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The space doesn’t have to be large, and the chef/creator need not come from afar to become a Best Neighborhood Restaurant as named by Boston Magazine. Chef Shi Mei, 44, came to Boston from China at age four, lived in the South End throughout his childhood, and lives there now with his wife and young son. A Boston Latin School and UMass/Amherst graduate his concept for Lennox Sophia is altogether different than other fine restaurants lining South Boston streets, and at 87 A St., just a three-minute walk from Broadway Station, it is surely one of the smallest. Seating for twenty and a limited five course only, pre fixe menu, one entrée for the omnivores and one for the vegetarians, this confident and committed chef [...]

After a year and a half of careful consideration, contemplation, and discussions, along with another year and a half of logistics and paperwork, I have sold our family funeral home (O’Brien Funeral Home) to John Reen of Brighton.  John owns and operates his family’s funeral home in Brighton.  He worked for Jack when he was here, and for me in South Boston for more than 20 years.     This was not an easy decision. Stepping away from the full-time operations of the O’Brien Funeral Home has been the most difficult decision I have ever had to make – both personally and professionally.  However, I continue to struggle with ongoing issues with my sight and overall well-being; my children need me to be more available. So, it [...]

For Chef Erick Medrano, cooking has always been more than a career choice. It’s been an expression of love and gratitude, instilled in him since he was a young boy. Raised in Guatemala, Erick grew up watching his mother and grandmother cook in a wood fire arcilla (clay oven), filling the house with the sweet smell of fresh baked bread and unique family recipes. It would be those memories that would fuel his childhood dream of one day becoming a chef. Like countless others, Erick would venture to the U.S. with the hopes of a brighter future for himself and his family. Landing in Massachusetts, he would unwittingly a take a fateful stroll down a local street, taking notice of a spot called 224 Boston. [...]

Owner/chef of Fromage at 401 West Broadway for the past seven years, Tatyana Sukennik, originally from Ukraine, has both the delicacy and conviction well expressed in her fine European inspired menu of freshly made crepes, soups, and a distinguished wine bar. She is also someone who seized an opportunity after working at Mass. General Hospital as a medical technol-ogist in the transplant unit for almost twenty years. As with many natural cooks, it was common for her to be encouraged to start a restaurant, but quite another to convert a former pizza place into a sophisticated and unique bistro on one of the busiest and most restaurant saturated streets in South Boston. “My mother was an amazing cook. If you asked her for a recipe, [...]

By Carol Masshardt Healthcare is a challenging profession, and addiction services is among the most daunting. The nature of the issue thwarts patients and those who work with them in a process requiring enormous patience and determination with societal stigma present. Many providers stay clear from this work fearing endless frustration and the utter skill and understanding needed, but the Gavin Foundations Clinical Director, Evangelos “Lucky” Adamos-Nomikos, 37, isn’t one of them. He believes “anyone can recover” and that is what his guiding star every day. “I have been in recovery myself for ten years, and after getting a degree in Counseling Psychology and Mental Health Counseling, I worked in residential jobs and always heard about the “Gavin,” and knew it would offer opportunities. There [...]