Tavern in the Square Salem MA is a neighborhood restaurant & bar focusing on great food & beverage, sports, entertainment, atmosphere and outstanding service. Tavern in the Square Salem...   This is our Salem MA Tavern in the Square location, which opened in May 2009. Tavern in the Square Salem... As with all our restaurants we pride ourselves on being an  integral part of the neighborhood and Salem community.  Tavern in the Square Salem MA... We offer many different features appealing to a variety of individuals.  We serve a full lunch, dinner and late night menu seven days a week.  In addition, we have an a la carte breakfast menu on Saturdays and an amazing “All You Can Eat” brunch buffet on Sundays. Tavern in the Square Salem.... Entertainment is a draw with our trivia nights which are in full swing for our late night crowds.  For those in search of the big game, we carry every sporting package a guest could wish for.  We are also a great venue to host any special event such as: birthday parties, company luncheons, going away parties, and alumni sporting headquarters.Guest focus is of utmost importance to the success of the restaurant, and its employees.  We go above and beyond all expectations; our neighbors and guests’ satisfaction comes first.  The menu is traditional American fare  featuring standby classics such as nachos, burgers and fish n’ chips as well as more innovative dishes such as risotto fritters, pistachio encrusted tuna salad, walnut encrusted salmon, and steak frites.  We offer an extensive beer selection, showcasing great brews from the United States and the around the world, as well as a creative cocktail and wine menu.Tavern in the Square Salem MA  is the premier eating and drinking establishment for Salem MA and surrounding areas. Come on in to Tavern in the Square Salem and say HELLO!!!.... Tavern in the Square Salem is a neighborhood restaurant & bar focusing on great food & beverage, sports, entertainment, atmosphere and outstanding service...

Tavern in the Square Salem MA

Tavern in the Square Salem MA Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

Tavern in the Square Salem is a neighborhood restaurant & bar focusing on great food & beverage, sports, entertainment, atmosphere and outstanding service.

The first Tavern location is in Cambridge.

The second is located in Porter Square which opened in December 2007.

As with all our restaurants we pride ourselves on being an integral part of the neighborhood and community.

We offer many different features appealing to a variety of individuals. We serve a full lunch, dinner and late night menu seven days a week. In addition, we have an a la carte breakfast menu on Saturdays and an amazing “All You Can Eat” brunch buffet on Sundays.

Entertainment is a draw with a trivia night and DJ’s which are in full swing for our late night crowds. For those in search of the big game, we carry every sporting package a guest could wish for. We are also a great venue to host any special event such as: birthday parties, company luncheons, going away parties, and alumni sporting headquarters.

Guest focus is of utmost importance to the success of the restaurant, and its employees.

We go above and beyond all expectations; our neighbors and guests’ satisfaction comes first.

The menu is traditional American fare featuring standby classics such as nachos, burgers and fish n’ chips as well as more innovative dishes such as risotto fritters, pistachio encrusted tuna salad, walnut encrusted salmon, and steak frites.

We offer an extensive beer selection, showcasing great brews from the United States and the around the world, as well as a creative cocktail and wine menu.

Tavern in the Square is the premier eating and drinking establishment for Cambridge, Tavern Salem and surrounding areas.

Shut-and-open case at new tavern in the square salem

Courtesy of: The Salem News - CLICK HERE FOR THE OFFICIAL SALEM NEWS WEBSITE

By Chris Cassidy
STAFF WRITER

June 18, 2009 09:12 am

SALEM — Those retractable, open-air windows at Tavern in the Square were the talk of the town when the new restaurant opened a few weeks ago, even prompting one local leader to draw comparisons to Boston's North End eateries.

A few days later, however, those wide windows were shut — per order of the Salem Board of Health.

Health officials, citing state and federal food codes, told the casual dining establishment it couldn't operate with the windows open because of the possibility that rodents, flies or other insects might enter the restaurant.

