We just received some great old-time Boston and Cambridge restaurant memories from a reader named Peter...
Harvard Square, Cambridge: The Blue Grotto -- It was a downstairs, cozy, mediocre Italian and pizza place, very cozy on a winter night. Nothing remarkable, just good times for a 7th grader going a little upscale.
Harvard Square, on the corner (I think it's a nice Chinese place now) La Crepe -- Decent savory and sweet crepes.
And also in Harvard Square, The Tasty! Four or five stools in a tiny little place with these heart-of-gold crusty diner men serving griddled burgers and decent fries in an only-back-then-setting. I still miss that one, and would have loved to take my kids there.
Near Harvard Square: Chi Chi's -- A national Tex Mex chain that for a couple years in the late 70s was ridiculously popular. My first chimichanga. We'd wait for an hour plus, and for that not great food! But back then, not a lot of fun Mex places like that.
Of that ilk, the Friday's on Newbury in Back Bay. No good reason for it to be as popular as it was, but, boy, was it hot in the early 80s.
On Mass Ave in Cambridge, near the Three Aces Pizza, The Mustard Cup, which was sort of a diner, coffee shop type place. I remember maybe the best french fries of my childhood, served in a paper cup.
In the Galleria in Harvard Square, bottom floor, The Stock Pot served soup, salad and fresh baked bread. Nothing special, but my Ma used to love not cooking Sunday supper in order to go to the Stock Pot.
On Mass. Ave. or near Central Square ... The Athenian Taverna. Similar to the Acropolis with a slightly less showy interior. Perhaps the Greek family restaurant concept still thrives, but I really miss that type of place out here in California.
And last one for now, on Mt Auburn near Watertown, by the Star Market, I want to say "Quality Donuts", or something like that...a spacious s-curve counter and stools to sit on for the donut crowd back when independent donut shops still thrived.
Editor's reply: Thanks, Peter, great list! We remember many of these places quite well, and wish they had never left us. Well, most of them.
How about Elsies burgers they had the best boiled pastrami sandwiches. Was always busy
ReplyDeleteI used to visit my best friend who attended Lesley back in the late 70's and loved going to the Stockpot. Brought my husband years later and so sad that it was gone.
ReplyDeleteThe owner of the tasty was a cranky guy who would give customers only one napkin, and if you were too messy then tough cookies, he was the soup nazi before it was cool. I would sometimes see him in his off time reading the newspapers at the Arlington library. The Galleria had a great new york style pizza place on the upper level.
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