davis_square | Summary of Monday's Davis Sq Task Force meeting

Some incomplete notes from Monday's Davis Square Task Force meeting:

The city and the T will work together to select and place new artwork in the Red Line station, replacing the large white panels that are above the benches and in the mezzanine.

Middlesex Bank will send a representative to the next DSTF meeting to discuss their electric sign.

A meeting to discuss the Wall of Respect to Women will take place tonight (Wednesday) at 6:30 at the Field House in Powder House Park.

About 75 people suddenly crowded into the room to lobby for The Burren's application for a 2 am license for Friday and Saturday nights only. There was a lot of hostility between this new group and some of the long-time residents who had been in the room before they arrived. Alderman Gewirtz struggled to keep control of the meeting, and at one point it threatened to degenerate into fisticuffs between two or three people. The Burren presented a petition signed by 1436 people, at least 370 of which lived in zip code 02144. Some of the established residents are countering with a petition of their own.

This is The Burren's third attempt to get a 2 am license. Eight other establishments in Somerville have 2 am licenses now, but none of them are in Davis Square. The closest one is PJ Ryan's in Teele Square. No date has yet been sent for The Burren's hearing before the city Licensing Commission.

The entire new group of people left immediately after the Burren discussion was over, which led to some grumbling from those of us who stayed.

Dunkin Donuts did not show up, so we did not discuss their application for a 24-hour license.

O'Natural's is closing and will be replaced by a Mexican restaurant. We don't know who it will be.

The Someday Cafe employee group are talking to the owners of Sacco's Bowl-Haven to see if some mutually acceptable arrangement can be worked out. One possibility is for a cafe and restaurant to replace the pool tables, which apparently are not well-used.

Alderman Gewirtz will soon be meeting with Rocco Antonelli who owns much commercial property in the square, including Buck-a-Book, Mini-Mart, Starbucks, and the Post Office. (This meeting may have already happened by now)

Next meeting is Tuesday, November 28 at 7 pm.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Oh, that's tragic about O'Naturals! I really liked their food and concept, and they're one of the best kid-friendly places in the square. And, of all things, we really don't need another Mexican restaurant....

I don't know much more. Though if the Mexican restaurant turns out to be Picante's, I'd be glad to have them back.

A few months ago, O'Natural's ended their evening hours and began closing at 4:30 pm.

I love O'naturals, but even when they had their evening hours, it was generally closed long before I was able to get there for dinner. I generally eat dinner around 8pm... which always made me sad that they were already closed.

i too would be glad to have Picante back, but I liked O'Naturals! Great concept, great food, great space.
Tragic.

I'd love to have Picante back or some new Tex Mex place.

What are they doing with that Mini-mart anyways? It looks like it's being renovated. I figured that was gonna be the new Someday.

A month ago, a construction worker told me that it was being fitted out for H & R Block (which used to be in the square years ago, where Diva Lounge is now). I don't know if that's true.

Someday can't move in there because it has the same landlord as Starbucks. They have some contract that prohibits him renting to a competing coffee shop.

Oh, hey, Picante would be cool. I live close to Teele, so Rudy's pretty much has the tex-mex covered. And at the other end of the street Maria Bonita on Mass Ave. is a great hole-in-the-wall place.

The only problem is that Rudy's isn't good.

Not especially, no. (Maria Bonita is, though, by the way. Within the whole hole-in-the-wall restaurant thing.) But Rudy's is pretty much exactly what I expect from "tex-mex" -- I think there ain't much hope that a new place would be better.

Is Maria Bonita where the Bike Path meets Mass Ave? I've been meaning to try that out for lunch. It doesn't look like the type of place you could get a Margerita at though. Plus, I always want Tacos Lupita or Anna's when I feel like Mexican.

TexMex places I like are Border Cafe in Harvard Sq, or Jose's on Sherman St in Cambridge. They have much better food than Rudy's and great Margerita's most of the time.

I wrote to O'Naturals, asking why the Davis restaurant is closing. The reply was basically, not enough sales to cover operating costs.

That sucks. And surprises me, considering how crowded it's been when I've been in there.

My 21-month-old will be sad too; he just discovered their Giant Train Table.

Oooh -- it had occurred to me that Sacco's Bowl-Haven and the Someday community could be a fruitful and potentially happy partnership for both!

They met at last month's DSTF meeting. I hope something great comes of it.

It sounds like The Burren might have shot itself in the foot. That's a disgraceful display you described.

To be fair, I think more of the hostility came from the long-timers. But one of the Burren supporters was quite belligerent and was very nearly 86'd.

It's not clear from the post - were most of the newcomers showing up to support the 2am closing?

Yes. Lots of people filed in, en masse, around 7:20 pm, just before The Burren item was set to start on the agenda. All of them supported the 2 am closing. As soon as that agenda item was over, they all filed out.

Why would they have any reason to stay after their topic was discussed?

Some of us hoped that the newcomers might be interested in other aspects of the community. (By contrast, the Someday employee group continued to show up at later meetings, and one of them even took the official notes this week.)

I suppose it could be considered rude.

As a former reporter who covered a lot of selectmen's meetings, etc. I saw most folks leave once their liquor license was approved or whatever it was they were asking for. Of course, those meetings would sometimes drag on for hours and hours...

Thanks for posting your recap! I had wanted to be at the meeting, but had a conflict. It's extremely nice and helpful of you to keep us informed!

Thanks for posting. I rather like the Davis T-stop wall art - and it seems we are going to be stuck with those flags forever, huh.

it's so sad that O'Natural's will be closing! I loved that place. I'd be curious to see what the Mexican place is, though—I'm looking for something other than Ana's.

Summary of Monday's Davis Sq Task Force meeting

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