Davis Sq Task Force meets Monday 2/11

[ron_newman]

The Davis Square Task Force will meet this Monday, February 11, at 7 pm at the Tufts Administration Building, 167 Holland Street. Here's the agenda:

7-7:05 - Introductions

7:05-7:20 - Neighborhood Groups Update
- Somerville Climate Action/Go Green Davis Square
- Local First Initiative
- Davis Area Resident Business Initiative

7:20-7:55 - CARLI Fence site

7:55-8:25 -Davis Square Development
- Antonia’s Restaurant space: Krista Kranyak from Ten Tables Restaurant
- Property on Highland Ave and Enterprise Lot
- Possible Blue Shirt Café expansion/Dollar Days
- Dover Plaza
- Dahn Yoga studio
- Sushi restaurant opening where La Contessa used to be

8:25-8:50 -Future Search Concept (Vanessa Rule)
“Where does our community want to go?”

8:50-9 - Miscellaneous items and next meeting date

ETA, 2/14: My notes from the meeting are here.

Comments

[bex77]

Does this mean Antonia's has closed?

[ron_newman]

I don't think so, but it sounds like someone else is trying to buy it. We'll find out more Monday night.

[clevernonsense.livejournal.com]

Is this Ten Tables from JP? If they take over Antonia's it would be a BIG step down...

[hauntmeister.livejournal.com]

- Possible Blue Shirt Café expansion/Dollar Days

Ah-ha! So that barbershop gossip from two months ago had some truth to it.
Thanks for posting this info!

[mrboboto.livejournal.com]

Are you serious? I've heard nothing but terrible things about Antonia's from Chowhound and other foodie friends, whereas Ten Tables is a pretty good restaurant.

I think it would be a BIG step up!

[mrf-arch.livejournal.com]

I've never been to Ten Tables, but Antonia's is by far my favorite Italian place in greater Boston - I'd be sad to see them go regardless of who bought the place.

[teko.livejournal.com]

Ten Tables where Antonia's is? That's fantastic news -- I've heard Ten Tables is one of the best new restaurants in the city and would bring huge cachet to the Square.

I suppose any discussion of what'll happen to Boloco will have to wait until they know themselves what's going on. Likewise with the McIntyre/Tingle spaces.

[ron_newman]

Right now I don't know if there is any truth, or if this item is just the result of rumor. When I walked into Blue Shirt a few weeks ago to ask if they were expanding, the people behind the counter said no.

[mrboboto.livejournal.com]

Does this group have any kind of mandate from the city or board of alderman, or is it just a "concerned citizen" kind of thing?

[ron_newman]

It doesn't have any official status, and generally avoids taking votes or making actual decisions. But it has been meeting regularly since the late 1970s, about every two months.

Both of our local aldermen (Rebekah Gewirtz and Jack Connolly) attend the meetings, and other city officials often show up and sometimes make presentations. It's a good place to get to know your neighbors and to keep in touch with local government.

I've tagged previous entries about these meetings as dstf. If you click on the tag, you'll see earlier posts about their meetings.

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

Does Bob Trane ever show up? I'd assume the range of the DSTF extends into Ward 7, given how far it goes in the other direction, anyway.

[ron_newman]

Occasionally but not usually. It's generally been a very Ward 6-focused group even though it meets in Ward 7.

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

That's a shame, since it lets Bob Trane get away with whatever he wants, like the monstrosity at 1188 Broadway. Sigh.

[cutieperson]

he's the only person that's ever taken seriously the issue of the parking office having a non-working handicapped lift for over ten years.

[avacon.livejournal.com]

I really hope not! Antonia's is one of our favorite places to eat in Somerville
and one of our generally favorite Italian restaurants. They have good food,
a nice atmosphere, and are reasonably priced. Of the 10-20 times I've eaten
there, I hit off nights maybe 1-2 times, and even then they were still better
than many other places around. I'll be very sad if they leave.

[ron_newman]

What's at 1188 Broadway?

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

Well, that's a good thing. So it's been fixed?

[cutieperson]

that's what i'm told. i haven't had a reason to go back since then to double-check it, but it seems like a dumb thing to lie about.

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

A condo box replaced the VFW and a couple of stores. From everything I've read, there wasn't much community input and it happens to be listed by Bob's old office. I'd love to hear more about the whole thing, especially with the development being proposed on Endicott.

On the single up side I can think of, there is space for one street-facing business, so I'm glad for that.

[ron_newman]

What is proposed on Endicott?

[witzwurst.livejournal.com]

New condo development, with first floor retail. http://www.eleven88broadway.com/ (http://www.eleven88broadway.com/) for the glossy developer's site.

Not sure if I'd consider it a monstrosity, but for those who do, take comfort in the fact that it's apparently not selling well.

[ksushis.livejournal.com]

I hope Antonia's is not closing! I love them and they're probably the best Italian place I've been to in Boston... The food is good, the service is nice and you can even see chefs cooking!

[wallacestreet.livejournal.com]

Sorry, but I disagree strongly. Ten Tables is one of the best, most innovative, not to mention value priced (for what it is) restaurants in Boston. Antonia's is pleasant enough, I guess, but can't hold a candle to Ten Tables. The addition of a Ten Tables type place would be fantastic for the Square which, although it has a lot of restaurants, has only a few really good ones.

[enhf94.livejournal.com]

See below for discussion of a craigslist ad selling a Davis Restaurant.

http://community.livejournal.com/davis_square/1137218.html

[clevernonsense.livejournal.com]

I've been to Ten Tables twice and both times was sorely disappointed (the menu is pretty poor as well). Antonia's is the only restaurant in Davis I actually like (and is probably my favorite Italian place in the Boston area, and it seems quite a few people below agree). I've gone there maybe a dozen times--the service is often quite spotty which is likely why it gets mediocre reviews (though, usually from mistakes, which the staff is always friednly about comping or otherwise fixing)