Western Front blazed into Harvard Square last month, becoming the first cannabis dispensary to open in the neighborhood — nearly seven years after Massachusetts legalized recreational marijuana.
With the new location, Western Front becomes the first economic empowerment licensed cannabis company to open a maximum of three dispensaries in Massachusetts. The dispensary, which also boasts storefronts in Chelsea and Central Square, sells a variety of cannabis products as well as pieces from local artists.
Marvin E. Gilmore Jr., 98, and Dennis A. Benzan founded Western Front in 2020 through the economic empowerment licensing program, a Massachusetts initiative that prioritizes licensing cannabis dispensaries owned by or employing Black and Latinx residents and people who live in “geographic areas that have been disproportionately harmed by marijuana prohibition and enforcement,” per the state’s Cannabis Control Commission.
Western Front celebrated the grand opening of its 98 Winthrop St. location with local music, yard games, vendors, and artists in Winthrop Park on July 21.
There have been resets on studying the economic effects of Cambridge bike-lane installations and on outreach to the public when a bike-lane project gets underway, city staff and consultants said in July meetings.
The economic study frustrating business owners in May now has the Volpe National Transportation Center aboard as a consultant and new data sources in place, the center’s Sean Pierce said at a July 17 economic impact study information session for the Cycling Safety Ordinance. The 2019 law calls for nearly 25 miles of protected lanes citywide.
A new outlet of an eclectic local group of dining spots has come to Cambridge after being in the works for more than a year.
According to an email, The Friendly Toast is now open in Harvard Square, moving into the space on Mass. Ave. that had been home to Grafton Street Pub & Grill until it moved to a new space on JFK Street. The new location of the eatery joins others locally in Boston’s Back Bay, Burlington, Chestnut Hill, Danvers, Dedham, and North Andover, and there had also been one in the Kendall Square section of Cambridge but that one closed in the summer of 2020.
The address for the new location of The Friendly Toast in Harvard Square is 1230 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02138. The website for all locations can be found at https://thefriendlytoast.com/
When it comes to writing slice of life songs and then singing them from the heart, Ashley Jordan is in a league of her own. Born and raised in the tiny town of Harvard, MA, Ashley spent her summers in the Ozark Mountains with her grandparents, listening to and singing country music. She credits her late grandfather as “the light of her life” and it is clear that his influence as a country-folk singer/ songwriter is part of her DNA. At only 13, Ashley convinced her parents to allow her to travel to iconic Harvard Square in Cambridge where she and her guitar set up shop on a street corner. While a family member stood by, crowds gathered and her tip jar filled to the brim. The shy girl came to life in front of an audience and Ashley found her voice and her calling. By the time she was 16, Ashley was touring New England with her first album of original songs. Four albums later, Ashley Jordan is a seasoned live performer who has played to crowds as large as 40,000 opening for everyone from Trace Adkins to The Beach Boys, to Billboard Chart hit-maker Jimmie Allen, to the legendary Charlie Daniels Band. She has scored major market airplay, a first-round Grammy nomination, two unprecedented back-to-back Country Artist of the Year wins at the Boston Music Awards and was twice named a top 10 finalist on Nash Next, where she performed for industry professionals. With the upcoming release of her fifth album of original music recorded in Nashville and produced by Jeff Huskins of Little Texas fame, Ashley Jordan is perched at the edge of stardom. Blessed with a powerhouse voice that moves effortlessly from pure country to an authentic rock vibe, Ashley Jordan is on fire and ready to roll.
There’s symmetry between this time of summer and the days surrounding Christmas and New Year’s. People are often traveling or are just getting back to work. Coworkers are catching up about adventures had and meals eaten.
One difference between that wintry time of year and now is that there’s no delay for events in the summer. Come rain or shine (fingers crossed for more shine than rain), the summer vibes don’t stop in Boston. Even if you didn’t score your tickets to the now sold-out Ezra Furman Somerville show, there’s still plenty to do! Here’s a list of five options to make the most out of your mid-July weekend.
This Friday marks the start of a free dance series at ICA. It’s the kind of event that you should keep in the back of your head for the unexpected date night or the unexpected date night cancellation! We could talk forever about how music on vinyl sounds. It’s the only consumer medium that’s both entirely analog and lossless, but to the common folk who don’t know what that means… vinyl is just cool. And that’s the kind of mood you want for a dance party at a museum. Soul, Funk and R&B vinyl connoisseur, Soulelujah will handle the turntables on this Friday’s kickoff night, and there will be a different DJ each week. Bring your best outfit and your best moves to this party. It’s 2023, and you’re dancing to vinyl at a museum. You know there are going to be some fashionable styles on display. Entry is free, and tickets are not required.
