COVER STORY
Mass. appeal
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MORE INFORMATION
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Austin Grill 350 Mass. Ave. 617-621-9686.
Buzzy's Fabulous Roast Beef 647 Mass. Ave., Cambridge. 617-864-2333. (Get directions).
Cantab Lounge 738 Mass. Ave., Cambridge. 617-354-2685.
Hi-Fi Pizza 496 Mass. Ave., Cambridge. 617-492-4600. (Get directions).
Hubba Hubba 534 Mass. Ave., Cambridge. 617-492-9082 or www.hubbahubba.com. (Get directions).
Mary Chung 464 Mass. Ave., Cambridge. 617-864-1991.
Middle East 472 Mass. Ave., Cambridge. 617-492-9181 or www.mideastclub.com. (Get directions).
Pearl Art & Craft Supplies 579 Mass. Ave., Cambridge. 617-547-6600. (Get directions).
Picante Mexican Grill 735 Mass. Ave., Cambridge. 617-576-6394. (Get directions).
Skippy White's 538 Mass Ave., Cambridge. 617-491-3345. (Get directions).
Tandoor House 569 Mass. Ave., Cambridge. 617-661-9001. (Get directions).
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Central Square
Any city of a few hundred thousand can build a skyline, but it takes low-rise neighborhoods like Cambridge's Central Square to make a city feel lived in. For example, the Central stop on the Red Line may be the most elegantly functional station in the entire MBTA system. The sidewalk entrances on Mass. Ave. are visible but not intrusive, and pedestrians often disappear down them without breaking stride. (It's the perfect illustration of a song lyric about another big city, where people "ride in a hole in the ground.")
In contrast to the show-off stations up the street at Harvard and Porter, the colorful but minimalist design at Central says that a subway stop is no big deal. Heck, we've got dozens of them! It's too bad that few of them are this user-friendly.
A lot of the people emerging from the subway have come here to eat. Dozens of restaurants are within a few blocks of the square, and contrary to popular belief, not all of them serve chutney. One of the newest eateries is Austin Grill, on the MIT side in the building that also houses CompUSA (one of the few computer superstores on a subway line). As one might guess from the name, Austin Grill serves Tex-Mex cuisine, and it's a good, reasonably priced alternative to the long lines at the Border Cafe in Harvard Square. Try a "swirlie" frozen margarita, which is equal parts lime and strawberry, or choose from 25 varieties of tequila including a "connoisseurs' selection" for $22.50 a shot.
For cheap eats, one of the best bets is Picante Mexican Grill, a taqueria that nicely captures the spirit of Cambridge. The soft tacos, for example, are tasty, but you're expected to roll them up yourself. Dining can become a communal experience when the customers outnumber the plain black tables. During a recent visit, my reading was interrupted by a plate of food being shoved under my nose.
"Hi, I'm Lee, and please enjoy my chips," said a woman neatly dressed in a sweatshirt and jeans. "I just realized that I'm running late." No one's ever too busy to forget about recycling in Cambridge.
Central Square is bustling well into the night, thanks to its popular bars and music clubs. The Middle East is one of the area's prime music venues, with nightly live entertainment in three separate rooms. Most of the acts are local rock bands, but the Corner stage features jazz and acoustic musicians. On Wednesdays, Arabic music and belly dancing hark back to the club's theme when it opened in the 1970s. Another favorite spot is the Cantab Lounge, where Little Joe Cook and the Thrillers play blues songs Thursday through Saturday. Downstairs, the Third Rail features a variety of local bands.
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