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2 August 10 - 16, 2014 Br ainerd Dispatch By Cassie Dresch TV Media A singer, a chef and an actor walk into a bar... It sounds like the start of a pret- ty terrible joke, but if you're in Bos- ton, it probably means you're about to get up close and personal with one of the most famous fami- lies from Beantown. The Wahlbergs may be most well known for their two youngest siblings, Donnie and Mark, but the rest of the family is making a name for themselves in a big, burgerlicious way. After a breakout first season, A&E's hit Emmy-nom- inated reality show "Wahlburg- ers" is back for an exciting season 2, premiering Wednesday, Aug. 13, on the cabler. Donnie Wahlberg ("Dream- catcher," 2003) got his start in Hollywood as a member of the late '80s, early '90s boy band New Kids on the Block, who have sold more than 80 million records worldwide. After the band's breakup in 1994, Donnie transitioned into acting, landing roles in feature films such as "The Sixth Sense," (1999) and three of the seven "Saw" movies (2005 to 2007). He's also taken on the small screen, starring in CBS's critically acclaimed police proce- dural "Blue Bloods" and executive producing and narrating TNT's re- ality series "Boston's Finest." The youngest of the nine Wahl- bergs, Academy Award nominee Mark followed in his brother's footsteps, rolling onto the music scene as Marky Mark, the front- man of Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. After a stint at the top of the "Billboard" Hot 100 chart for the hip-hop group's hit song "Good Vibrations," Mark moved on to movies, seeing time in films such as "The Perfect Storm" (2000), "The Fighter" (2010) and "The Departed" (2006). He's since gone on to executive produce two HBO juggernauts — period drama "Boardwalk Empire" and dramedy "Entourage" — receiving Emmy nominations for both. "Wahlburgers" actually gets its name from the burger business Donnie and Mark's older brother Paul owns and operates. Paul is a chef in Boston — professed to be the "most talented sibling" by his youngest brothers — and while he may not have movie star good looks or hordes of diehard '90s fan-girls screaming for his auto- graph, he's good at what he does: making burgers. The show is a behind-the- scenes look at the goings on of one of the most popular families in Beantown, and a lot of the focus is on their Hingham, Mass.-based burger business co-owned by Paul, Mark and Donnie. After its grand opening in 2011, the restaurant, which pays tribute to the family's humble upbringing, really took off. It's become not only a hub of ac- tivity for the locals, but also home base for the eccentric family and their old neighborhood crowd, including Mark's old bud- dies Johnny "Drama" Alves and Henry "Na- cho" Laun. Paul Wahl- berg is about as unassuming as you can imagine, and the TV cam- eras usually make him look fran- tic and worried. While this all may be true for television, he also tends to be calmer and rather humble about his sudden rise to fame. "For the life of me I can't figure out what people are interested in with me," he said in a July inter- view with "Boston Magazine." "I just do my thing." And undoubtedly, his thing is burgers. It was in his preteen years that he fell in love with food — an eggplant Parme- san sandwich began the love affair, according to his bio on the website of the family's other restaurant, Alma Nove. After that, he started working in kitchens and as a caterer, honing his craft and eventually opening the aforemen- tioned Alma Nove, named after his mother and her nine (nove) children. It was shortly thereafter that he got into the gourmet burger biz, and thus Wahlburgers was born. The family matriarch, Alma, plays predominantly in the life of her children. (I mean, she really has to. Someone needs to control this rowdy bunch of broth- ers!) She's seen it all, though, and nothing phases her — especially after nine chil- dren. Where she used to be a bank teller and a nurse's aide, she now works as a greeter and host- ess at both Wahlburgers and Alma Nove, bringing with her a great sense of humor and exuberance. Of course, while Paul may have the of- ficial title of "head chef" at both restaurants, it's quite clear who re- ally runs the show. For season 2, two more Wahl- berg brothers are thrown into the fray as well as a host of other spe- cial guests. With Donnie and Mark focusing more on other creative endeavors (but don't worry, they'll be around!), eldest brother Arthur and Bob, the seventh of the nine Wahlbergs, will be stopping by the restaurant to lend a hand to the mayhem that's sure to ensue. Wahlberg nephew Brandon is also set to swing by, as will New Eng- land Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski. Of course, it's all fine and dandy that there's a host of big names behind the burger joint, but are the burgers actually any good? When you look at the menu, it's certainly tough not to start salivat- ing just a little bit. From a Thanks- giving Burger that features a ground turkey patty with stuffing, Paul's homemade orange cranber- ry sauce and butternut squash (Mark's favorite), to a BBQ Bacon Burger with bacon, white cheddar cheese, fresh jalapenos, avocado and barbecue sauce (Donnie's fa- vorite), there truly are plenty of options. If you like to go by what people on the Internet are saying, it looks like Wahlburgers is getting plenty of loving. As of press time, 43 peo- ple left reviews of the Wahlburgers restaurant on Google. They were overwhelmingly positive, with the restaurant getting a 4.1 out of 5 average rating. Out of 368 reviews on business review site Yelp, Wahl- burgers received three out of five stars on average. Lastly, restaurant information and recommendation website Urbanspoon had 82 per cent of 103 people who voted say they "liked it." As the restaurant continues to grow and burgers fly out fast and furious, A&E's "Wahlburgers" surges ahead, keeping viewers en- gaged in one of Boston's most fa- mous families. Catch the season 2 premiere of the hit Emmy-nomi- nated reality series Wednesday, Aug. 13, on A&E. All in the family A&E serves up season 2 of hit show 'Wahlburgers' Cover Story this week Donnie Wahlberg and his mother Alma as seen in "Wahlburgers" 501 W Washington St, Brainerd | Ph: 218-297-7674 Free Pick Up & Delivery or Loaner Cars Available. We Can Do That! CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON? FREE SCAN! 001114852r1 $30 OFF FULL SYNTHETIC TRANSMISSION FLUID EXCHANGE Including Protecting Conditioner Offer Valid Through 9/30/14. Must Present Coupon At Time Of Purchase. 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