Dottie Hottie

The banner has been teasing the Dottie Hottie for months. CHATEAU KABOB! COMING SOON! Finally, the banner was exchanged for a light-up sign: OPEN.

Hurrah! The Dottie Hottie fam scurried down the Adams St. hill to bid welcome to the newest ethnic eatery in Adams Village.

At first blush, the place, just a couple doors down from Adams Fish Market, smacks of clean. There are about a dozen tables, all clean at 6 p.m. on a Monday, the freshly painted walls are bright, and the flourescent lights above are, well, a bit sterile feeling, but at least the joint ain’t shady.

The menu itself is pretty expansive, with every kind of Middle-Eastern cuisine for the noshing: baba ghanoush, hummus, yogurt, falafel, pita sandwiches, lamb and beef and chicken kabobs. Ample veggie offerings, too.

Our small take-out order took a bit of time (read: a good 20 min) to prepare. The Dottie Hottie thinks the kitchen squad needs to speed things up to meet the expectations of bustling Boston.

As for the food, there is still some major room for improvement. Falafel balls were large but dry. Beef kabobs were tender and evenly cooked but not very flavorful. The roasted veggies were absolutely delicious but the portion was skimpy. A kebab dinner for $14 should at least pile on the veggies, no?

The Dottie Hottie inquired about an alleged lunch buffet that the Chateau had advertised. The Chat management indicated that, in order to meet code, certain accommodations must be met. So it’s clear the Chat is still getting its act together. We’ll give you a couple of months to bring quality up to snuff. We’ll revisit the kababeria in due time.

Chateau Kabob Restaurant
789 Adams St.
Dorchester, MA 02124
(617) 379 - 2433
(617) 379 - 2434
FAX (617) 379 - 2436
Abe@ChateauKabob.com

The Dottie Hottie has had such fun nominating all the favorite Dorchester businesses in the Boston Phoenix’s annual poll on Boston’s Best of…

Newbury St. and the South End shouldn’t have all the fun and notoriety in retail/restaurant land.

Cast your vote and don’t forget to give props to Dot where they are due!

If you love living in Dorchester, then you have at least one valentine to share the day with on Sunday (2/14). The following are just a few Dorchester deals that have come across the Dottie Hottie’s desk. Show the love to your sweetie, or, if nothing else, show the love to your ‘hood.

Dot 2 Dot Cafe’s Jazz Brunch (live music from 12 - 2 p.m.)

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Cedar Grove Gardens is offering the “Great Value Deal“:
- a dozen great NON-RED but premium 30-40cm roses
- delivered in a clear vase
- $35.00 +tax to local addresses
- Deal good thru Friday the 12th

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dbar - 4 Course Prix Fixe Menu all weekend long

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Franklin Park Zoo. Love is in the air (along with the smell of the gorillas wafting through…)
Bring a Valentine to the Zoo or make one there for your favorite animal. The animal who receives the most will be crowned “Zoo Sweetheart 2010.” One lucky winner will be chosen among his or her “valentines” to receive a Behind-the-Scenes tour of the Zoo for the whole family.

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!