The "Lunch in Harvard Square" Blog - Restaurant Reviews

Russell House Tavern

2011-10-14T10:57:00.000-07:00

Russell House Tavern, 14 JFK Street 617 500 3055 www.russellhousecambridge.com

Russell House Tavern moved into Z Square's space in April of 2010. I have to admit, I wasn't sorry to see Z Square go, as it kept searching for an identity without ever succeeding.

The entrance to Russell House is through the outdoor patio to the right of the building, the same as Z Square used. Z Square did allow folks to walk in the front door to the upstairs cafe, which really was more of a takeout area; Russell House has the front door permanently shut, which makes for many puzzled diners trying the door and then reading the note saying the entrance is around the right side. It's too bad the owners can't figure out a better and more intuitive solution to the entrance.

Russell House Tavern is using the same "upstairs, downstairs" setup as Z Square did, with a small area by the street, including an outdoor patio, and then an enormous eating area downstairs in the basement. I think this an odd layout, as I find it nice to eat by the sidewalk with the natural light, but only a limited number of people can do so, and the majority of diners will have to eat downstairs.

Today I ate in the small area upstairs. It's really a bar area more than a lunch spot, I think, as most of the space is taken up by the bar and tall, long tables with bar stools that large groups or social smaller ones can sit at. Along one wall there are a few lower tables for "normal" diners. Sitting at a lower table was a bit disconcerting because the folks sitting at the high tables literally tower over you - it's like they're in a different universe, and they make you feel like Lilliputians.

The whole room has a nice color scheme - dark table tops with lots of wood and plenty of light coming in the windows. Very much like an English pub.

Our waiter was eager to please - pleasant, easy to get his attention, and quick - but not professional. There were a number of slip-ups on his part, including checking too quickly to see if we'd decided on our orders, not bringing us bread until we asked, not mentioning a key ingredient in a special entre, and not asking if we wanted dessert. That said, he remedied these situations as quickly and efficiently as he could, so he gets high marks for attentiveness - kind of damning with faint praise.

My guest and I ordered the soup to share - a smoked chicken/lentil soup, in broth, using non-breast chicken parts. It was delicious - the smoky taste of the chicken was unusual and really made the soup come alive. The server correctly billed it as healthy, and so the combination of tasty and healthy was a great start. After we asked, the bread was a nice complement to the soup, and came with a pesto-flavored olive oil.

For entres, I ordered the Hickory Smoked Pork Loin Sandwich, without cheese (I have to watch my cholesterol, doctor's orders). Little did I know that pork loin, in Russell House terms, means an odd combination of bacon and shaved slices of pork meat. Somehow I pictured pork loin being thick slabs of tender pork - essentially, the average of the two types of pork that actually arrived between the bread slices. Don't get me wrong, it was very tasty, but for a cholesterol-watching diner, bacon wasn't getting my doctor's approval. The "crispy onions" that came in the sandwich were thin slices of onion in batter and then fried - this time, my doctor was vigorously shaking his head "no." At least there were some apple slices! So the verdict was, tasty, but quite different from what I expected from the description.

The menu states you can order sides of either greens or french fries with sandwiches, but the server mentioned you could get some of each, which I went for. This turned out to the be right call, as the plate was full of both greens and fries - I can't imagine how much arrives if you order either individually. I ate all the fries, which of course made my doctor leave the restaurant in disgust - I had completely failed his low cholesterol diet. Both the fries and greens were very tasty.

My guest ordered the special macaroni and cheese, which the server mentioned came with chicken and sage. Unfortunately, the server didn't mention that it also came with gobs of onions, which unfortunately my guest abhors. I tried a bite, and I thought there was a taste of nutmeg as well - it was a pretty strong flavor, and it certainly didn't taste like sage. It was sweet - not really what I think one looks for in a mac and cheese dish.

To our server's credit, he acknowledged his mistake about the onions, and after checking with the kitchen learned that they changed the recipe a few days earlier, and he didn't know about it. He didn't charge us for the dish as a result. One has to wonder, however, about the breakdown in communication between the kitchen and the servers - onions are a pretty important addition to a dish.

So as for food quality, the kitchen got one dish out of three correct - the soup. The pork sandwich was very different than expected, and the mac and cheese was a surprise, and not really a good one either. So bravo for the soup, and yellow flags for the entres, as they indicated first that the chef's decisions were suspect (onions in mac 'n cheese? bacon described as smoked pork loin?), and secondly that there was poor communication from the kitchen to the rest of the house in terms of the menu descriptions and the wait staff's knowledge.

Finally, we were presented the bill without being asked if we wished for dessert (which we did). It seemed too much of a bother to tear up the bill and keep going, so we paid and left.

Prices are on the expensive side for lunch in the Square - $7-$11 for appetizers (other than a $4 cup of soup, which today was outstanding), and $9 to $15 for entres.

Summary: Russell House Tavern looks like a very nice bar upstairs, including seating at high tables that keep you in a festive mood. The downstairs and the few lower tables upstairs are for dining, and from a first stab, it appears your chances of success are pretty low. Make sure to grill your server for what exactly is coming! (And make sure to not invite your doctor if you're watching your cholesterol.) Given the price, I recommend Upstairs on the Square and Om down the street instead.

Qdoba

2007-05-17T09:34:00.000-07:00

Qdoba, 1280 Mass Ave.

Qdoba opened up recently on Mass Ave, next to Bob Slate's. I had been a couple of times to a different Qdoba on Huntington Ave by the MFA, and liked it.

I tried a chicken burrito - a tough challenge for Qdoba given how frequently I order these at either Felipe's or Boloco.

But, Qdoba holds its own. I find the tortillas a bit thicker, so you get more chewiness than the other burritos in the Square. The chicken is flavored with some sort of tangy sauce, which I thought tasted quite good. But in both cases these are personal preferences.

So I'd summarize the burrito options in the Square like this:

Felipe's: Lowest cost, lightning-fast service, good and hearty. Only dark chicken meat.
Boloco: Upscale, little more expensive than Felipe's, more interesting options.
Qdoba: Thicker tortilla, no whole wheat option, good food.

Personally, my preference follows the above order: 1-Felipe's, 2-Boloco, 3- Qdoba.

Finale, Redux

2007-01-25T09:48:00.000-08:00

I have been wondering for a long time whether I was justified in having Finale on my "top ten food restaurants in Harvard Square" list, and so I went back today. Guess what? It's still great.

I ordered a tuna salad sandwich, and a half mesclun salad. The cashier took the order and my payment ($10); about five minutes later a chef brought the food out to me, in a precious little bag.

Back at the office, I was delighted with the food: first, a pickle slice (not asked for) in its own little sleeve; the sandwich in a clever sleeve of paper, the bread fresh and hearty, the tuna salad just right in its proportion of mayo; fresh lettuce as well. The small mesclun salad was a revelation - nicely dressed in a balsamic vinaigrette, with some cherry tomatoes, fresh, and then the kicker: a generous hunk of soft goat cheese. There's no mention of these goodies on the menu - they're just included and are surprise. I loved it, every bite.

So it's a bit more expensive here than elsewhere (but not much; the sandwich was $5.50, which is quite cheap; the salad was $3.50 a bit pricey but definitely worth it), but the service is excellent and the food is outstanding.

Cafe Pamplona, redux

2007-01-25T09:41:00.000-08:00

All six of us in the company ate in the tiny dining area of Cafe Pamplona a couple days ago. Some pushing together of tables and we were all set. The ceiling is really low - Jennifer had to duck under some beams - and the color is funky (kind of a dirty yellow, I think) and uninspiring. But, it's cozy, and it's cheap, and the food is definitely Spanish.

Around the table we had a bunch of garlic soup; Casey had two eggs added to his. It was tasty, not too garlicy, but in my opinion needed something extra, some sort of kicker.

Tom and I had the daily special, ground beef and some onions/peppers over rice, which I thought was fine - nothing special, but fine. I think that's in general how everyone viewed the food there - fine, but not great.

I missed the outdoor seating the the avocado salad thing I had in the early fall!

Boloco, redux

2007-01-25T09:33:00.000-08:00

I love burritos, and I think Boloco on Mt. Auburn makes the best - better than Felipes. Apparently Quedaba (sp) is coming soon and will offer its burritos to Harvard Square, so we'll see if my opinion changes.

My first review of boloco was quite short; but I guess that's because it's a pretty simple place. Enter on the left, order and pay, then wait on the right for your food. The burrito offerings are creative and plentiful and not terribly expensive; the food is fresh; the servers are cheerful and polite and reasonably quick.

I had a large Cajun burrito with avocado. My only complaints: The avocado was right in the middle of the burrito, so I couldn't taste it in many of my bites, and I was still hungry afterwards, even though it was a large. Regardless it was quite tasty.

Henrietta's Table (Last New Restaurant!)

2007-01-19T07:36:00.001-08:00

86. LAST NEW RESTAURANT! 1-17-07 Henrietta's Table In the Charles Hotel, 1 Bennett Street. Summary: Excellent comfort food, attentive service, decent setting, OK prices.

While I have a thing about hotel restaurants, Henrietta's Table seems to buck the trend. I don't know if this restaurant is independent of the hotel, but it seems unlikely the kitchen handles the room service for guests regardless. The restaurant is good enough to pull people off the street and not rely upon hotel guests to occupy its tables - no small feat.

The dining area is large and somewhat noisy, but you don't feel cramped or in your neigbor's space. It definitely feels more cozy and comfortable if you find seating by a wall, rather than in the middle of the room.

The menu is unapologetically "new england cooking." So you'll find a bunch of classic new england dishes, which are not known for their creativity or flavor, but still filling and satisfying.

All six of us from my company ate today. There was a range of entres ordered, from chicken pot pie (me) to yankee pot roast to grilled chicken breast to cornbread batter monkfish. Rob splurged on a beer from Cambridge Brewery Company, which he loved. Everyone ate all their food, plus a ton of the warm breads that came to the table. Tom hoped for more of the pot roast, but raved about it regardless; Jennifer thought the crab cakes were too salty, but she loved the vegetables.

The service was efficient, no problems. About $25 per person, tip included - a bit high, but acceptable.

Inn at Harvard

2007-01-18T13:27:00.000-08:00

85. 1-18-07 Inn at Harvard 1201 Massachusetts Ave. Summary: Great location, great name, strange dining area, uninspired food, uneven service, overpriced.

I was apprehensive about eating at the Inn at Harvard, for a few reasons: First, in general hotel food isn't that great unless the restaurant is independent of the hotel; second, I went there for brunch a while ago, and the smoke alarm was being tested for the entire hour we were there, with flashing lights and piercing bells; and third, when I went for lunch the other day, they simply didn't offer it - "no lunch being served."

This time at least I could eat, and there was no testing underway.

The location of the Inn at Harvard is terrific. There used to be a gas station here many years ago, and Harvard built this Inn very quickly after buying the land - and, as I recall, they committed funds to the park area in front of the Inn, which is very pleasant and in good weather much used. And, the name is perfect - I'm sure they do well booking people there who want to visit the university.

That said, I really don't recommend lunch at the Inn at Harvard. First, the space is awkward at best. Essentially, you eat in the entryway/lounge/concierge area - it's an atrium in the center of the building, but it's the center of activity for the hotel. So guests come and go through the tables; the concierge conducts business - loudly - from his desk nearby; and guests enter the building a few feet away from the tables. There's not even a stand for a host/hostess to greet you; you need to ask someone at the front desk if you can eat lunch.

