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	<title>Boston Restaurant and Food Blog &#187; Harvard Square</title>
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	<link>http://lingboli.com</link>
	<description>Lingbo Li</description>
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		<title>My Post-Harvard Life, Part 1</title>
		<link>http://lingboli.com/life/my-post-harvard-life-part-1/</link>
		<comments>http://lingboli.com/life/my-post-harvard-life-part-1/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 23 Jun 2011 08:06:59 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lingbo Li</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Allston]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Harvard Square]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Life]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://lingboli.com/?p=3521</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Dear Internet, WTF. I owe you an apology for never posting &#8211; or maybe you&#8217;re thankful I haven&#8217;t besmirched your walls with more image-laden food posts. (Then again, 4Chan and Space Ghetto really have me beat in the besmirching department. I&#8217;m not linking to them for a reason.) My college roommate Felice, on Space Ghetto: [...]


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://lingboli.com/travel/china/see-my-goodeaterorg-post-on-crayfish-chicken-hearts-on-a-stick/' rel='bookmark' title='See my GoodEater.org post on crayfish + chicken hearts on a stick'>See my GoodEater.org post on crayfish + chicken hearts on a stick</a></li>
<li><a href='http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/in-lieu-of-a-real-post-heres-some-hot-sauce/' rel='bookmark' title='In lieu of a real post, here&#8217;s some hot sauce.'>In lieu of a real post, here&#8217;s some hot sauce.</a></li>
<li><a href='http://lingboli.com/uncategorized/some-food-porn-from-harvard-square/' rel='bookmark' title='Some food porn from Harvard Square'>Some food porn from Harvard Square</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 15px; width:240px;">
		<img src="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/D70_1344.jpg" width="240" />
		</p><p><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-3534" title="D70_1344" src="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/D70_1344.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="426" /></p>
<p><strong>Dear Internet,</strong></p>
<p>WTF. I owe you an apology for never posting &#8211; or maybe you&#8217;re thankful I haven&#8217;t besmirched your walls with more image-laden food posts. (Then again, 4Chan and Space Ghetto really have me beat in the besmirching department. I&#8217;m not linking to them for a reason.)</p>
<p>My college roommate Felice, on Space Ghetto: &#8220;Don&#8217;t look! It&#8217;s a dead woman… in a bathtub… [redacted]&#8221;</p>
<p>Me, covering my eyes in genuine terror: &#8220;Oh my god! Tell me when there&#8217;s a picture of a kitten.&#8221;</p>
<p>What has happened in the past… oh, 6 months?</p>
<div id="attachment_3549" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 650px"><img class="size-full wp-image-3549" title="IMG_2178" src="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/IMG_2178.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="427" /><p class="wp-caption-text">WIth the inimitable Quincy House masters, Deb and Lee. Thank you for the incredible support and being totally candid about life/the universe/42/evil people. </p></div>
<p>For one, I&#8217;m now a &#8220;real person.&#8221;</p>
<p>My last semester of college was a blur. I took 3 computer science classes and ran a full-time freelance web design business. Mostly to test the theory I&#8217;d be able to support myself without a real job. (Verdict: Can definitely afford my sub-$500 rent on my Allston sublet. Rock on, Craigslist.)</p>
<p>A week of rabble-rousing, two days of graduation ceremonies, one 6 a.m. wakeup call, and one red enveloped diploma later, I am a Harvard grad. I have a degree in Social Anthropology, and it&#8217;s actually kind of useful as a designer and business person. Eat it, doubtful Asian parents! (Not my own, they didn&#8217;t care what I majored in.)</p>
<div id="attachment_3536" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 650px"><img class="size-full wp-image-3536" title="IMG_2368" src="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/IMG_2368.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="427" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Dat&#39;s right. Hot dog fried rice.</p></div>
<p>So now I&#8217;m subletting in Allston, cooking Thai food in the sticky, poorly-ventilated kitchen, reskinning a little corner of the Internet for mostly startup clientele, as well as working on a website concept with some friends. Who knows what will happen at the end of the summer, but I have a nice setup for now.</p>
<p>I drink bubble tea everyday and cook Pad Thai for my friends. We don&#8217;t have a living room, so they have to eat sitting on my bed and drink out of foam cups.</p>
