Smithfield Kitchen May Take Over Former Pops Space

Last month Eater shared a rumor courtesy of local restaurant critic MC Slim JB that a new venture from the team behind Marliave and Grotto might be coming to the former Pops location. Earlier this month Boston Restaurant Talk reported that a mysterious new establishment called Smithfield Kitchen might be coming to the South End. Now put those rumors together and you have the latest: Smithfield Kitchen, a new restaurant by the Marliave-Grotto folks, may be coming to Pops! That's according to BosGuy, who said yesterday that Pops' owner "is requesting to change ownership" to chef Scott Herritt at Grotto. The word Smithfield is almost synonymous with the word "hams," so let's go ahead and add yet another rumor to the mix: like the menus of many new restaurants in town, this one may feature... wait for it... Southern influences!

· Pops space may be taken over by Grotto, Marliave team [-EB-]
· Smithfield Kitchen is apparently coming to Boston's South End [BRT]
· South End restaurant gossip [BosGuy via BRT]