After years of waiting for the Urban Gourmet replacement to emerge and months of the "opening soon" sign at the new place beckoning, it looks like Jumbo's is now open for business.

I have not eaten there, so I can't provide any insight.

Here's a link to their site, including a menu: http://eatatjumbos.com/

Hello!

Anybody know of a place that has good brunch, even on weekdays? The good breakfast places have stopped serving breakfast (that I know of) but I still want some brunch.

ETA: Brunch craving solved!

Just got this email --

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Our favorite local Indian take-out & catering has once again been featured in the Globe's food section!

My favorite bit, because it's so true:
Eager customers line up out the door and onto the sidewalk waiting to get to the counter and see what the choices are that day. Bhetia has a devoted following and chats with each fan at the small counter, greeting many as old friends. It's more a community happening than a tedious wait in line.

Guru is also expanding into the space next door (where the Chinese restaurant was before the fire) and will have a much larger kitchen and larger take-out area including a few tables. Presumably in warmer weather, there will be tables outside on the patio, too.

If you haven't tried this place yet, get thee up the hill to Teele (and a bit past) and get some. They also catered the last Theatre@First cast party and there were rave reviews. Yumyum.

[I am in no way affiliated except as a happy customer.]

Teele Square's best-kept secret is out. Today's Globe Food section has an article (along with a photo of Pushp on the cover) about Guru the Caterer. Check it out.

I found out about the article yesterday when I was there grabbing a late lunch at the same time as the journalist, who lives nearby and told me that because of Pushp, she hasn't used her kitchen in many months. That is definitely a danger of the place -- it's so yummy and cheap that it can be hard to decide to cook when you know he's there.

Pushp is also a great guy as well as veg*n-friendly and, if you're interested, will happily talk your ear off about everything you ever wanted to know about Indian food.

At ron_newman's encouraging, I'm cross-posting this from my own LJ.

Last week beowabbit and I wandered into Frank's Steak House on Mass Ave., on a quest for grilled flesh for the Meatasaurus Wabbitus. They were too busy to seat us without a long wait, so we made a date to come back and try it, this time with a reservation. It's at 2310 Mass Ave, right behind Davis. Dover or Meacham will drop you across the street, basically. It was worth the experiment.

( Our positive experience with old-school goodness at Frank's Steakhouse. )

Hi,

I've got 6 friends coming up Friday who've never been to Davis Square.  I need to make reservations quickly.  They've "heard of" Redbones, but Redbones doesn't take reservations on Fridays or Saturdays, so I'm going to pass with such a large group.

I'm interested in Sagra because they open the windows and I think that would be nice, and anyone can find something on an Italian Menu that pleases them as opposed to Indian or something (which I love, but doubt everyone else will).

Any thoughts?  Maybe teens/low 20's for a plate? I've looked through Yelp, but thought I'd see what you all had to say.  I've only been here for 3 months, so I've got a lot of taste testing left to do!!

Thank you!

So, I'm at Boloco (hooray for telecommuting), and there's a big company-wide managers' meeting going on. I asked someone, and he said they've decided not to sell — they currently have a kitchen in Malden where they make their salsas and so on, and they're moving that here to make use of the basement space. So, the perilous situation of Davis Square's burrito-joint density decreasing has been averted.

McIntyre and Moore now has the new Brown School cards available for $10. This year's offers:

Blue Shirt Café - 10% off
Bostonian Florist - 15% off floral arrangements
Chinook - 10% off non-sale items
City Sports - 10% off
Dave's Fresh Pasta - 10% off fresh raviolis and sauces
Diva - 15% off food
Dunkin' Donuts - 10% off (Davis only)
Hillside Auto Repair - 5% off, $50 maximum
J.P. Licks - 5% off
Johnny D's - $3 of admission
Kebab Factory - 15% off food
Mr Crepe - 10% of
Pemberton Farms - 10% off plants and garden supplies
Redbones - 15% off food
Rudy's Cafe - 10% off food
Sacco's Bowl Haven - free rental of 2 pairs of shoes
Soleil Cafe - Free beverage w/purchase of meal
Somerville Theatre - One free small popcorn with one Adult Movie Ticket
Spike's Junkyard Dogs - Free small Poodle Fry w/purch. of hot dog and soda
True Grounds - Free medium coffee w/purchase of lunch sandwich

I am not affiliated with the Brown School, just a happy card user!

