Towne now open at Hynes Convention Center

Grub Street Boston
What to Eat at Towne, Bringing Whiskey Butter Lobster to Hynes Tomorrow

* 7/29/10 at 11:00 AM

Towne, the epic Lydia Shire/Jasper White/Mario Capone collaboration, opens in the Hynes Convention Center tomorrow and we've got your first look at the menu. As promised, it spans the globe, bouncing from China (pig chop with fried milk and Wuxi riblets) to Italy (a Wednesday and Sunday special of porchetta with anise-flamed broiled summer peach) to America itself (wood-fired lobster with lobster sausage, whiskey butter, and fries). Of note: the menu requests that you order the burger rare. Above all, the food here is fun: a starter of foie gras is paired with a roasted grape risotto, a witty play on the foie gras and jam sandwiches we've seen at so many restaurant parties and the iceberg salad goes by the punderful "Iceberg, Baby." Towne gets serious when it comes to the prices, however: entrees will generally run you $25-35 and it's possible to pay over $20 for a starter.

Posto review

Posto: Amore at first bite
By Mat Schaffer | Friday, July 30, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Dining Reviews
POSTO: B+

Pizzerias don’t come any better than Posto in Davis Square, Somerville.

Chef and owner Joe Cassinelli (formerly of Stella, L’Andana) is a stickler about details.

Cassinelli recently attended a three-day pizza course sponsored by the American branch of the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana, a trade organization that protects the authenticity of Neapolitan pizza. He’s now a VPN-certified pizzaiolo (pizza maker). His diploma is displayed in the foyer.

Cassinelli makes his dough with lower-gluten, Molino Caputo Tipo 00 flour,boutique-milled outside Naples. Mozzarella is homemade on site. Sauce is deliberately minimal: San Marzano tomatoes, olive oil and sea salt. And the pizzas are baked in a 900-degree, wood-fired oven imported from Italy.

Posto’s pastas are handmade. Herbs are harvested from planters on the front sidewalk. Meats and vegetables are “all-natural, nitrate-free, sustainable, hormone-free, nonantibiotic, free-range and organic ... whenever possible.”

The wine list is smart and remarkably priced. Every wine is available by the bottle, carafe or glass. A handful of the best bottles are housed in a Tuscan-built storage unit that uses inert argon gas to preserve freshness so you can enjoy barolos and brunellos by the glass.

Dining here is out of this world.

Warm rosemary and sea salt bread ($2.50) gives you a foretaste of the excellent pizza crust - a naan-like loaf you break apart with your fingers and douse with chrysanthemum-colored, house-infused chili oil. Garlicky red sauce surrounds nonna’s meatballs al forno ($9), souffle-light and redolent of thyme.

Arancini rice balls ($5), oozing with mozzarella and lemon zest, are deep-fried crisp and napped with tomato sauce and cheese. Chioggia beet salad ($10) of sliced beets dolloped with Vermont goat cheese and drizzled with citrusy orange and honey vinaigrette is delectable.

Alas, what happened to the promised radishes and olives in a crunchy native beansalad ($9) of wax and string beans, feta and red onion in chardonnay-and-herb vinaigrette? We loved wood-grilled Greek octopus and white bean salad ($8) with cherry tomatoes, green and black olives, oregano leaves and lemony dressing.

Posto specializes in classic Neapolitan-style pizza - a circle of thin crust enclosed by a thicker rim.

The basic margherita ($12) topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella and basil is perfect. The asparagus pizza ($15) is a simple and simply fabulous pie of asparagus, grated parmesan, guanciale bacon, lemon zest and an egg.

Vegans will appreciate the no-sauce, no-cheese, no-nonsense, primavera pizza ($15): roasted eggplant, peppers, whole cherry tomatoes,zucchini, summer squash and basil, spritzed with sugary vincotto vinegar.

The kitchen’s mantra might be “less is more.”

Pastas ($9/$16) are available in half- and full-sized portions. We adored Maine-crabmeat-stuffed tortellini in emerald-green sweet pea broth, strewn with microgreens. And twisted strands of trofie pasta bathed in thick basil pesto and toasted pine nuts.

The single risotto ($7/$13) option is a sublime combo of arborio rice, yellow-tomato confit, cherry tomatoes, basil and parmesan - simultaneously sweet, herbal and cheesy.

Desserts are a steal at $5. There’s alcohol-soaked tiramisu of sponge cake, mascarpone and espresso garnished with shaved Taza chocolate. Both the vanilla ricotta filling and pastry shells of the cannoli are homemade. A pizzetta of mascarpone, strawberries, basil and Nutella is so good you may consider ordering a second.

Posto is a cavernous and loud industrial-chic space with a large granite bar next to the open kitchen.

The wait staff is not yet entirely up to speed on the specifics of what it is they’re serving. And service can be overwhelmed when it’s busy. Which it is.

Posto only accepts reservations for large parties, so expect a wait.

187 Elm St., Somerville (Davis Square). 617-625-0600; pizzeriaposto.com.

Price: $20-$40

Hours: Mon.-Fri., 5-11 p.m.; Sat., noon-11 p.m.; Sun., noon-10 p.m.

Bar: Full

Credit: All

Recession Specials: No

Accessibility: Accessible

Parking: Small lot, on street
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/entertainment/food_dining/reviews/view.bg?articleid=1271044

Puma City returning to Boston; this time in Fenway

Puma City sets up shop for second Hub stint
By Donna Goodison | Friday, July 30, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Business & Markets

Puma City will rise again in Boston for the second time in just over a year.

The athletic gear company’s portable 11,000-square-foot store and nightclub, constructed with 24 red shipping containers, is being erected on Van Ness Street in the shadow of Fenway Park [map], the Boston Courant is reporting.

A spokeswoman at Puma’s North American headquarters in Westford confirmed the report, but declined to say when Puma City will open, what events will be held there or whether it again would be a temporary “pop-up” destination.

“The three-story structure will, like the original, house a Puma store and a bar, complete with drinks and traditional bar eats,” spokeswoman Kristina Fields said. “As construction is still under way, opening day and special events are still being determined and will be announced within a few weeks.”

Puma City was unveiled in 2008 in Alicante, Spain, for the start of the Volvo Ocean Race. It made its U.S. debut on Boston’s Fan Pier last year for three weeks in conjunction with the boats arriving in Boston Harbor after the sixth leg of the nine-month race.

An “evolved” version of Puma City was created in New York’s South Street Seaport to celebrate the World Cup from June 11 to July 11. It included two mobile container stores and a “village” atmosphere with a soccer pitch, the Puma Social Club and a beer garden.

Each of the 40-foot steel shipping containers that will comprise Puma City in Boston weighs 11 tons.

When it was at Fan Pier, the mobile space included an upper-level deck and hosted events including a burrito-eating contest, restaurant industry nights, DJs spinning tunes and happy hours.
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1271099

State approves restaurants on the Common and in the Fens

Universal Hub
Legislature agrees to let city rent out two old buildings on Common, in Fens for restaurants
By adamg - 7/29/10 - 7:47 pm

After some renovations, natch. City Council President Mike Ross reports the legislature took some time today from figuring out whether to allow a casino at Suffolk Downs to approve a home-rule petition to let the city parks department rent out the "Pink Palace" men's room on the Common and the "Duck House" shelter in the Back Bay Fens to restaurant operators.

"“We have seen restaurants transform neighborhoods from the South End to Dorchester, and I believe bringing a quality restaurant or business to the Boston Common and Fens will play a major role in revitalizing those parks," Ross said.

The measure still needs the approval of Gov. Patrick.

High end coffeehouse to open on Tremont Street

Universal Hub
Tremont Street coffehouse says it will serve Portland's best coffee
By adamg - 7/30/10 - 10:33 am

The Boston Licensing Board this week granted a license to a pair of entrepreneurs who think Tremont Street is ripe for a high-end coffeehouse.

The Thinking Cup, 165 Tremont St., hopes to open by the end of the month, serving "high-end coffee" along with froyo, croissants and light sandwiches. The outlet says it will be the first in the Boston area to serve Stumptown Coffee, which it modestly claims is the best coffee in the world.

Also in the works: Four outdoor cafe tables. Because they would be on the public sidewalk, however, they have to be approved by the city's Public Improvement Commission.

State pledges $10 million for Boston Public Market

The Boston Globe
Public food market gets $10m promise
State pledges money for Greenway location

By Casey Ross, Globe Staff | July 29, 2010

Boston is finally slated to get its own downtown public food market — a showcase for dozens of New England agricultural businesses that will sell locally grown produce, artisan cheeses, seafood, and meats.

Prospects for the market, the kind of tourist-friendly amenity long established in other major cities, jelled after the Patrick administration pledged yesterday to spend up to $10 million to prepare a state-owned location on the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway.

Having recently rejected proposals from other developers, Patrick aides threw their support behind the nonprofit Boston Public Market Association, which is promising to make the market a window on the region’s farming heritage and burgeoning food culture. The market association will model the Boston facility after the Ferry Building Marketplace in San Francisco and Reading Terminal in Philadelphia, and expect it to be as popular a tourist attraction as those two markets.

Although the timetable remains fluid, the market is expected to open in a year to 18 months.

The administration’s backing was enthusiastically welcomed by Mayor Thomas M. Me nino, who heavily lobbied state officials to support the nonprofit group and its effort to enliven a long-vacant building along the Greenway.

“We’ve had a lot of delays, but now the governor is moving forward and saying ‘enough is enough,’ ’’ Menino said. “This is going to create vitality on that property and give local farmers an opportunity to sell their wares in an urban location.’’

Patrick and Menino aides said they will spend the next few months devising the financial structure and physical layout of the market, which will require extensive plumbing, cold storage, and other utilities. The site is the ground floor of an office building and parking garage at the Haymarket transit station, on the corner of Hanover and Blackstone streets.

Talk of a downtown food market has gone on for years, with a series of false starts and debate over where to put it. But within the last year developments set the stage for a breakthrough.

The first was a 2009 study by the city that zeroed in on a location for the market. The study recommended a food market district be formed around the existing weekend produce and fish vendors on Blackstone Street, an ideal location for the market because of its proximity to the Greenway and other tourist destinations, such as Faneuil Hall.