It ordered the windows closed until the restaurant could install screens or an air curtain, a motion-activated system that shoots a burst of air downward to shoo unwanted pests.

Acting Health Agent David Greenbaum said the department acted after receiving about a half-dozen complaints — mostly anonymous callers — and one who specifically noted flies inside the restaurant.

As a result, the windows have remained closed for the last week and a half.

Last night, Tavern in the Square appeared before the Board of Health seeking a variance to get around the food code requirement. The board unanimously granted the variance but attached stipulations, including weekly pest control and covered food in the bar area.

Board members had several concerns, including whether flies could invade the brunch buffet and whether there was a procedure in case a bird flew in.

"Our goal is to prevent food-borne illness," Chairwoman Paulette Puleo said.

The restaurant's owners insisted the brunch buffet is constantly covered and even staffed by a server who wipes down the area and shuts lids.

The open-air setup enhances diners' experience at the restaurant, owners said.

"We like to think it kind of opens it up and gives it a cafe-style landscape," said Mark Morris, one of the owners. "I know I'd rather sit near the window."

Morris said the city of Cambridge never raised the issue when the restaurant opened its other locations in Porter and Central squares.

Retractable windows are a common feature of bars and restaurants in Boston, though Greenbaum said none in Salem (besides Tavern in the Square) has them.

"Every establishment within the city up to now has been required to maintain screens on their doors and windows," Greenbaum said.

Many Salem restaurants do, however, have outdoor seating with no protection against insects or rodents. Greenbaum said patrons still have a choice to eat inside if they don't want to be in the open air.

He also said the health department didn't know Tavern in the Square was going to have retractable windows until after they were installed.

"It wasn't presented to the health department in the plan review that this would be an issue," Greenbaum said.

But with the board's approval last night, the restaurant plans to swing open those shuttered windows as soon as possible.

Staff writer Chris Cassidy can be reached at ccassidy@salemnews.com.

Copyright © 1999-2008 cnhi, inc.

Former News building opens as apartments, tavern

Courtesy of: The Salem News - CLICK HERE FOR THE OFFICIAL SALEM NEWS WEBSITE

By Tom Dalton
Staff writer

June 02, 2009 12:36 pm

SALEM — It's not often that a restaurant opening becomes an event, but Tavern in the Square seems to have had that effect in Salem.

Just hours after opening late Thursday afternoon, the 300-capacity restaurant was packed, and it stayed that way through most of the weekend as word spread at Internet speed on social networking sites.

"It was all over Facebook and Twitter," said Kate Fox, executive director of Destination Salem, the city's tourism office.

Located at a busy intersection, Tavern in the Square has been drawing stares from passing motorists not used to seeing a restaurant in the downtown with retractable windows. Just like that, it seems, the corner of Washington and New Derby streets had been transformed from an empty former newspaper plant, an eyesore, to a row of open-air windows filled with customers.

"This is exactly what we hoped for on this corner — vibrant, alive," Mayor Kim Driscoll said yesterday at the ribbon-cutting of Washington at Derby, the residential and retail development at the site of the former Salem Evening News plant. There are 24 apartments on the top three stories, and Tavern in the Square on the ground floor.

"I do believe Salem will be to the North Shore what the North End is to Boston," state Rep. John Keenan said.

Even the restaurant seemed impressed by its reception. The first few days in Salem were busier than the openings of its two other Taverns in the Square in Cambridge, one of the owners said.

"This one topped them all," Mark Morris said. "It was a nice, controlled chaos."

Not all, however, has gone perfectly for RCG, the Somerville developer that did this project and recruited Tavern in the Square. It tried a few years ago to develop this entire block with housing, retail and underground parking, but abandoned those grandiose plans for this more modest proposal.

It had hoped to sell the Washington at Derby residences as condominiums, but that was before the stock market collapse. Now, it's all apartments, with rents from $1,500 to $2,500 a month.