 

Wanting a change of pace from our usual Ball Square brunch haunts, beowabbit and I tried brunch at The Burren for the first time on Saturday. I always forget it's among the brunch options here, and I think a lot of other people do too because it was almost entirely empty at an hour when there are lines at Soundbites and Kelly's. I can report that we had a very satisfying meal.

( what we had and how we liked it )

I am looking for "GOOD" chinese restaurants around Davis Square.
Thanks!

I just walked by SoundBites, and tonight is their first night serving dinner. I only got a quick glance at the menu, but it seems to be a mix of Mediterranean, Italian and Italian-American, probably some burgers though I didn't see the whole menu. If you haven't had dinner, I'm sure folks here would love a first report. :-)

Wanted: about 8 gourmet-inclined people to meet every 4-6 weeks. Each dinner will have a rotating dedicated host who is responsible for most of the cooking and cleaning. Guests may be given a nominal homework assignment such as a cheese plate or dessert.

No Limits: Nothing is off the table for this group except for outright cannibalism. Meats, dairy products, alcohol, and exotic/unusual ingredients are allowed and encouraged. If you are a vegetarian, vegan, keep kosher, or have food allergies, we recognize that you are wonderful people with meaningful and ethical dietary restrictions. But this is probably not the group for you. We'll try to keep things healthy, but appreciate that the occasional cream sauce never killed anyone.

Scope: Ideally, everyone should be able to walk/stumble home. Preferably, you live no more than 30 minutes from Porter AND Davis squares.

To Do: We'll meet casually for the first time at Sagra, 8pm, date TBA. If you're interested, sign up here and indicate which dates work for you.

Get your aprons on!

For immediate release: April 10, 2007

Boston Opera Collaborative announces
A night of Italian vocal music at La Spina in Davis Square

Saturday, April 28 at 8:00pm

La Spina
381 Summer Street
Somerville, MA 02143

Reservations
Seating starting at 7:30pm
La Spina
(617) 440-6284
( More information )

So I overheard somebody a few weeks ago saying something about getting veggie hot-dogs somewhere in Davis Square but I didn't catch the name of the place. Anybody think they know what it is?

I am having a lazy Sunday, and would like brunch delivered to me. Preferably something delicious. Any restaurant recommendations? (I live right off Broadway, between Davis and Sullivan.)

Thanks!

So, my fiancee and I tried Sagra Thursday night and thought it was pretty yummy. We each had an appetizer and a pasta entree and I had a glass of wine. Our bill came out to about $45, which wasn't too bad.

It was also relatively busy. I counted 8 tables filled and there were a good number of people at the bar.

My question: Has it been busy when other people were there? I don't want to get too attached if it's going to succumb to the location of death like 400 Highland did. .

Speaking of porn and chicken...

Is there any place in Central Square that serves a better chicken korma than the one I can get at Punjab in Arlington center? Neither of the Davis Square Indian joints worked out.

In case people didn't see it in last Thursday's Globe Calendar: Cheap Eats: A Makeover for Mike's

What in the world happened to Mike's?

The orange Formica booths and plastic swivel seats are gone, replaced by attractive tables and chairs. The 1970s decor has been swapped for plasma televisions and trendy fold-out windows. A classy granite bar serves wine and margaritas.

It's true: After 28 years of slinging pizzas, pastas, subs, and calzones, this granddaddy of Davis Square has given itself a facelift.

The Middlesex Federal Savings scrolling sign got a mention in Sidekick a few days ago, too.

Sagra (the newest incarnation at 400 Highland St) opened today. We had a wonderful dinner - the sample of fritture (fried calamari, arancini, olives, and croquettes), grilled chicken, baccala all Romano, and the Torta al vino for dessert. Very much like eating at a fine neighborhood restaurant in Italy - simple, well-prepared, and flavorful.

According to today's Boston Herald, an Italian restaurant called Sagra will open in Davis Square within the next two weeks. The article doesn't give the location, but I think it's 400 Highland Ave.

Sagra - Italian for community food festival - will open in the next two weeks under chef Robert DeSimone, whose menu of simple, hearty peasant cuisine is inspired by time he has spent in Le Marche, on the eastern side of central Italy on the Adriatic Sea.
...
Sagra also has an entertainment license, and DeSimone said Italian music and Frank Sinatra-style singers will be booked.

Yummy

We found a new place to dine in Davis Square hidden behind Rosebud.

