (Route 27), Hanson, MA, 02341.

For more information on the opening of Venus III, please go to the Whitman-Hanson Express link below.

Family business comes to Hanson

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