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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Fairsted Kitchen Is Opening in the Former Umami Space in Brookline

It looks like an "Olmsted-inspired" restaurant is on its way to Brookline, moving into the space where an Asian fusion spot had been.

The Brookline TAB is reporting that Fairsted Kitchen is planning to open in the former Umami space on Beacon Street in the Washington Square section of town. The article says that Steve Bowman (Menton, Russell House Tavern), who is behind the proposed eatery along with business partner Andrew Foster, gets the name from the estate of landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, which is on Warren Street near the Brookline Reservoir. It appears that the cuisine at Fairsted Kitchen will be "classic Americana" with North African, Israeli, and Eastern European influences, according to the TAB.

The Brookline Board of Selectmen will look at Bowman's request for a liquor license transfer next week; if all goes well, the article says that Fairsted Kitchen could be open by "next fall."

[June 20 update: A new article in the Brookline TAB states that the Board of Selectmen have approved of a license for Fairsted Kitchen.]

[October 29 update: The Restaurant Hub blog of The Boston Globe mentions that Fairsted Kitchen opens today.]

The address for this new restaurant near Washington Square is: Fairsted Kitchen, 1704 Beacon Street, Brookline, MA, 02445.

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[New article from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): Slideshow--Twelve of the Best Food Dishes of 2013 (So Far)]

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Strega Pizzeria and Cafe Plans to Open in Boston's North End

The person (and restaurant group) behind several Boston-area eateries is planning to open another dining spot in the North End.

The NorthEndWaterfront.com site reports that Strega Pizzeria and Cafe is looking at the space on Hanover Street where Casa di Stile had been--and next to Strega Ristorante. The post says that Nick Varano of The Varano Group is hoping to transfer the Malt and Wine with Cordials License at the now-shuttered Nick's Famous Deli on Cross Street to the new spot, with the North End/Waterfront Residents' Association looking into the proposed transfer this evening.

In addition to Strega on Hanover Street, Varano also owns Strega on the waterfront and Nico in the North End. (Another Strega is coming to Woburn as well [Ed note: The Woburn location is now open].)

[October 8, 2014 update: Nearly a year and a half after first reporting on this, Strega Pizzeria and Cafe has still not opened and Universal Hub states that the Boston Licensing Board recently met with Nick Varano's attorney to find out why. According to the post, William Ferullo says that the eatery should be opening in about 30 days, and that the delay happened mostly because of issues connected to the installation of kitchen vents within the space.]

The address for this upcoming restaurant is 371-373 Hanover Street, Boston, MA, 02113. The website for The Varano Group can be found at http://www.thevaranogroup.com/

Thanks to Eater Boston for bringing this to our attention.

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Besito Is Opening in Burlington, Chestnut Hill, and (Possibly) Lynnfield

A trio of upscale Mexican restaurants in New York and Connecticut is expanding into the Boston area, with three slated for the suburbs.

According to a job post on the Craigslist site, Besito is planning to open in Burlington, Chestnut Hill, and Lynnfield, with its Pinterest page indicating that the outlets will be located at the Burlington Mall, the Mall at Chestnut Hill, and MarketStreet Lynnfield, respectively. Currently, locations of Besito can be found in Huntington and Roslyn (both in New York) and West Hartford, CT.

[Febraury 19, 2014 update: Besito tells us (via their Facebook page) that construction has begun on their Burlington location, with a spring opening planned. It appears that Chestnut Hill might not be too far behind, though there is no word on their Lynnfield location (and in fact that location is not mentioned on their website).]

[May 19, 2014 update: The Boston Globe is reporting that the new Besito in Burlington opens on June 17, while the Chestnut Hill location is looking to open later in the summer.]

[November 4, 2014 update: A source within the restaurant industry says that Besito in Chestnut Hill is opening this Friday (November 7).]

Besito offers such items as ceviche, flautas, tamales, enchiladas, carnitas, mole poblano, crusted mahi mahi, boneless short ribs, jicama, and plantains. It also has an extensive list of tequilas, with flights available.

The website for Besito is at http://www.besitomexican.com/

Follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston

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Davio's to Open in Lynnfield

Earlier this week, we reported that Davio's had opened a new location in Chestnut Hill, teaming up with a high-end movie theater (Showcase Super Lux). Now we have learned that another location of the upscale Northern Italian steakhouse will be coming to the Boston area, with this one being north of the city.

The Boston Herald is reporting that a new Davio's will be opening at an upcoming open-air retail center called MarketStreet Lynnfield, which will be located near the intersection of Routes 128/95 and Walnut Street. The dining spot's Twitter page says that it is planning to open in August, which is around the time of the opening of the complex. (Other restaurants coming to MarketStreet Lynnfield include the Yard House, Kings, and Legal C Bar.)

[August 21 update: According to a post on their Facebook page, the new Davio's in Lynnfield opens tomorrow. (Thanks to @CMFoster23 for letting us know about the place getting ready to open.]

Other locations of Davio's can be found in Boston and Foxboro, as well as Philadelphia and Atlanta. Their website is at http://davios.com/

[Earlier Article]
Davio's Partners with Theater Chain to Open Restaurant in Chestnut Hill

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Steakcation to Be Held in Boston, July 6, 2013

A food and drink event is on its way to Boston in July, or perhaps more accurately, to Boston Harbor.

On Saturday, July 6 from 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM, the Eat Boston folks will team up with Wines of France to host Steakcation, a karaoke harbor cruise that will include beef-based foods from Michael Scelfo of the upcoming Alden & Harlow in Cambridge, along with wine samples from Loire Valley, Bordeaux, Beaujolias and more. Boarding will begin for the 21+ rain or shine event at 1:30 PM in back of the Boston Harbor Hotel.

Tickets are available now for Steakcation and cost $20 each; to order tickets (and to get more information on the event), please go to the link below:

http://www.wheretoeat.in/steakcation/

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