Mama Gina&#x27;s Pizzeria

So yummy! Middle eastern to Mediterranean influence food/brunch ish items, good variety to choose…read morefrom without too much. Restaurant specialties: baklava pancakes, spicy sausage shakshuka, and Za'atar egg bowl. Very cook street diner vibes inside. Service super fast and kind. Heart of Cambridge so parking is a little tough but there are lots nearby. Coffee was decent too.

Visited on a weekday morning and there was no line to get in. The main thing I came for was the…read moreviral baklava pancakes, and they did not disappoint! It was perfectly fluffy, crunchy, sugary but wasn't unbearably sweet. The shakshuka was also solid with nicely crisped potatos and a great variety of vegetables. Looking forward to coming back soon! (as a heads up they are cash only so come prepared)

Steak and eggs

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Baklava pancakes

Vitality Bowls

4.0(2 reviews)

The dragon bowl here is one of the best smoothie bowls I've had in Boston. It has the right amount…read moreof sweetness without being too sweet and the perfect ratio of toppings to smoothie blend (close to even). Also got the Vitality wrap, which is a savory blend of vegetables cooked to a perfectly soft but not mushy texture, mixed with creamy avocado and a flavorful sauce. The service was a bit slow considering we were the only ones there, but we could see everything being made by hand. Since it's a fast casual spot, it might not be the most vibey café to spend time in, but I definitely recommend their delicious food at reasonable prices!

I came in today since there was a grand opening and was immediately greeted by the staff. They were…read moresuper nice and excited. The cashier was really nice and accommodating when I asked for slight changes to my Vitality Bowl order. Since they are doing a grand opening, their food items are BOGO Free from 9/16-9/18 and they also mailed coupons to residents. I had a 50% off coupon for a medium or large acai bowl so my bowl came out to ~$6. The acai bowl itself was okay - the base was a little watery and the fruits they used didn't seem to be fresh. Its nice that this place is closer to me than Life Alive, but the pricing is a bit high, with most acai bowls being 11.99-13.99 and salads being roughly 13.99. While the promotions are going on, I see myself coming here every now and then, but for the price, you can get better acai bowls elsewhere.

Inside

Vitality Acai Bowl

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Dragon bowl (pitaya)

Souper Roll Up Cafe

4.5(103 reviews)

0.6 mi

•$

Was feeling sick and decided to give Souper roll up soup a try! You can definitely tell the soups…read moreare homemade, and they even include a piece of bread made fresh from central bakery next door. I liked the lemon chicken Rice, and I also tried the chicken orzo. I can see why some remark that the soup is a bit salty, but when you have the bread it really helps. I'm absolutely lucky to have homemade soup nearby for when I'm feeling sick and I'll definitely try their sandwiches because of that amazing next door bread! The place has a very homey vibe and I suggest you support this business.. and grab a soup for the freezer on days you're not feeling well. They're only open 9-5 so you can't come for dinner, make sure to plan ahead!

Disclaimer: I did not visit Souper Roll Up Cafe in person, I just visited their stand at a fair…read more They had a few soup options, which were kept warm in these huge pots. I tried the chicken lemon rice soup, which didn't seem like anything special to me. It was pretty salty and reminiscent of canned Campbell's soup. My friends tried the crab meat and corn chowder soups and had the same take. I wouldn't recommend the soups, but based on other reviews, it sounds like they have some great sandwiches! I will have to check them out in person to see how those stack up.

Counter and menu

Chicken Lemon Rice Soup

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Counter

ZuZu

3.6(330 reviews)

Arrived here right before 9pm on a Friday. I was told it was $10 to enter so I called my husband…read more(who was inside) to come give me cash. Once I handed over $20 the door girl kept all of it. I asked why and she said that my husband was going to be charged a "re-entry" fee because he came outside the bar (after being there for a few hours with our friends). We had a group of 20 or so and the manager told everyone they had to pay $10 each to stay in the bar or we'd be kicked out. Everyone had been there since 7pm. We ended up going to another bar and I'm never coming back to zuzu.

