B.good, Uburger, grilling on Deck
Downtown nets hip, casual dining
By Donna Goodison | Monday, June 28, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Business & Markets
Those who trek through Boston’s Downtown Crossing won’t want for more casual dining options soon, particularly burgers.
Three new restaurants are in development for the shopping district, including the Back Deck from Fajitas & ’Ritas owner Bradley Fredericks and chef Paul Sussman and new locations for Uburger and B.good.
Think of the Back Deck, which will likely open at the beginning of next year, as a “polished” casual eatery putting a professional touch on backyard grilling and bringing it indoors, according to Fredericks.
“The premise of the concept is that it’s food which we believe tastes good cooked on hardwood charcoal,” said Fredericks, who’s operated Fajitas & ’Ritas diagonally across the street for 21 years. “We take that, and that atmosphere, into the dining room with various decks. It will be indoors, but it will be an outside type of feeling.”
The two-level, 152-seat restaurant will be in a building that houses a 274-bed Suffolk University dorm, and its windows will open to the street as New England weather allows. Fredericks calls it “upscale casual” on the level of a Burton’s Grill.
The Back Deck will serve brunch, lunch and dinner. Sussman was a former executive chef at The Fireplace in Brookline, opened Z Square in Cambridge and is general manager and executive chef at Brandy Pete’s in Boston. His menu ranges from lobsters to burgers, with $18 to $24 dinner entrees (excluding the lobster).
Uburger also is expanding into the Downtown Crossing area, with a third restaurant set for 140 Tremont St.
B.good, meanwhile, expects to open its eighth location in Pi Alley at 255 Washington St. in August after entering Hingham on Thursday. The chain touts its locally sourced “fresh fast food made real” with all-natural meat that’s ground in-house.
The Downtown Crossing restaurant will seat 60.
“It’s exciting, because it’s definitely one of the busiest spots in Boston,” co-owner Jon Olinto said. “There’s just so much foot traffic there.”
B.good also just launched an ice cream truck. The truck was named Harvey by one of its customers, who now has a 5-foot picture of his face on the side of the vehicle and gets free shakes for the summer. B.good staffers travel in Harvey to hand out free 5-ounce shake samples as it blares songs that include the word “shaking.”
“It’s strictly to create awareness - to meet people and tell them what we’re all about,” Olinto said.
B.good paid a customer $1,500 for the 28-year-old truck and is giving him free food for life.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1264391
Monday, June 28, 2010
Friday, June 25, 2010
Felt to become Sin; Petit Robert going into Vinalia space; Schlow looking at Cottonwood spot
Felt to be rechristened as Sin
Kick*ss Cupcakes to take to the road
By Donna Goodison / Turning the Tables | Friday, June 25, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Business & Markets
Photo
Boston Nightlife Ventures has signed a deal to take over Felt, the four-story nightclub and restaurant near Downtown Crossing.
Owner Euz Azevedo will rechristen the space Sin after a revamp by Tom Telesco, a Miami Beach nightclub designer whose work includes former hotspot Crobar New York and Nocturnal in Miami.
“We’ll continue with the nightclub concept, but we’re going to try to be more high end - closer to what clubs in New York look like,” Azevedo said. “Right now we’re working to get the liquor license transfered, and as soon as that happens we’ll start renovations. Hopefully by next summer we’ll be opening a new club there.”
Felt’s small kitchen will be retained so Sin can serve food. Azevedo expects the overhaul of the 796-capacity, 10,000-square-foot space to take six to seven months.
“What’s not to like about it,” he said of the location. “It’s a downtown club, it’s four-stories high. It’s just not being run properly.”
Azevedo - who owns The Tap near Faneuil Hall and The Federal on Beacon Hill - is keeping busy. On Monday, he opened Noche in the former Icarus space in the South End.
Mike Moran and Brian O’Donnell opened Felt in 2002 with partners.
Moran and O’Donnell are holding on to their Downtown Crossing restaurant spot, the former Vinalia, which closed last winter.
The Arch Street restaurant will reopen later this summer as Petit Robert Central.
It’ll be the fifth new eatery - and fourth Petit Robert - in five years for chef Jacky Robert and partner Loic Le Garrec, who just opened Chez Jacky in Brighton.
“We’ll be partners with these guys,” Le Garrec said. “We’ll bring our name, experience and the cuisine, and they’ll do the front of the house.”
At 250 seats, it will be the biggest restaurant for Robert and Le Garrec. Petit Robert Central will serve lunch and dinner seven days a week under executive chef Eric Bogardus, formerly of Locke-Ober and Vox Populi.
Robert and Le Garrec had a previous relationship with Moran and O’Donnell. For three months, they operated a Petit Robert Bistro on the first floor of Felt for the winter theater season.
“The idea was to find a new concept to keep Felt or change Felt . . . but there were too many partners, and they decided to sell the business,” Le Garrec said.
Sara Ross plans to take her Kick*ss Cupcakes on the road.
The Somerville cupcake shop owner is having a Dodge Sprinter converted into a food truck.
“We’re going to have it customized with a window on the side, and it will be all duded up just like our Mini Cooper with our logos,” Ross said.
The truck will sell Kick*ss’ full line of cupcakes and its newest offering: Kick*ss Cupcake Gelato.
Kick*ss now sells vanilla gelato by Newton’s Giovanna Gelato. There are pints and frosting-topped “sundaes,” served in cupcake-shaped plastic cups with chunks of cupcakes mixed in.
Cottonwood Cafe, credited with bringing contemporary Southwest cuisine to the Hub, closes Sunday after 18 years on Berkeley Street.
The Back Bay was the second Cottonwood location for owner Craig Gillespie, a Tucson native who opened the first in 1988 at the Porter Exchange in Cambridge.
The rumor mill has chef Michael Schlow (Radius, Via Matta, Alta Strada) taking over the spot. But though Schlow says he’s coveted it for 15 years, he insists there’s nary a deal or negotiations.
“I do not have a signed lease with them right now,” he said. “I do not have a deal with them right now . . . but I am interested in the space.”
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1263879
Kick*ss Cupcakes to take to the road
By Donna Goodison / Turning the Tables | Friday, June 25, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Business & Markets
Photo
Boston Nightlife Ventures has signed a deal to take over Felt, the four-story nightclub and restaurant near Downtown Crossing.
Owner Euz Azevedo will rechristen the space Sin after a revamp by Tom Telesco, a Miami Beach nightclub designer whose work includes former hotspot Crobar New York and Nocturnal in Miami.
“We’ll continue with the nightclub concept, but we’re going to try to be more high end - closer to what clubs in New York look like,” Azevedo said. “Right now we’re working to get the liquor license transfered, and as soon as that happens we’ll start renovations. Hopefully by next summer we’ll be opening a new club there.”
Felt’s small kitchen will be retained so Sin can serve food. Azevedo expects the overhaul of the 796-capacity, 10,000-square-foot space to take six to seven months.
“What’s not to like about it,” he said of the location. “It’s a downtown club, it’s four-stories high. It’s just not being run properly.”
Azevedo - who owns The Tap near Faneuil Hall and The Federal on Beacon Hill - is keeping busy. On Monday, he opened Noche in the former Icarus space in the South End.
Mike Moran and Brian O’Donnell opened Felt in 2002 with partners.
Moran and O’Donnell are holding on to their Downtown Crossing restaurant spot, the former Vinalia, which closed last winter.
The Arch Street restaurant will reopen later this summer as Petit Robert Central.
It’ll be the fifth new eatery - and fourth Petit Robert - in five years for chef Jacky Robert and partner Loic Le Garrec, who just opened Chez Jacky in Brighton.
“We’ll be partners with these guys,” Le Garrec said. “We’ll bring our name, experience and the cuisine, and they’ll do the front of the house.”
At 250 seats, it will be the biggest restaurant for Robert and Le Garrec. Petit Robert Central will serve lunch and dinner seven days a week under executive chef Eric Bogardus, formerly of Locke-Ober and Vox Populi.
Robert and Le Garrec had a previous relationship with Moran and O’Donnell. For three months, they operated a Petit Robert Bistro on the first floor of Felt for the winter theater season.
“The idea was to find a new concept to keep Felt or change Felt . . . but there were too many partners, and they decided to sell the business,” Le Garrec said.
Sara Ross plans to take her Kick*ss Cupcakes on the road.
The Somerville cupcake shop owner is having a Dodge Sprinter converted into a food truck.
“We’re going to have it customized with a window on the side, and it will be all duded up just like our Mini Cooper with our logos,” Ross said.
The truck will sell Kick*ss’ full line of cupcakes and its newest offering: Kick*ss Cupcake Gelato.
Kick*ss now sells vanilla gelato by Newton’s Giovanna Gelato. There are pints and frosting-topped “sundaes,” served in cupcake-shaped plastic cups with chunks of cupcakes mixed in.
Cottonwood Cafe, credited with bringing contemporary Southwest cuisine to the Hub, closes Sunday after 18 years on Berkeley Street.
The Back Bay was the second Cottonwood location for owner Craig Gillespie, a Tucson native who opened the first in 1988 at the Porter Exchange in Cambridge.
The rumor mill has chef Michael Schlow (Radius, Via Matta, Alta Strada) taking over the spot. But though Schlow says he’s coveted it for 15 years, he insists there’s nary a deal or negotiations.
“I do not have a signed lease with them right now,” he said. “I do not have a deal with them right now . . . but I am interested in the space.”
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1263879
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Indian restaurant coming to financial district
Boston Restaurant Talk
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
D'Guru Is Apparently Coming to the Financial District
It looks like a caterer and takeout spot in Somerville that features Indian cuisine is going to be opening a restaurant in Boston's Financial District.
Based on a post on the EveryBlock Boston site, Guru the Caterer, which is located on Broadway in Somerville (between Teele Square and the Arlington border), has just been issued a business license for D'Guru, which appears like it will be a restaurant on Devonshire Street in the Financial District. There had been talk on various food-based sites awhile back about Guru the Caterer indeed opening a restaurant in Boston, but this is the first time we have seen proof of their restaurant plans.
Guru the Caterer is a tiny spot that has been doing catering of Indian food since 2004. A couple of years ago they also started offering takeout, and are currently open six days a week for lunch and dinner (they are closed on Sundays).
It is not known when D'Guru might be opening; as soon as we find out more information, we will post an update here.
The address for this planned Indian restaurant in the Financial District of Boston will be: D'Guru, 185 Devonshire Street, Boston, MA, 02110.
posted by Marc at 10:15 AM
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
D'Guru Is Apparently Coming to the Financial District
It looks like a caterer and takeout spot in Somerville that features Indian cuisine is going to be opening a restaurant in Boston's Financial District.
Based on a post on the EveryBlock Boston site, Guru the Caterer, which is located on Broadway in Somerville (between Teele Square and the Arlington border), has just been issued a business license for D'Guru, which appears like it will be a restaurant on Devonshire Street in the Financial District. There had been talk on various food-based sites awhile back about Guru the Caterer indeed opening a restaurant in Boston, but this is the first time we have seen proof of their restaurant plans.
Guru the Caterer is a tiny spot that has been doing catering of Indian food since 2004. A couple of years ago they also started offering takeout, and are currently open six days a week for lunch and dinner (they are closed on Sundays).
It is not known when D'Guru might be opening; as soon as we find out more information, we will post an update here.
The address for this planned Indian restaurant in the Financial District of Boston will be: D'Guru, 185 Devonshire Street, Boston, MA, 02110.
posted by Marc at 10:15 AM
Flour Bakery to open third location tomorrow
Boston Restaurant Talk
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Flour3 Opening Near Central Square In Cambridge
A bakery and cafe with locations in the South End of Boston and the Fort Point neighborhood is opening a third location, with this one being in Cambridge.
According to posts on the owner's Twitter page, Flour3 will apparently be opening tomorrow (Friday, June 25) on Mass. Ave. near the Central Square section of the city. Based on the menu at the other two locations, the new spot in Cambridge will feature items such as scones, muffins, croissants, sticky buns, cookies, tarts, cakes, and sandwiches.
Hours for Flour3 will be 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM Monday through Friday and 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM on Saturdays. (One of the Twitter posts mentions that the place will be closed on Sundays until Labor Day.)
The address for this new bakery and cafe near Central Square will be: Flour3, 190 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02139. (This is over by the MIT campus between Central Square and Memorial Drive along the Charles River.) The website for all of the Flour locations is at: http://www.flourbakery.com/
posted by Marc at 3:29 PM
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Flour3 Opening Near Central Square In Cambridge
A bakery and cafe with locations in the South End of Boston and the Fort Point neighborhood is opening a third location, with this one being in Cambridge.
According to posts on the owner's Twitter page, Flour3 will apparently be opening tomorrow (Friday, June 25) on Mass. Ave. near the Central Square section of the city. Based on the menu at the other two locations, the new spot in Cambridge will feature items such as scones, muffins, croissants, sticky buns, cookies, tarts, cakes, and sandwiches.
Hours for Flour3 will be 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM Monday through Friday and 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM on Saturdays. (One of the Twitter posts mentions that the place will be closed on Sundays until Labor Day.)
The address for this new bakery and cafe near Central Square will be: Flour3, 190 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02139. (This is over by the MIT campus between Central Square and Memorial Drive along the Charles River.) The website for all of the Flour locations is at: http://www.flourbakery.com/
posted by Marc at 3:29 PM
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Strega to open in the Seaport District
Boston Restaurant Talk
Strega Opening at Fan Pier on the Boston Waterfront
An Italian restaurant will soon be opening along the waterfront of Boston, and it will have a familiar name.
Based on the new restaurant's website as well as signs within the building where it will be opening, Strega is coming to Fan Pier this summer, making this the third Strega in the Boston area, with the original being on Hanover Street in the North End and another residing on Lafayette Street in Salem. An earlier Boston Globe article had stated that the new Strega will be almost three times the size of the restaurant in the North End, with a capacity of more than 150 inside the place, plus additional outdoor seating during the warmer months.
The person behind Strega--Nick Varano--is also involved with such spots as Nico and Nick Varano's Famous Deli, both in the North End, and The Ocean Club at Marina Bay in Quincy.
The address for this soon-to-open Italian restaurant along the Boston waterfront will be: Strega, One Marina Park Drive, Boston, MA, 02110.
posted by Marc at 9:16 AM |
Strega Opening at Fan Pier on the Boston Waterfront
An Italian restaurant will soon be opening along the waterfront of Boston, and it will have a familiar name.
Based on the new restaurant's website as well as signs within the building where it will be opening, Strega is coming to Fan Pier this summer, making this the third Strega in the Boston area, with the original being on Hanover Street in the North End and another residing on Lafayette Street in Salem. An earlier Boston Globe article had stated that the new Strega will be almost three times the size of the restaurant in the North End, with a capacity of more than 150 inside the place, plus additional outdoor seating during the warmer months.
The person behind Strega--Nick Varano--is also involved with such spots as Nico and Nick Varano's Famous Deli, both in the North End, and The Ocean Club at Marina Bay in Quincy.
The address for this soon-to-open Italian restaurant along the Boston waterfront will be: Strega, One Marina Park Drive, Boston, MA, 02110.
posted by Marc at 9:16 AM |
Monday, June 21, 2010
Pokaski exits from Boston Licensing Board
Grubstreet Boston
Daniel Pokaski Leaves Boston Licensing Board
Boston Licensing Board chair Daniel Pokaski will retire at month's end, earning an almost $80,000 per year pension, reports the Globe. Pokaski's fifteen year tenure with the BLB has been wracked with controversy: two years ago, his name came up in the Dianne Wilkerson bribery scandal after he allegedly granted a liquor license to a Wilkerson briber in exchange for a pay increase (Pokaski was never formally charged by the FBI). Some of Pokaski's other greatest hits include: claiming that observant Muslims' need for halal food is the same as Italians' need for pizza, remarking that, despite four violent incidents in two months, The Kells was "not a trouble spot" (and then merely scolding the bar at a hearing about a fatal stabbing), and failing to revoke bars' licenses after incidents ranging from a doorman putting a customer in a chokehold and a patron's credit card being overcharged by hundreds of dollars at The Bell In Hand to a stabbing on the dance floor at The Roxy.
So what does Pokaski's retirement mean for the city's bars and restaurants? For one thing, hopefully a more equitable liquor license awarding procedure. Law firm McDermott, Quilty, and Miller has been responsible for a disproportionately high percentage of the city's liquor licenses over the past decade, found Boston Magazine in a scathing expose last fall, and it would be nice to see restaurants that can't afford a fancy lawyer's fee have more of a chance at obtaining the coveted licenses.
The Boston Licensing Board is appointed by the governor and Deval Patrick's office did not respond to calls for comment about Pokaski's replacement, but perhaps a clue might be found in Pokaski's own story: after teaching in Boston public schools for three years, he served as a state representative and a Suffolk Superior Court Clerk before being appointed by Governor William Weld in 1995.
Daniel Pokaski Leaves Boston Licensing Board
Boston Licensing Board chair Daniel Pokaski will retire at month's end, earning an almost $80,000 per year pension, reports the Globe. Pokaski's fifteen year tenure with the BLB has been wracked with controversy: two years ago, his name came up in the Dianne Wilkerson bribery scandal after he allegedly granted a liquor license to a Wilkerson briber in exchange for a pay increase (Pokaski was never formally charged by the FBI). Some of Pokaski's other greatest hits include: claiming that observant Muslims' need for halal food is the same as Italians' need for pizza, remarking that, despite four violent incidents in two months, The Kells was "not a trouble spot" (and then merely scolding the bar at a hearing about a fatal stabbing), and failing to revoke bars' licenses after incidents ranging from a doorman putting a customer in a chokehold and a patron's credit card being overcharged by hundreds of dollars at The Bell In Hand to a stabbing on the dance floor at The Roxy.
So what does Pokaski's retirement mean for the city's bars and restaurants? For one thing, hopefully a more equitable liquor license awarding procedure. Law firm McDermott, Quilty, and Miller has been responsible for a disproportionately high percentage of the city's liquor licenses over the past decade, found Boston Magazine in a scathing expose last fall, and it would be nice to see restaurants that can't afford a fancy lawyer's fee have more of a chance at obtaining the coveted licenses.
The Boston Licensing Board is appointed by the governor and Deval Patrick's office did not respond to calls for comment about Pokaski's replacement, but perhaps a clue might be found in Pokaski's own story: after teaching in Boston public schools for three years, he served as a state representative and a Suffolk Superior Court Clerk before being appointed by Governor William Weld in 1995.
