Dorchester Open Studios on October 23rd and 24th

Every year Dorchester Open Studios showcases the best artists in our neighborhood. This year it runs from noon to 5 on Saturday 10/23 and Sunday 10/24. Check out our blog entry from 2006 for a description: Dot Open Studios 2006

Help Save the Lower Mills Library! Part 2

As we had previously posted, the Trustees of the Boston Public Library are threatening to close the Lower Mills Branch. Where they should be finding ways to equally distribute the budget issues caused by the poor economy across the system, instead they are targeting a vibrant part of our community for closure. There will be an important public working session on Monday October 25 at 6:30 pm at the Lower Mills Branch (27 Richmond Street in Dorchester) and we encourage everyone to come and make their voice heard.

Peabody Square Sleeping Moon Dedication

Embracing Dorchester's growing art community, the new and improved Peabody Square will include a sculpture by local artist and Ashmont Hill resident Joseph Wheelwright. Come join the mayor and Boston City Singers in celebrating this new Dorchester monument (will it rival the giant Clapp pear in Edward Everett Square? Can anything rival that pear?). The ceremony starts at 4:00 pm on Tuesday, October 26th (DATE CHANGE) and will be held at Ashmont Station Plaza at the corner Ashmont Street and Dorchester Ave.

Boston.com connects to Dot

We were incredibly disappointed when the Boston Globe discontinued the City Weekly section (we must admit we even canceled our subscription over it - well that and their negative depiction of urban teachers, which is an important part of who we are). We use to love drinking a fresh brewed cup of coffee and looking over the pages describing what was going on in the other 'hoods of Beantown. However, deep down inside we have always rooted for the Globe to turn itself around. We know they have the potential and there is still nostalgia there. So we think this may be the first step...

Today, the Globe and their website boston.com have launched a new section focusing on the neighborhoods of Boston. Although not all neighborhoods are featured yet, we are excited they have realized that the suburbs are not all that makes the Boston area great. Of course, they have chosen Dorchester as one of their first neighborhoods to cover, because of its undeniable hipness and amazing diversity (and we also assume because the Globe offices are located right here in Dorchester). So check out their site and be sure to let the Globe know what you think of it.

Dorchester @ boston.com
Your Town @ boston.com

Mad Men Sundays at Tavolo

Do you love the stylized sets and witty dialogue of the television program Mad Men, which follows the world surrounding early 1960s Madison Avenue? Do you wish you could go somewhere hip, imbibe 1960s styled cocktails, and pretend you were in the program? If your answer to these two questions was yes, then you must watch the rest of season 4 on Sunday nights (10 pm) at Tavolo.

The bar has been pretty packed, so make sure you arrive a little early and be prepared to dine on recipes from 1960s housewife magazines. We particularly enjoyed the spinach and artichoke dip served with historically accurate Ritz crackers and the mini egg salad sandwiches. Chris enjoyed an old fashioned (which has been for some time his favorite drink) and Erin had obviously no qualms about the tasty gimlet. For our health, it is a good thing that we don't smoke as much as they did a half century ago, but to hold you over Tavolo sometimes supplies super fun candy cigarettes.

www.tavolopizza.com
1918 Dorchester Avenue, Dorchester
617.822.1918
Located on Dochester Ave. just north of the intersection of Beale Street. Just west of the Ashmont T stop (near the southern entrance/exit).

Dorchester Declared Thriving by WGBH!

It has been almost two decades since WGBH discontinued its nightly program called The Ten O'Clock News focusing on urban Boston, so we were excited when Emily Rooney's Greater Boston decided to examine why neighborhoods like Dorchester are experiencing a surge in housing sales in the middle of tough times for real estate.

Overall, we were incredibly impressed by our spokesman and Dot resident Donna Latson Gittens as she explained to the world why Dot is the place to be: community, diversity, garages, and green space! Although we usually enjoy Emily Rooney's program, we were a bit intrigued by her negative view of Dorchester (despite admitting she has not really been here) that she struggled to overcome throughout the segment (perhaps this is the Back Bay effect?). We would have expected someone with her intellect to understand that urban violence is a problem that exists throughout the city and that Dorchester (a 10-15 minute subway ride) is closer to downtown than Wellesley (a 45 minute commuter rail ride). However, the program did do a great job of explaining why new groups (they described as "a third gay, a third young people, and a third old Boston Irish") are moving into the best neighborhood of Boston. We hope Emily Rooney and Greater Boston make Donna Latson Gittens a regular visitor to their program. Watch the segment here...

