Status of Antonia's?

[mm-ll-kk.livejournal.com]

Does anyone know what's going on with the pending sale of Antonia's? Rebekah Gerwitz's newsletter says Ten Tables wants to take over the space but can't do it without getting a liquor license. If they don't get a license, will Antonia's stay?

I've never been to Ten Tables in JP, so I can't comment on it, but I love Antonia's, and will be extremely unhappy if it leaves.

Comments

[philbot.livejournal.com]

Ten Tables is fantastic.

[ellf.livejournal.com]

Oh, man - Antonia's is going out of business? I've just recently discovered the place, and love it.

[clevernonsense.livejournal.com]

I'll be heartbroken!

ten tables is pretty weak (good food, but crappy menu in general, few/no veg options, poor taste in design, and expensive)

[inahandbasket]

iawtc.
Ten Tables is awesome.

[hiddenbear.livejournal.com]

I ate there a few weeks ago, when I first heard about the Ten Tables thing. I asked the waitress, but she had no idea that there was anything going on. She said Antonia's is doing great.

[toodleskitty.livejournal.com]

Hopefully this is just a rumor. Antonia's has the best mushroom raviolis I have ever had. Second best is Maggiano's in the south end.

[inahandbasket]

uh, straight from their website:
WE OFFER A FOUR COURSE VEGETARIAN TASTING MENU EVERYNIGHT EXCEPT WEDNESDAY EVENINGS FOR $25
Fantastic food made from as much local and organic as they can manage, so the menu changes frequently.
I personally like the feel of the place, so I'm not sure where the 'poor taste in design' comes in.
It is kind of expensive, I'll give you that.

I totally disagree with your assessment of Ten Tables as "weak."

[mm-ll-kk.livejournal.com]

It's definitely more than a rumor...I found this Googling around:

Krista Kranyak, the owner of Ten Tables Restaurant in Jamaica Plain outlined her plan to purchase Antonia’s on Holland Street. She said the sale is mostly complete, but that she needs a wine and beer license to be profitable at the site.

While Antonia’s Restaurant had a wine and beer license, the license did not transfer in the sale. Instead, the license transferred back to the city.

"This deal is basically dead if I don’t get the license," Kranyak said.

http://thealewife.typepad.com/thepowderhouse/2008/02/darbi-meets-to.html

[toodleskitty.livejournal.com]

I'm really bummed about this. I have brought friends there proving you don't have to go to the North End of Boston to get superb Italian food.

Maybe Antonia's will open up somewhere else...

[ron_newman]

Not a rumor. See here for some previous discussion, at last month's Davis Square Task Force meeting.

[wallacestreet.livejournal.com]

Sigh, haven't we done this before. I disagree with every single assertion, except the good food. When was the last time you ate at Ten Tables in JP?

Last I was there, I had a vegetarian tasting menu which was one of the best things I've eaten in Boston, at any price. Speaking of price, it's not McDonalds, but it is one of the great fine dining bargains in Boston.

The two seats at the "bar" are two of the most interesting places to sit at any restaurant I've been to anywhere. Superb view of the kitchen, interaction with chef, assistant, and even the dishwasher. Too bad they're uncomfortable (no place for the knees) or it we would have stayed there for dinner too.

I really hope that they can make this work, either with a liquor license this time around or perhaps with the extra licenses the state is supposed to be giving us sometime this year.

[jellobiafrascat.livejournal.com]

ARGH NO. This is the only italian place outside of the North End worth eating at. I like Ten Tables, but unless they're offering gnocchi formaggio and tiramisu, then I have no interest in eating there.

[ebecker.livejournal.com]

You've obviously never eaten at Vinny's at Night in East Somerville. But shhhh, keep it quiet.

[jellobiafrascat.livejournal.com]

No, I've yet to get a chance to experience that place.

[clevernonsense.livejournal.com]

just expressed my opinion based on a couple visits to the place when it was fairly new. you're certainly welcome to express your own, but arguing with someone's opinion is kind of stupid.

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

It's always unfortunate when a restaurant chooses a name that sounds like a strip club...

[surrealestate.livejournal.com]

Asserting that a place with a vegetarian tasting menu (which can also be made vegan) has "few/no" veg options is a bit beyond an opinion, I think. It's okay if you didn't like the food, but they are pretty clearly veg-friendly.