Boston Licensing Board Chairman to retire
Boston Licensing Board chairman to retire
Hailed for balance in his decisions
By David Abel, Globe Staff | June 19, 2010
Three years after state lawmakers awarded him a controversial raise, Daniel F. Pokaski, the longtime chairman of the Boston Licensing Board, announced yesterday that he would step down at the end of the month, when his pension vests at nearly $80,000 a year.
“It’s just time to leave,’’ said Pokaski, who has served in the powerful position as one of three arbiters of the city’s lucrative liquor licenses since 1995. “I’m turning 61, and I have more than 40 years working for the city and state. It’s time to give someone else a chance.’’
Local officials and neighborhood groups praised Pokaski, a former state representative and criminal court clerk, for his fairness.
“I think he was a diligent steward of his job, which was to try to keep control over an industry that needs control,’’ said Councilor at Large Stephen J. Murphy. “He was steadfast in his commitment to the quality of life of the neighborhoods of Boston. He was always willing to listen, but he didn’t equivocate in his own mind when he thought something was unfair.’’
Councilor Charles C. Yancey, who represents Mattapan and Dorchester, recalled how a decade ago Pokaski voted to suspend the license of a South Boston bar after it posted pictures of monkeys and said it was their celebration of Black History Month.
“I’ve had the opportunity to work with him for the entirety of his tenure, and . . . I’ve always found him to be fair and professional.’’
Two years ago, Pokaski came under scrutiny for allegedly taking part in a back-room deal that linked the awarding of a liquor license to his raises. An investigation led to the arrest of state Senator Dianne Wilkerson, who this year pleaded guilty to charges she accepted bribes in exchange for seeking a liquor license for a Roxbury nightclub.
For more than a century, the Boston Licensing Board has regulated the city’s pool halls, bowling allies, fortune tellers, dormitories, and all business licenses for the sale of food and alcohol. The city has a limited number of liquor licenses, under 1,100, and they can cost from $30,000 for a license to serve beer and wine to as much as $300,000 for a licenses to sell all types of alcohol.
The plum jobs are well paid and often held for years. State lawmakers raised the salary of the board chairman to $100,000 per year in 2008, with a retroactive raise to 2007, allowing Pokaski to cash in this year as his pension vests at his highest salary for a three-year period.
According to the FBI affidavit, Pokaski and Wilkerson met at the State House in August 2007; and Wilkerson used Pokaski’s pay increase and other measures as leverage to extract the liquor license she wanted for the business operator who paid her cash bribes. A week after Pokaski and Wilkerson met, the Senate passed the board’s salary bill.
The FBI never charged Pokaski. He says he was unfairly tarred by meeting Wilkerson.
“My biggest regret was going to that meeting,’’ he said. “I was just trying to do my job.’’
He called the allegations he had engaged in back-room dealing “crap and speculation.’’
“They are just not true,’’ he said. “We never violated any open meeting laws. All the investigations have proved that this board has always been aboveboard.’’
Michael Connolly, a fellow board member, said Pokaski’s departure could alter the balance of the panel. He said Pokaski often sided with neighborhood groups — for example, he helped clean up the old Combat Zone by limiting the number of strip clubs and other seedy businesses from the area — while Commissioner Suzanne Iannella more frequently sides with applicants for licenses.
“He calls them as he sees them, and it’s often in support for neighborhood groups,’’ Connolly said. “Whether it’s a blocked egress, underage drinking, a barroom brawl, he gets the background information and always acts in an objective fashion. We will miss him sorely.’’
Pokaski, who grew up in Dorchester, taught in Boston public schools for three years before being elected state representative, a job he held for eight years. He served as a clerk in Suffolk Superior Court for 12 years before Governor William F. Weld appointed him to the Licensing Board in 1995.
State Representative Martha M. Walz, a Back Bay Democrat who has often raised issues with the board, called Pokaski “very fair and reasonable.’’
“His retirement is not happy news from my perspective,’’ she said. “There were lots of questions raised about someone who, to my mind, was a completely ethical public servant. There was never a question about his integrity.’’
David Abel can be reached at dabel@globe.com.
© Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company
Hailed for balance in his decisions
By David Abel, Globe Staff | June 19, 2010
Three years after state lawmakers awarded him a controversial raise, Daniel F. Pokaski, the longtime chairman of the Boston Licensing Board, announced yesterday that he would step down at the end of the month, when his pension vests at nearly $80,000 a year.
“It’s just time to leave,’’ said Pokaski, who has served in the powerful position as one of three arbiters of the city’s lucrative liquor licenses since 1995. “I’m turning 61, and I have more than 40 years working for the city and state. It’s time to give someone else a chance.’’
Local officials and neighborhood groups praised Pokaski, a former state representative and criminal court clerk, for his fairness.
“I think he was a diligent steward of his job, which was to try to keep control over an industry that needs control,’’ said Councilor at Large Stephen J. Murphy. “He was steadfast in his commitment to the quality of life of the neighborhoods of Boston. He was always willing to listen, but he didn’t equivocate in his own mind when he thought something was unfair.’’
Councilor Charles C. Yancey, who represents Mattapan and Dorchester, recalled how a decade ago Pokaski voted to suspend the license of a South Boston bar after it posted pictures of monkeys and said it was their celebration of Black History Month.
“I’ve had the opportunity to work with him for the entirety of his tenure, and . . . I’ve always found him to be fair and professional.’’
Two years ago, Pokaski came under scrutiny for allegedly taking part in a back-room deal that linked the awarding of a liquor license to his raises. An investigation led to the arrest of state Senator Dianne Wilkerson, who this year pleaded guilty to charges she accepted bribes in exchange for seeking a liquor license for a Roxbury nightclub.
For more than a century, the Boston Licensing Board has regulated the city’s pool halls, bowling allies, fortune tellers, dormitories, and all business licenses for the sale of food and alcohol. The city has a limited number of liquor licenses, under 1,100, and they can cost from $30,000 for a license to serve beer and wine to as much as $300,000 for a licenses to sell all types of alcohol.
The plum jobs are well paid and often held for years. State lawmakers raised the salary of the board chairman to $100,000 per year in 2008, with a retroactive raise to 2007, allowing Pokaski to cash in this year as his pension vests at his highest salary for a three-year period.
According to the FBI affidavit, Pokaski and Wilkerson met at the State House in August 2007; and Wilkerson used Pokaski’s pay increase and other measures as leverage to extract the liquor license she wanted for the business operator who paid her cash bribes. A week after Pokaski and Wilkerson met, the Senate passed the board’s salary bill.
The FBI never charged Pokaski. He says he was unfairly tarred by meeting Wilkerson.
“My biggest regret was going to that meeting,’’ he said. “I was just trying to do my job.’’
He called the allegations he had engaged in back-room dealing “crap and speculation.’’
“They are just not true,’’ he said. “We never violated any open meeting laws. All the investigations have proved that this board has always been aboveboard.’’
Michael Connolly, a fellow board member, said Pokaski’s departure could alter the balance of the panel. He said Pokaski often sided with neighborhood groups — for example, he helped clean up the old Combat Zone by limiting the number of strip clubs and other seedy businesses from the area — while Commissioner Suzanne Iannella more frequently sides with applicants for licenses.
“He calls them as he sees them, and it’s often in support for neighborhood groups,’’ Connolly said. “Whether it’s a blocked egress, underage drinking, a barroom brawl, he gets the background information and always acts in an objective fashion. We will miss him sorely.’’
Pokaski, who grew up in Dorchester, taught in Boston public schools for three years before being elected state representative, a job he held for eight years. He served as a clerk in Suffolk Superior Court for 12 years before Governor William F. Weld appointed him to the Licensing Board in 1995.
State Representative Martha M. Walz, a Back Bay Democrat who has often raised issues with the board, called Pokaski “very fair and reasonable.’’
“His retirement is not happy news from my perspective,’’ she said. “There were lots of questions raised about someone who, to my mind, was a completely ethical public servant. There was never a question about his integrity.’’
David Abel can be reached at dabel@globe.com.
© Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company
Friday, June 18, 2010
Cottonwood Cafe to close
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Cottonwood Cafe in the Back Bay to Close
A restaurant in the Back Bay of Boston that has been serving Southwest cuisine for many years is getting ready to shut its doors.
According to a poster on the Chowhound site, the Cottonwood Cafe on Berkeley Street is going to be closing on June 30 after being in business since the early 1990s. A call placed to the restaurant has confirmed that it will indeed be closing at the end of the month.
Known in part for its margaritas, outdoor patio, and people-watching, the Cottonwood Cafe features lunch and dinner seven days a week, offering such items as blackened scallops, stuffed Anaheim chiles, black bean soup, a tenderloin tip sandwich, roasted poblano macaroni and cheese, grilled red chile sausage, paella, black angus strip steak, and lamb chops.
The address for this soon-to-close dining spot in the Back Bay is: Cottonwood Cafe, 222 Berkeley Street, Boston, MA, 02116.
posted by Marc at 3:17 PM | 0 comments links to this post
Cottonwood Cafe in the Back Bay to Close
A restaurant in the Back Bay of Boston that has been serving Southwest cuisine for many years is getting ready to shut its doors.
According to a poster on the Chowhound site, the Cottonwood Cafe on Berkeley Street is going to be closing on June 30 after being in business since the early 1990s. A call placed to the restaurant has confirmed that it will indeed be closing at the end of the month.
Known in part for its margaritas, outdoor patio, and people-watching, the Cottonwood Cafe features lunch and dinner seven days a week, offering such items as blackened scallops, stuffed Anaheim chiles, black bean soup, a tenderloin tip sandwich, roasted poblano macaroni and cheese, grilled red chile sausage, paella, black angus strip steak, and lamb chops.
The address for this soon-to-close dining spot in the Back Bay is: Cottonwood Cafe, 222 Berkeley Street, Boston, MA, 02116.
posted by Marc at 3:17 PM | 0 comments links to this post
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Pinkberry to open Boston location
Pinkberry to open on Newbury Street
By Donna Goodison | Thursday, June 17, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Business & Markets
An L.A. frozen yogurt chain that’s become sort of a cult fave has landed a Boston location.
Pinkberry will open a fro-yo shop at 286 Newbury St.
Cambridge’s NE Frog Pond LLC, Pinkberry’s New England franchisee, couldn’t say when the Hub shop, which still needs permits, will debut. The company first will open a Pinkberry at the Derby Street Shoppes in Hingham, tentatively by late August.
Specializing in tangy fro-yo, Pinkberry started in 2005 in West Hollywood and has spawned a string of local imitators in the last few years.
Flavors include the non-fat “original” and seasonal offerings. More than 30 fresh fruit and other toppings range from Cap’n Crunch to almond slices and pomegranate juice.
It was the product and the brand’s look that attracted Trippe Lonian and NE Frog Pond.
“It’s completely ‘crave-able,’ and it’s healthy,” Lonian said. “And, frankly, it’s just the energy of the stores and brand that’s appealing.”
Frozen desserts are a $6.1 billion restaurant market in the United States, and fro-yo accounts for about $500 million, according to Technomic Inc., a Chicago food research firm. The TCBY chain is the fro-yo leader with about $140 million in annual sales, followed by Pinkberry.
Some Pinkberry stores post annual sales in excess of $2 million.
“With that comes a high level of occupancy costs, because they’re generally a more expensive concept to open with higher price points,” said Darren Tristano, executive vice president at Technomic. “They’re looking to target a higher-income, more affluent customer.”
Pinkberry appeals most strongly to women ages 18-34 with a “contemporary, kind of cool lifestyle” as their mindset, Tristano said.
“If you read Us Weekly, every starlet has got one in their hands in most of the pictures,” he said. “It’s kind of like the new Starbucks.”
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1262150
By Donna Goodison | Thursday, June 17, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Business & Markets
An L.A. frozen yogurt chain that’s become sort of a cult fave has landed a Boston location.
Pinkberry will open a fro-yo shop at 286 Newbury St.
Cambridge’s NE Frog Pond LLC, Pinkberry’s New England franchisee, couldn’t say when the Hub shop, which still needs permits, will debut. The company first will open a Pinkberry at the Derby Street Shoppes in Hingham, tentatively by late August.
Specializing in tangy fro-yo, Pinkberry started in 2005 in West Hollywood and has spawned a string of local imitators in the last few years.
Flavors include the non-fat “original” and seasonal offerings. More than 30 fresh fruit and other toppings range from Cap’n Crunch to almond slices and pomegranate juice.
It was the product and the brand’s look that attracted Trippe Lonian and NE Frog Pond.
“It’s completely ‘crave-able,’ and it’s healthy,” Lonian said. “And, frankly, it’s just the energy of the stores and brand that’s appealing.”
Frozen desserts are a $6.1 billion restaurant market in the United States, and fro-yo accounts for about $500 million, according to Technomic Inc., a Chicago food research firm. The TCBY chain is the fro-yo leader with about $140 million in annual sales, followed by Pinkberry.
Some Pinkberry stores post annual sales in excess of $2 million.
“With that comes a high level of occupancy costs, because they’re generally a more expensive concept to open with higher price points,” said Darren Tristano, executive vice president at Technomic. “They’re looking to target a higher-income, more affluent customer.”
Pinkberry appeals most strongly to women ages 18-34 with a “contemporary, kind of cool lifestyle” as their mindset, Tristano said.
“If you read Us Weekly, every starlet has got one in their hands in most of the pictures,” he said. “It’s kind of like the new Starbucks.”
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1262150
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Rowes Wharf Sea Grille review
DINING OUT
Where seafood and the sea meet
By Devra First, Globe Staff | June 16, 2010
‘Where should I go for the best seafood with a water view?’’
That’s the question that appears most frequently in my e-mail inbox. Not just any seafood — the best. And not just anywhere. On the water. The assumption is clear, and logical. Given Boston’s location and reputation, why wouldn’t we have multiple great seafood restaurants on the water?
We don’t.
The city has great seafood, featured mainly at restaurants that aren’t seafood-themed. But when it comes to great seafood restaurants, we come up surprisingly, shockingly short. And although we have water aplenty, forget a great seafood restaurant with a view of it — you can see waves or eat well, but rarely both at once.
When Rowes Wharf Sea Grille arrived on the scene last year to general acclaim, it seemed a possible end to this state of affairs. Located at the Boston Harbor Hotel, it offers an unbeatable eyeful of harbor and a menu from chef Daniel Bruce. With its lovely patio recently reopened for the season, it’s time to take another look.
Before it was the Sea Grille, this space was called the Intrigue Cafe. With Bruce’s dishes, it posthumously lives up to that billing. The restaurant offers cod-filled corn empanadas with lemon-caper tartar sauce; roasted Maine lobster with corn pudding; caramelized jumbo sea scallops with black quinoa and red kuri squash sauce. . . . This is far from seafood in the rough. The dishes promise polish. Sometimes they deliver. Too often, sides are boring and bland; fish is overcooked.
Anything raw here is wonderful — the seafood is high quality, and these presentations showcase that to the utmost. There is an ever-changing selection of oysters, from Island Creek to Malpeque to the lovely Kusshi, from British Columbia and not yet frequently spotted in these parts. Briny and sparklingly fresh, they are served with saffron mignonette and Meyer lemon cocktail sauce. The condiments are very good, but the saffron and Meyer lemon offer more in terms of menu atmospherics than taste. Still, evocative menu description serves its purpose. It’s gustatory foreplay.
Slices of hamachi are served raw on a long plate, touched with a drizzle of miso and lime, accented by a tiny pouf of salad. The crudo is cooling and refreshing; eating it induces serenity and satisfaction.
Then you’re ready for a party. The menu offers a short list of fun finger food for sharing. Empanadas are miniaturized, the golden corncakes filled with cod, a New England twist. The dough is just right, a little crispy, a little soft. The salty empanadas pair well with lemon tartar sauce for dipping.
Long spring rolls are generously filled with lobster. Frying sometimes overwhelms the sweet taste of the crustacean, but not here. An accompanying ponzu mirin sauce has an artificial flavor to it, as if it’s made with bottled citrus juice, but that doesn’t squelch the pleasure of eating this dim sum riff.
It stands to reason that a majority of Sea Grille guests will order the traditional New England clam chowder. (This outfit is mercifully too classy to call it “chowdah.’’) If they aren’t familiar with the dish, this version might give them the wrong idea. The night we try it, it’s curdled. It has a nice flavor, and if this alchemy took place in a pot in your own kitchen, you might shrug and serve it anyway. But a bowl that looks like this shouldn’t exit a restaurant kitchen. Insult to injury: The clams are intensely chewy.
An appetizer of mussels in a pilsner-based broth doesn’t increase one’s confidence. They are freakishly large, dried out and mealy rather than plump and juicy. We each eat exactly one; no one wants seconds. One diner describes them as “ghoulish.’’
So thank goodness for another starter, soft-shell crabs, which are dredged in cornmeal and fried, juicy and meaty and delicious. They’re served with a mix of corn, black beans, red peppers, and scallions that might be better left till corn is in season, sweet and tender. This composition is called a “salsa,’’ but it’s more like a vegetable medley -- something you’d be served at a college cafeteria. Where is the olive oil, the lime juice, the spices, the salt?
At a seafood restaurant, a dish called “simply grilled daily catch’’ should be a slam dunk. One evening, Acadian redfish is the star of the show. It’s a nice piece of fish, but it lacks that great charred taste that is the raison d’etre of fish on the grill. It comes with steamed squash, zucchini, and carrots, as plain as paste. It should be called the dieter’s special.
Grilled Nova Scotia salmon fares better. Although it’s also light on grilled flavor, the fish is moist and comes with slightly more interesting sides: black rice, snap peas, and a wine-dark butter sauce made with pinot noir.
Sea scallops cooked till they’re golden and caramelized are excellent, but they come with watery, bland quinoa; a red kuri squash sauce tastes nothing like squash. Lobster is paired with an eggy, sweet corn pudding. The roasted tail meat is tough, the succulent claw meat much better.
In dishes of halibut and swordfish, the fish is also overcooked. Halibut comes with a too-heavy, creamy risotto. Swordfish would be a nice dish with juicier fish: It’s served with jasmine rice and a fragrant curry coconut sauce.
Just as steakhouses often prepare excellent fish, this seafood restaurant does very well by meat. Last on the list of appetizers is shaved pork with Korean red pepper sauce. What’s that doing here? Thin-shaved meat is served with fried rice, dosed with hoisin and sriracha-esque hot sauce. It’s greasy and spicy and highly tasty — just what you’d want at 3 a.m. after a few beers, only served in a blue-lit room decorated with paintings and models of boats. Lamb chops, too, are very good — pink in the middle, and stacked dramatically.
