5 minute read
Table Hoppin
TABLE HOPPIN’
Restaurateurs Joe and Ben Kaplan buy JPs in Westboro
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BARBARA M. HOULE
Restaurateurs and brothers, Joe and Ben Kaplan last November bought JPs Restaurant and Pub, a longstanding fixture on Westboro’s dining scene. It’s their fourth restaurant, but who’s counting.
The siblings own and operate Lakeside Bar & Grille in Shrewsbury (six years), Herbie’s in Worcester (four years) and Center Tree Bar & Grill in Rutland (two years).
The rumor in 2019 that JPs owners Joseph (Joe) and Linda Antonio were interested in selling the business first caught the Kaplans’ attention, according to Joe Kaplan. It was just a rumor at that time, he said, and it wasn’t until later in the year when the brothers “stumbled” across the real estate listing that they decided to make an offer despite COVID-19. “Joe and Linda owned the business for 40 years and were committed to it,” said Kaplan. “They weren’t closing it down. They just decided to retire.”
JPs is similar to the Kaplans’ other restaurants known for a laid- back atmosphere while at the same time serving traditional and comforting food. Meals are affordable and satisfy your cravings at the same time!
The Kaplans plan to continue with JPs legacy and “not break the mold,” according to the owners, who retained employees and kept the restaurant’s menu intact. “Horror was the reaction from a few customers when they first heard news that the restaurant had been sold,” said Kaplan. “Some people thought we would come in and gut the place, or change everything around, including the menu. We have no intention of doing that.
“We have people tell us that they’ve been eating at JPs for 20 and 30 years plus,” said Kaplan. “One couple recently told me that five generations of their family have eaten at the restaurant.”
And, regular and new customers often compare JPs to the iconic Bull & Finch Pub on Beacon Hill, the inspiration for the setting of the TV sitcom “Cheers,” “where everybody knows your name.” “Joe (JPs former owner) knew his customers on a first name basis,” said Kaplan. “He made it a point to know every single person who came in.”
Both Kaplans currently work at the restaurant, rotating every couple of weeks. They also make daily checks of their other businesses, with Ben Kaplan at Lakeside and Center Tree and Joe Kaplan at Herbie’s.
JPs Restaurant and Grill is located at 166 Milk St., Westboro, in the Westmeadow Plaza, off Route 9. Current hours are 3 to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Friday; 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Telephone (508) 355-0627 for takeout orders. No online ordering for now. Visit Facebook for the menu. A new website is in the works.
“The restaurant previously served lunch seven days a week, and we’re keeping to it,” said Kaplan. It’s a place to find fresh seafood, he said, and the classic New England lobster roll. The menu also features soups, “tasty treats” (Buffalo wings, etc.), salads and house favorites like Delmonico steak, sirloin steak, baked haddock, fried chicken and barbecued ribs. There also are “everyday specials,” Italian dishes, lighter fare, sandwiches and the ever- popular fried seafood meals that include scallop roll and clam roll.
In keeping with COVID-19 guidelines, the restaurant has limited seating at bar and booths. Before the coronavirus, more than a hundred people could be seated.
As some local restaurants close and hibernate during winter months, the Kaplans offer indoor dining and takeout at all their restaurants and have “high hopes” for late spring and summer with a return to warmer weather and outdoor seating. Joe Kaplan said while JPs never had a patio, there’s always the possibility of introducing al fresco dining.
For now, the owners’ goal is to continue to build on JPs success.
Family Meal Deals at Chuck’s
Chuck’s Steak House in Auburn offers new Family Meal Deals.
Meals for family of four is $24.95, available for takeout only during restaurant hours.
Menu selections:
Buffalo Chicken Mac N’ Cheese is based on the restaurant’s award-winning mac n’ cheese recipe.
Homemade Meatloaf is served over garlic mashed potatoes and topped with gravy, caramelized onions and mushrooms.
Chicken Parmesan (pan seared) is with penne and also includes bread sticks.
Take Out Taco Kit contains a 24-ounce container of salsa, eight flour tortillas, taco beef, tomato, lettuce, sour cream and cheese. Tortilla chips, too.
An optional add to any meal is the Family Style House or Caesar Salad, $12.95.
Visit www.chucks.com and click “to go online” for more info. Telephone: (508) 832-2553.
Tower Hill café open Friday-Sunday
Reminder: The Farmer and the Fork Café at Tower Hill Botanic Garden in Boylston opens from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday through Sunday. You must have an admission ticket to Tower Hill to dine in the café, or pick up a to-go order.
For the full menu, visit www. towerhillbg.org. Both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages are available. For the winter, the café also is offering hot chocolate, mulled cider and spiked beverages.
FYI: Peppers Artful Events in Northboro manages the café. The 32-year-old catering company needs no introduction. Owners John and Susan Lawrence are an integral part of the Tower Hill Community. Visit www.peppersartfulevents.com to learn more about Peppers, which the Green Restaurant Association certified as a 3-star green caterer. Telephone: (508) 393-6844.
Note: Peppers has posted its Valentine’s Day Dinner menu on its website. Take a peek!
Katzie Guy-Hamilton’s Valentine’s offerings
News from Worcester native Katzie Guy-Hamilton is that her online business, Cassata Bakery (cassatabakery.com), offers a Valentine’s Love Satchel that can be ordered through Feb. 1.
The Love Satchel, $55, includes a dozen each of Honey Chocolate Truffles and Rose Pasticcini Cookies packaged with a custom handwritten note tucked inside a dusty rose envelope. You also can order the Love Satchel Book Bundle, $75, that arrives with a dozen Honey Chocolate Truffles and dozen Rose Pasticcini Cookies, personalized signed copy of Guy-Hamilton’s cookbook, “Clean Enough,” and a custom handwritten note. Truffles and cookies in both offers are separately packaged.
Guy-Hamilton describes the limited-edition Rose Pasticcini Cookies as “delicate Meyer lemon pillow cookies that will bring a moment of sweet romance to each day.”
A former contestant on “Top Chef Just Desserts,” Guy-Hamilton has been recognized as one of the “Top Ten Pastry Chefs in America” by Dessert Professional Magazine, in addition to other awards. She formerly led the culinary departments at Max Brenner Chocolate and Equinox Fitness and co-founded the premium baked goods and artisan confections brand Cassata with Rachel Graper.
