Trouble on Sumner Street

East Boston's 303 Cafe sent a long, at times confusing, email today about their difficulties with Sysco, a giant foodservice corporation. According to the email:

On April 1, 2011 ... Sysco Boston LLC legally seized our Beer and Wine/CV license. 

Owner Melinda Jones goes on to tell the story of  303's opening and the hobbling debt -- more than $30,000 -- owed to Sysco, and she asks for the community's help. She's asking for any ideas and also, our business. I know I can help with the latter.

Three of a kind

***I remember the day that Jorge Torres was shot. The rookie cop, who was friends with people I knew in East Boston, was hit with three bullets while chasing a bank robber. Officer Roy Sergei was killed by the gunman. After two years of recuperation, Torres tried to return to the job, but he says, "I just wasn't any good any more." Michelle McPhee writes in today's Herald that Torres -- pictured, courtesy of the Herald web site, from 1988 -- is trying to track down his partner that fateful day, Chris Rogers, who is apparently living on the streets.

***When Louis DeSanctis died three years ago, he had assets in East Boston worth $32 million. His extended family is surprised to find out that they get none of it, as the secret daughter appeared from nowhere.

***A web site names the best pizza places in Massachusetts. Can you guess who they mention first?

A short stack on a winter morning

There's something about midwinter cold and snow that awakens in me a desire for pancakes. Maybe it's some primeval urge to pack on carbs and fat to survive the frigid months, or perhaps it's that I have more time to cook in general because I'm indoors more. Regardless, I rarely eat any breakfast -- I know, that's bad -- but I made pancakes yesterday and today, and they were quite enjoyable.

Of course, I made them from scratch. You won't find any box mix in my cupboard. As with most of my cooking, I don't measure anything. I use intuition (which sometimes can lead to problems, but more often than not works fine) and sometimes I use substitution as well. Because I don't drink milk, I avoid using any dairy when making pancakes. Instead, I use apple cider. Laugh if you wish, but the texture and the taste are quite enjoyable.

Finally, one must use maple syrup -- the genuine article -- to top the fluffy stack of flapjacks. In fact, one may go so far as to label pancakes as "a maple syrup delivery system." If I had a banana I would have sliced it up to pile on the plate, but as it was, the pancakes were perfect -- and my body has the necessary insulation to combat the winter's chill.

Coming to America

There's some controversy surrounding comments made on a blog by the Phantom Gourmet, the secretive restaurant critic:

I’m sorry to tell everyone, but without illegal aliens, there is no restaurant business. 

Is it true? What about the hospitality field? Agriculture? Unskilled labor? If so, what should be public policy regarding immigration? Should there be stricter enforcement of employers?

The number of undocumented immigrants has decreased in the past two years, with estimates are that there are a million fewer than the high of 12 million in 2007. Much of that is in response to the weakened economy, but it has been under-reported that deportation of illegal workers has increased under President Obama and audits of employers have quadrupled.

Immigration is down in Arizona as well, and all of the rhetoric about waves of murderers streaming across the border was completely political -- a cynical, but common, tactic to scare voters to the right. The current Congress is unlikely to pass any immigration legislation, as it helps the Republican Party to continually vilify immigrants.

I discovered recently that there were limits placed on the number of Italians allowed to come to the US from 1921 to 1965. The Emergency Quota Act, signed by President Warren G. Harding, drastically reduced the immigration from southern and eastern Europe, principally Italy, while allowing larger numbers from western and northern Europe.

About five million Italians came to America seeking a better life for themselves and their children, and I am here and living comfortably because of several of those people. At the height of the influx, a number of Americans looked around and decided that they didn't like these newcomers, with their large families, different language and smelly foods, and they passed laws to keep us out. Shame on them, and shame on us if we turn around and look down upon the latest groups to set foot on these shores.

Getting the word out

Eastie resident and freelance writer Steve Holt had a couple of pieces published in recent days about his favorite neighborhood:

**In Sunday's Globe, Steve wrote that the East Pier project may be ready to come to life again as the housing market starts to rebound.

**In a story in Edible Boston, Steve says that the best mole sauce in Boston can be found at Angela's on Lexington Street. He counts more than 50 ingredients in the recipe.

Turkey time

State Rep. Carlo Basile will once again host a Thanksgiving Dinner at the Sacred Heart Church on the holiday from 11 am to 1:30 pm. Those in need of transportation can call Celeste at 617-913-3332 no later than Monday. Those who'd like to contribute to the event should email basilethanksgiving@gmail.com.

