Boston and Cambridge: Where Should a Poor Student Eat

So I'm trading in my regular Chicago paycheck for some Boston student loans this Fall. Foodwise, I'm prepared to let the suffering begin, having been spoiled by Chicago for 3 years. So I bought a Rancillio Silvia to proxy Intelligentsia's espresso shots, I've found a spot in Central Square in Cambridge near not one but TWO Whole Foods and a Trader Joe's, and I've already got my girlfriend (who's staying behind) to regularly send me treats from Sweet Mandy B's.

But I also know that I'll be working on a limited budget, so I'm looking for any suggestions of great cheap food in Boston. Thai, Chinese, Italian, Middle Eastern, American.

Thanks!

There've been a few Boston-oriented threads here already -- searching Google for Boston, limited to this domain, should give you summaries of the threads that you can pick and choose from.

My memories aren't getting any more recent, but you're living in one of the best cheap-eats 'hoods in the Boston area, and between the Red line and the buses that go through Central Square, you've got a lot more options. Inman Square isn't far away, although it's gotten a bit more upscale since I moved. East Cambridge (down Cambridge St. from Inman) still has some Portuguese spots last time I went through last year, although it looks like the Polish part of the neighborhood's been gentrified away.

Harvard Square still has some good spots (look for Darwin's, on Mt. Auburn a few blocks outside the Square proper, for some fantastic sandwiches -- last Christmas I made a special trip there and it was as good as I remembered). At the other end of Harvard is Bartley's, decent burger joint. (And in between, if I remember, is Stuff-It, which has been doing wraps for some 20, 25 years, and is still one of my favorite options in the Square. A guilty pleasure that actually isn't that unhealthy...)

I don't really remember much being in Porter Square, but around Davis Square there are a few spots worth checking out -- if the Someday Cafe is still there, it was one of the reasons I moved to that neighborhood, along with the Rosebud, a restored Pullman diner. (The food isn't spectacular at the Rosebud, but hey, Pullman diner.) Mike's has decent pizza, not great -- for great, I always ordered from Santoro's (actually around the corner from the Rosebud). (For barbecue, ignore Davis Square's Redbones and get your barbecue from Blue Ribbon on Mass. Ave. in Arlington. Much better, although seating's pretty limited.) Down the street from Davis Square, Teele Square has some great cheap eats, including my favorite cheese steak subs at Angelina's.

Incidentally, to the extent you may or may not cook at home, Davis Square has two greengrocers and a good butcher. I think there's still a bakery there as well, although the star, Carberry's, moved to Arlington.

In Chinatown, I liked Ho Yuen Ting (although there were two or three locations and they varied wildly; I liked the one that's in a basement), the Golden Gate for very good Chinese-American (I liked their pan-fried noodles something fierce), and King Fung Garden is scary good considering its context (a former gas station building), with a large selection of homemade dumplings. I'm given to understand it's a favored spot with both chefs on their nights off and MIT's substantial Chinese community.

For Italian, you may as well go to the North End -- there are other places all over the Boston area, but why bother. (But keep in mind the North End has its tourist orientation. I can't really help; the crowds in the North End made it unappealing to me.) The exception would be East Boston, but I understand the Italian community there has moved along and been replaced predominantly by Asian immigrants, mostly Korean and Vietnamese I'm told. There used to be a lot of great sub shops in particular around there, but I can't promise much now beyond that it might be worth asking about.

Something worth considering is that Boston takes its ice cream far more seriously than Chicago does -- Toscanini's is the standard, but Rancatore's is the well-kept secret where I'd go to talk ice cream with ice cream lovers. And Herrell's in Harvard Square is a pretty serious spot too. There are a few other options, such as JP Licks; as long as you avoid the national chains, you should be fine, and it's well worth finding out what each outlet does best.

Oh, come to think of it, heading west from Central Square over the river, take Western Ave. through Brighton into Watertown, where it becomes Arsenal St. Just past the malls on the right -- across the street from the former arsenal -- should be a brick building that was one of my favorite diners back in the day.

