Cambridge recs?

[fm1963]

I'm spending the weekend Cambridge, near MIT, and was thinking of trying:

Cragie on Main
Oleana
Hungry Mother

If you have any other recs, I'd love to hear about them. Thanks!

[CreativeFoodie42]

Some of my other favorites in the Cambridge area include T.W. Food and Ten Tables.

[fm1963]

The menus at both restaurants look great. Thanks!

[ginafly]

I like all that have been mentioned so far. Additionally, I'd throw Central Kitchen and Casablanca into consideration.

Hot chocolate at LA Burdick is to die for if you find yourself in the Harvard Square area.

People also really love Garden at the Cellar, but I have not personally been yet.

[fm1963]

I'll look into these as well. Hot chocolate sounds like a great idea.

[DnJinCambridge]

The Garden at the Cellar is lovely and is open for lunches most days.

[okra]

link

[Taralli]

I would add Rendezvous in Central Square: http://www.rendezvouscentralsquare.com/

[fm1963]

Yep, heard good things about Rendezvous too. Maybe lunch on Sunday.

[kobuta]

I love Rendezvouz, and they have a terrific deal on a prix fixe menu for dinner on Sundays.

I'd also add Green St for the Cambridge area. Heard great things about Central Kitchen, but never been.

[Taralli]

Alas, not open for lunch: http://www.rendezvouscentralsquare.co...

[fm1963]

Thanks for pointing this out. I'll see if I can switch my reservations for Fri. or Sat. night.

[fm1963]

I booked a res at Rendezvous for Friday evening. Green Street looks good too!

[ecwashere7]

Don't get turned off by Green Street's appearance from the outside. If you like cocktails, its a great place to go. Don't skip Craigie either.

Up in Inman square there are Ole and East Coast Grill. I really like both of them.

[fm1963]

Thanks for the recs! I had great meals at Rendezvous, Craigie, Oleana, and Market by Jean Georges - which included quite a few very inventive and unusually delicious dishes:

Can't wait to try the hot choc at LA Burdick and also TW Food, Ten Tables, Casablanca, Garden at the Cellar, Green St., Central Kitchen, East Coast Grill, Hungry Mother and Ole on my subsequent visits.

[ginafly]

That list you just rattled off is making me hungry...many of my favs on there. I am always so happy when people seek out good food whilst traveling. I am very much that way, even when traveling for work, which is why I know the best places to eat in Albuquerque and Ft. Wayne, oddly enough.

Oh! You might put EVOO on there, too. They are currently on the Cambridge/Somerville line, but will be moving to the Kendall area this winter. They have great fried oysters, rabbit confit, beef tenderloin, an entree called duck duck goose, and another great one called "The Chinese Box." Sometimes I have been disappointed if I stray into the specials, but those dishes I rattled off are sort of their greatest hits and are always on the menu. They are fantastic.

[fm1963]

I'll admit wondering whether "duck duck goose" was a New England version of turducken, but it's duck confit, foie gras and goose breast. Sounds wonderful.

I'll certainly keep EVOO in mind.

[CreativeFoodie42]

The Chinese Box is full of mustard glazed shrimp, sesame - hoisin braised beef, gingered vegetable-cashew salad and jasmine rice. The presentation on my meal was both a bit cheesy and kind of cool - a takeout Chinese box upside down was lifted to make this really cool presentation of layers of deliciousness. The braised beef was so tender and the shrimp was huge and perfectly cooked.

[ginafly]

Thanks for describing the Chinese Box in detail. It is indeed layers of deliciousness!

Oh, and yes, fm, duck duck goose is as wonderful as it sounds.

I am hoping that EVOO's move from their current location doesn't adversely affect the food quality. Some other restaurants have a difficult time getting their groove back after a big move (like L'Espalier in Boston, from what I've read). But Craigie on Main moved to their current space from a much smaller space and has only received raves since then...so it can be done.

[yumyum]

Drove past EVOO's new space today. Not that the old digs were particularly snugglie, but this seems so corporate to me. No doubt they will get lots of business travel patrons -- that area is still pretty dead at night, despite the condos popping up all over the place. They should consider doing lunch too ... lots of offices in the area (including mine!)

[ginafly]

I've been worried about this...we'll see. I do think that the staff at EVOO always more than made up for the somewhat unsnuggly environs. I know it's dead down there, but hasn't stopped Hungry Mother and Blue Room.

I'm also excited for the new Za that will share a kitchen with EVOO...love the one in Arlington. They could give Emma's some competition at lunch in that area.

[yumyum]

I went to EVOO last night for a last supper in their old digs. I haven't been for maybe 2 years, but I've enjoyed it the handful of times I've been. The staff were indeed excellent and the food was very good. Great prix fixe value: $38 for three courses. I started with pate and my friend had the butternut squash soup. Both very good -- my pate was wrapped in bacon and there's just nothing wrong with that. Her soup was served piping hot which is always appreciated on a January night. Scallops with celeriac remoulade as mains. Properly cooked scallops served over roasted veg and some grain .. maybe farro? A heap of celeriac on top which was very good too. She had bread pudding and I had lemon curd tart to finish. Definitely a quality meal, if nothing very exciting. It was pretty busy -- room at least half full the whole time, and it's a big room. I was a bit surprised at the clientele -- average age hovering around 70. I felt like I was in FLA at the early bird special. Is this common or did we just hit a particularly Cocoon kinda night? I know that all sounds terribly ageist but my point is this doesn't seem like the kind of crowd that will head over to Kendall like the Hungry Mother hangers on.

[Nab]

Soup, pudding, pate, custard .... nice to be able to leave the dentures at home for once. :)