Eastie notes

***A Globe editorial today advocates for development of the former Hess tank-farm site along the Chelsea Creek, which a local community organization is seeking to have converted to wetlands. The Chelsea Creek Action Group is attempting to secure funding to restore the seven-acre parcel to salt marsh and bird habitat. The Globe, however, feels that the spot would be better used for economic development.

***Boston.com notes that the new Santarpio's on Route 1 in Peabody is regularly mobbed. The new place has the same limited menu -- pizza, lamb, sausage -- as the East Boston landmark. The piece touches on the history of the place and mentions the longtime pizza maker who I knew as "Joe Fat" and who always wore what seemed to be the same stained T-shirt.

Pick a peck

There's nothing like a trip to an apple orchard to enjoy an autumn afternoon. Picking apples, drinking cider, listening to a little bluegrass music -- I will take the fall over summer any time.

Saturday was, however, a bit warmer than I'd hoped for, so I found myself doing more sweating than picking. October into November is really an optimal time weather-wise, giving me the opportunity to put my vast array of flannel shirts to work.

I did come home with cider, and if you've read this blog before you may know that I have a devout love for unpasteurized apple cider, which can only be purchased at the orchard of origin. My best spots are several small farms in Stow that sell the sweet, rich elixir deep into the season. I was recently telling someone about a cider mill in a small central Massachusetts town where jugs were sold from a cooler on the front porch, which also contained a jar for money.

Ah, the honor system. That really is a leftover from a time gone by.

Heavenly pie

Ever have a piece of Torretta's ricotta pie? I've never tasted anything like its sweet, tangy, rich and creamy filling and chewy crust. For $13, it may be the best pie of any kind I've ever had. Torretta's, which offers desserts and other Italian food, is at 652 Winthrop Avenue in Revere's Beachmont neighborhood.

American companies starve people for profit

For most of the 20th century, DeBeers -- a company founded in South Africa by Europeans milking the benefits of colonialism -- controlled almost all of the world's diamond market and used it to great advantage. Diamonds aren't actually that rare, but by hording and locking up vast quantities, DeBeers realized that it was easy to keep the price artificially high. Once they were able to create the idea that diamonds are a symbol of love and that a man must present one to his future bride, billions of dollars began to pour in. "A diamond is forever," was a phrase cooked up by a marketing firm hired by DeBeers, and it was voted the best advertising slogan of the last century.

Wheat, on first glance, doesn't seem to have much in common with diamonds. The staple grain is grown by farmers around the world, and bread, in various forms, is basic of sustenance for people everywhere. One Wall Street firm apparently saw some similarities between the two. In a stunning article in this month's Harper's magazine titled "The Food Bubble," Frederick Kaufman writes about investment bank Goldman Sachs entrance into the grain futures market and how that led, in 2008, to huge price increases, food riots in more than 30 countries and tens of millions of starving people.

The irony is that, according to the story, "The wheat harvest of 2008 turned out to be the most bountiful the world has ever seen..." The bubble eventually burst, but not before Goldman made millions of dollars on the misery of desperate people around the world, and the price of wheat has never come back down to pre-bubble levels.

Diamonds are a luxury item, but people cannot survive without food, yet Goldman and other banks and investment companies are now buying and selling commodities futures to make themselves richer with no regard for the consequences to real people. I've often thought it outrageous that some people own vast swaths of land and multiple houses while others are homeless or live in shacks, but the manipulation of food prices for profit is even more clearly evil and should be unacceptable to everyone. However, it's happening right now -- in the name of free-market capitalism.

New butcher store at Orient Heights

The El Paisa Butchery is located where Carmen's Kitchen used to stand at 1010 Bennington Street, right across from the El Paisa Restaurante, a Colombian eatery. I stopped into the butcher store and meat market yesterday, leaving with some steak tips and chicken sausages made on the premises. Thumbs up.

Eastie update

***Two people died and two others were injured in an overnight fire at 64 Gove Street, which caused an estimated $250,000 in damage. The fire broke out before 3 a.m. and is still under investigation. The fatalities are the first fire-related deaths in the city in 17 months. Photo courtesy of The Boston Herald.

***The East Boston Times reports that State Sen. Anthony Petruccelli managed to acquire the remaining funds necessary to complete the study by the state's Department of Public Health on the effects that Logan Airport has on local residents. According to the legislation added to the state budget by the Eastie senator, Massport will pay the final $195,000 to complete the $1.3 million study into the consequences of breathing in jet fuel exhaust and other pollutants. The Times story points out a conclusion reached by WBZ-TV two years ago when parts of the unfinished study were leaked: "Lung cancer rates are higher the closer you get to the airport."

