400 Highland restaurant is CLOSED

[ron_newman]

The restaurant at 400 Highland Avenue has closed, a little over three months after it opened. A sign in front says that anyone holding a gift certificate should redeem it at Joshua Tree.

Meanwhile, it looks like the Rosebud is going to give their back room another try. The sign now says La Spina - Authentic Neapolitan Cuisine. Don't know when it's going to open, but presumably soon.

Comments

Re: Highland Ave in general

[dominika-kretek.livejournal.com]

The last thing we want Davis Square to be is a "tourist destination." Some of us live here! Today I saw the perfect example of what Davis Square should NOT become: The Harnett's in Harvard Square is apparently going to become an American Apparel.

I think the Someday was great because it build a community, even though I never went there. This is also what's great about the Diesel, Mike's, and MacIntyre & Moore. I want to see a coffee shop that can have open mics and evening performances, like the Herrell's in Allston. Or it could be another bookstore, like Lorem Ipsum or son of the Grolier. If it has to be food it should be someplace simple, cheap, pleasant, and good.

Re: Highland Ave in general

[ron_newman]

I could think of many worse things than American Apparel. What's wrong with sweatshop-free clothing?

Re: Highland Ave in general

[brianbeck.livejournal.com]

I live here and bought property here so I want to see Davis succeed.
When I said "tourist" destination, I suppose I should really have said "destination" and left the tourist connotation out of it.
I think that Davis has 3 possibilities:
1. We capitalize on what we have already and Davis becomes even more artsy, attracting arty types who are willing to invest and spend in the area. The Square attracts people who'll spend money in arty and independent stores like McIntyres, Magpie and Diesel and make the Square hip and desireable. People would come here because of the lovely location, the trees, bike path, cutsie stores and coffee shops.
2. We let landlords sell out to high bidders like CVS and the banks and the area becomes a down at heel Harvard (without the tourists!)
3. We do nothing and Davis flounders along with no specific plan. Old stores that make little money struggle on and eventually become boerded up. We lose 400 Highland, Someday, McIntyres, Mr Crepe?

Re: Highland Ave in general

[ron_newman]

I hope your reference to McIntyres in the last line of that post is purely hypothetical ...

Otherwise, I basically agree.

Re: Highland Ave in general

[penny-chase.livejournal.com]

Sigh. Well I remember being bummed when Reading International morphed into Harnett's. It was a nice bookstore with a great selection of foreign newspapers and magazines.