Dining

No license for proposed South End steakhouse

adamg — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:22:39 +0000

The Boston Licensing Board yesterday deferred action on the proposed Boston Chops on Washington Street because it has no liquor licenses left to hand out.

At a hearing on Wednesday, the attorney for the latest venture by the group responsible for Deuxave in the Back Bay and dbar in Dorchester, said they would likely have to just keep hoping a license frees up, because expensive renovations and soundproofing needed for the space where Banq and Ginger Park failed means they could not also afford the $300,000 or so it would take to buy a liquor license on the open market.

State law limits the number of liquor licenses available in Boston.

Art you can sink your teeth into

adamg — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 12:34:00 +0000

Artist Mary Sheehan Winn posts a photo of an oil painting she recently did on commission: A Dunkin' Donuts cup and some jelly-filled Munchkins:

This painting is a commission done from a similar painting, for a pair of sisters. I don't know who's going to end up with it but they are both DD fans. I admit I was hindered some (mentally) by having already done this same painting, but I set up my still life anyway and did it again. Hope I captured the same feeling that drew them to it.

Brewing battle for Cleveland Circle as Starbucks gets ready to open up shop

adamg — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:48:04 +0000

The Boston Licensing Board today approved a license for a Starbucks at 1944 Beacon St., across the street from a Dunkin' Donuts.

South End could get high-end steak place

adamg — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:56:26 +0000

The team behind Deuxave in the Back Bay is looking to transform the home of two failed South End restaurants into what their lawyer called "an urban, modern steakhouse concept."

Pops in the South End to get new name, manager

adamg — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:39:13 +0000

David Noble, owner of Pops, 560 Tremont St., went before the Boston Licensing Board today for permission to hire a new manager with plans to slightly alter the place's menu under the name Smithfield Kitchen.

The board votes tomorrow on Noble's request to bring on Scott Herritt and to change the name.

Herritt told the board he will basically be keeping Pops the same, but will make it "a little bit more food focused."

One thing the newly rebranded restaurant won't do is seek longer hours - Noble said he learned his lesson from a fight with the neighborhood over noise under previous restaurant manager Felino Samson.

Customer not always right, Allston restaurant owner writes

adamg — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:16:24 +0000

Allston Rat City captures the Allston Diner Yelp drama between somebody who declared his breakfast at the newly opened place the worst meal in his entire life and the owner, who declares he will not put up with irrational people who demand "Corn beef out of a can:"

We will certainly improve as an organization - and perhaps you would consider that treating people rudely speaks more about your inadequacies rather than inefficiencies in restaurant operations.

Apparently as evidenced by staff present and fellow customers your behavior was beyond the acceptable tolerance of normalcy.

Three bars win approval for fairly sober bottle service at certain tables

adamg — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:56:59 +0000

The Boston Licensing Board yesterday approved requests from Red Lantern in the Back Bay, Kennedy's Midtown downtown and Down Ultra Lounge in the Financial District to let groups of customers drink from a bottle of liquor right on their table.

But bowing to the city's general distaste for bottle service, all three said customers would not actually be able to buy an entire bottle of liquor for the night.

Picking up Crumbs downtown

adamg — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 14:22:29 +0000

Anali reports Federal Street is getting a Crumbs Bake Shop, which apparently is all the rage in the big cities that have them.

Two bars want to let patrons say: I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a pre-frontal lobotomy

adamg — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 15:52:44 +0000

Red Lantern on Stanhope Street and Kennedy's Midtown on Province Street - which are owned by the same group - go before the Licensing Board on Wednesday for permission to serve entire bottles of booze to patrons at their tables.

The hearings could prove interesting - the licensing board has long taken a dim view of letting people have unfettered access to high-proof liquor.

Create a Cook Hosting FREE Open House Jan 28, 1-4pm

amusings — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 03:33:46 +0000

Hello U-hubbers,

Create a Cook is a cooking school for kids and adults in Newton Highlands... and on Jan 28th, this Saturday, we are hosting an Open House with WBOS radio. It's free, and it will be a lot of fun for all, we promise. We will have a make your own pasta room with all kinds of great toppings. Sushi, Pad Thai and Dumpling demos (and you get to eat them). Natalie from Atlas Liquors will be on hand talking about food and wine pairing. Our resident Cake Boss, Linda Brudz, will be on hand demonstrating cake decorating techniques, fondant, frosting, piping and all kinds of skill. WBOS will have lift and concert ticket giveaways. The kitchens are really easy to find, near the Newton Center T-stop. If you plan on coming (and we hope you do) we are looking for RSVPs so we can plan on food purchases. Visit our website and click "special events" to RSVP. Or call us at 617-795-2223.

An Iowan view of Massachusetts

adamg — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 20:08:36 +0000

A headline that really pops.

A roving UHub Gather user wonders just what this "pop" is that Deval Patrick allegedly wants to slather taxes on, according to this article by a resident of HFCSland. Is it anything like tonic?

Upscale dining comes to an end in Hyde Park

adamg — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 03:55:38 +0000

Boston Restaurant Talk reports Townsend's on Fairmount Avenue has ceased to be.

Meanwhile, Rincon Caribeno down the block goes before the Boston Licensing Board on Wednesday for permission to serve liquor with meals. Also scheduled for Wednesday: A hearing on a proposed liquor store at 59 Fairmount, to be called Fairmount Wine and Spirits. The store would be sort of kitty-corner from the failed Albert Winestein.

The City that Always Sleeps tells owner of downtown Mexican place to take some Lunesta

adamg — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 03:17:29 +0000

The Metro reports city officials oppose the idea of a Mexican restaurant on Bromfield Street staying open until 4:30 a.m. It would attract drunks, police say. That's almost 24-hour food service, licensing-board head grumps.

City officials allowed as how they might let Tequila Mexican Grill stay open until 2 a.m., but only after the owner meets with nearby residents. Apparently, only the so-called Innovation District will be allowed to have late-night food, if you don't count the 24-hour license the South Street Diner has, but, sheesh, that's just a few blocks away from the Innovation District and right near the new gateway the city and state want to build for our world-class city by South Station. Certainly nowhere near downtown.

You'd have to be nuts to pass up a slice from one of Allston's many fine pizza places

adamg — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 13:28:24 +0000

Brad Searles noticed this little guy chowing down on some of Allston's finest the other day.

Posted under this Creative Commons license and in the Universal Hub pool on Flickr.

Owner of Codman Square restaurant admits he did a bad, bad thing in bid to get his license back

adamg — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 02:16:27 +0000

Ed. note: The amount of Graham's bounced license check was $2,219, not $134. The amount has been updated in the post; apologies for anybody misled by the incorrect figure.

Christopher Graham says he found himself in pretty dire straits the weekend of Jan. 7. The day before, a police detective had seized the food-serving license of his Lorenez Island Kuisine because the check he used to pay for its renewal had bounced. And as the detective, Robert Mulvey warned him, without the license, he had to shut immediately.

With no money to pay for the license, Graham told the Boston Licensing Board today, he panicked and held an illegal after-hours party that began early on Jan. 8 and ended when police, responding to the latest noise complaint about the 657 Washington St. restaurant, arrived around 2:55 a.m. and shut him down.

Graham raised enough money to pay for his license - more than $2,000 - but the move may well backfire on him: The licensing board votes Thursday whether to strip him of his license altogether or suspend it for a period of time. This is at least the second time Graham has bounced a check to the board.