In a message dated 10/30/03 4:56:56 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: << The other night my husband and I headed over to one of my favorite Italian restaurants, Duigi's on 22nd Avenue S. and 38th Street for a nice dinner. As we approached I saw that it was dark and worried that the street construction that had been going on for most of the summer had killed off the business. However, there was a note on the door saying that the business had closed because the owner had relied on the word of a zoning or license inspector from the City that the place had a valid restaurant license. >>
Duigi's closed! This is terrible news. This restaurant (formerly Casalenda's, formerly Mario's) has been a neighborhood institution for years and years. It was a great place to take the family for an affordable dinner, have a glass of wine and stuff yourself with pasta while listening to Frank Sinatra on the jukebox. It does seem that City Hall is doing a number on a good neighbor -- first they close off access to that 38th Street business node for MONTHS doing street repair (why do these things take so long?), then they sock this guy with a $100,000 relicensing fee. My jumpy paranoid side causes me to wonder if this has anything to do with small business opposition to a medium-density housing project that has been proposed for that area -- a "transit-oriented development" opportunity linked to the Hiawatha line. Note also that the Cardinal Bar & Restaurant just off Hiawatha has had to move its parking lot across 38th Street due to the construction of the LRT station -- not the safest situation for its patrons. Not to mention that this pattern also bodes ill for small businesses on Lake Street during the big Lake Street redesign project coming up... The recent owner of Duigi's was committed to retaining the character and even the menu of this pseudo-historic neighborhood restaurant (except for the garlic toast, which he "updated" with a few herbs.) Let's hope who or whatever takes his place has the same spirit of appreciation for its role in the community. -- Holle Brian more than a little ticked off in Bancroft REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
