Candlepins for Cash

Some people--myself included--despise bowling. Even if you're okay with the possibility of bowling becoming an Olympic sport, the skill involved in attempting to gracefully roll an overweight and oversized ball with three fingers can often being viewed as a waste of brain matter. But candlepin bowling is another story. Though it shares a name and a basic concept of rolling a ball to knock down long, thin pins, bowling and candlepin bowling are very different, and the latter is something that everyone can enjoy, not to mention a New England tradition. The pins are smaller, lighter, and narrower, and the ball is slightly larger than a skeeball. If you don't believe me, head to Sacco's Bowl-Haven in Davis, where candlepin bowling is alive and well--and half the price of an awkward bowl at Lucky Strike. It beats the movies, the bar, and any respectable restaurant in the cheapest-date-spot-in-town department. Plus there's a ton of pool tables, a rad jukebox, and a retro vibe, with lanes, furniture, photos, and a cash register all frozen in time, around the year 1955. This is not the bowling I have come to know and hate!

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Billiards , Bowling • North Cambridge / West Somerville

Nerdy Goodness

As some of you might be aware, I am a giant nerd, and thus I find comic books to be a great distraction. I just recently stumbled upon JP Comics and Games in that oh so artsy hood, and I came away impressed and with a copy of Hellboy under my arm. Giant red demons aside, this place is pretty small, but it works well within it's existing framework. The owners have divided the store between comics along one wall and tabletop and role playing games on the other. They stock the big name DC and Marvel books, have a decent amount of Graphic novels for the collectors, and if you're willing to listen, they will chat all day about their suggestions. As for their games, think of a huge board of Risk, only with Orcs instead of the French, and you’ve got a good idea of what they stock. On the three separate times I've been, the owners have been playing one of the items they sell, and have invited people to sit in and learn the rules if interested. Pop on in if you tend to the nerdy side of the fence, and check em out.

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Shopping • Jamaica Plain

Hello Sweater. Goodbye Cash.

Purchasing "pre-worn" clothing has mainly been the province of vintage lovers and unpretentious bargain hunters. But Buffalo Exchange, new to Davis Square (the burgeoning consignment store capital of Boston), is attempting to rope in a new generation, with trendy name brands (Gap, DC, Aldo, Marc Jacobs), low prices (but not so low that the kids will be suspicious), and a green ethic: reduce, reuse, recycle your clothes, too. On the one hand, I agree with this business ethic and I support it. On the other hand, it's becoming impossible for me to leave my apartment in Davis anymore without returning in deeper debt than when I left. Between Poor Little Rich Girl, Goodwill, and the brand new, fully stocked 2 floors of Buffalo Exchange, I'm going to have to sublet a second closet. Why don't they just get it over with and open a store called House of Emily's Cash Suckage?

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Shopping • North Cambridge / West Somerville

Dough of the Gods

I never eat donuts, because they are Satan's pastry. And when I never eat them, I never eat them at Verna's. So I really wouldn't know that they are always fresh and moist, baked nightly. Nor would I know that they are usually sold out by 3 pm because they're so damn good. And don't even ask me if they're better than Dunkin Donuts, because I am totally clueless to the fact that Verna's is so good, they have lifted the veil to reveal that Dunkin has been selling rings of poop in comparison. No sir, I would not know anything about that. I definitely wouldn't suggest the buttercrunch donuts, the raisin cinnamon crullers, or the plain, which is in no way cakey and delicious. If you are in North Cambridge, do not stop at Verna's. Do not look in the window, because I will definitely not be licking the glass outside the donut display cases. Nope.

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Donuts • North Cambridge / West Somerville

The Secret Is Out

Delux Cafe has been the best kept secret in the South End for years. With great food on a menu that rotates every 8 weeks, awesome music, low, low prices, and an old school ambiance (wood paneling covered in old record albums, Elvis memorabilia, and other assorted chotchkies; ladies room covered with pages from the children’s book Eloise), this place is like a mirage in comparison to its location, especially in terms of price. But recently I saw a blurb about Delux on the Phantom Gourmet and my first thought was, "Shit. They know." The fact is, it's not a very large space and now that Phantom went and told all the yuppies, it's only a matter of time before it becomes the "in thing" and all the tables are taken up by a bunch of squares in suits. The only thing that might stave them off is Delux's cash only policy. Just in case, my fellow hipster, I suggest you head down there right now and eat up the delicious Blueberry cobbler before the turf war begins.

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Nightlife , Restaurants • South End (Lower)