If dancing to vinyl isn’t your thing, perhaps you’ll enjoy some wine and other delights for the senses at Harvard Square. In France and around the world, July 14th is both a historical holiday marking the French Revolution and a cultural celebration. To mark the occasion this year, Harvard Square is closing Church Street to traffic to make room for a massive party. Bonde Fine Wine Shop will open its wine garden. Other food options include macarons, French-style sandwiches, pastries and breads. Bobby Keyes will perform from 6-8 p.m., and at 8 p.m., DJ JoE FinnZ will take over the turntables with a collection of French pop music from the ‘80s and ‘90s. So perhaps don’t finish your entire baguette until after you’ve hit the dance floor.
Comedian Lenny Clarke will perform Saturday night, July 15, at the Marilyn Rodman Performing Arts Center, 1 School St., Foxboro center. Clarke is known for his sarcastic social commentaries, anecdotal humor and thick Boston accent, along with his role as Uncle Teddy on FX’s series, “Rescue Me” and parts in several movies including “Fever Pitch.” Tickets for the show start at $35. Call 508-276-6546 or go to www.orpheum.org.
Rock out for music education
Music Drives Us’ third annual Rock ‘n’ Roll Drive-In — A Night to Rock fundraising event will take place from 5 to 10:30 p.m. Saturday at 875 South Main St. in Mansfield. The live, drive-in event is a tribute to classic rock and heavy metal, and will feature a performance by Generation 3, with guest performances by Mission to Sleep and Carpathia. Music Drives Us, a nonprofit, is donating all proceeds from the event to the after-school music program at Jordan/Jackson Elementary School in Mansfield. Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at the door. To purchase in advance, go to musicdrivesus.org.
Looking to celebrate Gallic culture and independence this July? Outside of dining on escargot and pâté and sipping on a crisp Sancerre at one of the Hub’s fine French eateries, there are a couple of ways to revel in liberté, egalité, fraternité in Boston. The Back Bay’s French Library has long hosted Bastille Day parties, although on a smaller scale in recent years. For 2023, the institution returns to the Brookline location of French dining favorite La Voile for a family-friendly fête on July 14 from 5:30–10 p.m. that boasts live music, face painting, storytelling (en français, of course), delicious appetizers like croque-monsieurs, trivia, dancing and glasses of rosé from Provence. There’s even a raffle to win dinner for two and a French Library membership, as well as a prize for the most fabulous French outfit—and kids under 12 get in for free. For more revolutionary fun, head to the Bastille Day block party (pictured) in Harvard Square on July 21 from 5–10 p.m. Co-sponsored by Bonde Fine Wine Shop, this street fest at 54 Church St. features savory French fare, a wine garden, music from guitarist Bobby Keyes and his band, a DJ and the opportunity to dance under the stars to French hits from the ’80s and ’90s. No matter what bank of the Charles River you party on, you’ll be able to close your eyes and imagine you’re right by the Seine.
Setting aside last weekend’s wet weather, summer weekends in the Boston area offer a veritable bounty of free outdoor movies for all ages. This Thursday, visit Revere Beach for a sunset showing of “The Karate Kid,” or visit Lincoln Park in Somerville for a 9 p.m. screening of the “Despicable Me” prequel “Minions: The Rise of Gru.” Then on Saturday, the Prudential Center will open up its lawn for a showing of “Matilda” at dusk. Finally, on Sunday Christopher Columbus Park will kick off its summer movie series with a showing of “Midnight in Paris” — which, despite the film’s title, will be held at 8:30 p.m. — Kevin Slane
You won’t need a ticket to France to find a festive Bastille Day celebration. At Rochambeau, join the Bastille Day Patio Party this Friday. The party will be thrown in honor of the 1789 storming of the Bastille during the French Revolution. There will be small bites such as mini croque monsieurs and French onion dip with veggies and frites, cocktails, wine and beer, and live music, all in a beautiful outdoor setting. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased here. — Shira Laucharoen
The Dominican kitchen moves to Harvard Square’s Garage this month
Hyde Park’s Seila Herrera, 39, runs Las Palmas in Roslindale and now in Harvard Square. The newer Cambridge location will move from Harvard University’s Smith Campus Center to The Garage on Mount Auburn Street later this month. Herrera took over the fast-casual Dominican spot in 2016, wanting to showcase the foods she grew up eating in the Dominican Republic — empanadas, stewed chicken, caramel flan — a big but ultimately gratifying departure from her prior career at Kaplan Career Institute in Charlestown.
Tell me how you first got involved with Las Palmas.
I got involved in Las Palmas because my mom used to work there, and I was a regular. And then the original owners were selling it, and I thought: “That sounds very interesting!” I’ve always been passionate about food, the way we eat, and the way we cook. In March 2016, I made the decision [to buy it]. I jumped right into it.