More recently, Menino implored state officials to back the public market association and provide the money necessary to get it off the ground.

The association has many members with deep experience in either the food business, politics, or real estate development. Donald Wiest, its president, is a real estate lawyer who previously worked for the Boston Redevelopment Authority. Other members include Howard Leibowitz, a former top City Hall aide, as well as several prominent farming advocates and former state agricultural officials.

The lack of a central market has long been a black mark on the city’s food scene. The last traditional market closed in the 1950s, when buildings in Faneuil Hall Marketplace fell so deeply into disrepair that the federal government threatened to close them, forcing most of the vendors to leave.

For decades, Boston remained one of the few major American cities without a venue to showcase its local foods and agricultural products. Seattle has Pike Place; Baltimore has Lexington Market; Cleveland has the West Side Market. Even Portland, Maine, has a standing public food market.

“It has not been simple or easy, but we’re thrilled to be moving forward,’’ said Wiest. “This will showcase the extraordinary quality of food produced throughout New England and bring north of 5 million people a year through this location.’’

Some local food producers said the market will provide a significant economic boost by giving them direct access to customers, instead of selling to wholesalers or local restaurants.

“Today, we can only get to customers directly through our website or through our place in Duxbury,’’ said Chris Sherman of Island Creek Oysters. “This is a great way to grow the retail side of the business.’’

For many local farms, access to a reliable customer base is a make-or-break issue. Massachusetts farms rely heavily on local markets and farm stands because of the lack of major agricultural distributors in the state. For most, profit margins are razor thin.

The market is slated to go into a five-story building that was built earlier this decade but, except for the parking garage, was never occupied. Its Greenway location will give the Boston market high visibility, and allow sellers to tap into a steady stream of foot traffic.

Some funding issues still need to be worked out. For example, the $10 million in state funds will be allocated over time, with only about $4 million likely to be released in the near term. Given the $7 million it will cost to open, the public market association will have to raise millions, from either private sources or government grants, to start construction. Wiest said he believes the state’s commitment will help the association raise the needed funds. “It’s a gap we think is closeable,’’ he said.

Already, the market association has gained public support from top Boston chefs, including Todd English and Barbara Lynch, who appear on the group’s website. Patrick aides also pledged to assist with the financial plan and to try for funding from the US Department of Agriculture.

While the administration is committed to the market on the ground floor, it still must attract tenants for the upper floors of the building. The state Department of Transportation is planning a series of public meetings to discuss uses for that space, as well as development of an adjacent parcel along Blackstone Street.

Casey Ross can be reached at cross@globe.com.
© Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company

Rocca review

DINING OUT
A star is born . . . at Rocca
This top chef’s talents are best savored in person

By Devra First, Globe Staff | July 28, 2010

‘Top Chef’’ may be the worst thing that could have happened to Tiffani Faison. On the first season of the cooking competition, she took second place and was portrayed as the villainess. It was a distraction. When she took over as chef at the South End Italian restaurant Rocca in March — the first time her name appeared in the marquee spot on a menu — it was the reality TV connection that got people talking.

Enough. From here on out, Faison will not be known as “Tiffani from ‘Top Chef.’ ’’ She should just be known as the killer cook she is. After stints at the likes of Straight Wharf in Nantucket and o ya, she has created at Rocca one of those incredibly beguiling menus that make you want to eat everything on it.

Her flavors are bold, unusual, and strikingly combined. There’s nothing crazy — this is just real food, influenced by modern Italy — but there’s also nothing you’re going to see on other menus around town.

Faison uses fresh herbs liberally, which steers many of her dishes in the direction of light and refreshing. A main course of lobster panzanella features pieces of claw and tail meat and grilled hunks of bread over tomato sauce, topped with bountiful sprigs of oval and Genovese basil, parsley, and chive blossoms. Crispy fried artichokes are dosed with garlic, lemon, and mint. Tiny eggplants marinate in a sweet-hot-sour vinaigrette made with reduced balsamic, red onions, and chilies; mint and basil offer contrast. A dish called “summer melons’’ is a plate of juicy cantaloupe, honeydew, and watermelon; the creamy fresh mozzarella called burrata; and mint, basil, and fragrant lemon balm. It’s so simple and lovely.

Fruit appears in quite a few savory dishes. A cooling crudo of Cape scallops is served with grapefruit and horseradish. Asparagus comes with farro, green grapes, and arugula, in a shallot-honey dressing. Pork is smoked and braised in rich stock, vinegar, and sugar, accompanied by grilled black plums and peaches. The night we try it, the fruit is hard and the flavor of the pork is overwhelmed by the mustard and ginger in the sauce. (Meat dishes aren’t always the equal of pasta, vegetables, and seafood at Rocca. Spiced lamb loin arrives on the raw side of rare, after our server fails to ask what temperature we’d like it. But Faison does work magic with a tough piece of steak — cooked slowly for three hours, the top butt cut becomes marvelously tender and flavorful.)

But perhaps the most unusual use of fruit is in a dish of whole wheat tagliarini. The long, thin pasta is tossed with Parmesan, Meyer lemon, blueberries, and mint. The tart fruit, earthiness of whole wheat, and umami-laden cheese combine to make something surprising and delightful.

I don’t meet a pasta dish I don’t like at Rocca. Tiny gnocchi nestle together with charred lobster and guanciale in a briny, heady sea urchin broth. Envelopes of fresh pasta close around stinky, sticky taleggio cheese, the fragrance trailing out from the seams and toward your nose; tiny carrots, peas, and a delicate carrot mousse offset the richness. Squid ink strozzapreti are a bit too firm, but it almost doesn’t matter. They’re tossed with sweet little shrimp and a smoky pesto made from grilled and raw escarole. The flavors are intense, and intensely good.

Perhaps a legacy of her time at seafood-oriented Straight Wharf, Faison has a way with fish. Striped bass is in season now, and she serves it simply — the skin crisped, the flesh juicy, with sweet roasted corn and ribbons of zucchini in a pool of bacon-scented jus. It offers just enough pork flavor without overwhelming the bass.

Perfectly roasted scallops, stored live and shucked to order, come with creamy polenta. The seafood is lovely, but the accompanying patty-pan squash and purslane are incidental. More interesting is a monkfish and shrimp sausage, a dish with a sense of humor. Light in texture and slightly sweet, the link looks a lot like a frank. So Faison serves it with a schmear of mustard-tinted mascarpone, along with giardiniera — the Italian version of relish. It’s a not dog.

For dessert, an ice cream sandwich wrapped in brown paper picks up on the spirit of fun. Made with orange cookies, chocolate gelato, pistachios, and cocoa nibs, it is just sweet enough, which is to say not very. It plays up the flavor of the nibs. But the best dessert is the simplest: affogato, a scoop of good gelato served in a big cup of strong, chilled espresso, then drizzled with olive oil. On the side, there’s a long breadstick with its tip dipped in a Nutella-like chocolate spread and fleur de sel.

As a restaurant space, Rocca has never been my favorite. The upstairs dining room is uncomfortable and cold. The downstairs bar area is much better, with its curving bar and welcoming couches (the unpleasant, loud music persists, however). Bartending can be uneven — a Ligurian Lemonade (vodka, limoncello, Campari, and more) one night is watery and the Burnt Mail (rum, honey, lime, prosecco, and Angostura bitters) off-kilter. Another night, red sangria is strong and well balanced, and an Americano (vermouth, Campari, and soda) pleasingly syrupy. The wine list is entirely Italian, reasonably priced, and broken into user-friendly categories of light, medium, and bold. (And for dessert, there’s Brachetto by the glass, for $6 a pop — I dare anyone to drink this sweet, pink fizz and not feel happy.)

Faison prevails here, too, with a bar menu that’s as appealing as the one in the dining room. It features snacks such as a pizzetta topped with grilled lamb, goat cheese, and fingerling chips fried in duck fat, or an open-faced sandwich of lobster salad with lobster butter and tomatoes on Rocca’s stellar house-made bread.

Rocca opened three years ago, and it was ready for revitalization. Faison provides this with bright flavors and dishes that satisfy and surprise. With the focus now squarely on the food, it doesn’t matter quite as much how the dining room feels. And it definitely doesn’t matter that Faison was once on some show. What was that called again?

Devra First can be reached at dfirst@globe.com.
© Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company

Cafe Nuovo to open on Salem Street

Universal Hub
Salem Street in the North End to get another Italian restaurant
By adamg - 7/28/10 - 3:01 pm

The Boston Licensing Board today approved a food-serving license for Cafe Nuovo, now going into the site of a long-abandoned restaurant at 76 Salem St. The board took no action on owner Vincent Ferrara's request for a beer and wine license, pending a meeting with a neighborhood group - and research by the board on whether the city has any of the licenses left to give - the total number is limited by state law.

Ferrara had originally proposed staying open until 2 a.m., but scaled that back to midnight on the request of another neighborhood group.

The new restaurant will serve breakfast starting at 7 a.m., light lunches and "family-style" full dinners. Ferrara said he hopes to open this summer.

Yard House restaurant coming to Fenway neighborhood

Boston Restaurant Talk
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Yard House Coming to Boston's Fenway Neighborhood

A casual, upscale restaurant and bar that opened its first New England location in Dedham earlier this year is planning on opening another spot, with this one being within sight of Fenway Park.

According to the Boston Business Journal, the Yard House is looking to move into the spot on Brookline Avenue where the Boston Billiard Club had been. The article mentions that the new restaurant may have a capacity of as many as 500, with both indoor and outdoor seating. And as is the case with the Dedham location, well over 100 beers will be available on tap. Food will be a mix of Asian and American cuisine, with possible dishes being grilled Korean BBQ beef, bernaise sliders, Thai chicken pizza, New Zealand lamb chops, and roasted turkey pot pie.

The Yard House, which opened at Legacy Place in Dedham in March of this year, has locations in 10 states, mostly in the southwestern part of the country. The Boston Business Journal article states that three other Yard House restaurants will be opening soon (a check on the restaurant's website indicates that they will be located in Hallandale Beach, FL, Denver, CO, and San Jose, CA).