Desserts are ornate constructions — for example, the raspberry panna cotta pyramid, which looks positively Masonic. It has clear fruit flavor but too much gelatin. A pairing of caramel custard and chocolate-espresso pot de creme is pudding for grown-ups, accompanied by a butterfly-shaped cookie perched on a puff of cream.
Bruce is a cofounder of the Boston Wine Festival, and at sister restaurant Meritage he focuses on pairing food and wine. It’s no surprise that Rowes Wharf Sea Grille’s selections serve seafood well, at a range of price points. Familiar with the list, waiters are ever ready to offer bottle or glass recommendations.
For if the dishes aren’t always polished, the service is. The staff is solicitous, enthusiastic, and just formal enough. They have the answer to just about any question you might pose, and if they don’t, they’ll find it with good humor — no matter how piddling or random it may be. (On one occasion, we encounter a condescending fellow who appears to be steering us toward the more expensive dishes and bottles, but he is the exception.)
Ultimately, though, Sea Grille’s best offering is that patio. There you can take in the water view in the breeze, sipping a cold glass of something spritzy and slurping down oysters. On a warm evening, people promenade to and from events, dressed in summer finery. The hotel’s summer series adds outdoor movies and live music to the picture.
Boston is still waiting for that perfect seafood restaurant with a water view. Rowes Wharf Sea Grille’s food is hit or miss, but the place still has its charms.
Devra First can be reached at dfirst@globe.com.
© Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company
Where seafood and the sea meet
By Devra First, Globe Staff | June 16, 2010
‘Where should I go for the best seafood with a water view?’’
That’s the question that appears most frequently in my e-mail inbox. Not just any seafood — the best. And not just anywhere. On the water. The assumption is clear, and logical. Given Boston’s location and reputation, why wouldn’t we have multiple great seafood restaurants on the water?
We don’t.
The city has great seafood, featured mainly at restaurants that aren’t seafood-themed. But when it comes to great seafood restaurants, we come up surprisingly, shockingly short. And although we have water aplenty, forget a great seafood restaurant with a view of it — you can see waves or eat well, but rarely both at once.
When Rowes Wharf Sea Grille arrived on the scene last year to general acclaim, it seemed a possible end to this state of affairs. Located at the Boston Harbor Hotel, it offers an unbeatable eyeful of harbor and a menu from chef Daniel Bruce. With its lovely patio recently reopened for the season, it’s time to take another look.
Before it was the Sea Grille, this space was called the Intrigue Cafe. With Bruce’s dishes, it posthumously lives up to that billing. The restaurant offers cod-filled corn empanadas with lemon-caper tartar sauce; roasted Maine lobster with corn pudding; caramelized jumbo sea scallops with black quinoa and red kuri squash sauce. . . . This is far from seafood in the rough. The dishes promise polish. Sometimes they deliver. Too often, sides are boring and bland; fish is overcooked.
Anything raw here is wonderful — the seafood is high quality, and these presentations showcase that to the utmost. There is an ever-changing selection of oysters, from Island Creek to Malpeque to the lovely Kusshi, from British Columbia and not yet frequently spotted in these parts. Briny and sparklingly fresh, they are served with saffron mignonette and Meyer lemon cocktail sauce. The condiments are very good, but the saffron and Meyer lemon offer more in terms of menu atmospherics than taste. Still, evocative menu description serves its purpose. It’s gustatory foreplay.
Slices of hamachi are served raw on a long plate, touched with a drizzle of miso and lime, accented by a tiny pouf of salad. The crudo is cooling and refreshing; eating it induces serenity and satisfaction.
Then you’re ready for a party. The menu offers a short list of fun finger food for sharing. Empanadas are miniaturized, the golden corncakes filled with cod, a New England twist. The dough is just right, a little crispy, a little soft. The salty empanadas pair well with lemon tartar sauce for dipping.
Long spring rolls are generously filled with lobster. Frying sometimes overwhelms the sweet taste of the crustacean, but not here. An accompanying ponzu mirin sauce has an artificial flavor to it, as if it’s made with bottled citrus juice, but that doesn’t squelch the pleasure of eating this dim sum riff.
It stands to reason that a majority of Sea Grille guests will order the traditional New England clam chowder. (This outfit is mercifully too classy to call it “chowdah.’’) If they aren’t familiar with the dish, this version might give them the wrong idea. The night we try it, it’s curdled. It has a nice flavor, and if this alchemy took place in a pot in your own kitchen, you might shrug and serve it anyway. But a bowl that looks like this shouldn’t exit a restaurant kitchen. Insult to injury: The clams are intensely chewy.
An appetizer of mussels in a pilsner-based broth doesn’t increase one’s confidence. They are freakishly large, dried out and mealy rather than plump and juicy. We each eat exactly one; no one wants seconds. One diner describes them as “ghoulish.’’
So thank goodness for another starter, soft-shell crabs, which are dredged in cornmeal and fried, juicy and meaty and delicious. They’re served with a mix of corn, black beans, red peppers, and scallions that might be better left till corn is in season, sweet and tender. This composition is called a “salsa,’’ but it’s more like a vegetable medley -- something you’d be served at a college cafeteria. Where is the olive oil, the lime juice, the spices, the salt?
At a seafood restaurant, a dish called “simply grilled daily catch’’ should be a slam dunk. One evening, Acadian redfish is the star of the show. It’s a nice piece of fish, but it lacks that great charred taste that is the raison d’etre of fish on the grill. It comes with steamed squash, zucchini, and carrots, as plain as paste. It should be called the dieter’s special.
Grilled Nova Scotia salmon fares better. Although it’s also light on grilled flavor, the fish is moist and comes with slightly more interesting sides: black rice, snap peas, and a wine-dark butter sauce made with pinot noir.
Sea scallops cooked till they’re golden and caramelized are excellent, but they come with watery, bland quinoa; a red kuri squash sauce tastes nothing like squash. Lobster is paired with an eggy, sweet corn pudding. The roasted tail meat is tough, the succulent claw meat much better.
In dishes of halibut and swordfish, the fish is also overcooked. Halibut comes with a too-heavy, creamy risotto. Swordfish would be a nice dish with juicier fish: It’s served with jasmine rice and a fragrant curry coconut sauce.
Just as steakhouses often prepare excellent fish, this seafood restaurant does very well by meat. Last on the list of appetizers is shaved pork with Korean red pepper sauce. What’s that doing here? Thin-shaved meat is served with fried rice, dosed with hoisin and sriracha-esque hot sauce. It’s greasy and spicy and highly tasty — just what you’d want at 3 a.m. after a few beers, only served in a blue-lit room decorated with paintings and models of boats. Lamb chops, too, are very good — pink in the middle, and stacked dramatically.
Desserts are ornate constructions — for example, the raspberry panna cotta pyramid, which looks positively Masonic. It has clear fruit flavor but too much gelatin. A pairing of caramel custard and chocolate-espresso pot de creme is pudding for grown-ups, accompanied by a butterfly-shaped cookie perched on a puff of cream.
Bruce is a cofounder of the Boston Wine Festival, and at sister restaurant Meritage he focuses on pairing food and wine. It’s no surprise that Rowes Wharf Sea Grille’s selections serve seafood well, at a range of price points. Familiar with the list, waiters are ever ready to offer bottle or glass recommendations.
For if the dishes aren’t always polished, the service is. The staff is solicitous, enthusiastic, and just formal enough. They have the answer to just about any question you might pose, and if they don’t, they’ll find it with good humor — no matter how piddling or random it may be. (On one occasion, we encounter a condescending fellow who appears to be steering us toward the more expensive dishes and bottles, but he is the exception.)
Ultimately, though, Sea Grille’s best offering is that patio. There you can take in the water view in the breeze, sipping a cold glass of something spritzy and slurping down oysters. On a warm evening, people promenade to and from events, dressed in summer finery. The hotel’s summer series adds outdoor movies and live music to the picture.
Boston is still waiting for that perfect seafood restaurant with a water view. Rowes Wharf Sea Grille’s food is hit or miss, but the place still has its charms.
Devra First can be reached at dfirst@globe.com.
© Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company
Tossed to possibly get 2nd location in Bosotn
Boston Restaurant Talk
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Tossed May Be Opening a Second Location in Boston or Cambridge
A small chain of quick-casual dining spots that focuses on made-to-order salads may be opening another location in the Boston area.
According to an article in the Wicked Local blog, the person who owns the Tossed franchise at the Prudential Center in the Back Bay is looking to open a second spot, perhaps in Boston's Financial District or somewhere in Cambridge. The article mentions that the plan may be for a smaller space than the current one, possibly being a kiosk.
In addition to salads, Tossed, also offers customers soups, crepe wraps, sandwiches, melts, smoothies, and cookies. The chain opened their first location in New York City in the late 1990s, eventually expanding to several states around the country, including Arizona, Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas. The location at the Prudential Center is currently the only one in New England.
For more information about the possible opening of a second Tossed in the Boston area, please go to the Wicked Local link below.
Tossed franchisee looking to open a new salad shop in Boston area
posted by Marc at 12:22 PM
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Tossed May Be Opening a Second Location in Boston or Cambridge
A small chain of quick-casual dining spots that focuses on made-to-order salads may be opening another location in the Boston area.
According to an article in the Wicked Local blog, the person who owns the Tossed franchise at the Prudential Center in the Back Bay is looking to open a second spot, perhaps in Boston's Financial District or somewhere in Cambridge. The article mentions that the plan may be for a smaller space than the current one, possibly being a kiosk.
In addition to salads, Tossed, also offers customers soups, crepe wraps, sandwiches, melts, smoothies, and cookies. The chain opened their first location in New York City in the late 1990s, eventually expanding to several states around the country, including Arizona, Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas. The location at the Prudential Center is currently the only one in New England.
For more information about the possible opening of a second Tossed in the Boston area, please go to the Wicked Local link below.
Tossed franchisee looking to open a new salad shop in Boston area
posted by Marc at 12:22 PM
Boston-Rome Flight makes emergency return to Boston
Fire grounds Rome-bound at Logan
By Herald Staff | Wednesday, June 16, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Local Coverage
A flaming jet engine forced a Boston-to-Rome flight with 258 people aboard to make an emergency landing at Logan International Airport.
Shortly after the Alitalia Airbus 330 flight took off at 5:54 p.m., “someone spotted flames” bursting from one of the engines, said Phil Orlandella, a Massport spokesman.
The pilot turned the engine off and turned the plane around, Orlandella said. The passengers were evacuated on the tarmac and Massport emergency crews extinguished the fire. There were no injuries, Orlandella said.
He said Logan officials don’t believe the plane was struck by a bird but he could not say what caused the fire. Federal Aviation Administration officials could not be immediately reached.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1261907
By Herald Staff | Wednesday, June 16, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Local Coverage
A flaming jet engine forced a Boston-to-Rome flight with 258 people aboard to make an emergency landing at Logan International Airport.
Shortly after the Alitalia Airbus 330 flight took off at 5:54 p.m., “someone spotted flames” bursting from one of the engines, said Phil Orlandella, a Massport spokesman.
The pilot turned the engine off and turned the plane around, Orlandella said. The passengers were evacuated on the tarmac and Massport emergency crews extinguished the fire. There were no injuries, Orlandella said.
He said Logan officials don’t believe the plane was struck by a bird but he could not say what caused the fire. Federal Aviation Administration officials could not be immediately reached.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1261907
Spanish Tall Ship visits Boston
Bienvenido! Spanish Tall Ship in Boston
By Renee Nadeau Algarin | Wednesday, June 16, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Local Coverage
Say “hola” to the only Tall Ship scheduled to visit Boston this summer.
The Juan Sebastian De Elcano, the four-mast training ship for the Spanish Navy, arrived in Boston yesterday morning for a six-day port visit. It will be docked at Seaport World Trade Center.
The 370-foot beauty is the third largest tall ship in the world. The schooner launched in 1927, making it one of the world’s oldest Tall Ships. It’s last port visit in Boston was in 2006.
The ship will be open to the public from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. today and from 10 a.m. 1 p.m. tomorrow. Saturday and Sunday, visitors are allowed on board from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 2 pm. to 6:30 p.m., and again from 10 a.m to 1 p.m. Monday.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1261885
By Renee Nadeau Algarin | Wednesday, June 16, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Local Coverage
Say “hola” to the only Tall Ship scheduled to visit Boston this summer.
The Juan Sebastian De Elcano, the four-mast training ship for the Spanish Navy, arrived in Boston yesterday morning for a six-day port visit. It will be docked at Seaport World Trade Center.
The 370-foot beauty is the third largest tall ship in the world. The schooner launched in 1927, making it one of the world’s oldest Tall Ships. It’s last port visit in Boston was in 2006.
The ship will be open to the public from 3:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. today and from 10 a.m. 1 p.m. tomorrow. Saturday and Sunday, visitors are allowed on board from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 2 pm. to 6:30 p.m., and again from 10 a.m to 1 p.m. Monday.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1261885
Hurricane O'Reilly's may be cited after assaults and underage drinking
Universal Hub
Police: Canal Street bar becoming a major nuisance
By adamg - 6/15/10 - 1:00 pm
The Boston Licensing Bar decides Thursday what to do about alleged incidents at Hurricane O'Reilly's, 150 Canal St., one involving a man who says he was held by a bouncer while other patrons punched and bit him, the other involving three teenagers who got soused using older friends' licenses.
"It's becoming a troubled premise," Boston Police Sgt. John Devaney told the licensing board. "We're down there every weekend ... Young kids, fights, disorder."
Jack Brewer of Norwood told the board that he was "having a good time" dancing at the bar the night of March 13 - along with all the other drunken people celebrating St. Patrick's Day. He said he was leaving the dance floor when his left arm was grabbed by a bouncer - who proceeded to hold him while other people bit him in the shoulder and punched him. He was taken to Mass. General, where, he said, he had to get stitches and a tetanus shot. He said he also had to undergop physical therapy for 16 weeks to regain the full use of his arm.
Club officials, however, said Brewer was involved in only a very brief scuffle on the dance floor and that both he and a group of five or six people from East Boston were escorted out before things could get out of hand.
In a separate incident on May 16, Det. Kevin McGill said, he and Devaney were doing inspections of bars in the North Statino area when they heard yelling and saw what appeared to be a Hurricane O'Reilly's bouncer standing over some guy lying on the ground.
The guy on the ground got up and began walking toward the Haymarket T stop. McGill said he caught up with the guy and two female acquaintances and eventually learned all three were underage. The guy, bleeding from a cut over one eye, was 18 and using the license of somebody nine years older and several inches taller, he told the board, adding he didn't even look 18, let alone 27.
At that point, police asked bar workers to clear the premises and shut down for the night in case there were any other underage drinkers inside, McGill said.
Bar managers acknowledged they should not have let the trio in and that they fired the bouncer who held the kid to the ground, even though they said the kid probably deserved the treatment. "The kid was a punk on the ground saying he was going to go back in and take care of business," one manager said. "He was an idiot."
Board member Michael Connolly, noting the bar's owners own seven other bars in Boston, said the incident should never have happened, given their collective expertise. Managers said they have since done staff retraining.
Police: Canal Street bar becoming a major nuisance
By adamg - 6/15/10 - 1:00 pm
The Boston Licensing Bar decides Thursday what to do about alleged incidents at Hurricane O'Reilly's, 150 Canal St., one involving a man who says he was held by a bouncer while other patrons punched and bit him, the other involving three teenagers who got soused using older friends' licenses.
"It's becoming a troubled premise," Boston Police Sgt. John Devaney told the licensing board. "We're down there every weekend ... Young kids, fights, disorder."
Jack Brewer of Norwood told the board that he was "having a good time" dancing at the bar the night of March 13 - along with all the other drunken people celebrating St. Patrick's Day. He said he was leaving the dance floor when his left arm was grabbed by a bouncer - who proceeded to hold him while other people bit him in the shoulder and punched him. He was taken to Mass. General, where, he said, he had to get stitches and a tetanus shot. He said he also had to undergop physical therapy for 16 weeks to regain the full use of his arm.
Club officials, however, said Brewer was involved in only a very brief scuffle on the dance floor and that both he and a group of five or six people from East Boston were escorted out before things could get out of hand.
In a separate incident on May 16, Det. Kevin McGill said, he and Devaney were doing inspections of bars in the North Statino area when they heard yelling and saw what appeared to be a Hurricane O'Reilly's bouncer standing over some guy lying on the ground.
The guy on the ground got up and began walking toward the Haymarket T stop. McGill said he caught up with the guy and two female acquaintances and eventually learned all three were underage. The guy, bleeding from a cut over one eye, was 18 and using the license of somebody nine years older and several inches taller, he told the board, adding he didn't even look 18, let alone 27.
At that point, police asked bar workers to clear the premises and shut down for the night in case there were any other underage drinkers inside, McGill said.
Bar managers acknowledged they should not have let the trio in and that they fired the bouncer who held the kid to the ground, even though they said the kid probably deserved the treatment. "The kid was a punk on the ground saying he was going to go back in and take care of business," one manager said. "He was an idiot."
Board member Michael Connolly, noting the bar's owners own seven other bars in Boston, said the incident should never have happened, given their collective expertise. Managers said they have since done staff retraining.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
NBA finals brings big economic impact to Boston
Celtics bring in the green during Finals
By Donna Goodison | Tuesday, June 15, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Business & Markets
The Celtics [team stats] picked up two wins in their NBA Finals homestand, but all three games were victories for Boston bars, eateries and hotels.
Games 3 through 5 at TD Garden brought in an estimated $12 million for Hub businesses, according to the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau. The $4 million per game excludes money doled out for tickets.
“It’s a big score for Boston,” said Pat Moscaritolo, the bureau’s CEO.
On Portland Street, McGann’s Pub saw a fivefold increase in receipts during the home games vs. a typical June night when the Garden is dark.
“When a game is going on, we have a full bar and a full (seating area) as opposed to when it’s very quiet this time of year down at North Station,” general manager Declan Mehigan said. “There were crowds for the away games, too.”
The 424-room InterContinental Boston was 100 percent occupied all three nights that the Celtics and Lakers were in town. The waterfront hotel also saw boosts at its restaurants and bars.
“People were coming in after the games and they were celebrating,” spokeswoman Stephanie Loeber said. “We had a lot of the broadcasters in, too, so it was fun to have that energy there.”
With the three home games spread over six nights, Nebo, an Italian restaurant near the Garden, was busy throughout the week, according to co-owner Carla Pallotta.
Nebo’s late-night business between 11 p.m. and 2 a.m. also was hopping, with guests including C’s point guard Rajon Rondo [stats] and his family, who closed the place after Thursday’s win.
