We all scream for ... Monkeys? That's the playful name of the new ice cream shop set to open Mem Day 08 in DTL. Matt and Franky of the Mambo Grill gave me a tour of their newest venture yesterday where Moody's Buried Treasure stood on Merrimack St. and shared their plans. The fun shop will feature ice cream from Annabelles, the wildly popular creamery on Ceres Street in Portsmouth. Soft-serve frozen yogurt (it's about time someone thought of this) will be DIY. A froyo bar will take center stage in the middle of the tiny shop where healthy topping like fresh berries will beckon us all. "I could eat yougurt and berries everyday," said Franky. Roger that.
One wall will be dedicated to penny candy and since Andy of Brew'd Awakening fame is a co-partner, there will be coffee too. (Love it!). Not sure yet if Monkeys is seasonal. They are weighing the options of selling chocolate in the winter. Im one of those weirdniks who craves froyo in Feb. So wassup w/ the name?
"We sat around and asked ourselves what makes us happy. And I said 'monkeys make me happy,'" said Matt. Can't ape that. Haven't you always wanted a monkey?

They just got nominated for a James Beard Award. The Godfather of great cuisine anointed the top chefs in the country last week and you can almost hear the cash registers ringing. Locally, the noninees are Patrick Connolly, of Radius, Rob Evans of Hugo’s in Portland, Maine, Michael Leviton of Lumière in West Newton, Marc Orfaly of Pigalle in Boston and Clark Frasier and Mark Gaier (pictured) of Arrows and ... Summer/Winter in Burlington. I've been to two of these establishments, Lumiere and Summer/Winter. The latter changed what we think of Burlington and hotel chain food forever. I know Marriots are stepping up their restaurants across the country, but I've never been to one as lovely as S/W. Lumiere is almost too "special." Dainty, and self-conscious. For me dining out is the whole package — food, ambiance and service. I want them all to work in harmony, as they do at Summer Winter. Now that it's almost summer a trip to this greenhouse-inspired eatery is in order. Has anyone dined at the other places?

Billy Costa and Jenny Johnson were in Lowell earlier this week, and I was a fly on the wall during their three-hour tour of Lowell’s nosh joints. Surprisingly the trim and bubbly NECN TV Diner personalities actually eat. They dug right into Greek salads at the Athenian Corner (that's where I snapped this pic of Costa and AC owner Teddy Panos), coffee and sweets at Lowell High School's courtyard rest. and pad thai at the Blue Taleh. Even the camera man was wolfing down sandwiches at Lowell High School’s Courtyard rest. Costa really is a professional. The guy is like a sponge. He would meditate over the dishes, memorizing every ingredient the chef infused. And just when you think there's no way he's gonna retain it all, the camera snaps on and he rattles them off like old friends. That's TV for ya! The show airs on NECN March 22 and is sure to boost sales at downtown eateries. Traipsing around town w/ TV Diner solidified my dogged pursuit of chronciling our local, thriving scene. A year ago when this blog launched, Centro and Blue Taleh were distant dreams. To see Costa cosy up to the bars and swoon, made me feel that my work here has not been misspent. Meanwhile, old standbys like Athenian Corner continue to impress and reinvent themselves. Such is the hallmark of a true dining destination.

Plans are being floated for a Pike Place-style market to move into the old Sun building on Kearney Sq. This newspaper did a civic good in relocating across town. Who knew Kearney Sq. was a vibrant, urban magnet waiting to happen? Not only do we have fine sushi bar Blue Taleh, now a farmer's market is planned for the back of this rambling bldg where sun trucks once idled. Developer John DeAngelis wants to gut the space along the canal and rent booths to food purveyors. I must speak for everyone when I say "you go John." Also planned for this former dead zone is a wine and cheese shop, run by Ricardo's owner Dick Rourke, and a coffee and dessert cafe. A cigar bar is still being bandied about too. Visionary DeAngelis has long talked of turning this stretch of canal into a mini Portsmouth, without the port. I was in Portsmouth yesterday and if Lowell captures a fifth of what this seacoast city has going on there really will be LOTS to LOVE about Lowell. Can a Starbucks be far behind?