The Boston Business Journal mentions that the new Yard House should be opening in the Fenway neighborhood later this year.

The address for this upcoming restaurant in Boston will be: Yard House, 126 Brookline Avenue, Boston, MA, 02215. The website for the restaurant chain is at: http://www.yardhouse.com/

For more information on the opening of The Yard House in Boston, please go to the Boston Business Journal link below.

Yard House inks new lease near Fenway

posted by Marc at 9:40 AM |

Great concierge service can be deciding factor in guest loyalty

Great service by concierges can set hotels apart from rest
Updated 7/6/2010 8:58 AM |

By Charisse Jones, USA TODAY
If you're passing through Austin and need the immediate or impossible done, Tommy Dean is your man.

A concierge at the Four Seasons Hotel, Austin, Dean has stepped in at a moment's notice to play the Wedding March when the pianist failed to show, helped orchestrate more marriage proposals than he can count and once made a FedEx package appear seemingly out of thin air.

He's a key reason that Gene Dickey, 59, won't stay anywhere else.

"Boy, does it make a difference. ... It's one of the things that I shop for," Dickey says of a good concierge. "And then once you find it, you just don't leave. When I'm in Austin, I don't even say where I'm going to stay. I'm going to be at the Four Seasons."

A concierge is traditionally thought of as the go-to person for guests looking to score play tickets and tips on everything from the best restaurants to off-the-beaten-path attractions.

But as the hotel industry struggles to recover from historically low vacancy rates during the depths of the recession, the concierge's role is more central and critical than ever, providing the personal service that can make a visitor want to return, industry observers say.

"I think they go out of their way to accommodate guests because business has been down considerably since 2008," says Joe McInerney, president of the American Hotel & Lodging Association.

The "concierge is really the No. 1 salesperson. If they provide excellent service, people will remember that and they will come back."

By the end of May, the occupancy rate for hotels nationwide was 54.7%, up 3.9% from that same five-month period last year, according to Smith Travel Research, which tracks industry statistics. But it still fell far below the 61.2% occupancy rate in 2007, and the 59.4% rate in 2008.

"We're comparing ourselves to really bad numbers, so, comparatively, 2010 is good," says Jan Freitag, a vice president of Smith Travel Research. "So, yes, we're doing better. Yes, we're selling more rooms than we did in 2009. No, we are not where we were in 2008 and certainly not in 2007."

Key to a 'valuable experience'

With consumers constantly looking for deals and having their choice of myriad new hotels and lodging chains, a personal touch can mean the difference between a barely satisfied guest and a repeat customer, analysts say.

"In today's challenging and competitive hospitality environment, price and experience are the two key factors," says Alan Gregerman, who wrote about concierges in his book on leadership and customer relationships, Surrounded by Geniuses.

"When customers believe that hotels and brands are essentially the same they are quick to try to save a few dollars," he says. "But when guests believe that a particular hotel or brand offers a much more valuable customer experience, they are less inclined to go with the cheapest property. And it's here that the concierge can play a vital role by getting to know the guests, answering questions, solving problems and helping each guest to achieve the full potential of his or her visit — whether it's for business, as part of a group or for leisure."

Apatcha Chong, a concierge at the Trump International Hotel and Tower, Chicago, says she has done calligraphy for guests who needed invitations. It's just one of the skills she and her peers employ to meet the needs of hotel visitors.

"You do what you can to exceed the guests' expectations," says Chong, who notes that concierges arrange everything from floral deliveries to dog walking. "Every hotel has beds and bathrooms, so you have to do something really special to distinguish yourself."

In December, the Ritz-Carlton Philadelphia launched a medical concierge program that invites patients and their families to recuperate at the hotel after receiving treatment at one of the city's medical facilities.

The concierges have no medical training, but they will coordinate special meals, arrange transportation and make sure prescriptions are picked up, among other tasks, for an additional charge per service, says Kimberly Pegg, the hotel's business travel sales manager who is the primary concierge for the program.

"It's something that could certainly separate us," says Pegg, who adds that roughly 30 people have participated in the program. "We wanted to be able to offer patients at different hospitals a place to come and rest ... almost like a bridge to make a softer landing once you get home."

'Like watching a magician'

A concierge is likely to garner headlines only for catering to the far-out requests of the rich and famous.

But Gene Dickey, who once spent up to 260 nights a year on the road, says the more run-of-the-mill demands met by concierges are what truly demonstrate their importance.

Like the time he says he asked concierge Tommy Dean at the Four Seasons in Austin to make sure a box of his belongings was delivered the next day by FedEx.

Despite the Saturday delivery tags taped all over the package, it didn't arrive. And, Dickey says, his local FedEx office was closed.

Dickey resigned himself to waiting until Monday. But Dean refused to give up. Later that day, Dickey saw a car pull up in front of his Dallas home.

A FedEx employee from Austin had driven four hours in his personal car to bring Dickey his package.

"I said, 'You're kidding me,' " Dickey remembers, still marveling at how Dean arranged it all. "It was kind of like ... watching a magician. You know there's a trick involved, but you don't know how they did it."

Dean, 58, who has been a concierge for 20 years, says it's all in a day's work.

"There's nothing better than to have a job (doing) whatever it takes to make people happy," he says.

Park officials ponder ways to draw more people to Harbor Islands

The Boston Globe
Treasure hunting
Officials seek ways to boost appeal of the transformed Harbor Islands

By Katie Johnston Chase, Globe Staff | July 25, 2010

Purple and orange liquid used to ooze off the landfill on Spectacle Island into Boston Harbor. Today, the reclaimed garbage dump is part of the Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area, with 5 miles of trails winding around green slopes, a Summer Shack serving up lobster rolls, and a sandy swimming beach with outdoor showers.

But just because they built it doesn’t mean people are coming — a problem officials in charge of the park’s 34 islands and peninsulas are trying to change.

A Harbor Islands information pavilion is set to open next summer on the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway, and a visitors center and another Summer Shack opened in mid-July on Georges Island, home to a dilapidated Civil War fort. A state-of-the-art dock was just erected on Little Brewster Island, a rocky outcropping that holds the country’s oldest and last manned lighthouse station. On Peddocks Island, which was recently equipped with electricity and water, restoration of a crumbling military fort is about to begin. In all, about $110 million worth of improvements have been made to the islands since they became a national park in 1996.

In addition to these physical enhancements, there are more activities than ever on the islands, eight of which are accessible by ferry. More than 70 days of island events — vintage baseball, kite-flying festivals, and the like — are planned this summer, compared with just eight in 2004. The Summer Shack hosts a weekly sunset clambake on the Spectacle Island pier. And to entice more people onto a boat, the $14 ferry fee is waived a few days each season.

So far, these efforts are having only a modest effect. Visitor numbers have been climbing steadily, but only 135,000 ferry riders and private and charter boat passengers came to the islands last year — as well as about 215,000 more who drove to the areas accessible by car — a fairly low number for being “plunk in the middle of metropolitan Boston,’’ said Bruce Jacobson, the National Park Service superintendent for the islands. The park could handle double the number of visitors, he said.

A big reason for the islands’ low profile is a lack of federal and state funding, which could go toward a more robust, lower-cost ferry system, Jacobson said. Currently, the ferry leaves from Long Wharf once an hour, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the week, as well as a few times a day from shipyards in Hingham and Quincy. When a ferry is sold out, it can mean a long wait.

On the most recent free ferry day, all 3,800 tickets were given out by 10:30 a.m.; if the park had more boats, it could have handled twice that, according to nonprofit Boston Harbor Island Alliance, which is working to secure funding for more ferries.

Getting to the ferry also means either paying a premium to park or taking the MBTA. “It’s not like you can just go throw your towel on the beach near your neighborhood,’’ said Rick Sullivan, commissioner of the state Department of Conservation and Recreation, one of the 13 federal, state, city, and nonprofit agencies that manage the park.

The harbor’s polluted past has also left a lasting impression of stinking trash pits and seagulls circling sewage dumped in the water, as have the jail, asylum, and horse-rendering factory that used to operate on the islands. And it’s still not your typical national park, what with the sewage treatment plant on Deer Island and the Big Dig remnants capping acres of trash on Spectacle Island. Ongoing marketing campaigns stress the islands’ beauty, and proximity to Boston, but their reputation lingers.

Jennifer Quinn of Needham, who was taking the ferry back from Georges Island on a recent evening, has her doubts about the cleanliness of Spectacle’s beach. “I wouldn’t want to go there swimming,’’ she said.

Tom Powers, president of the Boston Harbor Island Alliance, which promotes the islands, witnessed the sludge in the late 1980s as deputy commissioner of the state’s Department of Environmental Protection, long before the $4.5 billion court-ordered cleanup of Boston Harbor, once called “the filthiest harbor in America’’ by President George H.W. Bush, was officially completed in 2000.

“It was not a place you would want to go with your family,’’ said Powers, who would like to see the islands bustling with cultural activity — an art colony on one, a writers’ workshop on another, a road race winding around a third. “The dream is really that it’s an integral part of Boston.’’

The pollution had at least one positive effect, however, Powers said — it prevented developers from taking advantage of the stunning Boston skyline views to build high-priced condos, which could have spoiled the islands’ natural beauty and kept the area from being a public park.

Others think more development is exactly what the islands need. Mayor Thomas M. Menino, for one, is convening a group this summer to talk about how to take advantage of the unused real estate in the harbor, such as a fish farm or a place for tankers to unload liquefied natural gas, the latter of which was proposed and dropped a few years ago.

“How could they help Boston continue to grow?’’ Menino said. “How do we use them for the growth of our city, economically, culturally, and nautically? I just think no other city in America, probably in the world, has that asset of those islands.’’

Alex Krieger, chair of the Department of Urban Planning and Design at Harvard University, said that without hotels, a casino, or other major entertainment venues to attract people to the islands — like the spas and galleries on the San Juan Islands near Seattle — the Harbor Islands will never become a major tourist destination.

“It’s a lost cause,’’ said Krieger, pointing out that the amenities the islands offer — ocean views, forts, and lighthouses — are more easily accessible at many other places in New England. “People in great numbers are not going to go out and explore the islands because there’s not a heck of a lot to do out there.’’

