Business

Watertown’s Celebrity Chef Joining Forces with The Talk Restaurant

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Two of the biggest names in the Watertown food scene have teamed up. Food Network featured chef Mike Fucci has become the head chef at The Talk Restaurant, the Watertown Square spot owned by Kaz and Lisa Keuchkarian. Fucci has run Chef Mike’s Kitchen catering business for many years, and has not worked in a restaurant for about 15 years. In February, he appeared on Food Network’s Cutthroat Kitchen and won the challenge for football food called “Fry-Day Night Bites.” Moving into a restaurant kitchen is an exciting and sudden opportunity for Fucci, who got a call on July 5 asking him if he wanted the job.

Business

Watertown Vegan Eatery Announces It Has Served Its Last Meal

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Watertown’s Wild Rice Vegan Cafe has served its last meal, owners announced this week. The restaurant that featured locally sourced vegan world cuisine “in a casual café environment,” closed after being in business for about a year and a half. The restaurant is owned by the team that runs Red Lentil on Mt. Auburn Street. Wild Rice served breakfast, lunch and dinner in the spot formerly occupied by Grappa, on Elm Street.

Food

Phantom Gourmet Features a Watertown Restaurant

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The Phantom Gourmet came to town recently to do a feature on The Diner at 11 North Beacon. The piece spotlighted a few of the dishes featured at the Watertown Square diner, including the eggs Benedict stacked with homemade potato cakes, pumpkin pancakes and the Reuben sandwich. See all the dishes the Phantom sampled at The Diner and watch the segment by clicking here.

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.

Business

Watertown’s Newest Restaurant Making Waves Among Boston Foodies

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Watertown’s newest restaurant may be tucked inside the Arsenal on the Charles Complex, but Branch Line had received a lot of attention since it opened last Wednesday. 

The restaurant was started by Garrett Harker, who runs Eastern Standard in Kenmore Square among other restaurants, along with Watertown native Andrew Holden, general manager of Eastern Standard. The Boston Globe wrote of Branch Line “It’s the hottest restaurant opening of the week or maybe the season …” The restaurant is located in the back end of the building where Panera Bread is located. It will feature rotisserie chicken, as well as dishes from a wood-fired oven. It could also become a favorite with craft beer lovers – with about 16 taps, all featuring well known craft breweries from around Massachusetts and across the United States.

Business

New Places to Eat Popping Up Around Watertown

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Folks in and around Watertown have a number of new dining options, with new restaurants and cafes popping up around town. 

Perhaps the most visible is Ixtapa Mexican Grill & Cantina, which opened recently at 18 Mt. Auburn Street, right in Watertown Square in the former location of the Verona Restaurant. The local chain has other locations in Eastern Massachusetts, and features a wide variety of traditional Mexican dishes, along with a many choices of margaritas.  The restaurant also prides itself in being friendly to families with children of all ages. Find out more from a previous story on Ixtapa on Watertown News by clicking here.