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Bruins Hockey, White Rabbits, and Marathon Carbo-Loading

Five things to do in Boston this weekend.

Looking for a reason to get out and enjoy the city this weekend? No sweat. We've got you covered. 1) It’s playoff hockey season, and the Bruins are off to a good start, beating the Washington Capitals 1-0 in overtime Thursday night. It’s nigh impossible to get a ticket to Game 2 through legal channels, but you can take part in the playoff atmosphere around the TD Garden at several Boston landmarks, including The Fours, Sullivan’s Tap and Halftime Pizza. The game starts at 3 p.m. Saturday, but it’s a safe bet the revelry starts well before then. Take the Orange Line to North Station. 2) The good folks at Improv Asylum know how to bring the funny. You can check out their latest effort, “Siri, Can You Title Our Show For Us?” at the group’s …

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Tonic Aims to Open on Saturday in Jamaica Plain's Forest Hills Neighborhood

A long-await restaurant and bar, Tonic, will open on Saturday at 5 p.m., the owners said in a press release.

The first of two new restaurants/bars in Forest Hills is slated to open on Saturday. According to a press release from Tonic, which has taken over and renovated the old Griffith's space at 3698 Washington, will open at 5 p.m. on Saturday. Executive Chef Ryan Kelly was previously at Canary Square in JP, though his resume also includes stints at Haru Sushi and Clio. Next door at 3700 will be Eugene O'Neill's, an Irish bar named after the playwright, who is buried in nearby Forest Hills Cemetery. No firm date has been announced for their opening, though it is expected soon. Below is the press release from Tonic: Tonic, a vibrant new bar and restaurant in Jamaica Plain, is slated to open this Saturday, April 14th, owner Croan McCormack …

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A Burger Bar, GrassFed, Opens in Jamaica Plain

The long-anticipated opening brought throngs out to the new burger bar.

On the first full day of opening for JP's new burger bar, GrassFed, customers had a pronounced tendency to walk in the door, look around and smile. I went for lunch with Mrs. JP Patch and noticed that dynamic on most of the folks who came in after we were seated on our window-facing counter stools. The much-anticipated restaurant drew a big crowd. And for a burger joint, the menu holds more variety than you might expect. For instance, JP's Ali Mahood enjoyed a ground chicken burger, the Italian Stallion, which comes with mozzarella and pesto. "You never find a ground chicken burger," said Mahood, who recommends the restaurant's smokey house-made "A10" sauce as "nectar of the gods." Her lunch companion was a vegetarian venturing into what …

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Vote for Best Breakfast, Sandwich or Smoothie in Other Neighborhoods

Patches in nearby neighborhoods are also doing "Best Of" contests this week. Here are some of the categories.

Here at JP Patch this week, residents are voting and debating "Who Makes the Best Smoothie/Batido." But the "Best Of" contests are Patch-wide. And while I don't like to leave JP, I do sometimes have to do it. I bet you do to. Here are some of the contests underway in neighboring Patches where JP residents are likely to visit or commute: Voting continues all week, with winners announced Friday at noon.

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Revoked "E2 Investor Visa" Doomed Bon Savor

The Globe explores why the owners of Bon Savor weren't allowed back into the U.S. and had to shut their business.

Vegging Out

Meatless Mexican at Tacos El Charro

There are numerous veggie options at the vintage Centre Street restaurant where proprietors Aida Navarro and Jose Gutierrez have served up satisfying Mexican fare and heaping hospitality for more than two decades.

Located at 349 Centre Street, between Jackson and Hyde Squares, the restaurant’s unmistakable black and yellow neon sign has blazed at the same corner for over 20 years.  If you haven’t been here before, when you enter you’ll feel like you have entered a mom and pop diner somewhere south of the border. The low-lit interior looks like it’s been stocked with all of the goods from an open­-air Mexican market. The tables are decorated with colorful placemats and what appears like a venerable family collection of china.  The walls are hung with silver-embroidered sombreros, ponchos, and photos of Frida Kahlo and Mariachi stars.  Even the ceilings are strung with garlands of papel cortado. You’ll quickly be on a first-name basis with Aida …

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James Morgan

7:55 am on Tuesday, February 14, 2012

you're kidding! he told me that pepe gutierrez was his brother - but i just thought he was joking.   more ›

JP Eats!

Fill Bellys Offers the City's Best Chicken and Waffles

Once a forerunner in Boston's food truck revolution, Fill Bellys now parks its serious soul food in our 'hood for good.

You might remember the Fill Bellys food jalopy cruising around the city last year, leaving behind the sweet scent of cinnamon waffles and fried chicken in its wake. Twitter blasts provided coveted up-to-the-minute location details, and in Boston's food truck wars, Fill Bellys was a fan favorite for its inexpensive (and addictive) soul/comfort food offerings.  But life on the road proved tough for owner Boswell "Chef Bos" Scott, who curbed his run-down 1986 Chevy step van last summer to open a 15-seat storefront on Washington Street. And his contemporary spin on classic soul dishes has created some serious buzz around town. "I wanted to make food that I grew up on in New York City with friends who were Latino, Asian, Black…a real mix. I …

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A Sweet Sampler of Jamaica Plain Valentine's Menus

There's a lot to love about dining out this Valentine's Day in Jamaica Plain.

Not everyone's a fan of Valentine's Day, and past the innocent age of exchanging cutesy cards with grade school chums and secret adolescent crushes, the holiday can seem a little schmaltzy and a lot commercial.  But whether or not you've dismissed Valentine's Day as nothing more than a Hallmark holiday, a few creatively-crafted menus around JP might make you rethink your usual Tuesday night dinner plans for this Feb. 14.  Romantic intentions optional, here are a couple ways to express your love for our local food scene this holiday: Vee Vee (763 Centre Street) Our favorite New American bistro (celebrating their fourth anniversary this month) has their love day menu on lockdown. Highlights include oyster stew with Maine shrimp toast, slow-…

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New Details Emerge About GrassFed, a Burger Bar for Jamaica Plain

Krista Kranyak, owner of the new "GrassFed" burger bar on Centre, passed muster with a committee of the Neighborhood Council on Tuesday.

A burger bar that has generated lots of buzz among Boston carnivores has a tentative opening date of Feb. 20. Krista Kranyak, owner of GrassFed, which is going into the old Bon Savor space at the corner of Centre and Pond, passed muster with the elected volunteers of the JP Neighborhood Council committee on Tuesday. The burger bar would also serve beer, wine and "adult milkshakes" spiked with cordials. GrassFed isn't seeking a full liquor license. Traditional cocktails won't be served. "You can't come in and order a Maker's Mark on the rocks," Kranyak said. Alcohol will only be served with food orders. Kranyak said the space would have counter service, with a layout similar to that of the City Feed location on Centre. There will be 21 bar …

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