Thursday, May 08, 2014

Matt and Kate Jennings Closing Farmstead in Providence, Opening Townsman in Boston

The couple behind an award-winning restaurant in Providence are selling the place, with the plan being to return to their hometown of Boston and open a new dining spot.

According to a press release, Matt and Kate Jennings will be shutting down Farmstead, Inc. in Wayland Square on June 1 after ten years of being in business, with the space going up for sale. The Jennings couple will then set their sights upon the new Radian building on Kingston Street by the Greenway in downtown Boston, opening a new restaurant called Townsman there later this year. Little information has been given on the upcoming eatery, though the release does say that it "will showcase Matt & Kate's incredibly personal approach to dining and hospitality" and that they "hope that our many Farmstead friends will visit us often at Townsman."

[February 4, 2015 update: According to an article in The Boston Globe, Townsman plans to open on March 1, with a "brasserie" style menu that will include such items as baby octopus, a fisherman's stew, and sweetbreads.]

[February 23, 2015 update: A Twitter post from @chefmarydumont indicates that Townsman is having a soft opening for friends and family this week.]

[February 24, 2015 update: Eater Boston mentions that Townsman opens its doors to the public on Thursday (February 26).]

Matt Jennings, who is known as the "Prince of Pork," has gained numerous awards and accolades over the past decade, including getting three consecutive wins at the culinary competition Cochon 555, receiving a Star Chefs "Rising Star" award in 2014, and being recognized a number of times by the James Beard Foundation.