Worcester Updates: The Canal District Will Soon Overflow With Restaurants

A section of Worcester that is already home to a number of restaurants is about to get a few new additions. For one, a new ice sports complex being built to accommodate a minor league hockey team will also be home to an Italian restaurant and cafe, and another spot that will be part restaurant, part butcher, part wine bar will open on Water Street.

The Italian restaurant within the ice center (104 Harding St.) is the work of Niche Hospitality Group, which already has five restaurants under its purview operating in central Massachusetts, as Mass Foodies reported. This new spot will be called Nonna’s Pizza & Pasta and is set to open late this summer.

The concept will feature family-style dining with 120 seats and two floors. The restaurant has a full liquor license and will have beer and wine on tap, in addition to a counter-ordering option. Long Island-style pizza will be available by the slice and by half and full trays for dining in or takeout. There will also be a spinoff coffee shop called Nonna’s Cafe, which will offer coffee, gelato, and desserts.

Over at 118 Water St., Worcester residents will soon see the rise of Kummerspeck, a multipurpose concept from a pair of Boston chefs who previously worked with Barbara Lynch.

Matt Mahoney and wife Rachel Coit have named their forthcoming restaurant for a German word that translates to “grief bacon,” which is roughly related to emotional eating. Kummerspeck will be accessible as a sit-down restaurant and a deli, according to MassLive, and will also offer butchery services and varied cuts of meat. In the evenings, the place will fully swing into dining with a beer and wine bar.

The pair has popped up with their concept before, including at The Muse in Worcester, where they served assorted charcuterie and vegetables, as well as three kinds of sliders.

The food menu will follow suit with the restaurant’s name, offering a selection of comfort food, including käsespätzle (German macaroni and cheese), meat and potatoes, and possibly hot dogs. The Mahoneys may also hold pop-ups and butchering classes.

In the meantime, Worcester diners can get their bacon fix a short walk away from the future site of Kummerspeck — the bacon-centric Hangover Pub, which opened a little under a year ago, is at 102 Green St.

• Niche To Open New Restaurant In Canal District [Mass Foodies]
• Kummerspeck, a Comfort Food Eatery, Is Coming to Worcester's Canal District [ML]