| A tour of treats
Businesses in Roslindale Village don't always share customers. There are older specialty shops that cater to longtime residents and newer boutiques and restaurants that appeal to, yes, newer folks. My tour guide, Annie Bauman, 32, promised to show me both. We start our tour on South Street at Village Books, which Bauman opened almost four years ago after being laid off from a dot-com.
Bauman points out the restaurant Delfino (754 South Street, 617-327- 8359), whose seed-crusted swordfish she loves. We take a left on Birch Street, which Bauman jokingly refers to as Estrogen Alley because so many women own businesses there. "They're very smart, sassy, and incredibly talented, and they buy from all over the world," she says, as we duck down an alleyway that opens up to more restaurants. "There's all this eclectic inventory, and then you turn here and - " She waves her hand to present Roslindale Fish Market (39 Poplar Street, 617-327-9487), where Peter and Hope Bregianos have sold fresh fish and Greek groceries for 18 years. "The olives here are awesome," Bauman says. We pass McLaughlin Shoe Repair (4270 Washington Street), in business since 1929, and give a nod to 74-year-old owner Edward McLaughlin, standing in the shop's doorway. A few doors away, The Pet Cabaret (4278 Washington Street, 617-323-7387) is a flurry of furry activity, as three little dogs cavort in the pet supply shop that Lisa Schlossberg and Lisa DiPietro opened 16 months ago. Although natural pet food is the biggest seller, the quirky pet knickknacks make the shop original. "We try to keep things on the unusual side," DiPietro says, motioning to a rack of religious pendants for pets' collars. Bauman's basset hound, Ernie, appears on the wall of photos of Cabaret regulars. Next we head to Boschetto's Bakery (4172 Washington Street, 617-323- 5702), one of the area's many bakeries. Bauman says each bakery excels at one item. Boschetto's forte is birthday cake, says Bauman, who plans to commission one when her twins turn 1 next month. When we get to the gardening shop Blooms and Greens (4014 Washington Street, 617-524-5556), co-owner June Alexandra gives Bauman a hug, exposing the bracelet of butterflies tattooed around her wrist. As Bauman marvels at the collection of pink peonies, bearded irises, and orchids, Alexandra asks Bauman to put aside a copy of Jane Fonda's new book for her. While not all the businesses here share clientele, it becomes clear to me that the shopkeepers are one another's best customers. Back |
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