The Thinking Cup Is Opening Across from Boston Common

It looks like a new coffee house will soon be coming to downtown Boston, and it will apparently be the first Boston-area spot to serve Stumptown Coffee from Portland, Oregon.

According to Universal Hub, The Thinking Cup is going to be opening on Tremont Street across from Boston Common as early as later this month, and it will be featuring high-end coffee as well as croissants, frozen yogurt, and sandwiches. (The Thinking Cup's Twitter page mentions that they will be the first coffee house in the downtown area to have a pastry chef on site.)

Stumptown Coffee is a Portland-based coffee company that does both wholesale and retail, with five cafes located in Portland, two more in Seattle, one in New York City, and one in Amsterdam. They feature coffees from Latin America, Africa, and Asia, and also have organic coffees, blends, and decaf.

Hours for The Thinking Cup will be 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM Monday through Wednesday, and 7:00 AM to 11:00 PM Thursday through Sunday.

[January 3, 2011 update: According to posters on Chowhound, The Thinking Cup is now open in downtown Boston.]

The address for this new coffee house in downtown Boston is: The Thinking Cup, 165 Tremont Street, Boston, MA, 02111. Their website can be found at: http://thethinkingcup.com/

For more information on the opening of The Thinking Cup, please go to the Universal Hub link below.

Tremont Street coffehouse says it will serve Portland's best coffee

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Darbar Restaurant Opens in Brighton

A new Pakistani and Indian restaurant is now open in Brighton.

According to the Thrillist site, Darbar has opened on North Beacon Street (between Market Street and Cambridge Street), bringing to the neighborhood a halal restaurant that has about 50 seats for dining in as well the option to do takeout. The restaurant's website states that, being a halal place, no pork products are used at Darbar and no alcohol is sold. Thrillist mantions that the menu includes goat dishes, chicken meatballs in curry, lamb kidney and liver, and boneless chicken with ginger and bell peppers.

Darbar is open for lunch and dinner daily, and they also have a buffet available.

The address for this new restaurant in Brighton is: Darbar Restaurant, 130 North Beacon Street, Brighton, MA, 02135. The phone number is (781) 789-1074. And the website can be found at: http://darbarrestaurant.com/

For more information on the opening of Darbar, please go to the Thrillist link below.

Darbar: Rare Pakistani spot opens in Brighton

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Magic Hat Brewery in Vermont to Be Sold

It looks like the biggest brewery in the state of Vermont is on the verge of being sold.

According to the Boston Globe, South Burlington-based Magic Hat Brewing Company might soon be sold to North American Breweries of Rochester, NY. The article mentions that this information comes from a beer industry publication, though the CEO of Magic Hat had no comment. [August 25 update: According to the Burlington Free Press, the sale of Magic Hat has gone through, and it is now part of North American Breweries.]

Magic Hat, which first started out about 15 years ago, features a small number of microbrews, including the year round beers Circus Boy wheat and Single Chair Ale, as well as seasonal beers such as Howl black lager, Roxy Rolles amber ale, and Wacko summer ale.

North American Breweries includes brands such as Dundee, Genesee, and Imperial, as well as Labatt USA.

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The Beehive's Rebecca Newell to Be on the Food Network's Chopped

Yet another Boston chef is going to be on a popular food-based show, with this one being aired next week. An email sent to us by Image Unlimited Communications indicates that Rebecca Newell of The Beehive, an eclectic restaurant on Tremont Street in the South End, will be one of four female chefs competing on next week's episode of "Chopped," which airs at 10:00 PM on Tuesday, August 10. [August 11 update: Rebecca Newell was the winner in "Chopped" last night, being awarded $10,000 in the process. If you'd like to learn more about the winner, please go to this interview with Rebecca Newell on The Passionate Foodie blog.]

Raised in Glens Falls, NY, Rebecca Newell attended the New England Culinary Institute before moving to Naples, FL, working at a couple of dining spots in the area. Once back in New England, she worked at Coriander Bistro in Sharon, Union Bar and Grille in the South End, and Aquitaine Bis in Chestnut Hill before becoming Executive Chef at The Beehive in the fall of 2007. (Information via the BostonChefs.com site.)

"Chopped," which is hosted by writer and TV personality Ted Allen, is a reality-based television show that focuses on chefs using ingredients chosen by the show to make a three-course meal. Each week, the winner (as decided by the culinary judges on "Chopped") is awarded $10,000. A web link for the show can be found at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/chopped/

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Big Papi's Grille May Be Coming to Boston

A popular Red Sox slugger who opened a restaurant west of Boston a year ago is apparently looking to open a new spot in the city.

According to the Boston Herald, David Ortiz and the business partners involved with Framingham's Big Papi's Grille have been looking around the Back Bay and downtown Boston for a possible location for a second restaurant, and may indeed be close to coming to terms on a spot. The Herald mentions that the search for a second Big Papi's Grille comes on the heels of a some changes to both the menu and the atmosphere of the original restaurant, which is located on Route 9 in Framingham.

Big Papi's is a casual upscale Dominican-influenced restaurant that features steaks, chops, seafood, and sandwiches. A few highlights include tostones, Dominican sausage, red snapper, fish tacos, Cubano sliders, filet mignon, and a rack of lamb.

For more information on the possible opening of a new Big Papi's Grille in Boston, please go to the Boston Herald link below.

Team David Ortiz scouts Boston for second Big Papi's Grille

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Zaps in Allston Has Apparently Closed

It looks like a quick-food dining spot in Allston that featured Polish sandwiches has closed its doors.

According to a poster on the Chowhound site, Zaps on Brighton Avenue has had a "Closed for Renovations" sign up for awhile. A check on the restaurant's website shows that it no longer exists, and a call placed to the spot indicated that their phone has been disconnected.

Zaps first opened about a year ago, focusing on cheap eats for the college crowds that populate this Boston neighborhood. The menu included "zaps," or Polish-style open-faced sandwiches, as well as some panini options.

The address for this sandwich shop in Allston was: Zaps, 141 Brighton Avenue, Allston, MA, 02134.

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