“It’s been wonderful,” Pallotta said. “People in general were coming down to the Garden, going to the pro shop and walking around the area. It really turned into a whole week of increased business, not just a couple of days.”
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1261662
By Donna Goodison | Tuesday, June 15, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Business & Markets
The Celtics [team stats] picked up two wins in their NBA Finals homestand, but all three games were victories for Boston bars, eateries and hotels.
Games 3 through 5 at TD Garden brought in an estimated $12 million for Hub businesses, according to the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau. The $4 million per game excludes money doled out for tickets.
“It’s a big score for Boston,” said Pat Moscaritolo, the bureau’s CEO.
On Portland Street, McGann’s Pub saw a fivefold increase in receipts during the home games vs. a typical June night when the Garden is dark.
“When a game is going on, we have a full bar and a full (seating area) as opposed to when it’s very quiet this time of year down at North Station,” general manager Declan Mehigan said. “There were crowds for the away games, too.”
The 424-room InterContinental Boston was 100 percent occupied all three nights that the Celtics and Lakers were in town. The waterfront hotel also saw boosts at its restaurants and bars.
“People were coming in after the games and they were celebrating,” spokeswoman Stephanie Loeber said. “We had a lot of the broadcasters in, too, so it was fun to have that energy there.”
With the three home games spread over six nights, Nebo, an Italian restaurant near the Garden, was busy throughout the week, according to co-owner Carla Pallotta.
Nebo’s late-night business between 11 p.m. and 2 a.m. also was hopping, with guests including C’s point guard Rajon Rondo [stats] and his family, who closed the place after Thursday’s win.
“It’s been wonderful,” Pallotta said. “People in general were coming down to the Garden, going to the pro shop and walking around the area. It really turned into a whole week of increased business, not just a couple of days.”
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1261662
Monday, June 14, 2010
Levine to miss Tanglewood this summer
Levine withdraws from Tanglewood
Posted by Geoff Edgers June 14, 2010 12:07 PM
James Levine, the Boston Symphony Orchestra's oft-injured music director, will not appear at Tanglewood this summer as he works to recover from back surgery. The news, not altogether a surprise, comes with an all-star cast of replacement conductors, including Michael Tilson Thomas (July 9, 16, and 17), Christoph von Dohanyi (August 1 and 2) and Hans Graf (July 25).
In a statement, Levine said: "It is with great personal disappointment that I must withdraw from the upcoming Tanglewood season, and my work with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Tanglewood Music Center. My doctors have told me I have made great progress - even beyond their expectations - but have advised me to err on the side of caution and take the summer off to recuperate more fully from the two back surgeries of this past year.
Posted by Geoff Edgers June 14, 2010 12:07 PM
James Levine, the Boston Symphony Orchestra's oft-injured music director, will not appear at Tanglewood this summer as he works to recover from back surgery. The news, not altogether a surprise, comes with an all-star cast of replacement conductors, including Michael Tilson Thomas (July 9, 16, and 17), Christoph von Dohanyi (August 1 and 2) and Hans Graf (July 25).
In a statement, Levine said: "It is with great personal disappointment that I must withdraw from the upcoming Tanglewood season, and my work with the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Tanglewood Music Center. My doctors have told me I have made great progress - even beyond their expectations - but have advised me to err on the side of caution and take the summer off to recuperate more fully from the two back surgeries of this past year.
Back Bay Social Club to soon replace closed Vinny T's
Boston Restaurant Talk
Monday, June 14, 2010
Back Bay Social Club Opening Soon on Boylston Street
A new restaurant is getting ready to open in the Back Bay of Boston, and it looks like it will be a casual American bistro serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily.
According to both the Boston Herald and the Boston Globe, the Back Bay Social Club will be opening in the old Vinny T's spot on Boylston Street, which is between Fairfield and Gloucester Streets and across from the Prudential Center and the Hynes Convention Center. The Herald mentions that the restaurant will have a capacity of 200 and will be open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. A job posting on the Craigslist states that the Back Bay Social club will be open seven days a week.
Both the Herald and Globe articles (which are from earlier this spring) state that the Back Bay Social Club was to have opened in late May. There currently does not seem to be a specific opening date for the restaurant, but the post on Craigslist indicates that the place is hiring right now, so the Back Bay Social Club may indeed be opening soon (we will post an update as soon as we find more information).
The Lyons Group, which is behind the Summer Shack, La Verdad, House of Blues, Kings, and a number of other Boston-area spots, is also behind the opening of the Back Bay Social Club.
The address for this soon-to-open restaurant in the Back Bay of Boston is: Back Bay Social Club, 867 Boylston Street, Boston, MA, 02116.
For more information on the opening of the Back Bay Social Club, please go to the Herald and Globe links below.
[Boston Herald]
Hub's 33 Restaurant closed: Also, Lyons mum on Back Bay Social Club
[Boston Globe]
Veteran restaurateurs will soon serve up a fresh attraction at the Hynes
posted by Marc at 9:34 AM
Monday, June 14, 2010
Back Bay Social Club Opening Soon on Boylston Street
A new restaurant is getting ready to open in the Back Bay of Boston, and it looks like it will be a casual American bistro serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily.
According to both the Boston Herald and the Boston Globe, the Back Bay Social Club will be opening in the old Vinny T's spot on Boylston Street, which is between Fairfield and Gloucester Streets and across from the Prudential Center and the Hynes Convention Center. The Herald mentions that the restaurant will have a capacity of 200 and will be open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. A job posting on the Craigslist states that the Back Bay Social club will be open seven days a week.
Both the Herald and Globe articles (which are from earlier this spring) state that the Back Bay Social Club was to have opened in late May. There currently does not seem to be a specific opening date for the restaurant, but the post on Craigslist indicates that the place is hiring right now, so the Back Bay Social Club may indeed be opening soon (we will post an update as soon as we find more information).
The Lyons Group, which is behind the Summer Shack, La Verdad, House of Blues, Kings, and a number of other Boston-area spots, is also behind the opening of the Back Bay Social Club.
The address for this soon-to-open restaurant in the Back Bay of Boston is: Back Bay Social Club, 867 Boylston Street, Boston, MA, 02116.
For more information on the opening of the Back Bay Social Club, please go to the Herald and Globe links below.
[Boston Herald]
Hub's 33 Restaurant closed: Also, Lyons mum on Back Bay Social Club
[Boston Globe]
Veteran restaurateurs will soon serve up a fresh attraction at the Hynes
posted by Marc at 9:34 AM
Skipjack's Natick location closes
Boston Restaurant Talk
Monday, June 14, 2010
Skipjack's in Natick Closes; Future of Restaurant Unknown
A small local chain of seafood restaurants has closed one of its locations in the MetroWest region, and it is uncertain whether it will reopen.
According to a poster on the Chowhound site, Skipjack's in Natick shut its doors and apparently is in the process of moving items out of the restaurant. A call placed to the dining spot indicates that the Natick Skipjack's is closed "for renovations," but when we asked if this meant Skipjack's would be reopening at some point in the future, we were told that this was not necessarily the case.
Skipjack's, which first opened more than 20 years ago, currently has three locations in the Boston area, including the Back Bay, Newton, and Foxborough. Their menus feature a variety of seafood items, including arctic char, catfish, bluefish, mahi mahi, rainbow trout, lobster, crab, and scallops.
As soon as we find out more information on Skipjack's in Natick (including whether they will reopen or not), we will post an update here.
Here is the address for the restaurant: Skipjack's, 1400 Worcester Road (Route 9), Natick, MA, 01760.
posted by Marc at 12:21 PM |
Monday, June 14, 2010
Skipjack's in Natick Closes; Future of Restaurant Unknown
A small local chain of seafood restaurants has closed one of its locations in the MetroWest region, and it is uncertain whether it will reopen.
According to a poster on the Chowhound site, Skipjack's in Natick shut its doors and apparently is in the process of moving items out of the restaurant. A call placed to the dining spot indicates that the Natick Skipjack's is closed "for renovations," but when we asked if this meant Skipjack's would be reopening at some point in the future, we were told that this was not necessarily the case.
Skipjack's, which first opened more than 20 years ago, currently has three locations in the Boston area, including the Back Bay, Newton, and Foxborough. Their menus feature a variety of seafood items, including arctic char, catfish, bluefish, mahi mahi, rainbow trout, lobster, crab, and scallops.
As soon as we find out more information on Skipjack's in Natick (including whether they will reopen or not), we will post an update here.
Here is the address for the restaurant: Skipjack's, 1400 Worcester Road (Route 9), Natick, MA, 01760.
posted by Marc at 12:21 PM |
Boston Harbor Islands to offer free boat trips Monday
Lots new at Boston Harbor Islands
By Donna Goodison | Sunday, June 13, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Business & Markets
The Boston Harbor Islands have some new activities in store for visitors this summer.
The national parks area, which encompasses 34 islands and draws 135,000 visitors annually by public ferries and private boats, will host programs including free yoga and a concert by the Dorchester Symphony Orchestra. Tours of Boston Light, the nation’s oldest continuously operated lighthouse, also will return this year.
The Boston Harbor Island Alliance holds the year’s first day of free ferry rides to Spectacle and Georges islands tomorrow. The ticket kiosk at Boston’s Long Wharf opens at 8 a.m.; ferries leave every half hour from 9 am. to 6 p.m.
The alliance is a nonprofit group that promotes public awareness and use of the islands. In the last six years, it’s brought in $20 million in private-sector funding and managed or contracted $10 million in public funds to improve the infrastructure of the islands and make them more accessible, according to president Tom Powers.
“It’s a really beautiful, close natural area, and every year it gets a little better known,” he said. “The goal is to have it become a central part of the fabric of the city.”
The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation will sponsor free, one-hour gentle hatha yoga classes, suitable for all ages and abilities, on five Saturday mornings beginning June 26 on Spectacle Island.
The closest of the harbor islands, Spectacle also will host an expanded lineup of three-hour Saturday rock music concerts by Berklee College of Music bands beginning June 19.
A new public art work that serves as a shade shelter was finished last week on the far side of Spectacle.
“One of the issues on Spectacle is shade,” Powers said. “It’s bright, open and sunny, which is beautiful except when it’s really hot.”
Paid three-hour tours of Boston Light resume June 19 from the Moakley Courthouse after a year’s absence. Maintenance work on the Fresnel lens is completed, so visitors can walk to the top of the lighthouse, the last in the country to still be manned by a U.S. Coast Guard light keeper.
A free concert by the Dorchester Symphony Orchestra will be featured on Georges Island on July 10.
A new children’s play area also is under construction on Georges Island - home to the Civil War-era Fort Warren - as part of a new visitors center that’s opening in a few weeks along with a cafe operated by chef Jasper White.
“Kids can absorb the same type of information about the fort they would get in the visitors center, without reading all the panels,” Powers said.
A groundbreaking also was held two weeks ago for a $6 million visitors’ center on the Rose Kennedy Greenway that will give the Boston Harbor Island Alliance a land-side presence to generate awareness of the islands.
Scheduled for completion in January at Long Wharf, the Boston Harbor Islands Pavilion will include a small retail outlet selling ferry tickets and souvenirs and 2,000-square-foot granite map of the islands.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1261224
By Donna Goodison | Sunday, June 13, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Business & Markets
The Boston Harbor Islands have some new activities in store for visitors this summer.
The national parks area, which encompasses 34 islands and draws 135,000 visitors annually by public ferries and private boats, will host programs including free yoga and a concert by the Dorchester Symphony Orchestra. Tours of Boston Light, the nation’s oldest continuously operated lighthouse, also will return this year.
The Boston Harbor Island Alliance holds the year’s first day of free ferry rides to Spectacle and Georges islands tomorrow. The ticket kiosk at Boston’s Long Wharf opens at 8 a.m.; ferries leave every half hour from 9 am. to 6 p.m.
The alliance is a nonprofit group that promotes public awareness and use of the islands. In the last six years, it’s brought in $20 million in private-sector funding and managed or contracted $10 million in public funds to improve the infrastructure of the islands and make them more accessible, according to president Tom Powers.
“It’s a really beautiful, close natural area, and every year it gets a little better known,” he said. “The goal is to have it become a central part of the fabric of the city.”
The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation will sponsor free, one-hour gentle hatha yoga classes, suitable for all ages and abilities, on five Saturday mornings beginning June 26 on Spectacle Island.
The closest of the harbor islands, Spectacle also will host an expanded lineup of three-hour Saturday rock music concerts by Berklee College of Music bands beginning June 19.
A new public art work that serves as a shade shelter was finished last week on the far side of Spectacle.
“One of the issues on Spectacle is shade,” Powers said. “It’s bright, open and sunny, which is beautiful except when it’s really hot.”
Paid three-hour tours of Boston Light resume June 19 from the Moakley Courthouse after a year’s absence. Maintenance work on the Fresnel lens is completed, so visitors can walk to the top of the lighthouse, the last in the country to still be manned by a U.S. Coast Guard light keeper.
A free concert by the Dorchester Symphony Orchestra will be featured on Georges Island on July 10.
A new children’s play area also is under construction on Georges Island - home to the Civil War-era Fort Warren - as part of a new visitors center that’s opening in a few weeks along with a cafe operated by chef Jasper White.
“Kids can absorb the same type of information about the fort they would get in the visitors center, without reading all the panels,” Powers said.
A groundbreaking also was held two weeks ago for a $6 million visitors’ center on the Rose Kennedy Greenway that will give the Boston Harbor Island Alliance a land-side presence to generate awareness of the islands.
Scheduled for completion in January at Long Wharf, the Boston Harbor Islands Pavilion will include a small retail outlet selling ferry tickets and souvenirs and 2,000-square-foot granite map of the islands.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1261224
Man arrested at Back Bay Hilton for selling fake Celtics tickets
Universal Hub
Police: Victim helps nab guy selling counterfeit NBA finals tickets at Back Bay Hilton
By adamg - 6/13/10 - 10:40 am
Boston Police report arresting a California man on charges he was selling counterfeit NBA finals tickets.
Edward S. Lopez, 42, of Whittier, CA, was arrested around 8:30 p.m. yesterday at the Back Bay Hilton in a sting set up with the help of a somebody who realized the $1,400 worth of tickets she had earlier bought from him via a Craigslist ad were fake:
Officers then took the tickets to the TD Garden and through conversation with a Boston Celtic employee confirmed that the tickets were indeed counterfeit. Based on that information, detectives then had the victim re-contact the suspect for more tickets. Contact was reinitiated with the suspect who agreed to meet with the victim at 40 Dalton Street. The suspect showed up and was positively identified by the victim as the person who had sold her the counterfeit tickets. The suspect again produced three more tickets to sell at which time detectives approached the suspect.
Lopez was charged with fraud - larceny by scheme. He's scheduled for arraignment on Monday in Boston Municipal Court.
Police: Victim helps nab guy selling counterfeit NBA finals tickets at Back Bay Hilton
By adamg - 6/13/10 - 10:40 am
Boston Police report arresting a California man on charges he was selling counterfeit NBA finals tickets.
Edward S. Lopez, 42, of Whittier, CA, was arrested around 8:30 p.m. yesterday at the Back Bay Hilton in a sting set up with the help of a somebody who realized the $1,400 worth of tickets she had earlier bought from him via a Craigslist ad were fake:
Officers then took the tickets to the TD Garden and through conversation with a Boston Celtic employee confirmed that the tickets were indeed counterfeit. Based on that information, detectives then had the victim re-contact the suspect for more tickets. Contact was reinitiated with the suspect who agreed to meet with the victim at 40 Dalton Street. The suspect showed up and was positively identified by the victim as the person who had sold her the counterfeit tickets. The suspect again produced three more tickets to sell at which time detectives approached the suspect.
Lopez was charged with fraud - larceny by scheme. He's scheduled for arraignment on Monday in Boston Municipal Court.
New dueling piano bar to open in Boston
Friday, June 11, 2010
Howl at the Moon Opening in Boston This Summer
It looks like a small national chain of dueling piano bars is going to open a new location in downtown Boston this summer.
According to their website and Facebook page, Howl at the Moon is opening on High Street in the Financial District of the city, in what appears to be the space formerly occupied by the now-closed restaurant and bar The International. Howl at the Moon is a nightclub that focuses on two players on baby grand pianos along with others on guitars, drums, horns and fiddles, with the music coming from a variety of eras. Audience participation is encouraged at the nightclub, including song requests, which are given particular attention. Some food is served at the Howl at the Moon clubs, but the focus seems to be more on drinks, including 86-ounce buckets of alcohol and oversized jello injectors given out by servers wearing nurse, cowboy, and cheerleader outfits, to name a few.
Currently, the closest Howl at the Moon locations to Boston are in Baltimore and Cleveland. When it opens, the Boston location will be the bar's 15th spot.
The address for this soon-to-open piano bar in the Financial District will be: Howl at the Moon, 184 High Street, Boston, MA, 02110. The website for the chain is: http://www.howlatthemoon.com/
posted by Marc at 11:25 AM | 0 comments links to this post
Howl at the Moon Opening in Boston This Summer
It looks like a small national chain of dueling piano bars is going to open a new location in downtown Boston this summer.
According to their website and Facebook page, Howl at the Moon is opening on High Street in the Financial District of the city, in what appears to be the space formerly occupied by the now-closed restaurant and bar The International. Howl at the Moon is a nightclub that focuses on two players on baby grand pianos along with others on guitars, drums, horns and fiddles, with the music coming from a variety of eras. Audience participation is encouraged at the nightclub, including song requests, which are given particular attention. Some food is served at the Howl at the Moon clubs, but the focus seems to be more on drinks, including 86-ounce buckets of alcohol and oversized jello injectors given out by servers wearing nurse, cowboy, and cheerleader outfits, to name a few.
Currently, the closest Howl at the Moon locations to Boston are in Baltimore and Cleveland. When it opens, the Boston location will be the bar's 15th spot.
The address for this soon-to-open piano bar in the Financial District will be: Howl at the Moon, 184 High Street, Boston, MA, 02110. The website for the chain is: http://www.howlatthemoon.com/
posted by Marc at 11:25 AM | 0 comments links to this post
Friday, June 11, 2010
Stork Club closing marred by assault on police officer
Stork Club shut over contract flap
Also, Restaurant Week to push local food items
By Donna Goodison / Turning the Tables | Friday, June 11, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Business & Markets
When employees of the Stork Club arrived for work last Friday, they were in for a rude awakening. The jazz lounge and restaurant on the edge of Boston’s South End was closed, they were told, just shy of its 10-month anniversary.