Another area worth exploring is Kenmore Square, which is very close to Boston University -- great diverse neighborhood that should provide lots of options (along with plenty of scalpers whose Red Sox tickets may possibly be real; if you aren't into crowds, don't go to Kenmore on game days). Beyond that, Northeastern University and the medical district beyond it usually have a bunch of pretty good lunch trucks, again a pretty diverse area. Oh, and Brookline Village (Green Line or the 1 bus from Harvard Square) is no longer particularly cheap, I hear, but you can finally enjoy some real pastrami out there.

As a rule of thumb, incidentally, avoid any sub shop or pizza parlor with "House of" in its name. It's not a chain, and I have no idea why there are so many unrelated places with variations of that name, but they really are universally awful.

Good luck -- have fun and report back if you can.

Get your hands on a copy of How to GAMIT (How to Get Around M.I.T.)

It has a lot of great information for students about Cambridge and Boston, including restaurants.

Bill/SFNM

A place that would fit 'Poor Student' to a T would be The Newtowne Grille Food & Spirits on Mass. Ave., near Porter Square, in Cambridge.

Great mix of blue-collars from Somerville & students from Tufts & M.I.T. Greek-owned, ethnic, decent pizza (large cheese with a pitcher of beer for $9.99 as a special--try finding that in Chicago), great burgers. Competitive trivia on Thursdays, maybe Tuesdays too.

Newtowne Grille Food & Spirits
1945 Massachusetts Ave.
Cambridge, MA

More recommendations in the thread below. Good luck.

http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=5545

Thanks everyone, I really appreciate your thoughts.

To the MIT guy: suggestions on how to get the $3 version of the guide? I'm not an MIT student, and while I understand the discount's for MIT-affiliates, I'm loathe to pay $10 if it's a lot of stuff I might might able to just get online.

To everyone else: Thoughts on East Coast Grill in Cambridge? About 2 months ago or so, there were a series of articles on slate.com that were "coversations" among Sara Dickerson, Slate's main food writer, Steve Raichlen (BBQ guru), and Chris Schlessinger, who I'd never heard of but runs East Coast Grill. Went to their website--looks pretty good, but pricey. Worth it?

East Coast Grill and Raw Bar
1271 Cambridge Street
Cambridge, MA 02139
617.491.6568

cjkrautk wrote:To everyone else: Thoughts on East Coast Grill in Cambridge? About 2 months ago or so, there were a series of articles on slate.com that were "coversations" among Sara Dickerson, Slate's main food writer, Steve Raichlen (BBQ guru), and Chris Schlessinger, who I'd never heard of but runs East Coast Grill. Went to their website--looks pretty good, but pricey. Worth it?

East Coast Grill and Raw Bar
1271 Cambridge Street
Cambridge, MA 02139
617.491.6568

It is pricey. I think for honest just-plain-barbecue the Blue Ribbon's better, but I can't fault Schlesinger's variation at all, really, just the prices.

FWIW, some of Schlesinger's cookbooks include Thrill of the Grill, Let the Flames Begin, License to Grill, and How to Cook Meat, one of my go-to books. Gary or one of the other barbecue experts can say more about the first three volumes, I'm sure.

I lived in Harvard Square from 1999 until 2002 and was able to find some good relatively cheap eats. Central Square probably has even more good cheap food, but I did not explore it that much.

Many of the recommendations that you have already received are quite good, especially Darwin's. Whenever I find myself in Cambridge, I make sure to stop by there. Get the Story sandwich - prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, basil, tomato, and a vinaigrette on your choice of bread. My mouth waters just thinking about it. I also like the Longfellow sandwich - ham, apple, cheddar, lettuce, tomato, and Dijon mustard again on your choice of bread.

