CAPTION: The new entrance to Tangierino Restaurant at 73 Main St.

A record number turned out for the Charlestown Neighborhood Council Basic Services Committee meeting last week, largely to oppose plans to increase occupancy and change the hours of operation of the recently renovated Tangierino Restaurant.
The meeting, which was a continuation of the Oct. 1 Basic Services Committee meeting pertaining to the 3,000 square-foot expansion of the Main Street establishment, brought approximately 135 residents together with representatives from city agencies and the offices of elected officials. At that time, the city’s Inspectional Services Department had yet to issue the restaurant a new Certificate of Occupancy, pending the final approval of a floor plan, said Jay Walsh, director of the city’s Office of Neighborhood Services. Tangierino chef and owner Samad Naamad didn’t attend the meeting but instead had newly hired general manager Michael Anthony read a written statement on his behalf.
According to Namaad’s letter, Tangierino would reduce its occupancy to 340 employees and patrons for a second time from the original proposal of 453, an overall reduction of more than 25 percent. “It is my honest business judgment that a further reduction in capacity would impair the vitality of the newly renovated restaurant in which I have invested over $2 million after I received proper city approvals,” Namaad wrote.
Namaad added that the restaurant would ultimately have 90 employees, more than half of whom would be Charlestown residents.
Judy Evers, the Charlestown liaison for City Councilor Sal LaMattina, said the councilor had received assurance from the Boston Fire Department that it could approve the restaurant with an occupancy rate of 340.
Main Street resident Rosemary Kverek spoke on behalf of State Rep. Eugene O’Flaherty in asserting that the expanded establishment wasn’t appropriate for Main Street. “It’s much too dense for the neighborhood, and [O’Flaherty] opposes anything that would affect the quality of life for [residents],” she said.
CNC representative Jim Conway said the council was previously unaware that the city’s Licensing Board had issued a new wine, beer and cordials license for the restaurant in September and urged residents to flood City Hall with calls and e-mails protesting the expansion.
“It’s almost inconceivable that there are going to be 340 people in there at one time,” Conway said. “This is just going to destroy that section of Charlestown.”
Walsh countered, “It’s almost inconceivable that there are going to be 340 people in there at one time.”
CNC Basic Services Committee Chairman Bill Gavin said the license also allowed the establishment to extend its closing time from midnight to 1 a.m., despite a consensus against this at three previous CNC meetings. “The community support wasn’t there, and [Tangierino] promised something different,” Galvin said.
CNC Chairman Tom Cunha recommended that residents contact the state’s Alcohol Beverages Control Commission to voice their concerns about the newly issued license.
In regard to allegations that the basement lounge had changed substantially from what was previously approved by the city, Cunha said “any type of shifting of the footprint plans in the basement wouldn’t be met happily by ISD” and subsequently referred to its Board of Appeals.
Namaad maintained that 250 valet parking spaces would be allocated for Tangierino at three off-site lots. “I have arranged for shuttle services and offsite parking, and I will fire any valet staff that even thinks about parking a guest car in an unauthorized area,” he wrote.
Meanwhile, Janet Cox, who lives with her family at the nearby Courtyard Condominiums on Harvard Street, suggested that the city not issue a Certificate of Occupancy for Tangierino until after its owner submitted a written, comprehensive plan for the expanded restaurant.
“This is morphing into a nightclub, and it’s going to have people out on the street,” she said.
Seven CNC representatives voted in favor of Cunha’s motion that the Neighborhood Council rescind its recommendation to the city’s Licensing Board and ISD in regard to Tangierino’s proposed closing time and occupancy rate, while one member abstained from the ballot.
Complaints in regard to violations of city parking ordinances can be directed to the Code Enforcement Division of Boston Transportation Department at 617-635-4881 or 617-635-3125.