<div id="attachment_3537" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 436px"><img class="size-full wp-image-3537" title="D70_0680" src="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/D70_0680.jpg" alt="" width="426" height="640" /><p class="wp-caption-text">One of my two pairs of heels (~$20 from Forever 21), an American Apparel lace print dress worn under a skirt with zip back from China.</p></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>I only brought along 5 pairs of shoes, 2 pairs of jeans, 5-7 shirts, and a few dresses. I don&#8217;t have a hair dryer. I clip my nails with my Swiss Army Knife scissors, a graduation present. I clean floors, dishes, and toilets; it&#8217;s great. My only luxury: borrowing $300 Bose sound-canceling headphones from my Belgian friend&#8230; indefinitely.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 544px"><img title="coco the rat" src="http://zapd.com/pictures/4df6d327f966d6f900000008.png?width=534" alt="" width="534" height="534" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Coco the Rat ISN&#39;T SHE CUTE!</p></div>
<p>My roommates are also eminently likable, another Craigslist victory &#8211; Chinese nationals heading into consulting gigs who are charmed by the pet rat in my room (I am pet sitting Felice&#8217;s white rat Coco Chanel) and who blankly ignore my attempts to use Mandarin vocabulary. When I break out coconut milk or tamarind pulp to cook, they are fascinated &#8211; as I&#8217;ve brought home a chimp speaking in a particularly idiomatic Queens accent.</p>
<p>Sometimes there are particularly unfortunate translation problems.</p>
<p>Anna (name changed): Do you have any uh, I don&#8217;t know how to say this… wei jing?<br />
Me: Pads? Don&#8217;t have any. I do have tampons.<br />
Anna: What?<br />
Me: I have tampons, do you want one?<br />
Anna: What?<br />
Me: Are you talking about your period?<br />
Anna: What?<br />
Me: You know, li jia [Chinese for period].<br />
Anna: What?<br />
Me: [Finally dawning on me] OH. YOU MEAN MSG.<br />
Anna: What?<br />
Me: [Grabbing a jar of Ajinimoto MSG off the shelf] Here. MSG.<br />
Anna: Ahh, yes. What do you call this in English?<br />
Me: Uh, monosodium glutamate&#8230;</p>
<p>I&#8217;m glad she doesn&#8217;t understand everything, so I can get away with pretending I didn&#8217;t embarrass myself.</p>
<p>Despite my spare closet, I still manage to put together some outfits from what I had on hand for a graduation photoshoot (taken by my friend Sam and his trusty Nikon):</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-3535" title="sitting" src="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/sitting.jpg" alt="" width="390" height="640" /></p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-3541" title="D70_0996-1" src="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/D70_0996-1.jpg" alt="" width="426" height="640" /></p>
<div id="attachment_3538" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 436px"><img class="size-full wp-image-3538" title="D70_0700-1" src="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/D70_0700-1.jpg" alt="" width="426" height="640" /><p class="wp-caption-text">SWINGS! I hurt my hands on them in elementary school... today, no improvement.</p></div>
<div id="attachment_3542" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 436px"><img class="size-full wp-image-3542" title="D70_1405-1" src="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/D70_1405-1.jpg" alt="" width="426" height="640" /><p class="wp-caption-text">One of those well-timed hair-adjusting moments.</p></div>
<div id="attachment_3543" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 436px"><img class="size-full wp-image-3543" title="D70_1414-1" src="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/D70_1414-1.jpg" alt="" width="426" height="640" /><p class="wp-caption-text">&quot;Ok, done weaving my hair into the flower bush. Time to pretend I&#39;m in a perfume ad.&quot; ...</p></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<div id="attachment_3540" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 650px"><img class="size-full wp-image-3540" title="D70_1260-1" src="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/D70_1260-1.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="426" /><p class="wp-caption-text">... OR THAT I&#39;M COCO THE RAT. (Body con dress from Bebe)</p></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<div id="attachment_3539" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 436px"><img class="size-full wp-image-3539" title="D70_1216-1" src="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/D70_1216-1.jpg" alt="" width="426" height="640" /><p class="wp-caption-text">While I was taking some of these photos on Widener steps,an Asian tourist kept very obviously circling around Sam and me. Gotta love them and their urine-soaked John Harvard&#39;s foot touching ways.</p></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<div id="attachment_3523" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 436px"><img class="size-full wp-image-3523" title="D70_1334" src="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/D70_1334.jpg" alt="" width="426" height="640" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Something I was supposed to have done more of in college.</p></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Side note: I&#8217;m in love with the Urban Renewals thrift store in Allston. I got a cute yellow Abercrombie skirt (wool and cashmere blend, with a silk lining) for $2! $2!!! I spent $4.76 buying a drink from Starbucks! That&#8217;s like, two skirts and a pair of sunglasses! Unreal.</p>
<p><strong>So to take us back to the food topic of this blog:</strong></p>
