Boston Beer Co. Unveils Batch of Ultra-Potent Utopias |Eat Mass

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

• Watertown grocery Russo's closes after over 100 years.
• Marshmallow Fluff celebrated at Somerville's 16th What the Fluff? Festival.
• Bardo's Bar Pizza sends South Shore bar-style pies up to South Boston.

Restaurant Openings, Closings

• Boston (Midtown): According to Eater Boston, the much-awaited Bakey opened on Sept. 14, bringing bread, sandwiches, and pastries to Tremont Street. Sweet pastry lovers will no doubt line up for its almond, apple, cinnamon, raspberry and chocolate babkas. For those that prefer their patisserie on the savory side, be sure to grab a puff pastry bureka in either cheese, spinach and cheese, potato or matboucha, a tomato and spicy eggplant spread.
• Boston (South End): Kohi Coffee Company is now open for business on Berkeley Street, states Boston Restaurant Talk. Situated within the Revolution Hotel, its website presents single origin, organic, and fair trade coffee and espresso, tea and a selection of baked goods. Additional locations are in Provincetown, Boston, and Brighton.
• Cambridge: In partnership with CommonWealth Kitchen, MIT has brought The Launchpad to its Stratton Student Center, reports Eater Boston. The three additions to the food court are all immigrant-and-BIPOC-owned establishments: Las Palmas, which serves Dominican cuisine, Korean eatery Bibim Box, and Venezuelan fare at Las Carolinas.
• Cambridge (East Cambridge): Slated for early October, Cambridge Crossing will welcome Geppetto to its growing commercial, residential and retail space. Joining The Lexington and Café Beatrice, Chef Will Gilson's latest venue will offer Italian fare such as Smoked Short Rib Carpaccio, Mushroom Agnolotti, and Hand-Cut Pappardelle with Wild Boar Bolognese.
• Cambridge (Inman Square): Miss the camaraderie of The People's Republik? According to Boston Restaurant Talk, New Republik is coming to the former space of The Rising on Cambridge Street. Citing the bar's Instagram account, it certainly seems to have ties to the hallowed pub, which shut down earlier this year.
• Newton: Flourhouse Bakery is coming to Newton's Nonantum Village, according to Eater Boston. Featuring English muffins, cookies, breads and rolls, Flourhouse is the latest venture from the crew behind Mike & Patty's and Hot Box. Online pre-orders are now being taken, with pickups to start on Sept. 23. Samples will be also be available at its open house on Sept. 25.
• South Boston: Boston Restaurant Talk reports that Cannonball Café is preparing to open on Dorchester Avenue. An Instagram account for the coffee shop is active, with posts already mentioning several of the items that will be carried alongside its java, including smoothies, cookies, and pies from Petsi Pies. Its website has also been created, encouraging job seekers to submit their resumes for staff positions.
• Somerville: While three new businesses are heading into Assembly Row, La Cucina has moved out. As reported by Boston.com, the Italian restaurant posted the following message to its Instagram account last week: "Due to unforeseen circumstances, LA CUCINA is closed permanently as of Monday 13 September 2021."

Boston Beer Co. Unveils Newest Batch of Ultra-Potent Utopias

Boston Beer Co.'s seasonal brews have long been anticipated and relished by beer connoisseurs over the years. Now the liquor outfit is releasing an ale that is so potent, it has been deemed illegal in 15 states, including two here in New England.

Officially going on the market on Oct. 11, the latest batch of Samuel Adams Utopias contains a staggering 28 percent alcohol per volume; significantly higher compared to its Boston Lager, which has about five percent alcohol per volume. Therefore, the potency of the 25.4 ounce bottle of Utopias is equivalent to over ten 12 ounce bottles of Boston Lager.

According to the Sam Adams website, Utopias is a blend of batches, some of which have been aged for up to 30 years, with its flavor described as a "deep rich malty smoothness reminiscent of a vintage port, cognac, or fine sherry."

Priced at $240 per bottle, it will only be available regionally in Massachusetts, Maine, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. Utopias will not be shipped to or sold in New Hampshire, Vermont, Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Utah, and West Virginia.

More Massachusetts Food News

South Shore bar pizza heads to South Boston: Thin and crispy bar-style pizza is a must-try down on the South Shore, but how can fans get that authentic taste without having to make the drive? Bardo's Bar Pizza has the answer by bringing all that goodness to South Boston's Castle Island Brewery.

Featuring a sharp cheddar and mozzarella cheese blend for all of its pies, Bardo's selection of single topping pizzas includes sausage, linguica, pickles, bacon, and mushrooms. Some of its specialty pies go beyond classic fixings, like its Happy Camper (fresh mozzarella, pesto, kale, roasted red peppers and parmesan) and Bigge Shrimps (garlic shrimp, basil aioli, and arugula). Craving something besides pizza? Also on the menu are chicken wings, pretzel bites, sandwiches, and salads.

Since beer and pizza are often paired together, Norwood's Castle Island Brewery Co. is also opening its taproom, which will seat 400. Helmed by the family that owns and runs Lombardo's in Randolph, Bardo's Bar Pizza opened on Sept. 23.

