Melissa T.'s Profile

Ok. This place gets three stars for a few reasons:

1. Although it is the only sushi place in the Central Square vicinity (BIG plus), the sushi is kind of price, though still delicious.
2. I fluctuate on my thoughts on the atmosphere. It is fairly chic but I can't shake the feeling that it would be a much cozier place if it were more casual (the "chic-ness" feels a bit forced).
3. No beer.

Clearly, this review isn't necessary; Toscanini's ice cream and coffee speak for themselves.  But it is a necessity that it join the ranks of my list of best coffee shops around MIT, and so I happily review it.

Not only are there the friendliest baristas, the most interesting crowd of intellectual/academic/startup/freelancer/techie types, the tastiest, most interest blends of ice cream flavors, and the best two blends of coffee (Dancing Goats and Silk Pajamas, if I'm not mistaken), but it's also located just a few blocks from MIT, centrally located in (unsurprisingly) Central Square.

High-five for Tosci!

This place brought with it the best news (and the best coffee) since... well I don't know when since.  Possibly since Flour, although that establishment has more acclaim in the sandwich-and-sticky-bun domain.

The coffee is possibly the best in the area (saving perhaps that *one* coffee shop in the area which will always remain dearest to my heart), but the best news - well there are two "best" newses.  Number one: it has a bar/restaurant attached where there will be PIZZA.  Number two: it is right across the street from my building.  And also the conjunct: now there will be good coffee AND pizza right across the street from my building.

Everyone is friendly! Free wi-fi! Plugs for your pluggables! Scones for your scone-ables!  Errr... something like that :).

This not-so-little coffee shop seems to be little-known as yet, and while I'd kind of like to keep it that way for rather selfish reasons (it's an amazingly calm and quiet place to work, with a great aesthetic!), I'd rather let other people know about it!

Lucy, the owner, was extremely friendly, the latte I ordered was made with care, and there was that feeling that I (the customer) was getting more than just my coffee - I was sharing in someone's vision of a quiet, peaceful, and energizing place coffee shop (which just as a bonus has an open, airy art-gallery feeling).  Wonderful coffee, great vibe, cool small business.  Oh, and for me, AMAZING location.

OK, besides the fact that this is the (now second-) closest bar to my house (see also: Lord Hobo), there are so many other reasons why this place rocks. I will list them:

1. NO COVER.
2. But there IS always, always live music.
3. Said live music is also GOOD! Generally bluegrass, and lots of it.
4. There is food served until really late, and it's delicious (personal favorite: mussels).
5. Great beer selection.
6. Room for dancing, room for chilling with a beer in front of stage, and room for chilling with friends in the back (plus room at the bar to be in the middle of it all).
7. Rarely packed.

This is one of the few places in Cambridge that I deserves the full 5 stars, and I am very happy to give them.

I have recently been frequenting Razzy's for weekend karaoke and have yet to be disappointed. We showed up around 8 on Friday this weekend and the upstairs was dead originally but filled up with in 45 minutes (which was perfect for slipping a few karaoke requests in before the crowds rushed the DJ). The karaoke selection is a little lacking compared to other places like Courtside, but overall it's still decent.

Before karaoke-ing, I asked how the burger was at the bar, and was instructed to get the chicken sandwich instead, which was a complete win. I'm a big fan of being what to told what to get at places where the bartenders have actually tried the food they serve (which also speaks to the fact that the food in general there doesn't suck).

It's a little dive-y (a plus in my book), shots are cheap ($4.50 -- which definitely worked *against* me on this particular evening, but that's a more different ass), and the staff is really friendly and wiling to deal with me and my drunken hooligan friends. I would give them 4.5 stars if I was able.

Yay Razzy's!

So happy with this place!  Lots of good things to write.

1. The most important: food was delicious.  We were actually the last table they seated, so we didn't order any appetizers but went straight to main courses. We had a bottle of exceptionally reasonably priced wine (a red blend) along with it, and I got scallops.  We're talking five HUGE scallops with pumpkin gnocchi and squash in a delicious sauce.  Anywhere else this would be well upwards of $30, and here it was but $16!  My friends got pork, fish (forget which kind, but it was light and flaky), and the vegetarian dish, and they were all impressed.  I couldn't resist the lemon sorbet and coffee for dessert, both of which were quite delicious.

2. The ambiance: the space was really big, and there were a lot of tables but even so, huge spaces were maintained between them. You actually couldn't hear the conversation at any table but your own, which I really appreciated. Plus, there were a range of table sizes, so a part of 10 could easily dine at a nice round table.

3. The service: our waiter himself was a bit slow, but he told us it was his second time ever waiting on a table (and he was very nice). The man who seated us also checked on us a few times.  I had just fallen off my bike on the way (silly bag got caught in wheel), and he even gave me bandaids and neosporin (with aloe!).

All-in-all, an excellent place to dine, and there was a fancy looking wine tasting class going on in the room next door which makes me wonder if I should pop in as a student sometime and try to learn a thing or two!

OK.  So, MIT may be one of the world's (possibly THE world's) premiere science research institutes, but apparently at some point the students of the university got their shit together and said, "OK seriously guys.  Even mad scientists gotta get their drink on sometimes."

Come on -- you have got to give them mad props for having such awesome (and CHEAP) on-campus bars.  While the Thirsty Ear has the advantage of offering a (much) larger food selection, the Muddy Charles is clearly the cooler place to hang.  I mean, it's got free food pretty much any night I've been there, OR you can bring in / order your own; many games, including dominoes, select from while you down a quick after-school/after-work beer; *plus* the added bonus of being right across the street from the river and thus the perfect place to come after a quick sail in the evening.

If that weren't enough, it's also got a cozy, cuddly atmosphere, usually isn't too packed (although on free wings night, watch out), AND it has *ridiculously* cheap beer!  CHEAP beer.  On tap and in bottles.  Also sometimes cheap champagne.

I think you are technically supposed to show MIT ID to get in, but come on, who's checking?  This place rocks, and makes me proud to be an MIT student.

So maybe it's because I went during the middle of the week, or maybe it's because the location is a little bit deeper into Somerville than I'm accustomed to visiting, but I was blown away by this bar for a couple of reasons:
1) Cheap bear was available, but they also clearly had some nice little cocktails;
2) the weekly Tuesday night spelling bee, complete with sound effects, was quite charming;
and 3) the usual screamy atmosphere of any dive-y Cambridge bar was GONE.  You could hear yourself think!  You know what, scratch that; even better, you could hear what other people were saying.

It's a small-ish place, but it felt roomy due to the layout (some booths/tables on one side, bar on the other, some seating by the windows which are open when it's warm).  Add coziness given by the warm lighting and the brick walls, and Highland Kitchen seemed like it would be a great place to serve as a neighborhood bar (which it certainly is not for me; the bike up the hill had me panting for a beer by the time I got there).  I will definitely be back.

I somehow always manage to forget about this place when I'm trying to think of tasty, moderately priced spots around Central Square.  When I do remember it, my mouth starts watering and I get a little more excited than is called for.

Thai food is best, of course, when absolutely ravenous, for only then can I even begin to eat half an order of panang curry -- which is deliciously filling and excellent for leftovers.  Of course, this is if I haven't devoured the entire order of crab rangoon that I always get to "share" with friends before the meal.  Oh god, the things I want to do to it.

Getting back on track, Pepper Sky is also good for medium-sized groups, and they also take reservations (which is probably only necessary for larger parties).  Service is good, staff is friendly, food is delicious, and for me it's right down the road.  Two thumbs up.