One of my things about Dominican food is it’s not commercialized yet. It’s not like Mexican food, where everybody recognizes it. I don’t know if you’re familiar with any food industry vendors. They have sections for every cuisine that you can think of, but there’s not a section for Dominican [food]. So that really caught my attention. Why is Dominican food not commercialized enough? Do we not know how to sell it? Do we not know how to package it? That had been in my head for a long time before getting to the restaurant.
What were you doing before?
I come from the education industry. I was a registrar for one of the Kaplan higher education schools in Charlestown. Then I had a baby, and then I was just trying to figure out what my next move should be. When this idea came about, my baby was 3 months old. It was just one of those things that I felt I had to act on.
I have a daughter who’s going to be 21 years old, and at the time, she helped me a lot with the baby. It was teamwork between my mom and my daughter. I’m very grateful that I was able to embark on this path. With the help of everyone, I got it done. That’s what’s important.
What’s different about the restaurant now that you own it?
It took a lot of work, a lot of time, to actually change everything around. Now, we don’t use Styrofoam. Now, I’m using microwaveable containers, because the food will hold better — if you buy a plate of food, you can just bring it home and reheat it whenever you want to. And labeling: No Dominican restaurant was ever doing any of that. So it took a little bit to do a shift in the community. We’re doing something different; we’re doing something better. That was around one to two years, all this shifting. Then I realized: OK, we need to cater; we need to reach out to nonprofits. We need to reach out to companies.
Then the pandemic happened. Through the pandemic, I was able to stay afloat because we partnered with Off Their Plate and World Central Kitchen. We were one of the few restaurants in Boston feeding the front-liners. That helped a lot. That opened doors for us. So we started at MIT in 2021 at their Launchpad. We were the first Dominican restaurant in the MIT schools. We were there until this April, and then we started at Harvard in the Smith Campus Center in October 2021 as well. We were their first Hispanic restaurant.
Tell me about your food. What do you love about it?
I love that it’s the same [food] that I used to eat. I was born in the Dominican Republic and I go back every year, every couple months, if I can. And it was very hard for me to find the same quality of food that I was accustomed to eating — my mom’s cooking. It’s very different when you buy food elsewhere. So I wanted to really tell people: This is how we cook; this is how we eat. It has a lot of flavors, but it can be also healthy. I think there’s maybe a little stigma where, people think that Caribbean food, or Dominican food might be greasy or not very healthy. That’s not true.
Let’s say that you go to Dominican Republic right now, and you have a bowl of my food. It’s going to taste exactly the same. I’ve always told my customers: I wouldn’t sell you anything that I don’t eat. My kids eat there every day. I eat there every day. I’m very proud.
What are your favorite things on the menu?
My favorite items are yellow rice with pigeons peas, stewed chicken, and sweet plantains.
How would you describe Dominican food versus other cuisines?
Dominican food is full of flavors. I use a lot of garlic. I use a lot of cilantro. I use a lot of red and green peppers, a lot of onions, and I buy my ingredients fresh. I don’t like to freeze anything. I believe in fresh food. Once you start freezing food, it doesn’t taste the same. But we are very big on garlic. We use garlic on mostly everything.
Did you grow up loving food? Tell me a little bit about what your childhood was like.
My mom was a homemaker, so she was home all day, every day. She would cook three meals a day. When my dad used to come home from work, he would find a plate of hot food waiting. I was involved in the kitchen with my mother growing up. She tells me a funny story: When I was 7 years old, I was already doing dishes and making coffee. Food was a big part of growing up. I became a picky eater: I wouldn’t eat any Dominican food unless it was from my mother.
I came here when I was maybe 7, 8 years old, but I didn’t really start living here until I was 12. My father came first. We wanted a better future for ourselves. We lived in New York for two years. And then we moved to Boston. By the time I was 13, I was already settled in Boston and went to Charlestown High School here. I got my first job when I was 14, at ABCD Summer Programs, a program run by the City of Boston for teens.
What did you think of Boston when you got here?
It was totally different from living in New York. It was a very quiet city back then. But my job, as my mother would say, was just to go to school and come home.
Do you have any favorite local neighborhood restaurants that you visit besides your own?
Before Hyde Park, I lived in the South End. I love Barcelona. That’s my favorite tapas bar. I love the gambas. I love the bread with tomato. I love the eggplant. I love everything!
George Viall, a 76-year-old retiree, spends his days sitting on a beach chair in the middle of Harvard Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts, giving out free advice to people who are walking by. TODAY’s Al Roker pulls up his own chair and learns about his simple goal.
