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Last spring, it was reported that a new community-focused coffee shop was planning to open in Cambridge, and now we have learned that it is up and running.

According to a source as well as a Harvard Crimson article, Faro Cafe is now open on Arrow Street along the eastern edge of Harvard Square, and as indicated in an earlier article, the shop is influenced by a beloved place that closed in 2020, with Faro Cafe owner Henry Hoffstot saying last year that “We’re trying to create a space where we of course sell coffee, but we also foster conversation and have sort of a Cafe Pamplona-style place where people can go and talk.” Cafe Pamplona closed down in the spring of 2020 after being in business for more than 60 years.

The address for Faro Cafe is 5 Arrow Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138. Its website is at https://farocafe.org/

Valentine’s Day is the perfect excuse to take your crush or significant other on a date. Dates can be nerve-racking and even scary. So, I’m going to walk you through some DO’s and DON’Ts date spots in Harvard Square. 

DO: Toscano 

If you’re looking to impress a special someone, Toscano is the way to go. With delightful bread rolls, delicious pastas and decadent pizzas, this perfect Italian spot is sure to leave a lasting impression.  A great excuse to dress up and have fun, this is one of the best restaurants in Harvard Square for good reason. 

DO: Enjoy an ice cream at Ben and Jerry’s

Dinner dates can be really uncomfortable when you’re just getting to know someone, so Ben and Jerry’s  is a perfect no-stress first date option. Who doesn’t love ice cream? Ben and Jerry’s is by far the best ice cream spot in my opinion (sorry JP Licks lovers). They’re over-the-top flavors hit the spot everytime. 

DO: Get a latte at Tatte 

For a relaxed date, go to Tatte to grab an overpriced pastry and coffee. You can invite someone here on the pretense of studying together at one of those tiny little tables, only to chat for half an hour while you wait in line to order and then not be able to find anywhere to sit. It’s a low-pressure, fun spot, but surely a bonding experience. 

DO: Picnic in the Yard

Give it a few weeks for the weather to warm a little and for the ground to dry, and then a picnic in Harvard yard is a perfect date idea, and one of my all-time favorites. Not only is it layed back and romantic but you can personalize it with your favorite foods, and experience the magic of Harvard Yard. This one is, however, extremely unsubtle—you are begging to be bothered by your friends, tourists and wandering turkeys alike.

DO: Walk on the Anderson Bridge

Take a romantic stroll across the Anderson Bridge and perch on the stone walls to watch the sunset with a special someone. It’s a great way to decompress, play your favorite tunes, and get some quality time together. It’s also a short walk down the river to Weeks Bridge if you’re feeling up for a late-night dip…

DO: Check out the Brattle theater

A timeless date night is a trip to your local movie theater. Brattle theater is the perfect place to snuggle up, share a drink and popcorn, and have a great romantic evening. For the introverted among us, a movie date allows you to alleviate yourself from the burdens of menial conversation, and instead just hope that a hand-hold is enough chemistry.

DO: Late night Pinocchios 

Pinnochios can be great to get a late night slice of pizza with a special someone. The comfort of Pinocchios will ensure a safe setting when getting to know your crush. 

DON’T: Invite them to your dorm too soon

If you don’t know someone too well, inviting someone to your dorm  could definitely give them the wrong idea. Either that or you will friend-zone yourself. Hanging in your dorm can be awkward and not ideal for making any kind of memory with your date—on the off-chance this person is into you, you could easily ruin it. .

DON’T: DHALL

Not an ideal date setting. If someone takes you to the Dhall, that is not a date. You are friends. Not exactly known for their delicious cuisine, Harvard’s dhalls are not to be confused with a romantic dinner. Then again, maybe you both just seriously love red spiced chicken. 

A new cafe has come to Cambridge, moving into the original Darwin’s space.

A message sent by Leah Klein of City Living Boston states that Roust is now open in Harvard Square, taking over the former Darwin’s space on Mt Auburn Street. Cambridge Day first reported on the coffee shop and bakery-cafe coming to the storefront last month, indicating that the new place has a similar concept to that of Darwin’s, offering baked goods, breakfast items, sandwiches, coffee, and more.

All locations of Darwin’s closed late last year, including other locations on Cambridge Street, Massachusetts Avenue, and Putnam Avenue; the Cambridge Street location will become home to a worker-owned cafe called Circus Co-op.

The address for Roust is 148 Mt Auburn Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138.

Confronting record-breaking low temperatures earlier this month, some of Cambridge’s unhoused residents sought refuge in shelters offering extended hours last weekend, while others faced the cold.

Harvard’s two student-run homeless shelters, Y2Y Harvard Square and Harvard Square Homeless Shelter, opened during the day in addition to their regular overnight hours.

Y2Y Volunteer Director and Tufts junior Annie S. Li sent out an email calling for emergency volunteers during the cold snap, asking anyone interested to sign up for extra shifts during the day. Y2Y operates on a peer-to-peer model, where volunteers aged 18 to 24 — many of whom are Harvard students — serve guests of similar age.

“The extreme weather puts our guests in danger because Y2Y normally operates as an overnight shelter,” Li wrote. “As a result, in order to provide a safe and warm space for the guests, we will be opening the whole day Saturday, Feb. 3.”

