Boston

Who Needs a Pen Anyway?

As with most trends that initiate in the York that is New, cupcakes are now taking Boston by storm. (Mmmm, cupcake storm ...) And of course, Back Bay and now Harvard are in on the action with Sweet Cupcakes. The recently-opened and suspiciously-sans-sign Harvard location replaces Cross, a high end pen store (sign of the times when they start closing up shop, eh?). As a frequenter of Kick Ass Cupcakes in Davis, I was curious to see how Sweet Cupcakes would hold up. And oh my, do they ever. They definitely seem to offer a wider variety of cupcakes, including a considerable seasonal rotation, though I think I prefer the actual cake at Kickass. Still, I was elated to see Sweet's cupcake version of carrot cake--complete with cream cheese frosting--which I have been craving of late. It's even topped with a real piece of edible gold, which David Cross has nicknamed "the ultimate f**k you to poor people." But whatevs, cuz it was damn tasty. (And it's still less insulting than a $100 fountain pen, no?)

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Restaurants • West Cambridge

My Father's Place

My dad is a born and bred Bostonian man. Walk around the city with him and he'll point out places of old historic battles or know the origin of an obscure street name. He's an expert on all things Boston. His other area of expertise is dessert and sweet treats. So it was no surprise one day that he took me to Hi-Rise Bakery, one of his favorite spots to stop by on Friday afternoon. I'd heard about the wonders of this place, but never got to experience it until a few weeks ago. The staff treated him like family, the monstrous sandwiches come on fabulous house baked breads like rye, semolina, and concord. And then you get to the good stuff like glorious mini chocolate cakes, cookies galore, and muffins for the next morning. Take the NFT Dad challenge--just try to walk out of here without a full bag of treats to take home.

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Restaurants • West Cambridge

Ode to the Honest Mechanic

As the daughter of an auto mechanic, it is my nature to be extremely skeptical of every other mechanic in existence. When I made the potentially risky decision to relocate to a city 300 miles away from my father and his priceless mechanical aptitude, my biggest fear was that my car would revolt. By the time it finally did, I had already acquired the unparalleled services of Nate and Wally at Chico's Sunoco. Unlike the slimy, crooked mechanics I had always been warned about, the guys at Chico's are honest, talented, hardworking gentlemen who actually care about the well-being of both you and your car. They work fast, they work on Saturdays and are conveniently located within walking distance of the Alewife T stop (an uncommon feature for Boston mechanics, who generally fail to understand that if THEY have your car, the act of picking it up can be a bit tricky for the customer). What's more, I found out that Chico's has their own towing business, which they offer for quite a reasonable rate. I have happily shelled out gobs of my hard-earned cash to these people for over two years, yet I have zero complaints. That says a lot.

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Services • West Cambridge

The Joy of Jerk

OMG, there is finally a Jamaican restaurant in Cambridge! Not a trendy, fusion type place with chefs who may or may not have visited Jamaica before. Just honest, traditional Jamaican food, prepared by Jamaicans. The big hearts of owners Valerie and Leon Welch more than make up for their small space. Their simple but high quality Caribbean cuisine is lovingly prepared in their bright little bistro, and I have no doubt that they would joyfully serve me 40 beef patties, should I demand it. I also highly recommend a side of warm, flavorful plantains to accompany your meal. I’m not usually a fan, but one bite of these and I found myself wanting an entire plate. So bundle up, take a little field trip over to Huron Village, and satisfy your mid-winter craving for home cooking with a kick. Ire!

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Restaurants • West Cambridge

Trattoria Pulcinella

Trattoria Pulcinella is like one of the better, tinier restaurants you’d find in the North End, only tinier and better…er. The threshold of this place is like a wormhole to Italy, seriously. Right away you’re at home in the warm, golden glow of the place. Then comes the food, which is equally likely to be brought to you by the owner as the waiter. The salads actually made me swoon a little bit—many contain the freshest ever mozzarella from Italy and olive oil that you can tell is the best, even if you’re not prone to knowing such things. After that you’ll be willing to sample pretty much anything on the menu—much of which is genuinely Italian and hence highly unrecognizable. One might find oneself saying, “Hells, yes, bring me the gnocchi with ox tail ragu!” and savoring every bite. Wild boar, penne with gorgonzola and marscapone, lasagna with string beans and heavy cream: these dudes know what they’re doing. If you’re looking to skip the schlep to the North End, this is your spot. Just be sure to make reservations. The place is hidden, but everyone seems to know about it anyway.

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Restaurants • West Cambridge