Darwin's Ltd
148 Mount Auburn St
Cambridge, MA 02138
(617) 354-5233

OR

1629 Cambridge St
Cambridge, MA 02138
(617) 491-2999


Harvard and Central Squares have an abundance of Indian restaurants. The best Indian place in Harvard Square for my money is Tamarind Bay, which is run by a famous (I'm told) chef from India. They have a great lunch buffet. I was there with my husband in September. He ordered the rogan josh, and the waiter warned him that it came with a thick layer of oil on top. Undaunted, my husband tried the dish, and it was incredible. Try the lunch buffet at Tanjore - you can fill up for about $7.00. It's not going to win any awards for being incredibly exotic or authentic, but the food is well prepared.

Tamarind Bay
75 Winthrop St
Cambridge, MA 02138
(617) 491-4552

http://www.tamarind-bay.com

Tanjore
18 Eliot St
Cambridge, MA 02138
(617) 868-1900

http://www.tanjoreharvardsq.com

Cambridge has some excellent ice cream places. One of the best is Christina's in Inman Square. I like the Mexican chocolate.

Christina's Homemade Ice Cream
1255 Cambridge St
Cambridge, MA 02139

If you like tea, you will have to try Tealuxe. I am a huge fan of the kashmiri chai.

Tealuxe
0 Brattle St
Cambridge, MA 02138
(617) 441-0077

I understand that you are looking for cheap food, but the time may come when you want to splurge on some high end cheese. If that time ever comes, you have to go to Formaggio Kitchen in Huron Village. It is kind of a hike from the nearest T stop, but it is well worth the time. (And the walk is very charming.) The shop has its own cheese cave and specializes in rare cheeses. Whenever I go to Boston, I go out of my way to visit this place. We have cheese shops out here in San Diego, but nothing can match Formaggio Kitchen. It makes me want to open my own cheese shop. If you have self control, you can get out of there without spending more than $15.00.

Formaggio Kitchen
244 Huron Ave
Cambridge, MA 02138
(617) 354-4750

http://www.formaggiokitchen.com

An incredibly cheap option is Grendel's Den in Harvard Square. They have a happy hour where, if you order a drink, you get an entree for half off. I think a Coke suffices as a drink, and the entrees end up being well under $5.00 for a good hot meal that is not a sandwich. The food is good but nothing to write home about.

Grendel's Den
89 Winthrop St
Cambridge, MA 02138
(617) 491-1050

http://www.grendelsden.com

Have fun!

cjkrautk wrote:To the MIT guy: suggestions on how to get the $3 version of the guide? I'm not an MIT student, and while I understand the discount's for MIT-affiliates, I'm loathe to pay $10 if it's a lot of stuff I might might able to just get online.

Not sure where you're going to school, but some Harvard grad programs (and perhaps undergrad as well) give away as part of the orientation package The Unofficial Guide to Harvard, a students' guide to Cambridge and Boston that is very informative and has a lot of listings of restaurants, bars, etc. grouped by cuisine, price, geographic location, etc. You can also get copies of the guide at the Harvard book store. Actually, it appears to be online now -- so if you're okay looking things up that way, looks like a good option.

I will second Blue Ribbon as a good place for BBQ -- although (unless the location in the Whole Foods on River Street is still open, which does not appear to be the case based on the website) the closest location is in Lexington [NOTE: This should actually be Arlington; see Bob S's post below], so you would likely either have to take a Mass Ave. bus or drive. I think the platter dinners -- a heaping plate of meat (pulled pork, burnt ends, etc.), two sides, cornbread and pickles -- are a good value at about $10; I usually had enough meat left over to make a sandwich the next day.

Matt wrote:I will second Blue Ribbon as a good place for BBQ -- although (unless the location in the Whole Foods on River Street is still open, which does not appear to be the case based on the website) the closest location is in Lexington, so you would likely either have to take a Mass Ave. bus or drive. I think the platter dinners -- a heaping plate of meat (pulled pork, burnt ends, etc.), two sides, cornbread and pickles -- are a good value at about $10; I usually had enough meat left over to make a sandwich the next day.