Friends and residents of Charlestown,

My name is Samad and I am the chef/owner of Tangierino. Of the many of you whom I know, there are some who might be unfamiliar with my business. Please allow me illuminate with some background. I have been a restaurant in Charlestown for almost 10 years. I am a creative individual by nature and in addition to being a chef, I am also a filmmaker and designer. My services or products have always been driven by a vision beforehand. My reason for writing this letter concerns my vision for Tangierino and its current addition. I am encouraged that my neighbors are active and take a passionate approach in this community. This is a city that is historically rich in the defense of personal rights and liberties, and that is one of many reasons I have grown roots here.
I have been troubled by some of the misconceptions that have been voiced, and I am grateful for the opportunity to address them in this forum. First, we are not building, outfitting or operating a nightclub. There is no DJ, dance floor, bottle service or cover charge. My only entertainment for nine years has been classically trained belly dancers that spend an average of six years learning their craft before dancing live.
Our hookah lounge is a vastly misunderstood service. A hookah is a decorative water pipe going back hundreds of years. It uses fruit and a small percentage of tobacco kept lit by natural charcoal that offers a very gentle, aromatic smoke. Every hookah lounge in Boston legally allows 18+ to enter. Upon reopening the lounge, I have voluntarily changed the age to 21+ to encourage a stricter policy for young adults. That will also remove a significant amount of my business. I believe this should be universal for any smoking establishment.
Additionally, there have been concerns in my offering valet services. As my business resides on Main Street (as do dozens of others) and it is a heavily trafficked street by resident and consumer alike. My goal in offering valet was to help alleviate unneeded parking on any streets, as we all know that parking is a challenge. We will be able to provide a lot for valet, which would increase from 120 parking spaces to 250 parking spaces through Pilgrim Parking, with an additional 30 parking spaces between R & S Real Estate located at 124 Main St. in Charlestown, and 1 Thompson Square in Charlestown, for valet. Valet is prohibitively expensive to offer. Insurance, liability, lot leasing and hourly staff, costs run into the thousands every month whether I valet any cars or not. There is no business in Boston that forces guests to use valet and I can only offer this option to guests. I have secured more parking than any capacity I am allowed. I have arranged for shuttle services and offsite parking and I will fire any valet staff that even thinks about parking a guest car in an unauthorized area.
I have also heard much confusion regarding capacity in a restaurant. The state has very specific guidelines that have been adopted by most of the country. Occupancy is a number that is decided after all construction has been completed and all inspections have taken place. At this stage, with construction virtually complete, the building code would allow me a capacity of 213 persons in the lower level lounge, and 240 persons in the first floor restaurant for a total of 453 persons. On Oct. 29, 2008, I agreed to accept a capacity of 200 persons on the first floor and 198 persons on the lower level, a reduction of 55 persons. Upon further consideration, I have agreed to reduce the capacity even more to 340 persons, 140 persons on the lower level and 200 persons on the first floor, a total reduction of over 25 percent. It is my honest business judgment that a further reduction in capacity would impair the vitality of the newly renovated restaurant in which I have invested over two million dollars after I received proper city approvals.
Lastly, several items to point out: I have been around for this long is Charlestown because I work very hard. I have consequently become a popular restaurant. Tangierino is among the 10 most Web-searched restaurants in Boston. I always have more guests than I currently have room for inside. By moving my lounge under the restaurant, I have the ability to minimize patrons waiting outside. We are also working on a reservation system that allows for immediate access. There is better insulation than ever before regarding any noise. Patrons will not have to wait on the sidewalk. We have inside seating for taxi and valet pick-up. We have security to check i.d. nightly and enforce 21+. We have some of the most experienced management in the city. Tangierino currently has 40 employees. Ultimately, we will have 90 employees, more than half of which are Charlestown residents. Also, in all my years in business, I have never received a violation regarding the terms and conditions of my licenses (health, fire, etc.).
I am committed and passionate about what I do. In a very poor economic climate, I have invested more than $2 million in this expansion here, in Charlestown; not in Back Bay or Brookline where is would have been more advantageous. I believe in Charlestown, my roots are here and I have put my money where my mouth is. I can only hope that Charlestown feels as strongly as I do about commitment, loyalty and community. Your time and comments are always appreciated and if any of you would like to see the new project, I will host an open house for residents exclusively with the date to be posted at the new entrance.

