Dottie Hottie

Due to the pending expansion of the Dottie Hottie family, certain members of our household have been compulsively ordering take-out. At least one member of the household has, and that member may or may not now have a new “usual” at King Do Baguette and Pastry. If a take-out order has been placed more than once to King-Do in the span of a week, is it safe to say that one is a “regular” of King-Do? That one is an afficionado? A groupie? AN OUTRIGHT ADDICT TO THE HONEYDEW MELON SMOOTHIE?

Just wondering. That honeydew melon smoothie really is delicious.

As is the tofu/vegetable entree, the beef bahn-me baguette sandwich, and the tofu spring rolls. The chicken used in this cuisine is suspect. Rubbery and a little as though it has been sitting out. Avoid the poultry product says the Dottie Hottie, and you will be fine.

Another great thing about King-Do, in addition to its 7 day delivery service (10 a.m. - 11 p.m.!!!) and affordability, is that you can now order it entirely online through GrubHub which fiiiiiiiinally expanded its territory to Dorchester after what felt like an ice age of being, well, iced.

So beam that order up and watch this bag come presto-chango to a Dot door near you.

The Dottie Hottie recently scored a couple pairs of “juggler gloves” at the Super 99 Plus on Dot Ave (corner of Welles Ave.). With the pointer and thumb slots “uncapped,” these gloves are surely the perfect thing to keep the urban commuter who is wont to juggle the keys, the T pass, the messenger bag, the like, and who’d rather not have to do the whole gloves on/gloves off shuffle in the bitter temps of Beantown’s winter.

The gloves come in an assortment of colors and are a mere $.99 for a set of 2 pairs! That’s four gloves for less than one money! While supplies last….

The Dottie Hottie swears Hidden Jules, the adorable consignment shop on Adams St. opened 15 minutes ago. And that 10 minutes ago, it was still open for business. Then, 5 minutes ago, the Dottie Hottie drove by the boutique only to discover the windows vacant of clothing, the signage removed — GONE like a thief in the night!?

Jules, where did you go with your jewels? Your shop was so cute! We miss you. Let us know where you have hidden your jewels elsewhere….

January.  31 days.  Every year. Followed by the longest shortest month: February.  The interminable winter of our discontent here in Dorchester.  Orange barrels along Morrissey, slushpuddles on every curb of Dot Ave., gargantuan potholes along other boulevards that have yet to be “stimulated” by the feds.

How does one endure these forbidding months?  With nary a ray of warmth to get one through?

Comfort food anyone?

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Celebrate Dorchester-Milton Restaurant Week!!!
WHEN:

Sunday, January 17 through January 31 inclusive

WHO:

224 Boston Street
88 Wharf
Abby Park
Ashmont Grill
Blarney Stone
dbar
Ledge
Tavolo

HOW:

Following the Amex Restaurant Week model, restaurants will offer a prix fixe three course dinner menu for $30.10 (in addition to your regular ala carte offerings). Advance reservations are encouraged, and details will be posted on each restaurant’s website.

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So maybe we can’t all jet off to Aruba.  But for $30, we can enjoy a little warmth to carry us through these whipping wintry weeks.

The Dottie Hottie would like to do a bit of apartment advocacy tonight. The following details concern a certain abode of a Dottie Hottie friend who will be letting her apartment, which has been a home to many a festive gathering in all the seasons of Dottie life and Dottie love.

Cheesy sentiments aside, the place really is a steal. A 5 minute walk to the Savin Hill train station. Maybe even 3 minutes if you walk fast. Lovely deck and commodious kitchen. Two bedrooms and the bath is newly updated.

If you would like to view photos, they are available on the Facebook marketplace here.

Apartment available in Savin Hill for $1,200.
Price: $1,200
Category: Housing : For Rent - Condos
Bedrooms: 2 BR
Description: The apartment is in Savin Hill steps away from the Savin Hill stop on the Red Line. Two bedrooms (1.5 is more accurate as the .5 sized room is on the smaller side). Bathroom was redone last year, kitchen was redone this year. Energy-efficient windows installed two years ago. The bedrooms have ample closet space and the closet in the .5 sized bedroom was recently re-done with Elfa white-wire shelving to give extra space. Eat in kitchen that is large enough for a table. Deck off the back to spend lots of time on during the warmer months :-).