<p>I had a really nice dinner recently, sponsored for media, at the newly opened <a href="http://www.nubarcambridge.com/">Nubar</a> in the Sheraton Commander (Harvard Square). Outside of the swordfish being a bit bland, the other dishes were great: creamy, rich polenta topped with spinach and fried egg, its yellow yolk oozing; lobster arancini with morels, arriving as a softball-sized vehicle of joy. Arancini is one of my favorite dishes (rice! fried! with cheese! you can&#8217;t go wrong).</p>
<div id="attachment_3522" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 650px"><img class="size-full wp-image-3522" title="IMG_2404" src="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/IMG_2404.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="427" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Polenta and FRIED EGG.</p></div>
<p><img class="size-full wp-image-3544" title="IMG_2405" src="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/IMG_2405.jpg" alt="" width="310" height="207" /><img class="size-full wp-image-3545" title="IMG_2401" src="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/IMG_2401.jpg" alt="" width="310" height="207" /></p>
<p>I think the polenta is a stiff contender for favorite topped-with-fried-egg-appetizer in Harvard Square. The former title holder being Russell House Tavern&#8217;s crispy poached egg on brioche. Nubar&#8217;s appetizer is closer to entree-sized, and sufficiently heavy-handed with the fat content in the polenta that it renders any prior distaste for polenta superfluous.</p>
<p>Rock on, appetizers. Just don&#8217;t confuse the MSG with tampons… that would be bad.</p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://lingboli.com/travel/china/see-my-goodeaterorg-post-on-crayfish-chicken-hearts-on-a-stick/' rel='bookmark' title='See my GoodEater.org post on crayfish + chicken hearts on a stick'>See my GoodEater.org post on crayfish + chicken hearts on a stick</a></li>
<li><a href='http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/in-lieu-of-a-real-post-heres-some-hot-sauce/' rel='bookmark' title='In lieu of a real post, here&#8217;s some hot sauce.'>In lieu of a real post, here&#8217;s some hot sauce.</a></li>
<li><a href='http://lingboli.com/uncategorized/some-food-porn-from-harvard-square/' rel='bookmark' title='Some food porn from Harvard Square'>Some food porn from Harvard Square</a></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>5</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Should Cafes Ask Customers to Leave?</title>
		<link>http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/should-cafes-ask-customers-to-leave/</link>
		<comments>http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/should-cafes-ask-customers-to-leave/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 15 Feb 2011 06:04:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lingbo Li</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Cheap eats]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Coffee shops]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Harvard Square]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[crema cafe]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://lingboli.com/?p=3496</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[My favorite cafe asked me to leave last week. For the second time. I&#8217;ll tell you why I feel sad: when I first found Crema Cafe two years ago, I fell in love. I spent so much time there, my sweaters absorbed its scent, an inexorable melange of lattes, carbs, and indie-pop Pandora playlists. The [...]


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/harvard-square-cafes-the-definitive-guide/' rel='bookmark' title='Harvard Square Cafes: the definitive guide'>Harvard Square Cafes: the definitive guide</a></li>
<li><a href='http://lingboli.com/uncategorized/some-food-porn-from-harvard-square/' rel='bookmark' title='Some food porn from Harvard Square'>Some food porn from Harvard Square</a></li>
<li><a href='http://lingboli.com/uncategorized/potato-leek-soup-at-crema-cafe-in-harvard-square/' rel='bookmark' title='Potato leek soup at Crema Cafe in Harvard Square'>Potato leek soup at Crema Cafe in Harvard Square</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 15px; width:240px;">
		<img src="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/DSCN7569.jpg" width="240" />
		</p><p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-3497" title="crema cafe harvard square" src="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/IMG_9638.jpg" alt="crema cafe harvard square" width="640" height="427" /></p>
<p>My favorite cafe asked me to leave last week. For the second time.</p>
<p>I&#8217;ll tell you why I feel sad: when I first found <a href="http://lingboli.com/tag/crema-cafe/">Crema Cafe</a> two years ago, I fell in love. I spent so much time there, my sweaters absorbed its scent, an inexorable melange of lattes, carbs, and indie-pop Pandora playlists. The owners described it as a place between home and work; I took that quite literally. I proudly told my friends I was considering moving in.</p>
<p>Over the past two years, I&#8217;ve spent so many happy hours in that cafe. I love bringing my laptop to do work on the upstairs level. I&#8217;ve forcibly dragged friends there and bought them my favorites, just so they could be converted. I&#8217;ve blogged about them, plugged them on Serious Eats, posted photos to various food sites. When I signed up for Mint.com, I budgeted a very liberal portion for &#8220;coffee.&#8221;</p>