The menu is clearly "hotel food." It's pleasant to read, but you can easily imagine plastic wrap or metal covers over your plates, as in room service. At my server's suggestion, I ordered the salmon dish. The fish was very hot, but slightly overcooked, and there was too much sauce (balsamic reduction), in my opinion. There were many cooked tomatoes, which were decent but very hard to eat. And then it got weird; on the same plate were slices of soft cheese - mozzarella, I think - and they were COLD. To go from very hot salmon and tomato, to stone cold, soft cheese - that was weird. And all this was served on cold lettuce leaves. Kind of bizarre.

Plus, in another indication of this being room service food, my bread plate came with two rolls and four crackers - makes sense for delivery to a room, but unusual in a table setting. The ice tea I ordered was sweetened with perhaps pear - kind of a strange taste.

The service was uneven as well. There was a manager who roamed the hotel and occasionally checked in on me, plus a server who was good but certainly not great.

All this, and the gratuity of 20% was added in automatically. Total bill: $27.
Not worth it.

Buddhist Meditative Center

2007-01-16T09:39:00.000-08:00

84. 1-16-07 Meditative Center 950 Mass Ave. Summary: Excellent vegetarian food, interesting combination of meditation and lunch, good value.

The sign says "open to the public," so I went for it. As you walk in, on the left is a Buddhist altar and large floor area for meditation; on the right is a lunch area. When I went, there were just two diners. Seems like they don't get that many people off the street.

I ordered the vegetarian special, takeout. They change the special daily, and other than some side dishes, this is pretty much all they offer each day. You get 4 vegetable dishes, plus rice and soup. The soup wash a vegetable broth with mushroom and slivers of veggies. The four vegetable dishes were: Cabbage, broccoli, tofu and pineapple, and tofu and sprouts/shoots. The rice had a nice flavoring on top of it. All the food was well prepared and very tasty.

While I waited for the food, I watched a man pray before the altar; he sang a chant/song and frequently rang a bell or hammered a large gong as he sang. Clearly this was a known song, because another woman near me hummed along with him. It was interesting to listen and watch.

I was encouraged to attend meditation sessions in a friendly and subtle way, as I paid for my lunch. I didn't feel like I was intruding and I would go again, both for the food and for the experience. $6.50 for lunch.

Tommy Doyle's

2007-01-12T13:23:00.000-08:00

83. 1-12-2007 Tommy Doyle's 96 Winthrop Street. Summary: Cozy, friendly atmosphere plus excellent food.

96 Winthrop Street has had its fair share of restaurants lately. Of note was the House of Blues, which rocked the street for a number of years. Brother Jimmy's BBQ was also there. Turns out 96 Winthrop is listed as an Historical Landmark in Cambridge, meaning the owners of Tommy Doyle's had to abide by pretty stringent restrictions on any changes they wanted to make to the building. Bully for them they pulled it off - the building looks 'historical' from the outside, but works well as a three-level bar/restaurant on the inside.

I really like the atmosphere of Tommy Doyle's. It's a nice blend between a down-and-dirty Irish pub, where everything inside is old/authentic from the local neighborhood, and a tourist trap, where everything inside is clearly purchased by some expert buyer. There are plenty of TV's (this is a bar, after all) but they don't overwhelm the place. It's dark, but not too dark during lunch, when on the street level a decent amount of natural light comes in through the windows.

The lower level is clearly a drinking area - it's basically an open area with a couple of tables, plus a bar.

The street level is mostly a dining area - seating for about 30, plus a bar you can eat at as well.

The upper level is the "party room," according to my server, where bands play and things can get a bit crazy.

I sat at the bar and had a friendly conversation with the bartender, who wasn't Irish but instead from Albany - but who confessed that she picked up an Irish accent and could hold her own with native Irish speakers. She suggested the fish and chips as a "special" dish, and she was right - it was excellent. The fish was fried in a crispy light batter and was very hot on the inside - juicy, full of flavor. Alongside, the chips were steak fries and were also a nice mix of crunchy on the outside yet hot and chewy on the inside.

Tommy Doyle's has an excellent location right in the heart of the Square, next door neighbors to The Red House, Om, Upstairs on the Square and Grendels - and it holds its own against these storied restaurants.

Excellent location, nice pub atmosphere, friendly service, and perfectly cooked food, all for about $16 including tip. A good find and one I'll recommend to others.

Au Bon Pain "Kiosk" 124 Mt. Auburn Street

2007-01-11T13:43:00.001-08:00

82. 1-11-07 Au Bon Pain "Kiosk" Lobby inside 124 Mt. Auburn Street. Summary: Small yet decent selection of the "normal" ABP items.

I suspect this ABP location feeds only off the employees in this building - fortunately it's a pretty big building. I always find it amazing how people will settle for any food (even mediocre food) as long as it's close to their workplace.

That said, this ABP is a step above mediocre. There's a decent selection of pre-made sandwiches (I had a tuna wrap), three kettles of soup, plus chips, cookies, muffins, and drinks. The main thing you lose here is the ability to get a sandwich made fresh for you.

Nothing special, but convenient for nearby employees. About $8 for a typical lunch.

Dado Tea (Church Street)

2007-01-04T13:45:00.000-08:00

81. 1-4 Dado Tea 50 Church Street. Summary: Very similar to other location, creative foods, friendly service, reasonable prices.

The only difference I could find between this Church Street location of Dado Tea and the location at 955 Mass Ave. was the amount of floor space. The 955 Mass Ave. location has more seating room.

Otherwise, the menu is exactly the same, and it turns out the service is quick and friendly in both locations.

I tried the Potter Wrap - multi-grain rice, carrot-ginger, chicken salad, and mesclun mixed greens in a tortilla wrap. The interesting combination of foods worked - it was really tasty. The wrap plus a bag of chips set me back $9 - a fair amount, but not outrageous in the Square.

I continue to recommend Dado Tea as an interesting, creative lunch spot.

Conundrum

2007-01-03T13:18:00.000-08:00

80. 1-3 Conundrum 56 JFK Street (down a narrow alley, where Iruna used to be). Summary: Funky space, attentive service, empty, good food, a bit pricey.

Conundrum was in trouble with me, because I loved the former occupants of their space, the Spanish restaurant Iruna. Iruna was the classic Harvard Square bistro, similar to Cafe Pamplona - tiny space, decent food, lots of atmosphere, low prices. I miss Iruna. (Funny, you can still see the name "Iruna" on the back of the gate you walk under to enter the alley.)

And, I hate the name Conundrum. It doesn't say anything, except maybe that the owner is a bit pretentious (not many people use the word conundrum, I don't think). It certainly doesn't say anything about the restaurant.

The space is slightly fancier than when Iruna was there. There's now a bar in the first room as you walk in; the dining area is to your right. When Tom and I arrived, there were two other people eating; when we left, only two other people had arrived. Not a good sign.

The waiter was friendly and knowledgeable. He recommended the crab cakes as an appetizer, which were a bit odd - served on a cabbage vegetable spring roll, which I thought was not a good match for the crabcake. I found the crabcake a bit mushy as well, perhaps from the cabbage.

I had a chicken sandwich with salad for an entre, which I enjoyed very much - nicely cooked, still juicy inside. Tom had a California Club sandwich, which he enjoyed, but he learned after ordering that there was no avocado available. Kind of hard to call it "Californian" without the avocado, I think. That was a major goof by the kitchen.

Price was $45 including tip for two. Too much money for only good, not great, food. And a bad name too boot!

Mass Avenue Restaurant

2007-01-02T11:21:00.000-08:00

79. 1-2-2007 Mass Avenue Restaurant 906 Mass Ave. Summary: Bizarre menu, very friendly, tough on cholesterol, OK food.

I believe Mass Ave Restaurant is the furthest towards Central Square I will get. It's just past the Plough and Stars; Central Square is in site from its front doors. Maybe that's a decent theme for this review - it's fighting for an identity in all respects.

Nothing about the Mass Ave Restaurant's appearance makes you think quality, from its name, its sign, or its tables/ambience once you're inside. It's essentially a diner. You get a friendly greeting - the woman at the counter who greets you seems to know every customer's name, and if she doesn't - as was the case with me - she asks some questions ("where do you work?") and give you an official welcome. So I assumed I was going to be offered basic diner food.

But, the menu is a surprise, in that half the menu features Mexican food, and nearly all the cooks are Mexican. Turns out the chefs are from Casa Mexico, the restaurant that used to be on JFK Street in Harvard Square (Casa Mexico was good, but not great). The other half of the menu is all-day breakfast, meaning tons of egg dishes, pancakes, waffles, etc. And, it does offer basic diner luch food - subs etc. So you need to choose between all-day breakfast food, traditional deli food, or Mexican.

I opted for a blend of diner and Mexican food. I ordered a roasted chicken lunch and substituted rice and beans instead of mashed potatoes. The chicken was excellent - slightly overdone, but that's typical these days with restaurants worrying about undercooked meat. The rice and beans were fine, but the beans were refried, meaning mixed with lard. I went with rice and beans because I didn't want the cream/butter mixed with the potatoes - but got lard as a replacement! It's hard to leave a diner without raising your cholesterol.

So, if you're not worried about cholesterol and love breakfast or Mexican food, and don't care about atmosphere or location, Mass Ave Restaurant should work for you. About $8/person.

The Red House Restaurant

2006-12-22T12:54:00.000-08:00

78. 12-22 The Red House Restaurant 98 Winthrop Street. Summary: Fine dining, cozy atmosphere, quality comfort food, expensive.

Winthrop Street is turning out to be quite the corner for high-end dining. Upstairs on the Square, Om, and now the Red House restaurant. And I haven't yet tried Tommy Doyle's. So for location, the Red House gets top marks.

For atmosphere, high marks again. It's not as fancy inside as either Om or Upstairs, but clearly management put a lot of money into the renovation of the building. There are four areas for eating: An outside patio, useless now in the winter; a foyer room facing the street; a bar/lounge area with a working, real-wood fireplace (not many of those around anymore - a nice touch!), and the main dining room in the back, with a fancy circular skylight in the middle. But compared with the nearby fancy restaurants, the Red House seems sort of quaint, with the multiple rooms, narrow hallway, and working fireplace. Cozy, but certainly not cutting edge.

Service was fine - our server was prompt and polite. He knew the menu well but I didn't get the impression he was really into the food - more reading off a list rather than understanding how the ingredients would taste.

The food was good - very good, but not great. I went with my friend Dwight, and we each had the house salad, which was a plateful and had a light dressing that seemed just right. Then, we each had lobster dishes; mine was the lobster pot pie, Dwight's the lobster risotto. I definitely enjoyed the pot pie - the puff pastry on top was light and perfectly browned, and the lobster/potato/veggies were in a light cream sauce beneath. Dwight loved his lobster risotto, which was definitely more food than mine.

My only complaint is that the Red House uses a lot of cream. The soup special, both our lobster dishes, then other dishes including carbonara - there's not a lot on the menu that is cholesterol friendly. It's a high end comfort food restaurant, I think.

For $30 each, tip included, only tap water to drink - what I paid at Harvest, Upstairs, and Om - I would place the Red House last on that list. It's a bit pricey for the fare. But it's certainly an enjoyable experience.

Plough and Stars

2006-12-21T13:35:00.000-08:00

77. 12-21 Plough and Stars 912 Massachusetts Ave. Summary: Cozy, bustling, friendly, Guiness flowing, decent food.

The Plough is a great establishment, the kind of place I imagine folk from the British Isles enjoy spending time in because it reminds them of neighborhood pubs back home. It's warm and inviting - everybody crowds in elbow to elbow; the waitresses are a bit coarse but friendly; and the food is satisfying. This is the kind of place worth the 15 minute walk from Harvard Square, or probably 10 from Central.