Calling All Dorchester Artists

The Dorchester Arts Collaborative (DAC) has an open call for participants in their 2010 Open Studios on October 23rd and 24th. Please consider registering for Open Studios. For more information, go to www.thedac.org and click on “Open Studios.” Registration before September 1st is only $40 and guarantees that your name and site location will be on the map and all collateral materials (registration after September 1st goes up to $65).

Don't Forget To Eat Your Vegetables

It is farmers' market time again in Dorchester. We highly recommend forgoing your trip to the supermarket when you can buy the freshest locally grown produce at one of the three farmers' markets in Lower Dot. With locations at Ashmont/Peabody Square (which has moved to its rightful place in the plaza at the northern entrance of the new station), Milton Lower Mills Wharf (just over the bridge from Dorchester - behind the store fronts on Adams Street), and Fields Corner (in the parking lot across the street from Town Field).

Here is the schedule:
Milton Lower Mills Wharf Farmer's Market: Thursday 1-6
Ashmont/Peabody Square Farmer's Market: Friday 3-7
Fields Corner Farmer's Market: Saturdays from 9-12.

Check out our blog entry on farmers' markets from four years ago: Milton Lower Mills Wharf Farmer's Market blog entry and this Dorchester Reporter story from last week: Cookouts, Fireworks, and Farmers' Markets.




(Top photo courtesy of Ashmont/Peabody Square Farmers' Market)

Introducing "Dorchester Dottie!"

There is Fenway Frank and South End Sally, and now Boston's best neighborhood (and the one where they park the off-duty boats) has its own duck boat to travel the streets of Beantown having tourists quack ridiculously at all they pass by. Introducing "Dorchester Dottie" and her lovely pink polka dotted paint job. To celebrate her maiden voyage, Ashmont Grill will be hosting a bar-b-que lunch on Saturday, August 14 from 11-2 in her honor (with all proceeds to Quack Quack Give Back Program, which contributes to the Boston Public Library and other local charities). It will include all kinds of summertime food, and yes, they will be serving duck kebabs (both humorous and a little disturbing like Charlie the Tuna). Here is the best part, meals as cheap as $5 and you can eat them aboard the new duck boat.

www.bostonducktours.com

www.ashmontgrill.com
555 Talbot Avenue, Dorchester
617.825.4300
Located in Peabody Square at the intersection of Dorchester Ave, Ashmont Street and Talbot Ave. Just north of the Ashmont T stop.


(Top photo courtesy of Dorchester Tire Service)

U2 Tribute Band to Play Dorchester Park

It seems appropriate that a tribute band for Ireland's greatest rock band will hold a concert in Dorchester's greatest park. Joshua Tree, Boston's most popular U2 tribute band, will be rocking out on Thursday, July 29th at 7 pm at the baseball diamond. It is free and open to the public. Let's hope they play, "Where the Streets Have No Name." I am sure they will!

www.dotpark.org
Dorchester Park
2174 Dorchester Avenue, Dorchester
Located on Dorchester Ave. just north of St. Gregory's Parish on Dorchester Ave. Just south or the Carney Hospital. Just west of the Cedar Grove T stop (Ashmont-Mattapan Trolley) or about 3/4 of a mile south of the Ashmont T stop.

Flatblack Ashmont Station Extends Hours

Have you ever walked out of the Ashmont T station after work and craved a coffee from Flatblack, but when you walked over to the door it was closed? Well, the folks at Flatblack have a solution for you! They are extending their hours to 7 pm. Now you can sip a latte or munch on a ham and cheese croissant from 6 am to 7 pm weekdays (but still only 7-2 on Saturdays) making this an even better place to meet up friends or study in the early evening (and perhaps they will play some Radiohead over the stereo system making it near perfect).

To add to this, the Dorchester Reporter says that Flatblack is preparing the permits to have outdoor patio seating at their Ashmont location to give it a "European touch." Exciting!

www.flatblackcoffeecompany.com
1906 Dorchester Avenue, Dorchester
617.825.1440
Located in Peabody Square on Dorchester Ave. Just west of the Ashmont T stop.

