And now our weekly word from Eater Boston, the blog du gastronomie you should be reading.
SOUTH END—What was once Pops will now become Smithfield Kitchen, assuming the restaurant gods smile on the process. The new venture will be run by the former owner of Pops and managed by a chef from Grotto.
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COPLEY SQUARE—In a startling display of cheeky unsportsmanlike conduct, the online company Pawngo dumped hundreds of Butterfingers in Copley Square. The stunt was intended as commentary on Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker's Super Bowl performance. The city charged Pawngo with illegal dumping, a small price to pay for instant fame.
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NORTH END—Eater interviews Neptune Oyster owner Jeff Nace for our latest installment of the The Gatekeepers, conversations with the folks who control the hardest-won tables in town. Nace talks about celeb guests, three hour waits, and his decision to open a non-Italian restaurant the midst of so much spaghetti and meatballs.
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BACK BAY—Chef-owner Ken Oringer's restaurant Clio has reopened after undergoing renovations, and Uni, the sashimi bar inside Clio (which is in the Eliot Hotel), has now also unveiled its new look along with a new late-night menu featuring... ramen! Yes, the stuff that Bostonian food nerd dreams are made of. Available as of last night.