[billharnois.livejournal.com]

same here. We asked the waiter about it and he completely denied that any sale was happening or going to happen.

[pearlythebunny.livejournal.com]

Have you tried Alfresco on Elm Street? It's really good. My husband would be happy to eat there every time we go out.

[ron_newman]

Did they move? I thought they were on Highland Avenue.

[pearlythebunny.livejournal.com]

Sorry, I meant Highland, near Kick*ss Cupcakes.

Antonia's, really?

[closetalker11.livejournal.com]

Apparently, I need to try this place again. I went once. My food was fine -- tasty, but nothing special. I would have been happy to go back again, but I found the service to be particularly bad. My waitress seemed like she was bothered by our presence (and, we are not fussy diners by any stretch). From all of your raves, though, it seems I need to try it again.

[by-lime.livejournal.com]

Neither Vinny's nor Alfresco's hold a candle to Antonia's, in my opinion. I would be very sorry to see it go, if that does indeed happen.

[aquastar.livejournal.com]

Antonia's has another place on revere beach parkway ...


I'm not saying its close ... I'm just saying there is another one ...

[bitvoid.livejournal.com]

Yeah, Vinny's and Alfresco are decent, but Antonia's is really something special.

[unbelman.livejournal.com]

I was in Antonia's last week and when I asked if they were closing, they said it was just a rumor . Don't know what that's worth, but there it is.

[aki.livejournal.com]

They also do a pleasant runch if you don't want to wait in line at Renee's, Sound Bites, or Johnny D's.

[toodleskitty.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the info. Do you know if it's T accessible?

[mm-ll-kk.livejournal.com]

I have to say that the entire issue of limited liquor licenses is idiotic. Why should the state limit the number? Al Fresco is a decent restaurant, but the fact that my fiancee and I can't order a glass of wine with dinner is a real dealbreaker. It's a relic of blue-law-era Massachusetts that hurts commerce, and it's absolutely infuriating.

Of course, if it saves Antonia's, then I'm in favor of it 100%...

[aquastar.livejournal.com]

Sorry ... I don't know much about the T near revere ... but during the summer if you feel like walking the beach I know the beach is at the end of the Blue line (but Antonia's is on the other end of the beach from the blue line).

[aquastar.livejournal.com]

Sorry ... not Parkway ... Revere Beach Blvd

sorrysorry

places outside of the north end

[mattdm.livejournal.com]

Okay, not Davis Square, but I gotta stick up for Carlo's Cucina in Allston.

[teko.livejournal.com]

As Ron says, yes, Ten Tables definitely wants to take over Antonia's space, but since their liquor license doesn't transfer, it's dependent on whether they can get licensed to sell alcohol.

The Somerville Licensing Board meets Monday the 24th at 6pm (167 Holland St) to decide who to give the remaining two licenses to. I believe the candidates are Chipotle, Yoshi's, Martsa, Alfresco, and Ten Tables.

[somertricky.livejournal.com]

Chipotle? God forbid.

And Martsa? Just what I'm looking for with my momo: a fine Chardonnay. (Not.)

[laryu.livejournal.com]

To be clear, the Ten Tables application is for a beer-wine license as opposed to a liquor license. The difference (beyond the obvious) is that beer-wine licenses are non-transferable, so Ten Tables would not be able to acquire Antonia's beer-wine license. Liquor licenses can be more easily bought, sold or otherwise transferred.

[teko.livejournal.com]

Thanks for clarifying -- I was unclear on that point myself.

[tt02144.livejournal.com]

I could be wrong, but I thought that the number of liquor licenses and beer/wine licenses were set by the city. And I think it's important to have some control on what is served, and by whom. Without it, anyone with a food license could be serving alcohol, and there would be little control or regulation. Wasn't there a sub shop a few years ago trying to get a liquor or beer/wine license? So can you see where this would go without a limit on licenses?

[ron_newman]

The state controls the number of licenses that each city or town can give out. I'd like to see a much higher limit, and I'm not sure why a "sub shop" is inherently unworthy of one.

[pearlythebunny.livejournal.com]

Didn't someone say recently that the Y-not was trying to get some type of liquor license? I'm assuming that is a different type of license from a restaurant license.

[ron_newman]

That's a package store license, for off-premises consumption.