Burger Dive Liquor License Hearing Gets a Bit Snippy

Burger Dive, a fast-casual joint from the Legendary Restaurant Group family (Papagayo, Max & Dylans, and more), opened in Somerville's Assembly Square back in November. Now, the licensing board has rather grudgingly granted it an all-liquor license so it can add spiked milkshakes, wine, and beer to its offerings. Licensing commissioners and probable party poopers John McKenna and Vito Vaccaro didn't hold back their disdain of the proceedings, according to Wicked Local Somerville's recap of last week's meeting. Mothers and elderly folks are apparently delicate flowers who must not be exposed to the stink of alcohol in a burger joint. Below, some choice quotes from McKenna and Vaccaro.

· "I'm disappointed that we've come into 2013 with this promised development and it's come down to giving a burger joint an all-forms [liquor license]," said McKenna. To be fair, the name Burger Dive does imply a certain low level of value or "joint"-ness, but Brad Dalbeck of the Legendary Restaurant Group told the board that the plan is to make the restaurant more upscale, adding not only alcohol but also waitstaff, dishes, and silverware, becoming the "centerpiece" of the Square.

· McKenna's response: "I'm sure you have a nice opinion of your establishment, but I wouldn't call it the centerpiece."

· Wicked Local paraphrases Vaccaro as thinking that "offering alcohol here would not be appropriate for the mothers, children, elderly and other clientele who frequent this kind of establishment." And the people who already frequent the establishment in the afternoons? Well, there's no way they're respectable folks who can be trusted around alcohol. "They're not working, probably," Vaccaro said. "I don't know what their status is."

In the end, the board voted 3-1 to approve the license, so if you are a woman, child, or elderly person, be sure to stay away from Burger Dive at Assembly Square.
· Somerville officials disparage proposed Assembly Square restaurant [WL]
· Officials question Burger Dive's plan for spiked milkshakes, wine, beer [BRT]
· All coverage of Burger Dive on Eater [~EBOS~]