Neighbor of the Week!

At the heart of the East Somerville community are the people who live here!

Each week East Somerville Main Streets will be posting answers from East Somerville Residents to share what they think makes East Somerville great!!!

This Week Meet: Nancy Bacci- Manager of the Edgerley School Boxing Club

How long have you been a part of the East Somerville community? I have been working out of the City's Youth department (165 Broadway) since 2009 and I love being down here!

Can you tell us a little about the Edgerley School Gym? The Somerville youth development & Boxing Club opened in the basement of the Edgerley School in October 2011. We have 230+ members (the majority are youth under 21). The gym has become a true bright spot in the lives of many of our youth. They have the opportunity to not only work out and learn boxing but to get help with their homework, learn about the dangers of drugs and alcohol, and get connected to the best group of caring adults I have ever known.

Favorite East Somerville eats (restaurants, favorite dishes...)? I adore Vinny's Restaurant. My favorite dish there is chicken, broccoli and ziti. Great food with generous portion sizes.

Why is East Somerville a great place to live?

I don't live in E. Som (I'm a West side girl lol) but I think it's a great place to work due to the variety of opportunities available here. We have the great East branch library with its wonderful staff, very interesting restaurants, a great new Harris Park on the way, a new streetscape on the horizon, and awesome people you can encounter in the neighborhood. We are home to the fabulous staff and students at Next Wave/Full Circle School as well as the ESCS which will be up and running again soon.

Celebrate Tuesday Nights in East Somerville!

Tuesday night is the night to get out, explore East Broadway and enjoy Two for Tuesdays specials all year in East Somerville!

Enjoy a Tuesday night out in East Somerville with friends and split two specials for the price of one! With so many great places to dine, you’ll never be bored. Take a stroll down East Broadway and try someplace new or cozy up in an old favorite. Look for the Two for Tuesdays poster in the window of all participating businesses and stop in to enjoy an authentic and affordable Two For One special!! Just ask for the Two for Tuesdays deal written on a white board inside and enjoy!

Tonight's Specials Include:

Mount Vernon Restaurant (14 Broadway): Pork chops or Baked schrod with salad, potato & vegetable (2 for $20.99)

Taco Loco (44 Broadway): Pupusas (any kind)

Los Paisanos Restaurant (62 Broadway): Tortas, and burritos for $9.99 and pupusas for $1 each

Vinny's Ristorante (76 Broadway): Eggplant Parm

Tapatio Mexican Grille (82 Broadway): Tacos

Gauchao (102 Broadway): Sobremesas (Desserts)

Taqueria Montecristo (146 Broadway): Tortas

Fasika (145-147 Broadway): Buy one combo and get another entree free!

Casey's Tavern (173 Broadway): Appetizers

Maya Sol (179 Broadway): Chicken Burritos or Chicken Fajitas

Two for Tuesdays is first district-wide initiative of its kind. Organized by the restaurant owners of the East Broadway Business District it is a collaborative promotion designed to showcase the vibrant atmosphere of the community. Come out and enjoy an evening in your neighborhood and help us spread the word about this great opportunity!

4pm until closing, eat-in only.

East Broadway's Undiscovered Desserts

Recently spurred on by an advertisement in the window of Restaurante Montecristo that featured “Atol de Elote,” we struck out to find out more about what this delicious central american treat might be! The traditions of East Somerville and the East Broadway Business District are as diverse as the people who live here, visiting and living in the area is a process of constantly learning, and that’s one of the reasons people love it here!

Atol de Elote dons from El Salvador, where much of the cuisine finds its roots in Mayan and Spanish foods. Salvadoran food is often rich in local produce such as corn, beans, squash and tomatoes, with the most popular being pupusas, hand made corn tortillas stuffed with cheese, meats or vegetables (if you haven’t relished a pupusa, we’d highly recommend it, as these wonderful little stuffed tortilla can make anyone’s day!).

There are other less talked about but equally tasty ways the Salavadorans have learned to use corn, and that’s where we come to Atol de Elote, which turns out to be a delicious dessert drink. Atols are a type of thick drink, rooted in Mayan culture, that are often eaten with a spoon! Atols can featured any ingredient, not just Elote( orn), but while there are many variations on this tasty treat Atol de Elote is among the most popular. Served hot, it is a mixture of white and yellow corn, sugar, corn starch and cinnamon.

Traditionally Atol de Elote is served in handmade bowls carved by local artisans. Practiced Latin American artists are able to complete an entire bowl in just a few minutes. While these homemade bowls are not as popular in America, the drink is still as tasty.

There are multiple El Salvadorian restaurants in East Somerville and I highly recommend you test out this delicious treat.

As a follow up on this post we will be researching the story behind the giant Brazilian Easter Eggs, as well as zeppole, a traditional dessert made just for St. Joseph’s Day -- and why you shouldn’t go to Patsy’s Pastry on March 19^thunless you want zeppole!

Two for Tuesdays Sweetens Up Valentines Day!

Feeling bad about not having a date this Valentine’s Day? Two for Tuesdays can sweeten up this Tuesday night! Tuesday night means Two for One specials all year in East Somerville!

Enjoy a Tuesday night out in East Somerville with friends and split two specials for the price of one! With so many great places to dine, you’ll never be bored. Try someplace new or cozy up in an old favorite. Keep your eyes open for the special heart shaped balloons at all participating business and stop in to enjoy authentic and affordable Two For One specials!! All you have to do is ask for the Two for Tuesdays deal written on a white board inside. Available 4pm until closing, eat-in only.

