Four-day event featuring workshops, sessions, dances and over 30 performances in Cambridge and Somerville.
Featuring over 60 local Celtic musicians, workshops, and participatory musical sessions and dances, Cambridge-based non-profit Passim will host its 20th annual Boston Celtic Music Festival January 12-15, 2023.
A showcase of music, song and dance from Irish, Scottish, Cape Breton and other Celtic communities, BCMFest will take place at Club Passim, The Sinclair and the First Parish Church in Harvard Square, as well as the Crystal Ballroom at Somerville Theatre in Davis Square. Tickets for all BCMFest performances are on sale now at passim.org/bcmfest.
“Throughout the years, BCMFest has stood out as one of the greatest celebrations of Celtic music, both within Boston and beyond,” said Summer McCall, marketing and membership manager at Passim, and the festival director. “Now after 20 years of this festival (including two virtual years), the local Celtic community is thriving stronger than ever. This city is full of established legends as well as fresh new players who have been relocating here for the last couple of years, specifically for the scene – like myself in September 2019. It’s my absolute pleasure to ensure that the 20th anniversary of BCMFest celebrates and honors the traditional and innovative sounds and people who make up the ever-expanding Boston Celtic music community.”
The festival kicks off at 7pm on Thursday January 12 at Club Passim with a First Round performance featuring Scottish Fish (Ava Montesi, Caroline Dressler, Giulia Haible, Julia Homa, Maggie Macphail), Matt and Shannon Heaton, and Copley Street (Nathan Gourley and Joey Abarta). Tickets are $25 and $22 for Passim members.
Friday’s activities begin with the Roots & Branches Concert at Club Passim, offering a sample of the innovative, dynamic sounds of Boston’s Celtic music community today including Jenna Moynihan, Katie McNally and Friends and Molly Pinto Madigan. Tickets are $25 and $23 for Passim members.
Also on Friday January 13, BCMFest will host the Boston Urban Ceilidh (pronounced Kay-Lee), instructional and participatory social dances open to all ages and experience levels at 7:30pm at the Crystal Ballroom at Somerville Theatre in Davis Square. The event will include live music and traditional Irish, Cape Breton and Scottish dances. Tickets are $20 for all guests. No experience necessary.
Dayfest will take place on Saturday January 14 and features a full schedule of concerts and activities across three venues. Performances will take place 11am-5:30pm at Club Passim, 12pm-5pm at The Sinclair and include David Healy, Nathan Gourley and Eamon Sefton; Sarah Collins and Jonathan Vocke; Carroll Sisters Trio; Elizabeth and Ben Anderson; Leland Martin and Friends; David McKindley-Ward; Fódhla (Ellery Klein, Nicole Rabata, Bethany Waickman); James Kelly and Ryan Douglas; Casey Murray and Molly Tucker; Kate Gregory and Brendan Hearn; Adam Hendey with Eamon Sefton and Simon Lace; Boston Scottish Fiddle Orchestra; Calum Bell and the Boston Session Community; Maura Shawn Scanlin and Friends; and Loud Weather (Alasdair White, Elias Alexander, Eamon Sefton, Neil Pearlman, Anna Colliton).
During Dayfest, there will also be a series of open sessions at the First Parish Church from 12pm-5pm of varying levels and styles. There will additionally be workshops through the Passim School of Music that will focus on different styles, instruments and techniques used in Celtic performances. Tickets for the entire day of entertainment are $28 for all guests.
A full day of Saturday activities lead up to the Nightcap Finale on Jan 14. The performance will take place at 8pm in the Sinclair and feature the “Boston Celtic All-Stars”, an ensemble of supremely talented women, including ensemble director Katie McNally, Jenna Moynihan, Shannon Heaton, Natasha Sheehy, Bethany Waickman, and Janine Randall, with Irish and Scottish traditional dancers Rebecca McGowan and Christine Morrison.
BCMFest comes to a close on Sunday January 15 at Club Passim with Brunch and Tunes featuring Mrs. Wilberforce (Sean Smith and Kyra Davies) from 10am-2pm. The event does not require tickets.
“This will be a special occasion for BCMFest in many ways,” said Sean Smith, a long-time member of the festival organizing committee. “We’re celebrating 20 years of a grassroots festival that showcases the incredible variety of Celtic music in the Boston area, whether straight from tradition or drawing upon modern influences and styles. Throughout its two decades, BCMFest has featured full-time, professional acts alongside the ‘evenings and weekends’ musicians, and it’s made a point of highlighting how the love for this music is shared among generations. And, as always, the line-up of performers includes fresh new faces among the familiar ones.”
