The owner of Pho Que Restaurant at 291 Adams St. has told members of the Fields Corner Civic Association (FCCA) that he wants a full liquor or a beer-and-wine license from the city of Boston.
“We are still in the process, but wanted to come to the community first,” Daniel Lam said at a meeting of the group on Nov. 1. “This is my first time in the restaurant business and it’s one year in and a really tough year. We’re seeking a different way to make profit and to be able to survive in this business.”
Lam noted his interest in a beer and wine permit and added that he has also applied for a full liquor license because one is available under the neighborhood restricted license program.
The restaurant has a dining room and a large back room for functions and gatherings – and would add one extra hour of service (10 p.m. closing) on the weekends if approved, Lam said.
Neighbors were supportive of the effort but warned that a full liquor license is more expensive to insure and renew than a beer-and-wine license. Lam took that notice under consideration and said he will continue to look at which license to pursue.
A city abutter’s meeting was scheduled for Tuesday of this week (Nov. 25). Lam will return to FCCA in December to discuss the proposal in more certain terms. As a note, nearby businesses Saigon Seafood and Pizza 24 on Adams Street already have liquor licenses, as does home.stead bakery and café at the corner of Adams and Dorchester Avenue.
Next month’s FCCA meeting will be in person at 6:30 p.m. in Just Bookish, 1463 Dorchester Ave., and will double as the group’s holiday party after agenda business is complete.
FIELDS CORNER NOTEBOOK
1975 Memorial advocacy— Artist Tran Vu said the push continues for the 1975 Memorial to be sited in Town Field. A temporary installation took place in September and October in the park, but a request to include a permanent memorial in any renovation project remains active. “We’re continuing to really build partnerships and advocate with the city to prioritize Town Field park for a renovation,” she said.
Lunar New Year celebration goes big— Khang Nguyen, of the Vietnamese American Community of Massachusetts, at right, announced that the Feb. 15, 2026, Lunar New Year celebration will be relocated to the Menino Convention Center in South Boston – something they have hoped for as regional crowds have begun to overpower the current venue, the Flynn Cruiseport, even with a two-day event.“We will have more information later, but we will be at the Boston Convention Center and will be expecting 8,000 people in one day,” he said.
C-11 Police Report — Boston Police Sgt. Michael Keaney reported on several incidents, including a breaking and entering in the day at 305 Adams St. on Oct. 27 at 7:20 a.m. The resident said she was working from home and heard a banging. When she investigated, she found a man on the back patio in a construction vest who had broken her cellar window. He made a move to come toward her, and allegedly had a knife, but a Good Samaritan passing by scared him off. C-11 detectives are investigating.
Officers were called to Boston Medical Center on Nov. 4 for a stabbing that took place at 5:30 p.m. at the corner of Dorchester Avenue and Adams Street. The victim said he was arguing with a man to whom he owned money, and things got heated. The suspect allegedly pulled out a knife and stabbed him in the chest. He will survive the injuries and is not cooperating with the investigation.
On Nov. 6 just before 11 p.m. police were called to a home at 1396 Dorchester Ave. to remove a boyfriend from the premises. Officers reported finding him in a bedroom drinking liquor. When confronted he said he wouldn’t leave without his guns, which he said were behind the bed. Indeed, two loaded 9mm illegal firearms were located there and he was arrested. “We are not sure exactly why he would tell us about the guns, but we’re glad to get them off the street,” Keaney remarked.
