Entertainment

Vegetarian Food Truck and Craft Beer Festival Coming to Watertown

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Food Truck Festivals of America is pleased to announce the Vegetarian Food Truck and Craft Beer Festival, coming to The Arsenal Project in Watertown (485 Arsenal St.) on Saturday, Sept. 10 from noon-6 p.m. (VIP hour from 11 a.m.-noon). The festival will feature 15+ food trucks and 30+ of the region’s best craft beers. Food and 12oz craft beers will be available for purchase from Noon-6 PM (11 am- Noon VIP). From 3-6 p.m. unlimited beer sampling will be available for an additional fee where attendees are able to sample 2 oz. craft beers. The trucks will be serving up a variety of vegetarian favorites, including Asian fusion, salads, falafel, hummus, and other Mediterranean specialties, soft serve treats, warm hand pies, and much more.

Business

New Watertown Restaurant Offers a Mix of Asian Cuisines

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Asian food lovers have a new place to dine in town, where they can satisfy cravings for both Thai food and sushi. 

J. Dee Asian Bistro opened in late March at 92 Main St., in Watertown, the spot formerly occupied by Upper Crust. Owner Tony Hongsamat said his restaurant is a combination of the food from his hometown and of food he learned to make while working for restaurants in the Boston area. “For the Thai food, we know there is a lot of Asian food around here, so we try to make our dishes more like what we have in Thailand,” Hongsamat said. One of the dishes you might not find other places is Moo Na Now, which is BBQ pork shoulder with fresh chili-and-garlic lime sauce. They also offer the traditional Thai curry dishes, as well as favorites such as Pad Thai, which comes regular or country style – as it is prepared in Thailand.

Eating

Spoodles Soup Factory Has Opened a Nearby Location

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After 8 years of refining their concept, Spoodles Soup Factory of Foxborough is thrilled to announce the opening of their second location in Belmont, Massachusetts. The second outlet is located at 374 Trapelo Road, and is open Monday-Thursday from 11 a.m.-7 p.m., and on Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m.-9 p.m.

Spoodles Soup Factory in Belmont serves delicious, hearty portions of soup. Each of their recipes are prepared daily to achieve the highest levels of quality and taste, and are conveniently packaged for takeout or to eat on the go. Still hungry? Each soup can be complimented perfectly by a diverse selection of sandwiches, made fresh each day.

Food

Watertown Company’s Birch Lemonade Dazzles on Debut

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Watertown-based Botanical Springs got off to a good start with their products featuring birch sap before they even put their products on the market. The company’s birch sap lemonade won first place at a birch sap and syrup conference. 

The company, started in December 2014 by friends and business partners Francesco Capaldi and Mikal McCalmont. They use maple and birch sap which they harvest from trees in Maine. Along with the first place birch lemonade, Botanical Springs got second place in the birch water category at the first International Birch Sap and Syrup Conference held at Paul Smith’s College in New York, and co-sponsored by the Cornell University Cooperative Extension School. The winning lemonade was a mixture of infused birch sap, cucumber, watermelon, fresh wild mint grown in Capaldi’s mother’s garden and local honey.

Food

Committee Trying to Iron Out Details to Allow BYOB in Watertown

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Watertown restaurants may be allowed to have bring-your-own alcohol, but first the details must be settled by a joint group of Town Council subcommittees. At a joint meeting of the Rules & Ordinances, Public Safety, and Planning subcommittees on Thursday, steps were taken toward crafting the new ordinance which would allow BYOB. The town has a limited number of liquor licenses – 34 – and it has requested 15 more from the state through a special home rule petition to the State Legislature. Some of these licenses have been earmarked for approved projects, and others have been limited to the business districts in town. Those restaurants falling outside those areas cannot apply for one of the new licenses.

Business

Boston Restauranteur Bringing New Eatery to Arsenal on the Charles

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The man behind Kenmore Square’s Eastern Standard will be opening a new restaurant in Watertown’s Arsenal on the Charles this fall. The spot in the rear of the building which is home to the Arsenal Center for the Arts will be the new location of Garrett Harker’s new eatery, which will be called Branch Line. It will have an “urban rotisserie with a focused wine and beer program,” BostonInno reported. The restaurant will feature an outdoor seating area. Watertown native Andrew Holden, Eastern Standard’s general manager, will also be a partner in the new restaurant, according to Larry Beals, an architect working with Arsenal on the Charles-owner athenahealth’s redevelopment of the complex.

Food

Food Truck Safety a Priority for Council, Asks About Food Safety Grading

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Town Councilors want to make sure the food trucks coming to serve hungry residents and workers in town are up to the safety standards of all eateries in town. 

The Council made the request to Director of Public Health Deborah Rosati during the budget hearing for the Health Department. Trucks visit the Commanders Mansion in the Arsenal on the Charles each weekday and the Arsenal Project every Wednesday during the warmer months. Councilor Angeline Kounelis said she worries because people are not sure where the food comes from and where it was prepared. Food trucks can be fun, said Councilor Cecilia Lenk, but she too had concerns. “I think safety is a huge issue,” Lenk said.

Food

Find Out When the Watertown Farmers Market Will Open

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Get ready to purchase farm fresh vegetables and fruits, meat and seafood, flowers, preserves and cider, and many other products as the Watertown Farmers Market returns for its second season. The season opens on June 4, and the market will be held weekly on Thursdays from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. according to an announcement from the Farmers Market. The market showcases a wide variety of Massachusetts grown produce, greens, fruits, eggs and meat, as well as local seafood and specialty foods. Last year, the market made its debut, with the help of athenahealth, the owner of the Arsenal on the Charles complex. “We’re excited to welcome back the Watertown Farmers Market for another great season at Arsenal on the Charles.