Irreplaceable Book Stolen From 'Perfect Storm' Bar | Eat Mass

MASSACHUSETTS — Welcome to Eat Mass, Patch's weekly round up of food and restaurant news in Massachusetts. Scroll down for more, including:

• This week's restaurant openings and closings.
• Food & Wine named its best ice cream places in all 50 states, and both Massachusetts parlors to make the list were in Cambridge.
• A bar accepted Monopoly money for two hours Wednesday afternoon in an attempt to be included in an upcoming Worcester version of the popular board game.

This Week's Top Story

Thieves stole a scrapbook Sunday from a Gloucester bar made famous by the 2000 film "A Perfect Storm."

"It means nothing to them but it means a lot to us and the people come in here," Mary Anne Shatford, who owns the Crow's Nest with her husband, told 7 News Boston. "Six men that were lost at sea on the Andrea Gale, and one of them was my brother, Bobby Shatford."

The photo album was filled with sentimental pieces of the bar's history. A couple walked in Sunday afternoon, had a drink and left with the scrapbook. Fans of the film and the book it was based on would visit the bar to leaf through the photo album.

"I didn’t even see they had it. They had one drink and then they cashed out," Shatford said. "They didn’t pay credit card, they paid cash. And they left in a hurry."

For more on this story, see 7 News Boston.

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Restaurant Openings, Closings

• Boston (Back Bay): Mario Carbone, Rich Torrisi, and Jeff Zalaznick — the team behind Carbone and Sadelle’s in New York City — opened Contessa on Newbury Street Tuesday. The restaurant, which is the first for Major Food Group in Massachusetts, features an Italian menu and rooftop dining. The group also has a more casual restaurant, Parm, planned for an opening later this year at the Burlington Mall.
• Boston (Beacon Hill): The Red Hat, a Beacon Hill fixture for more than a century, is closing. The bar originally opened in 1907 on Bowdoin Street in Scollay Square, serving sailors on shore leave.
• Boston (Charlestown): The Boston Zoning Board of Appeals approved a plan to build apartments on the property now occupied by Kipo's Pizza, a longtime favorite in Charlestown.
• Boston (Copley Square): The casual chain Yard House is looking to take over the space that was occupied for decades by Champions in the Boston Marriott Copley Place, according to Boston Restaurant Talk. Champions closed at the start of the coronavirus pandemic and never reopened.
• Boston (Financial District): A California-based group of fast-casual Mediterranean restaurants opened its first area location in Boston's Financial District. Hummus Republic is now open at the corner of Franklin Street and Batterymarch Street.
• Brookline: A popular South Shore, pop-up ice cream stand is going to open a permanent location in Brookline. Far Out Ice Cream is opening on Harvard Street at a location previously occupied by 4A Coffee, which closed earlier this year.
• Brookline: A Coolidge Corner restaurant that closed in April for renovations is set to reopen Saturday. Prairie Fire, owned by the team behind Steel & Rye in Milton and known for its wood-fired cooking, has undergone a makeover the past two months and is set to reopen with its new look and new menu, according to owner Dan Kerrigan.
• Brookline: A new restaurant called Mecha Noodle Bar is moving into the Coolidge Corner location that was occupied by Peet's Coffee before it closed in 2019.
• Cambridge (Central Square): Eater Boston reports Cloud & Spirits is opening a Korean-inspired restaurant at 795 Main Street.
• Chelmsford: The owner of Fishbones is looking to develop a property adjacent to the restaurant. The proposal calls for a new, 100-seat restaurant.
• Dedham: IL Massimo opened a 100-seat "wine garden" at Legacy Place. The seasonal concept offers IL Massimo's regular menu, as well as its entire wine list and cocktails.
• Everett: Encore Boston Harbor announced new and returning outdoor activities Thursday, just in time to kick off summer. All activities are located on the casino's South Lawn and includes brunch, live music and beer gardens.
• Framingham: Beer and burger lovers still have a bit of a wait before a BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse opens in Framingham. The Board of License Commissioners on Monday granted alcohol and victualer licenses for the BJ's. But a representative with the company told the commissioners the restaurant likely won't open until April 2022.
• Hingham: Another week, another b.good location closes.
• Holbrook: A South Shore favorite for Breakfast, Leggos, has closed, according to Boston Restaurant Talk.
• New Bedford: SouthCoastToday has an inside look at Cisco Brewers Kitchen & Bar, which opened Wednesday.
• Reading: A longtime Reading takeout spot will move to a new location in town this fall – and offer dine-in seating for customers. The Green Tomato is relocating from High Street to Gould Street and expanding its menu to include Mediterranean, vegetarian and vegan food, in addition to American and Italian fare.

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Eat With Your Eyes

Eat fresh: Patch's 2021 Massachusetts Farmers Market Guide

More Massachusetts Food News

Magazine says best Massachusetts ice cream is in Cambridge: Food & Wine named its best ice cream places in all 50 states, and both Massachusetts parlors to make the list were in Cambridge. Toscanini’s, which has been in Kendall Square since 1981, "feels just as fresh and relevant as ever," the magazine said. Meanwhile, Food & Wine said "very few shops are quite so good on flavors as" Christina’s Homemade Ice Cream in Inman Square. Taking a road trip this weekend? Food & Wine also likes Arethusa Farm in Bantam, CT, Gelato Fiasco in Brunswick and Portland, ME, Annabelle's Natural Ice Cream in Portsmouth, NH, Wright's Dairy Farm in North Smithfield, RI, and Little Gordo Creemee Stand in Burlington, VT.

That's A Mouthful

"We can’t give any alcohol away, so all the Jell-O shots will be alcohol-free. Any alcohol needs to be paid with regular U.S. currency."

• Scot Bove, the owner of Ralph's Tavern in Worcester. The bar accepted Monopoly money for two hours Wednesday afternoon in an attempt to be included in an upcoming Worcester version of the popular board game.

Check, Please....

49 percent: The average increase in foot traffic for pizza restaurants since the beginning of the year, according to brick-and-mortar marketing firm Zenreach. "With indoor mask mandates starting to lift, Zenreach expects these numbers will continue to increase." said spokesperson Megan Wintersteen.

Upcoming Food Events

Thursday, June 24:

• Farmers Markets: Falmouth, Foxborough, Harwich, Melrose, Milton, Stoneham, Tewksbury, Yarmouth

Friday, June 25:

• Farmers Markets: Osterville, Quincy

Saturday, June 26:

• Farmers Markets: Andover, Braintree, Marblehead, Newton, Orleans, Provincetown, Wakefield, Waltham

Sunday, June 27:

• Groton: Blue Barn Outdoor Living's The Landing.
• Farmers Markets: Acton-Boxborough, Canton, Needham, North Andover, Swampscott, Weymouth, Wilmington

Monday, June 28:

• Boston: Summer Dinner Cocktail Party at Eataly.
• Farmers Markets: Beverly, Billerica, Truro

Tuesday, June 29:

• Farmers Markets: Chatham, Lexington, Newton, Sandwich

Wednesday, June 30:

• Farmers Markets: Arlington, Brewster, Dedham, Scituate, Wellfleet

Dave Copeland is Patch's regional editor for Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island and can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).