It was a short run for the Stork Club, but not so compared to its predecessor, Circle Plates and Lounge, which lasted only six weeks after taking the place of the popular Bob’s Southern Bistro.
Some details of the Stork Club’s closure were gleaned from a Boston Police report. An officer was on a paid detail there to ensure an orderly shutdown and wound up allegedly being assaulted.
Police attributed the closure to a breach of contract after a purchase and sale failed to go through between the Stork Club’s management and NCM Clanoderry, which ran Circle and still holds the space’s licenses. The shutdown began with Clanoderry changing the locks that morning.
Clanoderry is owned by Malcolm Aalders, who opened Circles in October 2008 and promptly closed it that December, saying the upscale French bistro was “just the wrong concept for this economy.”
Ziad Chamoun ran the Stork Club, meanwhile, and had planned to buy the business from Aalders. He declined comment yesterday, and Aalders couldn’t be reached.
One reason why the sale failed to happen could be the liquor license transfer. The Licensing Board approved the transfer from Aalders to Chamoun’s company in April, but the state Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission vetoed it because Clanoderry had failed to comply with state tax laws, according to the Division of Unemployment Assistance.
The Licensing Board will try to get to the bottom of the Stork Club happenings next week. After the detail cop was assaulted outside the restaurant, police seized its licenses and permits.
“There was some kind of dispute between the ownership, and it was brought to our attention by the police,” said Jean Lorizio, the board’s attorney. “The (liquor) license was delivered to our office, and we’re going to schedule a hearing for Tuesday and call them in and see what’s going on.”
The cop allegedly was injured by a Dorchester man identified by police as a Stork Club employee, although another source says he was an employee’s friend intending to apply for a job there. The Dot man allegedly tried to break into a car outside the restaurant, pushed the cop when he attempted an arrest and fled on foot. The cop blew out his knees in the chase.
Marc Deley, general manager of the Stork Club, said the restaurant’s closure was temporary. “There’s a few different changes in terms of ownership and management,” he said. “However, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Stork Club reopened there, or another similar place opened there, in a month or so.”
There’ll be a new rub to Boston’s 10th Summer Restaurant Week in August.
Participating eateries are being asked to include local food options on their lunch and dinner menus.
That would entail a minimum of two ingredients grown, raised or sourced in Massachusetts, such as produce, herbs, dairy products, meat and seafood. The ingredients and their sources will be identified on menus - “herbed goat cheese from Crystal Brook Farm in Sterling,” for example - with the “Massachusetts Grown” logo.
The event’s Web site will designate participating restaurants and their local food offerings when it goes live next month.
The Sustainable Business Network of Greater Boston will hold a free workshop next month for restaurants to learn more about sourcing local products and meet farm organizations and distributors.
Restaurants including Uni Sashimi Bar, the Oak Room, Turner Fisheries, East Coast Grill, Masa, Mooo and Via Matta already have made the pledge.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1260810
Also, Restaurant Week to push local food items
By Donna Goodison / Turning the Tables | Friday, June 11, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Business & Markets
When employees of the Stork Club arrived for work last Friday, they were in for a rude awakening. The jazz lounge and restaurant on the edge of Boston’s South End was closed, they were told, just shy of its 10-month anniversary.
It was a short run for the Stork Club, but not so compared to its predecessor, Circle Plates and Lounge, which lasted only six weeks after taking the place of the popular Bob’s Southern Bistro.
Some details of the Stork Club’s closure were gleaned from a Boston Police report. An officer was on a paid detail there to ensure an orderly shutdown and wound up allegedly being assaulted.
Police attributed the closure to a breach of contract after a purchase and sale failed to go through between the Stork Club’s management and NCM Clanoderry, which ran Circle and still holds the space’s licenses. The shutdown began with Clanoderry changing the locks that morning.
Clanoderry is owned by Malcolm Aalders, who opened Circles in October 2008 and promptly closed it that December, saying the upscale French bistro was “just the wrong concept for this economy.”
Ziad Chamoun ran the Stork Club, meanwhile, and had planned to buy the business from Aalders. He declined comment yesterday, and Aalders couldn’t be reached.
One reason why the sale failed to happen could be the liquor license transfer. The Licensing Board approved the transfer from Aalders to Chamoun’s company in April, but the state Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission vetoed it because Clanoderry had failed to comply with state tax laws, according to the Division of Unemployment Assistance.
The Licensing Board will try to get to the bottom of the Stork Club happenings next week. After the detail cop was assaulted outside the restaurant, police seized its licenses and permits.
“There was some kind of dispute between the ownership, and it was brought to our attention by the police,” said Jean Lorizio, the board’s attorney. “The (liquor) license was delivered to our office, and we’re going to schedule a hearing for Tuesday and call them in and see what’s going on.”
The cop allegedly was injured by a Dorchester man identified by police as a Stork Club employee, although another source says he was an employee’s friend intending to apply for a job there. The Dot man allegedly tried to break into a car outside the restaurant, pushed the cop when he attempted an arrest and fled on foot. The cop blew out his knees in the chase.
Marc Deley, general manager of the Stork Club, said the restaurant’s closure was temporary. “There’s a few different changes in terms of ownership and management,” he said. “However, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Stork Club reopened there, or another similar place opened there, in a month or so.”
There’ll be a new rub to Boston’s 10th Summer Restaurant Week in August.
Participating eateries are being asked to include local food options on their lunch and dinner menus.
That would entail a minimum of two ingredients grown, raised or sourced in Massachusetts, such as produce, herbs, dairy products, meat and seafood. The ingredients and their sources will be identified on menus - “herbed goat cheese from Crystal Brook Farm in Sterling,” for example - with the “Massachusetts Grown” logo.
The event’s Web site will designate participating restaurants and their local food offerings when it goes live next month.
The Sustainable Business Network of Greater Boston will hold a free workshop next month for restaurants to learn more about sourcing local products and meet farm organizations and distributors.
Restaurants including Uni Sashimi Bar, the Oak Room, Turner Fisheries, East Coast Grill, Masa, Mooo and Via Matta already have made the pledge.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1260810
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Boston Cruiseport seeing record numbers
High tide for Hub
Bucking a national trend, Boston’s port has seen record numbers of passengers in recent years
By Katie Johnston Chase, Globe Staff | June 6, 2010
When Thomas Gibbons’s girlfriend persuaded him to go on his first cruise five years ago, he wasn’t wild about the idea. The Lakeville construction worker preferred road trips on his motorcycle to being “cooped up’’ on a ship. But the cruises were more entertaining — and comfortable — than he thought, and he’s been on three since, including two to Bermuda out of Boston.
“It was so easy just to jump on the cruise ship there,’’ said the 48-year-old Gibbons, who was recently recognized by the Massachusetts Port Authority as the 1-millionth passenger to embark from the Black Falcon Cruise Terminal in Boston Harbor.
And he has more company than ever these days.
After several years of falling passenger numbers, Boston’s port posted record numbers of cruise passengers over the past three years, with 2010 shaping up to top the nearly 300,000 people who passed through the port last year. At the same time the midsize port has been growing, many other US cities have seen passenger traffic decline or stagnate.
In 2008, for example, departing passengers increased 21 percent from the prior year, compared with a total decline of 2.8 percent in North America.
And 2009 was another tough year for the cruise industry. While the number of passengers worldwide taking cruises continued to rise, ticket prices last year declined by about 12 percent. The Cruise Lines International Association expects that only a half-dozen US ports, including Boston, experienced significant growth in 2009.
For one, Boston has a large population base of “reasonably affluent people’’ who can depart on cruises from here, said Bob Sharak, the association’s executive vice president of marketing and distribution. It also has the kind of sightseeing, history, and dining attractions sought out by visiting cruise passengers — who make up 60 percent of the terminal’s traffic.
Boston is host to three cruise lines — Norwegian Cruise Line, Holland America Line, and Royal Caribbean International — that travel between here and Bermuda and Canada from late April through October, and also make a handful of trips to Europe and the Caribbean
Carolyn Spencer Brown, editor of the website CruiseCritic.com, attributes the continued rise in passengers to bigger and better ships. The perception used to be that “a cruise was all about being claustrophobic and confined and you have to sit with people at dinner that you don’t like,’’ she said. Now there are ships with dozens of restaurants and decks, not to mention surf parks, glass-blowing studios, and Broadway-style productions of “Hairspray.’’
Indeed, much of Boston’s growth is attributed to Norwegian Cruise Line’s decision to run increasingly bigger ships out of Boston starting in 2008. Between 1994 and 2007, the 1,400-passenger Norwegian Cruise Line ship that sailed from Boston to Bermuda didn’t even have cabins with balconies. Since then, Norwegian has upgraded its Boston vessel twice; it’s currently using the 2,000-passenger Spirit, with more balcony cabins and restaurants and an upgraded gym and spa, and is bringing in an even bigger ship next year that can host 2,200 passengers.
Norwegian’s Bermuda cruises attract mostly New Englanders; the Canada/New England cruises bring in the majority of their passengers from overseas or other parts of the country.
“I think part of the reason that Boston’s growing, and I think it still has some room to grow, is that traditionally cruise lines put some of the pokiest, oldest ships in Boston,’’ Spencer Brown said.
Thomas Gibbons’s girlfriend, Traci Cicerano, has taken in acrobats and bingo on the 10 cruises she has been on; now she wants to check out Norwegian’s new Epic cruise ship, which launches out of New York in July. The 4,100-passenger ship has a Cirque du Soleil-themed restaurant, the Blue Man Group, a climbing wall, and a lounge constructed entirely out of ice — tables, chairs, and bar included.
“They’re changing and adding things all the time just to get people back,’’ Cicerano said.
To keep the cruise business growing, Massport is spending $11 million to improve the Black Falcon terminal, namely creating a new check-in area on the third floor. Scheduled to be completed in August, the work will expand the facility by 40 percent, allowing it to accommodate even more passengers.
“We’re going to be able to handle more efficiently the larger vessels that are built every day,’’ said port director Mike Leone.
The cruise market is popular among New Englanders who aren’t crazy about flying and also among budget travelers, said Karen McCrink, a manager at Atlas Travel International in Milford. A family of four can book a weeklong Boston-to-Bermuda cruise through Atlas in mid-July for less than $2,800, including food.
Much of the trip payment doesn’t have to be made until about 60 days from departure — making it easier for vacationers to cancel without penalty.
“They have that opportunity to book far out and be able to see how things go,’’ McCrink said.
The Norwegian ships out of Boston are always full, chief executive Kevin Sheehan said, which is why the cruise line keeps expanding.
And Sheehan doesn’t expect to see his company’s steady growth slow down any time soon.
“It’s such an untapped market,’’ he said. “Less than 20 percent of people in the United States have cruised, and in Europe it’s even less — it’s 10 percent. It’s like the Wild West.’’
Katie Johnston Chase can be reached at johnstonchase@globe.com.
© Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company
Bucking a national trend, Boston’s port has seen record numbers of passengers in recent years
By Katie Johnston Chase, Globe Staff | June 6, 2010
When Thomas Gibbons’s girlfriend persuaded him to go on his first cruise five years ago, he wasn’t wild about the idea. The Lakeville construction worker preferred road trips on his motorcycle to being “cooped up’’ on a ship. But the cruises were more entertaining — and comfortable — than he thought, and he’s been on three since, including two to Bermuda out of Boston.
“It was so easy just to jump on the cruise ship there,’’ said the 48-year-old Gibbons, who was recently recognized by the Massachusetts Port Authority as the 1-millionth passenger to embark from the Black Falcon Cruise Terminal in Boston Harbor.
And he has more company than ever these days.
After several years of falling passenger numbers, Boston’s port posted record numbers of cruise passengers over the past three years, with 2010 shaping up to top the nearly 300,000 people who passed through the port last year. At the same time the midsize port has been growing, many other US cities have seen passenger traffic decline or stagnate.
In 2008, for example, departing passengers increased 21 percent from the prior year, compared with a total decline of 2.8 percent in North America.
And 2009 was another tough year for the cruise industry. While the number of passengers worldwide taking cruises continued to rise, ticket prices last year declined by about 12 percent. The Cruise Lines International Association expects that only a half-dozen US ports, including Boston, experienced significant growth in 2009.
For one, Boston has a large population base of “reasonably affluent people’’ who can depart on cruises from here, said Bob Sharak, the association’s executive vice president of marketing and distribution. It also has the kind of sightseeing, history, and dining attractions sought out by visiting cruise passengers — who make up 60 percent of the terminal’s traffic.
Boston is host to three cruise lines — Norwegian Cruise Line, Holland America Line, and Royal Caribbean International — that travel between here and Bermuda and Canada from late April through October, and also make a handful of trips to Europe and the Caribbean
Carolyn Spencer Brown, editor of the website CruiseCritic.com, attributes the continued rise in passengers to bigger and better ships. The perception used to be that “a cruise was all about being claustrophobic and confined and you have to sit with people at dinner that you don’t like,’’ she said. Now there are ships with dozens of restaurants and decks, not to mention surf parks, glass-blowing studios, and Broadway-style productions of “Hairspray.’’
Indeed, much of Boston’s growth is attributed to Norwegian Cruise Line’s decision to run increasingly bigger ships out of Boston starting in 2008. Between 1994 and 2007, the 1,400-passenger Norwegian Cruise Line ship that sailed from Boston to Bermuda didn’t even have cabins with balconies. Since then, Norwegian has upgraded its Boston vessel twice; it’s currently using the 2,000-passenger Spirit, with more balcony cabins and restaurants and an upgraded gym and spa, and is bringing in an even bigger ship next year that can host 2,200 passengers.
Norwegian’s Bermuda cruises attract mostly New Englanders; the Canada/New England cruises bring in the majority of their passengers from overseas or other parts of the country.
“I think part of the reason that Boston’s growing, and I think it still has some room to grow, is that traditionally cruise lines put some of the pokiest, oldest ships in Boston,’’ Spencer Brown said.
Thomas Gibbons’s girlfriend, Traci Cicerano, has taken in acrobats and bingo on the 10 cruises she has been on; now she wants to check out Norwegian’s new Epic cruise ship, which launches out of New York in July. The 4,100-passenger ship has a Cirque du Soleil-themed restaurant, the Blue Man Group, a climbing wall, and a lounge constructed entirely out of ice — tables, chairs, and bar included.
“They’re changing and adding things all the time just to get people back,’’ Cicerano said.
To keep the cruise business growing, Massport is spending $11 million to improve the Black Falcon terminal, namely creating a new check-in area on the third floor. Scheduled to be completed in August, the work will expand the facility by 40 percent, allowing it to accommodate even more passengers.
“We’re going to be able to handle more efficiently the larger vessels that are built every day,’’ said port director Mike Leone.
The cruise market is popular among New Englanders who aren’t crazy about flying and also among budget travelers, said Karen McCrink, a manager at Atlas Travel International in Milford. A family of four can book a weeklong Boston-to-Bermuda cruise through Atlas in mid-July for less than $2,800, including food.
Much of the trip payment doesn’t have to be made until about 60 days from departure — making it easier for vacationers to cancel without penalty.
“They have that opportunity to book far out and be able to see how things go,’’ McCrink said.
The Norwegian ships out of Boston are always full, chief executive Kevin Sheehan said, which is why the cruise line keeps expanding.
And Sheehan doesn’t expect to see his company’s steady growth slow down any time soon.
“It’s such an untapped market,’’ he said. “Less than 20 percent of people in the United States have cruised, and in Europe it’s even less — it’s 10 percent. It’s like the Wild West.’’
Katie Johnston Chase can be reached at johnstonchase@globe.com.
© Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company
Restaurants get another year to post calorie information
Restaurants get at least a year reprieve on calorie posts
By Patrick G. Lee, Globe Correspondent | June 10, 2010
Fast-food aficionados can enjoy at least another year of blissful ignorance about the food they eat, including the fact that a large order of fries and ketchup may contain more than 500 calories.
Establishments with at least 20 locations in Massachusetts were supposed to post calorie information on menus or menu boards by Nov. 1, but the federal health care overhaul passed in March includes a similar requirement that supersedes the state rules adopted last year.
The US Food and Drug Administration has one year to formulate uniform national regulations. But Suzanne Condon, the director of the state Bureau of Environmental Health, said yesterday that it remains unclear when the federal law will be implemented and enforced.
The federal law requires all chain restaurants with more than 20 locations in the United States and operators of 20 or more vending machines to display calorie counts for each offering.
Although the Massachusetts regulation did not apply to vending machines, it did specify that a licensed dietician or nutritionist verify the calorie counts for all menu items. The federal law states only that restaurants must have a “reasonable basis’’ for calculating calorie totals.
Condon presented a proposal to rescind the state regulation at yesterday’s meeting of the Public Health Council, an appointed body of doctors, public health specialists, and consumer advocates. The action is required by the federal law, but the state must hold a public hearing before voting to amend the regulations.
Helen Caulton-Harris, a member of the council and director of Health and Human Services in Springfield, said the delay is a letdown because it means the state has to “take a step back.’’
Peter Christie, president and CEO of the Massachusetts Restaurant Association, said chain operators are pleased. “Every single jurisdiction that has passed menu labeling to date, it’s different,’’ he said. “And when you’re a multistate operator, that wreaks havoc.’’
The FDA has consulted cities and states — including Massachusetts — that have experience with regulations governing calorie postings.
On Tuesday, the agency hosted a conference call during which Condon and other officials advised the FDA about avoiding “problems that we foresaw and other states and cities have had to wrestle with,’’ Condon said.
The council yesterday also approved final rules directing restaurants to post a notice on menus and menu boards that instructs customers with a food allergy to inform the server.
The benefit of the regulation is that it “forces a dialogue about this between the consumer and the food establishment,’’ Condon said.
By Oct. 1, all establishments must post the allergy notice on menus and display in their employee work areas a poster detailing major food allergens.
The rules, mandated by a state law passed in January 2009, also specify the required certification and allergy awareness training that at least one staff member of every restaurant must complete by Feb. 1, 2011.
Patrick G. Lee can be reached at patrick.lee@globe.com.
© Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company
By Patrick G. Lee, Globe Correspondent | June 10, 2010
Fast-food aficionados can enjoy at least another year of blissful ignorance about the food they eat, including the fact that a large order of fries and ketchup may contain more than 500 calories.
Establishments with at least 20 locations in Massachusetts were supposed to post calorie information on menus or menu boards by Nov. 1, but the federal health care overhaul passed in March includes a similar requirement that supersedes the state rules adopted last year.