Dorchester Day is Here Again!

It is time once again for Dorchester Day, when the neighborhood celebrates its very own holiday. If you are new to the neighborhood then get ready for one heck of a party commemorating the founding of Dorchester as a town in 1630 (Dorchester was later annexed to Boston in 1870). The parade starts Sunday, June 6th at 1 pm in Lower Mills and heads north up Dorchester Avenue, ending at Columbia Road.

As always the Dorchester Reporter is your best bet for parade information and coverage. See you at the Dot Day parade!

Ashmont Hill Super Yard Sale This Weekend!

The weather should be awesome for the best neighborhood yard sale in the United States (hands down, the best!). So, this Saturday May 22nd, head on over to Ashmont Hill from 9 am to 2 pm and enjoy sifting through all the cool stuff people have for sale. You can even stop for brunch afterward at the Ashmont Grill. Perfect.

www.ashmonthill.org
Located west of Peabody Square. Exit the northern end of the Ashmont T stop, walk up Dorchester Ave., and then turn left on Ashmont Street, follow signs to yard sales.

My Dot Tour

A cool new event is happening in the 'hood this June. MyDotTour is a program that helps local teens in the community learn about Dorchester’s multicultural history. After going through this program, neighborhood kids will serve as tour guides for a tour of Fields Corner. The MyDotTour kick off event is happening on Saturday, June 5th 2010, Dorchester Day Weekend! For more info: mydorchester.org/youth/mydottour

Lower Dot's Chris Douglas Cooking for All on NECN...

Dorchester executive chef Chris Douglas (of Ashmont Grill and Tavolo) made an appearance on Billy Costa's TV Diner (on NECN) this week, where he taught us how to make a sweet and savory duck salad. If you missed it, here it is...

Brother's Crawfish

Word on the street is that there is a new Asian-Cajun fusion restaurant in the Fields Corner section of Lower Dot (You heard me right, Asian-Cajun fusion!). Brother's Crawfish has recently opened their doors on Adams Street and if it is up to our standards we will be reviewing them soon...

www.brotherscrawfish.com
272 Adams Street, Dorchester
617.265.1100
Located on Adams Street at the corner of Park Street. Just east of the Fields Corner T stop.

Have you been to Brother's Crawfish? Rate it below.

Help Save the Lower Mills Library!

The Trustees of the Boston Public Library have made a purposeful choice to close the Lower Mills library (and branches in East Boston, Brighton, and South Boston) and we are asking that as community members you take action to help prevent this from happening. In Lower Mills, the library serves such an important role as place for both education and community building and closing it jeopardizes the centerpiece of this section of the neighborhood, one that has existed since 1875.

What can you do:
1. Attend the benefit at Ledge (2261 Dorchester Avenue) on Wednesday, April 14th at 6 pm. Cost is $15. Call Vic Campbell at 617.822.4046 for more information.
2. Go to the Lower Mills Library and find out how to sign the petition.
3. Write the mayor, our city councilors, and state representatives to tell them your personal stories about the Lower Mills library.

For more info read: the Dorchester Reporter Story with Video.

Easter Egg Hunt at Ashmont Grill

Ashmont Grill will be holding an Easter egg hunt on April 4th at 10 am. They say come one come all. It sounds like fun...

We are unsure of the date of the annual Easter egg hunt at Dot Park. We will let you know if we get any details. Happy Easter!

Peabody Square Tree Lighting

We forgot to post these pictures, but here is the Peabody Square Tree Lighting in December 2009! Better late than never. Happy holidays!

Dorchester-Milton Restaurant Week

Nine of the finest restaurants in Dorchester (and neighboring Milton) have grouped together for a Dorchester-Milton Restaurant Week from January 17th to the 31st (excluding Fridays and Saturdays). They will offer three course pre-fixe dinners for $30.10, as well as their regular menu items.