Without more entertainment options, Krieger said, “I think it will just be what it is, which is a pleasant half-day excursion once in a blue moon.’’

A beer garden or an ice cream parlor would be nice additions, said Christina Lanzl, project manager for the Urban Arts Institute at Massachusetts College of Art and Design, who helps facilitate art installations on the islands.

A key element is more frequent water transportation, both between the islands and from a variety of launching points on the shore. “Ten years from now, what will be great is if you don’t even have to think about where to find a spot where you can hop on a boat and get out to the islands,’’ said urban designer and planner Steven Cecil, who cochaired a 1994 brainstorming project called Boston Harbor Visions.

But some people are happy with things just the way they are. “I wouldn’t want to wreck it,’’ said Elaine Sabonaitis, who makes the trip from Shrewsbury to Long Wharf with her husband about once a week in the summer to catch a ferry to the islands. “It’s untouched. Leave it alone.’’

Katie Johnston Chase can be reached at johnstonchase@globe.com.
© Copyr

Two stabbed outside Felt

The Boston Globe
2 stabbed near club; three men charged

July 26, 2010

BOSTON
Three Boston men face charges of assault with a deadly weapon after a fight early yesterday morning outside a nightclub that sent two brothers from Lawrence to hospitals with stab wounds. William San Jurjo, 22, of Dorchester; Louis Alicea, 23, of Hyde Park; and Santiago Hernandez, 29, of Roxbury were arrested after the fight at the FELT Boston club on Washington Street around 1:30 a.m., said Officer Eddy Chrispin of the Boston Police Department. The two victims clashed with three Boston men inside the club, according to Chrispin. Following a scuffle, FELT staff escorted the five men out of the club, police said, but the fight continued and the brothers, ages 31 and 33, were stabbed. The victims were taken to Massachusetts General Hospital and Tufts Medical Center, with wounds not considered to be life-threatening.

Boston, Cambridge hotels rebound from 2009

Area hotels rebound from dismal year in ’09
Getting big boost from an increase in business travel

By Katie Johnston Chase, Globe Staff | July 24, 2010

The beleaguered hotel market has been making a comeback in recent months, with hotels in Boston and Cambridge experiencing increases in year-over-year occupancy levels and average room rates for the first time since the fall of 2008.

Area hotels are benefiting from a rise in business travel, but there are still bumps in the road to recovery, according to data from separate studies by consulting firms Pinnacle Advisory Group and Colliers PKF Consulting. Average daily room rates in Boston and Cambridge rose in April but fell again in May — the latest data available — in several areas, including the Back Bay and South Boston.

“We’re seeing these brief glimpses of hope, and then we’re kind of falling back into reality,’’ said Reed Woodworth of Colliers PKF Consulting, who noted that the Boston hotel market was outpacing the nation as a whole.

The suburbs have had increases in occupancy but have yet to see the boost in room rates that Boston and Cambridge have experienced.

The two Kimpton Hotels properties in the Boston/Cambridge area, the Nine Zero in downtown Boston and the Hotel Marlowe in Cambridge, both had higher year-over-year occupancy and room rates in June, adding up to 18 and 19 percent increases, respectively, in revenue per available room. Tom Thorn, Kimpton’s regional director of sales and marketing for the Northeast, was encouraged by the gains but pointed out that there was a lot of ground to be made up. “It’s a long way to go to hit the ’08 numbers,’’ Thorn said.

Indeed, room revenue in the Boston area was down more than 16 percent last year compared with 2008. So far this year, it’s up 3 percent from the first half of 2009.

“We’re coming out of the death spiral,’’ said Paul Sacco, president of the Massachusetts Lodging Association. No new hotels are scheduled to open, Sacco pointed out, and the less new competition the better for existing properties.

Visitor numbers have been on the rise since January, a trend Patrick Moscaritolo of the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau attributes mainly to business travelers.

Boston and Cambridge have had an 8 percent uptick this year compared with the first six months of 2009. But those numbers are not that impressive, Moscaritolo said, because ’09 was a “horrible’’ year. Visitor spending hasn’t increased much at all over last year, just a little over 1 percent, Moscaritolo said: “We’re living in a deals-gone-wild environment, which means that nobody wants to pay full price.’’

Johnston Chase can be reached at johnstonchase@globe.com.

New soup restaurant to open in Government Center

Soup’s on for Government Center
Mich. chain Zoup set to open first Boston outlet
By Donna Goodison | Saturday, July 24, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Business & Markets
Photo

Zoup! Fresh Soup Co. is hoping for a bite - or perhaps a sip - of the Government Center lunch and after-work crowd.

The Southfield, Mich.-based chain, which operates 25 locations in six states, will open its first Zoup in Massachusetts at 3 Center Plaza this fall.

Zoup serves 12 hot and cold soups from a menu of more than 100 that rotates daily, and each order is served with a hunk of fresh bread. At the Glastonbury, Conn., store yesterday, the soups ranged from lobster bisque, French onion and old-fashioned chicken noodle to shrimp and crawfish etouffee, ginger butternut squash and gazpacho. Prices range from $3.75 for 8 oz. to $6.95 for a 16-oz. bowl. The menu also includes made-to-order salads and sandwiches.

Customers can sign up for a daily e-mail with the list of soups, order online and pick up their meals at a pickup-only register. The Web site also lists whether soups are low-fat, vegetarian, spicy or dairy- and gluten-free.

The time is right for fast-casual chains, which have benefited from recession-wary consumers who have “traded down” from full-service restaurants to save money, according to Technomic Inc., a Chicago food and restaurant consulting firm.

Zoup, though, competes against the likes of the much larger Boston-based Au Bon Pain and Panera Bread, the category leader which last year generated almost $2.8 billion in sales from 1,304 stores.

“We just want the right to be on people’s short list,” Zoup managing partner Eric Ersher said.

The 2,200-square-foot Boston restaurant, which will seat about 40 customers, will be operated by franchisees George and Debbie Keefe of North Easton, who are shooting for a mid-November opening.

The 12-year-old Zoup is privately owned, and all but six of its restaurants are franchises.

“We do some area development deals but, for the most part, they’re single-store owners,” Ersher said. “We’ve been very deliberate about our growth and site selection.”
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1269885

Asian sandwich bar opens at 225 Franklin street in downtown Boston

Boston Restaurant Talk
Friday, July 23, 2010
Foumami Opens in Boston's Financial District

A quick-casual Asian sandwich bar has opened in the Financial District of Boston, bringing to the area a place to get gourmet sandwiches with Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and other Asian influences.

According to the restaurant's website, Foumami is now open on Franklin Street (by High and Oliver Streets) in the heart of downtown Boston. The eatery serves breakfast and lunch, and customers have the option to dine in or take their orders to go (Foumami also has an outdoor seating area). Catering will be offered at some point in the future, according to their website.

Items on the menu at Foumami include salads such as sesame noodle, five-spice brisket, and wasabi Caesar. Sandwiches include braised pork loin, grilled ribeye steak, curry chicken, and flash-fried tofu. Soups such as wonton, hot and sour, and tomato are available as well. Drinks include cinnamon, ginger, and green teas.

Hours for Foumami are 6:30 AM to 5:30 PM Monday through Friday. (The restaurant is closed on weekends.)

The address for this new Asian sandwich bar is: Foumami, 225 Franklin Street, Boston, MA, 02110. the phone number is (617) 426-8858. And their website can be found at: http://www.foumami.com/

Thanks to the Thrillist site for bringing this to our attention.


posted by Marc at 12:06 PM

Young California tourist seriously injured on MBTA escalator

Girl hospitalized after escalator accident at MBTA station in Boston
Jul 22, 2010 5:10pm

(NECN: Ally Donnelly, Boston, Mass.) - An eight-year-old girl is spending part of her Boston vacation in the hospital. She was seriously injured on an escalator at an MBTA station.

Her parents say the T is not safe.

Nancy Kerndt leans over her daughter Nell, whispering, "You've been so brave...love you." 8 year old Nell is sad and listless. She's supposed to be heading to Maine for a family wedding, instead she's at Mass General Hospital for Children battling possible infection, praying doctors don't have to amputate her big toe. "This was not like a scream I had heard before, so I knew something was definitely wrong," said Kerndt.

Click here for a one-on-one interview with Nell's father.

In from Santa Monica, the family had just had dinner in Boston's North End Monday night and were going to take the T back to their hotel. But mom Nancy says as they rode the escalator down to the train at the Aquarium stop, Nell's plastic Croc shoe got tangled in the escalator. "It wouldn't stop. We were in a state of panic," said Kerndt.

As mom tried to wrestle her daughter free, dad Peter lunged for the emergency kill switch, but he says as he and a T attendant pounded on it, the escalator kept churning. Said Peter Kerndt, "I had nothing to stop that escalator...that was the worst possible thing,"

The escalator finally spit Nell free at the bottom, but part of her foot was crushed and her Dad -- a doctor himself -- says the wound was a gaping greasy mess, "The blood vessels and the nerves on the inside were cut...we could see the bone protruding from the side," Dr. Kerndt said.

Problems with the wildly popular crocs have been in the news for years. A recent study in the Journal Pediatric Orthopedics found that of 17 serious foot injuries on escalators in a two year period -- 13 involved people wearing that type of plastic shoe. "It's not hard enough to protect her toe, but it's not slippery enough to be pulled out," Dr. Kerndt said.

The Kerndts say the shoe definitely played a role, but they're outraged the escalator's emergency stop button failed, as they claim. "I don't think that T line is very safe," said Kerndt.

Last year, an elderly Boston woman was strangled to death when a T's escalator kill switch failed, but the MBTA says in this instance state investigators found no defects in the escalator and it has been returned to service. "This might be rare, but when it happens to your son or daughter it's a tragedy and we can prevent it," Kerndt said.

Nell's parents say they think the T should post signs at the stations warning parents about the dangers of the escalators and flimsy shoes. The MBTA maintains parents should be extra vigilant when traveling with children.