The US Food and Drug Administration has one year to formulate uniform national regulations. But Suzanne Condon, the director of the state Bureau of Environmental Health, said yesterday that it remains unclear when the federal law will be implemented and enforced.
The federal law requires all chain restaurants with more than 20 locations in the United States and operators of 20 or more vending machines to display calorie counts for each offering.
Although the Massachusetts regulation did not apply to vending machines, it did specify that a licensed dietician or nutritionist verify the calorie counts for all menu items. The federal law states only that restaurants must have a “reasonable basis’’ for calculating calorie totals.
Condon presented a proposal to rescind the state regulation at yesterday’s meeting of the Public Health Council, an appointed body of doctors, public health specialists, and consumer advocates. The action is required by the federal law, but the state must hold a public hearing before voting to amend the regulations.
Helen Caulton-Harris, a member of the council and director of Health and Human Services in Springfield, said the delay is a letdown because it means the state has to “take a step back.’’
Peter Christie, president and CEO of the Massachusetts Restaurant Association, said chain operators are pleased. “Every single jurisdiction that has passed menu labeling to date, it’s different,’’ he said. “And when you’re a multistate operator, that wreaks havoc.’’
The FDA has consulted cities and states — including Massachusetts — that have experience with regulations governing calorie postings.
On Tuesday, the agency hosted a conference call during which Condon and other officials advised the FDA about avoiding “problems that we foresaw and other states and cities have had to wrestle with,’’ Condon said.
The council yesterday also approved final rules directing restaurants to post a notice on menus and menu boards that instructs customers with a food allergy to inform the server.
The benefit of the regulation is that it “forces a dialogue about this between the consumer and the food establishment,’’ Condon said.
By Oct. 1, all establishments must post the allergy notice on menus and display in their employee work areas a poster detailing major food allergens.
The rules, mandated by a state law passed in January 2009, also specify the required certification and allergy awareness training that at least one staff member of every restaurant must complete by Feb. 1, 2011.
Patrick G. Lee can be reached at patrick.lee@globe.com.
© Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company
Boston seeks state permission to develop eateries in park restrooms
City asks state to OK plans for cafes, shops to replace restrooms
By David Abel, Globe Staff | June 9, 2010
The city’s parks commissioner urged state lawmakers yesterday to approve a plan to replace long-shuttered bathrooms on Boston Common and in the Back Bay Fens with outdoor cafes, bicycle rental companies, or other businesses.
At a hearing before the Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government, Antonia M. Pollak, commissioner of the Boston Parks and Recreation Department, sought legislative support so the city can begin soliciting bids on what would be a multimillion-dollar restoration of two landmarks.
She also asked the Legislature to grant the city the right to lease the properties for up to 25 years. The city is restricted from leasing such properties for more than three years.
“In these difficult economic times, parks agencies are trying to find models that will ensure our parks will be clean, green, and safe in the future,’’ she told lawmakers in her prepared remarks.
“Positive uses like park-related vending can assist with this goal.’’
After the hearing yesterday, Representative Paul Donato, a Medford Democrat who chairs the committee, said he expects lawmakers will approve the project. He said the House could vote within the next few weeks.
It will then have to be approved by the Senate and the governor.
“Everyone I’ve spoken to is excited about the opportunity to turn these buildings into new venues to bring more activity and vitality to the parks,’’ he said.
If approved, the project would allow entrepreneurs to develop the 90-year-old, octagon-shaped Pink Palace near Tremont and Boylston streets on the Boston Common and the 113-year-old stone Duck House on Agassiz Road in the Fens.
The proposal has received support from city officials, but would need approval from city and state landmark authorities once the final plans are approved, Pollak said.
In a statement earlier this year, Mayor Thomas M. Menino said he hopes the proposal “will attract local chefs and organizations to lease the buildings on the landmark Emerald Necklace and Boston Common to provide new, unique concessions for Boston’s residents and visitors alike.’’
Both structures are small and would not accommodate large restaurants.
The Pink Palace, which traces its name to the color in its masonry, is just 660 square feet.
The Duck House, which was designed by Alexander M. Longfellow, a nephew of the poet, is only 535 square feet.
David Abel can be reached at dabel@globe.com.
© Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company
By David Abel, Globe Staff | June 9, 2010
The city’s parks commissioner urged state lawmakers yesterday to approve a plan to replace long-shuttered bathrooms on Boston Common and in the Back Bay Fens with outdoor cafes, bicycle rental companies, or other businesses.
At a hearing before the Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government, Antonia M. Pollak, commissioner of the Boston Parks and Recreation Department, sought legislative support so the city can begin soliciting bids on what would be a multimillion-dollar restoration of two landmarks.
She also asked the Legislature to grant the city the right to lease the properties for up to 25 years. The city is restricted from leasing such properties for more than three years.
“In these difficult economic times, parks agencies are trying to find models that will ensure our parks will be clean, green, and safe in the future,’’ she told lawmakers in her prepared remarks.
“Positive uses like park-related vending can assist with this goal.’’
After the hearing yesterday, Representative Paul Donato, a Medford Democrat who chairs the committee, said he expects lawmakers will approve the project. He said the House could vote within the next few weeks.
It will then have to be approved by the Senate and the governor.
“Everyone I’ve spoken to is excited about the opportunity to turn these buildings into new venues to bring more activity and vitality to the parks,’’ he said.
If approved, the project would allow entrepreneurs to develop the 90-year-old, octagon-shaped Pink Palace near Tremont and Boylston streets on the Boston Common and the 113-year-old stone Duck House on Agassiz Road in the Fens.
The proposal has received support from city officials, but would need approval from city and state landmark authorities once the final plans are approved, Pollak said.
In a statement earlier this year, Mayor Thomas M. Menino said he hopes the proposal “will attract local chefs and organizations to lease the buildings on the landmark Emerald Necklace and Boston Common to provide new, unique concessions for Boston’s residents and visitors alike.’’
Both structures are small and would not accommodate large restaurants.
The Pink Palace, which traces its name to the color in its masonry, is just 660 square feet.
The Duck House, which was designed by Alexander M. Longfellow, a nephew of the poet, is only 535 square feet.
David Abel can be reached at dabel@globe.com.
© Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company
Red Sox legend raves about 'Johnny Baseball'
Hit play
Red Sox legend Bill Lee loves ‘Johnny Baseball’
By Jim Sullivan | Thursday, June 10, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Arts & Culture
Bill “Spaceman” Lee was one of the most eccentric of the Red Sox [team stats] eccentrics. The lefty pitched for the home team from 1969 to 1978 (including starting two games in the 1975 World Series against the Cincinnati Reds) before he was dealt to the Montreal Expos. He had his run-ins with Sox management - and famously called manager Don Zimmer “a gerbil” - but the longtime New Englander remains a Sox fan favorite.
At age 63, Lee still pitches 50 times a year in an elite over-55 league and as a ringer for various other teams. He even pitched for the CIA team against the FBI. Last week, Lee attended the premiere of American Repertory Theatre’s “Johnny Baseball” at the Loeb Theatre in Cambridge.
The new musical intertwines the Red Sox’ comeback vs. the Yankees in the 2004 ALCS with an interracial love story and the institutional racism of the Red Sox, particularly during the years Thomas Yawkey owned the club. We caught up with Lee, who now calls Vermont home, after the show to get his take on “Johnny Baseball.”
How realistic were the baseball scenes, the rapport of the players?
The camaraderie between the players seemed genuine, authentic. That song about “if your mother hadn’t got drunk we never would have been here” was precious. It could have happened. Every time I called a ballplayer to go out, we could fall in love in 35 minutes. The scene with Babe Ruth on his deathbed was precious. The relationship between the kid from Worcester (Johnny O’Brien, also known as Johnny Baseball) and the (African-American) girl at the brothel, I felt was genuine. It was so Aeschylus, a great tragedy even though it had comedic parts. And how many musicals have you seen where you can put Methuen and Pawtucket in it?
Did it hit the mark baseball-wise?
I thought it was beautiful, like “Field of Dreams.” Almost a “West Side Story”-goes-to-Boston feel to me. And there’s something universal about it. I cried at the end. Gosh darn.
What did you think of how the raucous, pleading fans were depicted?
I was impressed. It brought the play right out in the public, the fact that it started like a Greek chorus. The play started as a tragedy, that we hadn’t won in 86 years. I love the fact that the fans are committed, but they’re limited in their scope of their perception of the world. It really doesn’t extend pass the Merrimack River. You’ve got love to their persistence even though it’s askew in a certain way.
How about the vodka-swilling Yawkey and the Red Sox racism?
The real Tom Yawkey was exactly like that.
You’ve won some big games and you’ve lost some. Would you say you love baseball no matter what?
It’s not about winning or losing, it’s about the journey, the circle within the diamond. That’s what I’ve done my whole life and nothing’s ever changed.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/entertainment/arts_culture/view.bg?articleid=1260519
Red Sox legend Bill Lee loves ‘Johnny Baseball’
By Jim Sullivan | Thursday, June 10, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Arts & Culture
Bill “Spaceman” Lee was one of the most eccentric of the Red Sox [team stats] eccentrics. The lefty pitched for the home team from 1969 to 1978 (including starting two games in the 1975 World Series against the Cincinnati Reds) before he was dealt to the Montreal Expos. He had his run-ins with Sox management - and famously called manager Don Zimmer “a gerbil” - but the longtime New Englander remains a Sox fan favorite.
At age 63, Lee still pitches 50 times a year in an elite over-55 league and as a ringer for various other teams. He even pitched for the CIA team against the FBI. Last week, Lee attended the premiere of American Repertory Theatre’s “Johnny Baseball” at the Loeb Theatre in Cambridge.
The new musical intertwines the Red Sox’ comeback vs. the Yankees in the 2004 ALCS with an interracial love story and the institutional racism of the Red Sox, particularly during the years Thomas Yawkey owned the club. We caught up with Lee, who now calls Vermont home, after the show to get his take on “Johnny Baseball.”
How realistic were the baseball scenes, the rapport of the players?
The camaraderie between the players seemed genuine, authentic. That song about “if your mother hadn’t got drunk we never would have been here” was precious. It could have happened. Every time I called a ballplayer to go out, we could fall in love in 35 minutes. The scene with Babe Ruth on his deathbed was precious. The relationship between the kid from Worcester (Johnny O’Brien, also known as Johnny Baseball) and the (African-American) girl at the brothel, I felt was genuine. It was so Aeschylus, a great tragedy even though it had comedic parts. And how many musicals have you seen where you can put Methuen and Pawtucket in it?
Did it hit the mark baseball-wise?
I thought it was beautiful, like “Field of Dreams.” Almost a “West Side Story”-goes-to-Boston feel to me. And there’s something universal about it. I cried at the end. Gosh darn.
What did you think of how the raucous, pleading fans were depicted?
I was impressed. It brought the play right out in the public, the fact that it started like a Greek chorus. The play started as a tragedy, that we hadn’t won in 86 years. I love the fact that the fans are committed, but they’re limited in their scope of their perception of the world. It really doesn’t extend pass the Merrimack River. You’ve got love to their persistence even though it’s askew in a certain way.
How about the vodka-swilling Yawkey and the Red Sox racism?
The real Tom Yawkey was exactly like that.
You’ve won some big games and you’ve lost some. Would you say you love baseball no matter what?
It’s not about winning or losing, it’s about the journey, the circle within the diamond. That’s what I’ve done my whole life and nothing’s ever changed.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/entertainment/arts_culture/view.bg?articleid=1260519
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Del Frisco's steakhouse coming to Seaport district
Boston Restaurant Talk
Wednesday, June 09, 2010
Del Frisco's Is Apparently Coming to Boston
It appears that a small national chain of steakhouses is going to be opening its first New England location, with a new restaurant planned for the Boston waterfront.
According to the Boston Herald and Grub Street Boston, Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steak House is looking to open in the Seaport District of Boston, near the upcoming Legal Sea Foods (which will be on Northern Avenue at the Boston Fish Pier). Del Frisco's, which, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer, started out in New Orleans in 1982 and moved to Dallas in 1985, features a variety of steaks as well as seafood, veal, and lamb.
There are currently a total of eight Del Frisco's restaurants in the United States, including locations in Charlotte, Dallas, Denver, Fort Worth, Houston, Las Vegas, New York, and Philadelphia. Del Frisco's is currently owned by Dallas-based Lone Star Funds, which also owns the Lone Star Steakhouse chain.
posted by Marc at 3:35 PM
Wednesday, June 09, 2010
Del Frisco's Is Apparently Coming to Boston
It appears that a small national chain of steakhouses is going to be opening its first New England location, with a new restaurant planned for the Boston waterfront.
According to the Boston Herald and Grub Street Boston, Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steak House is looking to open in the Seaport District of Boston, near the upcoming Legal Sea Foods (which will be on Northern Avenue at the Boston Fish Pier). Del Frisco's, which, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer, started out in New Orleans in 1982 and moved to Dallas in 1985, features a variety of steaks as well as seafood, veal, and lamb.
There are currently a total of eight Del Frisco's restaurants in the United States, including locations in Charlotte, Dallas, Denver, Fort Worth, Houston, Las Vegas, New York, and Philadelphia. Del Frisco's is currently owned by Dallas-based Lone Star Funds, which also owns the Lone Star Steakhouse chain.
posted by Marc at 3:35 PM
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Hotels courting Indian wedding business
For hotels, a perfect match
Recession-hit hosts embrace Indian weddings
By Katie Johnston Chase, Globe Staff | June 8, 2010
MARLBOROUGH — On a hot, sunny Saturday in early May, a raucous wedding procession of women in bright, shimmery saris and men in long embroidered kurtas and sunglasses danced through a hotel parking lot behind a van blaring bhangra beats. The groom brought up the rear on a dappled white horse.
It was the first time the Marlborough Best Western had hosted a traditional Indian wedding and, in keeping with Indian culture, it was an elaborate, all-day affair, with 450 guests.
Best Western is among the many hotels actively pursuing this lucrative market as they struggle to make up for last year’s recession-diminished revenues.
The InterContinental Hotel, the Ritz-Carlton, the Taj Boston, and the Westin in Waltham have all hosted Indian wedding expos in the past year. Hyatt Hotels Corp. developed an Indian wedding webinar to educate staff about ceremonial customs, cuisine, even popular brands of alcohol.
And India New England, a newspaper published in Waltham, has had so much demand from advertisers that it put out two wedding supplements instead of one last year and plans to do the same this year.
“Literally, this market is just exploding,’’ said publisher Upendra Mishra.
In the Indian culture, marrying off a child is a matter of pride, and parents spare no expense to throw a traditional wedding, said wedding planner and decorator Shobha Shastry. The weddings, she said, typically range from $50,000 to $150,000 and can go as high as $300,000.
The average cost of a wedding in Massachusetts, by comparison, is closer to $30,000, according to the research company the Wedding Report Inc.
“It’s a great revenue generator,’’ said Christine Kelly, a Best Western sales director. She estimated the wedding of Tanmay and Divya Patel that Saturday brought the hotel about $11,000.
The Patels are among a growing number of young Indian-Americans holding their weddings locally instead of making the trek to India to tie the knot. There are about 1,500 Indian weddings a year in the region, according to India New England — more than double the number 10 years ago. Back then, Shastry recalls, she could find only a handful of hotels that allowed outside caterers or could deal with the logistics surrounding Hindu wedding rites such as the saptapadi, in which the bride and groom walk around a fire. “I had great difficulty in convincing some of the hotels,’’ said Shastry.
These days, Shastry has no such problem. In fact, it’s often the other way around. Her Northborough-based company Alankar plans about 70 Indian weddings a year. To host the Patel wedding, the Best Western lowered its rates for tableware and labor from $29 to $24 per person, slashed the $1,200 ballroom fee in half, waived the $500 cleanup charge, and threw in complimentary rooms for the wedding party. The price helped the couple settle on the Best Western, but it was the new carpet in the ballroom that really sealed the deal. The first time the couple toured the hotel, Tanmay Patel said, “It was hideous.’’
Having an Indian chef on staff is also a big selling point for local hotels. When Kathleen Gilbey took over as general manager of the Westin Waltham a year ago and realized the hotel wasn’t taking advantage of its executive chef from Delhi, she encouraged him to learn how to prepare new Indian dishes, started taking out regular ads in India New England, and put on an Indian bridal show. Gilbey’s goal is to bring in at least $300,000 from Indian weddings this year.
Last fall, the InterContinental put on an extravagant celebration with a disc jockey, fashion show, and a vast array of dishes such as tandoori lamb, Bengali scallops, and Madras sea bass to introduce its Indian chef and facility to the community.
“They’ve begun to realize that this is a relatively affluent community,’’ said photographer Nabil Kapasi, who worked the Patel wedding at the Best Western with another photographer, two videographers, and an assistant to capture all the action. It’s a growing community, too, with about 66,000 residents in Massachusetts in 2008, according to US Census estimates, up from less than 44,000 in 2000.
But Indian weddings come with many rituals, and they often require extra effort. Hindu ceremonies are conducted at what is known as an auspicious time, determined by the bride and groom’s birth dates and based on the Hindu calendar, and it’s not always convenient.
Nadine Reibeling, special events manager at the Taj, once reported to the hotel in the middle of the night to help the bride get ready. “Her hair and makeup started at 2:30 in the morning,’’ said Reibeling, who has also looked into getting an elephant for the groom’s procession, known as a baraat.
Four hours after the rowdy baraat at the Patel wedding in Marlborough, the newlyweds climbed into the back seat of an Acura sport utility vehicle. The two families engaged in a symbolic struggle, with the bride’s family preventing the groom from taking her away until they were given a cash bribe; when the car finally pulled away, it crunched over a coconut to ensure a safe journey.
The bride and groom and their guests returned a few hours later for a buffet dinner of chicken tikka masala, basmati rice, and samosa pastries — and more dancing. “A lot of us as we’re growing up, we identify with our American upbringing,’’ said Shelley Chhabra, a Cambridge bridal gown designer. “But when it comes to your wedding, that’s the one time where everybody pulls out all the stops in terms of following all the customs and traditions and identifying with their Indian heritage.’’
Katie Johnston Chase can be reached at johnstonchase@globe.com.
© Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company
Recession-hit hosts embrace Indian weddings
By Katie Johnston Chase, Globe Staff | June 8, 2010
MARLBOROUGH — On a hot, sunny Saturday in early May, a raucous wedding procession of women in bright, shimmery saris and men in long embroidered kurtas and sunglasses danced through a hotel parking lot behind a van blaring bhangra beats. The groom brought up the rear on a dappled white horse.
It was the first time the Marlborough Best Western had hosted a traditional Indian wedding and, in keeping with Indian culture, it was an elaborate, all-day affair, with 450 guests.
