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Chef Tony Susi takes the reins at the Charles Hotel’s eternally Italian restaurant

For more than 20 years, this restaurant inside the Charles Hotel was Rialto, where chef Jody Adams made her name and diners’ nights with her warm, sophisticated take on Italian-influenced food. Regulars still miss her slow-roasted duck. It can be hard to move on after a long relationship.

Rialto closed in 2016, and the restaurant became Benedetto, where chef Michael Pagliarini (Giulia, Moëca) served duck, too, inside golden tortelloni wreathed with broccoli rabe, dried cherries, and shavings of Parmigiano. In 2021, Benedetto was replaced with Bar Enza, a collaboration between the hotel and the Lyons Group (behind Scampo, Summer Shack, and many more). Michelin-starred chef Mark Ladner brought meatballs the size of small cabbages, the 100-layer lasagna he was known for at New York’s Del Posto, and momentary buzz. Now Ladner has moved into a corporate role, and Bar Enza has a new executive chef: Tony Susi, whose food you may have eaten over the years in restaurants from Olives to Geppetto to Capo to his own former Sage.

When it comes to culinary talent, that’s an embarrassment of riches. If nothing else, the evolution of the space speaks to how many different ways there are to interpret “Italian restaurant.” Meanwhile, across the lobby, Henrietta’s Table has been serving farm-focused New England fare for almost 30 years. (It and Rialto both opened around the same time as Susi’s tiny nook in the North End.)

The new and bite-sized “25/8 artspace” is lighting up Harvard Square at all hours of the day.

Its first exhibition is “Bikes Move Us,” sculptures that celebrates the political power of bike riding – a potent theme in Cambridge now – by artist Nat Reed.

Rosaline Kovacs, co-owner, pours a glass of wine while working behind the bar at Shay’s Pub & Wine Bar in Harvard Square in Cambridge, Friday, Aug. 11, 2023.

16 spots bound to make you stop saying “I go to school in Boston” and start declaring “I go to school in Cambridge”

Situated across Kendall, Central, and Harvard Squares, students at Harvard and MIT have easy access to some of the best food in the greater Boston area. With both schools perfectly positioned along the Red line, students from one university are no stranger to the food options closest to the other. Diverse options ranging from an Arabic coffee shop to a jazz-themed sushi restaurant to whiskey-forward BBQ joint mean that Harvard and MIT students don’t need to leave Cambridge for a great meal.

Here are 16 spots bound to make you stop saying “I go to school in Boston” and start declaring “I go to school in Cambridge.”

Western Front blazed into Harvard Square last month, becoming the first cannabis dispensary to open in the neighborhood — nearly seven years after Massachusetts legalized recreational marijuana.

With the new location, Western Front becomes the first economic empowerment licensed cannabis company to open a maximum of three dispensaries in Massachusetts. The dispensary, which also boasts storefronts in Chelsea and Central Square, sells a variety of cannabis products as well as pieces from local artists.

Marvin E. Gilmore Jr., 98, and Dennis A. Benzan founded Western Front in 2020 through the economic empowerment licensing program, a Massachusetts initiative that prioritizes licensing cannabis dispensaries owned by or employing Black and Latinx residents and people who live in “geographic areas that have been disproportionately harmed by marijuana prohibition and enforcement,” per the state’s Cannabis Control Commission.

Western Front celebrated the grand opening of its 98 Winthrop St. location with local music, yard games, vendors, and artists in Winthrop Park on July 21.

There have been resets on studying the economic effects of Cambridge bike-lane installations and on outreach to the public when a bike-lane project gets underway, city staff and consultants said in July meetings.

The economic study frustrating business owners in May now has the Volpe National Transportation Center aboard as a consultant and new data sources in place, the center’s Sean Pierce said at a July 17 economic impact study information session for the Cycling Safety Ordinance. The 2019 law calls for nearly 25 miles of protected lanes citywide.

A new outlet of an eclectic local group of dining spots has come to Cambridge after being in the works for more than a year.

According to an email, The Friendly Toast is now open in Harvard Square, moving into the space on Mass. Ave. that had been home to Grafton Street Pub & Grill until it moved to a new space on JFK Street. The new location of the eatery joins others locally in Boston’s Back Bay, Burlington, Chestnut Hill, Danvers, Dedham, and North Andover, and there had also been one in the Kendall Square section of Cambridge but that one closed in the summer of 2020.