- Savin Hill - There are plenty of restaurants and the apartment is five-minute walk to the beach, tennis courts, and basketball courts. Shaw’s is only one T stop away and there are numerous grocery stores within walking distance.

- Parking - ample on-street, no permit-needed parking. There are also nearly a dozen Zipcars within a five-minute walk from the apartment.

- Pets - cats and small dogs are allowed. No pitbulls, german shepherds, staffordshire terriers, etc.

- Storage - there is storage in the basement of the building.

- Laundry - there is FREE laundry in the basement of the building.

- Utilities - the tenant is responsible for their own electric, gas and incidentals (i.e. cable, internet, phone, etc).

- Move in date - this is flexible - anytime between January 1 and February 1

- Deposit - we ask for a security deposit equal to one month’s rent

The Hahhp and Bahhhd got a facelift. We’re all excited about the new polished look as it elevates Dorchester Ave. to the classy Main Street we all know it is capable of becoming (or restoring once more).

If you haven’t wandered into the new! improved! H&B, let the Dottie Hottie recommend Sunday or Monday evenings for a buffalo wing smorgasbord. The wings - which come in an array of flavors including honey buffalo, buffalo, and barbecue - are a mere $.50/piece on Sunday and Monday nights. They’re not only cheap, but they’re quite meaty and mos def delicious. The Dottie Hottie has been in search of an establishment to offer wings at a reasonable price that would make Buffalo proud. But Boston bars, it seems, are wont to charge much too much for the pint and the poultry. The Harp & Bard gets the recipe just right.

Those with kiddies, here’s a tip - go ’round about 6p on Monday evenings and have the run of the place. If your child is anything like MID (who thinks booths are made for being obnoxious and peeking over at the connecting booth), this time is to your advantage

1099 Dorchester Ave
(between Doris St & Savin Hill Ave)
Dorchester, MA 02125
(617) 265-2893

In a stroke of irony, the Dottie Hottie was registered to get that flu shot everybody’s been hyping about, but was too sick to have it administered. Needless to say, we’re a little behind on updating.

So about that Irish Fest at Adams Corner a couple of weeks back — the Dottie Hottie was there in all verdant splendor as were all the Mickeys and Moes, the bonny Colleens and Sullies to boot. It was a wonderful affair. Beautiful day, completely family-oriented, and aside from the hours of blarney spoken at one of the entertainment stages, there appeared plenty of jigging and music-making at the other stage for your pleasure.

The Dottie Hottie and MID sampled the fare and gave two thumbs up to the pumpkin cookies from Greenhills, and a toot of ye old horn to Gerard’s for its superb beef stew. It was nice to see local vendors like College Hype Sportswear and the Stitch House displaying their fashions and making merry with all the neighbors.

Perhaps the biggest plus of all was that admission was free. The Dottie Hottie isn’t entirely sure how many beers were imbibed to finance the transport of all those Irish entertainers, but much appreciation for the lack of cover fee. It’s good to feel liberated to walk around the middle of Adams St. and the parking lot behind Greenhills on a Sunday afternoon without a care in the world but as to where you can get some more of that terrific beef stew.

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Mad good goodies from Greenhills’ tent o’ confection

Ceili dance for grown-ups

Little Miss Sunshine finds her cap at the Stitch House port-o-shop

Those bizarre bronzed human statue people were there. Of course they’re Irish!

The Dottie Hottie enthusiastically joins forces with fellow Dot bloggers to share all that there is to adore about this here hottest ‘hood of Boston! Yes we can! ADORE-chester!

If you have been reading this blog for any period of time, you know the Dottie Hottie is already convinced. There is MUCH to adore about Dorchester. This site was created with this ambition in mind: To let the world, or at least Greater Boston know there is a real vitality to this neighborhood. There is beauty and authenticity. You can go ahead and read the headlines; they don’t betray a truth that violence and crime spike where poverty pervades. We are not Boston’s richest neighborhood, but we possess our own riches, and the following are the Dottie Hottie’s favorite five:

1.) Neponset Bike Trail: I wish I could bottle the smell of the sooty railroad tracks, the view of the deep blue Neponset River, the glee of babies in strollers and friendly smiles of parents jogging behind them. I feel a palpable blessing riding my bike on this path with my child MID. Every pedal forward is a gift my city gives me on this well-paved path along a beautiful waterway. Brings new meaning to the word recreation.

