In the last installment of See Beantown Like Nobody’s Business, I wanted to at least touch upon what is across the Charles River with tips on Cambridge. With a simple hop on the Red Line at Park Street, you can arrive at Harvard Square, which is of course home to Harvard University and its Harvard Yard (pronounced Ha-vad Yad). With such a prestigious reputation throughout the world, it is a nice attraction to visit, take a few pictures, and walk amongst the collegiate elite.
But, Harvard is not the only thing to do in Cambridge. There is the Harvard bookstore if you want to take home a sweatshirt or a coffee mug to inspire your studies, funky stores for window shopping or buying like Urban Outfitters, and small markets to whet your appetite before visiting the many places to eat well in Cambridge. My absolute favorite is the Border Cafe. It is a Tex Mex establishment that if you don’t get there early on weekend nights the line can be around the corner. The chips and salsa are some of the best in Beantown (believe me I have taken on the quest to fine the best everywhere I have lived) . I would recommend three items at the Border: the chicken fajita salad, carne asado, or vegetarian quesadilla, all with a large dose of Cholula. For those of you wondering, yes, I am somewhat a chilihead; everything must have a little hot sauce. However, whatever your selection, I would wash it down with a margarita (I prefer on the rocks with salt). They do them up well at the Border (another item that I have taken as a quest in each place I have hung my hat).
If you are in the mood for Hamburgers, I would recommend Bartley’s Burger Cottage located on Massachusetts Ave. You can get a plain hamburger, but sometimes it is just fun to order a burger with a cool name like the Stimulus Package with bbq sauce, grilled onions, bacon and baked beans or the Viagra (rise to the occasion), which is topped with blue cheese, bacon, tomato, and lettuce.
Right in Harvard Square there are other options from Bagels to Chinese and even croissants and coffee at Au bon Pain, which was the place of the famous seen with Matt Damon and Minnie Driver in Good Will Hunting. All are great for a bite as well as the street performers, chess matches, and just funky passerbys.
To see another trendy area of town, hop the Red Line back towards Boston to MIT’s station. Near to the station there are many interesting restaurants, but I must say that the Middle East is the top. It provides an eclectic menu with falafel, hummus, baba ghanoush, and more. In the evenings, they have live bands and a very eclectic clientele from artsy to funky to wild.
So that’s it for Seeing Boston Like Nobody’s Business. If you haven’t seen my Boston for the Fourth Video, here it is:
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Over the next couple of weeks, I’ll be posting good times and good stories of my travels to yet another Northeastern city. Yes, Ms Traveling Pants explores the culinary and cosmopolitan sites of New York City. Keep you posted!
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