More restaurant comings and goings

[ron_newman]

Out of the Blue, the fish restaurant at Highland and Cutter Avenue, has a sign in the window saying it is moving to 215 Elm Street. This is the storefront formerly occupied by Pluto, next door to the Rosebud.

On Mass. Ave., between Day and Dover streets, a vacant storefront has a sign announcing that the 'GRAND PRIX CAFE' is coming soon. (Hmm... the High Price Coffee?). This is in the short block of stores that also contains a Thai and a Bengali restaurant.

Comments

[georgy.livejournal.com]

Mm, I like OotB, glad to hear they're moving closer into the Square.

Has anyone been to that new cafe in Davis next to Martsa? I never see anyone in there. I feel like the last thing that part of the Square needs is another cafe...

cafe next to Martsa

[ron_newman]

See this post, and its comments, from about three weeks ago.

[hahathor.livejournal.com]

I've been there. It's run by the same people who run Martsa. So you can get funky tibetan pastries & chutneys with your coffee as a switch from scones & bagels. But yeah, I think another coffee place in Davis is probably a bad investment.

Good seafood on the other hand . . .

new cafe

[hrafn.livejournal.com]

They have the best chicken noodle soup! And tasty sandwiches. And the cookies are to die for (they get them from an amazing bakery in, um, Watertown? I think). When I was back in town earlier this month I went in there prolly half a dozen times - and usually saw other people coming in, too - and intend to whenever I come back to visit. Sat down and ate there once, too - it was nice and peaceful, compared to the other cafes.

I think it is different enough from the larger coffee places, in its atmosphere and selection of desserts, that it isn't "just another coffee shop."

[siderea]

I dunno. Every place else in the Square is such a zoo. I'm getting to be down on the Diesel because of how crowded and noisy it is (another point in favor of the adage "If you build it, they will come"). And I really miss Carberry's -- Oh Naturals! doesn't carry the things of Carberry's that I liked. :(

Bhoja has unfortunate hours: they close at 9pm. But the tibetan savories I had were quite good, and I'm motivated to go back.

[siderea]

In due course of time, all of Davis Square will fulfill its manefest destiny and become one vast mult-block café. And I for one welcome our new highly-caffeinated overlords.

[xoynotsmilexo.livejournal.com]

this is one of the best comments ive read on lj

[frederic.livejournal.com]

Several weeks ago, I spoke to the people who run Pluto and their lease was specifically not renewed because the owner of the property wanted Out of the Blue to get that space. Pluto still has a store in J.P.; they weren't too pleased with how things worked out for them since they didn't want to leave their Davis Square location.

[tsuki-no-bara.livejournal.com]

so what's moving into out of the blue's current space? does anyone know?

[overstim.livejournal.com]

Can SOMEONE, PLEASE open a cafe that stays open after midnight? Come ON people, some of us don't need sleep, like you weak mortals!

[xjustquietx.livejournal.com]

Do they own that house on Meacham Street? I see the old Pluto sign as I'm walking to the T on someone's porch. (Someone who, or someone whose landlord, does not shovel their walk).

[ukelele.livejournal.com]

IIRC, Somerville has some kind of regulation on how long a business can be open (which is why the Store 24 is a Store 18). If this is so, coffeehouses wanting to stay open late would have to sacrifice their morning-commuter business to do so -- which would be equivalent to stabbing long, pointy stakes through their hearts. Not gonna happen.

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

I'll second that. In fact, an all-night diner like Dolly's would be just the ticket, too. I haven't had 3:00 AM diner breakfast in I-don't-know how long.

[hahathor.livejournal.com]

Actually, it is open 24 hours -- just not in a row.

[ukelele.livejournal.com]

I once went to Davis for coffee, and ended up at Porter Square books because Diesel, Someday, Starbucks, and O'Natural's were *all* packed. I am not at all convinced that Davis has met the local coffee demand.

But I agree about good seafood :).

[talonvaki.livejournal.com]

I was wondering if, after 15 years, Picante suffered the same fate?

I also wonder if the wall between the ex-Pluto and the ex-Picante isn't coming down to accomodate the new Out of the Blue?

I also wonder what Gargoyles thinks about another "upscale" restaurant moving in next door to them?

[jadasc.livejournal.com]

Which brings us back to the fact that the space being vacated by OotB is the former Dolly's All Night space... and I wonder if some one else will pick up that legacy.

Re: new cafe

[mrpet.livejournal.com]

Arlington is where the baker is; Lakota has wonderful cookies. They also sell them at Pemberton Farms.

[mrpet.livejournal.com]

I have heard that "Spikes Junkyard Dogs" was moving into the Picante space.

[mrpet.livejournal.com]

Somerville used this law to keep Manray from re-opening up in Somerville *bah*

[ron_newman]

Yes, see this post from two weeks ago.

[hrafn.livejournal.com]

But . . . why would Manray be open longer than the magic number of hours, anyway? Or is there also another law about how late any business can be open, regardless of the time they start their day?

[mrpet.livejournal.com]

From what I heard the law that states when businesses can be open was cited as a reason. I'm sure that there is a whole raft of slightly differening regulations. When do the other bars in Somerville close? I usually go out in Cambridge or Boston.

[hrafn.livejournal.com]

I think they all close at 1 a.m.; I haven't been out at any of them, but I know that's the latest the Diesel remains open, though I had also thought that was tied in to the "can't be open more than 18 hours in any 24."

[mrpet.livejournal.com]

Bars _should_ be able to be open until 2am and I doubt that they are open for 18 hours :)

Bar closing hours in Somerville

[ron_newman]

Somerville bars generally must close at 1 am.

The Board of Aldermen has authorized a limited number of 2 am licenses. The first four were awarded to Toast (in Union Square), the Independent (also in Union Square), Good Time Emporium (in Assembly Square), and PJ Ryan's (in Teele Square). They can stay open until 2 am only on Friday and Saturday nights.

More may be awarded, but I suspect that any attempt to grant one in Davis Square will arouse considerable opposition from neighbors who like to sleep at night.

[ron_newman]

My understanding is that Store 24 must close at midnight because people live directly above it, and they were tired of loud people and cars in the parking lot after midnight.

Instead of forcing the store to close at midnight, a better idea would have been to just close the parking lot at midnight, so people would have to park in the street and walk to the store.

I also recall that other convenience stores used to be open 24 hours, such as the Christy's Market at Somerville Avenue and Elm Street. They were repeatedly robbed in the wee hours of the morning, and I think the police got tired of responding to these calls.

[ron_newman]

If there really is a rule that businesses can only be open for 18 hours, it somehow doesn't apply to Dunkin Donuts on Elm Street, which opens at 4:30 am (!) and closes at midnight.

[ron_newman]

Seems doubtful. I ate at Out of the Blue tonight, and the folks there told me "the license no longer exists" for someone to re-open a place like Dolly's there.

They also said that they will close at their current location on either Sunday the 15th or 22nd, and reopen on Elm Street the following Wednesday or Thursday.