Two Great Open Mic's This Weekend

Listen to some great, local, up and coming artists perform at these two open mic's this weekend at Busboys.

Friday, March 16 10 p.m. - Live! From Busboys Talent Showcase Open Mic - Busboys and Poets - $5 cover Hosted by gospel artist Brittney Wright, this month's Live! from Busboy's Talent Showcase Open Mic is sure to bring a varied ensemble out. Musicians, comedians, dancers, actors, magicians and poets (basically performers of all stripes) are invited to show off their talents in this monthly open mic. Sign up list opens up at 9:30 p.m.  Sunday, March 18 5 p.m. - Borderlines: A Bilingual Spanish-English Open Mic - Busboys and Poets - $5 cover  Hosted by Henry Hills, this open mic looks to cross cultural boundaries through the arts. Performers need not be proficient in either language. Sign up list opens up at 5 p.m. 

• Photos (1)

Holiday Menus: Your Guide to a Few Hyattsville Haunts this Season

Looking for a New Year's Eve party? Check out the Franklin's event.

Hyattsville restaurants are serving up some holiday cheer this winter and residents are going to be hungry for it.   Franklin’s At Franklin’s Restaurant, Brewery & General Store, the specials menu is updated regularly to accommodate seasonal changes in locally grown foods, according to manager Anne Flaherty. One of the bestselling sandwiches on the seasonal menu this winter is The Day After Thanksgiving, which features Thanksgiving favorites such as turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing and cranberry sauce served on white bread. Thanks to brewer Mike Roy, Franklin’s customers can also expect a seasonal rotation of beer. Old Miser, an English Old Ale, and Oatmeal Stout will be out this winter. The restaurant will be hosting a New Year’s Eve …

• Photos (1)

Drink of the Week: French Twist at Hyattsville's Busboys and Poets

Here's a tasty way to relax during the rushed holiday season.

It’s the holiday season and no doubt, you’ve been playing Santa Claus after work—down the aisles, reaching to the top of high shelves, piling your cart and then standing in line for 30 minutes just to willingly allow a plastic credit card reader to drain your bank account of the money you just worked eight hours to earn. For many of us, there’s no such thing as “time to unplug” during December. But stop trying to chug the energy drinks and mute the over baring barks of your boss at work. It’s time to kick off the holiday season with a French combination of organic ingredients and lemon zest.   The first drink up is the Fleur D'Asie. “It is a botanical tea with a relaxing and soothing finish,” said Robert Ventura, manager at Busboys and …

• Photos (1)

Poll: Parking in Hyattsville's Commercial Areas Has Some Scratching Heads

There have been a number of comments on Hyattsville Patch recently about parking at Streetsense's development at Baltimore Avenue and Jefferson Street. Let us know what you think about city parking with this poll.

How do you feel about parking in Hyattsville?  Some of you have mentioned that you don't think there's enough parking at the Streetsense shops (think, Busboys and Poets) on Baltimore Avenue and Jefferson Street.  With construction ongoing there, it's hard to tell if more parking is coming behind the shops—inquiries to Streetsense have not been returned—but in the evenings, the current parking spaces are generally occupied. At University Town Center, there are parking garages and one parking lot for patrons, but after a two hours you have to pay: If you’re going to the Royale 14 movie theater you can get your parking ticket validated at a rate of 4 hours for $1. There is also temporary parking along America Boulevard.   The Hyattsville City…

•  8 Comments
• Photos (2)

Mike Franklin is all about Hyattsville

An entrepreneur and family man is deeply rooted in community.

By May Wildman Not only does he live within walking distance of his iconic, self-titled restaurant, Mike Franklin has lived in Hyattsville for more than 20 years, raising his two daughters here. He is the chairman of the Hyattsville Community Development Corporation and his wife, Debra, works as a math lecturer just down the street at the University of Maryland, College Park. “My business and my personal life are all kind of intertwined because I’m the guy with the two-block commute who knows everybody in town,” he said. Franklin, 53, graduated from St. John’s College in Annapolis with a degree in classics. He intended to eventually go to graduate school, but ended up traveling around the region as a toy salesman for 19 years. He and his …

•  10 Comments
• Photos (1)

Danny

7:11 am on Wednesday, November 30, 2011

i don't know anything specific about what developments mike franklin was/is for or against, but a restaurateur should understand that competition is a good thing in his business. that is why there are "restaurant parks" and clusters of restaurants around malls and big-box shopping centers -- why PF chang's likes to operate next to the cheesecake factory, for example. EYA's shops have made …   more ›

PHOTO OF THE DAY: Fall Bloom in Hyattsville

Check out this gorgeous blossom outside Hyattsville's Busboys and Poets.

• Photos (1)

PHOTO OF THE DAY: Can You Imagine?

Here's a photo from one of Hyattsville's culture centers.

• Photos (1)

Patch's Guide to Hyattsville's Busboys and Poets

Ever wonder where to sit? How to order? Here are the answers.

Patch patrons Busboys and Poets often—probably at least three times a week. By now, we should know how the place works. But after three months of sitting, ordering, working and watching, we still didn’t get it. We thought you might like to know just how to make the most of your Busboys experience. Seating Hyattsville’s Busboys and Poets has several options: Watching/Reading/Working The dining area has a big screen TV with movies and documentaries playing on it pretty much all the time. At the bar you can watch the news, a game or commentary on the TV. Busboys doesn’t provide reading material, but you can bring your own book or newspaper to pore over. The café area is best for this because there are a lot of comfortable chairs there. If you…

•  4 Comments
• Photos (1)

Busboys & Poets Owner Balks At Montgomery's Scrapped War Spending Resolution

Andy Shallal says he won't consider Bethesda and Silver Spring locations following Montgomery's withdrawal of controversial resolution, the Washington City Paper reports.

Following controversy surrounding the county council’s scrapping of a non-binding resolution petitioning Congress to direct war spending to social programs, Busboys and Poets owner Anas “Andy” Shallal says he won’t consider opening new locations in Montgomery County, the Washington City Paper reports. The peace activist, who opened a Hyattsville location this summer, told the City Paper he had been eyeing the closed Borders Books & Music space in Silver Spring and has also been approached by developers to open in Bethesda. Now, he says, those considerations are off the table. Critics of the resolution said supporting cuts in military spending could have a negative affect on the local economy in Montgomery County. In Bethesda, Lockheed …

• Photos (1)