City leaders yesterday praised RCG for sticking with this project and persevering through a tough economy.

On the market for two months, more than half of the apartments have been rented, RCG said. In addition, it has already filled the seven apartments in Central House, the first stage of this project, an adjoining building at the corner of Front and Washington streets.

"Even in a down economy, there are people who want to live in the downtown," said Alex Steinbergh, a principal of RCG. "In our view, Salem has been outperforming most of the local cities in this recession."

Three weeks ago, a Boston developer broke ground on another major downtown project, the Salem Jail redevelopment.

Yesterday's ribbon-cutting included tours of the new apartments, some of which have granite kitchen countertops and shower stalls. Although the event drew mostly city officials and business leaders, there were a few curious members of the public.

"I think it's wonderful, I really do," said Shirley Walker, one of the leaders of the Downtown Neighborhood Association. Her group has raised concerns about a number of issues, including the noise from downtown restaurants and bars.

Walker, who lives in an RCG building at Derby Lofts, said she is confident the developer will deal with any problems that arise with Washington at Derby.

"They have had control of this from the get-go," she said. "That makes a huge difference."

The restaurant said it installed sound-proofing on the ceiling of Tavern in the Square to block the noise from the rest of the building.

Now that Washington at Derby has been completed, RCG is contemplating its next move, but keeping its plans to itself.

"I hope we have some things we can talk about in September," Steinbergh said.

Copyright © 1999-2008 cnhi, inc.

Tavern in the Square hopes to open at former News site

Courtesy of: The Salem News - CLICK HERE FOR THE OFFICIAL SALEM NEWS WEBSITE

By Chris Cassidy
Staff writer

July 18, 2008 05:30 am

SALEM — The owner of several restaurants in Cambridge, Somerville and Boston plans to open a casual restaurant and bar on the first floor of the former Salem Evening News building.

The Arcari Restaurant Group owns the Boston Beer Garden in South Boston, the Joshua Tree in Davis Square in Somerville and Brighton, and Tavern in the Square in both Central and Porter squares in Cambridge. Now, they hope to open Tavern in the Square — Salem by spring of 2009.

The 200-seat, casual-themed restaurant and bar would take up the entire first floor of the former Salem Evening News building and feature an outdoor patio. It will serve lunch and dinner and have a late-night menu.

It will resemble the two Tavern in the Square locations in Cambridge with a wide-ranging menu featuring salads, burgers, pizzas, sandwiches, pastas and appetizers.

"Salem's an up-and-coming city, and we're hoping to add to it," said owner Joey Arcari, whose group also looked at the former Roosevelt's location (now Spirits) awhile ago.

Arcari opened his first restaurant, the Boston Beer Garden, 14 years ago and now owns 10 establishments, including one in Naples, Fla., and two in New York City.

He said Tavern in the Square would draw a clientele of all ages, ranging from young professionals to families.

The restaurant would be a major anchor at one of the city's most visible locations. Somerville-based RCG is developing the site into a four-story building, featuring apartments on the three top floors.

"We're excited," Mayor Kim Driscoll said. "It's an experienced restaurant group. ... They're prepared to make a major investment in that corner. ... It's a marquee intersection. You have to go by it to enter the city."

Driscoll hopes the new restaurant will make the downtown Washington Street stretch more of a destination for diners, the way Harvard Square and Boston's North End attract patrons.

"With the work that Edgewater Café has done with outdoor seating and A Passage to India, it's a great fit to round out that corner," RCG principal Matt Picarsic said.

To operate, Arcari first needs a liquor license, but because the city has already reached its limit of licenses, none is available.

"There are a few licenses not being used, but they're all under agreement," said Licensing Board Chairman Dave Shea.

With the backing of Driscoll, Arcari's group asked the City Council last night to seek a home-rule petition. The petition, which the council endorsed, would have to pass the state Legislature and be signed by the governor, but would allow Tavern in the Square to serve alcohol.