The Plough serves bar food, no matter how fancy the descriptions are ("Tuscan vegetable soup with truffle oil"!). I had this soup, and it was fine, but the beans were a bit undercooked. Then Mike and I each had the Turkey Club sandwich, which was a bit dry, but the fries made up for it - not dipped in batter, and served in steak cut style, which I love because it brings out the flavor of the potatoes instead of the oil or batter. Casey had the Cuban sandwich and thought it was great, but a bit too large.

We didn't drink any Guiness, which really is a sin in this kind of place, but nonetheless we enjoyed the experience greatly.

About $12 per person.

Om Restaurant

2006-12-21T13:04:00.000-08:00

76. 12-20 Om Restaurant 92 Winthrop Street. Summary: Outstanding meal - food, atmosphere, location, service. Pricey, but worth it. Challenging the very best restaurants of Harvard Square.

I was really impressed with Om. To be honest, I had this place figured for a hip bar crowd, and assumed the food would be more in line with Grafton St. and Z Square, where atmoshpere overwhelms quality. But I was proved wrong - the atmosphere is unique - trendy, hip, appealing - and the food is excellent to boot.

Walk in the door, and you immediately face a sheet of undulating, rippling water running down a dark wall of ribbed stone of some kind. Turn to face a very hip bar/lounge area, quite dark, with a large wall of thin layers of stone ("some kind of 'water stone,' I'm told," said the maitre d') behind the bar. Then upstairs to the dining room, which is pleasant, well lit, and decorated with various paintings and sculptures, all of a Tibetan theme.

I went with my friend Brad, who had heard good things about the restaurant, as I had from my wife. Our server was a bit goofy but efficient and he had specific recommendations from the menu that were excellent.

We started by sharing a dozen "Signature MoMo's" - stupid name, but very tasty small steamed dumplings - we had six veggie and six pork. Three sauces came for the dumplings, arranged in their own dishes for us to dip into. The soy sauce was fine but boring, the mango sauce good for the veggie dumplings but too weak for the pork, and the melted red pepper sauce good for both.

I had an an entre the Om sandwich, which is broiled unagi (eel) with plum and sprouts on a biscuit, alongside a clump of daikon salad with chili sauce dressing - quite spicy. As the server suggested, I combined the two to match the sweetness of the sandwich with the spiciness of the daikon - it worked and was excellent. My only complaint is that there was a brush stroke of sauce in the middle of the plate, but whatever it was had hardened like paint. The server chuckled and remarked that it was actually supposed to be edible. Nonetheless the dish was excellent.

Brad had the Chinese Pork sandwich with sweek potato fries - "best sandwich ever," he said.

So, we both left happy and $30 poorer, but richer for the experience. Om is a very cool addition to the Harvard Square restaurant scene and I hope it does well, because its inventiveness and high quality should raise the level of competition throughout the neighborhood.

Mass Food Market

2006-12-21T08:21:00.000-08:00

75. 12-19 Mass Food Market 950 Massachusetts Ave. Summary: A bit scary.

I knew I was in trouble when I walked in the door to the Mass Food Market, which is tucked in a large residential building closer to Central than Harvard Square. The shelves were half full of junk food, the fruit was expensive, and no one else was there but the two guys behind the counter. I felt like I was in a small store in rural Massachusetts or New Hampshire - where you can get only lowest common denominator foods (i.e. processed).

I ordered a sandwich - turkey on wheat - and got a bag of chips and an orange. While waiting to pay, a sketchy looking guy won $40 on scratch lottery tickets he had just bought there, so he came back to buy more and take the rest as cash. The cashier wouldn't tell me what I owed, just pointed to the number on the register.

I got out, ate my food, and didn't die. Not one to recommend. About $7.

India Castle

2006-12-21T08:09:00.000-08:00

74. 12-18 India Castle 928 Massachusetts Ave. Summary: Decent Indian buffet, nothing special.

I didn't even know India Castle existed until a couple days ago - it's very close to the Plough and Stars, closer to Central Square than Harvard. Given there are four Indian restaurants in the heart of Harvard Square (about 15 minutes walk away), India Castle probably serves more the in-between and Central crowd, I think. A lot of people live between Harvard and Central, so the restaurant has a market to address.

The food isn't anything to write home about. The buffet (taken for granted, all Indian restaurants offer lunch buffets) is of average size, with foods that are a bit oily but nonetheless decent. Tom and I did take-out from the buffet with good sized, but not huge, take-out dishes. The foods all seemed to have the same basic taste to them - not much stood out. The salad was weak - iceburg lettuce and frozen tomatos. They did give each of us a full piece of Naan bread.

$8.30 per person - decent value.

Broadway Market, Prepared Foods

2006-12-21T08:04:00.000-08:00

73.5 12-15 Broadway Market, Prepared Foods 468 Broadway. Summary: Decent food.

This trip merits a 73.5 because I've really been to Broadway too many times. I did eat some new stuff, but it's not that different from other trips. The company decided to come here because we also bought foodstuffs for a company holiday party - quite successfully, I might add.

Rob and I had their veggie soup - I found it a bit too lemony, but Rob liked it. Then I had a veggie roll with peanut sauce to dip in, plus guacamole, plus pasta. It was all tasty.

Broadway continues to impress me with their range and quality (other than the sushi) and reasonable prices.

About $7.

Casablanca

2006-12-21T07:55:00.000-08:00

73. 12-04 Casablanca Restaurant 40 Brattle Street. Summary: Outstanding food, leaves you hungry, cramped dining room, expensive.

My friend Howard and I ate at Casa-B's today, and we really enjoyed the food. Bread is pita with olive oil and salt and pepper; our salads had a nice mix of leaves and a sublte dressing; and I loved my bluefish cakes served on greens. Howard had lamb served on flatbread with a yoghurt sauce - he loved his entre as well. I'd have to say that the food here is top five in the whole Square.

That said, the portions were quite modest. I'm all in favor of European-style portions - I'm convinced that's how Europeans in general stay thin and on the flip side our huge portions are why Americans tend to be overweight. But, I was mighty hungry later in the afternoon, so I think Casablanca is pushing it on portion size.

That said, the atmosphere is a bit stifling. We ate in the open area, where tables are very close to one another. At one point another diner "shh-ed" Howard - how often do you hear of that happening? In New York, all restaurants are like this, and everyone just yells and doesn't worry about it. I recommend a booth if you can grab one.

The meal - appetizer, entre, and a lemonade, cost $28 per person. Pretty expensive.

John Harvard's Brew House

2006-12-20T14:28:00.000-08:00

72. 12-13 John Harvard's Brew House 33 Dunster Street. Summary: What you would expect from a brew house!

What was I thinking, taking out food from a brew house?! As I'm standing there waiting for my food, the TV's are on, the beer is flowing from the many taps, people are engaged in fun conversations. And I take my food out and bring it to the office.

Their food is fine. It's just what you'd expect from a brew pub - basic, lots of meat and carbos and cheese. I ordered at buffalo chicken sandwich with fries. Both the chicken and fries were coated in batter and then fried. Not how I like it, but standard for this kind of restaurant.

My advice? Stay and drink and have fun. About $10.

Dado Tea

2006-12-20T14:23:00.000-08:00

71. 12-11 Dado Tea 955 Massachusetts Ave. Summary: Four thumbs up from our group!

This was a nice surprise. I didn't realize Dado Tea was in this location - I thought is was only in the heart of the Square (yet to be reviewed). This space is small but functional, with a few tables and seating around the edges of the room for perhaps 20 people.

The people at the counter were very pleasant and seemed eager to please. I ordered a roasted turkey sandwich with pesto spread and vegetables - I have never been offered pesto as a spread on a sandwich, and it wasn't bad. They have plenty of salads and fresh fruit as well. And of course they have loads of tea. All of us enjoyed our food.

About $8, a fair price.

Greenhouse Coffee Shop

2006-12-20T14:12:00.000-08:00

70. 12-8 Greenhouse Coffee Shop 3 Brattle Street. Summary: Superb location, crowds to match, food nothing special, a bit expensive.

Location, location, location. Greenhouse Coffee Shop is the most central of all restaurants in Harvard Square - none are closer to the subway stop or the two newsstands. As a result, this restaurant gets a tremendous amount of folk who are hungry and need food NOW.

It was packed when I visited - the same day as the high school Model UN at Harvard was starting. Teams representing various countries crammed around tables on this very cold day, chatting about strategy, tactics, and (sometimes) normal high school stuff. One wouldn't say there was much atmosphere, but at least it was bustling.

The servers were very busy, but they kept up with the order volume.

The food was fair. There is a large menu with a lot of basic, home-style food on it. I had a chicken soup, a grilled chicken sandwich with fries, and an iced tea. The soup was OK, the sandwich dry, the fries had batter on them (which I hate). On a cold day it did the trick, but it certainly wasn't anything special.

Total price: $15, including tip. Too high for the food and atmosphere.

Angelo's

2006-12-13T14:31:00.000-08:00

69. 12-7 Angelo's 444 Broadway Street. Summary: Basic pizza joint, with a nice salad.

Angelos is, like the truck I reviewed yesterday, just across from Cambridge Rindge and Latin high school. It sells to high schoolers plus some adults in the neighborhood.

I ordered a large turkey sub and a small salad. Both were good, the salad in particular - it had a mix of lettuces, tomato, broccoli, and zuchini. I expected iceburg lettuce and little else, so I was pleased.

It's a pretty plain place - don't go for the atmosphere. But the food's OK. About $7.

Parked Truck Outside Cambridge Rindge and Latin, on Broadway

2006-12-13T14:27:00.000-08:00

68. 12-6 Truck outside Cambridge Rindge and Latin High School, on Broadway Ave. Summary: This is what high school kids eat - bummer.

I should have known not to expect too much. Any place that caters exclusively to high schoolers isn't going to be interesting. High Schoolers are stressed, and they crave comfort in their food.

So this truck had the basics: burgers, chicken tenders, hot dogs, fries. We asked about their veggie sandwich, and the guy said nobody had asked for three months and they didn't have the mixings. Same thing for a tuna sandwich - too good for you, I guess.

The food was greasy and cheap - perfect for kids. About $5 per person, including chips and a soda.

Bertucci's

2006-12-13T14:21:00.000-08:00

67. 12-5 Bertucci's 21 Brattle Street. Summary: Nice meal.

It's hard to say much bad about Bertucci's - they really have perfected the restaurant experience, and they've done it so that there is remarkable consistency among their many locations. The rolls are always perfect and abundant; the pizza is a good thickeness and has just a bit of char on it. All six of us went this time, and nobody left disappointed, except perhaps Tom, whose dish was a bit smaller than the rest of ours.

But, I can't rave about Bertucci's. Maybe it's the fact that it's a chain, and I have a natural bias against chains. Or it's the consistency - nothing is left to chance (no risk, no reward. They used to have bocce courts in some of their restaurants, which I loved). But regardless, I can't put Bertucci's on top of any list.

About $10 per person, including tip.

Dolphin Seafood

2006-12-13T14:13:00.000-08:00

66. 12-4 Dolphin Seafood 1105 Massachusetts Ave. Summary: Very nice meal, a bit expensive.

Dolphin Seafood has been around a long time. It upgraded quite a while ago - perhaps ten years? - and since then I've always considered it 'upscale.' The prices certainly are in line with this designation, but the location - a bit outside of the heart of the Square - and the inside ambience, which is unremarkable, are inconsistent with the high prices.

