Vegan restaurant will replace Teele Square (ex-Soleil) Cafe ?

[ron_newman]

The Somerville Licensing Commission last night approved the application of 'True Bistro, LLC' for a liquor license to open a vegan restaurant at 1153 Broadway. This is the current location of Teele Square Cafe (formerly Soleil Cafe).

Comments

[ron_newman]

Sorry, I do not know much more. I was at the hearing in order to support the Armory, and this item just came up on the agenda before it. I did spontaneously testify in favor of it when the commission called for public comment, because one of the commissioners was questioning whether the concept was sufficiently unique as to fulfill a public need.

[usernamenumber.livejournal.com]

A PDF of the meeting notes is here (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&ct=res&cd=2&ved=0CAwQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.somervillema.gov%2FCoS_Content%2Fdocuments%2Fagenda%2FAG-04-26-2010.pdf&ei=N_jWS434FMO78gaXoKHQBQ&usg=AFQjCNH8EXyEOnF-uZddqFyGZQqegFkPIA&sig2=SOrLS4oVKA8-3vIxbWgA6w), and the address given does indeed match that of TS Cafe (1153 Broadway). Doesn't say anything about Tru Bistro co being a vegan place (or anything else). Any chance they're just the owners of TSC, and the vegan place was part of a different discussion?

[ron_newman]

They definitely said vegan, and had to explain to some of the Commissioners what that word meant.

[smoterh.livejournal.com]

lulz

if that doesn't indicate that there is a huge disparity between people that live in this this city and the people that work for the city, I don't know what does

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

The commissioners also live in the city.

[ron_newman]

And they aren't really city employees, they are citizens who serve on a city committee (and receive some modest compensation, but not a full-time salary)

There are three commissioners. The chair, Andrew Upton, looks like he's in his 30s to early 40s, and surely knows what 'vegan' means. But the other two commissioners are much much older.

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

One of the commissioners is 87, apparently! And he's held several public offices in the city.

Where he was born.

But apparently he's "out of touch" with "the people who live in this city" because he's not familiar with veganism.

[benndragon.livejournal.com]

That's a really succinct description of gentrification right there.

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

It makes me angry because it "others" fellow residents who serve as commissioners.

Not everyone knows what the word "vegan" means, and the commissioners who weren't aware of this aren't "out of touch" with their fellow Somerville residents because that wasn't a word in their vocabulary.

Somerville is a big city, and people aged 25-40 aren't the only people who live in it.

[pierceheart.livejournal.com]

Can you be anymore entitled?