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...

[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!

[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)

[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.

[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.

[clevernonsense.livejournal.com]

No offense, but your comment makes me wonder if you either are personally invested in Ten Tables somehow or have never been there. It's *really* mediocre and really overpriced with a very uninspired menu. I lived in JP for 5 years (though it opened around the halfway point) and pretty much everyone I know from around there feels about the same way. The usual comment is "I'd much rather go to Zon's"

Davis does have very few good restaurants, though. It would just be a shame if another bad one moves in.

[wallacestreet.livejournal.com]

In fact, I do take offense at the suggestion that either I don't know what I'm talking about or that I'm somehow a shill for Ten Tables. I offered my honest opinion, having been to both restaurants, and you accuse me of being either ignorant or biased due to a financial interest. You may disagree with my assessment of the two restaurants, as is of course your right, but don't question my honesty or motives for offering my opinion. It's totally uncalled for and I resent it.

I'm sorry that you and everyone you know dislike Ten Tables, but, as I said, in my opinion it's one of the best restaurants in Boston, at any price, and the price is quite reasonable. I for one would be very excited to see its owners open something in the square.

[buckturgidsen.livejournal.com]

I've never eaten at Ten Tables but my sister in JP lives around the corner and loves it. There was a change of ownership and chef a few years ago and she said that the food improved a lot after that. Possibly your disappointing experiences were from the old regime?

[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.

[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!

[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!

[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.

[teko.livejournal.com]

For what it's worth, I stopped by Blue Shirt for lunch and none of the people behind the counter knew anything about the vacant spot next door, and said they weren't expanding into that space.

[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.

[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.

[enhf94.livejournal.com]

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

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

[tt02144.livejournal.com]

I have to agree with the comments concerning 1188 Broadway - totally out of scale with the neighborhood. Although, to be fair, The VFW post wasn't 'replaced' by the developer, they closed and someone bought the property. However, the city allowed them to take a building which had a nice set back (a small grassy area with bushes) and built directly on the sidewalk line. I don't see the need for that. I also don't think it's fair to blame Bob Trane. While it's true that the ward alderman can get involved and has some influence over development plans, I think it's more an administration thing, since the Planning Board and the ZBA are the decision-making authorities (taking direction directly from the Administration). If you look city-wide at sweetheart deals received by developers, or ugly, out-of-scale buildings going up, you'll see that it's an on-going problem. The Planning Board doesn't look at how the building will look, just at the specs. To me, they should see a mock-up of exactly how the building will look, the color scheme, etc.

[fefie.livejournal.com]

Apart from the post about new development on Carli site, what other news came out of the meeting? I'm curious to hear about a few things that were listed on the agenda Ron posted:

- 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

[ron_newman]

Here are my notes from the meeting. Sorry it took so long.