25
March
2007
I never thought I would say such a thing, but living in the fabulous neighborhood of Roslindale, I have to say a few parking meters would improve the square tremendously. Today, as on most days, the municipal parking lot was almost empty while the square was packed with cars, some of them illegally parked in clearly marked No Parking areas and one car parked in a crosswalk. There is even rumors that the “lack of parking” that some people feel in Roslindale is directly related to the fact that business owners in the square park right outside their own businesses!
According to the minutes of the February 13th BRA Advisory Group meeting in Roslindale, the suggestion of parking meters was received favorably. I would welcome those meters with open arms. There is no lack of parking in Roslindale, but there may be a lack of turnover. If you can walk to the square, like I do, it’s the nicest way to visit this very pedestrian-friendly Village. Parking in the municipal lot behind the Roslindale Medical and Dental Center is the next best thing. For everyone else who wants to park in the square on South Street, Birch, Corinth, Belgrade or Poplar there should be meters.
Posted under Roslindale Issues
25
March
2007
I never really knew much about Yelp.com but, but in writing my last post, I wanted links for the stores I mentions but could not find a website for any of them. The first link for Village Market was the Yelp review, and when I looked through the reviews for the other business, the yelp reviews seemed accurate enough to use them as links too.
Posted under Internet
25
March
2007
A number of months ago, I emailed Village Market in Roslindale asking if they would carry Cheryl Ann’s Challah on Fridays. I never got a response. This past Friday I went there hoping for some matzah meal to make Matzah Ball soup, but they had none. In fact, with only one week until Passover, I could not find a single Passover item. When I asked an employee where the Passover foods were, he had no idea what I was talking about. He called someone on the phone and then took me to a section that had sugar free and some some other diet foods — definitely NOT Passover food. I said I would be sending in a complaint email to the store and he told me he was the owner and would try to get some Passover foods. (He’s the young guy with bright red hair.)
If he really is the owner, he needs to learn something about a segment of his customer base that I believe is growing in Roslindale. I’ve noticed that Village Market is doing it’s best to compete with HI-LO in Jamaica Plain, but as for us Jews, we’ll need to keep driving outside the square to get OUR ethnic foods.
Posted under Roslindale Issues
11
March
2007
Before they changed the menu, I considered Salute was one of the great new Roslindale restaurants. The prices were less than Delfino’s and the pizza was better than Sophia’s Grotto. A number of months ago, we enjoyed the Mozzarella e Pomodoro pizza, a crisp traditional crust with big chunks of fresh mozzerella and a sauce that took me back to my four-month sojourn in Italy over 10 years ago. The lasagne special I enjoyed that night was made with handmade noodles served in a bowl with just the right amount of cheese and sauce — delicious! I commented then how great it was and said they should put it on the regular menu. They told me they were changing their menu and that the lasagne would be on it.
Tonight we couldn’t have been more disappointed. The bread was cold, the pizza crust was now a soft, perfectly round, plate size pizza with American style sauce and cheese. (We could have done better at Romano’s down the street). And the lasagne, despite our previous server’s promise, was not the same one. It was an American style lasagne that anyone could have made at home. (I would have made sure it was cooked all the way through as well.)
To their credit, the salad was excellent, and our server took the lasagne off the bill since I wasn’t happy with it.
Rumor has it that they may be moving to a third chef (and menu?). If so, I’d say, bring back the old pizzas and that fabulous lasagne. And while you’re at it, add some more vegetarian pastas. There are many more vegetarians in Roslindale than most restauranteers would like to believe. Meat may sell, but a good vegetarian restaurant will garner a tremendously loyal following.