Updates, ticket information, performer bios and other festival details will be available at passim.org/bcmfest. BCMFest will take place at Club Passim (47 Palmer Street in Cambridge), the Crystal Ballroom at Somerville Theatre (55 Davis Square in Somerville), The Sinclair (52 Church Street in Cambridge), and the First Parish Church (1446 Massachusetts Ave in Cambridge). Tickets for all BCMFest performances are on sale now at passim.org/bcmfest.
The mission of Passim is to provide truly exceptional and interactive live musical experiences for both performers and audiences, to nurture artists at all stages of their careers, and to build a vibrant music community. Passim does so through its legendary listening venue, music school, artist grants and outreach programs. As a nonprofit since 1994, Passim carries on the heritage of our predecessors-the historic Club 47 (1958-1968) and for-profit Passim (1969-1994). We cultivate a diverse mix of musical traditions, where the emphasis is on the relationship between performers and audience as well as teachers and students. Located in Harvard Square, Passim serves Cambridge and the broader region by featuring local, national and International Artists. Our ultimate goal is to help the performance arts flourish and thereby enrich the lives of members of our community. For a complete schedule, visit www.passim.org.
Darwin’s workers gathered at Cambridge City Hall Sunday to protest the closure of the coffee shop chain’s Harvard Square location. By Brandon L. Kingdollar
The popular Boston-area coffee chain Darwin’s Ltd. announced plans to close the store’s original Harvard Square location at the end of the month, prompting some workers to stage a protest at Cambridge City Hall on Sunday denouncing the move.
The Mount Auburn St. location is set to close its doors after 30 years this December, owners Steven and Isabel Darwin announced in an Instagram post on Oct. 26.
Darwin’s United — a union representing the chain’s employees — responded by organizing a protest at City Hall, where workers rallied on Sunday before gathering outside the Darwins’ Cambridge home.
“We have been offered no guarantees of jobs for those who want to stay, no guarantee that workers will have an income going into winter,” the union wrote in a Twitter statement. “We will not back down, we will not take this.”
Mark Spires, general manager of the Harvard Square location, said the lease for the store ends on Dec. 1.
Spires said the decision seemed sudden, adding that Steven Darwin had been planning to lease long-term equipment for the store as of a month ago.
“I think he might not have actually realized until pretty recently that he’s going to make this decision,” Spires said.
The Sunday protest included members of several Boston-area labor organizations, including Harvard’s graduate student union and the Harvard Union of Clerical and Technical Workers. Unions representing employees at other area coffee chains, including Starbucks and Pavement, also had members present.
At the rally, union members called on the Darwins to keep workers at the Harvard Square store employed if they wished to stay on and reiterated past demands for $24 per hour wages, three weeks paid time off, and zero-deductible healthcare for employees.
“We know that Steve has long been considering selling the business, but the timing really couldn’t be worse,” said Sam White, a Darwin’s United representative. “We’re telling him to come back to the bargaining table and respond to our proposals.”
A majority of workers at the four Darwin’s locations voted to unionize in September 2021 and began negotiations with management for a new contract for workers. Since then, talks have stalled, according to White. In March, workers at all four locations staged a mid-morning walkout to raise pressure on the owners.
Alexandra C. Stanton, a member of the Harvard Graduate Student Union-United Automobile Workers, said she believed the Harvard Square location’s closure is related to the union’s recent organization efforts.
“Doesn’t really seem like a coincidence to me,” Stanton said. “It’s a tactic to potentially demoralize the workers and frighten them by threatening to take their jobs away.”
Steven Darwin did not respond to a request for comment.
Spires said it was unlikely that all workers at the Harvard Square location would be laid off. Some employees have already begun to search for new jobs, he said.
“I suspect that the last two weeks are going to be severely understaffed,” Spires said.
Jordan Coleman, a member of Darwin’s United, said in a speech at City Hall that ownership needed to show more compassion toward workers.
“Tonight, we’re going to Steve’s house,” Coleman said. “I don’t begrudge him, his house, or pleasant life. It’s just the opposite: compassion demands that we fight so every worker can have the same.”
—Staff writer Kate Delval Gonzalez can be reached at kate.delvalgonzalez@thecrimson.com.
—Staff writer Brandon L. Kingdollar can be reached at brandon.kingdollar@thecrimson.com. Follow him on Twitter at @newskingdollar.
Cambridge, Mass. – In a bid to encourage empathy for animals who are mutilated and killed in university laboratories, next week PETA will have its Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) launch of Abduction—a unique virtual reality experience landing on college campuses across the country. In the eerie experience, visitors will enter a mysterious truck and put on a virtual reality headset. They’ll seemingly find themselves stranded in the desert with a couple of fellow humans, abducted by aliens, taken aboard a spaceship, and subjected to a terrifying experience similar to what animals endure in laboratories. They’ll watch as others are subjected to experiments—inspired by real tests done on animals—knowing that they’ll be next.
