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  • Patrick Clerkin for Medford City Council

    Last night a Medford resident opened his home for Patrick Clerkin’s Kick Off Party. Most of the council hopefuls were in attendance – Paul Donato Jr., Trish Schiapelli, Page Buldini, Nick Giurleo and incumbent George Scarpelli. This is the second party this week that was well attended. Each candidate had some time to discuss their respective platforms and more importantly asked those in attendance their thoughts and concerns for the city of Medford.

    The zoning issue is certainly the hot topic of the day as it seems that the city is pushing for changes and looking to implement those changes before the Summer is out. Residents need to take time to evaluate such changes because these changes will greatly impact everything from new developments to parking. More information can be found here – https://www.medfordma.org/departments/planning-development-sustainability/zoning

    Please note and this is important, resident input will end in July. That means if there are any additional concerns after that, you cannot voice your concerns or opinions. There will be a travelling round table where the candidates will meet throughout the city to hear from you directly, please take this opportunity to attend. It is important to meet these folks in person, to understand their position but also understanding that they want to represent you. Lastly, there are currently only 19,000 registered voters enrolled to vote in this coming election. For a city of 60,000 it is important that we get people engaged.

    In the meantime, as last night was about Patrick’s candidacy, please check out his website – https://clerkin4medford.com

    Here is John’s interview with Patrick from last week, enjoy!

  • Real Gusto

    I have lived in Medford for over 20 years and as embarrassing as it is to admit, I just discovered Real Gusto about a month ago. My neighbor wanted to treat me for taking care of their lawn. I have seen this place but had never gone, I figured lets right some wrongs.

    The moment we stepped into the place, you knew this was where you needed to be. You are met at the door immediately and brought to your table. The entrance features a full length bar and there are tables in the back room. The room overlooks the river and everything about the place is elegant without being pretentious. The interior is understated, well lit and has a very modern appeal. There is a small wine rack against the wall and on each side are two french doors that open out on to a short terrace. The tables are setup and evenly spaced, the cloth is crisp and clean. It is elevated dining but at very affordable prices.

    We were met by our waiter and they gave us our menus and started us off with drinks. I am an unapologetic coffee drinker and while restaurant coffee is marginal at best, their cafe Americano is rich and deep. The dark roast coffee may be one of the best I have had. I cannot speak to the wine as I do not drink but from the choices on the wall and menu, its a fairly well stocked selection.

    First up was our appetizer, we went with the Caprese. Yes it is simply tomato, mozarella and basil starter but quality matters and everything on the plate was fresh. The portions were generous and the tomato/basil/mozarella were centered in the plate and surrounded by a light circle of balsamic vinegar. Good balsamic vinegar means you can drink this straight from the bottle (not that I’m willing to admit I’ve done that before…) and this balsamic was outstanding.

    Next up, the main course. I ordered the Toscana pizza which is made with tomato, sauce, mozzarella, mushrooms, prosciutto and arugula. Its a personal sized pizza, before you say anything, yes any size pizza could be personal sized depending on appetite. I am a fat man doing fat things! While it may seem that I’m wasting a good restaurant by ordering a simple pizza but a well executed pizza in a proper pizza over is worth the price of admission.

    My neighbor ordered the Romana salad which was put together with Roman lettuce, tomatoes, mozzarella, EVOO, salt, pepper, Parmigiano shaved and olives. Now admittedly, nothing about our meal screams elegant or elevated but as they say the devil is in the details and Real Gusto nails it! I can walk away from a meal here and not feel polluted, bloated or worse ripped off. What brought me to Real Gusto was my misunderstanding that they were a pizza place first. They are known for the amazing oven baked pizzas but they are so much more than that.

    Upon my next visit to Real Gusto, I will explore more pasta options and yes I plan to report back. If you are looking for a place to have a good dinner and a great price, Real Gusto should be your place. Don’t bother parking on the street, there is a full parking spot across the street and if that is full, you can park on Governors which is a short walk. I 100% love this place and this may be one of Medford’s hidden gems.

    Real Gusto’s website – https://www.realitaliangusto.com/

    Menu – https://www.realitaliangusto.com/menu

    PS: They are now open for lunch!

