It seems like it was just a few weeks ago that I was writing that the South End and SoWa Open Markets were opening for the season, but the reality is it has been six months and tomorrow, Sunday, October 30th marks the last market of the season. Both markets have continued to thrive and had a stellar year.
South End Open Market and the SOWA Market are separated by 3 blocks and are open from 10 AM – 4PM. Come over to the neighborhood and check them out before they close up for the season.
Area Four first opened as a casual restaurant in Kendall Square in Cambridge in May 2011. Since that time it has remained a popular neighborhood restaurant best known for their pizza and commitment to using locally harvested ingredients. On Friday, October 21st the owners opened a new location in the Troy in Boston’s South End.
I really like the look and layout of the space. The restaurant has a large bar in the back, open kitchen and soaring ceilings. I’m happy to say that the food and service was also very good. The menu is divided into three sections: 10″ PIZZAS which range in price from $13-$20; VEGETABLES (think of them as appetizers or sides) that range from $6-$13; and MEAT & FISH which I found the most confounding in part because these “dinner options” range so wildly in price from a Smoked Trout Salad for $13 to a Whole Fish & Chips for $40.
Brussels Sprouts & Kale $12
I started dinner with the Brussels Sprouts & Kale Salad for $12 which included candied hazelnuts, red onion and shaved pecorino and lemon. The shredded vegetables along with the citrus and nuts was delicious and made me think of the summer, but will be a plate I continue to order well into the winter months.
Shown below are the traditional Magherita Pizza with tomato, mozzarella, pecorino and basil – this was light and flavorful; the Shitake Mushroom & Fontina Pizza which had a creamy / earthy taste and was my favorite; followed by the Wellfleet Clam & Bacon Pizza that tasted salty initially from the bacon but finished with a nice kick thanks to the hot peppers.
10″ Margherita Pizza $13
A10″ Shitake Mushroom & Fontina Pizza $17
10″ Wellfleet Clam & Bacon Pizza $18
I predict that Area Four is going to be a popular destination for pizza lovers who live in the neighborhood. The bar is large and inviting and the service on the main dining room floor on the night we were there was efficient and casual. Add this to your list of new restaurants to check out. They have a full bar with cocktails, wines by the bottle and glass as well as a solid beer selection.
Area Four is located at The Troy Boston at 264 East Berkeley Street, Boston and is open 7-days a week for dinner from 5 – 11pm (the bar is open until 2am). You can call ahead for reservations at (857) 317-4805.
Check out this billboard above Mike’s Diner on Washington Street in the South End. It gave me a good laugh and I’m assuming you’ll have a similar reaction.
Childe Hassam Park is located in Boston’s South End at the intersection of Chandler Street and Columbus Ave. The park has been designated as an outdoor space, showcasing the work of Boston’s visual and performing artists.
Later this weekend Friends of Childe Hassam Park will be hosting a fundraiser at The Urban Grape on Sunday, October 16th.
Sergio Mazon poses with artist, Joshua Wilmoth, at the “Play Me I’m Yours” piano that Wilmoth painted and was placed in the Childe Hassam Park (Sept-Oct 2016).
The six-story, 200-room AC Hotel by Marriott is now under construction in Boston’s South End along Albany Street where three low-rise buildings previously stood.
AC Hotel South End’s ground floor will include a bar and lounge area, fitness center, indoor pool and conference room space. The hotel is scheduled to finish construction in late 2017.
In 1986 a group of artists at the Boston Center for the Arts invited friends and neighbors into their studios to view their art. As more artists became interested in the event, the United South End Artists was formed, and the South End Open Studios weekend came into being.
Today the South End Open Studios includes a dozen studio buildings and more than 250 artists, encompassing all of Boston’s South End neighborhood. This year will mark their 30th anniversary so come over to the South End.
Posted in Art & Film, Free Stuff, South End
Tagged Art and Film, BosGuy, Boston Guy, South End
If you’ve been to either the South End Open Market or Ink Block lately you will notice a lot of activity on the city block across from both at 345 Harrison Avenue. Construction for this fourteen story, nearly 600-unit apartment complex has started in earnest, and the multi-building residential project will add 535,900 square feet of new space that will include approximately 40,000 square feet of ground-floor retail.
According to a website set up to promote 345 Harrison Avenue, resident amenities will include a 14th floor Sky Lounge, a resort-style pool and a fully-equipped fitness center. A one-story underground parking garage containing approximately 275 automobile spaces and 325 bicycle spaces.
