April 3, 2008

Get to Know Your Neighborhood: Central Square

A guide to eating, shopping, and hanging out around town

By Vicky Waltz. Photos by Jessica Schnall

By now, you know Kenmore Square better than your hometown, you’re tired of catching movies at Fenway, and you simply can’t eat at T. Anthony’s one more time. You need a change of scenery — and fast. Fortunately, you don’t have to go far. Greater Boston is known for its vibrant neighborhoods, all accessible on foot, by T, or by bus.

Cambridge’s Central Square is a diverse neighborhood featuring an eclectic array of ethnic eateries and retail shops, as well as upscale restaurants and bars. Nearly demolished during the 1950s — officials planned to build an eight-lane highway directly through it — Central Square was spared, only to suffer from increasing crime and general decay throughout the 1970s and 1980s.

But the neighborhood experienced a renaissance during the last decade and today boasts everything from cute cafés to trendy nightclubs. Still, Central Square retains a certain grittiness that lends it an air of unpolished authenticity — which is precisely what makes it so appealing.

If you go to Central Square, be sure to check out the following places.

1369 Coffee House
Across the street from the post office and city hall, 1369 Coffee House, 757 Massachusetts Ave., was serving Central Square’s caffeine addicts long before Starbucks opened down the street. This charming coffee shop prides itself on its specialty recipes, including chai tea blend and frozen mocha slide. The shop brews two dozen varieties of coffee from around the world, as well as 25 varieties of fine loose-leaf teas. Homemade muffins and cookies are baked every morning, and local bakers provide scones, croissants, cakes, and shortbread. Lunch fare consists of homemade soups, salads, sandwiches, and quiche.

Andala Coffee House
Although it opened just a year ago, Andala Coffee House, 286 Franklin St., has quickly become a favorite among Cambridge residents. With more than 30 varieties of teas, Arabic coffees, and limited — but delicious — breakfast and lunch menus, Andala (which means nightingale in Arabic) is a cozy place to spend an afternoon curled up with a book or chatting with friends. The staff is friendly, and the gleaming hardwood floors, marble-top tables, and Persian rugs offer an old-world elegance. For $15, patrons can enjoy a hookah on the front patio; tobacco flavors include apple, mango, and apricot.

Recommended: Zeit u zaatar and lahneh ($6.95), a traditional Arabic breakfast of strained yogurt, olives, olive oil, and spices served with warm bread. Also, be sure to try the orange juice — it’s freshly squeezed.

Artist & Craftsman Supply
Walking down the colorful, paint-spattered steps to the basement-level Artist & Craftsman Supply, 580 Massachusetts Ave., is like stepping into a rainbow. Here, artists will find a wide selection of products, including paints, inks, brushes, pastels, charcoals, paper, and markers, as well as a few specialty items, such as oil paints imported from Barcelona that aren’t sold anywhere else in the United States. A custom framing area is in the back.

Buckaroo’s Mercantile
According to its Web site, Buckaroo’s Mercantile, 5 Brookline St., has “everything you want and nothing you need.” After all, you don’t need that Our Lady of Guadalupe toilet seat — but you know you want it. Described as a pop culture superstore, Buckaroo’s has a huge inventory of kitschy caboodles; you’ll find items ranging from pinup girl lampshades and Nancy Drew clocks to Jesus packaging tape and Hawaiian-print aprons. While some of the funky merchandise comes from large-scale wholesalers or flea markets, local artists make the T-shirts, jewelry, clocks, photo frames, and night-lights. So go ahead and buy that vintage collector’s plate from the Grand Ole Opry. It will perfectly complement those retro robot potholders.

Central Kitchen
If you’re looking for a night on the town, and you don’t mind spending a little cash, stop by Central Kitchen, 567 Massachusetts Ave. The food, best described as Mediterranean-inspired comfort fare, combines flavors from Spain and the south of France, and the menu, though small, changes constantly. The food’s artistic presentation is complemented by the dim atmosphere and candle-lit copper tables. Central Kitchen takes only a limited number of reservations, so arrive early on weekends. Entrees range from $19 to $26.

Cheapo Records
A Central Square institution, Cheapo Records, 538 Massachusetts Ave., opened in 1948 and is one of only a few businesses to have survived the neighborhood’s tumultuous history. Employees estimate the store carries more than 100,000 vinyl LPs and about the same number of 45s, with hundreds of thousands more in storage. Many, both new and used, are highly collectible. While the shop specializes in R&B, soul, and oldies, its inventory contains records from all artists and genres. The prices can be a bit steep ($10 to $15 per record), so be prepared to open your wallet. The store also sells CDs, DVDs, and cassette tapes.

Gandhi Restaurant
Don’t let the shabby furniture and the dingy interior dissuade you — Gandhi Restaurant, 704 Massachusetts Ave., has the best, and the cheapest, Indian food in Cambridge. The sauces are flavorful but not overly spicy, and the portions are generous. Vegetarians and meat-eaters alike will find plenty on the menu, which features traditional dishes, such as lamb curry ($9.90) and tandoori chicken ($10.95), as well as less common South Indian specials. At $6.95, the 14-course buffet is one of the best lunch deals in Central Square.