When: Monday and Tuesday, October 31 and November 1, 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Where: Harvard Square, 48 John F. Kennedy St. (in front of Drayton Hall), Cambridge
When: Wednesday, November 2, 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Where: At the intersection of Harvard and Quincy streets (outside Harvard Yard), parking meters 1239, 1237, and 1235, Cambridge
When: Thursday and Friday, November 3 and 4, 11 a.m.–5 p.m. Where: Hockfield Court, near the intersection of Main and Ames streets, Cambridge
Watch the trailer here. Broadcast-quality footage of the Abduction virtual reality experience is available upon request. Images from the first day of the Harvard Abduction stop will be available Monday. Images from the first day of the MIT Abduction stop will be available Thursday.
At Harvard, experimenter Margaret Livingstone permanently takes newborn monkeys from their devoted mothers. She has condemned some to complete darkness for up to a year by sewing one or both of their eyelids shut—just to see how badly it affects their development. In current studies, staff handling the motherless baby monkeys wear welding masks so the traumatized infants never get to see a face, monkey or human. Today, PETA released this statement: PETA Demands Proof of Human ‘Benefits’ Claimed by Harvard’s Margaret Livingstone
At MIT, experimenters drilled holes into the skulls of rats, implanted electrodes into their brains, and surgically attached head posts to their skulls so that the animals could be held stock-still for tests. The rats were trained to poke their noses into a cone in order to receive positive stimulation via electric pulses delivered through the electrodes and were then given a drug to block their ability to experience pleasure. Other experimenters implanted electrodes into mice’s brains and injected a toxin into one eye of some of the mice, causing them to lose considerable vision in that eye.
“Many students don’t know that on their own college campuses, frightened and confused animals are being tormented, mutilated, and killed in cold, barren laboratories, with no way to escape or even understand what’s happening to them,” says PETA Senior Director Rachelle Owen. “PETA is on a mission to open young people’s eyes to this cruelty, help them understand what it feels like for the animals, and motivate them to join our call for a switch to superior, non-animal research.”
Abduction, which was filmed in VR180 with assistance from the virtual reality creation studio Prosper XR, will stop at several other college campuses from coast to coast, including Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, and Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. Broadcast-quality footage of the Abduction virtual reality experience is available upon request.
PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to experiment on”—opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview. For more information on PETA’s investigative newsgathering and reporting, please visit PETA.org or follow the group on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.
The original location of a local group of cafes is shutting down.
According to an article from Cambridge Day, Darwin’s in the Harvard Square section of Cambridge is getting ready to close its doors, with a note from founders Steven and Isabel Darwin saying that the lease is up and they are taking “workload and personal health” into account with their decision to close the Mt Auburn Street spot. The note also indicates that a new business will be taking over the space, saying that “We honestly believe the new owners will make their place as special as Darwin’s. We hope the community will welcome them as we were welcomed in 1993.” Cambridge Day mentions that a worker at another location said the closure is expected to take place by December 1.
Other locations of Darwin’s in Cambridge that are on Cambridge Street, Massachusetts Avenue, and Putnam Avenue will remain in operation.
The address for Darwin’s in Harvard Square is 148 Mt Auburn Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138. The website for all locations is at https://www.darwinsltd.com/
I would like to further express our gratitude for facilitating the Harvard Square Philippine American Alliance, Inc. (HSPAA)’s participation in the 43rd annual Oktoberfest and Honk! Parade & Festival. Attached, please find photos from our chance meeting at the end of the parade! Below, please find links to media coverage from Sampan (Boston), ABS CBN News (Manila), The FilAm.net (New York) and Harvard’s own, The Crimson.
A couple of years ago, it was reported that a Taiwanese chain featuring tea with brown sugar was looking to expand into the Greater Boston area, and it subsequently opened two locations in the city. Now we have learned that another one of the locations mentioned is about to become reality.
A message sent by Leah Klein of City Living Boston indicates that Tiger Sugar is planning to open in Cambridge, moving into a space on JFK Street in Harvard Square. Once it opens, the new outlet will join shops in Boston’s Chinatown and in Allston along with a number of others across the country, and based on the others, expect to find brown sugar boba (bubble tea) using a brown sugar syrup with milk along with slow-cooked tapioca pearls.
The address for the upcoming location of Tiger Sugar in Harvard Square is 5 JFK Street, Cambridge, MA, 02138. Its website can be found at https://tigersugar.co/
Museums, great eateries, unique stores and, of course, Harvard Yard make this a must-visit destination
According to historian Charles Sullivan, an area that includes the present-day Harvard Square was founded in 1630 as the Puritan village of Newtowne, which would become Cambridge in 1638. Many of the original streets still exist, including parts of Church, Story, Eliot, Arrow, and Mount Auburn Streets. And a few early 18th-century wood-frame houses on Winthrop, Dunster, and South Streets remain, as well.
