Fiouna Catering Is Opening Fiouna's Persian Fusion Cuisine in the Fenway's Restaurant Row

The folks behind a Perisan catering company in Newton are opening a restaurant in the Fenway's "restaurant row."

The Boston Hospitality and Tourism Industry Blog is reporting (via the City of Boston website) that the owners of Fiouna Catering on California Street are looking to open a dining spot on Peterborough Street in the space where Umi had been (Umi was destroyed in a 2009 fire that took out most of restaurant row). The article mentions that a meeting is taking place tomorrow at Boston City Hall concerning the acquisition of a common victualler license for the spot, which may be called Fiouna's Restaurant. [May 15 update: The new spot is called Fiouna's Persian Fusion Cuisine.]

Based on their takeout menu in Newton, Fiouna's Persian Fusion Cuisine may be offering soups, salads, kabobs, stews, rice dishes, and more.

[May 15 update: Eater Boston states that Fiouna's Persian Fusion Cuisine is now open.]

The address for this new restaurant in the Fenway is 90 Peterborough Street, Boston, MA, 02215. Their catering website can be found at http://www.fiouna.com/

Thanks to Eater Boston for bringing this to our attention.


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The Farmhouse Is Opening in Needham

A new farm-to-table restaurant in Needham is making renovations to the space in which it will reside, and it is using a popular funding platform to help with the improvements.

According to its Kickstarter page, The Farmhouse on Great Plain Avenue is asking for pledges through March 1 to help them raise money to "add some architectural finishing touches" to the restaurant. The couple behind the dining spot are using reclaimed wood from barns that are being taken down and farm houses that are in disrepair, with the wood being used for paneling as well as a "fourteen seat community farmer's table." The couple says that they are 85% finished with construction and renovations.

[February 27 update: A Facebook post from the restaurant indicates that The Farmhouse will be opening this Friday (March 1).]

[March 1 update: The restaurant has confirmed (via Facebook) that it will indeed be opening today.]

The space that The Farmhouse is moving into had been home to Midtown Smokehouse and Grill and before that, Village Fish. The address is 970 Great Plain Avenue, Needham, MA, 02492.

The Kickstarter link can be found at http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/595014625/the-farmhouse

Thanks to a poster on the Chowhound site for bringing this to our attention.


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Highlights for the Week Ending February 1, 2013

Several more stories and articles focusing on the Boston-area restaurant scene came out over the past week, including a chili competition returning to the city, a chain of hamburger places opening a new outlet in the region, and a well-known French eatery closing its Back Bay location. In addition, our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants) included an updated review of a restaurant on Route 1, a photo of a dessert item from an Italian bakery near Logan Airport, and a slideshow on romantic restaurants.

Below are links to these and other items from the past week:

Boston Restaurant Talk

4th Annual Chili Cup to Be Held at Ned Devine's in Boston's Faneuil Hall, February 21, 2013

BerryLine in Boston's Back Bay Closes, to Be Replaced by Forever Yogurt

Johnny Rockets Opens in Acton

The Local in West Newton to Expand to Wayland and Wellesley

Sel de la Terre in the Back Bay of Boston Has Closed

Boston's Hidden Restaurants

Updated Review: Angela's Coal Fired Pizza in Saugus, MA

Photo: Tiramisu from Spinelli's in East Boston, MA

New Photo Slideshow: Twelve Romantic Restaurants in the Boston Area and Beyond

Who Makes the Best Margarita in the Boston Area?

Updated Dive Bar Photo Gallery


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Pastoral Is Opening in Boston's Fort Point Neighborhood

A new restaurant that focuses on pizza will be opening in the red-hot Fort Point district of Boston.

The Boston Herald is reporting that George Lewis (formerly of the now-closed Foundation Lounge in Kenmore Square) and Todd Winer (culinary director for the Met Restaurant Group) are looking to open Pastoral on Congress Street, moving into the Neena's Lighting space. The article mentions that the 140-seat eatery will be a "pizza-centric" spot that offers Neapolitan pies cooked in a stone oven that is being brought over from Italy, along with dishes with Mediterranean influences. Pastoral could be open by the summer, according to the Herald.

[December 11 update: Eater Boston states that Pastoral is planning to open in late January; the article also mentions that the restaurant's pizza oven arrives tomorrow (a picture of the oven is shown in the article).]

[January 8, 2014 update: Zagat mentions that Pastoral is now looking at a mid-February opening, and it also has some interesting news on the restaurant's pizza oven; according to the page, the 6,000-pound oven which comes from Naples is "only the second Massachusetts restaurant currently certified by the U.S. and Canadian branch of the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana, the international board governing authentic Neapolitan pizza-making," and that it is made using materials from Mt. Vesuvius.]

[March 26, 2014 update: A new post on its Facebook page indicates that Pastoral opens its doors at 5:00 PM this Friday (March 28), with the bar being open until 2:00 AM.]

The address for this upcoming dining spot is: Pastoral, 343 Congress Street, Boston, MA, 02210. Its website will be at http://www.pastoralfortpoint.com/


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Harpoon Brewery in Boston's Seaport District Opens a New Beer Hall Tonight

A brewery along the Boston waterfront is opening a massive new beer hall this evening.

Eater Boston is reporting that the Harpoon Brewery on Northern Avenue in the Seaport District will introduce a beer hall with seating for 250 (and a total capacity of 300) at 5:00 PM, with the new spot offering 20 different beers on tap--plus a station for filling growlers--along with fresh pretzels. The long tables at the beer hall are made from "salvaged butternut wood," according to EB, and there will be water views from the hall. An earlier article from Eater mentions that a new gift shop will also be in the space.

The address for the Harpoon Brewery and beer hall is 306 Northern Avenue, Boston, MA, 02210. The Harpoon website can be found at http://www.harpoonbrewery.com/


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Walnut Grille to Move into Former Christina's Space in Newton Highlands

A new restaurant is coming to a neighborhood of Newton, and it will moving into the space where another eatery had been.

A Twitter post sent by the Brand New Watch blog of Wicked Local Waltham mentions that the Walnut Grille is coming to Newton Highlands, with a City of Newton public meeting page indicating that it will be opening in the former Christina's spot (Brand New Watch has confirmed this). The photo in the Twitter post shows that the new dining spot will feature "a vegetarian and vegan experience" while the City of Newton post implies that it is planning to be open for lunch and dinner daily.

[February 28 update: The Newton Patch is reporting that the Walnut Grille is opening tonight, with the restaurant starting lunch service next week (and brunch will soon be offered on weekends). The article also says that beer, wine, and liquor will be available starting next week.]

Christina's was a cafe-style bistro that first opened in July of 2011. A Dunkin' Donuts had been in the space previous to that.

The address for this upcoming restaurant in Newton Highlands is: Walnut Grille, 1203 Walnut Street, Newton, MA, 02461.


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