The Summary:…read more Atmosphere - 5/5 Neighborhood - 4/5 Food - 4/5 Drinks - 5/5 Inclusivity - 5/5 Experience - 4/5 The Story: Came here for a solo brunch and was delightfully surprised! The restaurant has a great atmosphere, the service was charming, and my omelette/potatoes got the job done. Also enjoyed a boozy smoothie - honestly been thinking about it since I left! Will definitely return - would love to see what they offer for other meals (and to check out the nightclub!!)

A view of ZuZu from the corner of Brookline St and Mass Ave

Interior

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Clover Food Lab

3.8(231 reviews)

•$

The Nashville Hot Mushroom sandwich is a revelation and I'm not ready to say goodbye :'(…read more I stopped by yesterday for one last NHM (they better be back next year!). The sandwich was not new to me but this location is. The staff made my order perfectly - even distribution of toppings, generous portions of fried mushrooms and corn spread. The sandwich was delicious as always (I already miss her) and the ambiance was fine. I never find Clover to be a very comfortable place to sit and hang out - a little cold and sterile for that - but there was plenty of seating and it was clean enough. My only complaint - and reason for deducting a star - is that the water taps weren't working. One of the best things about Clover is the free sparkling water! Hopefully that gets fixed soon. I'll miss my Hot Mushroom sando but will definitely be back to try more!

First, I love Clover. Loved it since the truck at MIT days. Last week I had a horrible mushroom…read morepopper sandwich which I told the staff had "an unbearable amount of salt in it." I should have given them the uneaten half of the sandwich and asked for my money back but I was so surprised to get bad food at Clover I wasn't thinking right. They offered me a cookie and I took it. This is my current favorite dish and I've had both the sandwich and the plate at Harvard Square many times. First bad food I've ever had in Clover.

From the front

Chickpea Fritter Sandwich

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Hibiscus Iced Tea, ginger lemonade

Viale

4.1(383 reviews)

•$$$

It's always reliable in the best possible way. Other ahem in the neighborhood will put water in…read moreyour beer, give you the finger, and even remind you of something horrible that happened when you were a minor. And Viale is always good, year after year, into this decade.

Service was pretty excellent but it was diminished by the quality and care of my meal, the Rainbow…read moreTrout. Every bite, I had to take out at least one fish bone with my teeth (with a plate of fish bones to prove it). I was concerned because this many fish bones could be a choking hazard + when asked, the cooks said it depends on the fish and that I should just eat the sides of the fish. Unfortunately super disheartening to hear because I hate wasting food, especially food that I'm buying with my earned money, but also because the sides of the fish had fish bones too. I understand that fish bones are a part of the fish, and should expect 1-2 fish bones, but (as the second pic shows) there were at least 30, and I just wish the kitchen took a bit more time and care to prepare my meal. I don't think I'll be coming back in the foreseeable future :(

Patio Area

Crudo

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Inside

The Mad Monkfish

3.6(1k reviews)

Definitely on the pricier end for sushi.. but the ambiance is EVERYTHING! We came here on a night…read morewhere they had live jazz and the night was just so fun! Quality of sushi is great and service was alright. They were pretty busy that night and it took a long time for our server to come back to us. Food came out fast but our server was missing for a long time.

We had a fun time coming here for dinner and some jazz! It was definitely an interesting…read moreexperience. The food here is fine. Their menu is absolutely massive, which is usually a red flag that they make a lot of things to mediocrity instead of focusing on excellent dishes. But if you just want Americanized Asian food and aren't expecting fine dining, then you're in for a treat with the hundred or so options on this extensive menu. We tried some sushi rolls, and then I had a fusion Japanese-Thai dish. The rolls were pretty good, they tasted fresh. And the udon and green curry combo in my dish was fine, I wasn't disappointed. Cocktails were similarly okay, nothing worth writing home about. In terms of atmosphere, the half of the restaurant that has live jazz was very unique. Great performance and the acoustics worked well, it was easy to hear the musicians get after it on the makeshift stage at the very front of the space. The jazz was the main attraction, obviously, so don't come if you're looking for quiet conversation. Service was a bit hit or miss; at first they were slow to bring drinks out but it picked up once they got everyone seated for the 6:30pm jazz. Be warned that you'll be asked to leave around 8:15pm to allow them to seat the 8:30pm performance. All in all, a fun option for basic food and drink with some live entertainment; if you're jonesing for some jazz then I can see you rating this place a little higher.

