Inman Square food? (Boston, Springfield, Cambridge: houses, neighborhoods, cinema)

[emathias]

I'll be living near Inman Square starting Groundhog Day. I'm looking for recommendations for good food in or within walking distance of there.

I have a really wide-ranging palate, so no particular variety required (I like everything from soul food to tapas to Korean food to Mexican to whatever else you could think of), but all else being equal I lean toward French-influenced or Italian-influenced styles that go well with wine and have table service. Price is not a big issue, although inexpensive would mean I could patronize a place more often. Definitely prefer local places to national chains.

[edwardsyzzurphands]

Just to give you a few ideas here are some of my favorites in the Inman and surrounding neighborhoods. Take a look at the menu's and see if they interest you, I also included some spice shops and Fish markets for home cooking as well:

Inman Square:

- East by Northeast: East by Northeast | Modern Chinese cuisine in Cambridge, Massachusetts
- East Coast Grill: East Coast Grill | Inmas Sq. | Cambridge MA
- All Star Sandwich Bar: All Star Sandwich Bar :: Home
- All Star Pizza: All Star Pizza Bar || Welcome
- Oleana: Oleana
- Muqueca: Muqueca Restaurant
- Casa Portugal: Home
- Midwest Grill: Midwest Grill - Restaurant | Brazilian, BBQ, Steak | Catering: Home Page (Cambridge, MA)
- Fernandes Fish Market: Fernandes Fish Market - Inman Square - Cambridge, MA
- City Girl Cafe: City Girl Cafe - Inman Square - Cambridge
- Christina's Spices: Christina's Spice & Specialty Foods - Inman Square - Cambridge, MA
- Christinas Ice Cream: CHRISTINA'S HOMEADE ICE CREAM | Inman Sq. | Cambrididge MA | Ice cream | Coffee | Harvard | MIT | Cafe
- The Druid: The Druid | Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Dwelltime: dwelltime | dwelltime coffeebar and bakeshop
- Punjabi Dhaba: Punjabi Dhaba serving delicious Indian food to the Cambridge Boston area
- Trina's Starlight Lounge: Trina's Starlite Lounge - About
- Bondir: Bondir | Sustainable Modern American Cuisine
- Lord Hobo: Lord Hobo
- Clover: Clover Food Lab · Location and hours
- Bukowski Tavern: http://bukowskitavern.net/cambridge

East Cambridge:

- Snack Bar/O Senior Ramos (Stick to the Azorean/Portuguese menu): The Snack Bar - East Cambridge - Cambridge, MA 02141
- Portugalia: Portugalia - Cambridge, MA
- RJ Gourmet: RJ Gourmet - East Cambridge - Mid-Cambridge, MA
- New Deal Fish Market (Best Fish Market in Boston): New Deal Fish Market
- Courthouse Seafood: Courthouse Seafood

Kendall Square:

- Abigails: Abigail's Restaurant
- EVOO: Evoo Restaurant - 350 3rd Street, Cambridge, MA - 617-661-3866
- Za: Za Restaurant
- Fuji: Fuji at Kendall-New Upscale Sushi restaurant in Camridge, MA, Kendall, Sushi Restaurants - Cambridge MA, Menus, Fuji at Kendall Japanese Restaurant - Cambridge, MA, Fuji at Kendall: "Quality Sushi" Kendall Restaurant - Home page
- Tatte: Tatte cookies and cakes
- Voltage Coffee and Art: Voltage Coffee & Art :: Inspired. Totally Wired. Coffeehouse and art gallery in Kendall Square, Cambridge.
- Firebrand Saints: Firebrand Saints
- Meadhall: Meadhall
- West Bridge: westbridgerestaurant.com
- Blue Room: the blue room
- Belly Wine Bar: belly wine bar | cambridge, mass
- Cambridge Brewing Company (Just for the beer, the food is terrible) Cambridge Brewing Co. | Kendall Square, Cambridge MA
- Emmas Pizza: Emma’s Pizza » Home
- Desfina: Desfina Restaurant
- The Helmand: The Helmand Restaurant in Cambridge MA
- The Similans: The Similans | Thai Cuisine
- Area Four: AREA FOUR | COFFEE | BAKERY | BAR | OVEN - Home
- Catalyst: Catalyst Restaurant - Kendall Square, Cambridge, MA
- Kika Tapas: http://kikatapas.com/
- Leisure Station: http://www.yelp.com/biz/leisure-station-cambridge
- Aceituna Cafe: http://aceitunacafe.com/

There is also Central Square near by, but we can save that for another thread. The list is long because I used to live in the neighborhood.

[charleschap]

Lucky you! Inman is great for foodies. Here is what I can recommend:

East Coast Grill - Great seafood and southern food (ribs, etc). Good beer selection, recommend the Pork Slap Ale.
S&S - Old school diner, great for weekend brunch or hangovers
Bukowski - Great beer selection, cool people
Punjabi Daba - teleport to Mumbai
Ryles - fun Jazz club
Dali - Fun and tasty tapas place a couple blocks from Inman
All Star Sandwich Bar

[Verseau]

Love Muqueca! Fresh seafood and lasagna de banana...mmm...

[goyguy]

Quite the extensive lists! "But wait, there's more!"
Lovers of "true" authentic Mexican food flock to Olé, on Springfield St behind The Druid, and to its companion lower-priced takeout spot across the way.
And the S & S Deli, though the quality of the service as well as the cuisine is only fair to middling, has been in business since 1919 so must be doing something right. Their ace in the hole may be the availability of Jewish (if not kosher) foods not on most menus any more, e.g. matzo-ball soup.
Cambridge, and Boston in general, are dead zones for down-home Southern/soul food in my sad experience. Hungry Mother on Portland St close by the Kendall Square Cinemas is a yuppified take on that cuisine, and the Coast Café on River St carries your typical selection of catfish, fried chicken, mac n' cheese, homemade pies, and so on.

[shiver]

Inman Sq. is a hotspot of great restaurants. Many have been mentioned already. Has Tupelo been listed yet? I don't see it, but it's a great Southern/Cajun spot.

There really aren't many national chains there and the gamut runs from cheap eats to more expensive dining. It's a pretty good place to live/stay if you like eating out!

Craigie on Main isn't all that far of a walk from Inman Sq and is considered one of the best restaurants in the Boston/Cambridge area. Expensive, but a real foodie destination. The Blue Room in Inman is another higher end place with a Mediterranean influence.

[Cantabridgienne]

So many favorites already mentioned! I'll throw in Brick and Mortar in Central Square, Rendezvous in Cental and Casa B in Union Square. Inman really puts you in walking distance of a lot of neighborhoods and places.