My friend Bom and I shared a two person luncheon special; we each had seafood bisque, then I had the blackened catfish with rice and salad, and then I had a dessert that unfortunately I can't remember (doesn't say much for it!). I enjoyed all the food. The service was fine. Bom enjoyed his food as well.

So no complaints, except the price seems high for the location and ambience. $17 per person.

Sandrine's

2006-12-09T13:27:00.000-08:00

65. 12-1 Sandrine's 8 Holyoke Street. Summary: Lovely setting; cold but efficient service; interesting, creative, attractive, and expensive food.

Sandrine's is a beautiful restaurant, from the Art Deco molding over the entrance, reminiscent of Parisian subways, to the different levels in the main dining room and the ornate bar and the linen tablecloths. With its excellent location, and that much attention to the setting, you know it's going to be expensive. The only question is, can the food and service match the environment?

I think it does, just. I went with a friend, Michael, and we were the first to arrive for lunch, at about 11:40am. Our server was efficient and polite, but she had negative personality. Her expression never changed. No smiles, no friendly chit-chat, no anecdotes - only attention to the food we wanted. You'd think, with no one else in the restaurant, that a server would have an extra second to chat...

While the service was a bit cold, the food was excellent. I had a bowl of onion soup gratinee, which was exactly as you'd expect - nice clumps of cheese on top, and very tasty onion broth loaded with onion slices beneath. For an entre I had the Roasted Chicken Salade Roulade, which I also enjoyed. Michael had a simple salad and then the Gourmand Sirloin Burger, which comes with duck truffle Perigoudine, which I believe is a foie gras. Lots of rich food, full of flavor. We finished everything, happily.

We didn't even partake in any of the regional specialities - Alsatian, meaning the border of France and Germany near Strassbourg. Alsatian foods tend to highlight both French and German specialties.

So, a successful lunch. But for $20 each, the server could have smiled!

Grendel's Den

2006-12-07T14:18:00.000-08:00

64. 11-30 Grendel's Den, Winthrop Street. Summary: Excellent history, nice "bar" setting, good value, OK food.

Grendel's has a lot of history, more than most restaurants in the Square. It used to have a dining room upstairs, where Upstairs at the Square now is, and a bar downstairs. A few of us reminisced about the upstairs eating - a lovely, two-story grand room, but it was always run-down, and we remembered cockroaches scampering about even with many diners nearby. "Atmosphere."

Grendel's also is well-known for its successful Supreme Court case. Before the decision in 1982, churches could legally object to nearby (within 500 feet) businesses selling liquor. At that point there was an Armenian church but 10 feet away, and it objected to Grendel's being granted a liquor license. So the restaurant sued to get the law stricken, and it eventually made it to the Supreme Court. Lawrence Tribe of Harvard Law School argued the case; Chief Justice Burger delivered the decision for the majority (Rehnquist dissented). The law was indeed struck from the books, and similar ones from other states, and Grendel's happily serves booze. A nice example of our Constitution at work.

Enough history. The four of us ordered basics, including grilled cheese, pasta, soup, burgers, fries. It was all cheap and decent tasting. Apparently the prices plummet come happy hour time, as long as you start drinking. The menu isn't extensive but you don't expect that given you're in a bar.

About $8 per person.

Z Square

2006-12-07T13:49:00.000-08:00

63. 11-29 Z Square, 14 JFK Street. Summary: Strange setup, good service, food needs work.

After peering in the windows of Z Square a couple times, and giving them time to work through service issues (every restaurant needs time to get its service down, I think), I gave it a go with Susan, an aquaintance.

The biggest surprise about this place is its size. From the sidewalk it looks like a small cafe - and it is, at that level. But downstairs opens up into a very large seating area, one that I would guess could handle 200 diners. It's all nicely decorated, kind of chic. But I found it a bit weird that you really can't get a sense of the restaurant from the street.

I had a white bean soup - it was nice, but there was an interesting and somewhat off-setting flavor to it that I couldn't quite identify. It seemed like an asian-style herb or spice, which I found odd for such a classic Italian, hearty dish. I followed this with a special: penne pasta with chicken and a mushroom/tomato sauce. I found the sauce too heavy - almost like a stew.

The sevice was excellent. But for the price - about $13 per person - I expected better food. I rank Z Square about the same at Grafton Street - good locations, trendy atmosphere, food good but not great.

Greenhouse Cafe, Harvard Science Center

2006-12-07T13:38:00.000-08:00

62. 11-28 Greenhouse Cafe, Harvard Science Center (Oxford Street). Summary: Decent value, variety, mixed reviews on food quality.

First of all, what's with the name? The Greenhouse Cafe has been in the heart of Harvard Square forever. It's a bit weird that Harvard allowed another eating place on its premises with the same name - and I think it's owned by Harvard too. Given that Harvard is trying to police money-making uses of its own name, you'd think it would respect other companies' names as well.

Eating at Harvard's Greenhouse Cafe is an experience, given that probably 80-90% of the customers are Harvard people - mostly students, I think. They don't accept credit cards, but do accept Harvard debit cards, along with cash. So if you're looking to rub elbows with "real" Harvard people, this is the place. And I verified that you don't have to be affiliated with Harvard to eat here. There is ample seating but it's still crowded.

As for the food, our group was mixed. Rob seemed most happy with his tortilla-wrapped sensation - lots of salad-type stuff crammed in. Good value and good food. I had a chicken burrito, and was unhappily surprise when I was directed to pre-made ones sitting under heat lamps. I want my burrito made in front of me! You don't know what's in the sitting ones, nor how long they've been there. And I asked for guacamole to be added, which was an option on the board - but I was directed to get that from the salad-making area, where there was a line and an extra $1.50 charge for a small plastic container of guacamole. Rob did this for me, and I then had to unroll my burrito and add the guacamole - not my kind of service. And finally the burrito only tasted OK, I thought. (FYI, Tom had the same thing, minus the guacamole, and enjoyed it.)

Casey found the pizza a "good value" but commented that the sauce was similar to ketchup. Yuck. Jennifer had tuna and found it "pre-made."

So this place isn't going on the top of the list, thought I might follow Rob's lead and try the salad bar. About $7 per person.

Broadway Market: Prepared Foods

2006-11-27T14:05:00.000-08:00

61. 11-27 Broadway Market (Prepared Foods) 335 Broadway Street. Summary: Tasty, simple, affordable.

This is my third trip to Broadway - they have such variety of offerings one visit can't do the market justice. First time: Broadway's salad bar. Second time: Broadway's sushi. This time: Broadway's prepared foods. I ordered pasta with a pesto sauce that included olives; grilled asparagus; and a veggie spring roll. All three were very good, particularly the asparagus, which was cooked perfectly. My only complaint is the abundance of plastic needed to bring all three foods home.

Barring the assault on the environment through the packaging, this is an excellent lunch at a very reasonable price. $7.

Smile (Thai Food)

2006-11-27T13:52:00.000-08:00

60. 11-21 Smile Thai Food, Eliot Street. Summary: Greasy, uninspiring.

I love Thai food, particularly Pad Thai - the combination of noodles, chicken, shrimp, cashews, scallions/garlic is right up my alley. I have found it's difficult to screw this up - I've tried this dish from a wide variety of Thai restaurants. So I was disappointed to find that Smile's Pad Thai was overly greasy- they must use a lot of oil for some reason. The dish didn't taste good as a result.

I don't recommend this restaurant, particularly with two other Thai restaurants nearby. $7 for the lunch special.

Crazy Dough's

2006-11-27T13:48:00.000-08:00

59. 11-20 Crazy Dough's, in the Garage (corner Mt. Auburn and JFK Sts.). Summary: Thick, doughy crust, light on toppings.

Crazy Dough didn't come highly recommended to me, and it lived up to its billing. Their pizza is like eating focaccia with stuff on top - it's that thick. The toppings were interesting (I had two slices, one with chicken BBQ and a another with a pesto/pine nut sauce), but overwhelmed by the dough. I don't like this kind of pizza, but perhaps others do.

I also had a small salad, which was quite good. But in the end you go there for the pizza, and I don't recommend it. Total cost: $9.50.

Fire and Ice

2006-11-27T13:43:00.000-08:00

58. 11-17 Fire and Ice, Church Street. Summary: Better than expected, all happy with food.

I've been to Fire and Ice a number of times, always with my kids. For some reason, kids love this restaurant. I think it's because you have total control over what ends up on your plate - you pick out all the raw ingredients (including lots of meat, which kids love), plus your sauce, and then you get to watch the chefs cook it in front of you, while you hang out with your buds around the enormous griddle.

So I had low expectations when our group of six adults went. But, it turned out well, because adults have a better idea of portions and how to balance a meal, so no one pigged out on just meat (which kids always seem to do). The chefs cooked the food fine - usually it's overcooked so they don't have problems with undercooked food. I had a nice salad plus jerk chicken, noodles, and some veggies cooked together.

Worked out to $12 per person, including tip. An ususual dining experience, great for kids, OK for adults.

Cafe of India

2006-11-09T12:44:00.000-08:00

57. 11-9 Cafe of India 52 Brattle Street. Summary: Large buffet, good food, unique setup - but nothing special.

I have to admit, Cafe of India had a tough task with me, in that I've already visited the other three Indian restaurants in the Square. All four have buffets - and how different can you make a buffet?

A couple of things caught my eye today. First, they have Papdum - the spicy bread/cracker. I really like this, and they are the only restaurant with it. Second, they had a cook at the buffet area, who was making some sort of potato-stuffed pastry - it was good, and fun to watch him. Third, they had something close to a salad bar; most Indian buffets have a token salad, but Cafe of India has both cucumber/tomato plus lettuce, and a couple of dressings.

They didn't have any chaat, which I always enjoy.

As to the main dishes, I found them very similar to the competition. No standouts, nothing terribly interesting.

So, I rate Cafe of India's buffet average, on par with Bombay Club. About $9.

Au Bon Pain, Brattle

2006-11-09T12:35:00.000-08:00

56. 11-8 Au Bon Pain, Brattle Street. Summary: Very good.

I've decided that ABP is an outstanding business. It seems that every time I go there, I buy more than I expected; and even with the over-spending, I enjoy the food and go back.

Take today. I walk in, see a line in this small-ish ABP (smaller than both the massive one at the corner of Dunster, and the one at the intersection of Mass Ave and Mt. Auburn St by Crate and Barrel furniture), and think, "What are all these people doing waiting in line when there's a huge ABP three minutes from here?" But I want to try it, so I stay, and while I'm in line waiting to order I snag some fruit and a cookie in the perfectly-placed displays.

And before I know it, I'm ordering. The line looked long, but only took two minues or so. Brilliant.

And in one of the nicer touches, as I'm waiting for my wrap to be made, I get to talk with the sandwich maker - in a smaller ABP, you can make a connection with the people. The bigger ones don't give you this opportunity. Somehow I think it makes a difference both for the employee and the customer.

So I spent too much - about $10 - and got too much food as a result (Mediterranean Wrap, chicken noodle soup, gingerbread man cookie, banana, and orange). But I very much liked the wrap - a good value, lots of interesting ingredients - and the soup was also tasty. And the cookie was satisfying.

And I'll go back.

Shay's

2006-11-07T11:11:00.000-08:00

55. 11-7 Shay's 58 JFK Street. Summary: Good food, nice pub atmosphere, good value.

Lunch at Shay's was a nice surprise. We had a company lunch, all five of us, and four enjoyed the food; only Jennifer found her sandwich too salty. And, Rob and Tom split a beer (which probably helped them to enjoy the meal).

Shay's is really a bar - it's hopping at night, with a young crowd - but at lunch the smell of beer isn't overwhelming and it isn't crowded. Our server was very pleasant and checked in on us a number of times.