Tonight's Specials Include:

Mount Vernon Restaurant (14 Broadway): Pork chops or Baked schrod with salad, potato & vegetable (2 for $20.99)

Taco Loco (44 Broadway): Pupusas (any kind)

Los Paisanos Restaurant (62 Broadway): Tortas, and burritos for $9.99 and pupusas for $1 each

Tapatio Mexican Grille (82 Broadway): Tacos

Gauchao (102 Broadway): Sobremesas (Desserts)

Taqueria Montecristo (146 Broadway): Tortas

Fasika (145-147 Broadway): Buy one combo and get another entree free!

Casey's Tavern (173 Broadway): Appetizers

Maya Sol (179 Broadway): Chicken Burritos or Chicken Fajitas

Two for Tuesdays is first district-wide initiative organized by the restaurant owners of the East Broadway Business District. Come out and enjoy an evening in your neighborhood and help us spread the word about this great opportunity!

Neighbor of the Week!

At the heart of the East Somerville community are the people who live here!

Each week East Somerville Main Streets will be posting answers from East Somerville Residents to share what they think makes East Somerville great!!

This Week Meet: Eden Dutcher Co-Owner of Groundview Designs and Designer of the new Harris Park

· How long have you been a part of the East Somerville community?

In 2002, my husband and I relocated to Teele Square in Somerville from San Francisco. When our family started to expand we were looking for the right neighborhood to raise our children. We made the right decision to move to East Somerville in 2008.

· What’s happening in East Somerville or on East Broadway that you’re excited about?

The vibe! Its fresh, its real & all the capital improvement projects happening in the next few years are going to make it sing.

· Favorite East Somerville eats (restaurants, favorite dishes...)?

So many favorites! Top 5:

Pupusas from Maya Sol

Bruschetta from Vinny's

Tacos from Taco Loco

Sfagliatele from Patsy's

any cut of meat from Tony's Foodland to take home for the grill

· Why is East Somerville a great place to live?

We were instantly welcomed by our multi-generational/cultural neighbors when we moved to East Somerville. There is a real sense of community that extends from the block where we live, to the parks we visit everyday, to the businesses we frequent on East Broadway, to the East Branch Library where we love to check out the reading recommendations of the awesome staff.

Interested in finding out more about the next steps to the new Harris Park?

Check out these awesome fly-throughs of the designs:

Mountain Design

Forest Design

or find explanations of the designs HERE

Also be sure to stop by the final public meeting on Wednesday, February 29 at 6:30pm at the Senior Center on the corner of Cross St. and Broadway. At the meeting the finalized design plans will be revealed!

Neighbor of the Week!

At the heart of the East Somerville community are the people who live here! Each week East Somerville Main Streets will be posting answers from East Somerville Residents to share what they think makes East Somerville great!!!

This Week Meet: Laura Vivenzio

· How long have you been a part of the East Somerville community?

I have been a resident of East Somerville for eight years. I've been a member of ESMS since 2007 and enjoy volunteering with them.

· What’s happening in East Somerville or on East Broadway that you’re excited about?

The opening of the newly-renovated Mudflat building has been one of the great success stories of the neighborhood. Work is happening in earnest at the site of the new East Somerville Community School, and also, late-breaking news of a new restaurant called La Brasa coming to East Broadway is very exciting!

· Favorite East Somerville eats (restaurants, favorite dishes...)?

I think I've eaten at most places in East Somerville...the food is fantastic! There's a wide variety of cuisines and establishments to choose from. The Sambosa at Fasika Ethiopian restaurant is delicious, as is Taco Loco's perfect chicken burrito, the antipasti bar over at Vinny's at Night, and you just cannot go wrong with the popovers from the Mt. Vernon.

· Why is East Somerville a great place to live?

The ethnic diversity and multicultural population are my main reasons for loving East Somerville as a place to live. Also, its close proximity to downtown Boston is certainly a plus!

Enjoy two East Broadway eats for the price of one!!

It’s Tuesday!! and that means another exciting opportunity for Two for One Eats in the East Broadway Business District!!

Tuesdays are the day to get out and explore the authentic tastes of the East Broadway Business District!! With only seven weeks left of the Two for Tuesday promotion, now is the prefect time to bring a friend and discover a new restaurant or spend an evening at an old favorite! Stop by at any of the participating businesses, marked by a Two for Tuesdays poster, and enjoy TWO authentic and affordable specials for the price of ONE!! All you have to do is ask for the Two for Tuesdays deal written on a white board inside. Available 4pm until closing, eat-in only.

Tonight's Specials Include:

Mount Vernon Restaurant (14 Broadway): Pork chops or Baked schrod with salad, potato & vegetable (2 for $20.99)

Taco Loco (44 Broadway): Pupusas (any kind)

Los Paisanos Restaurant (62 Broadway): Tortas, and burritos for $9.99 and pupusas for $1 each

Vinny's Ristorante (76 Broadway): Pasta dishes (Linguine, Angel Hair, Spaghetti)

Tapatio Mexican Grille (82 Broadway): Tacos

Gauchao (102 Broadway): Sobremesas (Desserts)

Taqueria Montecristo (146 Broadway): Enchiladas and tacos

Fasika (145-147 Broadway): Buy one combo and get another entree free!

Casey's Tavern (173 Broadway): Sandwiches

Maya Sol (179 Broadway): Chicken Burritos or Chicken Fajitas

Two for Tuesdays is first district-wide initiative organized by the restaurant owners of the East Broadway Business District. Come out and enjoy an evening in your neighborhood and help us spread the word about this great opportunity!