The name Harvard Square did not become popular until the middle of the 19th century. Today the square (the area around the convergence of Massachusetts Avenue and Brattle, Mount Auburn, and John F. Kennedy Streets) is a commercial center for Harvard students, Cambridge residents, and tourists. It’s no surprise, given the disposable income passing through, that regional and national chains have moved in—yet the square retains many long-standing locally owned and operated businesses.
No amount of economic evolution can remove the area’s fascinating blend of characters. A sunken region next to the MBTA subway entrance (“the pit”) is a prime venue for political activists, panhandlers, skateboarders, and street performers, who also provide a festive atmosphere one block away, on Brattle Street. (Tracy Chapman and Martin Sexton both performed as Harvard Square buskers.) Nearby, on Mass Ave, chess aficionados challenge one and all for kicks and cash. The square also attracts many of the city’s homeless people and, over the last 18 months, has been battered by the COVID-19 pandemic, shuttering many businesses. That said, it remains a vibrant place to visit.
Below are some jumping-off points for exploring the square, destinations that lead to other destinations.
One of Harvard Square’s go-to spots for delicious Italian cuisine, Bar Enza, which opened inside the Charles Hotel in 2021, is a carb-lover’s dream. Be sure to try the restaurant’s signature “100 layer lasagna” with egg yolk pasta, tomato marmellata, fresh mozzarella crema, and sharp provolone. There are a lot of good lasagnas to be found in and around Boston, but few are as delicious and aesthetically pleasing as Bar Enza’s. The lemon ricotta gnocchi and mezzi rigatoni are other standouts. Be sure to leave room for dessert. The chocolate torta and the panna cotta are worth every calorie. The restaurant is open for dinner only.
This Japanese ramen chain first opened in New England in 2015 in Harvard Square and has earned a devoted following. The signature dish is shio ramen, a mild and creamy soup flavored with salt and topped with pickled plum. Another favorite is the robustly flavored tokusen toroniku ramen, with pork cheek meat. The 62-seat eatery doesn’t take reservations, so be prepared to wait for a table.
There’s nothing better than a leisurely Sunday brunch at a local diner—and that’s just what you’ll find at Zoe’s, where the plates are piled high with golden pancakes, eggs, and bacon, the coffee is strong, the jukebox is active, and breakfast is served all day. After all, it’s the most important meal of the day.
From its modest beginnings in 1954, this Chinese restaurant is a Harvard Square fixture and has expanded to three floors, with a restaurant, a lounge, and the area’s largest dance floor. The menu is nothing remarkable, but you’ll find the biggest scorpion bowl in town: nine alcohols (mostly rums) and pineapple and orange juices. With exotic drinks like that, who needs food? That said, you’ll find plenty of delicious entrees to choose from, including BBQ spare ribs, Peking ravioli, crispy salted pepper calamari, and kung pao shredded beef.
Americans love two things: burgers and snark. At Mr. Bartley’s Gourmet Burgers, a Harvard Square institution since 1960, diners can have both: every seven-ounce burger comes with a free side of sarcasm. The restaurant has been featured in the New York Times and on the Food Network, among many others. Some of the burgers are named after prominent Boston athletes, like the “Mac Jones”—a burger with mac ’n’ cheese, bacon, muenster cheese, and BBQ or buffalo sauce—named for the New England Patriots quarterback, and the “Marcus Smart,” named for the Celtics star—a burger with mozzarella cheese, grilled mushrooms, fresh arugula, and homemade dijonnaise sauce. One of our favorites? The “Cancel Culture,” a burger featuring cheddar cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato, onion, and BBQ sauce and ranch dressing. For an authentic Mr. Bartley’s experience, add an extra-thick frappe or malt—but only if you wear your stretch pants.
In 1932, Mark S. Kramer borrowed $300 from his parents to open a small store for used and remaindered books (books a publisher is trying to quickly get rid of). Today, the store is still independent (Mark’s son, Frank, sold it in 2008 to longtime customers Jeff Mayersohn and Linda Seamonson), who have expanded it to 100,000 new and used titles. The award-winning author event series presents readings, signings, and lectures by established and emerging authors. The store has a print-on-demand service, an affordable option for authors interested in self-publishing. True bibliophiles will want to check out the store’s frequent-buyer program: the more you buy, the more you save.