Howl at the Moon opening August 13th; Cottonwood eyeing comeback in smaller venue; Mexican restaurant to open in Fort Point

Dueling pianos headed to Boston
Also, Cottonwood Cafe eyes scaled-down comeback
By Donna Goodison / Turning the Tables | Friday, July 23, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Business & Markets

Howl at the Moon, the Chicago-based dueling piano bar chain, is set to open its 15th location, on Boston’s High Street, on Aug. 13.

Local partner Paul Holian says to expect a high-energy show with no breaks from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Wednesdays through Saturdays.

Two pianists, from a rotating group of five, will play requests from Sinatra to Jay-Z, and other instrumentalists - a horn player, drummer or guitarist - will join in, depending on the songs.

“The concept is really cool,” said Holian, who co-owns The Place on nearby Broad Street. “It will be the only form of entertainment like this in Boston, so we’re hoping it’s going to appeal not only to the people who live (here), but the people who visit. It’s a very tourist-driven concept, so it’s good for the convention business.”

Howl is relocating three of its piano players from other locations, and two will be hired locally. Holian hopes to strike up partnerships with local music schools including Berklee to hire people for positions chain-wide.

“We’re toying with doing audition nights where local musical talent can perform and win a job with Howl at the Moon in Orlando or Chicago or other locations, because of the strong musical talent we have here,” he said.

Before he was approached by Howl, Holian was planning to open his own piano bar, called HighBar, to fill the void left by last year’s closing of Jake Ivory’s on Lansdowne Street.

“They really liked the Boston market, particularly since Jake Ivory’s left . . . but they were a little nervous about coming (here) without a local partner,” Holian said.

S.J. Torres, Holian’s partner at The Place, also is a partner. Other investors are WAAF [website] morning man Greg Hill and John Moore, owner of the Navy Yard Bistro and Wine Bar in Charlestown. Moore will oversee the menu of appetizers, sandwiches and salads.

Legendary Restaurant Group is close to signing a lease for a new Mexican restaurant in the Fort Point Channel area of South Boston’s Seaport District.

The owners of Scollay Square, Tavern on the Water and Max & Dylan’s are negotiating with Normandy Real Estate Partners for a space on Summer Street.

“The time is right to expand,” co-owner Chris Damian said.

A Mexican restaurant will bring him and partner Brad Dalbeck back to their decade of running the Border Cafes in Cambridge and Saugus. Although they initially eyed a high-end eatery, Jon Cronin’s plans to open an upscale Mexican restaurant at nearby Liberty Wharf prompted a switch.

“It will be more approachable and accessible - more neighborhood-style,” said Damian, who declined to discuss specifics until he has a signed lease in hand.

Boston’s Cottonwood Cafe closed last month, but owner Craig Gillespie plans a comeback.

Gillespie blamed escalating rent for his decision to abandon his Berkeley Street spot of 18 years. He’s now looking for another location to open a smaller derivative of his Southwestern grill and bar - perhaps a Cottonwood Cantina - in the next three to six months.

“I’m going to tweak what I already had and focus on what really works: The bar and the margaritas, and the fun atmosphere and really high-quality food for a moderate price,” Gillespie said.

He’s open about where to relocate, noting he started in Cambridge in 1988.

“It’s a tough market today, and you just can’t pay these huge enormous rents and expect to thrive long-term,” Gillespie said. “We have a very loyal following. People will find us if it’s safe and convenient.”
Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1269712

Legal Raw now open at Fan Pier

Boston Restaurant Talk
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Legal Raw Opens at Fan Pier on the Waterfront

The latest addition to the Legal Sea Foods family of restaurants is a new outdoor cafe that just opened at Fan Pier on the Boston waterfront.

According to the Fan Pier, Boston Facebook page, Legal Raw is now open on the waterfront by the Fan Pier Cove Marina and the Boston Harborwalk (on the north side of Northern Avenue and just east of the Joseph Moakley Courthouse). The new eatery features such seafood items as littlenecks, lobster rolls, oysters, and shrimp, and beer and wine (as well as cocktails) are available. For those who would rather not dine on seafood, the Fan Pier page mentions that burgers and fries are also offered at Legal Raw.

Legal Raw is one of a number of dining spots in Boston that are part of the Legal family. Legal Sea Foods can be found at Long Wharf, Park Square, Copley Place, the Prudential Center, and Logan Airport, while Legal Test Kitchen can be found in the Seaport District. Several other Legal Sea Foods are located in the Boston area (including two in Cambridge), and a couple of Legal C Bar restaurants can be found at Logan Airport and in Dedham.

The address for this new outdoor cafe on the Boston waterfront is: Legal Raw, 28 Northern Avenue, Boston, MA, 02210.

posted by Marc at 9:59 AM

Tealuxe in Boston closes

Boston Restaurant Talk
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Tealuxe in the Back Bay Has Closed

A trio of tea shops with locations in Boston, Cambridge, and Providence, RI, has dwindled down to two (at least temporarily), as the Back Bay location has shut its doors.

According to posters on Chowhound and Yelp, Tealuxe on Newbury Street has closed down. The Chowhound poster states that the Back Bay Sun mentioned a loss of lease, while the Yelp poster indicates the same. (The Yelp poster also says that a sign on the door door mentions they will open in another Newbury Street location next year, but we are still trying to confirm this.)

Tealuxe first started out on Brattle Street in Harvard Square in 1996, opening the now-closed Newbury Street shop three years later. A third Tealuxe eventually opened on Thayer Street near Brown University in Providence.

In addition to offering a variety of teas to customers who visit their stores, Tealuxe also has a wholesale division and sells teas online. Some of the teas sold by Tealuxe include black, green, white, oolong, rooibos, mate, and a number of herbal and flavored teas. Teapots, accessories, and gift sets can also be purchased through Tealuxe.

The address for the now-closed Tealuxe in Boston's Back Bay was: Tealuxe, 108 Newbury Street, Boston, MA, 02116. The website for Tealuxe can be found at: http://www.tealuxe.com/


posted by Marc at 12:32 PM |

Upper Crust faces new wage law violation allegations

Pizzeria chain may face new wage case
Suit vs. Upper Crust sparks US inquiry

By Jenn Abelson, Globe Staff | July 22, 2010

The US Department of Labor is investigating new allegations of wage law violations at the Upper Crust pizzeria chain, according to several people involved in the inquiry.

The federal agency last year ordered Upper Crust LLC to pay more than $341,000 to about 121 workers for uncompensated overtime, following complaints from employees. Last week, two former Upper Crust cooks filed a lawsuit that accuses the company of taking back the federally-ordered payments by deducting the money from their weekly paychecks.

Carlos Matos, an investigator at the US Department of Labor, has already interviewed some former Upper Crust employees — including a manager and cook — along with several current workers, according to the people involved in the investigation. Matos declined to comment.

Neal B. Siskind, an attorney representing Upper Crust, which has 17 restaurants in Massachusetts, wrote in an e-mail to the Globe: “There will be no further comment on alleged pending matters until such time as my office has had an opportunity to review documentation filed by either former employees and/or the Department of Labor.’’

A former Upper Crust manager said he told federal officials that employees who received overtime settlements last August were told they had to quit their jobs if they wanted to keep the checks, or effectively give the money back by taking a pay cut. The former manager — who requested anonymity because the investigation is ongoing — said the employees, who were mostly Brazilian immigrants and routinely worked 70 to 80 hours a week, were also changed from hourly staff to salaried employees so the company could avoid paying overtime.

“These were guys rolling pizza and making dough,’’ the former manager said of the Brazilian workers. “There’s no accountability for anything.’’ The owners “did whatever they wanted to make money,’’ he said.

Jordan Tobins, one of the chain’s owners, confirmed in an e-mail to the Globe last week that pay rates were scaled back last August because Upper Crust needed to reduce payroll. But he also added that the two former cooks who filed the lawsuit last week in Suffolk Superior Court were promoted from hourly workers to kitchen managers last summer.

Valdeir Pereira Pinto, one of the former cooks suing Upper Crust, said he was not a kitchen manager. Pinto, who worked at the Upper Crust restaurant on Commonwealth Avenue in Boston, said he discussed with Matos at the US Department of Labor how the company, after making the lump restitution payments for overtime, deducted hundreds of dollars from his weekly paycheck and fired him after Upper Crust recovered its money.

“I spoke to [Matos] about the money they took back,’’ Pinto said.

The initial investigation, which looked at pay practices at Upper Crust from April 2007 through April 2009, found hourly workers were paid straight time even after they exceeded 40 hours in a week. For example, Pinto received two checks for the week ending Jan. 5, 2008, earning $400 at $10 an hour for the first 40 hours and $305 for an additional 30.5 hours, according to copies of paychecks provided by his lawyers.

A time card for the week ending Sept. 27, 2009, a month after the overtime payments, shows Pinto worked 72 hours. But he received only one check, for $455. He earned the same amount for the week ending Dec. 6, 2009, even though he worked longer — 80.5 hours, according to records supplied by his lawyers.

Lydia Edwards, a volunteer attorney at the Brazilian Immigrant Center in Brighton, said the office has referred at least five current and former Upper Crust employees to the US Department of Labor to aid in its most recent investigation.

“This is an unfortunate situation that many immigrant workers and workers in general have to face to get paid a decent wage,’’ Edwards said. “It also demonstrates that even in situations when you are willing to work with an employer, some employers insist on exploiting their workers.’’

Jenn Abelson can be reached at abelson@globe.com.
© Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company

Stoddard's review

DINING OUT
Bit of the past, bite of the present
Stoddard’s historical decor mixes with comfort food/fine dining menu

By Devra First, Globe Staff | July 21, 2010

Nobody ever gets his shoes shined here.

Stoddard’s Fine Food & Ale is a tribute to “those great Bostonians that walked these winding streets long before us,’’ according to the menu. The building that houses the Downtown Crossing restaurant dates to 1868. It’s been a corset store, sewing machine retailer, bait and tackle shop, and cutlery. The owners make the most of its historical aspects. The space is decorated with reclaimed wood and exposed brick, with tin ceilings and indoor lampposts modeled after ones that appeared on Boston streets of the era. Antique sewing machines, meat grinders, and other gadgets are on display (as is a selection of corsets, though these look brand new). There is a long bar lined with taps, a lineup of multiple cask-conditioned ales, and a list of old-school cocktails.