Best Western is among the many hotels actively pursuing this lucrative market as they struggle to make up for last year’s recession-diminished revenues.
The InterContinental Hotel, the Ritz-Carlton, the Taj Boston, and the Westin in Waltham have all hosted Indian wedding expos in the past year. Hyatt Hotels Corp. developed an Indian wedding webinar to educate staff about ceremonial customs, cuisine, even popular brands of alcohol.
And India New England, a newspaper published in Waltham, has had so much demand from advertisers that it put out two wedding supplements instead of one last year and plans to do the same this year.
“Literally, this market is just exploding,’’ said publisher Upendra Mishra.
In the Indian culture, marrying off a child is a matter of pride, and parents spare no expense to throw a traditional wedding, said wedding planner and decorator Shobha Shastry. The weddings, she said, typically range from $50,000 to $150,000 and can go as high as $300,000.
The average cost of a wedding in Massachusetts, by comparison, is closer to $30,000, according to the research company the Wedding Report Inc.
“It’s a great revenue generator,’’ said Christine Kelly, a Best Western sales director. She estimated the wedding of Tanmay and Divya Patel that Saturday brought the hotel about $11,000.
The Patels are among a growing number of young Indian-Americans holding their weddings locally instead of making the trek to India to tie the knot. There are about 1,500 Indian weddings a year in the region, according to India New England — more than double the number 10 years ago. Back then, Shastry recalls, she could find only a handful of hotels that allowed outside caterers or could deal with the logistics surrounding Hindu wedding rites such as the saptapadi, in which the bride and groom walk around a fire. “I had great difficulty in convincing some of the hotels,’’ said Shastry.
These days, Shastry has no such problem. In fact, it’s often the other way around. Her Northborough-based company Alankar plans about 70 Indian weddings a year. To host the Patel wedding, the Best Western lowered its rates for tableware and labor from $29 to $24 per person, slashed the $1,200 ballroom fee in half, waived the $500 cleanup charge, and threw in complimentary rooms for the wedding party. The price helped the couple settle on the Best Western, but it was the new carpet in the ballroom that really sealed the deal. The first time the couple toured the hotel, Tanmay Patel said, “It was hideous.’’
Having an Indian chef on staff is also a big selling point for local hotels. When Kathleen Gilbey took over as general manager of the Westin Waltham a year ago and realized the hotel wasn’t taking advantage of its executive chef from Delhi, she encouraged him to learn how to prepare new Indian dishes, started taking out regular ads in India New England, and put on an Indian bridal show. Gilbey’s goal is to bring in at least $300,000 from Indian weddings this year.
Last fall, the InterContinental put on an extravagant celebration with a disc jockey, fashion show, and a vast array of dishes such as tandoori lamb, Bengali scallops, and Madras sea bass to introduce its Indian chef and facility to the community.
“They’ve begun to realize that this is a relatively affluent community,’’ said photographer Nabil Kapasi, who worked the Patel wedding at the Best Western with another photographer, two videographers, and an assistant to capture all the action. It’s a growing community, too, with about 66,000 residents in Massachusetts in 2008, according to US Census estimates, up from less than 44,000 in 2000.
But Indian weddings come with many rituals, and they often require extra effort. Hindu ceremonies are conducted at what is known as an auspicious time, determined by the bride and groom’s birth dates and based on the Hindu calendar, and it’s not always convenient.
Nadine Reibeling, special events manager at the Taj, once reported to the hotel in the middle of the night to help the bride get ready. “Her hair and makeup started at 2:30 in the morning,’’ said Reibeling, who has also looked into getting an elephant for the groom’s procession, known as a baraat.
Four hours after the rowdy baraat at the Patel wedding in Marlborough, the newlyweds climbed into the back seat of an Acura sport utility vehicle. The two families engaged in a symbolic struggle, with the bride’s family preventing the groom from taking her away until they were given a cash bribe; when the car finally pulled away, it crunched over a coconut to ensure a safe journey.
The bride and groom and their guests returned a few hours later for a buffet dinner of chicken tikka masala, basmati rice, and samosa pastries — and more dancing. “A lot of us as we’re growing up, we identify with our American upbringing,’’ said Shelley Chhabra, a Cambridge bridal gown designer. “But when it comes to your wedding, that’s the one time where everybody pulls out all the stops in terms of following all the customs and traditions and identifying with their Indian heritage.’’
Katie Johnston Chase can be reached at johnstonchase@globe.com.
© Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company
Stork Club closed (possibly temporarily)
Boston Restaurant Talk
Tuesday, June 08, 2010
The Stork Club in Boston Is Closed (At Least Temporarily)
A restaurant and jazz lounge in the South End of Boston, has closed its doors, though it is unknown whether this is a temporary or permanent closure.
According to posters on Yelp and Chowhound, as well as one of our readers who emailed us, The Stork Club on Columbus Avenue shut down a few days ago, with a Chowhound poster mentioning that a sign is on the door stating that the place is closed until further notice. The Stork Club, which opened last summer in the space where Bob's Southern Bistro and Bob the Chef used to reside, mostly offered comfort food to diners and featured live jazz and blues.
As soon as we find out more information on why The Stork Club is closed (and if/when it might reopen), we will post an update here.
The address for The Stork Club is: The Stork Club, 604 Columbus Avenue, Boston, MA, 02118.
posted by Marc at 9:32 AM |
Tuesday, June 08, 2010
The Stork Club in Boston Is Closed (At Least Temporarily)
A restaurant and jazz lounge in the South End of Boston, has closed its doors, though it is unknown whether this is a temporary or permanent closure.
According to posters on Yelp and Chowhound, as well as one of our readers who emailed us, The Stork Club on Columbus Avenue shut down a few days ago, with a Chowhound poster mentioning that a sign is on the door stating that the place is closed until further notice. The Stork Club, which opened last summer in the space where Bob's Southern Bistro and Bob the Chef used to reside, mostly offered comfort food to diners and featured live jazz and blues.
As soon as we find out more information on why The Stork Club is closed (and if/when it might reopen), we will post an update here.
The address for The Stork Club is: The Stork Club, 604 Columbus Avenue, Boston, MA, 02118.
posted by Marc at 9:32 AM |
Fenway Park to host international soccer match on July 21st
Fenway Park to host soccer game July 21
Posted by Matt Pepin, Boston.com Staff June 7, 2010 03:08 PM
The Boston Red Sox have announced that Fenway Park will host an exhibition soccer game between Celtic FC of the Scottish Premier League and Sporting Clube de Portugal, commonly called "Sporting," on July 21.
The Fenway Football Challenge will be the 19th soccer game at Fenway, but the first since 1968. It will be broadcast live on NESN, with kickoff at 8 p.m.
Tickets ($20-$120) will go on sale at noon on June 22 at tickets.com.
“During its 98-year history, Fenway Park has been privileged to witness some of the best in athletic competition, not only in baseball, but in football, boxing and most recently in hockey with the 2010 NHL Winter Classic. This match is a tremendous opportunity to highlight some of the top talent in the soccer world, and we want to thank Celtic F.C. and Sporting C.P. for bringing the sport here for the first time in over 40 years,” Sam Kennedy, executive vice-president and COO of the Boston Red Sox and president of Fenway Sports Group, said via a Red Sox press release.
Update, 7:40 p.m.: The image below, provided by the Red Sox, shows the proposed layout of Fenway for the match, along with color-coded pricing for tickets.
600FenwaySoccer.jpg
Monday, June 7, 2010
City Hall Plaza World Cup final viewing in question
Cup event short on cash
Boston group raising $50G to kick-start City Hall finale
By Donna Goodison | Monday, June 7, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Business & Markets
For the final soccer match of the 2006 World Cup, an estimated 10,000 spectators joined Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino to watch Italy beat rival France on a giant video screen at City Hall Plaza.
But a similar outdoor viewing party planned for this year’s championship game is in peril.
World Cup Boston 2010, this year’s organizer of the event, is short of its fund-raising goal to cover the estimated $100,000 to $150,000 cost of a public City Hall broadcast of the July 11 match.
The group, which has no title sponsors, needs to raise $50,000 in donations by Wednesday to meet a city-imposed deadline and proceed with its plans, which also include children’s games, cultural performances and food.
“We need (that) amount by next week to really be able to move forward confidently,” project manager Makeeba McCreary said. “It would be a threshold amount, and then there’s other dollars that we know we can leverage against that.”
Hub nonprofit South Africa Partners is running World Cup Boston 2010 - 18 months of programming that celebrates the international spirit of the World Cup and the South African culture.
“This is also about lifting up the city,” McCreary said.
In 2006, the Mayor’s Office of Special Events raised funds from private sources to cover the costs of the World Cup viewing party, including the rental of a large video screen, a license to broadcast the match, security, toilets and cleanup crews, according to Menino spokeswoman Dot Joyce.
The city is helping out “as much as it can,” this year, but has to raise a lot of money for other city events throughout the summer, she said.
“It’s difficult economic times, and there’s not enough dollars to go around,” Joyce said. “We love this event. It was very successful the last time we held it, but we can’t be spending taxpayer dollars on events like these when we’re struggling to keep libraries and other basic city services.”
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1259798
Boston group raising $50G to kick-start City Hall finale
By Donna Goodison | Monday, June 7, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Business & Markets
For the final soccer match of the 2006 World Cup, an estimated 10,000 spectators joined Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino to watch Italy beat rival France on a giant video screen at City Hall Plaza.
But a similar outdoor viewing party planned for this year’s championship game is in peril.
World Cup Boston 2010, this year’s organizer of the event, is short of its fund-raising goal to cover the estimated $100,000 to $150,000 cost of a public City Hall broadcast of the July 11 match.
The group, which has no title sponsors, needs to raise $50,000 in donations by Wednesday to meet a city-imposed deadline and proceed with its plans, which also include children’s games, cultural performances and food.
“We need (that) amount by next week to really be able to move forward confidently,” project manager Makeeba McCreary said. “It would be a threshold amount, and then there’s other dollars that we know we can leverage against that.”
Hub nonprofit South Africa Partners is running World Cup Boston 2010 - 18 months of programming that celebrates the international spirit of the World Cup and the South African culture.
“This is also about lifting up the city,” McCreary said.
In 2006, the Mayor’s Office of Special Events raised funds from private sources to cover the costs of the World Cup viewing party, including the rental of a large video screen, a license to broadcast the match, security, toilets and cleanup crews, according to Menino spokeswoman Dot Joyce.
The city is helping out “as much as it can,” this year, but has to raise a lot of money for other city events throughout the summer, she said.
“It’s difficult economic times, and there’s not enough dollars to go around,” Joyce said. “We love this event. It was very successful the last time we held it, but we can’t be spending taxpayer dollars on events like these when we’re struggling to keep libraries and other basic city services.”
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1259798
World Cup fever to benefit Boston area bars and restaurants
Soccer fever takes hold in bars, eateries, festivities
By Donna Goodison | Monday, June 7, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Business & Markets
Boston is a sports city, and it’s no different when it comes to the FIFA World Cup - even if the Celtics [team stats], Red Sox [team stats], Patriots [team stats] and Bruins [team stats] are the dominant drivers of most local fans’ obsessions.
Hub denizens wear their ethnicities on their sleeves for the World Cup as 32 nations compete in the quadrennial event. Other soccer fans follow their favorite professional players as they compete for their home-country teams.
And the 64-game schedule, which starts Friday in South Africa and runs through July 11, is great business for the city’s bars, restaurants and even nonprofits that host broadcasts of some or all of the matches.
The Banshee in Dorchester may be flagged as an Irish pub, but it’s cultivated a diverse following for airing the international soccer matches of England’s Premier League, the European Champions League, Scottish Premier League and Spain’s La Liga, according to manager Ray Butler.
When Inter Milan beat Bayern Munich to win its first Champions title since 1965 last month, the crowd reflected that.
“That’s why we’re really excited about the possibility of the World Cup and the different nationalities that are going to be coming in each day,” Butler said. “Most of the people coming to the bar will be American, but we’ll have a lot of Spanish, Italian, some French and a lot of German (customers). We also have a lot of Cape Verdeans who come in, and they follow Ivory Coast, Portugal and Brazil.”
The Banshee will show every World Cup match live on 12 large plasma TVs and a huge high-def projector.
“There’s huge interest,” Butler said. “If you go into different bars, you have to compete with a basketball game or baseball game, but here will be 100 percent World Cup soccer.”
The Banshee also has a potential ace up its sleeve. It’s close to sealing a deal to show the new ESPN 3-D network’s schedule of 25 World Cup matches, including the championship game. Customers would have to lay down a credit card to borrow the required 3-D glasses.
“We expect to be a lot busier than any other time,” Butler said.
Luigi DeMarco, general manager of Caffe Graffiti in the North End, hopes for a repeat of the 2006 World Cup, when the Italian neighborhood was jam-packed with reveling soccer fans, and the Azzurri defeated Germany in the semifinal and France for the cup.
The turnout was so good that the city fined Caffe Graffiti for overcrowding its then-Hanover Street location during the final.
“It was complete chaos,” DeMarco said. “The only word I could use to describe it was ‘awesome.’ Nothing better than national pride.”
Caffe Graffitti has since relocated to a larger space with a kitchen on Cross Street, where it, too, will show every World Cup match. There’ll be four TVs inside, two of which can be viewed from the patio. DeMarco also has planned a special World Cup menu that includes Pizza Azzurri.
“Because I couldn’t find anything blue to put on the pizza, I’m going to do a green, white and red pizza - pesto, mozzarella and tomatoes - and I’m going to section it off so it looks like an Italian flag,” he said.
More staid institutions also are getting into the World Cup game again this year, including the Goethe-Institut, a German cultural center on Beacon Street. It will broadcast all games played by the German team beginning with Sunday’s match against Australia. A $10 ticket includes two coupons for food and/or a drink.
World Cup events for families also are scheduled. World Cup Boston 2010, a private/public partnership coordinated by the Boston nonprofit South Africa Partners, is in the midst of an 18-month program celebrating the international spirit of the global sporting event and the South African culture.
The organization is providing downloadable kits to local groups that want to host viewing parties, and sponsoring other events ranging from a mini-World Cup youth soccer tourney to a planned viewing party of the final match.
“Soccer has proven to be a major activator for . . . multiple generations,” said project manager Makeeba McCreary. “Every event has had a representative from 10 different cultures at a minimum.”
World Cup Boston 2010’s free, five-hour World Cup viewing party with the New England Revolution on Saturday is expected to draw 2,000 people to the House of Blues.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1259802
Sam's Place to open Saturday at Louis Boston
Grub Street Boston
What to Eat at Sam's Place, Bringing Steak Tartare to Fan Pier This Week
6/7/10 at 11:15 AM
Sam's Place, the Louis Boston restaurant from Esti Parsons and Ken Rogers, is set to open on Saturday, and we've got your first look at the menu. As Parsons implied last week, the focus here is on relatively casual fare: spicy lemon chicken wings, beet salad with housemade ricotta, a black pepper burger. Of course, this is still a restaurant located inside Boston's most upscale restaurant, so steak tartare and Island Creek oysters make appearances. A very tempting weekend brunch includes Dutch babies (aka German pancakes) and pork hash. Prices are reasonable, topping out at $23.
What to Eat at Sam's Place, Bringing Steak Tartare to Fan Pier This Week
6/7/10 at 11:15 AM
Sam's Place, the Louis Boston restaurant from Esti Parsons and Ken Rogers, is set to open on Saturday, and we've got your first look at the menu. As Parsons implied last week, the focus here is on relatively casual fare: spicy lemon chicken wings, beet salad with housemade ricotta, a black pepper burger. Of course, this is still a restaurant located inside Boston's most upscale restaurant, so steak tartare and Island Creek oysters make appearances. A very tempting weekend brunch includes Dutch babies (aka German pancakes) and pork hash. Prices are reasonable, topping out at $23.
Boston part of US bid for World Cup in 2018 or 2022
Boston’s goal: World Cup host
By Donna Goodison | Monday, June 7, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Business & Markets
Boston is hoping for an even bigger piece of the World Cup in coming years. It’s one of 18 U.S. cities selected for this country’s bid to host the 2018 or 2022 World Cup.
The USA Bid Committee estimates a domestic economic impact of $5 billion if the United States was selected as a World Cup host, according to Jim Delaney, owner of Activate Sports & Entertainment LLC, a Boston sports and entertainment marketing firm.
The total economic impact projected for any one host city ranged from $400 million to $600 million, he said.
“Landing the World Cup is like hitting triple sevens on the slot machine of major events,” Delaney said. “It is a uniquely massive event in terms of prestige, global exposure and economic impact.”
Any World Cup game awarded to Boston would be played at 68,000-seat Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, home to two types of football - the New England Patriots [team stats] of the National Football League and the Revolution of Major League Soccer, aka football to the rest of the world.
Foxboro hosted six matches in 1994, the last time the U.S. hosted the World Cup.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1259806
By Donna Goodison | Monday, June 7, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Business & Markets
Boston is hoping for an even bigger piece of the World Cup in coming years. It’s one of 18 U.S. cities selected for this country’s bid to host the 2018 or 2022 World Cup.
The USA Bid Committee estimates a domestic economic impact of $5 billion if the United States was selected as a World Cup host, according to Jim Delaney, owner of Activate Sports & Entertainment LLC, a Boston sports and entertainment marketing firm.
The total economic impact projected for any one host city ranged from $400 million to $600 million, he said.
“Landing the World Cup is like hitting triple sevens on the slot machine of major events,” Delaney said. “It is a uniquely massive event in terms of prestige, global exposure and economic impact.”
Any World Cup game awarded to Boston would be played at 68,000-seat Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, home to two types of football - the New England Patriots [team stats] of the National Football League and the Revolution of Major League Soccer, aka football to the rest of the world.
Foxboro hosted six matches in 1994, the last time the U.S. hosted the World Cup.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1259806
City to seek state approval to turn fomer pulblic bathrooms to restaurants
City plans to convert former Common loos to eateries
Dining out(house)
By Laurel J. Sweet | Monday, June 7, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Local Coverage
The concept might give diners pause before ordering a bowl of soup, but it appears the city is serious about spiffing up two former public toilets into some type of upscale al-fresco eateries.
At a State House hearing tomorrow morning, the Boston Parks and Recreation Commission will ask legislators for their blessing to lease long term the “Pink Palace,” a gothic-looking former comfort station near the tennis courts on Boston Common, and the “Duck House,” a rodent-dwelling lavatory on the Muddy River in the Back Bay Fens that’s been shuttered for 24 years.
