A Smoky Situation at Shepard (and More Updates)

Opening Alert

It’s opening day for LoLa 42 (22 Liberty Dr., Seaport District, Boston), the long-planned sibling to Nantucket’s LoLa 41; both serve sushi and more. Located inside the Twenty Two Liberty building on Fan Pier, LoLa 42 will eventually be joined by Mastro’s Ocean Club, possibly later this spring.

Off the Road

In the wake of The Chicken & Rice Guys E. coli outbreak in April, the brick-and-mortar restaurants have reopened, but the trucks could remain off the road for a few more months while the company finishes building its own kitchen facility and has moved on from the temporary one that it was using.

Where There’s Smoke...

Back in the fall, Shepard (1 Shepard St., Cambridge) was at the center of a City Council discussion of a potential ban on wood-fired ovens — a ban that would likely force the closure or drastic alteration of numerous Cambridge restaurants, many of which feature wood-fired cooking. While that discussion didn’t move forward, some close neighbors of Shepard are still complaining about the restaurant’s smoke, even after Shepard has spent tens of thousands of dollars installing equipment to mitigate the issue. Meanwhile, opening chef de cuisine Peter McKenzie has left the restaurant, citing the smoke — and the handling of the situation — as a “big reason” for his departure. “The smoke inside was far worse than that outside,” he posted on Instagram, “and health concerns were met with the same reaction. When properly engineered and ventilated wood fired cooking implements can be safe and add nuance to the food being prepared. When there are serious health issues at stake however, form can not come before function.”

Women in the Massachusetts Meat Industry

WBUR highlights some of the women who are making changes in the local meat industry, including Kate Stillman of Stillman Quality Meats, who has helped drive an increased interest in sustainable meat production over the past decade or so.

Charcuterie, Whiskey, and Cigars

As Kummerspeck (118 Water St., Worcester) gets closer to opening, it’s taking part in one last event before focusing on getting the doors open. This Thursday, May 18, Whiskey on Water (97 Water St., Worcester) is hosting a dinner that includes four courses from Kummerspeck (here’s the menu) paired with Glenlivet drinks, and there will also be cigars from Owl Shop of Worcester. Tickets are $100/person or $350 for a group of four.

One Thing You Should Eat Today

Is there ever a day that is not a perfect day for ice cream? True New Englanders love it year-round, even in the middle of the heaviest blizzard, but it’s especially perfect on that first sunny day after a gray, rainy spell. Head to Picco (513 Tremont St., South End, Boston) today to celebrate the sun. Pictured below, a scoop of dark chocolate and a scoop of mint chip. If you’d like, go crazy and make it a sundae with hot chocolate and whipped cream — and even a dark chocolate brownie. You should probably precede it with pizza, too, because Picco does two things — pizza and ice cream — and does them both very well.

Rachel Leah Blumenthal/Eater

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