Bon Appetit Includes Juliet, Shepard Among Nominees for Best New Restaurants of 2016

A popular food magazine has given its list of nominees for the best new restaurants in America once again, and included on the list are a couple of dining spots in Somerville and Cambridge.

According to the list from Bon Appetit, Juliet in Somerville's Union Square and Shepard in Cambridge (between Porter Square and Harvard Square) have been included among its 50 nominees for best new dining spots in the United States for 2016, calling the former "The all-day cafe of our dreams" and the latter "The smartest restaurant in Cambridge." Two other New England restaurants made the list as well--Drifters Wife in Portland and Oberlin in Providence--while five spots in New York City were also included (Bar Goto, Mimi, Superiority Burger, Te Company, and Wildair).

The magazine will announce which restaurants have made the top 10 on August 16.

Juliet debuted on Washington Street in Somerville in February while Shepard opened on Shepard Street in Cambridge in June of 2015.

For a complete list of the 50 nominees for 2016, please go to the following link:

http://www.bonappetit.com/best-new-restaurants

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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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McCabe's on Mass in Cambridge Reconcepts, Becomes McCabe's Bar & Grille

A Cambridge restaurant that featured New American fare, small plates, and craft beer has morphed into more of a neighborhood bar and grill that gives a nod to a watering hole that was once in the space.

According to its social media pages, McCabe's on Mass has undergone a reconcepting that includes renovations to the space and it is now called McCabe's Bar & Grille, with the spot featuring pub food, craft beer, darts, sports shown on TVs, and more, all in a casual environment. A chat with owner Brian Manning indicates that McCabe's Bar & Grille will be a bit of a mix of McCabe's on Mass and Spirit, a pub that had formerly been at the site, and that the new place will be a bit closer in feel to Spirit with more of an emphasis on the bar than the restaurant while still offering a variety of food options.

Manning tells us that the changeover to McCabe's Bar & Grille is just about fully complete, with many of the changes being made over the past couple of days.

The address for McCabe's Bar & Grille is 2046 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02140.

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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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Not Your Average Joe's Is Opening in Peabody

A local chain of eclectic neighborhood restaurants that recently closed one of its locations north of Boston is opening a new outlet north of the city.

According to a source, Not Your Average Joe's will be opening at Northshore Mall in Peabody, with a possible opening date sometime in October though an official date will be coming as they get closer to the opening. This news comes a bit more than a month after the chain closed its Medford location, as its lease there came to an end and they decided not to renew. Currently, other locations of Not Your Average Joe's can be found in Acton, Arlington, Beverly, Burlington, Dartmouth, Hyannis, Methuen, Needham. Newburyport, Norwell, Randolph, Seekonk, Waltham, Watertown, Westborough, and Westwood, along with outlets in New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.

The website for Not Your Average Joe's is at http://www.notyouraveragejoes.com/

[September 27 update: According to a press release, the new location of Not Your Average Joe's in Peabody opens on October 10.]

[Earlier Article]
Not Your Average Joe's in Medford Has Closed

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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 Grand Canal in Boston Has Closed

It looks like an Irish pub, restaurant, and entertainment spot near Boston's Haymarket Square has shut its doors for good.

According to a Twitter post from @badgerboxes last night, The Grand Canal on Canal Street appears to be closed, with one sign out front saying "Rest In Peace Grand Canal" and another saying "Never Forget RIP Trivia Tuesday." This seems to jibe with what a source told us recently--that the bar may be shuttering--though there was no word it was definitely closing, and based on another tweet from @badgerboxes, it looked like a trivia night may have been in the works for yesterday but it did not happen because the place was locked up.

The Grand Canal, which first opened approximately 20 years ago, was known in part for its live music and DJs along with trivia nights and paint nights; it also offered pub grub and comfort food as well as beer, wine, and cocktails.

The address for this now-closed pub in Boston was: The Grand Canal, 57 Canal Street, Boston, MA, 02114.

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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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New Restaurant to Open within GE Headquarters in Boston's Fort Point; May Pay Homage to The Channel

Design plans for the new General Electric headquarters on Boston's Fort Point Channel have been unveiled, and the plans include a restaurant that may honor a legendary rock club from years ago.

The Boston Globe is reporting that GE's upcoming complex will house a waterfront dining spot on the ground floor that could have a section giving recognition to The Channel, including the possibility of live music on Friday and Saturday nights. The article mentions that the restaurant will be housed in one of the two historic brick warehouses that will be renovated and connected to a new 12-story glass building, with a rendering shown simply saying "bistro" where the dining spot will be.

According to a post from Vanyaland, The Channel first opened on Necco Street in 1980 and featured many big names in rock along with countless local performers until shutting down in 1991, with acts such as The Ramones, Metallica, Iggy Pop, The Pixies, James Brown, The Cars, and New Order playing there. (The club was recently included among VH1's list of most legendary heavy metal clubs of all time.)

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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 Charlie Horse in West Bridgewater Has Closed

An iconic sports bar and entertainment spot south of Boston has shut down.

According to a couple of sources, The Charlie Horse in West Bridgewater closed for good after business hours last night, with The Enterprise stating that declining business and having a space that was simply too large were the reasons for the closure. The article indicates that the other location of The Charlie Horse in Kingston remains open, and that workers at the West Bridgewater spot will be given a chance to continue on at that outlet along with other places owned by the people behind it, including the Abington Ale House in Abington, The Tirrell Room function space in Quincy, and Jones River Trading Co. caterers in Kingston.

The West Bridgewater location of The Charlie Horse first opened approximately 25 years ago.

The address for the now-closed Charlie Horse in West Bridgewater was 674 West Center Street, West Bridgewater, MA, 02379.

[August 3 update: A new article from The Enterprise confirms that The Charlie Horse closed because the cost of running the dining and drinking spot in such a large space was no longer economically feasible, with one of the owners saying that "We just couldn't afford to stay there."]

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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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