La Spina is now on my recommended list

The staff is charming. The place is clean, well lit and has a nice charm to it. Rita the chef was born in Naples and raised in Sicily. There is an interesting blend of both regions in the way she twists flavors. The menu prices are very reasonable as are the portions. This is not a place where they serve you a bowl of pasta that will feed you and a family of four for a week. The plate will instead fill you and provide enough flavor so you can taste the nuances of the dish without being overwhelmed with finishing it

Our meal began with a lively conversation about a pink sauce with mascarpone. Nice rustic bread was brought to the table served with a small dish of high quality olive oil and a couple of olives.

I had the Mezzo E Mezzo which is a small portion of Eggplant & Chicken Parmigianina served over pasta with a light sauce. This dish was beautifully done and conquered my usual distaste for all things eggplant. The chicken was delicate in texture and balanced in flavor. You can truly taste the freshness of the ingredients with every bite. . If I could have changed one thing it would have been for the sauce to be a bit spicier but that is a personal taste thing.


jasra had the Chicken Picata with fresh veggies on the side instead of pasta. You will have to ask her for her review though.

We split a Cannoli for dessert. Let me tell you this is how a Cannoli is supposed to be. The mixture of Ricotta and Mascarpone cheese whipped to just the point of airy but holding to the density these two chesses should have. A hand made horn to hold this filling was a treat in texture and flavor.

I will try and post a scan of their take away menu later.
Phone 617-440-6284

Rich, who owned and ran the Urban Gourmet in Ball Square until he sold it last summer, opened this Thursday a new restaurant in Somerville. It's called City Slicker, and it is next to Conway Park at 588 Somerville Ave.

It's similar to the Urban Gourmet, except a little bigger and a little better. It still has gourmet pizzas, sandwiches, calzones, burgers, pasta dishes, and meat and fish entrees. It delivers to Somerville and North Cambridge and some of Medford. There is a parking lot in the rear. And the food is great! I had the paella; my husband had the pan-seared pork chops. The restaurant has the same crew as the old restaurant had. Rich said he recommends the Portuguese pulled pork sandwich, which is an old family recipe.

The restaurant has opened just in time for the Patriots' game on Sunday. Order your pizza now: 617-625-0700.

i went to mr. crepe tonight to pick up some dinner. the verdict? pretty tasty fillings with a crisp yet pliant crepe, but not as tasty as the paris creperie.

i really like how bright and clean it is in there- the woman who took my order was also very friendly and welcoming. it also seems as though the tea and coffee selection is fairly large to appease those who would just like to lounge and people watch.

I stopped into Diva today to ask if they had anything to say about the incident described in Monday's piece in the the Tufts Daily. The person I spoke to (a manager) said there was a meeting underway about the issue and that if I wanted to, I could come back and talk to the people involved. He said there was a lot of misunderstanding and that the issue was about a patron, not management.

For more info on Diva's side of the story, see a followup article in yesterday's Tufts Daily. (There was also an editorial on the subject in yesterday's issue.)

If anyone else has talked to them, what have you been told? There may be additional word after this afternoon's meeting, if anybody else can stop in later.

Of course, Namaskar still has way better food. :)

Although the relationship between Tufts students and the local community is tenuous at times, I thought that community members should be aware of this editorial, and perhaps a dialogue can be established.

Editorial in Tufts Daily - "Racism at Diva Lounge"

[edit 17:55pm EST 2006-12-04: fixed link. Thanks philbot!]

So... it's like 1am. Is there anywhere in Somerville to get some food?

Or better yet, is there anywhere that might actually deliver this late?

I know it's a long shot... but still...

(cross posted like your mom)

where near davis (walking or driving- let's say cambridge or somerville) can i get a fresh croissant?
fresh as in, made on the premises or somewhere nearby?

extra points if there are flavored croissants (chocolate, almond...)


Thanks.

If you haven't yet eaten at The Neighborhood Portuguese Restaurant and Bakery in Union Square, do so at your earliest convenience. The breakfast/brunch that we had on Saturday was delicious and the portions were just right for the price which was totally reasonable.

I recommend that you go on a nice day so that you can sit outside, however. Inside is a little crowded

I can't express how much I wish The Rosebud would go under new management.

( Or maybe I can )

Where can I go and order breakfast (eggs, etc) today around 12-1? Are there such places on weekdays?

I ate a hot dog from Spike's and it was pretty good.

They use real cheese! And the buns are huge, square, and oddly tasty.

Curly fries were only OK though.