Longtime Watertown market Russo's closes: After over 100 years in operation, Watertown grocery Russo's officially shut its doors last Saturday. Owner Tony Russo worked in the family-owned business for over 70 years, and announced his retirement and the shop's closing last month. Originating as a farm back in 1919 and eventually expanding to wholesale and retail, Russo's carried fresh produce, flowers, pasta, baked goods, meats and prepared meals.

Somerville's 16th What the Fluff? Festival returns this week: Thanks to Marshmallow Fluff, the most famous sandwich in Massachusetts is undoubtedly the Fluffernutter. After a hiatus due to the pandemic, an event held at the birthplace of the gooey marshmallow cream crucial to this sweet and salty concoction will once again commemorate its creation. The What the Fluff? Festival will hold its 16th annual celebration in Somerville's Union Square from Sept. 22 to Sept. 26, focusing on all things Fluff. Restaurants and bars participating in the festival include Machu Picchu, Momo N Curry, Gracie's Ice Cream, and The Independent.

According to the official Marshmallow Fluff website, it was created in back in 1917 by Archibald Query. Query made the cream in his home and sold it from door to door, but was forced to shut down due to shortages during World War I. Following the war, he sold the recipe to the two men who would form Durkee Mower, the Lynn-based company that continues to manufacture Marshmallow Fluff to this day.

Get all the details on the What the Fluff? Festival by visiting https://www.flufffestival.com/.

Upcoming Food Events

Thursday, Sept. 23:

• Cheese Plate Personality (Brookline)
• Inn at Hastings Park Farm + Vine Dinner, Featuring Wilson Farms and Paul Hobbs Winery (Lexington)
• Bartending 101: Rum Cocktail Mixing (Boston)
• Smokey, Saucy, & Spicy: Adult Cooking Class (Dover)
• Farmers Markets: Falmouth, Foxborough, Harwich, Melrose, Milton, Stoneham, Tewksbury, Worcester, Yarmouth

Friday, Sept. 24:

• Autumn Tasting with Homegrown Distribution (Melrose)
• Oktoberfest 2021 at Lamplighter Brewing Co. (Cambridge)
• “Smoke This” Rib Fest 2021 (Cambridge)
• Oktoberfest with Plat du Jour at Granite Coast Brewing (Peabody)
• St. Stanislaus Family Festival (Fall River)
• Longfellow's Wayside Inn Presents: Oktoberfest (Sudbury)
• Farmers Markets: Osterville, Quincy, Worcester

Saturday, Sept. 25:

• Phantom Gourmet Food Festival (Waltham)
• Hood’s 175th Anniversary Celebration (Charlestown)
• “Smoke This” Rib Fest 2021 (Cambridge)
• Salem Food Truck & Craft Beer Festival (Salem)
• Fall Festival at Weir River Farm, Hingham (Hingham)
• Worcester Caribbean American Heritage Festival (Worcester)
• Swan Patisserie Pop-Up Event (Medford)
• Queen of Hearts Garden Party(New Bedford)
• Land’s Sake Farm’s Harvest Dinner & Fundraiser 2021 (Weston)
• Farmers Markets: Andover, Braintree, Marblehead, Newton, Orleans, Provincetown, Wakefield, Waltham, Worcester

Sunday, Sept. 26:

• Salem Food Truck & Craft Beer Festival (Salem)
• “Smoke This” Rib Fest 2021 (Cambridge)
• Farmhouse Wood-Fired at Appleton Farms (Hamilton and Ipswich)
• September Sunday Supper Club (Boston)
• Farmers Markets: Acton-Boxborough, Canton, Needham, North Andover, Swampscott, Weymouth, Wilmington

Monday, Sept. 27:

• “Smoke This” Rib Fest 2021 (Cambridge)
• Punch Bowl Social: Large Format Cocktail Class with Cleve (Boston)
• Farmers Markets: Beverly, Billerica, Truro, Worcester

Tuesday, Sept. 28:

• “Smoke This” Rib Fest 2021 (Cambridge)
• Fall at the Farmstand: How to Cook Farm to Fork (Wellesley)
• Autism Eats With Red Sox Wally (Seekonk)
• 30(ish) Minute Meals (Lexington)
• Farmers Markets: Chatham, Lexington, Newton, Sandwich, Worcester

Wednesday, Sept. 29:

• “Smoke This” Rib Fest 2021 (Cambridge)
• Whisky Tasting: Single Cask Nation and Single Malts of Scotland (Norfolk)
• Farmers Markets: Arlington, Brewster, Dedham, Scituate, Wayland, Wellfleet, Worcester

Thursday, Sept. 30:

• “Smoke This” Rib Fest 2021 (Cambridge)
• Matadora Spanish Wine Dinner(Woburn)
• Quesadilla and Wine Pairing (Boston)
• Farmers Markets: Falmouth, Foxborough, Harwich, Melrose, Milton, Stoneham, Tewksbury, Worcester, Yarmouth

Katy Kostakis is a freelance writer specializing in Arts and Entertainment, Lifestyle, Health and Wellness, and Food and Beverage. She has written for Gannett's Wicked Local, YourTango, and
Film Inquiry.

Have a tip, question or suggestion? Connect with her on Twitter @KatyKostakis, on Instagram @katykostakis, as well as on her website, katykostakis.com.