Black Friday: Go local, go PLAID.

A plea for local commerce this Black Friday from Somerville Local First:

Let’s Make it Plaid Friday This Year
By Laury Hammel and Stacy Mitchell
For many Americans, Black Friday has come to epitomize all that’s gone wrong with this season of gift-giving and the long hours we’ll spend in the coming weeks negotiating traffic jams, crowds, and the endless aisles of big-box stores. That’s why we propose that New Englanders take a new approach to holiday shopping this year. Let’s use this special time to slow down and really savor the places where we live: our public squares and historic buildings, our sense of community, and the rich variety of locally owned stores and restaurants that contribute so much to the flavor and spirit of our region.

Read more.


Plaid shirts at Highland Kitchen.

Photo from ecker power's flickr photostream.

Winter Hill Post-Thanksgiving Food Challenge Wrapup

Well, not too much feedback on the places to eat in Winter Hill for our Post-Thanksgiving Food Challenge. SomervilleIrv mentioned that Leone's has fantastic subs, the Paddock is under new management, and Bread and Company is up and coming. Frederic who writes Cocktail Virgin gave a shoutout to Fasika and Highland Kitchen.

A little research on my part led to some close-ish to Winter Hill establishments that might be of interest. Some that were previously not on my radar. I'm not endorsing any of these places, but they all seem to have decent yelp ratings. Here's the list for now:

Taco Loco

Lil Vinny's Ristorante

Wang's Fast Food

Sound Bites

Olde Magoun's Saloon

Panificadora Modelo

Supreme Kitchen

Ha, next we'll try to post about Winter Hill nightlife.

UPDATE: apparently Bread & Co. opened today. See this link for an early review.

Virgies? No. Madison's on The Ave? No. Highland Kitchen? Yes.

When I first moved to Somerville there was a dive bar up Highland Ave called Vergies. At least I think it was called that. This wasn't a dive bar like the Model or the Silhouette. This was a real dive. After I lived there a little while, Virgies was closed for renovations, and Madison's on the Ave sprung up in its place. I went there once. Not too much later, Madison's was closed for renovations, and now, the Highland Kitchen has popped up. Rumor is, it's pretty good, and it might actually be there for a while.


View Larger Map

Highland Kitchen satiates Somerville neighborhood's cravings

By Katie Johnston Chase Globe Staff / January 19, 2008

SOMERVILLE - I've always dreamed of living within walking distance of a restaurant with delicious, affordable food, a decent bar, and a comfortable vibe. A place I could go to a few times a month to have dinner or a drink. A place I could call my hangout.

So when Highland Kitchen opened around the corner from my house last month, my hopes were high. I knew it was owned by the former chef at Green Street Grill in Central Square, where I had feasted on mahi mahi with mango-avocado salsa and sampled lip-scorching curried goat stew. And when I heard Tom Waits playing on the jukebox the first time I walked in, and saw the silver menus gleaming with promises of brandy flips and chili cheese fries, I was instantly smitten. Halfway through our first drinks, my husband and I were on a first-name basis with the bartender.

Read more:
http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/food/articles/2008/01/19/highland_kitchen_satiates_somerville_neighborhoods_cravings/