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JULY 29, 2021<br />
WEEKLYNEWS.NET - 978-532-5880 3<br />
Alchemy hopes to transform<br />
Lynnfield’s restaurant scene<br />
ALCHEMY<br />
From page 1<br />
lot for the first time.”<br />
Alchemy’s menu features creative,<br />
seasonal New American<br />
cuisine and craft cocktails, all in<br />
a casual, family-friendly setting<br />
complete with a sleek sushi bar,<br />
indoor and outdoor seating and<br />
bars with jumbo TVs.<br />
Alchemy is one of the largest<br />
of the 11 restaurants in the<br />
Serenitee Group, with seating<br />
for up to 297 diners. Other<br />
restaurants in the group include<br />
Minglewood Harborside<br />
in Gloucester, 15 Walnut<br />
Tavern in South Hamilton,<br />
Hale Street Tavern in Beverly,<br />
Cala’s in Manchester-bythe-Sea,<br />
Opus in Salem, The<br />
Spot in Georgetown, The Spot<br />
in Winchester, Maggie’s Farm<br />
and Chanco’s in Middleton<br />
and the Little Red Rooster in<br />
Gloucester, which is currently<br />
closed but will be reopening in<br />
the fall.<br />
Freidus promises the<br />
Lynnfield location will feature a<br />
vibrant new look and fresh take<br />
on its menu.<br />
“The menu will have New<br />
England/American comfort<br />
classics with big, bold flavors<br />
that are globally inspired,” said<br />
Freidus.<br />
Located on the site of the<br />
former Gaslight Restaurant, the<br />
restaurant has approximately<br />
8,300 square feet in all: about<br />
2,200 feet of outdoor space,<br />
6,400 indoor (including the<br />
kitchen area) and about 4,400-<br />
4,500 square feet comprising<br />
the dining area. In terms of<br />
occupancy, there will be 194<br />
spaces inside and 103 outside.<br />
“This space is one of the nicest<br />
locations on the MarketStreet<br />
property,” said MarketStreet<br />
Marketing Manager Annie<br />
Healey. “After Gaslight closed,<br />
we held out for a really great<br />
PHOTO | JAKOB MENENDEZ<br />
General Manager Seth Freidus, left, Head Chef Mike Stark, center, and owner Jeff Cala stand together outside of their restaurant<br />
Alchemy.<br />
use and that’s what my team<br />
found in Alchemy.”<br />
Lynnfield Select Board<br />
Chair Dick Dalton and his wife<br />
Carmela Dalton were enjoying<br />
the festivities with fellow board<br />
member Phil Crawford.<br />
“It’s nice to add to the<br />
MarketStreet mix and nice to<br />
see this wonderful space getting<br />
a nice buildout,” Crawford<br />
said. “I was curious to see what<br />
you were going to do with the<br />
building, and the sushi bar is a<br />
nice addition to the mix. This is<br />
great, the food, the atmosphere,<br />
everything is just great.”<br />
Cala said the inspiration for<br />
the restaurant’s name came from<br />
the novel, “The Alchemist” by<br />
Paulo Coelho.<br />
“A large part came from<br />
the book,” said Cala. “It all<br />
came together when Mark<br />
[McDonough] and I visited<br />
the original Alchemy space in<br />
Gloucester. We were transitioning<br />
the raw, homey, locally-loved<br />
space into something<br />
that was fun, but cutting edge<br />
for the time. We were following<br />
our dream and going for it; it<br />
just made sense.<br />
Cala said Alchemy is all<br />
about family.<br />
“Alchemy was built on a<br />
staff that became a family, with<br />
a vibe that was all about comfort<br />
and fun, and menus that<br />
were created with love and the<br />
idea of adventure,” he said.<br />
“This restaurant will become a<br />
community beehive, the place<br />
to go to see old friends, make<br />
new friends, enjoy your family<br />
while enjoying some of the<br />
best food and beverages on the<br />
North Shore.<br />
“During the crazy, crazy<br />
times over the past year we all<br />
needed something to look forward<br />
to, and for the Serenitee<br />
Restaurant Group, it has been<br />
Alchemy.”<br />
Lynnfield Senior Center<br />
returns to in-person activities<br />
By Allysha Dunnigan<br />
LYNNFIELD — Following<br />
a year of virtual programming,<br />
the Lynnfield Senior Center has<br />
opened its doors again to inperson<br />
events and gatherings.<br />
Most of the programs have<br />
returned, including exercise,<br />
yoga and art classes. The center<br />
is also running its usual day<br />
trips to locations including<br />
Boston and Kennebunkport and<br />
Ogunquit, Maine.<br />
Senior Center Director Linda<br />
Naccara said everyone is happy<br />
to be back, but there are still<br />
some mixed emotions.<br />
“For the first time this week,<br />
we have gotten a few calls<br />
from seniors saying they are<br />
concerned about the (Delta)<br />
variant, and are not going to<br />
be coming in for a while,”<br />
Naccara said. “But, for the<br />
most part, they are just thrilled<br />
to be back and be with their<br />
friends again.”<br />
The center is following the<br />
state guidelines regarding<br />
COVID-19, including asking<br />
people who are not vaccinated<br />
to continue wearing masks.<br />
Naccara said most of the seniors<br />
are vaccinated, but some<br />
opt to wear a mask either way.<br />
Masks are required on the<br />
center’s bus, which brings seniors<br />
to the grocery store and<br />
provides transportation for<br />
scheduled outings.<br />
The bus brought people to<br />
the grocery store throughout<br />
the height of the pandemic, but<br />
Naccara said that ever since<br />
vaccinations were introduced<br />
on a large scale, the bus is allowed<br />
to bring more people and<br />
partake in leisure rides.<br />
“We’re getting there,”<br />
Naccara said. “Let’s hope we<br />
can keep it up.”<br />
Naccara said since reopening,<br />
the center has not<br />
had any cases of COVID-19,<br />
nor have they had any “breakthroughs”<br />
— rare incidents of<br />
vaccinated individuals contracting<br />
the virus.<br />
“I worry about that everyday,”<br />
Naccara said. “But<br />
thankfully, we have been good<br />
since reopening.”<br />
Naccara said she is happy<br />
to be back in the center and to<br />
see everyone mingling, playing<br />
bridge and being able to catch<br />
up and exercise together again.