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YOUR PICKS
BBQ
REDBONES BBQ
Plates of meat, jars of beer. Repeat forever, always.
[55 Chester St., Somerville. @Redbones. redbones.com]
BREAKFAST
THE FRIENDLY TOAST
Because sometimes a Bloody Mary and a fat stack of pancakes
is just what you need after a rough night.
[1 Hampshire St., Cambridge. @Friendly_toast. thefriendlytoast.net]
BRUNCH
HIGHLAND KITCHEN
Kickass southern-style choices and an excuse to drink before noon.
[150 Highland Ave., Somerville. @HighlandKitchen. highlandkitchen.com]
BURGER
R.F. O’SULLIVAN & SON
They’ve been called the best burgers in Boston by you … and us.
We agree, is what we’re saying.
[282 Beacon St., Somerville. rf-osullivan.com]
BURRITO
OLECITO
Their fresh ingredients and good value make
Cambridge a burrito destination.
[12 Springfield St., Cambridge. @olecito. olerestaurantgroup.com/olecito]
CHINESE
WOK N’ ROLL
Stop, wok, and egg roll! Heh. Anyway, they’re good.
[1908 Mass. Ave., Cambridge. woknrollcambridge.com]
CENTRAL/SOUTH AMERICAN
CASA B
The ceviche will make you see God at this bomb-ass tapas bar.
[253 Washington St., Somerville. @CasaBRestaurant. casabrestaurant.com]
BEER BAR/BOTTLES
BUKOWSKI TAVERN
Between the Vintage Reserve Series and the stellar selection,
Buks’ beer book is a must-read.
[1281 Cambridge St., Cambridge. @bukscambridge. bukowskitavern.net]
BEER BAR/DRAFT
THE INDEPENDENT
Well-curated draft lines featuring loads of local beers
make the Indo a neighborhood favorite.
[75 Union Sq., Somerville. @TheIndo. theindo.com]
COCKTAILS
SALOON
Where the bartenders wear suspenders and each drink
is slaved over with painstaking care.
[255 Elm St., Somerville. saloondavis.com]
COFFEE SHOP
DIESEL CAFE
The caffeine-slingin’ jewel of Davis Square.
Try all the coffee drinks!
[257 Elm St., Somerville. @diesel_cafe. diesel-cafe.com]
FALAFEL
AMSTERDAM FALAFELSHOP
Get high on hummus at the new best reason to head to Davis.
[248 Elm St., Somerville. @amsterdamBoston. falafelshop.com]
FOOD TRUCK
CLOVER
Proving vegetarian food can be fun, versatile, and inventive.
Suck it, carnivores!
[20 Carleton St., Cambridge. @cloverfoodtruck. cloverfoodlab.com]
FRENCH
CHEZ HENRI
Though le restaurant est francais, it’s all about the Cuban.
[1 Shepard St., Cambridge. @ChezHenri. chenzhenri.com]
FROZEN YOGURT
BERRYLINE
The name may be a bit saccharine,
but the frozen yogurt is always tart and tasty.
[3 Arrow St., Cambridge. @BerryLine. berryline.com]
GASTROPUB
RUSSELL HOUSE TAVERN
You know what pairs well with any beer? Love.
Which happens to be the main ingredient in their insanely good food.
[14 JFK St., Cambridge. @russellhousetav. russellhousecambridge.com]
HOTEL BAR
NOIR BAR
Does Charlie’s Kitchen close too early for ya during the week? Head over here.
You just might see Val Kilmer. (We did.)
[1 Bennett St., Cambridge. @CharlesHotel. noir-bar.com]
ICE CREAM
TOSCANINI’S ICE CREAM
Homemade ice cream so good you’ll crave it even on the coldest winter day.
[899 Main St., Cambridge. @tosci. tosci.com]
INDEPENDENT MARKET
HARVEST CO-OP
The Arcade Fire of marketplaces.
Give these guys whatever the culinary equivalent of a Grammy is.