Check out their websites for more information:
224 Boston Street
88 Wharf
Abby Park
Ashmont Grill
Blarney Stone
dbar
Dot 2 Dot
Ledge
Tavolo

(Photos: Top - The crab cakes at Ledge. Bottom - Interior of the Ashmont Grill)

Pat's Pizza

When you walk in this place, it is classic Dorchester! From construction workers on their way home to hipsters getting ready for a night out, Pat's is a Lower Dot staple and offers the finest pizza and subs around. Whether it is a Super Bowl party or a night you just don't feel like cooking, Pat's always offers cheap, fast, and kind service. Chris loves the (only found in New England) steak bomb sub (pictured below), where the steak, cheese, mushrooms, onions, and peppers blend into a comfort food dream. Erin loves a slice of the traditional peperoni pizza.

www.patspizzaoflowermills.com
2254 Dorchester Ave., Dorchester
Located on Dorchester Ave. Just north of the Milton T stop (Ashmont-Mattapan Trolley).

Have you been to Pat's Pizza? Rate it below.

It Is Time For Sushi to Come to Lower Dot!

Calling all local restaurateurs! There is one major thing missing on the Dorchester dining scene, and that is sushi! Here is the evidence as to why we believe the opening of a sushi restaurant will be a gold mine for whomever is willing to take up the challenge.

First, it is obvious that Dorchesterites have the gourmet tastes to support not just one, but probably multiple sushi restaurants. Almost everyone we know in Dorchester eats sushi, yet all of us have to travel downtown to get it. Sushi restaurants are no longer exclusively for the most affluent communities.

Second, out of any neighborhood in the city, Dorchester has the most perspective restaurant patrons. With our 92,000 residents and the fact that on the weekends you almost always have to wait for a table, it is clear that Dot could use more dinning options.

Third, the nearest sushi restaurants according to Yelp! and Google Maps are located all the way in East Milton Square (Ichiro Sushi, pictured below) and Jamaica Plain (JP Seafood Cafe). Both of which are far beyond walking distance or public transit from Dot.

Fourth, Dorchester is one of the few neighborhoods in the city without a sushi restaurant. Jamaica Plain, Roslindale, South Boston all have sushi restaurants and of course Allston-Brighton and the South End have multiple.

Now we do realize that there has been a proposed sushi and sports bar establishment for Upper Dot (Van's in Savin Hill), which has been in the planning stages for some time now. Although we are quite excited for its opening, we would suggest there is still a need for sushi somewhere in Lower Dot, perhaps even a small establishment in Peabody Square, Lower Mills, or Fields Corner? The gauntlet has been dropped!

Patriots Tailgate Menu at Tavolo

How good does this combination sound? Gourmet comfort food, tasty beer, and watching the Pats win another game with a pretty swell crowd. Well that is what you can get at Tavolo, while they are running this Patriots game day special. When we went, Chris had the "Not Your Mother's Chili" matched with Harpoon's Leviathan and Erin had the meatball sliders with provolone and marinara on a corn bun accompanied by a raspberry ale. Delicious! The details: For $20 you get two Harpoon beers and one dish from their "tailgate menu" and Tavolo is now open every Sunday at noon.

Check out our blog entry from last year for a description: Tavolo

www.tavolopizza.com
1918 Dorchester Avenue, Dorchester
617.822.1918
Located on Dochester Ave. just north of the intersection of Beale Street. Just west of the Ashmont T stop (near the southern entrance/exit).

Dorchester Open Studios 2009

Every year Dorchester Open Studios showcases the best artists in our neighborhood. This year it runs from noon to 5 on Saturday 10/24 and Sunday 10/25. Check out our blog entry from two years ago for a description: Dot Open Studios 2006

Vietnamese and Irish Festivals in Dot

This weekend is a great one for celebrating our neighborhood's diversity by attending both of the scheduled ethnic festivals. On Saturday at Town Field in Fields Corner, you can attend the annual Tết Trung Thu (August Moon Festival), which takes place from 3-8 pm. Then on Sunday head on over to Adams Corner for the all-day Irish Heritage Festival. Both will include plenty of food, music, and celebration.

Here are their websites for more info:
Tết Trung Thu (English Translation)
Irish Heritage Festival

ADORE-chester! Top 5 Bites in Dorchester

One of the best things about Dorchester is the quality and diversity of restaurants. The food is authentic in flavor and represents the passion, community, and culture that are at the heart of our neighborhood. As part of the ADORE-chester! blog project, we lay out our top five choices of dishes from around the neighborhood (and five more we couldn’t help but also list) as we continue on our journey, eating our way through Dorchester.

