Boston's St. Patrick's Day may be known for a boozy good time, but more are opting to forgo the buzz
BOSTON — Tommy McCarthy's Irish bar just outside Boston's city limits pours more Guinness than almost anywhere in the U.S., yet come this St. Patrick's Day , the longtime owner of The Burren is stocking up on plenty of nonalcoholic options too.
'It's come a long way since we first opened,' McCarthy said, who started slinging pints at the beloved establishment in 1996 after moving to the Boston area from West Clare, Ireland.
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1,300-plus jobs at risk as Poundland plans to shut 68 shops and two warehouses
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17 hours ago
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Lowell's Worthen House Cafe is a bar where everybody knows your name, including Jack Kerouac and Edgar Allan Poe
In recent years, the friendly tavern has endured thanks to the Hamourgas family, locals who took over in 2001. Today, Dracut's Penelope Hamourgas, 40, runs the business alongside her mom, Penny, with the help of her younger sister — and a friendly young ghost. Advertisement The Worthen House on Worthen Street in downtown Lowell. Handout Tell me about the Worthen. My parents bought the Worthen in 2001. My father was a musician. When the Worthen was for sale, I think he saw it as a perfect opportunity to bridge together everything that we're about. Our background is in the hospitality business. We own a travel company down the street. We used to own a club in Greece — we're Greek. We have a little bit of Greek-Irish fusion happening at the Worthen, which is awesome. Hospitality, food, and entertainment is what we're about. It seemed like a logical next step. And here we are, 24 years later, and hopefully for the next 24 years. Who's the Worthen Baby? 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We had to feature three different menu items, and then J [Russell], the host of the show, would try them and talk about them. Then we did a little story on the history of the Worthen, which was established in 1898, so it's a pretty old place. It's the oldest [bar] in Lowell, and one of the oldest in Massachusetts. My Nana went to high school with Jack Kerouac, and I know he used to hang out here. What role does the Worthen play in the community now? The Worthen is a place where everyone has gathered, all types of people: literary greats, actors, musicians, poets, mill workers, blue-collar workers, all walks of life, all ages. It's a local gathering place. We always say that you can walk in and leave with a friend. We've had many people meet their lifelong partners here, and this continues to happen to this day. That spirit is still carried over, a century later. Advertisement Of the notable patrons, there's Kerouac and Edgar Allan Poe. Come October, we're going to have sort of a mini-museum upstairs with three rooms. There's going to be a room dedicated to Poe and one to Kerouac. You'll be able to find the scroll of 'On the Road' and some other Kerouac-oriented items. Then we're going to have another room dedicated to Matthew, our friendly ghost. Tell me about your ghost. Our ghost is a little 10-year-old boy who fell down the stairs and died. Our stairs are very, very steep. He died back in the late 1800s. The lights will randomly shut off, the water will start running, random things happen out of the blue. His spirit continues to be with us. How has the spirit of the city changed over time? I think that we're having a resurgence now because many people from the city have moved out to Lowell. That eclectic, younger, fun crowd is in Lowell right now. We have the artists, the college students, the longtime locals, random visitors, tourists. I think people are looking to feel comfortable, to be in a space where they can be themselves, where they can find a little bit of everything, and everyone feels like they're part of something. It's funny. J, the host of 'America's Best Restaurants,' is from Arizona. He said, 'This city is amazing. Within a half-hour of being here, I've seen Asians, Latinos, African Americans, such a wide range of people. In Arizona, everything is just so dry, and everything is the same.' I do think there's definitely a fusion in Lowell that you're not getting everywhere. Advertisement Tell me about some of the local characters. Who's your most memorable customer? Maybe Cliff. Cliff is a special person. He's a nurse. He comes to the Worthen after his shift. He's on the board of the Kerouac Foundation. He helps organize all their events. He's a big literature lover. He just brings people together, a local. There's Eddie Murphy, Dan Bacon, Tommy the Firefighter. God, there's a giant list of regulars. How would you describe the Worthen on a typical day? You can talk to people about anything. The Worthen is a place that transforms any day. You could be having the worst day of your life, but once you walk through those doors, and you just sit and have a drink with all these people, it doesn't matter who you are. Nothing outside matters in that moment. … It could be your best day. It could be your worst day. Everyone is just here together. How does your family