[580 Mass. Ave., Cambridge. @HarvestCoopJP. harvestcoop.com]
INDIAN
PUNJABI DHABA
Naan-naan-naan-naan. Hey hey hey.
Goodbye … all other Indian restaurants.
[225 Hampshire St., Cambridge. @PunjabiDhaba. royalbharatinc.com]
ITALIAN
CITY GIRL CAFÉ
Affordable and romantic gem in Inman.
Come for a first date, stay for the weird art.
[204 Hampshire St., Cambridge. @coffeesluts. citygirlcafe.com]
JAPANESE
GENKI YA
Organic sushi and a caterpillar roll complete with veggie antennae.
“Yum” is the word you’re looking for.
[231 Alewife Brook Parkway, Cambridge. genkiyasushi.com]
LATE NIGHT
TRINA’S STARLITE LOUNGE
Even if you’re already drunk, Trina’s is impossible to forget.
[3 Beacon St., Somerville. @trinastarlite. trinastarlitelounge.com]
LIQUOR STORE
CAMBRIDGE WINE & SPIRITS
With hard-to-find wines and a huge list of weekly specials,
it’s a must-visit for all 21-year olds
ready to get serious.
[202 Alewife Brook Parkway, Cambridge. cambridgewinespirits.com]
LIQUOR STORE/BEER
CRAFT BEER CELLAR
Less a packie and more a candy store for adults,
their 800-deep bottle selection make it
more than worth the trip to Belmont.
[51 Leonard St., Belmont. @CBC_Belmont. nocrapbeer.com]
LIQUOR STORE/WINE
BALL SQUARE FINE WINES
The staff here are wizards of wine and sorcerers of spirits.
[716 Broadway, Somerville. @ballsqfinewines. ballsquarefinewines.com]
MEDITERRANEAN
OLEANA
The food of Olympia served without the pretension—
it’s a Mediterranean heaven on earth.
[134 Hampshire St., Cambridge. @OleanaBuzz. oleanarestaurant.com]
MEXICAN
BORDER CAFE
Hot-out-of-the fryer chips and salsa fo’ frees,
and the biggest margaritas $7 can buy.
You had us at those things.
[32 Church St., Cambridge. @bordercafecinco. bordercafe.com]
MIDDLE EASTERN
ZUZU
Try going before a show at the Middle East once,
and then you’ll start going every time.
[474 Mass. Ave., Cambridge. @zuzubar. zuzubar.com]
PATIO
CHARLIE’S BEER GARDEN
Recipe for a Sunday hangover cure: fresh air, greasy food,
and a few oversized, wallet-friendly beers.
Otherwise known as “Charlie’s.”
[10 Eliot St., Cambridge. @CharliesKitchen. charlieskitchen.com]
PASTRY/BAKERY
PETSI PIES
Cheat at Thanksgiving and order one of Petsi’s Apple Pear Cranberry pies.
They bake better than Grandma.
Don’t tell her we said so.
[285 Beacon St., Somerville. @petsipies. petsipies.com]
PIZZA
VEGGIE PLANET
Made fresh? Check. Organic? You bet your ass.
Delicious? And how!
[47 Palmer St., Cambridge. @VeggiePlanetHSQ. veggieplanet.net]
RAW BAR
EAST COAST GRILL
Insert your own “schuck” joke here. We’re too hungry for puns.
[1271 Cambridge St., Cambridge. @EastCoastGrill. eastcoastgrill.net]
SANDWICHES
ALL STAR SANDWICH BAR
There is no shame in openly crying when biting down for the first time.
It’s just that good.
[1245 Cambridge St., Cambridge. @allstarsandwich. allstarsandwichbar.com]
SEAFOOD
LEGAL SEA FOODS
The place to take your Boston visitors for a taste of all things fishy.
[5 Cambridge Center, Cambridge. @legalseafoods. legalseafoods.com]
SOUL/SOUTHERN
HUNGRY MOTHER
You better be as hungry as a mother when you arrive—
make sure you’ve got a hankering for grits and collard greens.
