OK, they are having problems at the paper posting things to the website, so I'll just summarize the story on the liquor licenses.
The City Council on Monday approved outside seating for Oregano, that pizzeria/Italian restaurant on Pleasant St. (which coincidentally also has a new executive chef so the food should be better although it won't come faster because there's only one 6-burner stove in the minuscule kitchen).
But councillors did not know that the Licensing Commission on April 1 had approved Oregano to serve alcohol at that outside seating.
In fact, Greg Earls stood up after the vote and said that there would be no alcohol served at the tables.
Surprise!
Well, since I had just written the story about Oregano - and had owner Claude Elias tell me that, pending approval from the fire chief and the state liquor commission, they would be serving alcohol at the outside tables - this kind of put me on alert.
So on Tuesday I called both Earls and Katie Ives, neither of whom had a clue that this approval had taken place.
I ran into Ives earlier today, as she was walking up Inn St. The tables have been put out - and she also was a little put out.
I'm all for helping local businesses increase the customer base and I really don't see a huge problem with serving alcohol at those table, but honestly? This really disturbs me.
The council needs the full story before they approve what appear to be routine things.
At this time I'm not going to claim this is a Karp/Lagasse-related incident because the commission also approved the same type of license to the River Merrimack Bar & Grill(e), which of course is in The Tannery.
I'm sure they'll sort it all out (not really) but in the meantime, give Oregano another try for food. This new chef guy used to work with Todd English at Olive's in Charlestown and also used to cook at my favorite North End eatery, Pomodoro ... best chicken carbonara ever ...
Saturday, April 18, 2009
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5 comments:
I'm quite happy to read about the new chef. The old cuisine just didn't do it for me.
And I for the life of me I can't understand why folks shouldn't be able to consume a drink with their meal. C'mon folks, let's lighten up.
I don't think the food was doing it for very many people. I hope they can pull it out with this new guy. He seems to know his stuff.
As most who know me know, I do not enjoy eating out in Downtown Newburyport and limit any exposure to the same. Preferring to dine out side the borders of this tourist trap due to personal tastes and the forced company. But, when a pretty lady offers to buy lunch, I do not refuse. Chivalry and what not.
Two weeks ago, I was invited to a late lunch at Oregano's by a very pretty lady. Having been there only twice since there grand opening, I was comfortable in their menu and expected atmosphere. At 1:00 PM, the place was all but abandoned. A bar person, who actually took our order and served the same, a waiter and two cooks. Of course the owner flitted in and out, seemingly staying busy hand shaking and all to passers-by. sort of like the Beach and their hawkers. Good effort to drum up business.
We made our selections from the menu, only to be refused more than once as the listed item was 'not available anymore. Settling upon our second and third choices of Veal Parm with Angle Hair pasta and Some sort of Primeria, we ordered drinks. She from the bar. Me from the cow (City Employee and all, translates to a dry lunch and an obvious glass of milk as a reference to all that lurk about).
Bread was delivered and consumed, redelivered and re consumed. At 1:45, lunch was served. A ten minute gulp of the completely wrong food as ordered, allowed me to meet my contract of a one hour lunch. Abandoning my date to pick up the tab in order to make the lunch curfew at Shitty Hall.
The food served was a complete turn around from my last visit, fortifying my opinion that Pearson's in Byfield is the better choice for edible cuisine and has a friendlier crowd.
Shape that this passes for dining pleasure in such a Blue Collar Town. Oooops, I forgot newburyportucket, where nobody works and has all day to let their w(h)ine air before playing with their food….but I still do not think that my eating habits will change enough to make a fourth appearance. I can bee seen at the bar of the Tavern for lunch on occasion as they serve edibles and milk also. At an affordable cost too! ;)
It's astounding to me that Newburyport employees would refer publicly to their place of employment as "Shitty Hall", and publicly decry the inferior nature of our local establishments that happen to pay their salaries by way of their business taxes.
Actually, sewer personnel are paid through sewer rates (enterprise fund), not city taxes ... and being employed by the city doesn't mean you can't complain about a restaurant - and it definitely should not curtail one's right to free speech. At least he used his real name.
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