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Bistro vs. Grotto and other Roslindale restaurant notes
By adamg on Sat, 03/15/2008 - 7:27pm
Everybody seemed to hail the rise of funky little restaurants in Roslindale Square. Now, however, two of those eateries are at loggerheads.
The Roslindale Bulletin reports Sophia's Grotto is opposing the Birch Street Bistro's proposal to offer live music in the courtyard they share. Seems Grotto customers are looking for a romantic - and quiet - meal, not music so loud they can't hear people across the table from them.
Meanwhile, one of Rozzie's original new-wave restaurants, NuVo, on Washington Street, is back open (so no Ethiopian food for Rozzie Square, at least not there), with the same sort of Italianish/Americanish menu it had before it closed last summer.
And while the Square Corner Cafe on Washington Street, next to Robyn's, still looks a ways away from opening, it at least now has an awning with a phone number on it:
Finally, if you pine for the days when Chinese restaurants around here gave your fluffy rolls with your food, Dragon Chef is the place for you (normally, we don't veer from Golden House, near Metropolitan, but I was there and figured I'd give it a try - update: We'll be sticking to Golden House).
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Comments
roles?
I always thought that the shared courtyard would lead to conflict somehow...
bistro vs grotto - isn't there compromise?
Are we talking about live music every night or 1 night a week? Last summer my boyfriend and I dined at the Japanese restaurant and appreciated getting to share in the courtyard music. Of course, it depends on the music and how amplified it is. Who can protest to nice backround guitar music? If it was punk rock with dinner every night, that might be a bit much.
Nuvo is reopening..woohoo! Does anyone know if it's Pat and Rocky come back??
Rock 'n' role
Clearly, I need a personal copy desk.
Sophia's v Birch Street
There is probably more to the story than meets the eye. You may recall from other articles that the respective proprietors are brothers. What I happen to know but have never seen written down, is that they are somewhat estranged. Sophia's opened specifically to compete against and beat the Bistro.
I was the unfortunate ear for one of the wive's drunken venting about the other brother a few years back. I had assumed that got over the rivalry, but now I think maybe it's still alive and well.
Late Comment
So I'm a little late on this comment, but having eaten at Dragon Chef for the first time the other night, I thought I would chime in. As a secret fan of New England chinese food (where a roll is a prerequisite) I tried Dragon Chef the other night and gave it a solid "not bad." Its no New Yumi Hut in Sommerville, but it did lack the filth of the New Yumi Hut, which was a plus. I also handicapped it somewhat because what can you expect from a Chinese restaurant that also sells scratch tickets? I'd love to hear about any other NE Chinese restaurants within walking distance of the Square/Village.
Oh, man
Golden House on Washington near Metropolitan (it's maybe a five-minute walk from the Square, up the hill). It's what Chinese takeout food should be: You can actually taste the food because it's not uniformly covered in thick brown glop. And unlike Dragon Chef's egg-drop soup, its egg-drop soup actually looks (and tastes) like it was made from real eggs.
Only drawback: Cash only.