[233 Cardinal Medeiros Ave., Cambridge. @HungryMotherMA. hungrymothercambridge.com]
SPORTS BAR
PHOENIX LANDING
“Let’s watch the World Cup and make sure we don’t get too
daydrunk to catch some house music tonight!”
[512 Mass. Ave., Cambridge. @PhoenixLanding2. phoenixlandingbar.com]
STEAK
FRANK’S STEAK HOUSE
We like our steaks rare here.
As in, the cow could have a chance of recovery.
[2310 Mass. Ave., Cambridge. @FranksSteakHous. frankssteakhouse.com]
SUSHI
THELONIOUS MONKFISH
Seriously though: the Frog Prince roll. Do it now.
Quick, this place gets packed.
[524 Mass. Ave., Cambridge. @tsmonkfish. theloniousmonkfish.com]
TAPAS
DALI RESTAURANT & TAPAS BAR
The closest thing to Spain in Somerville.
Make sure to get wildly inappropriate after too much cava.
[415 Washington St., Somerville. @DaliTapasBar. dalirestaurant.com]
THAI
SUGAR AND SPICE
Sugar and spice and … everything deliciously aromatic.
If you’re looking for the best pad thai in Boston, look no further.
[1933 Mass. Ave., Cambridge. sugarspices.com]
VEGGIE
VEGGIE GALAXY
Proving that vegetarians and vegans can be just as addicted to junk food as carnivores!
And what a sweet addiction it is.
[450 Mass. Ave., Cambridge. @VeggieGalaxy. veggiegalaxy.com]
WINGS
CAMBRIDGE COMMON
Comes in mild, satanic, or BBQ, but all are slathered in joy.
[1667 Mass. Ave., Cambridge. @cambcomm. cambridgecommonrestaurant.com]
EDIT PICKS
J.PAT’S EDIT PICK
BEST BAR I KINDA WANT TO KEEP TO MYSELF: OLDE MAGOUN’S SALOON
With damn near 30 craft beers on tap and a menu that reads like a bunch of my afternoon daydreams stapled together (November’s theme is cheese), Olde’s is my happy place. I am sharing my happy place with you. Have that on your conscience. [518 Medford St., Somerville. @magounssaloon magounssaloon.com]
HEATHER’S PICK:
BEST BEER LITERTURE: LORD HOBO
It’s one thing to be a bar with a beer list the size of a Russian novel; it’s another to be a bar where that list is meticulously curated and constantly rotating. Lord Hobo falls squarely on the latter category, with added bonuses of kickass bartenders, delectable fare, and the chillest vibes. [92 Hampshire St., Cambridge. @lordhobo. lordhobo.com]
JPAT’S PICK:
BEST BREAD-BORN EPIPHANY : FIVE HORSES TAVERN
Yeah, yeah, huge, two-tiered bar, amazing selection of beers and scotches, and heck, while we’re here, the best damn tater tots in Mass. All that aside, Five Horses will always be the place that taught me you can put kimchi on a sandwich—the Endgame. And nothing was the same. Forever. [400 Highland Ave., Somerville. @5HorsesTavern. fivehorsestavern.com]
SEAN’S EDIT PICK:
BEST BREAD AND TAP LINES: THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIK
Maybe you have a friend who’s put off by the idea of using a moneyless social system as the theme for a decidedly for-money bar. Guess what? Next round is totally on them. Redistribution of wealth, sucker! Now go bother the bartender about that ominous countdown clock in the corner. [876 Mass. Ave., Cambridge. @pRepublik. peoplesrepublik.com]
JPAT’S PICK
BEST PLACE TO DRINK BEER AND PLAY PINBALL: FLAT TOP JOHNNY’S
I’m bad at pool, okay at pinball, and great at drinking, so Flat Top Johnny’s has my whole skill set spectrum covered. If there’s a better way to spend a Sunday than with a pitcher and ten bucks worth of Medieval Madness, I’ve yet to find it. [1 Kendall Sq., Cambridge. @FlatTopJohnnys. flattopjohnnys.com]
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