Harvest

Location: Cambridge, MA

The thing about fine dining is that you leave the restaurant comfortable. That cuts both ways for me. Within an hour of the meal, my girlfriend asked me, "did you eat something yet?"

Harvest has been home to New England's most celebrated chefs. Think Lydia Shire, Chris Schlesinger, Barbara Lynch, Frank McClelland, Sara Moulton, Bob Kinkead and Scott Bryan. Now the kitchen belongs to Chef Mary Dumont and she put together a great meal. The food told the story of the seasons and was New England with French inspiration: a veritable mix of the Seine and Charles. I think that's supposed to sound appetizing?

Ambience: Tucked along a cobblestone pathway, the restaurant decor delivers on what its name promises and provides understated elegance. We were seated facing an outdoor patio with a fire burning.


Source: Architecture Boston

Variety: We had a set meal for Restaurant Week ($38) that featured three courses. There were two vegetarian starter options, and one entree option. I was pretty happy with each course, though I would have liked to choose between entrees rather than giving the nod to the only one I could eat.

Organic Mixed Greens: Great Hill Blue Cheese Terrine, Walnuts & Cider Gastrique


Wild Mushroom Tart: Quinoa, Parsnips, Spring Onions & Herb Salad


Lime Gingersnap Parfait: Lemon Ginger Sauce & Raspberries


Quality: The idea of the restaurant was to celebrate New England ingredients and styles. Harvest made farm-to-fork New England cool before most other restaurants caught-on. And I found innovation in each course. The problem was that I just couldn't connect to the food. And that's usually not a problem for me. I usually connect a little too much with my food. Not sure what was missing. It was a great meal, but forgettable.

Bottom line: Give it a shot. People that know much more about food than I do love this place. I personally think there are better options at this price-point for vegetarians.

http://www.harvestcambridge.com/

Crema Cafe

Location: Cambridge, MA

I love this place so much that I hesitated to write about it until now because I didn't want to share. That's what love is, right? That feeling you get around food?

Ambience: half-coffee shop, half-bakery, half-inspiring. The menu is on the wall, the real kitchen is in the basement, and if you avoid rush hour, there's ample seating. Their "about" page says it all: [a] “third place” is somewhere that many of us naturally seek out- a place between home and work where we can feel relaxed and comfortable, yet also connected to our community and the outside world. Crema Cafe is our definition of that third place.



Variety: They have a number of vegetarian offerings. I have a soft spot for the sweet potato sandwich: avocado, green apple, sprouts, hummus & caramelized shallot vinaigrette on toasted wheat ($8). The sandwich can be topped off with delicious baked sweet potato chips that add just the write amount of guilt-free crunch. They also have a number of simple sandwiches with a twist. The Thai peanut is incredible. Even the grilled cheese: monterey jack & gruyere pressed on light rye. The beauty is in the simplicity.



Quality: It's all about the ingredients. Owners Liza Baer-Kahn and Marley Brush George spared no expense: Howell Coffee Company (they serve French press!), tea from MEM (the almond earl grey is elegant), and Iggy's bread (tasty/local). It's a place where you can go for any meal of the day and come out satisfied. You leave the place with a feeling described in Hindi as santosh, or contentment.

Bottom line: become a regular. Bring cash. And try the chocolate chip cookie(s).

http://cremacambridge.com/

Continental Divide

Location: Charlottesville, VA

Noticing the neon "Get In Here" sign in the front window is the only way you'll know you're in the right place if you choose to go to Continental Divide in Charlottesville, VA. But when you leave, you won't doubt it was worth it. Continental Divide is a tex-mex restaurant located directly across from the Amtrak station, sort of in between the historic downtown pedestrian mall and "The Corner," or the popular strip of bars and restaurants in the heart of UVA's campus. It's one of my favorite places in town.

Ambiance: Their t-shirts say it all: "Too Small, Too Crowded, Too Loud, Too Bad." This restaurant only has 7 or 8 booths (which, to be fair, can seat up to 8 people if you squeeze), a few two-seater tables, a small bar, and very little standing room. While waiting for a table, you can feel like you're always in the way. My recommendation: get a margarita and quit complaining. This place it worth it.

Variety: The margaritas are renowned as some of the best out there. They have a wide selection of tequilas and some pretty good beers, too. The menu isn't huge. We got the "Red Hot Blues" nachos for an appetizer, which comes with goat cheese, red onions, and some other yummy stuff (no meat). The nachos are dusted with some kind of dry spice, which really adds a bite. These are the only appetizer I've ever had here, but they're so good I keep coming back to them. The dinner menu has three solid choices for vegetarians. The bean and cheese burrito is always a good bet. It's pretty big (actually two burritos side-by-side), covered in some kind of mole sauce. The second vegetarian option is the spinach and mushroom enchiladas. Pretty good, but it's my least favorite. The best, if you eat fish, is the tuna tostada. You really have to make sure to ask them to cook it rare, or else you risk it being a bit overcooked (for my taste, at least). It comes smothered in pureed black beans, red pepper coulis, and a big dollop of goat cheese. It's impossible not to lick the plate.

Quality: I'm being pretty transparent here, but this is one of my favorite restaurants in Charlottesville. If you can get past the semi-chaotic atmosphere, the food is 100% worth it. The pumpkin muffin comes as a side for some of the meals, but I'd recommend asking for it no matter what. One of the nice things about Continental Divide is that the vegetarian (or pescetarian) options are also the best dishes on the menu.

Overall: Like they say, Get In Here. The bartender and staff are friendly, the food is top notch, oh... and it's CHEAP. Dinners range from $9-12, which is a steal for this stuff. Since it can get pretty crowded, it's best to go early or really late, which might save yourself a parking headache, too.

Note: They will not do separate checks, but they will split the bill evenly between a number of credit cards.

Olé

Location: Cambridge, MA

My boyfriend took a big group to Olé Mexican Grill in Inman Square for his recent birthday, and although I'd been before, I figured it was never too late to share my impressions here.

Ambience: The decor is festive while keeping it classy, perfect for a low-pressure date or a party venue that signals you aren't hoping to end the night with a friend puking on your shoes.

Variety: Decent, and actually improved since my prior visits (and the latest update of their online menu, as of today.) We don't get a separate section on the menu, but the small plates section is the place to be, with one great vegetarian option after another, from the huitlacoche crepes and queso fundido to my own choices, the transcendent Mexican street corn and enchilada suizas. For entrees, we can basically choose from two: the chilaquiles ("Mexican lasagna") and chiles rellenos with a vegetarian option. Fortunately, both are so excellent that I don't really find myself wishing for others.

Quality: Great, which is really saying something for Mexican up here in the frozen North. Being from Texas, my boyfriend and I tend to groan when a friend suggests Border Cafe, the deeply inauthentic "Tex Mex" place with inexplicable popularity around here. Olé is more Interior Mexican than the food we miss from back home, but it's so much closer - and its margaritas taste enough like actual tequila! - that I really consider it a can't-miss.