Recommended: Palak paneer ($7.95) — spinach cooked with chunks of homemade cheese; lamb mango ($10.50) — lamb cooked with mangos and broccoli in a sweet and sour sauce; and garlic nan bread ($2.50).

Great Eastern Trading Co.
If you’re on the prowl for a prom dress, circa 1980, or a 1960s-inspired distressed leather jacket, look no further than the Great Eastern Trading Co., 49 River St. Less than a 10-minute walk from the Red Line, this charming shop has a comprehensive collection of vintage clothing and costumes for men and women, as well as funky jewelry, sunglasses, wigs, hats, masquerade masks, silk Japanese kimonos, and cowboy duds. Owned by a former professional belly dancer, the store also boasts a colorful selection of belly-dancing costumes.

The Middle East Restaurant and Nightclub
Opened in 1970 as a Lebanese restaurant, the Middle East Restaurant and Nightclub, 472 Massachusetts Ave., is a fixture in Boston’s rock and roll music scene. With four venues, the Middle East showcases local and national acts. Downstairs houses the larger shows (tickets $10 to $25), while the Upstairs hosts local bands and smaller touring acts (tickets $8 to $20). ZuZu (21+) has a separate kitchen, and The Corner contains the larger restaurant and a stage. The Middle East features at least one performance every night of the week.

Moody’s Falafel Palace
Let’s face it — Boston isn’t exactly known for its late-night eats. Most restaurants aren’t open past 10 or 11 p.m., leaving bar patrons to hungrily wander the streets after closing time. Thanks to its delicious falafel — billed by Ben Affleck as the “best falafel ever” — as well as its wraps, gyros, and baklava, Moody’s Falafel Palace, 25 Central Square, has gained a reputation for both its late-night hours and its tasty fare. Although the tiny Greek eatery stays open until 3 a.m. Thursday through Saturday, expect a line any time of the day or night.

Pandemonium Books & Games
A haven for sci-fi fans and gamers alike, Pandemonium Books & Games, 4 Pleasant St., has been a Cambridge landmark for nearly 20 years. The first floor has a broad collection of new and used science fiction, fantasy, and horror books, and the basement is dedicated to the gaming section. The store hosts gaming events, including Sunday night’s Dungeons and Dragons tournaments and Thursday night’s Warhammer and Battlefleet Gothic matches. For a calendar of events, click here.

Rangzen Tibet Restaurant
For a vegetarian’s dream come true, try Rangzen Tibet Restaurant, 24 Pearl St. Nearly half of the menu is meatless, and the food is flavorful and filling. Tibetan food is best described as light, savory fare that will leave you comfortably full without feeling stuffed. The atmosphere at Rangzen is tranquil, the wait staff is friendly, the prices are reasonable, and the food is delicious.

Recommended: Vegetarian momos ($11.95) — handmade vegetable dumplings filled with cabbage, celery, spinach, tofu, garlic, and ginger and served with a small bowl of lentil soup — add a side order of chu tsel ($6.25), fresh green watercress sautéed with garlic.

Rodney’s Bookstore
Don’t walk into Rodney’s Bookstore, 698 Massachusetts Ave., unless you have a good 30 minutes to browse its huge inventory. Open since 2000, this used bookstore features more than 100,000 titles, as well as posters, calendars, and cards. While its fiction section is small compared to that of megachains, its collection of art, architecture, and photography books is enormous, and its proximity to Harvard and MIT ensures a comprehensive selection of academic books. Prices vary, and patrons can sell their books for store credit only.

Teddy Shoes
Like Cheapo Records, Teddy Shoes, 548 Massachusetts Ave., is a Central Square landmark. A family-owned business since 1957, the store prides itself on customer service and its promise to ensure proper shoe fit. Best known for a vast selection of dancing shoes, it sells everything from ballet slippers to tango and tap shoes, as well as boots, sneakers, and men’s dress shoes.

Toscanini’s Ice Cream and Coffee
If you’re in the mood for something cold, sweet, and creamy, make your way to Toscanini’s Ice Cream and Coffee, 899 Main St. A Central Square fixture since 1981, Toscanini’s is renowned for its decidedly uncommon ice cream flavors. While cucumber sorbet, Guinness, or Khulfee — an exotic blend of cardamom, almonds, and pistachio — might not be what you’re craving, try a sample of each, just for kicks. Flavor selections vary daily, but old favorites such as cocoa pudding, burnt caramel, and gingersnap molasses are always on the board.

Recommended: Mocha chip sundae with homemade hot fudge and whipped cream ($5).

Getting there: By subway: take the Green Line inbound; at Park Street, take the Red Line outbound toward Alewife and get off at Central Square Station. By bus: pick up the 47 bus at the BU Bridge and take to the end. By foot: walk across the BU Bridge heading into Cambridge. Continue one mile up Brookline Street to Central Square at Massachusetts Avenue.

Click here to explore other area neighborhoods.

Vicky Waltz can be reached at vwaltz@bu.edu.

Thumbnail image by Jessica Schnall