Formerly an enclave of upscale condos, Chelsea finally welcomed a flock of high-end apartment buildings, including a new property filling a block in Middle Chelsea.
For most of us, the idea that we could be turned away from a restaurant as soon as we stepped inside is inconceivable. Imagine taking a road trip knowing you were barred from most dining spots along the way and the consequences of trying to eat in public might be even worse than being refused a seat.
This was a reality for Black Americans following the Civil War and during the Jim Crow era, and these practices continued for about a hundred years. Even after the Civil Rights Act passed in 1964, some defiant restaurant owners refused to comply with laws forbidding segregation.
Chris Wolfgang
As luck would have it, we picked the weekend when Sugarfire s bar was coming online for our arrival. The bar opens to the dining room and a modest patio. Besides beers and cocktails, there s a small selection of bites from the bar menu. We tried some pork belly hush puppies ($6.99) and fried mac-and-cheese balls ($2.99) while we perused the menu from the socially distanced patio. The hush puppies were a deep-fried gem; savory and smoky flecks of pork belly sparkled in each bite. The mac-and-cheese balls, two racketball-sized globes to an order, were an inviting combo of crunchy exterior and creamy interior. We appreciated the shaving of Parmesan and the marinara, but they could ve used a touch more salt.