clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Explore the Wines of Moldova in Newton (and More Updates)

Instagram is ruining food, Portland has a new spot for Jewish deli classics, and other news bites

Roasted lamb stew at Moldova Restaurant
Roasted lamb stew at Moldova Restaurant
Facebook

Welcome back to Morning Briefing, an almost-daily round-up of mini news bites to kick off the day.

Booze News

More than a year after its Newton debut, Moldova Restaurant (344 Watertown St.) — which serves Moldovan cuisine, from plăcinte to mămăliga — now has a full liquor license. (Previously, the restaurant was able to provide limited beer and wine service, only on specific days.) The restaurant is now serving Moldovan wines and local beers, with hard liquor and cocktails arriving on the menu shortly.

Goodbye, Trucks

For “All Things Considered” on WGBH, Susan Kaplan chats with Clover founder Ayr Muir about his decision to take the Clover trucks off the road and focus on the restaurant group’s brick-and-mortar locations. “I think the food trucks really were linked with that downturn in the economy,” says Muir, recalling Clover’s 2008 start. “It was really hard for aspiring chefs to get the capital to open a restaurant and a food truck is a really low barrier to entry.”

“Pity the Stew”

The Globe’s Devra First declares that Instagram is ruining food; the exploding social media network has become such an effective form of restaurant advertising that some chefs focus perhaps too much on creating the perfectly photographable dish. “But what makes a good picture does not always taste good, and what tastes good does not always make a good picture,” she writes, lamenting the “delicious” but “not photogenic” stew.

Jams and Teas and More

Four Seasons Farm Pantry is now open in Andover (733 Turnpike St.) The shop is a partnership between Doves & Figs, a local jam company, and Soluna Garden Farm, a Winchester-based herb and flower farm that also produces spice and tea blends. Four Seasons features products from both companies and also serves hot and iced teas and baked goods.

Meanwhile, in Maine

Rose Foods is now open in Portland, Maine (428 Forest Ave.), serving bagel sandwiches and other Jewish deli classics, including pastrami on rye, latkes, and matzo ball soup. Owner Chad Conley is also co-owner of Palace Diner in Biddeford, Maine.

Got a news tip for the Eater Boston team? Email boston@eater.com.

Moldova Restaurant

344 Watertown St, Newton, MA 02458 (617) 916-5245 Visit Website

Clover Food Lab

1075 Cambridge Street, , MA 02139 (617) 798-7335 Visit Website