That's not sitting too well with at least one of Arcari's potential competitors. Hugh Kerr, the owner of A Passage to India on the same block, said he had to invest $150,000 and wait nearly a year before he could acquire his liquor license.

Kerr said he had to buy the old Boxcar Café on Bridge Street, spruce it up, resell it, then transfer the license to his restaurant in order to serve alcohol there.

"I was forced to buy a building to get my hands on a liquor license," Kerr said. "If we're going to allow everyone who comes to Salem to get a home-rule petition for a liquor license, what's the value of mine?"

Dave McKillop, the co-owner of Rockafellas a few blocks away, said he expects the new restaurant will give people another reason to dine in the downtown.

"As long as there's not a tremendous overlap of the same product, it's a great thing to do," McKillop said. "Everyone has their own niche. ... The more the merrier."

Copyright © 1999-2008 cnhi, inc.

Tavern in the Square Sets Up in Salem

Tavern in the Square, which currently has branches in Central and Porter Squares, is opening a Salem location. The restaurant's Cambridge locations are known for beer and sports and the Salem outpost will follow suit: a Craigslist post promises thirty beers on tap and thirty plasma TVs, as well as a weekend DJ. The Salem Tavern in the Square is staffing now and plans to open within the next three weeks.

Talented Bartenders and Servers wanted for exciting new restaurant/bar

Tavern in the Square

Written by Mr. Salem on May 29th, 2009

Courtesy of the Salem Insider CLICK HERE

Tavern in the Square

Corner of New Derby & Washington

Salem, MA 01970

The much awaited Tavern In The Square opened this week and we ran over to check it out. The first thing you will notice is that this place is big huge. The generically unimpressive front door opens to a cavernous restaurant/bar. The interior is clean and new with wood floors and unassuming striped carpet but the true nature of this establishment as a sports bar shines through from the plethora of flat screen and projection TVs on almost every inch of the walls.

We started with one of their featured appetizers Buffalo Calamari ($9.99). The heaping plate came with full calamari as-well-as rings, jalapenos, a healthy dose of blue cheese and an unusual topping of carrot shavings. The buffalo sauce is fairly mild and shouldn’t dissuade anyone from trying this tasty treat.

For main courses we chose the staple of all sports bars: a burger and, for those who are less meat-centric, a marinated feta and avocado salad with grilled chicken.  The burger choice was the Bacon and Blue Cheese stuffed Burger ($11.99). Grilled to a perfect medium rare and loaded up with heaps of blue cheese the burger and side of waffle fries were just what I was looking for, juicy, full of flavor and delicious.

Close-up of the Bacon Blue Burger

 

The marinated feta and avocado salad ($9.99) was just as massive as the burger. We added the grilled chicken ($2.99) but found that it was not needed because the salad was stocked with white beans and pistachio nuts giving a healthy dose of protein. The greens were fresh and snappy and the salad had interesting and surprisingly good mix of flavors.

Feta Salad with grilled chicken

Even though we were stuffed from our meals (we even took 1/2 the salad home) one item on the desert menu was too tempting to pass up.  Super decedent and loaded with more calories than I can even imagine, the Fried Snickers dessert ($6.99) is a Southern treat. Wrapped in a light crust and deep fried, a snickers candy bar never tasted so good.

 

Fried Snickers

 

Tavern in the Square is not your typical Salem eatery, it’s a little too polished and forced.  Hopefully its personality will emerge over time.  With pub trivia on Wednesday and DJ’s Thursday - Saturday, I’m sure the twenty-something crowd that goes to places like Sylvan Street Grille in Danvers will flock to down town Salem and enjoy our newest tavern.

Price: $$
Atmosphere: B
Drinks & wine selection: B
Food: B+
Service: B+
Overall:  B+

I hope that when the good weather gets here and the Taverns doors open up that all the condo owners who buy directly above will understand what they have done and not bitch and moan about it like some other new down town condo owners.