JP shop owners remain steamed over chain coffeehouse

The Coffee Corridor is really over by Amory Street with Blue Frog on Green St, Ula Cafe at the Brewery, and (my personal favorite) Bartlett Square Cafe on corner of Green and Amory.

You do have Fiore's (an awesome place) around the bend on South St. though in terms of the Centre/South district.

I would say that of the chains you mention, they're all convenience type places that are not going to dramatically affect the local business landscape. There's always a fine line between protecting our local businesses from chain domination and being too resistant to change. I don't know that anyone knows where that line is honestly, but it seems like a good mix usually works for all parties involved.

If people really want to buy coffee and gross doughnuts at DD's it's not my place to stop them. We have plenty of good coffee and bakeries in JP (my dollars go to Ula--peach tarts are the best ever--and Canto 6) but I don't like the arbitrary thumbs-up-or-down attitude the naysayers seem to be taking.

My point is that the people who bemoan franchise businesses in their neighborhood can work to find and cultivate proprietors of local businesses to fill these spaces. This has been done all over the continent.

Otherwise, they should just stop trying to block out those who "have a right to operate" as you and I agree that chain places do.

Too much "obstruct, threaten to sue, and demand trinkets", not enough forward thinking and community-based development.

You clearly didn't read what was written there, did you Rich?

Sometimes I wish it were so we could also have a movie theater, a TJ's, and OTTO pizza. But we are what we are, and no, we will not be getting a Gap anytime soon.

Howie Carr is that you? Zzzzzzz

I hate to say this but... I always find the best Latin Restaurants always have Latinos working and eating there. If its all white people, it's garbage. I figure if a Latino won't eat it, then I shouldn't eat it either because its probably gross and not authentic.

then again I live in Chelsea so I can throw a stone off my front stops and probably hit a Latin restaurant.

And yes I stopped calling the Mexican restaurants "Mexican" a long time ago because not all Latin food is Mexican.. I have a delicious El Salvadoran place at the end of my street. Its almost TexMex like, but far better (and more spicy!)

I say this as a JPer who loves Purple Cactus white people burritos. But Anna's is amazing and I wish we had one. Just their refried beans are heaven. I think we could support 3 Mexicanish places on Centre Street.

Los Amigos is solid. But nothing surpasses Yucatan in that area, imho.

When I first started going there, the food was actually pretty good. Now I avoid it because the food quality has gone down, but it seems to be packed every single Saturday afternoon around noon by the SUV stroller/half-awake hipster crowd for mediocre "Mexican" food.

I tried Los Amigos (right down the street from me) once but the kid who was serving wouldn't give me so much as eye contact. Yucatan Tacos is on the list to try one of these days...

Ew.

      _{Either way, it's making me hungry!}

Swirls , there was a taco joint in Union square Allston back then , and Sol Aztec on Beacon street outside Kenmore Square. Surely you went to the Kenmore Club!
With respect to the fixings, there had to be places in the old JP that sold them, Hyde Square or Egelston station area , for sure .

That place was pretty good in its heyday. And they had live mariachi bands which made it even better.

Or Herb's TV & Appliance Repair, or some other store with a montage of plastic dinosaurs in the window.

Yes, but they must have the chicken rotisserie cooking!