Come As You Are

Pad Thai with chicken

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Little Donkey

3.9(1.1k reviews)

•$$$

Little Donkey is definitely more of a "let's order a few things, chat for a while, and try bites…read morehere and there" kind of spot than a place you go to when you're starving. I've been extra hungry lately, so fair warning: if you have a big appetite and care a lot about portion-to-price value, this may not fully hit the spot. First things first: no bread. Not a complaint, just important information as I discover which spots in Boston are part of the bread movement. We started with the salmon crudo. I somehow thought it came with the burnt crispy rice, but that was my mistake - it's actually four small slices of salmon. That said, it was really flavorful and tasty. Next was the arancini: three pieces plus a pepper to share. Super good if you're into cheese. Crispy outside, cheesy inside, cooked well, no complaints there. Then the burger, which came split into two. Honestly, yummy burger. Simple. Solid. Probably the most filling thing we ordered, especially alongside the beer, which I was genuinely grateful for because it helped balance out the tiny portions situation. Dessert was the cookie dough. Exactly what you'd expect: cookie dough served on a mixer ladle with cream on the side. I didn't care much for the cream, but the cookie dough itself was good in a very straightforward way. If you like cookie dough, you'll like it. Overall, I'd say it's a good spot if you want to taste and try different things in a fun atmosphere. But if you're someone with a serious appetite who's looking for generous portions and strong value for size, there are probably other spots I'd pick first. Food came out fast and with the serving sizes and the speed of eating, was done with the meal in less than an hour - should've chewed slower lol

Reservation on a Friday night. Got seated quickly and they were busy but not overcrowded or behind…read morein service at all. Super social waitress helped us chose from their nice sized menu. Very easy for gluten free needs with the majority of the options workable. Service was well paced with next plates coming out just as we were finishing the prior ones. Never felt rushed and also never waiting. Friendly and comfortable place. All plates were yummy. We'd come again!

Poppin bar

PARKER HOUSE ROLLS

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Can't remember the name but it was great!

Life Alive Organic Cafe Central Square

4.3(1.7k reviews)

1.0 mi•Central Square

This place is a Godsend! The food is always on point! I recently implemented a vegan diet and Life…read moreAlive made the transition a whole lot easier lol. I usually order the garlic noodles, mushroom shawarma pita, and the rainbow harvest. You can't go wrong with either! Service is notable as the workers are friendly and accommodating when it comes to the menu. The ambiance is just as inviting as their food!

I came here to get lunch while visiting Boston…read more The space itself is really cool -- makes me feel a lot cooler than I actually am! It also seemed like a nice place to read/get some work done. The menu is really varied -- a lot of different cuisines. It took me a bit to order but staff were patient and friendly. I ordered the mushroom shawarma pita and an açaí bowl. The bowl was delicious! They have their own smoothie bar that's separate from the rest of the kitchen and was served quickly. The mushroom shawarma pita was a bit disappointing. The flavors were good, but it was layered poorly, with all of the mushroom at the top of the pita, making for inconsistent bites. The sauces themselves seemed delicious. I would definitely come back to try different things!

Plants in the window

Pb&j acai bowl

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Brick & Mortar

3.8(318 reviews)

Somehow I had never popped into the spot in Central before. The aesthetic is the optimal dark and…read moremoody cocktail bar vibe. The drinks were creative and well balanced but stronggg. It was fun trying a good options, just plan on taking the red line home. The staff was super helpful making menu recommendations and as the bar cleared out toward the end of the night they were fun to hang out with.

We had a mixed experience at Brick & Mortar. Atmosphere? Elevated. Drinks? Creative. Staff?…read moreUnfortunately, pretty unkind and impatient. We were greeted by a very harsh hostess and ignored by the wait staff for a about 20 minutes until we went to the bar and asked to be seen by a waiter. My partner was bumped into by a hostess who turned around and glared at him afterwards. We loved the menu but will likely not be back due to how we were treated by staff. They seemed a bit despondent.