<p>If you ask me for restaurant recommendations, you&#8217;ll likely hear raves about their turkey-avocado-jicama-slaw sandwich or their baked-fresh-from-scratch pastries.</p>
<p><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-3498" title="crema cafe harvard square pastry" src="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/DSCN7569.jpg" alt="crema cafe harvard square pastry" width="640" height="480" /></p>
<p>So I disappointed when I was asked to leave during a busy Saturday afternoon to make room for other customers. I&#8217;d been there for a little over 2 hours with my laptop, and had planned on taking a seat closer to a wall outlet when one of the owners stepped in. (I had polished off a medium coffee and a chicken sandwich.) He had promised that table to another customer; since I had headphones on, I hadn&#8217;t seen the line forming behind me.</p>
<p>He was apologetic. As I was leaving, he apologized again. And this was the second time &#8211; a month before, a different owner had asked me to leave, but relented when I bought another sandwich. I&#8217;ve generally tried to share my table or buy another pastry during marathon study sessions, but I know I&#8217;ve overstayed my welcome in the past.</p>
<p>And I understand why they&#8217;re taking a more aggressive tack. Mostly. They charge reasonable prices for freshly made food. They have high labor costs and rent; they depend on table turnover and volume to pay the bills. I ended up chatting that owner for about an hour about the trials of the business world and how to solve the problem of being too popular.</p>
<p>I&#8217;m happy Crema has done well. It clearly has no problem attracting loyal customers and long lines. But I&#8217;m disappointed that the same place that I cheered for and championed feels that its success is dependent on asking me to leave. Are the two really at odds?</p>
<p>Perhaps this <a href="http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2011/02/how-should-you-treat-your-best-customers.html">Seth Godin</a> (a well-known marketer) post about &#8220;best customers&#8221; summarizes some of how I&#8217;m feeling:</p>
<blockquote><p>If you define &#8220;best customer&#8221; as the customer who pays you the most, then I guess it&#8217;s not surprising that the reflex instinct is to charge them more. After all, they&#8217;re happy to pay.</p>
<p>But what if you define &#8220;best customer&#8221; as the person who brings you new customers through frequent referrals, and who sticks with you through thick and thin? That customer, I think, is worth far more than what she might pay you in any one transaction. In fact, if you think of that customer as your best marketer instead, it might change everything.</p></blockquote>
<p><strong>If you&#8217;re a cafe lover, do you think cafe owners should ask customers who have finished eating to leave? </strong></p>
<p><strong>Cafe owners, how do you deal with slow table turnover?</strong></p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/harvard-square-cafes-the-definitive-guide/' rel='bookmark' title='Harvard Square Cafes: the definitive guide'>Harvard Square Cafes: the definitive guide</a></li>
<li><a href='http://lingboli.com/uncategorized/some-food-porn-from-harvard-square/' rel='bookmark' title='Some food porn from Harvard Square'>Some food porn from Harvard Square</a></li>
<li><a href='http://lingboli.com/uncategorized/potato-leek-soup-at-crema-cafe-in-harvard-square/' rel='bookmark' title='Potato leek soup at Crema Cafe in Harvard Square'>Potato leek soup at Crema Cafe in Harvard Square</a></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/should-cafes-ask-customers-to-leave/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>19</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Zinneken’s in Harvard Square Brings You Belgian Waffles</title>
		<link>http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/zinnekens-harvard-square-belgian-waffles-2/</link>
		<comments>http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/zinnekens-harvard-square-belgian-waffles-2/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 24 Aug 2010 16:19:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lingbo Li</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Boston]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cheap eats]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dessert]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Harvard Square]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[belgian waffles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[harvard square]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[omg yay!]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[zinekens]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[zinikens]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[zinikins]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[zinnekens]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[zinnekins]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[zinnikins]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://lingboli.com/?p=2881</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This exclusive tip just in: Zinneken&#8217;s, a Belgian waffle shop, will be opening in about four months in Harvard Square. Zinneke in Brussels dialect means someone of mixed origins, which not only represents the founders, but also their ambitions to introduce authentic Belgian food to Bostonians. They promise that Zinneken&#8217;s baked-to-order offerings will to put [...]