Clover, 1326 Massachusetts Ave. Photo by Cydney Scott
Local vegetarian chain Clover Food Lab aims to convert carnivores. And with such items as Japanese sweet potato sandwich—with twice-cooked sweet potatoes, shoyu mayo, red cabbage salad, shishito peppers, scallions, daikon, and tempura sesame seeds—and a chickpea fritter sandwich (a take on falafel)—with homemade hummus, cucumber tomato salad, pickled veggies, and tahini—you may find yourself converted. A standout is the Impossible Meatball sandwich, featuring an Impossible Meatball (wheat and potato protein, coconut oil, and heme), garlic, parsley, a red sauce, provolone, and pecorino in a fresh pita. Another favorite? The seasonal brussels sprout sandwich, with roasted brussels sprouts sprinkled with za’atar, topped with a creamy sour cream dijon spread, with a pinch of crisp pickled red cabbage. Clover is constantly experimenting with new food technologies and introducing new flavor-packed vegetarian dishes.
Founded in 1882 by a group of Harvard students, the Harvard Coop (pronounced like coupe, not co-op) is one of the country’s largest bookstores. Now run in partnership with Barnes & Noble College, the multilevel, multibuilding retailer sells textbooks, school supplies, and dorm necessities, as well as Harvard merchandise. The membership fee is only $1 per year, just as it was back in 1882. But membership is selective: only students, faculty, alumni, and employees of Harvard and MIT can join. Members receive an instant 10 percent discount on all purchases.
Bringing a little taste of Hawaii to Harvard Square, Pokéworks launched in 2015 by founders who were inspired by frequent trips to the island. The menu features signature bowls, with options like spicy ahi—ahi tuna, cucumber, sweet onion, edamame, sriracha aioli, masago, green onion, sesame seeds, onion crisps, and shredded nori—and sweet sesame chicken—all-natural chicken breast, cucumber, sweet onion, edamame, mandarin orange, cilantro, Pokéworks classic sauce, seaweed salad, green onion, sesame, wonton crisps. You can also build your own bowl. Pair your meal with some hot miso soup, and finish it off with coco mango haupia (a coconut-based dessert)
Tucked into a sliver of Plympton Street and resembling a small hallway closet is Grolier, the oldest continuously operated poetry bookshop in America. Established in 1927, this nook of a bookstore now stocks over 15,000 volumes of trade, small press, and university publications devoted to poetry, prosody, and poetry markets. It also offers regular author readings and book signings. T. S. Eliot, Allen Ginsberg, Marianne Moore, and e.e. cummings are among the many legendary writers who visited Grolier, and their black-and-white portraits gaze down from above the shop’s many shelves. The store is currently open only three days a week, Wednesday to Friday from 11 am to 7pm.
Before she became a poster child for the antiwar movement in the 1960s, Joan Baez gave her first concert at a small Cambridge music venue called Club 47. Now, more than half a century later, Club 47—now Club Passim—remains a cornerstone of local and legendary folk music. Noted performers—among them Nobel laureate Bob Dylan, Tom Rush, Judy Collins, Shawn Colvin, and Joni Mitchell—made some of their first public appearances here. Among recent performers are Janet Feld and Bernice Lewis, Ordinary Elephant, Windborne, and the Goodbye Girls. The club’s intimate setting invites audience and artist interaction. Note: due to the pandemic, masks are required at all times except when patrons are actively eating or drinking. Artists may remove masks when performing, but must maintain a six-foot distance from the audience.
This live music venue, which opened in 2012, has helped revive Harvard Square’s nightlife scene. Mission of Burma, Man Overboard, and JEFF the Brotherhood are among the numerous bands that have appeared. The space can hold 500, but it has an intimate feel. Best of all, there isn’t a bad view of the stage from anywhere (the balconies have the best vantage point).
Established in 1988, the Cambridge Artists Cooperative is the area’s only year-round, artist-owned and artist-managed crafts cooperative. With work from more than 200 artists from across the country, this 2,000-square-foot gallery has contemporary crafts, paintings, pottery, photography, jewelry, clothing, and sculptures. New work is displayed every month.
Wholesome Fresh is like a mini upscale grocery store in the middle of the Harvard Square action. In addition to groceries, it sells sandwiches and fresh self-serve options that steer clear of artificial ingredients.
This Swedish-based retailer specializes in outdoor gear and is particularly popular for its backpacks, which can be seen all over the BU campus. The backpacks, along with the company’s jackets, pants, and other outdoor equipment, are made with its signature “G-1000” hard-wearing and versatile fabric, engineered to be durable and breathable, good for both mountain climbing and a stroll down Comm Ave.
Ramen places are popping up all over the Boston area, but few can top this one. Bosso Ramen Tavern opened their doors in March 2022 and drew an immediate crowd of devoted patrons. The menu offers several delicious rice bowl and sushi options, and they are best known for their ramen dishes. The umami ramen is particularly flavorful and comes with flavored egg, chashu pork, and black garlic oil. Umami means “essence of deliciousness” in Japanese, and this dish fully lives up to that description. Whether you choose to go for lunch or dinner, this place never disappoints.