Warm regards,
Samad Namaad

CAPTION: Several students from the Harvard-Kent School take the time to hand Principal Richard Martin their Charlestown Kids Ballots. More than 1,000 students from community schools and youth organizations voted this week.

On Monday, Nov. 3, more than 1,000 Charlestown students and residents from the third through 12th grades cast their ballots, just like their teachers and parents did on Tuesday, Nov. 4.
Charlestown’s kids voting initiative was cosponsored by The Cooperative Bank and Charlestown Lacrosse and Learning Center. Tom Coots, vice president and branch manager of Charlestown’s Cooperative Bank, stated: “Civic responsibility and the importance of every vote should be reinforced at every opportunity. Students should learn their civic duties at a young age, so they can fulfill them when they are older.”
Students at the Harvard-Kent, Warren-Prescott and Clarence R. Edwards Middle schools, along with students at the Boys & Girls Club and CLLC were able to vote on all offices and proposition questions that were on the actual ballot for Charlestown residents.
Charlestown youth voted by more than 90 percent for Sen. Barack Obama to represent them as their next president. Sen. John Kerry carried 67 percent of the vote in his reelection campaign. Question 1 (state income tax) failed to gain the students approval, while both Question 2 (criminal vs. civil enforcement of less then one ounce of marijuana) and Question 3 (prohibiting dog racing) passed with well over half of the vote.
Both The Cooperative Bank and CLLC staff hope this is the first step in strengthening the civic bonds of every community member and that in future years, the kids vote participation reflects that of the municipal, city and state voting turnout.

The 23rd Annual Halloween Parade, co-sponsored by the Monument Square Neighborhood Association, the Charlestown Mothers Association and the National Park Service, took place at the Bunker Hill Monument on Friday, Oct. 31. As part of the festivities, the Monument Square Wizard and the Tony Barry Band led the parade around the Monument, followed by trick-or-treating and a deejay at the top of Monument Street.

PHOTO 1 CAPTION: Pictured, left to right, are Diane Valle (as Marilyn Monroe), Melissa McGaughey 9as a witch) and Tracey Lavin (as a Purple People Eater).

PHOTO 2 CAPTION: Gina and Olivia Powers.

PHOTO 3 CAPTION; Trick-or-treaters.

PHOTO 4 CAPTION: Decorative pumpkins in front of the Battle of Bunker Hill Museum.

CAPTION: Johnnies Foodmaster store manager Kevin Perno and Tom MacDonald of Harvest on Vine food pantry.

Johnnies Foodmaster recently kicked off a program to support St. Mary–St. Catherine’s Harvest on Vine food pantry. The program, initiated by store manager Kevin Perno, consists of Johnnies setting aside pre-bagged groceries for customers to buy for Harvest on Vine. Each bag contains a variety of food items. The price per bag ranges from $6 to $9.
The program is ingenious in its simplicity. Harvest on Vine benefits from the donated items, Charlestown residents enjoy an easy way to help the poor, Johnnies advances its good name as a business neighbor, and most importantly, Charlestown’s needy receives the food.
Charitable proposals always look good on paper, but don’t always succeed in practice. Not so here. In the first two weeks of the program, the people of Charlestown purchased, and thus donated, 102 bags or $750 worth of groceries. The employees of Johnnies prepared and organized the bags, and they did so gladly. The spirit of giving thrives in all aspects of this program. Perno said he came up with idea after talking to a member of the Charlestown Mothers Association.
The food pantry is growing and the costs are increasing. Johnnies’ initiative helps keep it afloat. Harvest on Vine is grateful for Johnnies’ ingenuity and floor support. as well as the residents of Charlestown who have backed the program.