The menu is quite limited - pretty much bar food - but was fine. The veggie burger was actually not a flat patty and looked edible (and Tom enjoyed it), I had a turkey sandwich with too much turkey but still tasty, Rob's tuna melt satisfied. Nice accompaniments of tortilla chips with salsa.

About $9 per person, including sandwich and drink and tip.

Harvest

2006-11-07T10:56:00.000-08:00

54 11-6 Harvest Between Mt. Auburn and Brattle, by Post Office (Mt. Auburn) and Crate & Barrel (Brattle). Summary: Very good food, not great service, pricey.

My wife and I went to Harvest today. I figure, it's probably the highest priced lunch spot in the Square (we'll see), and she deserves it. Plus, if I went with anyone else, she's be jealous and I'd never hear the end of it.

Harvest is an excellent restaurant, clearly in the top tier of dinner eating spots in the Square - up there with Rialto and Upstairs on the Square. The space itself isn't that interesting - the bar area is really nice, but the tables kind of float and it's easy to feel exposed. Plus the service people pass by all the time, which can be good and bad - good for catching waiters/waitresses, bad for the hustle and bustle.

Our server was efficient, but lacked personality. For the cash we were laying out, it doesn't seem unreasonable to have a server who is both professional/efficient, but also interesting and personable. She barely cracked a smile the whole time.

We got off to an unauspicious start as my wife immediately spotted the lobster club sandwich - but the server forgot to mention it wasn't available, and so ten minutes later, when we ordered, she had to re-evalutate the menu. No expressions of sympathy from the server, just quick apologies. Turns out she did the same thing with the table next to ours - forgot to mention the sandwich wasn't available. You'd think she'd learn...

But beside that, lunch was very good. I personally ate the entire bread basket contents - the bread is that good, and very interesting as well. We had salads as first courses - my waldorf salad was good, but not great - it just wasn't that interesting; my wife had the beet salad, and that was outstanding - a great collection of textures and tastes, including soft and warm chickpeas. I had the burger, which came highly recommended, and indeed it's as good as Bartley's but with fancier accompaniments, including an onion roll and hand-cut fries. My wife had the lobster bisque, which she enjoyed.

So, my take on Harvest - very good food, service not at an upper level, and too pricey. About $25-30 per person, two courses and non-alcoholic drink included, no dessert.

Legal Seafood

2006-11-03T11:53:00.000-08:00

53. Legal's 11-3 within the Charles Hotel complex, across the courtyard. Summary: Outstanding food/service - worth the higher price.

I've eaten at Legal's for dinner many times, with mixed results. At this location, a number of months ago I went with a group, and the serving sizes were outrageous - it was the seafood equivalent of Durgin Park or Vinny Testa's - so much food that we all left feeling uncomfortable about a) the amount of food in our bellies, and b) the wasted food left on the table.

But today, the lunch was superb. I ordered the salmon/falafel dish off the lunch menu, medium rare. It was cooked perfectly, with a crust of falafel, hummos to the side, and tomatoes and yoghurt sauce as well. I had a side dish of lentils, which were tasty. And of course they served me their famous warm rolls. The dish was appealing to the eye - lots of nice bright colors - and to the taste buds as well. It all worked well.

I ate at the bar - friendly, attentive service. The greeting at the door was a bit too much for me, but nonetheless at Legal's they take service quite seriously, and it shows.

$22 including tip. Worth it, I think. And Legal's will probably make my next "top ten" list for food, unless other new ones come out on top of it.

Shilla

2006-11-03T11:48:00.000-08:00

52. Shilla 11-2 57 JFK St (basement of Galeria). Summary: Nothing special.

I've walked by the sandwich board outside the Galeria many times - the one that announces that Shilla is open. But I've never found it - until today. Rob and I hunted around the first and second floors before we saw the back staircase leading down to Shilla, a Korean/Japanese restaurant that's been there eight years.

I ordered the Chicken Teriyaki lunch box; Rob ordered Bibim-Bap. Neither of us was thrilled with the food. Mine was missing its rice, and the chicken just didn't taste that good - there were a couple of bites that made me wonder on the chicken's freshness. (I think I need to start ordering other dishes from Japanese/Korean restaurants, perhaps chicken teriyaki isn't a true dish from these countries.)

About $8 per person.

Cafe Paradiso

2006-11-03T11:39:00.000-08:00

51. Cafe Paradiso 11-1 One Eliot Square (corner of Eliot and Winthrop Streets). Summary: Excellent Italian bistro food/experience, but leaves you hungry.

Cafe Paradiso is a hoot. Everything about it is straight out of Italy - the staff is obviously Italian, the espresso machine is always shrieking, they serve real gellato, and they have biscotti on the countertop. Plus, you can sit either in the cafe or perch yourself precariously by the sidewalk on Winthrop St, with inches to spare from the curb, to take in some sun and city atmosphere.

Four of us ordered sandwiches and drinks, and ate outside on what will probably be the last day like this before Winter forces us inside to eat. No one tumbled off their chair - a success - and we all enjoyed our sandwiches, served on basil focaccia bread. While the tomatoes in my sandwich were obviously frozen at some point, everything else was quite good. And there was a small salad included on the plate. We sampled the gelatto and biscotti for desserts - all quite good. Thumbs up on the food quality.

Except, come four pm in the afternoon, I was starving to the point of bonking. I guess my body needs more food at lunch. Maybe Italians eat a small lunch and then snack through the afternoon?

Takemura

2006-11-03T11:29:00.000-08:00

50. Takemura 10-31 18 Eliot Street. Summary: Decent Japanese/Korean, but take-out lacked flavor.

(Note: Number Five - O today!)

Jennifer and I did take out from Takemura. I ordered the lunch special, Teriyaki Bento with chicken. It was good - Miso soup included - but nothing special. Maybe the styrofoam sucks away the flavor of the food, or instead imparts an unnatural flavor into the food, but in any case take-out asian food, particularly if its flavor is subtle, is rarely very good.

So I imagine Takemura is a very good sit-in restaurant, but it's unremarkable for its take-out.

Got a Restaurant Suggestion?

2006-11-02T12:57:00.000-08:00

I'm always looking for ideas on new places to eat lunch in the Square. Before you send me a suggestion, use the search box above and see if I've already been there - pretty likely, in that I've been to over 50 lunch spots already.

But, here's a list of eateries I havent' been to yet:

Dolphin Seafood
Casablanca
Indian restaurant on Brattle
Chocolate place on Brattle
Harvest
Rialto
Legal's
Fire and Ice
Sandrine's
Inn at Harvard
Harvard Science center
shay's
Red House
Irish restaurant next to Red House
Om
whitney's (do they serve food?)
Tea place
au bon pain, brattle
au bon pain, Mt. Auburn
Bertucci's
Z Square
Asian on Eliot, above Takemura
Pizza join in the Garage
More spots towards Central Square
Upstairs at Upstairs on Square
Grendel's

Amazing, that's 26 more - and I'm sure that's not the whole list! Seems like I'm going to hit 80.

Friendly Eating Place

2006-10-30T14:33:00.000-08:00

49. 10-30 Friendly Eating Place, 985 Massachusetts Ave (two blocks past the Crate & Barrel furniture store toward Central Square, on the left). Summary: Basic sub shop.

The name says it all, I think; this is a place where you can can get basic food at low cost. No pretentions to be ethnic or upscale. And sure enough, the workers are all sweaty and in white tee shirts, working their butts off by the grill or the oven or at the cash register, while the patrons are a mix of ethnicities and white collar/blue collar (probably more of the latter). The pizza smell permeating the shop is of the thick cheese that makes a pizza taste really good.

We were all satisfied with our food. Unfortunately they forgot about my order and so Tom, Rob, and Jennifer had to wait for me, their food getting colder by the moment. Despite that, the portions were good, the prices low, and the food quality decent - not great, but decent. Jennifer didn't think the steak in her steak n'cheese n'egg (I've never seen one of these before!) was of great quality; Tom liked the initial taste of his pizza slices, but seemed to regret the size and ingredients after finishing. Rob and I (grilled chicken sub) were content.

So, nothing special, but a good dose of "reality" in lunch spots - the kind of place I imagine most of America goes to. About $6 per person.

Sabra

2006-10-30T14:29:00.000-08:00

48. 10-27 Sabra Grill, 20 Eliot Street. Summary: Very good food, decent prices, nice to have a Middle Eastern option!

Sabra is very small - really there isn't a way to eat there, so it's essentially all take-out. I ordered falafel and homus sandwich, plus a vegetarian lentil soup. Both were satisfying; the falafel was crunchy, the yoghurt sauce sweet - kind of a mess, but that's to be expected with this kind of sandwich. The soup I thought was excellent, because the spinach added a nice tartness you don't often get with a lentil soup.

About $10 - a bit expensive, but worth it for the 'exotic' nature of the food.

Tanjore

2006-10-30T14:24:00.000-08:00

47. 10-26 Tanjore 18 Eliot Street. Summary: Excellent value, very good food.

Tom and I hit paydirt on one of the best value take-out options we've yet seen: Tanjore lets you fill up a good sized aluminum dish from its buffet, and pay the buffet price ($8). And they include a full piece of naan bread to boot.

The food at the buffet is very good - I don't think it's quite as good as Tamarind Bay, but everything was tasty. Not enough veggie dishes, I thought.

But it's still very good food, and for the quantity you can place in the take-out dish, for $8 it's a steal!

Pizzeria Uno

2006-10-25T13:35:00.000-07:00

46. 10-25 Pizzeria Uno, JFK Street. Summary: Mixed reaction from the three of us.

Pizzeria Uno - known popularly as Uno's - is known for its Chicago deep dish pizza - thick bread with loads of cheese and tomato sauce. It's almost like a quiche in its thickness. This is all well and good, but at this stage in my life, I don't want all that cheese and bread.

So, today I tried their thin crust pizza - Mediteranean - and I was underwhelmed. A small amount of toppings on very crunchy crust, with parmesan cheese baked on top. Overbaked, too crunchy, not much taste. I also had their vegetable soup, which was lacking in any interesting taste.

But, that's me. Rob and Jennifer both really enjoyed their meals. Jennifer's from the mid-West, and she loves cheese - so she had the "tuna sliders" [edited, thanks to Jennifer's comment] with french fries ("they were the perfect fries," she remarked) - and she loved both. Rob also loves cheese and isn't too adventuresome with food, and he had exactly what I had, and enjoyed it greatly. Different strokes for different folks!

Service was OK. Our server wrote his name on a napkin and left it on the table - Rob and Jennifer remarked that they had seen this done in other restaurants (Macaroni Grill), but it's new for me, a bit odd I thought. The server fluttered by frequently, but did make mistakes regarding the menu and the prices. And a spoon was clearly dirty and needed to be replaced.

We split the bill at $12 per person, including tip. FYI, the drinks were each over $2 - pretty expensive for a coke or glass of lemonade. I thought it was expensive for the food/service/atmosphere.

Broadway Market: Sushi

2006-10-25T13:07:00.000-07:00

45. 10-24 Broadway Market: Sushi. Summary: Not recommended.

I've decided that the breadth of Broadway needs to be reviewed in multiple posts. I already reviewed the Broadway Market salad bar, which I thought was excellent. Today I tried their sushi, which wasn't so great. There's nothing like just-made sushi - Cafe Sushi has it, and it's great - while, unfortunately, Broadway's sushi is shrinkwrapped and appears to be left in the case for two days - all the "eat by" dates were tomorrow.