This mom-and-pop cafe, open for takeout, has a fun and fresh spin on the traditional bagel. The bagels are made in-house with creative pairings. Try the caprese toast served with tomato, mozzarella, and pesto, the breakfast BLT sandwich served with maple bacon cream cheese, lettuce, tomato, and bacon bits, and the classic avocado toast. The cafe also serves coffee and offers catering for bulk orders with advanced notice.
This ramen chain takes pride in its origin story, with its first few locations taking Japan by storm in 2010. The first American flagship restaurant opened in New York City in 2017. In July 2021, they opened their first local eatery in Harvard Square (they also now have locations in the Seaport and at Legacy Place in Dedham). Check out the famous Ibusuki ramen (mixed broth made from pork and chicken, and paired with garlic and soy sauce, pork chashu, scallions, bean sprouts, and fried garlic), named after the Japanese city where the chain launched. Menu offerings include vegan options, such as the vegan miso bowl (miso flavored vegetable stock soup, jiro vegetable mix, tomato, sweet corn, and tofu) and the hemp ramen. Not in the mood for ramen? Check out the rice bowls, musubi (rice balls), takoyaki, or gyoza.
Hungry for dessert? The Milk Bar on Brattle Street is a must try, as one of the trendiest, sweetest additions to Harvard Square. James Beard Award–winning chef and founder Christina Tosi thought of the concept to create a bakery that serves creative and nontraditional desserts, and opened her first spot in New York City’s East Village in 2008. It’s now expanded across the country. Some of their popular items include the cereal milk soft serve, made to taste like the leftover milk after eating a bowl of cereal, topped with a cereal of your choice. They also have bakery items, such as the compost cookie, containing a plethora of snackable items like pretzels, potato chips, coffee-flavored chips, oats, and butterscotch. No two compost cookies are supposed to taste exactly the same. And be sure to treat yourself to the apple cider doughnut cake. It’s the perfect fall treat, and only available for a limited time.
Hands down, Felipe’s is the best destination for Mexican food in Harvard Square. Their tacos are a must try, made with fresh corn tortillas, chopped onions, and a generous topping of guacamolillo. You pick the meat and toppings. If you’re not a tacos fan, try the quesadilla or the chimichanga. The festive environment at Felipe’s is one of a kind and only improves as the late-night crowd rolls in. They have a rooftop bar that is open during warm weather months, and is famous for its fresh key lime margaritas. On their website, Felipe’s sums up their dining experience in three words: fresh, fast, and friendly. Trust us—you can take them at their word.
This store is a must for anyone who appreciates quality stationery, fine pens, office products, and a wonderful selection of gift and holiday cards and wrapping paper. The knowledgeable staff has been serving Boston-area residents since 1930 and can help with info, from the latest pen and ink technologies to finding the right kind of personalized stationery.
Brattle Theatre, and Alden and Harlow, 40 Brattle St. Photo by Cydney Scott
Fans of the silver screen have been catching flicks at the Brattle since 1953, when Bryant Haliday and Cyrus Harvey, Jr., premiered the German film Der Hauptmann von Köpenick. Showing classic, independent, foreign, and art-house films, this nonprofit theater—one of a vanishing breed—is best known for its eclectic and repertory format. Housed in a barnlike meeting hall, it is one of the few remaining movie theaters to use rear projection—the projector is behind the screen rather than behind the audience.
When chef Michael Scelfo opened Alden & Harlow in 2014, he wanted to serve “honest American food, bold and flavor forward in taste.” And he does, with dishes like chicken-fried local rabbit topped with chili oil, celery, apple, and blue cheese, and grilled bluefish with celery root, remoulade, and house pickles. During the summer, special four-course “whole garden” dinner events are held in the restaurant’s greenhouse. There’s also a weekend brunch with such yummy items as pickled corn pancakes with roasted cherry syrup, vanilla, and black pepper cream cheese; soft scrambled eggs with griddled croissant toast and cherry tomato salad; and croissant pain perdu, with grapefruit brûlée, pistachio honey, and buttermilk. Scelfo also has another eatery, Waypoint, across the square at 1030 Massachusetts Ave., offering coastally inspired fare.
L.A. Burdick, 52D Brattle St. Photo by Chynna Benson (CGS’18, COM’20)
When the Aztecs drank chocolate thousands of years ago, this “drink of the gods” was so rare and sacred that only the richest could afford it. At L.A. Burdick, “richest” is a culinary reference: a mug of hot chocolate here beats that watery instant stuff any day. The secret? It’s made from chocolate—and only chocolate—hand-shaved and warmed in milk. If that’s not rich enough for you, try the “Harvard Square,” a dense chocolate and walnut cake topped with velvety ganache. L.A. Burdick also sells a wide selection of chocolate confectionery. Of special note are its whimsical chocolate mice, beloved by L.A. Burdick patrons for more than 25 years.
