WATERTOWN, MA—After the COVID-19 pandemic stalled its opening to the public, Bottleneck Management announces the official grand opening of City Works Eatery & Pour House at 91 Arsenal Yards Blvd. on Wednesday, July 22 at 4 p.m.
City Works was scheduled to open its doors in Watertown on March 13 after its First Draft soft opening event raised $4,338 for the Greater Boston Food Bank. Four months past its original opening date, City Works in Arsenal Yards remains a vibrant and energetic restaurant with a focus on classic American food and an expansive beer and beverage list.
With a spacious interior (8,429 square feet), three 110” HDTVs and 12 65” HDTVs, and outdoor patio (1,172 square feet) with socially distanced tables, semi-private dining areas, and over 90 craft beer handles and eight wines on draft, City Works offers something for everyone this summer.
“It’s so exciting to be able to officially open our doors, bring our employees back on, and begin serving our guests in Watertown, safely and in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and our local authorities,” says Angela Zoiss, Vice President of Marketing for Bottleneck Management. “We are ecstatic to be able to finally build a connection with the local community and do what we do best.”
After conducting a survey to guests to gather feedback on their comfort level returning to the restaurant, Bottleneck Management and the City Works team have implemented new measures to ensure the safety of guests and all employees. These new procedures include mandating employees to wear masks and wash their hands every 30 minutes, setting up hand sanitizing stations throughout the restaurant and patio, scheduling sanitization of all shared surfaces every 30 minutes, limiting physical contact and touchpoints, and maintaining proper social distancing guidelines. Bottleneck Management has also created a new staff position, the Shift Safety Manager, to ensure protocol is being followed by all staff.
City Works offers a well-rounded menu for dine-in guests with a few new menu items. The menu includes bar bites and appetizers such as beer battered Fried Pickles, Nashville Hot or Southern Fried Popcorn Chicken with ranch dressing, and the new Queso Dip with hot chorizo, pepper jack cheese sauce, queso fresco, green onions, and micro cilantro, served with corn tortilla chips. The menu also offers burgers and handhelds like the signature City Works Burger with aged white cheddar, shredded iceberg lettuce, vine-ripened tomato, red onion, and a dill pickle, and the buttermilk breaded Fried Chicken Sandwich made with spicy bread and butter pickles and Carolina mustard BBQ sauce on a brioche bun. City Works also serves the Impossible Burger™ topped with shredded iceberg lettuce, vine-ripened tomatoes, red onion, and vegan roasted-garlic horseradish aioli. Entrées include Smoked BBQ Ribs, City Works Chopped Salad, and the new Tex Mex Mac & Cheese with spicy chorizo, roasted jalapeno, jack cheese sauce, crispy tortilla strips, and cilantro over cavatappi.
The restaurant also hosts a Rock n’ Roll themed brunch on the weekends until 3 p.m. complete with Rock n’ Roll music, great food, and a good time. Beginning on Saturday, July 25, the menu features dishes like Mother’s Little Helper bowl with smoked cheddar grits, braised pork belly, breakfast sausage, and fried egg, topped with smoked tomato and charred scallion relish and Chak Shuka Khan with spicy tomato sauce, sunny-side up eggs, and goat cheese served with a toasted garlic baguette. Groups can also indulge in shareable dishes like Dock of the Beignets derived from Café du Monde’s famous recipe for French doughnuts served with chocolate hazelnut sauce and mixed berry jam for dipping.
Brunch beverage offerings include the Beermosa made with the restaurant’s signature beer, Bottlenectar, Tanqueray gin, and orange juice; the Flapjack Old Fashioned made with rye whiskey, butterscotch Schnapps, candied maple syrup, bacon, and orange bitters; and the Hot Blooded, an 18 oz. spicy Bloody Mary crowned with fried onion rings and garnished with a celery stalk and a skewer loaded with candied bacon, housemade spicy pickles, a cheese curd, an olive, cornichon, pepperoni, pickled jalapeños, and a hard-boiled egg. Guests can also order mimosas by the flight by choosing four flavors with options such as classic, Bellini, Aperol, rosé, paloma, tropical, and more.
City Works re-opens on July 22 and will be open Monday through Thursday from 4-10 p.m., Friday from 11:30 a.m. -11 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m.-11 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Happier Hours continue with both food and drink specials every weekday from 3-6 p.m. Guests who would like to enjoy City Works’ food and beverages from home can check on the website in the coming weeks for options for delivery and takeout.
