Say It Ain’t So… Outdoor Dining In America's Best Little Italy, Boston’s "North End", Will Now Be A Thing Of The Past. Thanks To A Mayoral Ordinance. BONUS - My Top North End Restaurants
ABC Boston - The city of Boston has announced a comprehensive plan to allow permanent outdoor dining across the city, but says it will not be permitting on-street outdoor dining in the North End this year.
According to Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, the permanent program creates a predictable, streamlined process for business owners that will expedite application review and allow for annual renewals.
"It incorporates the activation of public space enjoyed during the temporary program, but addresses issues such as barriers to accessibility and concerns from public safety officials," the news release said.
Well, as our guy Silvio Dante once said, this is just another instance of good ol' fashioned anti-Italian discrimination.
According to the mayor's office, the scheduled full closure of the Sumner Tunnel and continued congestion around the North Washington Street Bridge construction project are expected to put a greater strain on North End traffic this summer, making it harder for residents and first responders to navigate the area.
The mayor's office says the North End has the densest per capita number of restaurants in the state, with approximately 95 located in a third of a square mile.
I'm going to make this brief I promise, because otherwise I'll go on a tangent and get into city politics and run the risk of this blog never seeing the light of day.
But what the fuck is it with people, in this case, let's say Mayor Wu, but this goes for anybody, who move to a city, and don't actually want to live in a city?
It's mind-bottling.
Yah no fucking shit the North End is extremely congested. Not sure if you're aware, you went to Harvard so I'm assuming you are, but Boston is one of the oldest cities in America. They built it in the 1630s. And they built it like shit. The roads are a fucking hornets nest. There's no organization or planning to any of them, they're as wide as your shoulder width (still), and 90% of them are one-way. I'm not certain but I'm pretty sure it's because they were all originally cow paths. And somehow, almost 400 years later, they are STILL being worked on on a constant basis. The Big Dig took 100 years, and yet every trip into Boston you discover new roads and streets that didn't use to be there, and old roads and streets no longer there. It's a shit show.
The North End, is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Boston. Meaning it's ancient. But that's not a bad thing. It adds to its charm. It's unique.
The fact Hanover Street, and the third of a square mile flanking it is home to NINETY-FIVE RESTAURANTS is amazing. It's one of the greatest dining destinations on the entire planet. When people visit Boston for the first time, and ask me where to visit, before Fenway, before the Freedom Trail, before Faneuil Hall, before anywhere I tell them to be sure to hit the North End.
And for good reason. There are NINETY-FIVE RESTAURANTS within a 15-minute walk. There's live violin and accordion music on the sidewalks. The best smells wafting through the air you could ever dream about. There are people packed in the streets, and electricity in the air.
The dining on the sidewalks, and in the streets that covid enabled venues to expand to, increases the energy, and adds a very European feel to things. There's no better seat in the city than posting up at a table on Hanover for a meal, and a bottle of wine, on a gorgeous summer night, taking it all in.
The thing city officials can't comprehend for some reason, not just in Boston, but in most cities who see small businesses as piggy banks they can repeatedly tax whenever they need money, or shut down unlawfully or impose draconian restrictions upon, is that people live in, pay taxes in, and travel to cities because of the things small businesses provide along with the entertainment a city provides that you can't find anywhere else. Restaurants, bars, sporting venues, theatres, clubs, etc are what attract people and keeps the machine humming. Without those things you're a relic. A ghost town. Boston's North End epitomized that.
But not anymore, because the Mayor and a bunch of college kids and suburbanites who rent in the neighborhood don't like the extra congestion, so the restaurants, aka the lifeblood of the neighborhood, get the shaft.
Now, not only do they lose their added space they've had for the last two years, which they've adjusted budgets, hiring, and projections for, but now they have to jump through hoops of a newly created "city task force" (of course), to get a permit, which they have to pay for yearly, now.
"The city will be creating a task force to determine how these issues could be remedied in future iterations of the permanent program," the news release from the mayor's office said. "This year, the city will buy back jersey barriers from North End restaurant owners and provide relief for costs related to storing these items."
"Restaurants in the neighborhood with adequate sidewalk width will be eligible to apply for outdoor dining if their proposal complies with accessibility and licensing requirements," a news release from Wu's office said. "Restaurants with privately owned spaces seeking to have outdoor dining patios are encouraged to apply through the Inspectional Services Department."
The mayor's office says all approved businesses participating in outdoor dining will be required to pay $399 per month if they have a liquor license and $199 per month if they do not. "Fees will go toward technical assistance for hiring architects to draft site plans, with the goal of expanding the program to businesses that would not otherwise be able to participate," a news release from Wu's office said.
What a sad day. For the business owners, for the locals and regulars, for the tourists, for everybody.
I really hope the chamber of commerce, and the business owners can band together and fight this head-on. So they at least can have one more summer to enjoy the al fresco dining.
If not, I say we riot at the Fisherman's Feast.
p.s.- Boston has the best Little Italy in the country. That's not me being a homer, that's me traveling all over the country and determining as good as some other cities' Italian enclaves are, none stack up to The North End.
my other favorites in order are:
2- San Diego
3- Philly
4- Providence
5- NYC (Bronx Arthur Ave not L.E.S.)
6- Chicago
7- Cleveland
8- San Fran
9- Baltimore
10- St. Louis (The Hill)
BONUS - My personal favorite restaurants in the North End. Not saying If I don't list one here that it's not good, again, there are 95 places to choose from. These are just my personal favorite 10.
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1- Arya
2- Bricco
3- Carmelina's
4- Giacomo's
5- Neptune Oyster
6- Terra Mia
7- Mare
8- Tresca
9- La Vita Dolce
10- Lucia's
Bova's > Mike's > Modern (sorry)
Ernesto's > Regina's