The address for the new location of The Friendly Toast in Harvard Square is 1230 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02138. The website for all locations can be found at https://thefriendlytoast.com/

When it comes to writing slice of life songs and then singing them from the heart, Ashley Jordan is in a league of her own. Born and raised in the tiny town of Harvard, MA, Ashley spent her summers in the Ozark Mountains with her grandparents, listening to and singing country music. She credits her late grandfather as “the light of her life” and it is clear that his influence as a country-folk singer/ songwriter is part of her DNA. At only 13, Ashley convinced her parents to allow her to travel to iconic Harvard Square in Cambridge where she and her guitar set up shop on a street corner. While a family member stood by, crowds gathered and her tip jar filled to the brim. The shy girl came to life in front of an audience and Ashley found her voice and her calling. By the time she was 16, Ashley was touring New England with her first album of original songs. Four albums later, Ashley Jordan is a seasoned live performer who has played to crowds as large as 40,000 opening for everyone from Trace Adkins to The Beach Boys, to Billboard Chart hit-maker Jimmie Allen, to the legendary Charlie Daniels Band. She has scored major market airplay, a first-round Grammy nomination, two unprecedented back-to-back Country Artist of the Year wins at the Boston Music Awards and was twice named a top 10 finalist on Nash Next, where she performed for industry professionals. With the upcoming release of her fifth album of original music recorded in Nashville and produced by Jeff Huskins of Little Texas fame, Ashley Jordan is perched at the edge of stardom. Blessed with a powerhouse voice that moves effortlessly from pure country to an authentic rock vibe, Ashley Jordan is on fire and ready to roll.

There’s symmetry between this time of summer and the days surrounding Christmas and New Year’s. People are often traveling or are just getting back to work. Coworkers are catching up about adventures had and meals eaten.

One difference between that wintry time of year and now is that there’s no delay for events in the summer. Come rain or shine (fingers crossed for more shine than rain), the summer vibes don’t stop in Boston. Even if you didn’t score your tickets to the now sold-out Ezra Furman Somerville show, there’s still plenty to do! Here’s a list of five options to make the most out of your mid-July weekend.

Vinyl Nights at the ICA

Friday, July 14

This Friday marks the start of a free dance series at ICA. It’s the kind of event that you should keep in the back of your head for the unexpected date night or the unexpected date night cancellation! We could talk forever about how music on vinyl sounds. It’s the only consumer medium that’s both entirely analog and lossless, but to the common folk who don’t know what that means… vinyl is just cool. And that’s the kind of mood you want for a dance party at a museum. Soul, Funk and R&B vinyl connoisseur, Soulelujah will handle the turntables on this Friday’s kickoff night, and there will be a different DJ each week. Bring your best outfit and your best moves to this party. It’s 2023, and you’re dancing to vinyl at a museum. You know there are going to be some fashionable styles on display. Entry is free, and tickets are not required.

Harvard Square Bastille Day Celebration

Friday, July 14

If dancing to vinyl isn’t your thing, perhaps you’ll enjoy some wine and other delights for the senses at Harvard Square. In France and around the world, July 14th is both a historical holiday marking the French Revolution and a cultural celebration. To mark the occasion this year, Harvard Square is closing Church Street to traffic to make room for a massive party. Bonde Fine Wine Shop will open its wine garden. Other food options include macarons, French-style sandwiches, pastries and breads. Bobby Keyes will perform from 6-8 p.m., and at 8 p.m., DJ JoE FinnZ will take over the turntables with a collection of French pop music from the ‘80s and ‘90s. So perhaps don’t finish your entire baguette until after you’ve hit the dance floor.

Lenny Clarke back at MRPAC

Comedian Lenny Clarke will perform Saturday night, July 15, at the Marilyn Rodman Performing Arts Center, 1 School St., Foxboro center. Clarke is known for his sarcastic social commentaries, anecdotal humor and thick Boston accent, along with his role as Uncle Teddy on FX’s series, “Rescue Me” and parts in several movies including “Fever Pitch.” Tickets for the show start at $35. Call 508-276-6546 or go to www.orpheum.org.

Rock out for music education

Music Drives Us’ third annual Rock ‘n’ Roll Drive-In — A Night to Rock fundraising event will take place from 5 to 10:30 p.m. Saturday at 875 South Main St. in Mansfield. The live, drive-in event is a tribute to classic rock and heavy metal, and will feature a performance by Generation 3, with guest performances by Mission to Sleep and Carpathia. Music Drives Us, a nonprofit, is donating all proceeds from the event to the after-school music program at Jordan/Jackson Elementary School in Mansfield. Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at the door. To purchase in advance, go to musicdrivesus.org.