Our top five bites in Dorchester (in no particular order):
These are the MUST tries if you haven’t already

1. Fried chicken wings from Mrs. Jones
2. Ginger ice cream from the Ice Creamsmith
3. Tiramisu dessert from Tavolo
4. Grilled beef bahn mi from Ba-Le
5. Any martini from dbar

Tier Two (in no particular order):
These are the highly suggested if you haven’t tried already

6. Trainwreck fries from Ashmont Grill
7. Homemade ginger beer from Irie Jamaican Style Restaurant
8. Ham and cheese croissant (baked by Sel de la Terre) with latte from Flat Black
9. Poulet en sauce from Belle Cuisine
10. Dim sum at Chau Chow Seafood

UPDATE 10/4/09:
And by request, here are our top 5 drinks in Dot! (in no particular order)

1. Dotini at the Ashmont Grill. Seriously Dorchester's own drink, with a side of candy.
2. Mojitos at the Blarney Stone - One of the best we have ever had.
3. Grapefruit-Infused Basil Gimlet at Tavolo. Feel like you are on Mad Men while still living in the 2000s.
4. Espresso Martini at dbar. Coffee and liquor - what is there not to love about that?
5. A pint of Guinness at the Banshee. Transport yourself to Ireland for a moment.

To read the other ADORE-chester! postings, please check out their blogs:
The Dorchester Think Tank
The Dottie Hottie
The Dot Matrix
Dot Boston
Local Spice
Candeliera Silva
Social Butterfly Experiment
dotmass
Greening of Dorchester

Boston's Barista Competition Will Take Place in Lower Dot

Peabody Square is the host of Boston's first annual Barista competition. On October 24th, numerous coffee shops from around the city will be competing for the crown of the White Chrome Barista Throwdown. This competition, located at Flat Black Coffee Company and then Tavolo, will include events in coffee knowledge, latte art, and drink creation, with celebrity judges. It is open to the public and there will be free lattes during the practice rounds and free coffee during the demonstration period. For more information, go to www.flatblackcoffeecompany.com. Good luck Flat Black!


White Chrome Barista Throwdown Hosted By Flat Black Coffee Company and Tavolo
1906 Dorchester Ave./1918 Dorchester Ave., Dorchester
Located on Dochester Ave. just north of the intersection of Beale Street. Just west of the Ashmont T stop (near the southern entrance/exit).

If you can't make it there will be live streaming video at: www.ustream.tv/channel/whitecrome.

88 Wharf Riverfront Grill

You may think you are walking into a condominium complex, but in fact it is the latest gourmet restaurant to open up near Lower Dot, just over the river in Milton Village. 88 Wharf Riverfront Grill is an upscale restaurant with both indoor seating and tables on the patio, which overlook the town wharf. Chris enjoyed the well-cooked Steak-Frites, while Erin had the salmon with potatoes and spinach, which was delicious. It is fantastic that Milton Village has followed the lead of Dorchester with a new eatery, which includes Milton's first restaurant with a liquor license.

www.88wharf.com
88 Wharf St., Milton
Located in Milton Village (Across the river from Dorchester Lower Mills) off of Adams Street. Just south of the Milton T Stop (Ashmont-Mattapan Trolley).

Have you been to 88 Wharf Riverfront Grill? Rate it below.

Ledge

The newest eatery to open in Lower Dot, it offers another upscale dining option to the neighborhood. Erin had the broiled crab cakes on top of mixed greens which were large and tasty and accompanied by a strong mustard aioli. Chris had the hanger steak with caramelized shallot blue cheese butter sauce and a side of sweet potato fries and herbed orzo. The sauce was an excellent compliment to the well-cooked steak's flavor. We did not have the most desirable seats, right next to the crowded bar, but this is expected when a restaurant first opens. The restaurant interior is hip and modern, and the many televisions in the bar area are almost overwhelming. It would be a great place to catch a Sox playoff game. The back patio is large and offers a separate bar, we can't wait to go back an enjoy it on a warm fall evening.

www.ledgeboston.com
2261 Dorchester Ave., Dorchester
Located on Dorchester Ave. Just north of the Milton T stop (Ashmont-Mattapan Trolley).

Have you been to Ledge? Rate it below.