“It could be a real conversation piece,” Cathy Chang of Arlington said yesterday as she sat on a park bench near the Pink Palace - a cement, crypt-like structure hemmed in by a rusted fence.
Bill Clark of Newport, R.I., noted, “It hasn’t been a toilet for a long time. I wouldn’t have a problem with it. They could have two sides to the restaurant - men and women - and a lot of railings.”
Kathy Sidell Trustman (The Met Bar & Grill), Danny Meyer (Shake Shack) and Ken Oringer (Clio) were among the names of celebrity chefs and restaurateurs rolling off wagging tongues as being interested in the Pink Palace, even before the Duck House was offered on the historic hoppers lease menu.
Boston could be on to something. The Modern Toilet is a chain of restaurants in Taiwan where patrons sit on a porcelain throne, eat from replica toilet bowls and drink from tiny urinals.
A 2008 study of Boston Common’s condition by the city found the Pink Palace was “an ideal location for outside investment” even though it “is out of use, is no longer maintained, and is well on the way to becoming a blight.”
Caitriona McCarthy of Boston said she wouldn’t necessarily brush off a commode turned cafe.
“I would go, if they obviously sanitized it,” McCarthy said. “I’m assuming they’re going to knock the whole thing down.”
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1259772
Dining out(house)
By Laurel J. Sweet | Monday, June 7, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Local Coverage
The concept might give diners pause before ordering a bowl of soup, but it appears the city is serious about spiffing up two former public toilets into some type of upscale al-fresco eateries.
At a State House hearing tomorrow morning, the Boston Parks and Recreation Commission will ask legislators for their blessing to lease long term the “Pink Palace,” a gothic-looking former comfort station near the tennis courts on Boston Common, and the “Duck House,” a rodent-dwelling lavatory on the Muddy River in the Back Bay Fens that’s been shuttered for 24 years.
“It could be a real conversation piece,” Cathy Chang of Arlington said yesterday as she sat on a park bench near the Pink Palace - a cement, crypt-like structure hemmed in by a rusted fence.
Bill Clark of Newport, R.I., noted, “It hasn’t been a toilet for a long time. I wouldn’t have a problem with it. They could have two sides to the restaurant - men and women - and a lot of railings.”
Kathy Sidell Trustman (The Met Bar & Grill), Danny Meyer (Shake Shack) and Ken Oringer (Clio) were among the names of celebrity chefs and restaurateurs rolling off wagging tongues as being interested in the Pink Palace, even before the Duck House was offered on the historic hoppers lease menu.
Boston could be on to something. The Modern Toilet is a chain of restaurants in Taiwan where patrons sit on a porcelain throne, eat from replica toilet bowls and drink from tiny urinals.
A 2008 study of Boston Common’s condition by the city found the Pink Palace was “an ideal location for outside investment” even though it “is out of use, is no longer maintained, and is well on the way to becoming a blight.”
Caitriona McCarthy of Boston said she wouldn’t necessarily brush off a commode turned cafe.
“I would go, if they obviously sanitized it,” McCarthy said. “I’m assuming they’re going to knock the whole thing down.”
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1259772
Daily Grill closes
Boston Restaurant Talk
Monday, June 07, 2010
Daily Grill at the Prudential Center Closes Its Doors
A small chain of American restaurants has closed its one New England restaurant, which had been located at the Prudential Center in Boston.
According to posters on both Chowhound and Yelp, Daily Grill has shut down, with a poster on Chowhound mentioning that its last day was toward the end of May. Daily Grill first opened at the Pru in the spring of 2008, bringing to the Back Bay a family- and business-friendly eatery that focused on steaks and chops.
Daily Grill currently has about 20 restaurants, with more than half located in California. The rest of the locations are in Washington, DC, Maryland, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Virginia, and Washington.
The address for this now-closed restaurant was: Daily Grill, 111 Huntington Avenue (Prudential Center), Boston, MA, 02199.
posted by Marc at 9:45 AM |
Monday, June 07, 2010
Daily Grill at the Prudential Center Closes Its Doors
A small chain of American restaurants has closed its one New England restaurant, which had been located at the Prudential Center in Boston.
According to posters on both Chowhound and Yelp, Daily Grill has shut down, with a poster on Chowhound mentioning that its last day was toward the end of May. Daily Grill first opened at the Pru in the spring of 2008, bringing to the Back Bay a family- and business-friendly eatery that focused on steaks and chops.
Daily Grill currently has about 20 restaurants, with more than half located in California. The rest of the locations are in Washington, DC, Maryland, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Virginia, and Washington.
The address for this now-closed restaurant was: Daily Grill, 111 Huntington Avenue (Prudential Center), Boston, MA, 02199.
posted by Marc at 9:45 AM |
Friday, June 4, 2010
Naked Pizza to open in Boston
Boston Restaurant Talk
Thursday, June 03, 2010
Naked Pizza Is Coming to Boston
A New Orleans-based pizza place that is looking to go national--and has the financial backing of a well-known family in the Boston area--is going to be opening a location near Boston University.
According to the EveryBlock Boston site, Naked Pizza is coming to Commonwealth Avenue, just west of the Agganis Arena and just east of The Paradise Rock Club. Naked Pizza, which focuses on healthy pies (no preservatives, trans fats, or added sugar), currently has only one restaurant open (in New Orleans), but based on their website, a number of franchise locations have been awarded, including the one in Boston as well as in Rochester, NY, and Princeton, NJ.
According to the Wicked Local blog, Naked Pizza has gained the financial backing of the Kraft Group, a Foxborough-based holding company that is known in part for owning the New England Patriots. The blog indicates that Naked Pizza may be working on a few other franchise agreements in New England in addition to the Boston location.
The address for this upcoming pizza place near BU will be: Naked Pizza, 957 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA, 02215. The website for the company is: http://nakedpizza.biz/
For more information on Naked Pizza, please go to the Wicked Local blog link below.
Naked Pizza is aiming to bring its healthy slices to New England
posted by Marc at 10:41 AM |
Thursday, June 03, 2010
Naked Pizza Is Coming to Boston
A New Orleans-based pizza place that is looking to go national--and has the financial backing of a well-known family in the Boston area--is going to be opening a location near Boston University.
According to the EveryBlock Boston site, Naked Pizza is coming to Commonwealth Avenue, just west of the Agganis Arena and just east of The Paradise Rock Club. Naked Pizza, which focuses on healthy pies (no preservatives, trans fats, or added sugar), currently has only one restaurant open (in New Orleans), but based on their website, a number of franchise locations have been awarded, including the one in Boston as well as in Rochester, NY, and Princeton, NJ.
According to the Wicked Local blog, Naked Pizza has gained the financial backing of the Kraft Group, a Foxborough-based holding company that is known in part for owning the New England Patriots. The blog indicates that Naked Pizza may be working on a few other franchise agreements in New England in addition to the Boston location.
The address for this upcoming pizza place near BU will be: Naked Pizza, 957 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA, 02215. The website for the company is: http://nakedpizza.biz/
For more information on Naked Pizza, please go to the Wicked Local blog link below.
Naked Pizza is aiming to bring its healthy slices to New England
posted by Marc at 10:41 AM |
Boston Landmarks Orchestra to play free show at Fenway
Orchestra will make Fenway a field of strings
By Julia Rappaport | Friday, June 4, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Local Coverage
Talk about a grand slam.
The Boston Landmarks Orchestra and the Boston Red Sox [team stats] yesterday announced that the orchestra plans to perform a free concert at Fenway Park [map] on July 7 at 7 p.m. The concert, a celebration of the orchestra’s 10th anniversary, will include performances of works by Aaron Copland, Rossini, Beethoven and from Leonard Bernstein’s “West Side Story.”
“This concert will be a home run for everyone in Greater Boston,” BLO founder and conductor Charles Ansbacher said in a press release. “We are so grateful to the Red Sox for giving us this special opportunity to perform in Fenway Park during our 10th anniversary year.”
The Boston Pops has appeared at Fenway in years past to perform the National Anthem, but it is believed this will be the first full orchestra concert at the ballpark.
The BLO kicks off its regular season a week after its Fenway debut with a performance of Beethoven’s 9th at the Hatch Shell. The orchestra also will play at Jamaica Pond on July 25, Adams National Historical Park in Quincy on Aug. 26, and the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem on Sept. 24. It will also give children’s concerts at the Blue Hills Boys & Girls Club in Dorchester on Aug. 5 and the Yawkey Club of Boston in Roxbury on Aug. 6. All the concerts are free.
Information on how to obtain free tickets to the Fenway Park show, which will be put on in association with the office of Mayor Thomas M. Menino and the City of Boston, will be announced later this month.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1259219
By Julia Rappaport | Friday, June 4, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Local Coverage
Talk about a grand slam.
The Boston Landmarks Orchestra and the Boston Red Sox [team stats] yesterday announced that the orchestra plans to perform a free concert at Fenway Park [map] on July 7 at 7 p.m. The concert, a celebration of the orchestra’s 10th anniversary, will include performances of works by Aaron Copland, Rossini, Beethoven and from Leonard Bernstein’s “West Side Story.”
“This concert will be a home run for everyone in Greater Boston,” BLO founder and conductor Charles Ansbacher said in a press release. “We are so grateful to the Red Sox for giving us this special opportunity to perform in Fenway Park during our 10th anniversary year.”
The Boston Pops has appeared at Fenway in years past to perform the National Anthem, but it is believed this will be the first full orchestra concert at the ballpark.
The BLO kicks off its regular season a week after its Fenway debut with a performance of Beethoven’s 9th at the Hatch Shell. The orchestra also will play at Jamaica Pond on July 25, Adams National Historical Park in Quincy on Aug. 26, and the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem on Sept. 24. It will also give children’s concerts at the Blue Hills Boys & Girls Club in Dorchester on Aug. 5 and the Yawkey Club of Boston in Roxbury on Aug. 6. All the concerts are free.
Information on how to obtain free tickets to the Fenway Park show, which will be put on in association with the office of Mayor Thomas M. Menino and the City of Boston, will be announced later this month.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1259219
Jerry Remy's review
Jerry Remy’s raises the Bar
By Mat Schaffer | Friday, June 4, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Dining Reviews
JERRY REMY’S SPORTS BAR & GRILL: B
Jerry Remy’s Sports Bar & Grill is a money machine.
Named for the popular broadcaster/former Red Sox [team stats] second baseman, this high-concept saloon in the shadow of Fenway Park [map] is a nightly mob scene of sports fans. They’re here to eat, drink and watch the afternoon/evening game on two dozen HDTVs, including two $250,000 11-foot-screen monsters, front and center over the bar.
Remy’s savvily capitalizes on the passion of Beantown sports loyalists.
All 150 of the watering hole’s $500 “season passes” that guarantee seating during Sox home games (plus an autographed photo with Jerry, discounts and other perks) are sold. Lesser-priced Sox “away” packages are available; Celtics [team stats], Bruins [team stats] and Patriots [team stats] passes go on sale this summer.
Many patrons wear their favorite team’s cap or jersey.
For an operation virtually guaranteed financial success before it opened, Jerry Remy’s laudably doesn’t cut corners when it comes to food.
The menu - from executive chef Jacqueline Kelly (formerly of Bravo restaurant at the Museum of Fine Arts) - is principally pub grub and barbecue. The pub fare can be iffy but the barbecue shines.
Crab cakes ($14) are almost entirely crabmeat. But promised Kaffir lime and Old Bay mayo is AWOL - summarily replaced by green-goddess dressing and chipotle aioli.
If you like onion rings ($7), you’ll enjoy oversized, tempura-light rings, although horseradish dipping sauce is MIA. “Spicy” shrimp fresh rolls will cost you $11 for 1 Vietnamese-style, rice-paper-wrapped rolls that you can purchase for half the price in Chinatown. Not only are they not spicy but advertised “roasted peanut ponzu sauce” is more accurately soy sauce and peanuts.
Portions are generous and, in some cases, enormous.
Even extreme eaters will be intimidated by the Remy burger ($10), a giant Angus patty, grilled onions, cheddar, lettuce, tomato and Thousand Island dressing, layered between two deep-fried hamburger buns. The RemDawg ($9) is an equally humongous frank, smothered in chili, cheddar and pickled onions and nestled into a gargantuan roll.
“Glutton: one who digs his grave with his teeth.” French proverb.
Average appetites will be unable to finish marinated, grilled skirt steak ($19). It comes rolled up like a jellyroll with steamed asparagus and a 4-inch square of deep-fried macaroni-and-pepper-jack cheese wrapped in bacon. It’s very good.
Thumbs up for the fish & chips ($16). Sam Adams-beer-battered cod and a mountain of homemade fries are admirably fresh and not greasy.
But the real culinary reason to dine here are the barbecued items, cooked out back, in a custom-built smoker trailer from Pits by JJ of Houston. The St. Louis-style ribs ($12/$19) and smoked half chicken ($15), both painted in citrusy glaze, are tender, moist and wonderfully, aggressively smoky. It’s the best ’cue in the Fenway.
Extra napkins should be de rigueur with barbecue orders.
Remy’s boasts a decent - if unnecessarily expensive - wine list and solid beer assortment. We downed 16-ounce cans of Rhode Island-based Narragansett ($3.50). Hi neighbor, have a ’Gansett!
Desserts are unexpectedly artistic. The Fenway ($8) - a chocolate, caramel and peanut mousse tower topped with limp popcorn- and Oreos & Cream ($7) - a fudge cake and Oreo mousse confection garnished with crumbled cookies - are almost too beautiful to consume.
Given the numbers - and fervor - of the crowd, service is remarkably efficient.
With its front and back sliding window walls, polished wooden floors, leather banquettes and eye-popping television display, Jerry Remy’s Sports Bar & Grill is a handsome place.
You won’t see a single recognizable remnant of prior tenants WBCN [website]-FM. But a Big Mattress cocktail ($9.50) of bourbon, apple juice and maple syrup is a shoutout to the legendary rock radio station’s longtime morning show.
1265 Boylston St. (Fenway); 617-236-7369; jerryremys.com.
Price: $20-$40
Hours: Daily, 11 a.m.-2 a.m.
Bar: Full
Credit: Amex, MasterCard, Visa
Recession specials: No
Accessibility: Accessible
Parking: Nearby lots, on street
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/entertainment/food_dining/reviews/view.bg?articleid=1259149
By Mat Schaffer | Friday, June 4, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Dining Reviews
JERRY REMY’S SPORTS BAR & GRILL: B
Jerry Remy’s Sports Bar & Grill is a money machine.
Named for the popular broadcaster/former Red Sox [team stats] second baseman, this high-concept saloon in the shadow of Fenway Park [map] is a nightly mob scene of sports fans. They’re here to eat, drink and watch the afternoon/evening game on two dozen HDTVs, including two $250,000 11-foot-screen monsters, front and center over the bar.
Remy’s savvily capitalizes on the passion of Beantown sports loyalists.
All 150 of the watering hole’s $500 “season passes” that guarantee seating during Sox home games (plus an autographed photo with Jerry, discounts and other perks) are sold. Lesser-priced Sox “away” packages are available; Celtics [team stats], Bruins [team stats] and Patriots [team stats] passes go on sale this summer.
Many patrons wear their favorite team’s cap or jersey.
For an operation virtually guaranteed financial success before it opened, Jerry Remy’s laudably doesn’t cut corners when it comes to food.
The menu - from executive chef Jacqueline Kelly (formerly of Bravo restaurant at the Museum of Fine Arts) - is principally pub grub and barbecue. The pub fare can be iffy but the barbecue shines.
Crab cakes ($14) are almost entirely crabmeat. But promised Kaffir lime and Old Bay mayo is AWOL - summarily replaced by green-goddess dressing and chipotle aioli.
If you like onion rings ($7), you’ll enjoy oversized, tempura-light rings, although horseradish dipping sauce is MIA. “Spicy” shrimp fresh rolls will cost you $11 for 1 Vietnamese-style, rice-paper-wrapped rolls that you can purchase for half the price in Chinatown. Not only are they not spicy but advertised “roasted peanut ponzu sauce” is more accurately soy sauce and peanuts.
Portions are generous and, in some cases, enormous.
Even extreme eaters will be intimidated by the Remy burger ($10), a giant Angus patty, grilled onions, cheddar, lettuce, tomato and Thousand Island dressing, layered between two deep-fried hamburger buns. The RemDawg ($9) is an equally humongous frank, smothered in chili, cheddar and pickled onions and nestled into a gargantuan roll.
“Glutton: one who digs his grave with his teeth.” French proverb.
Average appetites will be unable to finish marinated, grilled skirt steak ($19). It comes rolled up like a jellyroll with steamed asparagus and a 4-inch square of deep-fried macaroni-and-pepper-jack cheese wrapped in bacon. It’s very good.
Thumbs up for the fish & chips ($16). Sam Adams-beer-battered cod and a mountain of homemade fries are admirably fresh and not greasy.
But the real culinary reason to dine here are the barbecued items, cooked out back, in a custom-built smoker trailer from Pits by JJ of Houston. The St. Louis-style ribs ($12/$19) and smoked half chicken ($15), both painted in citrusy glaze, are tender, moist and wonderfully, aggressively smoky. It’s the best ’cue in the Fenway.
Extra napkins should be de rigueur with barbecue orders.
Remy’s boasts a decent - if unnecessarily expensive - wine list and solid beer assortment. We downed 16-ounce cans of Rhode Island-based Narragansett ($3.50). Hi neighbor, have a ’Gansett!
Desserts are unexpectedly artistic. The Fenway ($8) - a chocolate, caramel and peanut mousse tower topped with limp popcorn- and Oreos & Cream ($7) - a fudge cake and Oreo mousse confection garnished with crumbled cookies - are almost too beautiful to consume.
Given the numbers - and fervor - of the crowd, service is remarkably efficient.
With its front and back sliding window walls, polished wooden floors, leather banquettes and eye-popping television display, Jerry Remy’s Sports Bar & Grill is a handsome place.
You won’t see a single recognizable remnant of prior tenants WBCN [website]-FM. But a Big Mattress cocktail ($9.50) of bourbon, apple juice and maple syrup is a shoutout to the legendary rock radio station’s longtime morning show.
1265 Boylston St. (Fenway); 617-236-7369; jerryremys.com.
Price: $20-$40
Hours: Daily, 11 a.m.-2 a.m.
Bar: Full
Credit: Amex, MasterCard, Visa
Recession specials: No
Accessibility: Accessible
Parking: Nearby lots, on street
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/entertainment/food_dining/reviews/view.bg?articleid=1259149
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)