As a result, the fish/rice tasted a bit of the plastic wrap, and the seaweed salad was a bit limp and watery.

Not a success. About $10 for the two items.

Top Ten Food Restaurants in Harvard Square

2006-10-23T11:43:00.000-07:00

I get asked this every time I mention my blog to people: "what's your favorite?" So, I've taken a crack at it, in this case working only off of the food quality - ignoring price, atmosphere, etc.

(Note I'm writing this without having been to absolutely EVERY restaurant in the Square - but I'm pretty confident about the top ones regardless.)

Top Ten Restaurants in Harvard Square, By Food Quality:

1) Upstairs on the Square (downstairs). Exceptional ingredients, creativity in selection, all foods prepared perfectly. Savory, sweet, everything in between - "practically perfect in every way."

2) Cardullo's. Universal appeal from everyone who ate there: The food is outstanding. Somehow they make a 'normal' sandwich something special.

3. Veggie Planet. This is a real find, stuck in a basement where you wouldn't expect it. Great food, all vegeterian, usually served as a pizza.

4. Felipe's. I love burritos, and nobody does them better than Felipe's. Great value, super fast service, high quality food, and you get to watch them make it to your specifications.

5. Bartley's Burger Cottage. Ever have a perfect burger? The kind you try to make on the grill, but don't get quite right? It's got a bit of a crust on the outside - but not too much - and it's cooked just enough inside so the flavor just rushes into your mouth? This is the place.

6. Tamarind Bay. Finally, an Indian restaurant with creative, interesting, and delicious food! Not enough options in the buffet, but what's there is excellent.

7. Le's Vietnamese Restaurant (formerly Pho Pasteur) . Wonderful food, sure to satisfy, wide variety.

8. Cafe Pamplona. This is a real find - authentic Spanish food prepared well. Simple menu, but what they make, they do well.

9. Finale. Surprisingly tasty sandwiches (from a dessert place).

10. Charlie's Kitchen. It's all about matching expectations - if you're looking for an outstanding greasy burger, you can't do better than Charlie's.

Yenching

2006-10-23T11:00:00.000-07:00

44. 10-23 Yenching, 1326 Mass. Ave, corner of Holyoke and Mass Ave. Summary: Decent Chinese food, fair price.

I have been to Yenching only once before (that I can remember), way back in 1980. I was just a snot-nosed kid and refused to leave a tip because I didn't like the service. The waittress yelled loudly in Chinese, so I had to beat a fast retreat through the door. I've felt bad about that ever since!

All five of us made it to Yenching today, so we decided to eat in at the round table closest to Mass Ave (incidently, the same table I sat at 26 years ago - weird I can remember that!). Service was fine, except our lunches arrived over a range of about five minutes, so a few of us were halfway through when other lunches arrived.

Decent, predictable listings for both lunch and main meals. Including tip (!) we each paid $8.50.

Rendang

2006-10-23T10:52:00.000-07:00

43. 10-20 Rendang, upstairs in Galeria Mall (next to Bombay Restaurant). Summary: Interesting food, lots of it, for a fair price.

Rendang just recently changed management - I don't know what it used to be named, but the name is now new. It's a big space with lots of tables and some amount of 'style' - including dark colors throughout the restaurant.

Rendang serves Malaysian food. I ordered spicy chicken with string beans, which came with a mango salad and two small spring rolls and rice. It ended up being a lot of food! Fortunately everything tasted good; the spicy chicken was indeed spicy, and the mango salad cut the sting of the spice nicely. About $7.50.

Finagle a Bagel

2006-10-23T10:46:00.000-07:00

42. 10-19 Finagle a Bagel, on Mass Ave between the Coop and Church Street. Summary: Decent food, quickly prepared, fair prices.

There are a number of Finagle a Bagels around the Boston area. We had one in Needham Heights near our last work address, so there's little new to see in this Harvard Square location. Main differences: No trademarked bagel cutting blade to delight the kids (conveyer belt carries bagel from ordering place to sandwich making area, huge circular blad cuts bagel along the way - it's really cool and most Finagle's have them), addition of scones and muffins, and no seating.

This is a really small Finagle, but it works for take out. They have a good range of sandwiches, all made with bagels, along with soups. I had a turkey sandwich and a bag of chips for about $6. Fresh food, nice service, fair prices.

Toscanini's

2006-10-23T10:43:00.000-07:00

41. 10-18 Toscanini's, Mass Ave (that's right, the ice cream and coffee place!). Summary - only a few choices, but fine nonetheless.

Toscanini's falls into the "barely makes lunch" category. They have maybe four pre-made sandwich options, made in their othere Toscanini store. I had a veggie sandwich and a bagel as a side. The guy serving me said that sandwiches with meats are coming "in a week or so."

The sandwich was fine, nothing special but healthy. Total cost, around $6.

Veggie Planet

2006-10-23T10:16:00.000-07:00

40. 10-17 Veggie Planet, corner of Church and Palmer Street (across from Border Cafe). Summary - This is a real find - oozes atmosphere due to Club Passim environment, while at the same time the food is creative and excellent.

Someone recommended Veggie Planet to me recently, and I had to admit I didn't realize Club Passim had a kitchen. I have attended a few events at the Club over the years, including seeing my college roommate play and sing folk music. It's a great place to go in the winter - very cozy.

Mike, a colleague, and I were impressed with Veggie Planet. Billed as "an innovative vegetarian pizzeria in the heart of Harvard Square," Veggie Planet lives up to its billing. Every dish can be made into a "pizza," which means all the incredients are placed on a flat bread and then baked in an oven. The results are impressive - nice, crunchy 'crust' and the ingredients are toasty warm. I had a "fajita" with guacamole and black beans served as a pizza - it was delicious. I also tried the white bean soup, which also was delicious. Mike, never that adventurous in his dining, enjoyed his ceasar salad pizza [edited, I took out "chicken" which obviously isn't served here!] (strange concept, but it worked for him!).

There are vegan dishes - I don't recall if all food there is vegan. Cash only. My cost was around $10.

Broadway Market: Salad Bar

2006-10-16T10:30:00.000-07:00

39. 10-16 Broadway Market, 335 Broadway Street. Summary: Excellent, if quirky, salad bar.

I can't believe it took me two months to remember Broadway Market. Back in Needham, my colleagues and I would walk nearly every day to Zathmary's on Highland to pick through their excellent salad bar; once it closed, we were left with lame offerings at Sudbury Farms. But lo and behold, Broadway Market has an excellent salad bar - so we're all happy. All five of us partook.

$4.99/pound, which is a reasonable price. Four kinds of lettuce, including fresh spinach (we all looked at eachother and went for it, despite the deaths a few weeks ago from fresh spinach coming out of California. How long do you need to be scared? We can't keep living in a 'culture of fear'!) - and then an interesting variety of veggies, plus yoghurt and granola and raisins and nuts and fruit. Plus I found some guacamole in a separate are to add to the salad.

$6.50 total, very tasty, everyone was happy. Next time at Broadway I'll try their sandwiches, and then their hot foods. A three-fer!

Border Cafe

2006-10-16T10:22:00.000-07:00

38. 10-13 Border Cafe, Church Street. Summary: As you'd expect of such a large restaurant - but passable in every aspect of the experience.

Border Cafe screams "tourist trap" the second you walk in. Major hustle and bustle, music blaring, blinking lights everywhere, tons and tons of tables upstairs and down service people zipping across the floor, onions sizzling on plates as they arrive at the table.

That said, it delivers a decent lunch. Service was prompt and courteous, food was fine, prices were a bit high but not terrible. Portions, however, were too large.

We got a big bowl of still-hot nachos and salsa as we sat down - which immediately fills you up and makes your stomach content. Then our Cokes came, in massive plastic glasses. Eventually our orders came, essentially super-sized. I ordered the blackened catfish taco, which was an enormous amount of food - but of course I ate it all, because I can't leave food on the table. And my companion had his Coke refilled, without asking, when it was down to about 2/3 empty.

The taco was quite good - the fish was well seasoned. There were a lot of 'extras' to add into the 'taco shells' (they were soft - not sure if that's authentic, but it worked) - but everything made for good eating.

So, if you're looking for a lot of food in a decidedly not-Harvard atmosphere, for about $13, this is your spot.

Greek Corner 11

2006-10-16T10:18:00.000-07:00

37. 10-12 Greek Corner 11, 8.5 Eliot Street. Summary: Good, interesting food, reasonable prices.

What I like most about Greek Corner 11 (is it pronouced "Greek Corner Two"?) is that the food is definitely Greek. I had a falafel gyro and a bowl of lentil soup, and both were very good - tasty, nice cruch from the falafel, and the soup had a nice tomato broth with the right amount of lentils that settled in the bottom of the cup.

I'll be back. About $8.

Au Bon Pain (Mass Ave/Dunster)

2006-10-11T10:17:00.000-07:00

36. 10-11 Au Bon Pain (Mass Ave/Dunster Street). Summary: Doesn't disappoint.

What can I say? As much I'd like to diss ABP and say they're too big/spread too thin, they do an excellent job with lunch. This is the "big one" - there are three satellite ABPs around the square, but this is, I think, the original, and it's been there a really long time.

They introduce new foods, the service is always efficient, the place is always bustling, the prices are fair. I had a sandwich made to order - good food, a fair amount of it too - plus a small yoghurt and a bag of chips for $8. That's a lot of food for that amount of cash.

No complaints. It's not necessarily special, but it satisfies pretty much every time.

Finale

2006-10-11T10:14:00.000-07:00

35. 10-10 Finale, corner of Mt. Auburn and Dunster Streets. Summary: Surprisingly decent sandwiches and service.

I didn't even realize that Finale offered sandwiches, but they do and they're pretty good. All made to order in the kitchen area (can't see it), presented in clear wrapping and in a nice plastic bag - this place knows how to make most any food look great. And while you're ordering and waiting, you have to smell and gaze at the desserts behind the glass cases - they're all decadent.

Prices weren't too bad and the food was pretty good; the service was definitely above average. I'd come back.

Spice Thai Cuisine

2006-10-11T10:10:00.000-07:00

34. 10-6 Spice Thai Cuisine, 24 Holyoke St. Summary: Decent food, nothing special.

Quite frankly, this restaurant is the same as most other Thai restaurants. Decent, basic food, at fair prices. Nothing special enough to bring me back. There's seating for perhaps 50 people, the location is great, but otherwise I have nothing original to say about Spice Thai Cuisine.

Dunkin' Donuts/Deli

2006-10-11T10:04:00.000-07:00

33. 10-5 Dunkin' Donuts/Deli, corner of JFK and Eliot St. Summary: Half-hearted lunch offerings, slow service, but safe.

The fact that there were eight Cambridge cops eating outside the deli on this beautiful day made me feel perhaps a bit safer. Perhaps. The stereotypes sure still do work, though don't they?

There was one guy behind the counter. He took our orders, then walked over to the "pick up food here" area and made our sandwiches, one by one. Eventually another woman took the counter by the "order here" area.

Our guy was very nice, but slow and just learning. He screwed up one order, forgot part of another order, and didn't charge for part of another.

The sandwiches were fine but nothing special, nor were the prices. The bread, amazingly, was some kind of modified bagel shaped into a figure eight. Bizarre, and really not that tasty.

This won't make the top of my list.

Daedalus

2006-10-05T08:34:00.000-07:00

32. 10-4 Daedalus, 45.5 Mt. Auburn Street. Summary: Excellent food, service, and setting. A bit pricey, but worth it.