And there is a shoeshine station. No one’s ever seated in it. Boston just isn’t that “Mad Men’’ yet, at least not in summer. “Everyone wears flip-flops,’’ one waitress explains.

At least half the customers seem to. They are the ones also clad in shorts and T-shirts. The other half of the crowd wears plaid button-downs and grandpa caps. It looks like a turf war between frat boys and hipsters, but everyone comes in the spirit of friendship. It’s not good for the soundtrack, which is half big band, half classic rock one recent evening, an aurally confusing mix. But Stoddard’s is one of the few downtown restaurants that serves its purpose equally well for tourists and residents, of all stripes. And if the kid fresh off the Freedom Trail with his parents wants to know why there are bras hanging on the walls, well, chalk that up to continuing education.

In this history theme park, in a neighborhood catering to out-of-towners and those looking to quench a post-work thirst, it’s a relief to find that attention is also paid to the food. It’s a relief, in fact, that Stoddard’s is open at all. The restaurant began operations in April, after so many delays it appeared it might be history too.

It’s co-owned by the people behind nightlife group 6one7 Productions and Italian restaurant Ivy, right across the street. Executive chef Mark Cina has put together a menu that falls somewhere between comfort food and fine dining, with plenty of clever little snacks for the tipplers.

Some, like deviled eggs and a pot of pickles, aren’t worth bothering with. The former taste like hard-boiled eggs with aerated yolks; there’s no tang to them. But there are plenty to go around — when the menu says there are three per order, it means whole eggs, not halves. That’s a nice change for a dish that’s often skimpy. The pot of pickles just contains gherkins and bread-and-butter pickles, which are slightly fizzy, just past their peak. With a wave of interesting pickles in restaurants around town, Stoddard’s can do better here.

This is clear from Cina’s well-made charcuterie. It’s a bountiful assortment — rich pate de campagne studded with pistachios, an incredibly salty but incredibly tasty bresaola, sausage with hard-boiled quail eggs embedded in the center, tiny and delicious pastrami sandwiches with slaw, duck prosciutto spiced with cinnamon, clove, anise, coriander, and long pepper. . . . As with the deviled eggs, we get more than we expect.

There are plenty of other things to munch with your Delirium Tremens or Pretty Things Jack d’Or, both on tap, along with about 20 other selections. There are generally five cask-conditioned ales on offer, as well as a long list of bottles. Lobster scallion hushpuppies are savory rounds of dough with plenty of lobster flavor. They are served with spicy avocado aioli that isn’t spicy and doesn’t taste like avocado, but the hushpuppies are good enough to stand on their own. Similarly, fondue made from aged Gouda and cask ale lacks strong cheese or beer flavor. It’s mild and on the runny side, but it’s still a vat of cheese sauce with plenty of crunchy accompaniments for dipping: soft-pretzel nuggets, apples, fennel, carrots, and peppers. It’s hard to argue with that.

Stoddard’s does a very good burger, too. Made from Meyer natural beef, it comes on a black pepper brioche bun from Iggy’s, with cheddar, pickles, and a house-made, tomato-based sauce (just don’t call it ketchup, which Cina hates, he later reveals by phone). It’s nestled in a giant field of skinny, salty fries. These are a better choice than the onion rings, which are puffy, pale, and greasy.

Chicken potpie is a skillet brimming with braised meat and chicken sausage, along with potatoes cut in spheres, parsnips, celery root, and other root vegetables. Parsnip veloute binds it all together. The pie dough lid tastes handmade, although it’s not particularly flaky and arrives one evening slightly burned.

A merguez sausage sandwich entices with its condiments, turnip kraut and ramp aioli, but something has gone awry with the charcuterie-making skills here. The lamb is underspiced and intensely gamy, the texture dry and crumbly.

At a restaurant that gives ale equal billing in its name, good drinking snacks and comfort food aren’t that surprising. But Cina and his crew have a deft touch with more elegant dishes, too. Crispy on top, juicy within, cod comes with fennel-scented sauce, more of those round potatoes, and a piperade composed largely of red peppers. Halibut is slightly overcooked one night, but it comes in a wonderfully tart and balanced citrus-brown butter sauce, with pine nuts, raisins, and cauliflower: sour, sweet, and savory.

Stoddard’s best dish may be ballotine of rabbit, tender rounds of pancetta-wrapped meat stuffed with rabbit mousse. On the side are spiced prune compote, sauteed nettles, and glazed salsify. The sweetness of the prunes and bitterness of the greens complement the rabbit’s richness.

Dessert, however, may be the restaurant’s weakest point. A ganache-like chocolate terrine comes with dried, chewy pomegranate seeds. It ought to come with a side of floss. Rhubarb panna cotta is far too stiff and barely tastes like rhubarb. Even a bourbon float needs more ice cream.

Well-mixed cocktails compensate. The list draws from Jerry Thomas’s “How to Mix Drinks or the Bon Vivant’s Companion,’’ first published in 1862: Brandy Crustas, Gin Slings, and the like. It also features a house punch that is fruity without being too sweet. The secret recipe may involve bourbon and port. “We were inspired to create a cocktail program that rekindled the creative spirit of our forefathers, considering that the cocktail was basically America’s only gift to the culinary world,’’ the menu boldly states. (Tell that to gumbo, corn bread, barbecue, and other regional specialties.)

Service can be uneven, particularly when the place is busy. Orders are occasionally mixed up or misdelivered, and there can be a wait for food or attention. But the servers are sweet and impressively well schooled in Stoddard’s beer list, readily offering descriptions and recommendations. Some are a bit weaker when it comes to food. Explaining why the accompaniments on one dish have changed, our server informs us that “ramps are out of season, and they don’t want to use canned vegetables.’’ That is good to know.

Stoddard’s Fine Food & Ale lives up to its billing, offering both. It gives tourists a taste of living Boston history. It gives locals a good-looking hangout and a reasonable price point. And it gives everyone a shoeshine. Come scuffed and hungry.

Devra First can be reached at dfirst@globe.com.
© Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company

Fenway Park unlikely to expand in seat beer sales beyond field and pavillion box seats

BRIAN MCGRORY
From where I sit: elitism

By Brian McGrory, Globe Columnist | July 21, 2010

Imagine my surprise when a vendor knelt beside my seat at a recent Red Sox game and asked a question that I may never forget: “Would you like a beer?’’

Would I like a beer? Would Bob DeLeo like slots? Would Scott Brown like a mirror? A beer, delivered right to my seat at Fenway Park? Somebody grab my arms before I hug this fine man.

And then I remembered — of course, I was in the field boxes, courtesy of an old friend who had apparently gone through half the alphabet before he called me. Another guy in our group took the uncharacteristic step of pulling out his wallet (“$31 for four beers? How do you make money charging so little?’’ he asked. Said the vendor: “Razor-thin margins’’).

You see, in the $130 field boxes, fans have the privilege of being served beer in their seats. It’s a ritual I’ve watched over the last couple of seasons from the rows above, beer men wandering the cross aisle, always turning down, never up, cracking open ice cold cans and letting the golden liquid flow crisply into a plastic cup.

When they’re done, they walk by you like you don’t even exist. You peasants in the $90 loge boxes, you peons in the $52 grandstand, get up out of your silly little seats and wait in line.

Now seems as good a time as any to ask the question that others have posed before. Why not sell beer to people in their seats all over the park? Isn’t it elitist for the Red Sox to suggest that those sitting in more expensive seats can handle their beer better than those who sit just a few rows above them?

For that, we’ll go to Susan Goodenow, the Red Sox senior vice president for public relations, who declared “the experiment’’ such a success that they’ve expanded it to a few novelty sections of the park, like the right field pavilion deck and some roof box seats that sell for less money.

When can we expect it everywhere?

“The answer to that is, some of these areas aren’t as practical to expand the service as other areas because of narrow aisles and long seating rows,’’ Goodenow said. “While we are not at this time looking to expand to these areas, we are always looking for ways to enhance the fan experience here.’’

Say this about Goodenow, she’s disciplined, refusing to budge on the elitism issue or just about anything else. So the next call was to the Boston Licensing Board, which regulates beer sales at Fenway, specifically to Michael Connolly, a political veteran who knows the city as well as anyone and isn’t afraid to speak his mind. Suddenly, a lot became clear.

“We have not had a single negative consequence regarding the sale of beer in the high-end seats,’’ Connolly said. “It’s proven that it can be done without incident.’’

Excellent. I could taste my next beer already — served at my seat.

So you’ll allow it everywhere? “Speaking as one commissioner, it’s not going to happen,’’ Connolly said. “Given problems and the history out in the bleachers, as well as in the grandstand, you are really opening Pandora’s box, whether with obscene language or actual fights.

“You have an entirely different clientele in the bleachers than the high-end seats. They’re more aggressive, more profane, and more likely to get into fistfights.’’

Michael, you’re a sage and a terrific guy, but aren’t you being elitist?

“I don’t believe it’s elitist because there’s a public safety issue at hand, and the public safety overrides elitism,’’ he said. “We are looking to protect families that go to Fenway Park.’’

I always thought that’s what security was for.

The rub: On the three-person licensing board, Commissioner Suzanne Iannella recuses herself from Fenway decisions because a relative works for the team. That means nothing gets passed without Connolly’s approval.

So there you have it. If you’re in the cheap seats, cheap being as much as $90 apiece, this beer’s not for you.

Brian McGrory is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at mcgrory@globe.com.
© Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company

Citgo sign to go dark tomorrow for renovation

On the bench
The Citgo sign in Kenmore Square will get a much needed renovation in next few weeks

By Jack Nicas, Globe Correspondent | July 22, 2010

Another Red Sox icon is headed to the disabled list.

The Citgo sign, the bright beacon above Kenmore Square, will go dark tomorrow for a 1-to-2-month hiatus while crews replace its 218,000 LED lights with brighter, more flexible, weather-resistant versions.

“It’s going to look fantastic,’’ said Martin Foley, 65, of Hingham, the electrician who has sat on a wooden swing and replaced the 45-year-old sign’s burned-out bulbs since it first appeared in the Boston sky, standing tall in the air beyond Fenway Park’s left-field, Green Monster wall.

