The “Best of Boston” in Harvard Square
The Harvard Square Business Association is proud to recognize the Harvard Square establishments honored as “Best of Boston” in Boston Magazine’s 38th Annual Issue. Congratulations to all the winners!
American Repertory Theater – Theater
The A.R.T. has added major buzz to its stages, from Amanda Palmer’s work in Cabaret to a punk musical about Prometheus. Artistic Director Diane Paulus has displayed the clout to bring in star turns by John Lithgow and Amy Brenneman, as well as the vision to produce the U.S. premiere of robot opera Death and the Powers, written by MIT prof Tod Machover. This is a theater that keeps your eye on the calendar for what’s coming next.
64 Brattle Street, 617-547-8300
Chez Henri – Best Neighborhood Eats, Harvard Square
Harvard Law students flirt with hipster artists at the bar. Undergrads flirt with their first taste of grilled octopus in the dining room. Software publicists pitch clients in the bistro’s corner, between gulps from the smartly chosen wine list. And the best part is that everyone is genuinely, utterly relaxed. Does Harvard Square get any more real than this?
One Shepard Street, 617-354-8980
The Comedy Studio – Club- Comedy
A dim attic in a Chinese restaurant may not shout “big laughs inside” but the Comedy Studio consistently delivers them. The room’s long communal tables – an audience lubricated with potent scorpion bowls – provide a perfect setting for seasoned pros to test new material, and for up-and-comers to hone their timing.
At the Hong Kong, 1238 Massachusetts Avenue, 617-661-6507
Forty Winks – Lingerie
We know they mean well, but we’ve had it up to here with overzealous lingerie consultants treating us like long-lost members of the Ta-Ta Sisterhood. Enter Forty Winks, a year old Harvard Square spot that knows precisely when to offer help (love those walk-in fittings!) and when to back off. With a highly browsable stock of Cosabella push-ups, Eberjey swimwear, Spanx body shapers, and other pretty little pieces, this store targets those who celebrate lingerie but don’t need their hands held to choose it.
56 JFK Street, 617-492-9100
Harvard Book Store – Reading Series
It’s not exactly a shock that Harvard is able to reel in big names for its reading series. The pleasant surprise is the sheer variety, from political leaders (Ralph Nader) to literary-world sweethearts (Gary Shteyngart). Listen to discussions on the environment, the economy, or good old-fashioned plot analysis – and even take part in one yourself, with the book circle or the “Philosophy Cafe”. Many events are free, and the ones that aren’t seldom cost more than $5.
1256 Massachusetts Avenue, 617-661-1515
Harvest – Al Fresco Dining
Like to eat while on display, with the entire passing world gawking at your menu choices? Pull up a sidewalk seat on Newbury. Prefer to dine discreetly en plein air, where you can focus on the meal, the company, and the cool breezes? Settle in at Harvest’s soothing garden retreat, tucked into a hidden nook off Harvard Square. Kick back among the sun-dappled linden trees and order a plate of chef Mary Dumont’s salmon with green garlic, or the tea-marinated duck with rhubarb. Then decide which is more restorative: the food or the setting.
44 Brattle Street, 617-868-2255
Hi-Rise Bread Company – Cookie
Choosing just one of Hi-Rise’s cookies is a little like being forced to choose between your children. The almond macaroons taste like an intense nutty cloud. The oatmeal coconut, studded with whole pecans, are as chewy as can be. But it’s the deep, dark chocolate sandwich cookies – more brownie-like than crunchy are double stuffed with an extra scoop of vanilla cream – that truly take the, er, cake.
208 Concord Avenue, 617-876-8766
Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre – Dance Performance
This 25-year-old company is the antithesis of stuffy, overpolished dance – and its venue, the minuscule Sanctuary Theatre inside the Old Cambridge Baptist Church, provides an almost religious experience. The seats are so close that you can see every slash of muscle, hear each clack of a pointe shoe, and practically feel the performers’ exhalations. The intimacy lends Mateo’s dynamic choreography a raw power that’s compulsively watchable, whether you’re a ballroom expert or have two left feet.
400 Harvard Street, 617-354-7467
L.A. Burdick – Chocolatier
Between British import Hotel Chocolat hitting Newbury and New York’s Max Brenner setting up shop on Boylston, the city’s chocoholics are on a high. But for all the appeal of the newcomers, we’re still addicted to humble little Burdick. The New Hampshire – based company combines Swiss, French and Venezuelan chocolate with local honey and milk for truffles with worldly flavor and hometown charm. Whether you flavor ganache with cinnamon, the honey-caramel truffle, or the chocolate-cognac-saffron pave, Burdick’s charming Harvard Square cafe is the perfect setting to indulge.
52 Brattle Street, 617-491-4340
Legal Sea Foods – Chowder
Like spaghetti sauce or competition chili, clam chowder is one of those foods that’s better made in enormous quantities. The big-batch approach melds all the flavors – and no one in town does as much volume as Legal. Based on a rich fish stock made from the bones of thousands of swimmers, the chowder features the essence of briny clams, a bit of cream, herbs, onions, and potatoes. Simple and delicious.
One Bennett Street, 617-491-9400
Regattabar – Club – Jazz – Upscale
Jazz in its live form requires a venue that does it justice. With a slew of world –class acts ranging from timbale guru Eguie Castrillo to prog-funk trio Garage a Trois, this 220 seat space packs in the tables but leaves room for dancing out back. Bands play on the floor rather than a stage, making banter with the audience a common occurrence.
Charles Hotel, One Bennett Street, 617-661-5000
Rialto – Restaurant, General Excellence
If there’s anything we’ve learned from fine dining’s shift toward farm-to-table cooking, it’s that the integrity of one’s cuisine is just as important as high-end ingredients and elegant presentations. And at Rialto, chef Jody Adams has quietly, unfailingly delivered food with care and purpose for 17 years. Her ability to meld New England’s seasonal bounty with regional Italian preparations can be positively breathtaking, as can her presentations. And while Rialto has certainly kept up with the trends – you’ll find pates, pickled veggies, and craft cocktails aplenty – thanks to the dining room’s unflinching service and impeccable wine list, the overall effect is timeless.
One Bennett Street, 617-661-5050
Savenor’s – Butcher Shop
The exotics section – black bear, kangaroo, rattlesnake – may score all the novelty points, but it’s the top quality of the more-conventional meats at this family-run business that has won the dedication of home cooks and area chefs alike (including Julia Child). The vast majority of the offerings are free of hormones and antibiotics, and they’re local, too: Vermont Berkshire pork, Maine-raised sirloin from alfalfa fed herds.
92 Kirkland Street, 617-576-6328
See Eyewear – Optical Shop – Casual
Hip and affordable eyewear, thy name is See. Frames here come in all manner of colorful, mod styles, with new designs rolling in regularly. Throw in the occasional half-off sale and a respectable smattering of sunglasses and kids’ frames, and you’ll see why this is the place to beat.
1276 Massachusetts Avenue, 617-868-1500
The Tannery – Clothing – Women’s Casual
Thanks to buyer Brittney Rothweiler’s eye for sophisticated yet street-inspired clothing, the Tannery comes off like something you’d stumble upon amid Milan’s fashion-filled back alleys. Pieces like J Brand wax-coated cigarette jeans and Shipley & Halmos cargo jumpers provide the foundation; Frieda & Nellie baubles and other striking accessories lend the finishing touch to any outfit.
39 Brattle Street, 617-491-1811