Mar
31
Drunk food
Posted by david on March 31st, 2010. Filed Under restaurants | Leave a Comment
My scoop reporting for tonight: “You will not find lard, fried in lard, surrounding lard like this, ever.”
Mar
31
Uno’s, we hardly knew ya.
Posted by nathanael on March 31st, 2010. Filed Under restaurants | 2 Comments
Just as Kelly’s is preparing to open at the corner of Harvard and Commonwealth, the Pizzeria Uno’s across the street has closed down. I just noticed tonight at the lights are off, the awning has been taken down. Apparently the chain declared bankruptcy in January (thanks @Chernickator), and though some stores are staying open (Kenmore & Harvard Squares), the Allston Village one is not.
I wasn’t a giant fan of Uno’s (and who really was? Actually, strike that, their 30/40 nachos were “kerfuffle” worthy.) But I’m sad to see them go. While my natural inclination is that I’d rather see independents than chains, it’s far better on the whole to have these large signature corner spaces occupied than empty.
It’s worth mentioning the (solid three star) Inbound Pizza next door to Uno’s (a decent enough place for a quick slice or just chattin’ up the randoms) is still open and operating, a small business worth supporting (along with the rest of the small independently operated restaurants in the neighborhood).
It’s not entirely related but it’s as good a time as any to bring up the epidemic of rather enthusiastic enforcement of city licensing requirements that’s been going around lately. Four businesses (Chill, Zaps, Dawat and Shabu Shabu Toki) were all cited this week for licensing violations (as was Big City mid-March and as were Bravo Pizzeria, Great Scott & Harper’s Ferry last year). Citing Chill for having a television, Bravo for Big Buck Hunter or Big City for their (quelle horreur!) foosball tables only serves to harm the small businesses that make up the lifeblood of the neighborhood. There’s no public health or public safety argument that I can see here (but please, explain to me why I’m wrong). Regulation for regulation’s sake isn’t inherently a good thing, when it’s being used as a facade to cover a NIMBY attitude about questionable quality of life claims (as we’re seeing with both the Kelly’s and Azama closing time situations). Anyway, this is just something I hope (but particularly doubt) Paul Berkeley and the Allston Civic Association will take into account as the Azama decision making process moves forward.
Mar
30
This Thursday
Posted by nathanael on March 30th, 2010. Filed Under misc | Leave a Comment
Just a reminder, the ticket parade commences on April 1st (no fools). Nominally clean streets and positive cash flow!
(The City of Boston will send you email reminders if you want.)
Mar
29
The Cure
Posted by david on March 29th, 2010. Filed Under music | 3 Comments
The Cure’s first ever US show was in Allston, according to the infallible commenters on youtube and the noise.
Mar
29
The All-Seeing Eye
Posted by nathanael on March 29th, 2010. Filed Under photos | Leave a Comment
From the Bostonist photo walk.
Mar
28
International Wine Vault?!
Posted by nathanael on March 28th, 2010. Filed Under misc | Leave a Comment
Looking for something almost completely unrelated, I came across this. This has got to be part of BLM Wine – 1360 vs 1354 Comm Ave.
International Wine Vault is the largest, most technologically advanced and secure wine storage facility in the country. Our customers include wine connoisseurs, restaurant sommeliers and those interested in the investment value of wine. We provide the finest, most prestigious wine storage environment from 5 to 5000 cases alike.
Independently computer-controlled refrigeration and humidity control systems keep wine properly humidified at a constant temperature of 55° and a humidity of 75% throughout the entire year. To protect your wine further, our environment is free of natural light; we further reduce the effects of ambient light through the use of glare-reducing insulation.
Each unit is individually alarmed and central-station monitored 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Not even our staff has access to your unit. Our facility has been described as “pristine” — just what you’d expect of the nation’s finest wine storage facility.
I can’t help if various Mission Impossible scenarios are running through my head right now.
Mar
28
Glass & fire
Posted by nathanael on March 28th, 2010. Filed Under quality of life | Leave a Comment
Some jackass broke some beer bottles inside my entryway this weekend. And it sounds like something similar is going on over at Ringer.
Pieces of glass and a fire pit with rags and fire accelerant were found in Ringer Park on March 20 near the Allston Street entrance pathway. Flammable liquid was also found poured on the Webly Street sidewalk.
Joan Pasquale, executive director of the Ringer Park Partnership Group and the Parents and Community Build Group, discovered the vandalism when a group met for a cleanup of the Allston-Brighton business district.
“That’s very concerning. You have a row of cars, you have a school, you have a park. There was obviously a fire,” she said.
Pasquale said she also found wooden fencing from a nearby property thrown in the fire pit when she walked through the park past the softball field near the Rugley Street entrance. Pasquale was able to help clean up the broken glass, and tried to warn people who were walking their dogs, wearing sandals or riding their bikes.
Look, knock yourself out, get drunk, rack up your noise violations, but don’t burn down the park, and smash shit in your own house. My dog is literally too dumb not to step right on your broken bottle.
Mar
28
On Augury
Posted by nathanael on March 28th, 2010. Filed Under music | Leave a Comment
Liam minces no words about a metal matinee at Harper’s Ferry last week. My goal for this week is to be this direct to someone about something, anything, without getting myself fired dumped or punched.
I fucking hated Augury. In between the awkward stage banter and gratuitous pleas to buy merch, all I heard were some noodly sweeps and overpowering bass drums. Just another bunch of nerds from Quebec that play clinical, soulless tech-death without a sick riff or hook to be heard. I’d rather be cursed with an iPod full of braindead deathcore than one more song by Augury.
Side question: does the the pallorousness of this hot pants ad interfere with or enhance their salaciousness?
ps. He’s also got a Misery Index video from a February show at Unit 11.
Mar
26
Allston Photo Walk
Posted by nathanael on March 26th, 2010. Filed Under events | Leave a Comment
Bostonist is organizing another photo walk this Sunday (March 28th), this time starting in Allston near Great Scott. My camera is lost in the murky purgatory somewhere between here and the Canon repair facility in Newport News, VA but you, you should go. If you get anything you like, drop it in our flickr pool.
Mar
24
Questionable footwear choices of the Allston hispter.
Posted by nathanael on March 24th, 2010. Filed Under photos | 2 Comments
