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Lawyer: Restaurant with the same name as an infamous Boston riot isn't named after the riot

Seth Barnett, lawyer for the company that owns the now closed Blue, Inc. on Broad Street, came prepared to a Boston Licensing Board hearing today: He figured somebody would ask why his client would want to name the replacement restaurant after the Broad Street Riot.

And, indeed, board member Milton Wright asked what the deal was with wanting to name the place Broad Street Riot.

Barnett said that while Barney Fanning's across the street is named after one of the five men arrested in the Protestant-on-Catholic riot, and Nix's Mate down the street is named after an island where the bodies of executed pirates were left to sway in the wind, Broad Stret Riot's name has a strictly culinary meaning: It's going to be a Boston seafood place with a "riotous Southern twist," for example: Oysters made with pork. The "oyster-based menu" will have lots of other "riotous" Boston/Southern pairings, he said.

"That's the basis for the name," he said. Other than the name, the restaurant will not feature any references to the riot and the name is "somewhat of a coincidence," he said, acknowledging that "I know people may be sensitive to that," even if the riot did happen 175 years ago.

In any case, he said, the riot led to the creation of a fulltime Boston fire department, "so some good came out of it."

He added that the new restaurant will have the same seating and hours as Blue.

The board decides tomorrow whether to allow the name change.

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Comments

Childrens names.

No more Apples, Brooklyns, Moon Units, Norths or Shaniquas

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My husband's cousin had to fight to give her daughter her birth surname as a middle name because some bureaucratic moron thought it was "too male". Like that is any of their business? Why does a middle name (or even first name) have to be gender binary?

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Mary was a common middle name for males in Ireland in the 1800s. Joseph Mary Plunkett was a leader in the 1916 easter rebellion that eventually lead to the creation of the Irish Free State. He was executed by the British for his part.

I believe it is also somewhat used in Spain as a male name using the spanish Maria.

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It is used in Spain and carries no real gender connotation. Jose Maria is a common name for males, usually nicknamed Chema as kids. As adults they usually revert to their given name, like former president Jose Maria Aznar. But keep in mind that during the Franco years, the Catholic church enjoyed a very special relationship with the government and would make its own impositions onto the people, like naming most if not all girls Maria Something. Yeah, the village priest could name your kids for you. That ended in 1979 and as Spaniards no longer had to behave more Catholic than the Catholics themselves, the use somewhat declined.

The long form is here.

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My daughter's middle name is Mil. Try to figure out what gender that goes with.

Not that any name should ever go with a gender ever. sheesh.

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Many countries have pre-approved name lists: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naming_law

The state of Georgia doesn't: http://projects.ajc.com/names/search/?name=smoothtavious&gender=

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German first names need to be from a set register of names. You're not going to find a "Brooklyn" in Frankfurt, I can tell you that, and I can't really argue with the practice.

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....that makes choosing a baby's name a lot easier. ;-)

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I feel for that lawyer, having to make absurd arguments to an unduly meddlesome pack of bureaucrats about an innocuous name for a restaurant.

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There are firms in the city that deal with licensing almost exclusively.

They are well used to this.

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I love this info filled commentary

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As a public service, I'll go ahead and make the comment everyone else wants to:

ORLY?!

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The Band Pussy Riot also says that the name has nothing at all to do with fighting vaginas.

http://cappyinboston.blogspot.com/

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but the band Quiet Riot has nothing to do with...uh....aw fuck it.

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Or does he read the Universal Hub and felt he had to preemptively answer the question?

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The bar 2 doors down the street from them has there entire theme based on the Broad st riot... Pretty sure they even have the Broad street riot nachos... This place already has a bad taste in my mouth. Good luck!

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Pork + Shellfish is the official food of Tidewater VA & coastal NC.

KEEP YOUR DAMN DIRTY YANKEE HANDS OFFA THE FOOD OF MY (granpa's) PEOPLE!

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