The Boston Licensing Board voted today to let Home Market, 165 Belgrade Ave. in Roslindale, expand its current beer and wine license to include all alcoholic beverages, after hearing from the store's new owner that she would focus on Greek spirits, rather than simply trying to compete with the more common liquor already for sale at Punta Cana right across the street. Read more.
A Suffolk Superior Court judge today granted the state Department of Revenue authority to seize Opa Greek Yeeros, 378 Highland Ave. in Somerville for non-payment of nearly $1.6 million in back taxes, interest and penalties. Read more.
Boston Restaurant Talk reports Gyro City on Peterborough Street is no more, although the one in Brighton remains open.
The Boston Licensing Board today ordered Rosa Mexicano, 155 Seaport Blvd., and Kava Neo-Taverna, 315 Shawmut Ave., shut for one night each after BPD detectives found them with way more patrons than allowed under current Covid-19 restrictions. Read more.
Cat Daffodil Sniffer asks:
Recs for Greek catering/party trays? Not a huge job. Happy to go through a home cook if someone is hanging a shingle.
The Zoning Board of Appeals yesterday gave unanimous approval to filling a long vacant, once fire ravaged block on Chestnut Hill Avenue with a place where people can spend an hour petting cats and then fill up on gyro and souvlaki. Read more.
Effie's Kitchen on Poplar Street, where Wapo Taco used to be, opened this weekend as the first Greek restaurant in Boston's most heavily Greek neighborhood. Read more.
Michael Schlow told the Boston Licensing Board this morning he's hoping for a September opening for his Doretta Taverna and Raw Bar at 91 Park Plaza - where he closed his Via Matta Italian restaurant this spring after 13 years. Read more.
This video was produced as a pilot for an upcoming BU Today video series featuring Mayor Menino making visits to a variety of diverse, affordable, and local neighborhood restaurants in Boston.
Best part: When Menino goes "Well, gimme my fork back! Jeez!"
Bettlebrox noticed the sign in the window of Steve's Greek Cuisine, 316 Newbury St. According to their Facebook page, the Newbury Street location shut forever on Sunday, although they still have a stand inside Quincy Market.
Posted under this Creative Commons license and in the Universal Hub pool on Flickr.
UBurger, which already sells fresh burgers and hand-cut fries to BU students from two location, plans to open a third outlet on Tremont Street at Temple Place.
The Boston Licensing Board decides tomorrow whether to grant UBurger a license to open between 11 a.m. and midnight seven days a week. At a brief hearing today, the board had no major questions; member Suzanne Ianella, who lives nearby, did ask how much a burger would cost (about $5, depending on toppings, a restaurant lawyer told her).
Meanwhile, out in West Roxbury, the Skara Grill on Centre Street wants to add cordials and liqueurs to its drink menu. The board will also vote on this request tomorrow. The West Roxbury Neighborhood Council and City Councilor John Tobin both say they're in favor.
David Ertischek reports Skara Grill on Centre Street in West Roxbury is growing its own tomatoes - on stakes in their own parking lot (can you imagine the old Friendly's doing that?).
Skara Grill on Centre Street (you know, where the Friendly's used to be) had its "soft opening" this past weekend - dinners only, between 5 and 10 p.m. as the owners and workers get set for the grand opening on May 31 (when they'll be opening for lunch as well).
We were heading down Centre yesterday around dinner time, saw the "Now Open" sign and couldn't resist.
David Ertischek reports a Greek restaurant is going into the old Friendly's on Centre Street in West Roxbury, which, when you think about it, is kind of odd, given that the Greekiest neighborhood in Boston, Roslindale, doesn't have a single Greek restaurant.
Then again, it will help cement Centre Street's dominance of the ethnic-eatery market along the parkways. It wasn't all that long ago that your choices along Centre were basically Irish-American, pizza and Samia's (and, of course, Friendly's). Now all they need is a Jewish deli, a taqueria and an Ethiopian place, and I'm all set.
Roslindale is probably the Greekest Boston neighborhood, so David Harris wonders: Why doesn't it have any Greek restaurants?
Unless, of course, you count the Roslindale House of Pizza (or My Big Fat Greek Pizza just over the line in Forest Hills).
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