Daedalus is apparently a hopping night spot, packed with twenty-somethings out to have a good time. For lunch, it's a very good option. The food was original and perfectly cooked - I had a chicken sandwich, and it came hot but juicy - not an easy thing to do with chicken. I also had a cup of tomato soup which was very good.

Our server was very attentive and quick, and never forgot any requests.

The atmosphere upstairs is very pleasant - lots of windows letting in light, plenty of booths.

Price was about $14 per person - expensive, but worth it, I think.

New Asia

2006-10-05T08:30:00.000-07:00

31. 10-3 New Asia, 1105 Mass Ave. Summary: Chinese buffet, decent variety, fine food.

Nothing special here, but it's good to have a Chinese buffet nearby. $7, all you can eat. There was a decent selection of veggie dishes, all of which looked fresh, and meat dishes as well. Our whole gruop went, and everyone was content.

Bright, somewhat sterile atmosphere.

Darwin's

2006-10-05T08:22:00.000-07:00

30. 10-2 Darwin's on Mt. Auburn heading toward Watertown. Summary: Confusing how to order, excellent food, decent prices, excellent variety.

I was anxious about going to Darwin's; I thought it would be similar in snootiness/high prices to Hi Rise on Brattle, but it wasn't. The prices at Darwins are OK - a couple of dollars less than Hi Rise. And the variety of sandwiches - breads, veggies, spreads, cheeses, and meats - is remarkable, simlar to Cardullo's.

The "line management" at Darwin's is poor. People were trying to order from all directions, and some who came in later ordered before others trying to wait patiently. A sign and divider to have people order from the back would be great.

Darwin's also is a small market with fresh vegetables, basic foods, and lots of wine. And, next door is a bakery/cafe to buy coffee and baked goods. Clearly they're doing OK.

Il Panino Express

2006-10-05T08:14:00.000-07:00

29. 9-29 Il Panino Express, 1001 Mass Ave (on the way to Central from Harvard). Summary: Good food, a bit expensive, no atmosphere, enthusiastic staff.

I used to go to Il Panino about five years ago, and it hasn't changed. It's a block past the Crate & Barrel furniture store - about 8 minutes from the heart of the Square. You have to jump in the line on the right moving toward the cashier to place your order and pay. After that you watch the cooks at work and wait for your food.

As the name implies, this place is 100% Italian. I had a salad with chicken, and a bowl of their chicken soup. The salad was good - a lot of food - and the soup was OK, despite its $5 price. The chef actually cooked up the soup as I waited, adding tomato and stock and noodles and chicken to a sauce pan. It took quite a while. He told me that once it starts getting colder he'll have a pot available, but he prefers to cook it on the spot to make sure it's fresh. I found the vegetables a bit too crunchy for my liking, but on the other hand that means they're fresh!

I ended up paying $10, too much for these two items. There are other menu items that are more reasonable; pay attention to the daily special, which is generally cheaper and also quicker to get to you.

9 Tastes

2006-10-05T08:10:00.000-07:00

28. 9-28, 9 Tastes, 50 JFK St. Summary: Very good food and service.

I love Thai food. I always order a Pad Thai with shrimp and chicken as my first dish at a new Thai restaurant, because it tells me whether the restaurant tries to do something unique with its food. 9 Tastes did indeed add some spices/seasonings to their Pad Thai that were very tasty and unusual. I was impressed.

It's a small restaurant that can seat maybe 50 people. The atmosphere is cozy. The service is very attentive and friendly. The prices are fair - not expensive, not cheap. $8 for Pad Thai dish.

Zoe's

2006-09-26T12:41:00.000-07:00

27. 9-26 Zoe's at 1105 Mass Ave. Summary: Good food, a bit expensive, nice service.

Zoe's bills itself as "Breakfast All Day!" and indeed there are many breakfast items always available - but in addition you can find wraps and sandwiches for lunch.

We all ordered take out. Everything came out as we ordered, in a few minutes' time, and the food was quite tasty. I had a turkey/avocado wrap with french fries.

About $7-$8 per person.

Subway, in University Market

2006-09-26T12:37:00.000-07:00

26. 9-25 Subway, in University Market, 1105 Mass Ave. Summary - Good food, excellent value, quick service.

Subway - the same fast-food place advertising heavily nationwide - is actually in Harvard Square. This shouldn't be remarkable, but Harvard Square hasn't allowed a fast-food franchise, pretty much ever - you'll note there aren't any McDonalds or Burger Kings. There's a local zoning ordinance that doens't allow those sort of places.

So I was surprised to see Subway within University Market. Of all the fast food joints, Subway seems the most healthy - or at least they claim so. I was impressed with the whole wheat buns and fresh vegetables, so maybe they really are healthy.

In any case, the food was good, there was no line, and it was cheap - about $4-5 per person.

Charlie's Kitchen

2006-09-26T12:28:00.000-07:00

25. 9-22 Charlie's Kitchen, Eliot Street. Summary - Very good "diner" food, fun setting, friendly but extremely slow service.

Charlie's Kitchen is a throw-back. Not only is there vinyl booth seating, mirrors everywhere, "classic rock" piping in thtrough speakers, TVs turned on in most corners, but just inside the kitchen there's a bell - the kind that has a wooden handle so you can call the kids in for dinner - dangling from a string that gets tugged by the chef when an order is ready. I bet that bell has been used for decades.

Everything was great about our experience except the slowness in the service. Maybe it was just us, but we watched many other tables receive their food despite the fact we ordered before they did. Our server, a lovely older woman, might have slipped up in communicating our order to the kitchen.

We had the normal diner fare, including burgers, a lobster roll sandwich, fries, etc. No complaints about the food.

About $7 per person.

Au Bon Pain, 1100 Mass Ave.

2006-09-22T05:50:00.000-07:00

24. Au Bon Pain, 1100 Mass Ave, 9-21. Summary: Excellent food, decent prices.

I have a love/hate relationship with Au Bon Pain. I love to find it in locations where nothing else seems edible - particularly airports and hospitals. I'm starting to hate it for its growth - there are at least three in Harvard Square alone.

That being said, it's a very well-run business. The food is consistently good, and the menu does change occasionally. The service is always efficient and the workers seem reasonably concerned with helping you out. And the prices are fair.

I had a bowl of soup - vegetarian lentil - and a sandwich on whole wheat baguette (what would the French say?), chicken with apple and grapes. Both were really tasty. $8.50 for both. Jennifer couldn't find her 'perfect' mac and cheese (she wants it baked, with some crust on top and not too runny), but it was OK; Mike had a sandwich which he liked.

And we all left without succumbing to the delectable pastries/muffins.

Harvard Coop Cafe

2006-09-20T10:58:00.000-07:00

23. 9-20 Harvard Coop Cafe. Summary: It's a cafeteria in the middle of a general merchandise/bookstore that takes full advantage of its proximity and its name. In other words, the environment around the cafe is much more important than the cafe itself. Food was nothing special, surroundings were unique.

The Coop (pronounced "coop" as in chicken) has been around forever. It holds a near monopoly on textbook sales to Harvard students, despite the intrusion of the Internet and used textbook sites; to combat this, professors update their books each year and force students to buy them new. Otherwise the Coop sells school supplies, some clothing, lots of posters, and general interest books. And, it has a cafe on the mezzanine level, past all the images on the wall of famous Harvard graduates ("Where is JFK?" a man asked the cashier as I walked past), past the seals of the various Harvard graduate schools. It's kind of like entering a Hollywood version of Harvard - lots of dark wood, tons of books, lots of history staring at you. I'm sure it's kind of fun for tourists.

As for the cafe, it's very simple. Muffins, sweets, drinks, coffees, teas, and some lunch stuff. I had their special, which changes daily: pasta with tomato/meat sauce, garlic bread, small salad, for $6.95. One woman working, no line. She scooped out pre-cooked pasta into a sieve, poured hot water over it, then ladled sauce from a crockpot on the pasta. Salad dressing in single serve, tear-at-the-top container. Kind of like how I would expect airplane food to be prepared and served. Reasonable price, and you don't get more than you pay for.

Boston Chowda Co.

2006-09-19T13:07:00.000-07:00

23. 9-19 Boston Chowda Co. in the Garage. Summary: Good food, reasonable prices.

There isn't too much to say about Boston Chowda Co. I ordered a "big cup" of soup for $4, and a turkey wrap for $5. The wrap was pre-made, but fine; the soup was tasty, but not exceptional. Service was efficient. Satisfying meal, not too expensive.

Nothing special - it won't make the top of my list, but not the bottom either.

Hi-Rise

2006-09-19T12:59:00.000-07:00

22. 9-18 Hi-Rise "At the Blacksmith House" on Brattle. Summary: Only I survived the amazing prices, and the food wasn't worth the cost.

Tom, Jennifer, and Rob all fled as soon as they saw sandwich prices on the blackboard - none of which were below $9. Despite the high prices, the line stayed long for the 15 or so minutes I was there, out the door in fact. It's funny, I don't think a lunch spot like this could survive on the 'other' side of the Square, where our workplace is. Somehow Brattle St. brings out the price-insensitive lunchers.

I had a Sandwich #2, "Fern's Problem Solver," which is roasted turkey, avocado, russian dressing, on grilled semolina bread. It was good, but not as good as Cardullo's, and not as good as Cremaldi's, either - both of which were at least $3 cheaper.

Hi-Rise is beyond the "Yuppie" label I attached to Grafton St. - it's in a league of its own. I'd say it's where transplanted New Yorkers go for lunch, people who aren't afraid to say they get their lunch at Hi-Rise - as a status thing.

Pinocchio's

2006-09-16T14:44:00.000-07:00

21. 9-15 Pinocchio's Pizza, 74 Winthrop St, just off JFK St. Everybody was happy with their food.

Pinocchio's is the classic Harvard undergrad eatery. It's been around forever - over 30 years - and due to its proximity to the "River Houses" many, many students buy slices there. Locals call it Noch's (pronounced "nokes"). On the walls of the tiny shop are many pictures of Harvard varsity teams, usually signed by all the athletes, plus a chemical breakdown of pizza. The food is good - nice variety of pizzas, many of them available as slices, usually in a deep-dish Sicilian style (but they do offer "regular" pizza that has a thin crust). Their subs are fine also.

If it's busy, make sure to jump into the line that starts at the right of the counter and winds through the seating area. Rookies come in on the left and are ignored!

If you're looking for a typical Harvard eating spot, Pinocchio's is it. Around $5-$6 per person.

Hong Kong Restaurant

2006-09-14T14:46:00.000-07:00

20. 9-14 Hong Kong on Mass Ave. I made it, finally, after reading the article saying that the Hong Kong passed its latest city health inspection handily. Spartan environment - lots of vinyl; not the nicest service, but OK; extensive menu; cheap - about $6/per person. Food was unexceptional. I had chicken and broccoli, Rob had egg fu yung - basically a massive omelet with loads of gravy (yuck!), Tom had veggie delite. Not at the top of the list. But no one had an upset stomach afterwards, so it exceeded my expectations!

Upstairs at the Hong Kong is another matter. You go there late at night when you want to get rip-roaring drunk, fast. Just order a Scorpion Bowl, grab a thick straw, and go to it. And good luck getting down the stairs without falling!

Unique Pizza

2006-09-14T14:40:00.000-07:00

19. 9-13 Unique Pizza (formerly Tommy's, on Mt. Auburn). It was a unique experience, at least: despite asking 3 times, Rob's veggie sub came with onion; my pizza slice would never have arrived if I didn't ask; my turkey sub without cheese was a challenge; the staff tripled during the 10 minutes we were there. By the way, they offer an exciting menu item: macaroni and cheese wedges, served with tomato sauce. Deep fried clumps of mac and cheese. These guys must be from the south or the midwest, where you can generally find anything edible coated in batter and fried. Unexceptional food, poor service, price around $6 - $8 per person.