A very minor correction -- the suburban location's in Arlington, just after the high school if you're coming down Mass. Ave. from Arlington Center. If you're on the 77 bus, it's the stop after Arlington High. (But with Arlington still dry, a side trip to Lexington is not out of the realm of possibility...)

cjkrautk wrote:To the MIT guy: suggestions on how to get the $3 version of the guide? I'm not an MIT student, and while I understand the discount's for MIT-affiliates, I'm loathe to pay $10 if it's a lot of stuff I might might able to just get online.

I bet you could pick up a used copy for next to nothing at a used bookstore.

Bill/SFNM

I haven't been there for a few years, but the Chinatown Eatery is a great place for cheap and delicious eats. It is a sort of poorman's food court on the second floor of a nondescript building at 44 Beach St. It is a modest room with long tables surrounded by a half dozen food stands that sell mostly Chinese specialties (soup, noodles, dumplings etc.). Like I said, I have not been there for several years, so I don't know if and how it has changed. I know that some of the families that had stands there went on to open full restaurants. I recall there was one stall that made great drunken shrimp.

Take yourself to brookline for some of the only authentic Thai Food around (they used to have an ABC bar, which was fan-freakin-tastic).

Dok Bua Thai Kitchen
411 Harvard St
Brookline, MA 02446-2903
(617) 277-7087

It used to be a Thai convenience store and even sold penicillin over the counter. The pharma has made way for more tables, and though a longish bike ride from the other side of the river, the trek is worth it.

On the Allston/Brookline side of the river, there are quite a few ethnic restaurants with good, cheap food.

Somerville's Union Square is the home of many a price-conscious restaurant, as is the stretch of Beacon Street between Kirkland Street and Somerville Ave -- although Inman Square, home of East Coast Grill (used to be remarkable back when I was in college, in 1989....) has many fine offerings, such as the super-cheapie Desi Dhaba (also near MIT).

For good, inexpensive groceries and prepared Lamjune to go, head to Watertown's Armenian markets on Mt. Auburn St or Haymarket.

Boston is expensive, unfortunately. At least eating isn't always outrageous.

PS -- I'll second Formaggio. Although the prices (comparable to Whole Foods) aren't cheap, the quality is unparalleled. They just opened a stand in NYC, too, at the Essex Street Market.

Don't forget to go to the North End for a cup of espresso and some pastry (good pictures at the following site):

http://offthebroiler.wordpress.com/tag/new-england/

And I haven't been to The Daily Catch in the North End for a year or so, but I did like it. Neptune was also excellent.

Can anyone offer suggestions on Portuguese places in Cambridge for this student? I know that if you take the #69 bus, you pass quite a few (one of my siblings used to live in that area), but I'm not sure which are really the best deal.

You absolutely MUST try Blue Ribbon. It's cheap (well worth the bus fare to get there) and unbelievable. I also second Grendel's Den. Go there during happy hour and you can have a beer + dinner (hamburgers are considered appetizers) for less than $5. (Caveat: it's been a couple of years since I've been there. I imagine that it's still very cheap).

Hmmm. S&S (Inman Square) is also very good, and not so expensive. Very busy at brunch, but pretty easy to get a table at dinner. Ooh, and 1 more. A good, small pub: O'Sullivan's, which is in Somerville (282 Beacon St, 10-15 minute walk from Harvard Square). Good beer, great hamburgers.

I'll second the vote for Dok Bua. If Nab is on I know he will third it. In fact he and I had my last meal in Boston before moving to the Dominican Republic there. While some dishes can be a let down and there has been reports of a downhill trend (I think it is more leveling off at a high level but that's my take) it is still the best Thai in Boston by far IMHO. They have a particulary deft touch with a deep fryer. The Poo-Nim (Crispy soft shell crab with a red curry flavored sauce) and Ped-Krob (Crispy duck breast with a side of chili-basil sauce) are sublime and have never been off. Kai-Tun-Moo-Sub is a cool mix of egg custard and frittata with ground pork. They do a good job on Miang-Kum (Dried shrimp, peanut, lime, chili and Chinese broccoli) for an app and the Duck Larb is killer.