***Firefighter and Eastie resident Danny Gomes acted heroically earlier this month when he treated a stab victim, summoned emergency responders and helped catch the perpetrator -- while at the same time making sure not to lose his dog and the Mother's Day flowers he'd just purchased. Talk about multitasking. I'm reminded of the Seinfeld episode where Kramer takes over driving for an incapacitated bus driver while at the same time fighting off a violent passenger -- all the while making the stops on the bus route.

***The new Santarpio's location, on Route 1 in Peabody, is a bit behind schedule and now expected to open in July. It was good to see the venerable pizza mecca and the City of Boston come together to tidy up the long-time parking area beneath the highway across from the Porter Street side of the restaurant.

***With the economy beginning to recover, expect to see several development projects move forward again. One of the most exciting would seem to be a new branch library that would be modern and have more space than the two current branches combined. Right now the city is attempting to find the best location for the new facility.

***Tickets are currently on sale for the June 24 Salesian Boys & Girls Club breakfast at Suffolk Downs, which will honor the late Wally Bowe. Information available here at EastBoston.com.

Eatin' in Eastie

If you live in East Boston, you know that there is an interesting variety of places to eat. One former resident of the neighborhood wants to showcase this culinary hidden gem. Taste This Tours begins an "Eastie Eats Walking Tour" next weekend, and tours are scheduled for Fridays and Saturdays through the summer. Scup's, Saigon Hut, Ecco, Off the Boat and Mama Blanca Pupuseria are some of the stops on the tour. Eat up!

Sumner Street food court

Mehak, a restaurant serving "Halal Pakistani and Indian Cuisine" at 329 Sumner Street in East Boston, opened just a few days ago, and the first reports are just making their way to the Internet. To summarize: the food is good and inexpensive, but some kinks need to be worked out. I haven't made it there yet, but I hope to check it out soon.

I was across the street from Mehak last night, at Italian Express, just after 10 p.m. It was late, but I was in the mood for a snack, so I stopped in for a slice. The guys were cleaning up, but they're always friendly and they heated me up one of their giant slices. As I was about to leave, they loaded me up with three more slices "on the house" (one of which didn't survive the drive home).

Used to be that you could get slices of pizza all over East Boston, but not any more. I'm happy that I can pop into Italian Express for a slice that is both sizable and tasty. The chicken parm sub I had there a few weeks ago was good as well. Check it out.

Update (4/22): I made it to Mehak last night and found the early feedback on target. The food was delicious and inexpensive -- and the waitstaff was friendly -- but there are a number of logistical wrinkles that need to be worked out. I will certainly be back.

Spotlight on Eastie

Boston.com toasts some of East Boston's charms with a story in the Boston Visitors' Guide section that's focused on the neighborhood's active artists' community and a half-dozen local eateries. The piece says, "East Boston has yet to be declared chic — or even bohemian — but its art community has been putting down roots for the last decade." There's also a small slide show.

Photo from Boston.com.

Taking a look at Winthrop

The Globe today points out the "unexpected treat" that is Winthrop -- a "small town dangling off Eastie into the harbor." One business mentioned is the Moonstruck Cafe in Winthrop Center, a cute spot that I visited not too long ago.

Photo from Boston.com

New cafe on Meridian Street?

Universal Hub reports that an East Boston resident plans on opening a cafe at 102 Meridian Street -- and wants to serve some alcohol as well as coffee and tea. Gina Guerraro is asking the city to license her proposed 35-seat Cafe GiGu to serve beer and wine. No word yet on when the eatery would open.

Joy to the Globe

Under the heading of "One Cook's Best Dish," there's a story at Boston.com about Joy Cagno and her recipe for roasted-pepper frittata. Joy is from East Boston and we were in the same class together at East Boston Central Catholic back in the late 1970s.

She was Joy Zirpolo then -- sweet, adorable and a social butterfly. (Yeah, I had a crush on her, but so did everyone else.) Years later I saw her routinely when she was a waitress on weekends at the old Caffe Italia on Meridian Street.

Now a mother of three teens, Joy lives in Malden, but her parents are still here in Eastie, and according to the story, she's here every week for Sunday dinner.

Photo from Boston.com

Holiday Fair today

I received an email today regarding this event:

The Harborside Community Center's Holiday Fair is today from 5 to 8 p.m. at 312 Border Street in East Boston. The event includes food, art, raffles, baked goods, sing-a-longs and kids' activities, and it supports the special Adult Education program at Harborside.

Santarpio's North?

Until now, the legendary Santarpio's name has been safeguarded: no other locations and no retail products. It seems, however, that the family has purchased the site of the former Bennigan's on Route 1 in Peabody and they intend to call the new place Santarpio's. After renovations, the eatery is scheduled to open in March. It's unclear so far how similar the menu will be to the landmark East Boston restaurant.