Posted under Restaurants, Roslindale Issues
2
March
2007
Before I comment, I want to point out that I’m one of the very lucky at-home parents with a daughter who takes three-hour naps every day, like clockwork. However, within that three hour period I try to do the following: update my blog, take an hour long stationary bike ride, prep for dinner, write in my journal, read, catch up on email, prepare for one of the meetings or classes I chair or teach, and (if there’s still time) nap. Today I’ve prepped for dinner and had lunch. I have one hour left. I haven’t written in my journal in days and the bike is calling, but so is the couch for a nice nap. The rain is falling hard outside the window and I think the couch has won. ZZZZZZZZZZ……
Posted under Motherhood
13
February
2007
Staying home with a 22 month old feels like a constant job of catch up. I try to catch up with the dishes, catch up with email (and THIS BLOG!), catch up with folding laundry, catch up with small projects like recycling, gluing broken china, changing light bulbs, and of course there’s the constant catch up with cleaning up after my child. Although she loves the “clean up” song* and will do a pretty good job of cleaning up her stuff, she makes messes faster than she cleans them. Having a bi-weekly house cleaner ensures that the dust doesn’t pile up for longer than two weeks and forces me to make sure the entire house is clutter free before they get here. But as soon as they’re gone out come the crayons, chalk, books, and wooden blocks that create the ongoing obstacle course that is my house.
*Clean up Song: It turns out (from googling the song in hopes of finding a clip) that the one we know is the BARNEY clean up song! I thought by never having TV we’d avoid Barney — but no such luck. It’s a great song though, and it works!
Posted under Motherhood
18
December
2006
Somehow my mother was able to raise four children, cook home cooked meals every night, fresh cookies when we came home from school, sew our clothes, make dolls to sell, and cook ten types of Christmas cookies, plus cakes, pies, and turkey with all the fixings. I always said I never wanted her life — but the thought of eating frozen dinners and store bought cookies depresses me.
For Hannukah I’ve made latkes, tabouleh, my mom’s special coffee cake, two types of cookies, (along with some other in- between meals) and already I’m exhausted. I haven’t written in my blog for months as we’ve painted the family room, ripped out and replaced carpet, and put the garden to bed for the winter. And our 20 month old daughter is enthusiastically into everything and couldn’t be more fun — but I could use more sleep.
We recently decided to pay for house cleaning. As I stare at the pile of dirty dishesn from the cookies I made today, I think I could use a “scullery maid” of sorts as well, (no derision intended). And while I’m at it, maybe a vegan personal chef!
Posted under Feminism, My Life
26
September
2006
It’s interesting that the Roslindale Board of Trade meeting was held last week at Doyle’s in Jamaica Plain. Why didn’t they hold their meeting in Roslindale, considering their interest in supporting small businesses? Probably because there is no place like Doyles in Roslindale. It seems like every new restaurant is another upscale “bistro,” without the character or simple festive food of Doyle’s.
According the the Board of Trade’s website, it’s purpose is “to better the community through commerce.” I say that if they can’t have their meetings at any of the restaurants in Roslindale, they should encourage a restaurant like Doyles to come here. We would all benefit.
Posted under Restaurants, Roslindale Issues
24
September
2006
For those who are interested, here are 6 photos of how my garden did this year. This first photo is a close up of my fountain ($20 for a pump placed in a bird bath — DIVINE!). I highly recommend fountains to everyone.
I was happiest with my watermelon (which was planted as an afterthought). I had run out of fresh cultivated soil but still had some watermelon seeds. I tucked them in among the perennials and they really took off! The one in the photo is about the size of a large grapefruit. It tasted delicious!
The Bean Harp didn’t do so well. Peas grew on it, and a grape vine (photo below), but the beans never really took off.
I think the reason the Harp didn’t do so well was because the trees I cut to make the Harp refused to die and kept sending off shoots like this one:
Finally, I was happy with my basil and cherry tomatoes — easy to grow and tasty!
Posted under My Life
24
September
2006
I’ve decided to add a new category: Roslindale Issues. This is my neighborhood and I love it, but there are many areas that could be improved. I’ll be using this category to write about my feelings about Roslindale, good and bad. Here’s a pet peeve: The light at the corner of South Street and Washington (where the one way South Street empties onto Washington). The light coming off South St. is way too long and there is a “No Turn on Red” sign. Too often I have sat waiting for a green when there is NO traffic coming up from Forest Hills. I’ve heard that some people ignore the “No Turn on Red” and just turn anyway. Removing the “No Turn on Red” sign would alleviate a lot of long lines on South Street. (Another option is a flashing yellow/red light at that intersection.)
Posted under Roslindale Issues