Sky Dining Could Be Coming to — Well, Above — Boston

Welcome back to AM Intel, a round-up of mini news bites to kick off the week.

Up, Up, and Away

Two local companies want to take outdoor dining to new, uh, heights by bringing it 180 feet above Boston. Corinthian Events from Boston and Perfect Parties Entertainment Group from Peabody are looking to collaborate to bring sky dining to the area in the coming months.

It’s nothing new for Perfect Parties, which has already been hosting floating dinner parties for over a decade — but never here in the company’s home state. Hoisted by a crane, a table is surrounded by 22 amusement park ride-like seats for the customers, with servers standing in a space in the middle of the table. Better use the bathroom beforehand.

A local stretch of Dine Cloud Nine events, as the business is called, is in the early planning stages, as the Boston Business Journal reports. The company hasn’t approached venues or public officials yet, and depending on how long the current coronavirus restrictions last, parties of 22 would likely be too large to take to the sky right now. But ultimately Perfect Parties and Corinthian Events are hoping to bring ticketed sky meals to major venues like Gillette Stadium or Fenway Park.

Restaurant Reinventions

Back down on the ground, local restaurants continue to pivot or introduce new services and items to help weather the pandemic storm.

The Quiet Few, for example, is an East Boston whiskey bar currently limited to takeout and the tiniest of outdoor seating areas. Its owner, Josh Weinstein, has been one of the Boston restaurant industry’s most vocal supporters of a stalled relief bill that is supposed to allow Massachusetts restaurants to sell cocktails with takeout orders, a small but needed bit of help during a nearly impossible economic situation. (The Massachusetts Package Stores Association is fighting against the measure.) In the meantime, the bar — which, during normal times, serves a concise menu of comfort food — is introducing the “Morning After Bodega,” with coffee and breakfast sandwiches available on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m.

Meanwhile in Back Bay, upscale sushi joint Uni has opened a takeout window dubbed Uni Clam Shack, open daily from noon to 4 p.m. and serving several varieties of lobster rolls as well as fried clams and sides of fries and onion strings; online ordering available here.

In Other News...

• Canadian tea company DavidsTea announced to its newsletter subscribers over the weekend that in order to survive the pandemic, it’s focusing more on its online sales and wholesale accounts, closing 82 Canadian retail storefronts and all 42 in the United States. Massachusetts had eight locations, including several around Boston, Somerville, and Cambridge.
• In other closure news, Dunkin’ is closing 450 stores by the end of the year. All of the affected locations are within Speedway gas stations and serve limited menus.
• Amid social justice protests, another wave of reckonings hits the restaurant industry.
• Here are some excellent gifts to buy for all your food-loving friends.

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