I miss Tommy's, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. Ten plus years ago, Tommy's essentially replaced the Tasty as the late night, drunken, gotta get some fat in my system hole-in-the-wall in the Square. Tommy's had video games, pinball machines, and terrible pizza - but it was always open, and you could always find Harvard students there in various states of inebriation. These places are part of the fabric of college towns.

So what has replaced Tommy's?

B. Good

2006-09-14T14:36:00.000-07:00

18. 9-12 B. Good on Dunster St. Nice place, "full disclosure" on calories/unsat fat/sat fat on all their burgers, quick, decent prices, tasty food. Pleasant experience. This is another "only in the Square" type eatery. It's amazing that it's such a rarity to find a restaurant willing to put on their menu board the caloric/fat information on each item. But there was a steady flow of customers, so there's obviously a market for good food, at reasonable prices, with full disclosure.

Tamarind Bay

2006-09-14T14:33:00.000-07:00

17. 9-11 Tamarind Bay, 75 Winthrop St. (where Casa Mexico used to be) Nice, smallish, slightly upscale Indian restaurant. Buffet (are there any Indian restaurants not offering a buffet for lunch?) was limited but contained foods I haven't seen at any other similar buffets, including a fried eggplant dish that was very tasty. Good service, a bit cramped seating. $10/person, only buffet, no drinks. Probably prefer Bombay Club with more options.

Grafton Street

2006-09-14T14:32:00.000-07:00

16. 9-8 Grafton Street, Mass Ave. Great location, great space, wonderful open windows, big screen TVs, outdoor seating. You expect to get food too? As expected, the food was fine, but nothing special, and it was overpriced to boot. Yuppie heaven. But yuppies are people too, right?
About $13 per person.

Cambridge 1

2006-09-14T13:17:00.000-07:00

15. 9-7 Cambridge 1 on Church St. Posh pizza place, modern/dark with great view out back window toward cemetery. All servers are wearing black - gives you an immediate feeling that you've entered a "hip" place. Had basic pizza and iceberg lettuce salad(!) - and enjoyed both very much. Pizza is wafer-thin, underside of crust charred from wood fire, but toppings are top quality and sprinkled on in clumps - surprises in every bite.

This is the classic "how the Square has changed" restaurant - ten-fifteen years ago, Cambridge 1 wouldn't have made it. But as the Square has gentrified, so has the taste of the population become more sophisticated - and wallets are more full, so people are willing to pay $13 for a super thin pizza and a wedge of iceberg lettuce (I seem to recall that "Double Spud" - One Potato/Two Potato, where Grafton Street is now - used to offer a similar 'salad' - I remember as a child being amused at the lack of preparation needed to make a wedge of salad - essentially one swipe of a cleaver!)

Bit expensive, $13.

Cremaldi's on Putnam

2006-09-14T13:12:00.000-07:00

14. 9-6 Cremaldi's at 31 Putnam Ave. Excellent sandwiches, inept but friendly server who forgot my soup; and no turkey on my turkey and avocado sandwich! Despite that, the grilled sandwich was excellent - very fresh ingredients and the outstanding bread. So despite the haphazard service, we'll make it back here.

Cremaldi's feels like a true neighborhood meeting spot. It's just three blocks off Mass Ave., but it feels like three miles. The only neighbors are single family residences or multi-unit buildings. The seating area is big and still warm feeling. The menu is small and there are very few staff, so it makes me wonder how they're doing financially. I'm rooting for Cremaldi's to stay - but it's going to take a few more people like me wandering off Mass Ave for them to make it, I think.

Bartley's Burgers

2006-09-14T12:42:00.000-07:00

13. 9-5 Bartley's. Everyone loved their burgers. Satisfied our "need for juicy red meat" cravings.

Bartley's is a Harvard Square institution, renowned for its great burgers and iconoclastic ambience. Essentially, it's the Durgin Park of Cambridge, except that Bartley's food is actually very good. It's an experience even before you walk in the door, what with the vent from the kitchen blowing out on to the sidewalk - the aroma of burgers on the grill can't be missed for 100 yards. Then, the 'waiting area' inside the door is about four square feet. Inside, it's incredibly noisy, what with the staff yelling out their orders to chefs who are two feet away from them, to the packed patrons who have to yell to eachother to communicate. But you always find a place to eat right away, often in the center space where singles are packed in next to one another - there must have been romances started at this place. The menu has a million options, most named after celebrities (but good luck figuring out the relationship between the celeb and the actual burger!). And the walls are literally covered with decades worth of posters/signs/prints that inevitably make you chuckle.

All that said, the burgers are plain great. They cook them perfectly, just as you try to do on a grill - about an inch thick, with a seared crust and then juicy in the middle. Sounds easy to do, but very few restaurants can pull it off. And their fries are excellent as well. And they have loads of comfort foods as well - mac and cheese, soups, etc.

You pay a bit extra - about $7-$9 per person - but it's worth it, for the whole experience.

University Market salad bar

2006-09-14T12:24:00.000-07:00

12. 9-1 University Market - salad bar. Cheap, all fresh foods, nice variety - success. In Needham, where I worked previously, there were two salad bars we frequented often. The first was at Zathmary's, an outstanding lunch place with an amazing salad bar. It was expensive, but worth it, because the variety and freshness were outstanding. The second was the supermarket Sudbury Farms, and it was weak in comparison.

So I was worried that we had lost our salad bar option in the Square, only to find University Market a few steps away. It's a small salad bar, but quite fresh and with just the right mix to satisfy all of us. And, best of all, it's very reasonable in price - you can get a substantial salad for under $5.

Lee's

2006-09-14T12:20:00.000-07:00

11. 8-31 Lee's on Church St. Lee's is a Square institution, up there with Charlie's and Bartley's Burgers, I think. (Other such institutions that had to bow out in recent years include the Wursthouse, Buddy's Sirloin Pit, Elsie's, Swiss Alps, and Iruna. OK, Buddy's and Elsie's went away MANY years ago...) In any case, Lee's survives because it offers good, basic food, served quickly and usually with a smile, at reasonable prices. If you want a grilled cheese, or a hot dog, or some excellent fries, or a cup of good ice cream, Lee's will work for you.

Leo's Place

2006-09-14T12:01:00.000-07:00

10. 8-30 Leo's Place on JFK, Greek "comfort food," everyone thought food was just "OK." Another place I've walked past a million times but never went inside. Very simple diner with basic menu. Nothing special, but if you want decent food at a reasonable price, in unpretentious surroundings, this place is for you.

Le's Vietnamese Restaurant

2006-09-14T11:53:00.000-07:00

9. 8-29 Le's vietnamese in Garage. Excellent food, lots of it, OK prices. Formerly Pho Pasteur - the quality seems the same as when it was Pho Pasteur, but it's a bit weird that the name changed. There are still reviews from the old name still on the wall. In any case, the food is excellent, and the prices are commensurate - about $9-$10.

Cardullo's

2006-09-14T11:47:00.000-07:00

8. 8-28 Cardullo's - amazing deli, $7.95 reg., specials $6.95, lots of meat, great add-ins, cash only. I've walked past Cardulo's a million times and never really knew what was inside. Turns out they have a fantastic deli/lunch option, with three or four servers behind the counter making sure you get what you want. Tremendous number of options, and the quality is superb. We ordered four sandwiches and each of us was stunned at the high quality of what we ate - no small feat considering these were 'basic' sandwiches. I had a BBQ turkey sandwich (a special), and it was the most tender turkey I've ever had, with a nice but not overpowering BBQ sauce. Remarkable. You pay a dollar or two extra here, but it's worth it. About $8-$9.

Link to Article on Square Restaurant Inspections

2006-09-14T07:56:00.000-07:00

Rebecca Ledford of the Harvard Crimson wrote an excellent piece in April this year about city inspections of Harvard Square restaurants. She followed city inspectors on their duties and got the "dirt" on how well Square eateries fared in their inspections, which, it turns out, are remarkably thorough (lasting a few hours, and they see each business twice per year).

I was pleased to learn that the Hong Kong has turned the corner - I've been anxious about visiting there, as their reputation is so much geared toward the upstairs bar and their legendary Scorpion Bowls (they've been around for decades), that the restaurant was thought to be an excuse for the staff to work mid-day.

Here's Ledford's article.

Bombay Club

2006-09-14T05:47:00.000-07:00

7. 8-25 Bombay Club on JFK Street, upstairs in Galeria - I've been here a number of times and i alsways enjoy it for lunch. Bombay has an extensive buffet with high quality food; a separate station for the appetizers - small crackers/wafers and chickpea/potato/spices to put on them - and a very nice dining room. About $10 per person.

Felipe's

2006-09-14T05:45:00.000-07:00

6. 8-24 Felipe's on Mt. Auburn - burritos - only dark chicken meat. This place is a machine, moving people fast. And they better get a lot of volume, because their basic burrito is only $3! Apparently Felipe's is THE place for undergrads to grab a quick bite, and with that price, no wonder. The food is good, I only wish they had white chicken meat. About $6 for a well-stuffed burrito.

Updated, 10-14-2011: Felipe's rocks. I've been to it so many times now that they recognize me, which is saying something given how many people get lunch there. Even though the menu is much simpler than Boloco's down the street, I'm now convinced that Felipe's is much better than Boloco, both in terms of quality and value. Simply put, there's no better place to get good, healthy food at a great price. You get to pick everything you want in the burrito and then watch them make it in seconds. The knife flashes as it cuts the meat and/or vegetables, the sour cream gets plopped on the meat, the jalapenos get clumped in the middle of the burrito, making for a single bite full of pain - and yet, the food is absolutely delicious. The cashiers know how to ask "anything else? for here or to go?" - and nothing else - and yet they have you on your way in mere seconds. Felipe's is an efficient and cheap haven for lunch in the Square.

La Creperie

2006-09-13T14:24:00.000-07:00

5. 8-23 La Creperie at 1154 Mass Ave. Bit expensive, only one person working. I had nice salad, it was large with chicken and nice balsamic dressing. Others had crepes, which they enjoyed, but weren't filling enough. Bit expensive for the amount of food. Service was moderate speed-wise, but getting slower as more people came in after us. Around $8 per person.

Cafe Pamplona

2006-09-13T14:23:00.000-07:00

4. 8-22 Cafe Pamplona - great soup, bean/avocado/onion mix with chips, homemade lemonade, lovely outdoor seating under yellow umbrellas (we ate downstairs in a big room with seating for about 30, fortunately it was just us because I imagine it gets really loud down there if full), about $10. Everyone enjoyed their meals.

Boloco

2006-09-13T14:18:00.000-07:00

3. 8-21 Boloco, on Mt. Auburn St. (not Felipes) - smaller burritos, more expensive than Felipes, but white chicken meat, creative offerings, wraps as well.

Cafe Sushi

2006-09-13T14:16:00.000-07:00

2. 8-18 Cafe Sushi 1105 Mass Ave. - excellent bento box, $9. Made for complete meal, including sushi, chicken teriyaki, seaweed salad. Success!

Upstairs on the Square, downstairs

2006-09-13T14:08:00.000-07:00

1. 8-17 Upstairs at the Square (corner JFK and Mt. Auburn St) - fancy - downstairs. Took the company there after moving to the Square on our own (total cost: $143, for the truck rental). Some items on the menu unrecognizable to some, and the grilled cheese was too fancy - probably due to grilled bread and non-American cheese - but in general everyone impressed with the meal and the space. Nice service.