Trading one All-American City for another, we ended up in Somerville last night and made out like bandits in Whitey Bulger country. Arriving in the most thickly settled hamlet in the country on a hot and sticky Sat. night doesn't sound like a ticket to food nirvana. But it was. We ate like happy hipster at five-mo.-old Highland Kitchen without whacking our wallets. This fun eatery is what every neighborhood needs. No pretension, a great bar and understated style. And the food? We split tapas like cerviche (with succulent nuggets of lobster) chicken liver pate (w/ great pickles) bluefish cakes, fries and a Reuben sandwich. All, except maybe the impish Reuben, were divine. What especially made this meal sing tho. was a badly needed round of blackberry caprihanas (sic).How do you pronounce mojito's trendy sister? Tangy, fresh, cold and minty, it's the perfect summer libation. I know I've bestowed this honor to other bevs. on this v. blog, but im telling you this was the BEST summer drink i've EVER had. Please go some night soon and try it for me, OK? Highland Kitch has a B-Sides vibe and makes you feel like you've dropped into a very hip hood. Which, compared to Lowell, you have. Down the road in Davis Square is snappy sushi, a sleek rest. w/ one long communal table. There's also kickass cupcakes, which our dining companions, Somervillians, report is dry and subpar. We didn't try these cakes, so can't say for sure. Did you find a cool eatery this wkend?
High times in Somerville
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The HK is cool without being TOO hipster. I've been a few times and haven't been disappointed.
Hungry Mother in Kendall Sq in Cambridge is a similar type place to HK, also has a cool vibe that's borderline hipster:
http://www.hungrymothercambridge.com/
These types of "Gastro-Pubs" are gaining in popularity....offer eclectic takes on comfort foods in a hip environment & are light on the wallet. Perhaps we can see one of these in the Lowell/MV area soon?
Somerville has a lot of great restaurants. At least it did 20 years ago when I lived there. Hmmm, I might need a dose of Redbones to tide me over until Village Smokehouse opens...
On Sunday night, we finally stopped at Capellini's in Tewksbury, after years of driving by and saying, "We should go there some time." My pan-seared salmon was awesome, as was my wife's chicken spinachano. Definitely putting this place into the rotation.
Husband and I had a light dinner last Friday at Orleans in Somerville before heading over to the outdoor ArtBeat 08 music fest to hear Freezepop.
It was quite hot and humid, so the way to go was with appetizers and a bowl of fabulous gazpacho out on the terrace. He had a flatbread pizza that was also quite good.
Speaking of gastropubs, you must try the Garden at the Cellar, where the Chef is Wil Gilson of Herb Lyceum in Groton fame. Always a hit with us!