While DB may not have quite the range that some of our places here in Chicago do, it is still a wonderful spot for Boston. If you do become a regular, the staff will catch on and begin offering you some "specials" (typically staff dinner that is on par with some of the better dishes on the translated menus out here.


Also, I do think Blue Ribbon (the location right off the Mass Pike, the one in Arlington is not quite as consistent) is the best comercial BBQ in Boston.

Ok, I'm on, and I third the vote for DB. I'll agree with everything said upthread, and just add that the ordering strategy is a little wacky, which is why some folks come out of there scratching there head wondering what the fuss is about. But in general, those dishes mentioned above by Stagger have been consistently great, and I'll just add the spicy chili catfish to the list. I think it's also important to order your dishes spicy, when appropriate (pet pet or pet mao usually results in tongue-searing spice, and a mischevious grin from the waitress).

I had more fun eating in Chicago, but there are other things I greatly miss in Boston. Portugese food is one of them. New England seafood is another. And it has a very good Chinatown too, so I don't think you'll be that bored there.

Eat some fish tacos at El Pelon in the Fenway nabe, also.

I'm a lifelong Bostonian, and I agree completely about Dok Bua. It is perhaps the best Thai restaurant in the Boston area, and very cheap (most items are under $10).

Some other good places include:

Tacos Lupia, Somerville (Salvadorean)
O'Sullivan's, Somerville (burgers)
Pizzeria Regina, North End of Boston (pizza)
King Fung Garden, Chinatown (Chinese)
India Quality, Kenmore Square (Indian)

Hope this helps!

-MH

So just a quick reply to everyone who graciously helped me out with their suggestions by running down a few places that I've been since restarting my student life.

First thought: when it comes to food, Boston's no Chicago, and it's not even close.

Second thought: Boston, on the whole, has much, much better Italian options than Chicago, yet strangely it's hard to find good pizza here.

Third thought: Middle eastern food is to Boston what Thai is to Chicago - around every corner and generally decent and inexpensive.

Tops So Far:

East Coast Grill - best meal so far. also most expensive.

Armando's Pizza (Cambridge, on Huron and Concord) - best pizza I can find in Cambridge, but it's really hard to get to, so I've only gone when I rent a Zipcar to get groceries and tag that onto the end of a trip. Have yet to find other good pie in Cambridge, but I'm interested in trying Pizza Regina in the North End (the Italian section of town).

Moody's Falafel Palace - In my neighborhood (Central Square, Cambridge) and has extremely good middle eastern food. Shawarma's are very good; ditto falafel and hummus.

Pu Pu Hot Pot - Best close Chinese food near to my apartment. Very fresh, mostly Shanghai style food. A few misses on the menu (what the heck is lobster sauce and why do you want me to have it?). Visits to Chinatown Boston have been brief, but it seems that Chicago is better.

Coffee - No Intelligentsia equals. But a local shop called 1369 Coffee House sells beans from a western Massachusetts roaster called Great Barrington Coffee Roasters that makes an excellent espresso in my home machine. Strangely, they use a roast in their shop that isn't very good.

Thai - Dok Bua - everyone was right on that one. Avoid Tiger Lily in Central Square - it's good, but overpriced and more like a Asian fusion than pure Thai.

Blue Ribbon BBQ - thanks for this one too, everyone. Quick story: had BBQ at Redbones in Davis Square (Somerville) and while the fried okra was very good, the pulled pork was flavorless, the sauce was ok, and the corn pudding was strange (looked like a flan with this corn-cream sauce on the top - very classic French influenced, which i really don't want in my BBQ). Plus it was overpriced (on the upside, it had pretty good atmosphere and a nice selection of beers on tap). So the next day, in order to get the tasteless taste out of my mouth, went to Blue Ribbon. Biked there. Against 30-40 wind gusts. In the wind. 7 miles. Worth it? Absolutely. Everything was great, the ribs in particular. Cheese grits. Great sauces. Balanced a styrofoam container on my handlebars on the way back.