2.) Flat Black Coffee Company: The tasty coffee is only transcended by the friendly service. The convenient locations (at Ashmont and Lower Mills) are only transcended by their proximity to Wainwright Bank and Dot Park. Their commitment to Dot is only transcended by their commitment to the fair trade coffee industry in the Third World. Flat Black takes much of the money that I should deposit into that ATM at aforementioned Wainwright. And that is fine with me.

3.) The Dorchester Reporter: If you live in Dot, you really should subscribe. It’s a quality community newspaper, family founded and owned, and you get all the neighborhood bulletins and a bit of blarney to boot.

4.) Sunday Brunch on the patio at Ashmont Grill: It’s such a shame this savory experience is only seasonal, but the Dottie Hottie awaits Patio Season at the AG all winter long. The patio is a true oasis, removed from the din of Peabody Square, all one can hear are the clink of bellini glasses and the kind service. Take a leisurely skim of the Sunday paper while you wait for your brunch to arrive. Every egg dish is scrumptious. Every table is privy to a beautiful sight, be it a humming fountain, a floral vine climbing the stone wall. If only you could take a Sunday nap on a sun-drenched chaise lounge, this place might be a thin slice of Paradise.

5.) The Fields Corner Post Office: It might be the most unlikely of places to adore, but the diversity and authenticity of Dorchester seem to be so perfectly captured by this little microcosm of a place. Where else are we all on equal footing? You could be homeless, jobless, or living in tremendous opulence. You can all pick up your mail here. You might enter in a wheelchair, with a stroller, or with a cane. With the new ramp, your entrance is so much the smoother. And chances are good, some good person of Dorchester will open the door for you. Enough cannot be said of the good postal workers here, too. Always patient, always efficient, always good-humored, they are the salt of Dorchester, and for $.41 on the dollar, they deliver every piece of mail I send without fail. Huzzah!

And you? What do you ADORE about Dorchester?

• The Dot Matrix
• Dot Boston
• The Dorchester Think Tank
• Lower Mills
• Local Spice
• Candeliera Silva
• Social Butterfly Experiment
• dotmass
• Greening of Dorchester

The Dottie Hottie witnessed a hit-and-run this past weekend. In a word, the whole maneuver was BALLSY. Noon-thirty on a Sunday. People were coming back from church, going to see grandma, thinking about chicken dinners. Then BAM! The offending car set off an alarm, paused to inspect that indeed the damage probably exceeded his insurance premium, and cruised toward Dorchester Avenue.

Dorchester Avenue. On a Sunday afternoon. COME. ON! Did you not think the Dottie Hottie would be scribbling down your plate? Alerting the authorities? Making no dull racket?

While Boston’s finest work to apprehend this cowardly conductor, the Dottie Hottie sends condolences to the victim of this cowardly act. Hope that broken axel gets fixed post-haste.

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Had take-out from Mrs. Jones on Satureve. Lickity splits, that fried chicken gets better and better. Still waiting for them to post their menu online. What say you, Mrs. Jones, to a little more love on the interweb?

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Ran into Sam Yoon the day post-election. He offered the Dottie Hottie a heartfelt hug. He seemed somber but was kind as ever. Said it once and I’ll say it again, I love me some Yooooon.

The Dottie Hottie is feeling a bit on the fence about his pairing with Flaherty for November’s race. It’s a strategic coupling, but here at DH headquarters, we’re just a little dubious about Southie’s fair-haired boy. What are your thoughts?

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Keepin’ it real in this here Dot.
xoxo,
Dottie

So my boy Sam Yoon got bested by Menino (shocker!) and Flaherty, but only trailed second place by a couple thousand votes. I have to say that I’m always disappointed when I visit my little precinct in Dot. The Dottie Hottie does so love to exercise the right, and yet, I’m always the only voter there! Granted, I usually go mid-day, but surely my elder voters and my stay-at-home parents should be hitting up the polls prior to naptime, no? I suspect that voter turn-out in Dot is low, and it burns me pretty bad. I didn’t even see many Yoon banner wavers working the polls and this is Sam’s ‘hood! We are one of the greatest neighborhoods in terms of the richness of our non-profits and service agencies, and yet our voter engagement just doesn’t impress. If the primary wasn’t your bag, I really hope to see you on Super Tuesday in November. Be there or be a blank oval on the ballot, y’all.