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Is there any other kind of steakhouse?
But seriously, how many steakhouses do we need in the Seaport?
Within walking distance of each other will be Del Frisco's, Mortons, Smith and Wollensky, The Palm, Ocean Prime and now Mastro's. They will all be selling the exact same thing.
They won't all be selling the same thing.
One will have mashed potatoes, the other will have whipped potatoes, the next smashed potatoes, then pureed potatoes, milled potatoes and the last crushed potatoes. It's all in the name really.
$$
all a la carte, of course. :)
Mastro's covers a lot of potato and potato-like bases.
From the Manhattan store's menu:
Lobster Mashed Potatoes
1lb Baked Potato
Twice Baked Potato
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Scalloped Potatoes
Sweet Potato Fries
Sweet Potato Mashed
French-Fried Potatoes
Shoestring Potatoes
Don't say that too loud
When the same was said about Starbucks in Southie, the world went crazy.
In one part of Southie
City Point. Obviously, the waterfront is a lost cause.
Here's the beauty of capitalism
If in fact we do end up with "too many", some will close and the good ones will flourish. No need for the government to dictate what/how many of anything a city needs.
So you would rather the Seaport become Manhattan?
With a Duane Reade every 4 doors and a Starbucks in-between?
Yeah, thats capitalism. Its great, isn't it?
Dunkin' Donuts and CVS
is more Bostonian (although another CVS in Seaport besides the one in South Station would actually be useful).
Wouldn't happen
Want to know why there are so many Duane Reade's and Starbucks? Because there are 8 million people in Manhattan and the demand is there to accommodate that many. If the demand for steakhouses in the Seaport is so great it can support all that are there, plus this new entry, then yes, I do want it. As I said, what's the alternative? A mom and pop restaurant can't afford a liquor licenses, so the alternative is either another chain, or an empty space.
First,
how many restaurants in Boston proper are circa 1950s "mom and pop" style places? Really? This term "mom and pop" is so overused and overrated. Second, I know of smaller, non chain like restaurants that indeed serve liquor. So your statement that "the alternative is either another chain, or an empty space" is specious.
Well
When did these smaller restaurants in Boston open? Which ones? Currently, full liquor licenses are selling for over $300k each. Add that to a buildout, equipment, hiring staff, supplies, etc and you're talking about a significant amount of money. It's extremely difficult for small, independent restaurants to open in Boston proper.
Really?
Who is going to grease the politicians hands? The businesses who have no restrictions on what they open and where?
In answer to Jim's question
Take a drive out to the Texas Roadhouse in Everett sometime.
We're talking steakhouses
Not dinner theatre.
When I go out to dinner, I don't want my staff taking a break to line dance down the aisles or sing chorus for a free piece of cake.
Menino's lifelong dream...
... of turning the seaport into a little slice of Houston is finally being realized.
My folks
who live in Charlestown call it the Manhattanization of Boston. And they're generally pro-change, they aren't clinging to some bygone era.
I keep telling them that Manhattanization would be an improvement over the Vegas-ization. But Houston is probably even more accurate. Lots of generic buildings, chain restaurants, poor public transportation...what's not to love!?
Well, actually...
So my parents live literally down the block from a Mastro's Ocean Club in Newport/Laguna Beach, CA. I have to say, it may be the one chain restaurant that I've ever liked. So I'll give it a chance. I agree it's helping to make the area a little more generic, though I think we've lost that battle long ago.
Unfortunately
Thanks to the limited liquor licenses, it's not going to get better any time soon. Only big chains can afford to plunk down $300-400k for a license. That's why you see up and coming chefs opening restaurants in nearby suburbs.
Or 3 blocks away in Fort
Or 3 blocks away in Fort Point, where there are great places to eat and drink unlike the Seaport.
Kinda proves my point
What places in Fort Point? Row 34 (beer and wine license only)? Blue Dragon (beer and wine)? Sportello/Menton (part of Barbara Lynch's empire)? Bastille Kitchen (part of Sterling Group)? Papagayo (part of Legendary Restaurant Group).
The only two independent restaurants w/full liquor licenses I can think of are Pastoral and Tavern Road.
I'll never forget my first
I'll never forget my first time at Morton'$ ... they juggled the food while they explained the menu. TACKY.
Just my opinion...
...but if you describe your business as "upscale", "high-end" or "luxury", it's nouveau-riche tacky.
So
Should a restaurant strive for downscale, low-end, and "economy"?
The poster was saying that if
The poster was saying that if you have to describe your place as "high-end", "luxury", "classy" or whatever, it probably isn't. I can tell when a place is "high-end" by the quality of the product and service, regardless of the adjectives they use to describe it.
In Southie? Yes, probably.
In Southie? Yes, probably.