Casablanca Restaurant
Casablanca is a basement restaurant with an adjoining bar (that has a separate entrance). When it first opened about 15 years ago, the food was terrific and the restaurant was often packed. Now, the food is not terrific and the restaurant feels empty and dim. Some dishes are excellent, but others are quite disappointing. I recommend heading to the bar and sharing a number of small dishes--turn it into a tapas experience!
Lake Placid Club Nordic Ctr
This Center has it all: cross country skiing, a bobsled track that you can sled down, a gorgeous ice skating rink with a bonfire in the middle, etc etc. Enjoy!
Lake Placid Lodge
For a fun getaway near the Olympic Center, I highly recommend the Lake Placid Lodge. The service is fantastic and impeccable. The cabins are cozy and romantic, with large stone fireplaces, lots of wood and a fully stocked bar. Little known, but can't be missed fact: you can order your breakfast in bed even in the cabins! Fabulous in every way. Go soon!
Henrietta's Table
Brunch is the most popular time at this Cambridge favorite in the Charles Hotel. Pigs are a popular theme. Brunch is expensive, but there is a lot of food. A line snakes around the restaurant as people hold their plates and wait to fill them with bacon, eggs benedict, eggs of all type, asparagus, all sorts of cakes and pies, etc. The Harvard acapella group, the Krokadillos, also sings.
Monica's Trattoria
This small, quiet restaurant is close to the Boston Garden--a terrific place to go before Celtics or Bruins games...the wait-staff will help you get to the game on time! Aside from being an excellent place to go before a game or a romantic dindner, the food is all quite good. The portions are pretty large. The special the night I went was a beef ravioli--quite lovely. Enjoy a fun restaurant in the North End with very friendly service.
Cambridge, 1
Cambridge 1 is a great place to go before a movie at the Harvard Square Church Street theatre. It's also a fun place to go after work to sit at the bar and watch sports and have a pizza. In addition to the ambiance, the pizza is fantastic--thin crust and good toppings. The meat pizzas are the best.
Sorellina
When this restaurant first opened, I was very impressed with the food. These days it seems mediocre and over-priced. The bar scene is still fun with friends.
Emmas Pizza
Emmas is a great spot for pizza take out or eat in. It is around the corner from the Kendall Square Cinema, so you can hop in for a pizza and then catch a movie. You can choose from two types of tomato sauce: regular or rosemary. The toppings range from the usual to the esoteric. It's a small restaurant--about 25-30 tables, with a cut out in the wall that shows the kitchen. Or do a take-out pizza for a fun night at home. Delicious!
Rialto
Rialto is in the Charles Hotel, but is not a typical, average hotel restaurant. You enter by walking into the bar that is quiet, relaxing, with a white decor. The entire staff is always very friendly. The restaurant is relaxing, with terrific food and excellent service. It is a bit expensive. I recommend sitting at the bar--the bartenders make excellent wine and dinner suggestions. It is a casual and fun way to kick off an evening in Cambridge.