This eye-catching local flower shop, opened in 1973, recently moved around the corner next to L.A. Burdick. It’s famous for providing the freshest flowers and stellar customer service. The knowledgeable staff will help you put together the perfect arrangement or select the perfect houseplant. It’s open daily (except Christmas Day and New Year’s Day).
Founded in 1980, the American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) has garnered many of the nation’s most distinguished awards: a Tony Award for best regional theater, a Jujamcyn Theaters Award, and the National Theatre Conference’s Outstanding Achievement Award. Housed in the Loeb Drama Center, the A.R.T. has seen a number of its productions transfer to Broadway, among them All the Way, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess, Pippin, The Glass Menagerie, and Waitress. Its theatrical club space OBERON, called a “second stage for the 21st century,” is an incubator for local artists. The company has staged dozens of American and world premieres. A.R.T. is expected to relocate to Harvard’s Allston campus in the future. The current proposed site would be near Harvard Stadium.
Longfellow House, 105 Brattle St. Photo by Cydney Scott
Rich in history, this landmark building was the home of one of America’s most renowned 19th-century poets, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Prior to that, the house was George Washington’s headquarters during the Revolutionary War siege of Boston (July 1775 to April 1776). Today, the museum is administered by the National Park Service and houses a collection of 19th-century documentary material and papers belonging to the Longfellow family, as well as clothing, fine arts, tools, and toys. The house, which sits on just under two acres, has a carriage barn and a pergola and is surrounded by lush lawns and formal gardens. Join the likes of Charles Dickens and Ralph Waldo Emerson as one of many visitors to the house. The site also offers virtual visits.
The Garage 36 John F. Kennedy St.
Follow the smell of pizza, incense, and Vietnamese food, and you’ll end up at the Garage, definitely one of Harvard Square’s oddities. This multistory mini shopping mall—a neighborhood landmark for more than 50 years—is in fact a converted parking garage, with even its original car ramp preserved. It houses an eclectic variety of eateries and shops, notably Newbury Comics, with one of the region’s largest collections of new-wave and alternative music. There’s a tattoo parlor for ink enthusiasts, a hemp store for hippies, a Starbucks for those in need of caffeine, and more. There are plans to redevelop the mall by 2024 with expanded retail, restaurant, and office space. The building, which dates back to 1860, was originally a horse stable.
This Parisian-based gelato maker opened in Harvard Square in summer 2018, its second Boston-area location. It specializes in shaping different flavors of gelato into a multicolored rose, usually complemented by a macaroon placed in the center. We dare you to find a more presentable dessert anywhere in the Boston area. Flavors range from hazelnut to passion fruit. They also serve milkshakes, granita, and sorbet drinks.
Grendel’s Den, 89 Winthrop St. Photo by Chynna Benson (CGS’18, COM’20)
The sign outside this enduring dyed-in-the-wool Harvard Square watering hole announces that it was established in 1271. It’s a typo, and should have read 1971. But the owners kept the sign because Grendel’s Den is named after the antagonist from Beowulf, and the medieval date evokes the epic poem’s period. The bar circumvents the state’s no-happy-hour mandate by offering half-price food between 5 and 7:30 pm daily. The justice system okayed such defiance: Grendel’s famously fought a legal battle over its liquor license all the way to the US Supreme Court and won—separation of church and state was at the heart of it, believe it or not. That’s worth celebrating with a sandwich and microbrew—or two.
This popular chain is known for its burgers, hot dogs, and frozen custard confections. Founded in New York City in 2004, Shake Shack has a wide following and 100-plus restaurants across the country. The place seats more than 100 and offers a small wine and beer selection, but the hand-cut fries and the so-called “concretes” (dense frozen custard blended at high speed with various mix-ins) are what will bring you back. The burgers and dogs are pretty good, too.
This family-friendly, multilevel bar-restaurant and self-proclaimed “double cheeseburger king” has been a mainstay of Harvard Square for more than 65 years, and is a popular spot for college students. The wide-ranging menu includes fried chicken, chicken supermelt and grilled lobster melt sandwiches, BBQ chicken breast sandwiches, and veggie items, like the homemade black bean and veggie cheeseburger with salsa, guacamole, and chips. They’re also known for their incredible grilled cheese sandwiches. The ground floor is reminiscent of a 1950s-style diner, with several HD TVs turned to local news and sports channels. There’s also a sidewalk patio, an upstairs lounge boasting “the best jukebox in Cambridge,” and a hopping beer garden featuring 12 draught beers. The beer garden stays open year-round thanks to the fire pits Charlie’s turns on during the cold months. Charlie’s traditionally hosts trivia quizzes on Wednesday nights, and they are also dog-friendly!