In 2005, more than 1.7 miles of strips of LED lights replaced 5,878 glass tubes of neon, according to Citgo Petroleum Corp. The current sign uses roughly half the electricity of the original one, saving $18,000 per year in energy costs, according to the company.

But those LED lights are out of production, Foley said, and he has had to get creative to keep the 36,000-square-foot sign lit.

“I’ve been putting jumpers in,’’ he said of electrical conduits he uses to spark energy across dead lights. He said that when one light burns out, the whole line goes dark, like a string of Christmas lights.

The facelift will also cover the lights with new acrylics that will make the sign’s colors — red, white, and blue — more vibrant, and protect them from ultraviolet rays. The sign’s pulsating sequences will remain the same.

The renovation may be the longest that the sign will remain entirely dark since its four-year blackout three decades ago.

In 1979, it became a victim of the energy crisis, a flashing target of conservationists.

In November 1982, Citgo announced plans to take down the sign. But the city responded in full force, including a 20-page report by the Boston Landmarks Commission on why the sign was a historical landmark.

On Aug. 10, 1983, more than 750 people packed Kenmore Square to watch it light up again.

Citgo, part of Venezuela’s government-owned oil company, said the new renovation is timed to mark its 100th anniversary. Although the sign is a beloved symbol of the city, it has at times drawn scorn for its Venezuelan connections.

After its $1.5 million upgrade in 2005, Mayor Thomas M. Menino flipped the ceremonial switch with Juan Barreto, then mayor of Caracas, and former Red Sox shortstop Luis Aparicio, the only Venezuelan in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

But a year later, as President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela criticized President George W. Bush, Jerry McDermott, then a city councilor, called for the sign’s removal.

But some local figures have always loved the 60-foot-tall, 60-foot-wide, double-sided badge of the Boston skyline, including Kitty Dukakis, wife of former governor Michael Dukakis and a longtime advocate of the sign.

“I’m just delighted it’s going to stay. That’s wonderful,’’ she said by phone last night. “

“Am I a fan of the Citgo Sign?’’ said Michael Dukakis. “Well, I hate billboards, but I think the Citgo sign is a special exception.’’

Jack Nicas can be reached at jnicas@globe.com.
© Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company

Hyatt protests on Thursday to include civil disobedience

Demonstrators gear up for Hyatt protest
July 20, 2010 12:17 PM

By Katie Johnston Chase, Globe Staff

The demonstrators who plan to protest in front of the Hyatt Regency Boston Thursday evening will engage in "civil disobedience actions" to call further attention to the plight of the 98 local Hyatt housekeepers who were fired nearly a year ago and replaced by minimum-wage contract workers, said the union organizing the event.

About 20 people, including several former housekeepers, rabbis, and a priest, have signed up to participate in the action, said Unite Here Local 26.

The Boston demonstration is one of 15 nationwide protests against the Hyatt Hotels Corp. being organized Thursday by the hospitality workers' union Unite Here. In all, nearly 1,000 workers are expected to participate in acts of civil disobedience across the country.

Greenway funding cut by 25%

State’s cuts leave Greenway wanting
Funding down 25 percent for unfinished park

By Casey Ross, Globe Staff | July 21, 2010

The state is cutting funds for the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway by more than one-quarter this fiscal year, leaving managers of the new Boston park unable to finish still-barren sites, install more public art, or hire more maintenance staff.

The funding cut, combined with flat donations from the private sector, puts the Greenway in a precarious financial position just two years after it was created as a result of Big Dig construction.

The overall budget for the 15-acre park system dropped by $1.1 million, to $4.4 million for the fiscal year that began July 1, even though the Greenway’s nonprofit management faces higher costs to maintain its high-end finishes.

“It’s an unfortunate tragedy that after spending $15 billion to build a new highway, we can’t come up with a few million bucks to run a great park,’’ said Bud Ris, the chief executive of the New England Aquarium, a Greenway neighbor.

State officials said the government’s ailing finances left them with no choice but to reduce Greenway funding.

“There are many people across the Commonwealth who are frustrated by the budget situation we find ourselves in,’’ said Jeffrey Mullan, the Massachusetts transportation secretary. “There have been enormous cuts in state services, and the Greenway is no exception.’’ His agency’s funding to the Greenway is down to $2.2 million, from $3 million the previous fiscal year.

The conservancy that manages the Greenway said it is considering new measures to raise money, including creating a so-called business improvement district that would levy a special tax on commercial property owners in the area.

“The Greenway is not sustainable at this level of funding,’’ said Nancy Brennan, the executive director of the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway Conservancy Inc. “The state continues to be a partner, but we must find other sources to diversify our revenue stream.’’

Even in its unfinished state, the Greenway is a vast improvement over the old elevated highway that used to separate downtown Boston from the waterfront. Greenway sections in the North End and near the aquarium draw large crowds on hot summer afternoons, and the conservancy’s recent additions of free wireless Internet service and food vendors have made it more accommodating.

But stretches remain empty, devoid of basic signs, public art displays, or even seating for visitors. One barren site by Faneuil Hall has a half-acre of dried-out grass and a chain link fence encircling a highway ramp. The conservancy’s latest plan to put a tree nursery there is on hold because of money shortages, Brennan said.

The conservancy is also short of funds to maintain the park’s haute design features, including fountains powered by compressed air and lighting systems operated by computers that were installed to achieve the Legislature’s goal to make the Greenway a showcase public space.

The conservancy is considering funding sources used to maintain urban parks in other cities, including selling naming rights to park facilities, collecting parking garage revenues, and renting space on the Greenway to cafes and restaurants.

But a business improvement district — or BID, as it is known — appears to have the most political support.

Mayor Thomas M. Menino has argued neighboring property owners should pay for the park’s upkeep because the Greenway has helped to triple the value of their holdings.

“The mayor believes those property owners should be contributing to the future success of the Business Improvement District and the Greenway,’’ Menino spokeswoman Dot Joyce said. The mayor is supporting a similar effort in Downtown Crossing, where hundreds of property owners are banding together to raise about $4 million a year to pay for improved maintenance, marketing, and security.

Along the Greenway, though, some property owners said the government should retain primary responsibility for improving and maintaining the park. Ris, the aquarium chief executive, said he would support a new levy, but only as a way of supplementing funding from the state and the City of Boston, which currently does not give money to the park system.

“The city and state should be supporting the Greenway, and have a responsibility to do so,’’ he said.

Developer Donald Chiofaro, who built and manages the International Place complex and is trying to redevelop the Harbor Garage on Atlantic Avenue, supports the improvement district. “We’ve thought for quite a while that a BID was needed in the area,’’ Chiofaro said. “And as the largest taxpayer on the Greenway, and the largest abutter, we would be happy to take a committed leadership position and help make it a success.’’

Developer Ronald Druker strongly backs the improvement district for Downtown Crossing, where he owns property, but wants more information on the Greenway plan before deciding whether to support it.

About $1.7 million of the state’s funding for the Greenway is cash; the rest is in-kind contributions of electrical work and other maintenance. Mullan also said the state is funding salaries for Greenway employees only to the level of their counterparts at the state Department of Conservation and Recreation, the state’s main parks agency.

In some cases, Greenway managers are now paid nearly double their state counterparts. The Greenway’s director of park operations, for example, receives about $131,000 in salary and benefits, while a senior forest and parks supervisor at DCR receives about $70,000.

“I don’t think it’s a major issue,’’ Mullan said. “But in dealing with public funds you’ve got to allocate them equitably.’’

Brennan said the salaries of Greenway employees are justified by their responsibilities, which include maintaining intricate landscaping and operating complex systems that run the fountains, lighting, and other features.

She said any shortage in state funding for the salaries will be made up through private contributions.

Casey Ross can be reached at cross@globe.com.
© Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company

State's great places list has some flaws

Almost 1,000 great places!
Vaunted Mass. list makes 996, and many places closed
By Marie Szaniszlo and Natalie Sherman | Monday, July 19, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Local Coverage
Hold everything!

If you were planning your vacation around the state’s “1,000 Great Places in Massachusetts,” released last week to great fanfare, there are a couple of things you need to know: There are only 996 places on the list - and some of them are closed.

The Baker Robinson Whale Oil Refinery in New Bedford was gutted this year to become part of the town’s new Marriott, the local tourist information office reports. The Nathan and Polly Johnson House is not yet open.

Worcester’s African Cultural Center is shuttered - unclear when or why.

The Ashland State Park is unstaffed due to budget cuts. “No longer a designated swimming area,” a state Web site reports.

And in Adams, the St. Stanislaus Kostka Church has been shut since 2008. Parishioners are maintaining a vigil but the Springfield diocese said tourists are not welcome.

Erik Turkington, the former Falmouth state rep who led the effort, said he wishes he could “proofread one more time.”

“We said there would be some mistakes,” he said. “But this is the best we could do. It’s sort of a snapshot of the places people thought were important.”

Turkington said the commission found four duplicates - hence 996 instead of 1,000 great places.

At least a dozen sites were listed in the wrong towns - sometimes on the opposite end of the state. One is just a local coffeeshop that opened about a year ago. Another is a bridge slated for demolition. Many are misspelled.

“It’s too bad the towns weren’t contacted,” said Seth Mendell of the Mattapoisett Historical Society. “If somebody had given me a call, they could have had a list that would be meaningful.”

Most of the nominations came from the public on the state’s Web site, Turkington said. The Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism and the Massachusetts Cultural Council also reached out to regional cultural groups and the state’s 13 regional tourism councils.

“We did our best to verify everything,” said Greg Liakos, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Cultural Council. “But we really did want this to be a democratic process, not an elite one.”

In Deerfield, the home of Mountr Sugarloaf - the state puts it in Hadley - selectwoman Carolyn Shores Ness said she was not worried that tourists would get lost: “People are so Internet-savvy now. They will do a little bit of research before they go somewhere.”

Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/news/regional/view.bg?articleid=1268827

Revolution ownership studying Somerville as new stadium location

Kick-start for team, city
Revolution owners reexamine Somerville as stadium location

By Eric Moskowitz, Globe Staff | July 18, 2010

SOMERVILLE — The Inner Belt, a sparsely used industrial district in a corner of East Somerville, is about as inviting as its name, cut off from surrounding neighborhoods by railroad tracks, elevated highways, and a massive maintenance facility for the MBTA’s commuter rail.