  • Quick hits

    It is going to be hot out there today! If you or someone you know needs access to a cool space, the Senior Center on Riverside drive offers a place you can stay between 8am to 4pm. The public library is also another place to consider.

    This coming week John Patrella will be interviewing none other than state representative Paul Donato! The show records this Friday and it usually takes a couple of days for the editing but once its done it gets posted, that should be an interesting video.

    As a reminder tonight Trish Schiapelli will be kicking off her campaign tonight at Raso’s Grill, the info is below. I hope to see some of you folks there!

  • Medford Happenings Override Information Session w/ Roy Belson & Danielle Marcellino

    As the title says, more information regarding the proposed tax override to assist with the funding of the new high school.

  • Artists reception at the ACM Thursday!

    Art Walk Closing Reception

    Jun 26, 2025

    5:00 PM – 7:00 PM

    Join us to commemorate the 2nd Annual Art Walk hosted by Arts Medford and Medford Chamber of Commerce. It has been a month of seeing local businesses feature the beautiful work of local talent in their windows. Come to mingle, meet artists and business owners – it will be a good time for all! All ages. Light refreshments provided.

    There are a lot of events worth checking out at the ACM. For those who may not be aware, this is one of the newer spaces that house not only local artists but constantly feature new works and themes with their main floor gallery. The outstanding works are museum quality pieces. If you have not gone to this wonderful space, you’re missing out. The arts scene in Medford rivals that of our neighbors in Somerville.

    Arts Collaborative Medford – https://artscollabmedford.org/

    Events calendar – https://artscollabmedford.org/workshops

    Address: 162 Mystic Ave Medford, MA 02155

    Hours: Tuesday – Thursday: 12-3pm

  • Circle The Square recap

    Saturday CACHE presented Circle the Square. This is a yearly event that features events for the whole family which includes everything. Whether you went there for the food, supported friends who were either performing or just simply hanging out it was simply a great time. The weather, while hot, was the first Saturday in two months with no rain. Think about that.

    Riverside drive was closed from Citizen’s bank to Atrius health. Friends of the Medford Public Library were there giving away free books and provided folks with information about our very valuable new public library, they see over 500 patrons a day! Among some of the other tables was one featuring a fund raiser for a Sarah Bradlee Fulton statue which you can get more information here – lookingbackatmedfordhistory.com.

    There were tables also setup to provide Medford residents more information around the proposed new zoning laws. There were also an events area for kids to play games and this was setup by the fine folks at Medford Recreation dept. There was a beer garden and more important the food truck from the Chicken and Rice guys. If you wanted to change things up there was also ice coffee but not just any ice coffee, Vietnamese coffee. If you like dark roast coffee, this is for you!

    This was a pretty successful event and we look forward to seeing you there next year! The photos will be added throughout the week so please check back.

  • Medford Happenings with George Scarpelli

    We are posting all the shows on this site OR you can subscribe on youtube as soon as those videos become available. Today’s show, John talks with City Councillor George Scarpelli. The subject for todays discussion is around the Medford Tax override.

    Enjoy!

  • Migration – The Ongoing America Revolution

    A celebration of Medford’s migrant history, past and present, as we mark the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. Join us on the first day of our opening.

    Date: Sunday, June 29th

    Time: 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.

    Location: Medford Historical Society & Museum, 10 Governors Avenue

    The exhibit will be open each Sunday through the fall.

  • Circle the Square TODAY!

    Please join us in the square today. Festivities begin at 3pm and last until 7pm. Medford businesses are closing sections of Riverside drive as we celebrate Circle the Square. This is a long standing tradition here in Medford. Bring your whole family as Cache features music, arts and food!

    Cache stands for – Coalition for Arts, Culture, and a Healthy Economy. Their website – https://www.cacheinmedford.org/

    Most importantly did you know that Medford listed over 2400 events last year! That is up from 1700 the year before. You cannot complain I have nothing to do. Most of the events featured on the calendar are FREE! Cache Events – https://www.cacheinmedford.org/event-calendar/

    You can also sign up for their weekly newsletter which gives you a list of 10 curated events for the coming week! You can sign up here – https://www.cacheinmedford.org/subscribe/ Or select the QR code below!

    See you there!

  • It begins…

    Welcome to the Medford Happenings website. We are a companion to the local cable tv show here in Medford Massachusetts.