Mikes Pastry - Great pastries in the North End

Charlie's Kitchen - in Harvard Square, Cambridge - had the best chowder I've had so far. Nice big clams and red potatoes. Broth was thick, but not "i'll dump a pound of flour in there" thick. Had the lobster rolls too (2 for $9 with fries) and for that much, they were good.

Cambridge Common - near Harvard Square - excellent sweet potato fries, wings, and other bar food at a good price.

Christina's Ice Cream - Imman Square, Cambridge - excellent homemade ice cream. Ice cream seems more expensive out here, and while it's certainly not better than stuff i've gotten in Chicago, it's the best i've found out here.

As far as pizza goes, if you don't have them on your list already, you should make a point to stop in at Pizzeria Regina in the North End (and make sure it's baked well-done).

Also Santarpio's makes a good pie, although I don't hold it in as high regard as others -- in fact, I enjoy the lamb & sausage appetizer (w/ pickle juice) more than the actual pizza there. Others have noted this before, but they tuck their toppings under the cheese, which doesn't exactly allow pepperoni to crispen as I prefer.

Pinnochio's is decent for a Sicilian, although I must confess to really only eating there in the wee hours.

And in Chinatown, you might be best off getting a group and strategizing over seafood at Peach Farm, although my regular stop was at Taiwan Cafe (usually always order the beef w/ poblanos, xiao long bao, scallion pancakes, oysters & black bean sauce, and then experiment with the rest of the menu, like lion's head hotpots and such).

I agree with you on the comparisons with Chicago, but only generally speaking, and I think you've still got quite a bit of work ahead of you, which I think you're bound to enjoy many bites of. Good luck.

Cambridge Common also has about the best boneless buffalo wings in Boston (order them with extra heat!).

King Fung Garden in Chinatown doesn't look like much, but you might want to try it, as they have about the best Chinese food in the area.

As far as pizza, I do hear that Armando's is really good. Another decent place in Cambridge for pizza is the New Towne Grill just west of Porter Square. It is a total dive, but the pizza is worth it.

n0_j0 wrote:You absolutely MUST try Blue Ribbon. It's cheap (well worth the bus fare to get there) and unbelievable. I also second Grendel's Den. Go there during happy hour and you can have a beer + dinner (hamburgers are considered appetizers) for less than $5. (Caveat: it's been a couple of years since I've been there. I imagine that it's still very cheap).

Bumping this thread, it had been over a year since I'd been to Blue Ribbon, so since I had a rental car this trip I pointed the car towards Arlington and took the dinner back to my hotel in Waltham. I was there at 8pm on a Wednesday night, so it wasn't exactly prime time. I got a "duo" combo, picked "1/3 rack" which meant two Memphis-style dry-rub ribs, a massive order of burnt ends, and a double side of cole slaw (again massive), for under $14 including tax.

I thought the ribs were ok with a good smoke ring and chewiness, but I've been there during peak periods and I think I just got a couple which were sitting around for a while. The burnt ends (with hot BBQ sauce on the side) were excellent. The burnt ends dinner was $10 including two sides, and two hearty eaters could easily split it for lunch.

I have to confess I am a little confused as to how it is possible that no one on this thread has mentioned Mary Chung's, a Cambridge staple; this is the Chinese/Szechuan restaurant against which I have measured all others for around 20 years. Beautiful Dan-Dan noodles, great Szechuan standards, but above all the Suan La Chow Show, which are found nowhere else (if you HAVE found them, you must let me know; I have searched everywhere): lovely dumplings in a spicy sauce with bean sprouts--God, the deliciousness! These are NOT the same as the Szechuan dumplings you get other places, where the sauce (in my opinion) typically lacks depth.

In my early-mid 20s, when I lived in Boston, this place was heaven, and on the rare occasions I return to the area, it is always on the must-visit list.

Mary Chung's Restaurant
464 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02139-4132

Tel: (617) 864-1991
Fax: (617) 864-1661

http://cambridge.zami.com/business?BUSID=3113
(link shows menu)

Bob S. wrote:Harvard Square still has some good spots (look for Darwin's, on Mt. Auburn a few blocks outside the Square proper, for some fantastic sandwiches -- last Christmas I made a special trip there and it was as good as I remembered). At the other end of Harvard is Bartley's, decent burger joint.