According to the BRA construction is expected to conclude in late 2018.
Am I the only one who finds this hilarious? I feel like this event is about 20 years too late to the South End which has become so gentrified that they actually created an event called Sausagefest and nobody batted an eyelash or thought for a moment about the double-entendre. What is this world coming to?
Did you happen to see the Free Friday Flicks showing of Minions yesterday? It looks like one of these guys is now taking up permanent residence on the second floor of this South End apartment / office on Tremont Street.
This year Boston JerkFest™ has expanded and is a 2-day festival that will take place this Friday and Saturday at the Ben Franklin Institute of Technology at 41 Berkeley Street in the South End.
The outdoor festival features Jamaican jerk spiced food and all things spicy and hot as well as a rum and brew tasting on Friday, June 24th from 6:00 – 9:30 pm. The event will include live music, unlimited tastings of rum, local craft beer and several Caribbean inspired drinks. Click here to get discounted tickets for Saturday only on goldstar.com.
To get tickets for Friday and the Rum & Brew Tasting visit the official event website, bostonjerkfest.com.
Photo Credit: Boston Herald
Last year The Abbey Group purchased the 5.6-acre parcel that has been home to the Boston Flower Exchange. Last week news outlets started reporting that the new owners have plans to build a “dynamic” commercial office building complex targeting new technology businesses that otherwise might seek space in Cambridge’s Kendall Square.
The proposed development would include accessory parking, retail and public space, and possibly residential space. At its full zoning potential, the development could bring 5,000 to 10,000 jobs to the site.
You can read the full article on the Boston Herald.
Rendering of 370-380 Harrison Ave Source: Robert A.M. Stern Architects
The amount of development underway in the northeast corner of the South End is getting ridiculous, but it is also a testament to how desirable this section of town has become. Earlier today The Boston Globe reported that the developer who purchased the Quinzani Bakery and neighboring Ho-Kong Bean Sprout buildings has proposed to build a 14-story multi-use building with 280 residential units (175 rentals and 105 condos) along with 180 parking spaces.
The developer indicated the ground floor will have commercial space although what sort is not certain and they plan to rework the sidewalk, adding seating and trees to provide shade. Additional on-street parking will also be created although I’m not 100% certain how or where and The Boston Globe article didn’t elaborate. Stay tuned. I’m sure there will be more details forthcoming.
Eater Boston reported today something that has long been rumored in the South End, the imminent closure of Kitchen Restaurant on Tremont Street. According to the article which you can read here Eater Boston writes:
“Sometimes liquor licenses in Boston are a little tricky,” Herritt told Eater. The four-year-old Kitchen had been operating with the liquor license for F.S. Pops, the previous restaurant in that space, which is losing the license. Herritt said he did not have immediate plans to find an alternative location for Kitchen, and the staff will move to his other restaurants.
This past September Kitchen had revamped their menu to focus on local seafood, but it was hard to tell if the change had helped or hurt the cute restaurant with one of the most desirable street side dining patios in the neighborhood. One thing that is abundantly clear, without a liquor license there is no way a restaurant in the South End can hope to succeed.
R.I.P. Kitchen
Back in January Second Glass, the Boston-based company behind Wine Riot, was surprised by Mayor Walsh who indicated he was opposed to the wine store opening in the former home of Design Within Reach at 519 Tremont Street.
Second Glass took to Twitter to help get support from the neighborhood. I posted a link on my blog to show my support for Second Glass by sharing the link to their petition back on January 6th in my post here. A week later they received the necessary approval from the licensing board after many signed a petition telling Marty Walsh that Wine Riot was welcome in the South End.
No word when Wine Riot will be opening but it was nice to see the sign at the top of the post go up in the Atelier 505 commercial space.
For more information about Second Glass and Wine Riot link here.
Last week the South End Open Market released a long list of participating food trucks for their upcoming season which starts in just eight weeks on Sunday, May 1, 2016. Look for the Food Trucks to assemble alongside the Arts and Farmer’s Markets in the Ming’s Market parking lot between Harrison Ave and Washington Street (official address is 375 Harrison Avenue).
If taking the T, the location is easily accessible from the East Berkeley Silver Line stop and just a 5 minute walk from the Orange line Tufts NE Medical Center stop or the Red line Broadway station. For more information about this year’s South End Open Market visit their website newenglandopenmarkets.com/southend.
BosGuy 