150359 Fri Jan 21 09:42:33 -0800 2005 4 12 Boston Area 0 806269 Does anyone know what, if anything, is happening with the space where Gallia used to be? Fri Jan 21 09:42:33 -0800 2005 0 HML 1 806307 That space has a bit of a curse, doesn't it? It's such a terrific spot. I hope it doesn't turn into a sports bar or something like that. Fri Jan 21 13:48:26 -0800 2005 806269 0 poppytrail 2 806322 It looks like the for rent sign came down but haven't heard. I wonder if a sports bar could even succeed in the south end. Fri Jan 21 14:59:13 -0800 2005 806307 0 Joanie 3 806368 I think the South End might support a sports bar, but the immediate neighbors would not. The neighborhood associations have a reasonably strong voice in Licensing Board decisions. For example, Joe V's sold itself as a pure mid-priced restaurant serving beer and wine when it was trying to get neighborhood approvals for the transfer of the old On the Park license. Shortly after it opened, it surreptitiously recast itself as a sports bar, only to be slapped down in a hurry by the abutting neighborhood association. That "Best Neighborhood Restaurant" award (presumably bought from Boston Magazine for the price of some ads) now draws a lot of local sneers. The neighbors think that Joe V's management is trying to sneak something past them, and are now watching it like a hawk. There's a case study in how not to conduct neighborhood PR. It looks increasingly like the only way to run a profitable restaurant in the new South End is to sling a lot of high-margin booze, and/or offer a fairly high-end product, preferably both. Witness the Nightingale, Perdix, Union, Flux (version 2), B&G, the Butcher Shop, Sibling Rivalry. Most new places have few entrees much under $20. It's the old not-in-my-back-yard syndrome. Most people like the idea of nearby amenities, but are fearful of the impact of a noisy bar on the value of their pricey condos. The Gallia space sits under a pile of those. Sat Jan 22 00:01:07 -0800 2005 806322 0 MC Slim JB 1 806440 Read a rumor that the owner of Torch (in Beacon Hill) would be opening something there. Italian, I think. Sun Jan 23 10:37:09 -0800 2005 806269 0 jody