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  by Rick Winterson      Country & Western in South Boston?  Why, certainly!  Every Tuesday night, that is. Plan a Tuesday drop in/hang out downstairs in the Supper Club at Capo Restaurant – 443 West Broadway, not very far from where Blinstrub’s sat for so many years.  Combine eating (varied Italian/American dishes), with drinking (inventive designer cocktails), and original C&W (“Dalton and The Sheriffs”).  And you know what?  At Capo, there’s no admission or cover.  Just show up Tuesday evenings and enjoy. Let’s mention that Dalton and The Sheriffs’ performances contain mostly their own original music, from half or more up to the entire gig, depending on the gig’s length and audience responses.  Why emphasize that fact?  Two reasons – because audiences consistently ask [...]

By Richard Campbell The Lyric Stage mounted a revival of the 1970’s musical “The Wiz” this past Sunday, with guest director Dawn Simmons at the helm, Musical Director Allyssa Jones, and Choreography by Jean Appolon.  It was a show that had some amusing and touching moments, that introduced Boston audiences to up and coming talent, but the production overall was a little underwhelming.  One of the distinguishing features of this musical- besides it’s snappy score, clever jokes, and endearing characters- is a synergy between energetic choreography and pure magic. What we get here was an earnest group trying hard to take flight, hampered by a lack of continuity in production values, more attributable to the leadership roles than the talents of the cast. The powerful [...]

by Rick Winterson   His full Thai name is Banjongyuvayong Yuvayongdee, but he is known around here as Joe Thailand, although he could now be called Joe America since receiving his U.S. citizenship seven years ago.  A still youthful looking Joe Thailand has been a Boston restaurateur for 33 years, starting with his first House of Siam in Copley Square in 1985.  As a geography note, Thailand is the modern name of the nation once known as Siam.  Thai food and Siamese food mean the same. Joe opened the House of Siam now located at 542 Columbus Avenue almost exactly 20 years ago, on April 13 in 1998.  That was a very propitious date – April 13 is the Siamese New Year in Thailand.  And [...]

By Richard Campbell After reviewing some of the new guns in the South Boston restaurant scene, I was recently tempted back to an old favorite: Café Porto Bello.  Friends beg me to go there whenever they visit South Boston, and over the years I’ve tasted most of the standards on this menu. Café Porto Bello is cozy and the staff is efficiently down to earth. You often get to kind of know your neighbors in this relaxing atmosphere, and that’s possible because unlike a lot of new trendy places, they have the common sense not to blare bar music during dinner.  The wine list is fairly sturdy, and the menu offers quite a variety. In short, this is a real neighborhood Italian dinner place with [...]