Benjapon's is open, at 195 Elm Street, the former location of Fusion Express. It appears to be a fast-food Thai place. I don't know how long it has been open. Has anyone here tried it yet?

Redbones will begin serving a Southern Sunday brunch beginning tomorrow, Father's Day.

More info: http://www.redbones.com/newsevents.html

At Monday's Davis Square Task Force meeting, we learned that the owner of Ristorante Limoncello in Boston's North End wants to open a second location in Davis Square. The restaurant would fill both the Buck-A-Book space and the adjoining former Mini-Mart space. Assuming they get all of their permits, they'd like to open in October. During good weather, they'll have outdoor seating in the plaza.

The former Fusion Express (next to Subway) now has signs in the window advertising a future Thai restaurant to be called Benjapon's. It has an e-mail address, greatthaifood@yahoo.com, and a Help Wanted sign with this phone number: 626-321-1494. No idea why they have a California phone number.

A Google search shows that this restaurant concept was a finalist in last year's Babson College Business Plan Competition.

I've been enjoying brunch at Sound Bites in Ball Square occasionally for about 7 years. Now, of course, everyone who knows Sound Bites also knows and puts up with their trying to rush you out the door. The breakfast is great, and so you put up with the fact that they drop off the check practically with the food, and whisk your plate out from under you the minute you put your utensils down. Okay, I'm used to that. They're a small place and turnover is the key to their making money. Fine.

Yesterday, however, they reached a new and disappointing low, and lost me as a customer in the process. While I was dining with a friend, the host stopped his running around and said to us, "Less talking, more eating!" When I looked at him with what must have been a rather dumbfounded look, he went on to say that they had a long line, and that here, people eat more than they talk, and there's no time for talking, and people are waiting. "You have 20, maybe 30 minutes here, max." At that point, I'm pretty sure I looked as shocked and offended as I felt, and he said, "Don't get mad. I'm serious, that's just how it is."

Now, honestly, I've always liked Sound Bites, even with the varied quality of service, and even though I've felt rushed in the past, it hasn't been so bad that I wouldn't go back, especially because it's such a great neighborhoody feeling place. But I hate to feel rushed, in pretty much any situation. Even more, I hate to feel rushed when I'm eating, which I think is a pleasure that should be savored, not to mention that the rushing of food is just generally unhealthy and bad.

I told the host on my way out that I wouldn't be back. It seems unlikely that he cares, given that there's always a line and I haven't been a regular in a while, but I figured he ought to know that he lost one in that exchange, anyway. The food is good, after all, but there's no reason to be outright rude to your patrons.

Hi all! I know that long ago there was a Bertucci's in the locale that is now Dominoes and Wing Works. I'm sad that I was not in the Davis area during those days! :) I am wondering in the present if anyone knows of a Bertucci's that would deliver to the Somerville Hospital area of Highland Ave? Any thoughts or hopeful bits of info welcome!

I hope everyone is having a great spring!

went back to 400 highland to try the brunch.

best part in this humble lush's opinion: screwdrivers made with FRESH-SQUEEZED ORANGE JUICE. heaven!!

also excellent: breakfast burrito with a kind of guacamole-like sauce -- i ended up dipping everything else (home fries, sausage) in that sauce, it was so good. scrambled eggs with fresh herbs, chicken-apple sausage. nicely non-bitter cappucino. spent awhile geeking about chocolate with the executive chef, who sent up a FABULOUS chocolate dessert -- like a pot of melted chocolate, with creamy creamy espresso ice cream and candied hazelnuts.

previously, we'd had the blt (excellent, nice bread) and a special of poached eggs on fried green tomatoes. the latter at least is apparently going to make an appearance more regularly, which makes me happy.

the people there are also all really nice. brunch there is currently slow, so they are chatty if you aren't already talking, and i find that friendly. (i refer here to two waitresses and the executive chef :)

the teevees are still on, which i find incredibly annoying, but at least from the food-seating part the glass midsection structure mostly blocks the view, so that's a mercy.

the food is pretty reasonably priced; i think all the breakfast entrees are around $9, and there's a burger that's like $16 (!!) my eggs and sausage totalled around $7 for more than enough food. i confess i spent a shameful amount on the screwdrivers though :)


(the following remarks added by my companion, who had a couple of bloody mary's....)

The Dark One's Additional Comments:

Creative California bistro fare meets interesting Latino/Soutwest subcurrents with solid French foundation and excellent prep. Love you, byby!!

(xposted, davis_square and boston_eats)