I would stop by Bartley's quite often on the way back to my apartment from classes on the quad - it's a very convenient location for a student, right on Massachusetts Avenue.



--- A shot of the great location right by the Yard. I don't know if I would say Bartley's has the best burger in Boston, but they are quite good. Ordered medium rare, they are juicy and tasteful.





--- A shot of the burger, along with some good onion rings.





--- The burger menu.





--- It's a very student-friendly place to stop for a bite. The inside is very lively, and eating at the "long table" is a great way to meet other college-age individuals.



A little further away, I used to eat at Punjabi Dhaba often. They are open relatively late, and serve some inexpensive, quality Indian food.






Bartley's Burger Cottage
1246 Massachusetts Ave
Cambridge, MA 02138-3820
(617) 354-6559

Punjabi Dhaba
225 Hampshire St
Cambridge, MA 02139-1306
(617) 547-8272

chicagoexpat wrote:Cambridge has some excellent ice cream places. One of the best is Christina's in Inman Square. I like the Mexican chocolate.

Christina's Homemade Ice Cream
1255 Cambridge St
Cambridge, MA 02139

Is the Mexican chocolate a regular flavor? I also read about their burnt sugar ice cream. Did you see that on the menu? I am curious to know if it's a regular flavor.

Pucca wrote:

chicagoexpat wrote:Cambridge has some excellent ice cream places. One of the best is Christina's in Inman Square. I like the Mexican chocolate.

Christina's Homemade Ice Cream
1255 Cambridge St
Cambridge, MA 02139

Is the Mexican chocolate a regular flavor? I also read about their burnt sugar ice cream. Did you see that on the menu? I am curious to know if it's a regular flavor.

Yep, always there, and always good.

Here's is their web-menu, which may or may not be accurate.

Does Dolphin Seafood in Harvard Square still have those <$10 lunch? I used to love their seafood chowder too.

I suppose this thread may be nearing the end of its lifespan, but I'll thrown in my few cents regardless.

For reasonably priced, reasonably well-executed tacos and burritos, Anna's Taqueria is definitely a standby. Although there seems to have been a certain amount of debate in re the relative authenticity/freshness of Anna's recently, as more Mexican restaurants have opened in the area (yay!!), I have never been disappointed by one of their burritos. I especially enjoyed being able to get carnitas when the craving/homesickness struck. Their horchata, while occasionally too sweet--especially at the Brookline location, is also pretty good. It's creamy enough to cool one's palate but doesn't cloy.

In Harvard Square, Cardullo's has a great, though not necessarily budget-friendly, selection of imported foodstuffs. Their sandwiches, however, are an excellent value given th equality of their ingredients.

As far as drinking establishments go, I second the recommendation of Grendel's on half-price night. Their food isn't bad and definitely filling enough to lay a foundation for an evening's imbibing.

One of my favorite places to visit, and I am shocked it hasn't yet been mentioned, is the People's Republik. There's no food, and the drinks aren't terribly cheap, but the ambiance is almost always right for a friendly evening out. The crowd is such that you might find the cost of a drink there subsidized by an amiable member of the opposite sex. Or at least such has been my experience.

Come to think on it, the lack of food is probably why the People's Republik hasn't yet been mentioned. Sorry for the digression, but the recommendation stands.

-jb

I really enjoyed
Cafe Jaffa
48 Gloucester St
Boston
Although don't eat the garlic salad dressing if you have to speak to anyone in the afternoon. potenet, but delicious.
Great middle eastern food.
Jaffa's includes everything from burgers and steak tips to Middle Eastern dishes like hummus and falafel. I had a grilled chicken kabob, and stuffed in a round of pita bread with veggies, salad and a glass of white wine. I think it was the special that day. Very close to Prudential and Copley.

I agree about Cafe Jaffa. It's strange that so few people know about it, considering it is in the heart of the Back Bay, one of Boston's busiest areas.