cultivate that atmosphere, or did you inherit it? I think it's something that we partly built. Our background is in hospitality. We're Greek, and Greek people are typically warm and friendly, as are the Irish. I think it's a great marriage of that Greek-Irish vibe. I think the main thing, though, is the people who work here, our staff, our team at the Worthen, is exceptional. We have such low turnover. Some have been there a very long time, either through word of mouth or through just walking in and applying — but they're very good. We really have a good thing going. Advertisement Tell me a little bit about the food. The kitchen is subleased to Charr'd Grill. It's essentially a business operating within the business, but it's a partnership. [Chef] Chris DeMato owns his kitchen in there, and he features mainly American, pub-style food. We have great burgers, classic burgers, like the Whistler's Mother. The Whistler House Museum is right down the street, so this is a burger that pays homage. Another dish that we've had as a special but needs to go on permanently is the Mill Rib. It's a play on McDonald's McRib. Our drinks used to be mostly beer and wine, and now we have many craft cocktails and local beers. We have an amazing espresso martini. Times have changed. When we make our margaritas, we make our own mix. We try to do as much homemade food as possible. 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Kara Baskin can be reached at
Yahoo
17 hours ago
- Yahoo
J.J. McCarthy, Travis Kelce Top NFLPA Pay Chart for 2024 Season
Travis Kelce's two-year public relationship with global pop star Taylor Swift has been a boon to the coffers of the NFL and the Kansas City Chiefs, as new waves of fans have engaged with the league and reigning AFC champions. It has also boosted the bank account of the seven-time All-Pro tight end. Kelce earned $3.25 million from group licensing deals during the 2024 season, according to the NFL Players Association's annual report filed with the U.S. Department of Labor. That haul is up from $2.4 million in 2023 and $874,949 in 2022. Advertisement More from In February, Kelce played in the Super Bowl for the fifth time in six years, and he ranked second for licensing income. The NFL leader has never played a regular-season snap. Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy ranked first at $4 million from the players association for the 12 months through February. McCarthy's rookie campaign ended before it began when he tore the meniscus in his right knee during the preseason. It is a massive payout, and the highest since Tom Brady's final two seasons when he earned $9.5 million in 2021 and $6.8 million in 2022. Last year, Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes ranked first at $3.6 million. Mahome's licensing income dipped to $1.9 million in 2024, sixth among active players. Advertisement High-profile rookies often receive a boost in their first season, as their new jerseys and merchandise are in high demand. McCarthy was also coming off a national title at Michigan, which carries a significant national following. He had been expected to challenge for the Vikings' starting quarterback role before his injury. Group licensing deals are negotiated by the NFLPA for multiple players, encompassing jerseys, trading cards, video games and other categories. The union's LM-2 report displays many LLCs that are registered to players—Kelce's is TMK Enterprises LLC, Mahomes' is 2PM LLC and Brady's funds are directed to T.E.B. Capital Management. McCarthy has set up Newberry Raised LLC, with a similarly named corporation registered to an Ann Arbor, Mich., address and Jonathan J. McCarthy as the agent. Other top earners in the LM-2 report are quarterbacks Justin Herbert ($2.55 million) and Josh Allen ($2.1 million), as well as running back Christian McCaffrey ($2 million) and wide receiver Justin Jefferson ($1.7 million). McCaffrey's teammate Brock Purdy received $309,374, and an entity, MARK835 LLC, that has the same address as a home owned by Purdy's father Shawn, got $1.7 million. Purdy's total payday was $2 million, assuming both paychecks went to the 49ers QB, who signed a five-year, $265 million extension with the Niners in March. Some retired players continue to cash in via licensing. Peyton Manning retired after the 2015 season, but only three active players earned more than his $2.2 million. Rob Gronkowski earned $1.3 million, down from $1.9 million in 2023, while Jason Kelce pulled in $990,060 and Brady was at $549,642. Advertisement Overall, 21 current and retired NFL players earned at least $1 million, down from 22 the prior year. Almost every NFL player received at least $38,000 from the PA. The royalty payments from the NFLPA are a blip compared to what players make on the field. Twenty NFL stars made at least $35 million last year from their playing salaries and bonuses. The 15 highest-paid players earned a combined $1.1 billion from their teams, endorsements, memorabilia and licensing. Last year, Kelce and Mahomes both made more than $25 million off the field and roughly twice as much as any other NFL player. Best of Sign up for Sportico's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