With the coming Green Line extension into Somerville, city officials see an opportunity to remake the area — created decades ago to serve an interstate that was never built — into a thriving hub of housing, offices, shops, and, potentially, a sparkling new stadium for the New England Revolution.

The owners of the Revolution believe a new stadium here would raise the team’s profile by relocating from Gillette Stadium, the cavernous Foxborough home the team currently shares with the New England Patriots. It would put the team within easy reach of neighborhoods packed with immigrants from soccer-obsessed countries, young urbanites looking for accessible entertainment, and suburban soccer families with train connections to North Station.

Team owner Robert Kraft and his Kraft Group first floated the idea several years ago, but it had been on hold because of uncertainty over the Inner Belt. The state and city have tussled over the area for nearly two years while determining where to build an 11-acre, 24-hour maintenance facility needed to serve and store the vehicles that will run along the Green Line route extending beyond Lechmere to Somerville and Medford, a nearly $1 billion project the state says it will complete by 2015.

A compromise announced in May by city and state officials to put the Green Line service facility not in the middle of the Inner Belt but along its eastern edge, near the existing commuter rail yard and barn, has allowed the Kraft Group to refocus on the area as a potential site for a roughly 20,000-seat facility. That facility would give the Revolution a more intimate stadium in the metropolitan area and double as a concert venue.

The Krafts have invested more than $1 million already to explore that site and three others around Boston, the Revolution’s chief operating officer, Brian Bilello, said recently on the team’s blog, answering questions from fans hungry for a venue closer to Boston and public transit.

“During the next few months our architects and engineers will be studying the area to determine if it is possible to build a soccer stadium,’’ wrote Bilello, a former MIT soccer player and management consultant who joined the Kraft Group in 2003.

Bilello said that building a stadium for the Revolution is “a top priority’’ for the Krafts, the team, and the league.

When Major League Soccer began in 1996, most teams played in football stadiums that put fans far from the action and swallowed up the typical crowds of 10,000 to 20,000.

Over the past decade, a succession of soccer-oriented parks has opened across the league, including two this season that cost more than $100 million and are situated near rail stops in urban settings: the 25,200-seat Red Bull Arena, home to the New York Red Bulls, and the 18,500-seat PPL Park, home to the Philadelphia Union.

While those teams are among the league’s top draws, the Revolution have slumped to 13th among 16 teams in attendance. The team currently averages fewer than 12,000 fans per game. Although the 69,000-seat Gillette Stadium easily sells out for the Patriots, it is a more challenging location, nearly 30 miles from downtown Boston, for a soccer club trying to establish a steady fan base.

“We’ve seen the impact that an urban soccer stadium has made, and we are committed to creating that environment here in New England,’’ Bilello wrote.

Kraft told the Globe last week that the stadium was not a question of financing but of ensuring the proper fit for a permanent home for the Revolution, including public transportation. “We are not under the gun, so we are going to do the right thing,’’ he said.

The Inner Belt is adjacent to a neighborhood known as Brickbottom that, save for a set of residential artist lofts, is a no-man’s land of storage and heavy-equipment lots. Less than 2 miles from the State House and located within what Mayor Joseph A. Curtatone calls the “power triangle of MIT, Tufts, and Harvard,’’ the combined 200-acre Inner Belt-Brickbottom brims with potential for redevelopment, served by a Green Line stop. Curtatone has said the area could become the next Kendall Square.

The state had committed to extending the Green Line by the end of 2014, but transportation officials disclosed this month that the project will be delayed at least 10 months, citing the debate over where to put the maintenance yard.

The decision to move the facility a few hundred yards to the east will be more expensive, requiring the taking of four properties, including a 100,000-square-foot liquor wholesaler, that could cost $50 million. But state and local officials believe the move will pay off in redevelopment potential, including a possible stadium, said Michael Meehan, a spokesman for Curtatone.

Meehan said the stadium, notwithstanding potential traffic and parking concerns, would be “a way for Somerville to show itself off.’’

“It’s a potentially very interesting addition to the quality of life in the city,’’ he said.

Eric Moskowitz can be reached at emoskowitz@globe.com.
© Copyright 2010 The New York Times Company

Strega Waterfront at Fan Pier to open in late August

Sidetracks
By Inside Track | Sunday, July 18, 2010 | http://www.bostonherald.com | The Inside Track

Beach blanket blather:

North End host-with-the-most Nick Varano is opening a second location of his ever-popular Strega restaurant on the waterfront next month. Strega Waterfront at Fan Pier will open its doors in late August and will feature indoor and patio dining, a lively bar, lounge seating, private dining options and an intimate wine room in 5,700 square feet. The space will also house Varano’s new Caffe di Marina, a 30-seat cafe with walk-up counter service, handmade paninis, a crepe station and an authentic gelateria and pastries.

Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/track/inside_track/view.bg?articleid=1268649

Duck boat involved in crash; minor injuries reported

The Boston Globe
Duck boat, seven other vehicles in Boston crash
July 16, 2010 02:12 PM

By Martin Finucane, Globe Staff

Five people have sustained minor injuries in a crash this afternoon in downtown Boston involving a duck boat and seven other vehicles, state police said.

The accident was reported at 12:13 p.m. on the ramp to Charles Street Circle from Embankment Road westbound, said Trooper Thomas Murphy, a State Police spokesman. Embankment Road is the continuation of Storrow Drive past the Hatch Shell.

Murphy said seven vehicles involved in the crash were being towed. The injured people were taken to area hospitals.

Cindy Brown, general manager of Boston Duck Tours, said a piece of radio equipment on the duck boat had dislodged and blocked the brake pedal.

She said the driver was initially unable to stop, but "he was able to move it himself and stop on his own."

The duck boat was to be taken to the Boston State Police barracks for inspection by the commercial vehicle enforcement team, Murphy said.

"We're going to look into mechanical failure and operator error as part of the investigation," said Murphy.

It was the second accident in four days involving duck boats. A duck boat and two other cars were involved in an accident Tuesday near Government Center when three women on their way to a wedding tried unsuccessfully to maneuver their car around the duck boat.

Upper Crust hit with suit over workers pay

The Boston Globe
Suit alleges Upper Crust took back workers' pay
July 16, 2010 05:59 PM

By Jenn Abelson, Globe Staff

Two former cooks at Upper Crust pizza today filed a lawsuit that accuses the popular chain of taking back thousands of dollars in overtime payments that were ordered by the US Department of Labor following an investigation into the company's compensation practices.

The lawsuit, which seeks class action status, comes nearly a year after Upper Crust paid more than $341,000 in back wages to about 121 workers for uncompensated overtime, following a US Department of Labor investigation, according to John Chavez , a spokesman for the agency. The chain has 17 restaurants in the Boston area.

Valdeir Pereira Pinto, of Allston, and Cleverson Batista, of Somerville, contend Upper Crust management, after making the lump restitution payments for overtime, told employees they would have to pay it back if they wanted to keep their jobs. Management then began deducting hundreds of dollars from their weekly checks, according to a copy of the suit filed in Suffolk Superior Court. Pinto and Batista, both immigrants from Brazil, said in court papers that they were fired this spring weeks after the company recovered its money.

"It's not fair that the guys take my money. I work for this money," Batista, who worked at restaurants in Brookline and Boston's Fenway neighborhood, said in an interview.

Josh Huggard, one of Upper Crust's owners, said the chain "learned from its mistakes in the past" regarding the Department of Labor investigation into its overtime payment practices. But Huggard said the company "never ever said [employees] couldn't work for us or that they had to pay us back."

Huggard, said Pinto, who worked at Upper Crust on Commonwealth Avenue in Boston, was fired more than a year ago because "he was lazy. He was an awful worker." But paychecks provided by Batista's attorneys show he received checks through April of this year.

The federal investigation, which looked at pay practices from April 2007 through April 2009 , showed that Upper Crust hourly workers were paid straight time even after they exceeded 40 hours in a week. Pinto, for example, received two checks for the week ending Jan. 5, 2008, earning $400 at $10 an hour for the first 40 hours, and $305 for an additional 30.5 hours, according to copies of paychecks provided by his lawyers.

A time card from the week ending Sept. 27, 2009 , a month after the overtime restitution, show Pinto worked 72 hours. That week, however, he received only one check for $455, without a breakdown of hours worked. He made the same amount for the week ending December 6, 2009, according to records supplied by his lawyers, even though he worked longer -- 80.50 hours.

Jordan Tobins , one of the chain's owners and a defendant in the lawsuit, described Pinto and Batista as "disgruntled ex-employees" who "have been trying to figure out a way to extort money from our business." He wrote in an email to the Globe that their time sheets are not an accurate representation of hours worked and that they were both salaried employees starting in August 2009 .

"We don't really care what the hours said on the time report, since they are salaried, and not hourly employees," Tobins wrote in an email.

The lawsuit alleges Upper Crust made improper deductions from the employees' wages, failed to pay the required minimum wage, and also retaliated against those who complained. Batista and Pinto said they were fired for protesting the deductions shortly after the chain had recouped the full payments -- roughly $10,000 each -- ordered as a result of the Labor Department investigation.

Jordan Tobins , one of the chain's owners and also a defendant in the lawsuit, wrote in an email to the Globe that pay rates were scaled back in August 2009 because of "our need to reduce payroll. We explained that it was unfortunate, but in order to keep all the guys we had, that was our only option. Our payroll had risen beyond the acceptable percentage for a restaurant, and in order to keep growing, we needed to get things back in check!"

Upper Crust opened at least three new stores last year. Pinto and Batista said they stayed with the company despite the alleged wage deductions because they worried about finding another job in a down economy.

"They were opening stores with my money," Pinto said in an interview. "I want my money back."

Tobins said an investigator at the Department of Labor "helped guide us through the legal way to reduce payroll and the need for overtime."

Chavez, the US Department of Labor spokesman, said that was not the case.

"The wage and hour division is not in the business of advising employers how to reduce their payroll," he said. "They are in the business of making sure employers pay their employees properly under the law."