Harvard Yard. Photo by Chynna Benson (CGS’18, COM’20)
The “Yahd” defines one side of the square. Lined by Harvard’s freshman dorms, it’s the epitome of a New England college campus—red brick buildings under a canopy of hardwood trees, ablaze each fall. Presiding over the Yard is a statue of 17th-century English clergyman John Harvard, the college’s first benefactor. The sculpture is often called the “statue of three lies”: the inscription reads “John Harvard, Founder, 1638,” but the university was founded in 1636, Harvard was not the founder (although his library and fortune helped sustain the school through its early years), and no one knows what the actual John Harvard looked like. Sculptor Daniel Chester French (best known for the Lincoln Memorial) had a student model for the statue in 1884. When you look at the statue, note how bright one shoe is. Tour guides say that it’s good luck to rub Harvard’s left foot. Nearby is Harvard’s main library, the Harry Elkins Widener Memorial Library, with 57 miles of bookshelves and more than three million volumes, including one of the world’s few existing copies of the Gutenberg Bible.
A trip to the Harvard Museum of Natural History is an evolutionary experience. Visit prehistoric creatures, such as fossil invertebrates, reptiles, and the world’s only mounted Kronosaurus. Wander through a garden of more than 3,000 handcrafted glass flowers or admire a 1,600-pound amethyst geode.
Among the things Harvard University is renowned for are its three art museums—the Fogg (Western art from the Middle Ages to the present), the Busch-Reisinger (works from northern and central Europe, with an emphasis on German-speaking countries), and the Sackler (Asian, ancient Mediterranean and Byzantine, Islamic, and Indian art). In a project that took six years to complete at a reported cost of $250 million, all three were united under one roof for the first time in 2014 as the Harvard Art Museums. The facility, designed by noted architect Renzo Piano, is an expansion of the original 1927 Fogg Museum building. The museums house more than 250,000 works of art and are home to four separate research centers. The renovation incorporated galleries to feature special exhibitions.
A guide to popular restaurants and hidden bars you can visit in the Cambridge neighborhood.
In Harvard Square, you will find a neighborhood bustling with students, neighbors, and first-time visitors. But the area is also home to a number of restaurants and bars, whether you’re looking for a burger with fries or a cocktail to sip on with brunch.
To help you navigate a host of enjoyable options, we’ve put together a guide to some of the most popular eateries and bars in the Cambridge neighborhood. Between browsing for books at the local shops or attending the Head of the Charles Regatta, you’re sure to find a new favorite spot.
Beneath the Brattle Theater, you’ll find this hip, subterranean New American restaurant that’s perfect for a night out. While you’re browsing the menu, think of ordering the basil pasta served with carrot bolognese, the secret burger on a housemade roll, or the Ora King salmon served with ratatouille. Don’t miss out on dessert—the smoked chocolate bread pudding is a winner in our book.
This izakaya opened last March, and it’s already become a neighborhood fixture. Bosso Ramen Tavern serves sushi, sake, and ramen featuring a house tonkotsu broth. For those who don’t eat meat, the vegan ramen includes soy meat, cashews, walnuts, and bok choy. After a flavorful entree, cleanse your palate with the black sesame ice cream.
Inside the Charles Hotel, you may stumble upon Henrietta’s Table, a homey farm-to-table spot that sources organic produce from local purveyors. For brunch, you may want to look to the buttermilk pancakes, loaded with berries, jam, and toasted hazelnuts. For supper, you can dig into a Yankee pot roast, served with crispy shallots and gravy. Sit out on the patio and take in this classic New England cuisine.
For quality Venezuelan dining, visit Orinoco Kitchen. Try the Valenciana arepas or the empanadas, filled with shredded beef or vegetarian mushrooms and piquillo peppers. The restaurant also serves a sweet plantain-coated mahi-mahi dinner, as well as a marinated chicken adobo that you can choose to eat with malanga gnocchi. The molten chocolate cake, made with pure dark chocolate, is a decadent finish. Orinoco also has locations in the South End and in Brookline Village.
Bloomberg Baystate Business With Tom Moroney, Joe Shortsleeve, Kim Carrigan, Anne Mostue and Janet Wu 10-19-22 Bloomberg Senior Aerospace/Defense & Airline Analyst George Ferguson discusses Spirit Airlines shareholders backing the sale to JetBlue. Denise Jillson, Executive Director of the Harvard Business Square Association, discusses Cambridge raising fees on new large commercial developments. Jeff Ostrowski, analyst at Bankrate, discusses a new study showing the best states in which to retire. Stephen Faber, Executive Vice President of Related Beal, talks about a $1.2 billion development approved for the Fort Point neighborhood. David Paleologos, Director of the Political Research Center at Suffolk University, has new poll numbers in the MA Governor’s race. Bloomberg’s Ed Ludlow discusses the newly released Tesla earnings.