“We actually did not know how many people we’re going to expect, which is really surprising that we were able to get more than enough volunteers who were willing to come in,” she said in an interview last week.

It looks like a Washington, D.C.-based group of fast-casual Mediterranean spots is opening another outlet in Cambridge.

According to a poster within the Friends of Boston’s Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, Cava is planning to open in the Harvard Square section of Cambridge, with a page within harri.com indicating that the restaurant will move into a space on Brattle Street in the Brattle Square area. Once it opens, the new location of Cava will join other Boston-area locations in Cambridge’s Kendall Square along with Boston’s Fenway and Back Bay (2), Dedham, Hingham, and Woburn.

Cava, which started out in 2011, is known mostly for its customizable bowls and pita pockets.

The address for the upcoming location of Cava in Harvard Square is 22 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA, 02142. The website for all locations is at https://cava.com/

The pizzeria is moving into the former &Pizza and Milk Bar combo shop in Harvard Square

An iconic NYC slice shop has set its sights on Boston. Joe’s Pizza is planning to move into a sought-after Harvard Square space about to be vacated by another NYC-based shop, the dessert chain Milk Bar.

Joe’s Pizza is known for its traditional New York-style slices marked by thin, crisp crusts and classic, fuss-free toppings. The original Joe’s Pizza location opened in Greenwich Village in 1975, and the slice shop now counts five locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn, plus two locations in Michigan and Florida. According to the Boston Globe, owner Joe Pozzuoli is hoping to open the Harvard Square shop in the next six months.

Pozzuoli, who was born in Boston, told the Globe that he intends to stay in Harvard Square “long term,” and acknowledged that his new address is “a special corner” of the neighborhood. That much is true: 3 Brattle Street was once home to popular gastropub Tory Row before it flipped into a combo fast-casual pizza shop and bakery occupied by chef Christina Tosi’s Milk Bar and D.C.-based chain &Pizza. (Long-running newsstand Crimson Corner also closed to make way for the new shop, which took over both storefronts.) The combination store was proposed after &Pizza ran into opposition from community members who were concerned about yet another pizza shop — and this one an out-of-town chain — opening in the neighborhood. &Pizza closed down three years later, in May 2022, while Milk Bar is shutting down on February 19.

It’s unclear if Joe’s Pizza has run into any similar opposition given that it, too, is another pizza shop opening in the neighborhood. Eater has reached out to Cambridge’s zoning and development board and Pozzuoli’s team for more information on the expansion.

[This story first appeared on Boston Restaurant Talk.]

It looks like a legendary New York City pizzeria is making plans to expand to the local area.

According to an article from The Boston Globe, Joe’s Pizza is looking to open in the space where &Pizza had been in Cambridge’s Harvard Square–and where Milk Bar currently resides, but only until February 19 when it closes. Joe’s, whose original location is in Greenwich Village, is known for its classic NYC-style slices of thin-crust pizza; three other locations of the pizzeria can be found in Manhattan along with one in Brooklyn and one in Ann Arbor, MI.

Milk Bar and &pizza first opened in the former Tory Row/Crimson Corner space in 2019, with &pizza closing last May.

The address for the upcoming Joe’s Pizza in Harvard Square is 3 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138. The website for all locations can be found at https://www.joespizzanyc.com/

Coming soon: People who say that you can’t find a true New York slice in Boston might soon change their minds: Greenwich Village classic Joe’s Pizza is coming to town.

They plan to open in Harvard Square’s Milk Bar space (3 Brattle St.), says owner Joe Pozzuoli (who, coincidentally, was actually born in Boston). Milk Bar, another New York export, will close on Feb. 19. It opened in 2019, serving cereal milk soft-serve and pies. The &pizza chain also shared the space for a spell.

Pozzuoli hopes to stay in the neighborhood long term. “This is a special corner,” he says.

He describes Joe’s as a “classic New York slice: We’re tried and true, with an old-style, authentic recipe. We’re not trying to change the game. It will be identical to what we’ve been serving since 1975,” he says.

The shop will have about 30 seats, with al fresco seating in warm weather. Joe’s aims to open within the next six months. When it does, what should you order? Pozzuoli says you can’t go wrong with the classic cheese slice.

As for why Milk Bar is closing, a spokeswoman had this to say: “Our Harvard Square location originally opened under a sublease and once the primary tenant left the space, we were able to continue operating our small portion, but ultimately it’s our understanding that the landlord found a new tenant to take over the full space.”

Last spring, it was reported that a Washington, D.C.-based pizza chain had closed its only Boston-area location, though a New York-based bakery within the space would remain open. Now we have learned that the bakery is shutting down as well.

According to a poster within the Friends of Boston’s Hidden Restaurants Facebook group page, Milk Bar in the Harvard Square section of Cambridge is closing, with a note out front at the Brattle Street spot saying that its last day in operation will be February 19. Both Milk Bar and &pizza first opened in the former Tory Row/Crimson Corner space in 2019, with the pizza spot closing last May.

Milk Bar, which has shops in New York City, Washington, D.C., Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Toronto, and Vancouver, was once called “one of the most exciting bakeries in the country” by Bon Appetit Magazine.

The address for the Harvard Square location of Milk Bar is 3 Brattle Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138.

[Earlier Article]&pizza in Cambridge’s Harvard Square Has Closed; Milk Bar Remains Open for Now

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)