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/food-porn-of-the-day-molten-chocolate-cake-coffee-ice-cream-at-finale-harvard-square/' rel='bookmark' title='Food porn of the day: molten chocolate cake, coffee ice cream at Finale Harvard Square'>Food porn of the day: molten chocolate cake, coffee ice cream at Finale Harvard Square</a></li>
<li><a href='http://lingboli.com/uncategorized/some-food-porn-from-harvard-square/' rel='bookmark' title='Some food porn from Harvard Square'>Some food porn from Harvard Square</a></li>
<li><a href='http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/russell-house-tavern/' rel='bookmark' title='Russell House Tavern in Harvard Square is here to stay.'>Russell House Tavern in Harvard Square is here to stay.</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 15px; width:240px;">
		<img src="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/zinnekens-waffle-topping-menu1.jpg" width="240" />
		</p><p><a href="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/zinnekins-zinnekens-zinikins-belgian-waffle.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-2875" title="zinnekins-zinnekens-zinikins-belgian-waffle" src="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/zinnekins-zinnekens-zinikins-belgian-waffle.jpg" alt="zinnekins-zinnekens-zinikins-belgian-waffle" width="480" height="241" /></a></p>
<p>This exclusive tip just in: <strong>Zinneken&#8217;s</strong>, a <strong>Belgian waffle shop</strong>, will be opening in about four months in <strong>Harvard Square.</strong></p>
<p><em>Zinneke</em> in Brussels dialect means someone of mixed origins, which not only represents the founders, but also their ambitions to introduce authentic Belgian food to Bostonians. They promise that Zinneken&#8217;s baked-to-order offerings will to put your standard Americanized &#8220;Belgian waffle&#8221; to shame. Zinneken&#8217;s signature showpiece is the <strong>Liège waffle</strong>, aka <strong>sugar waffle</strong>, which is sweeter, smaller in size, and denser than their conventional brethren.</p>
<p>But it gets better!</p>
<p><a href="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/zinnekins-zinnekens-zinikins-belgian-waffle-2.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-2876" title="zinnekins-zinnekens-zinikins-belgian-waffle-2" src="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/zinnekins-zinnekens-zinikins-belgian-waffle-2.jpg" alt="zinnekins-zinnekens-zinikins-belgian-waffle-2" width="480" height="364" /></a></p>
<p><span style="color: #888888;"><em>All photos courtesy of Nhon Ma.</em></span></p>
<p>These <strong>sugar waffles</strong> ($4-6) are named for their caramelized sugar coating and will be served with everything from Nutella to Chantilly cream. I particularly like the proposed &#8220;<strong>Oreos Freakin&#8217; Party</strong>&#8221; (no joke) special which involves a grind-tastic blend of Oreos, strawberries, and whipped cream. See the menu from their brochure below.</p>
<h1>Harvard Square&#8217;s Waffle Pioneers</h1>
<p>Who would chase the perfect waffle recipe across continents? One founder,<strong> Nhon Ma, </strong>is a Harvard grad who jumped from the corporate world to pursue his true passion: food. But it wasn&#8217;t a random coincidence, by any means. In fact, his mother was the<strong> only Asian chef to ever get a coveted Michelin star in Europe.</strong> After spending his childhood taste testing her creations, Nhon cut his teeth by working for her.</p>
<p>He met his business partner <strong>Bertrand Lempkowicz </strong>in high school, who&#8217;s leaving behind his Brussels communication company to join the venture. They&#8217;re still in the process of signing the lease, but envision the shop will be &#8220;a cosy European atmosphere&#8221; that serves up authentically light and fluffy waffles to passing crowds.</p>
<p>Photos from their <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cambridge-MA/Zinnekens">Facebook</a> page and <a href="http://twitter.com/zinnekens">Twitter</a> show a test run of snackers munching on waffles with a variety of toppings.</p>
<p>Beyond waffles, Nhon promises that <strong>Belgian chocolate, French macarons, flourless fudge, Belgian chocolate brownies, and sweet crepes</strong> are also in the works.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: line-through;">Their retail space will be at<a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=1+Mifflin+Pl,+Cambridge,+Middlesex,+Massachusetts+02138&amp;oe=utf-8&amp;client=firefox-a&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;hl=en&amp;cd=1&amp;geocode=FaGRhgIdNsTC-w&amp;split=0&amp;sll=37.0625,-95.677068&amp;sspn=23.875,57.630033&amp;hq=&amp;hnear=1+Mifflin+Pl,+Cambridge,+Middlesex,+Massachusetts+02138&amp;t=h&amp;z=15"> 1 Mifflin Place</a>, #400. Looking on Google Maps, it looks like it&#8217;ll be near FedEx and Harvest.</span> Actually, this is their administrative space &#8211; the actual location is under wraps. Nhon reveals that it&#8217;ll be closer to Harvard Square, not far from Tommy Doyle&#8217;s andUpstairs on the Square.</p>
<p>Can&#8217;t wait! Look forward to<strong> an interview with Nhon Ma</strong> coming soon.</p>
<p>Their<strong> tentative</strong> proposed menu &#8211; with delicious photos! &#8211; after the jump.</p>
<p><span id="more-2881"></span></p>
<p><a href="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/zinnekens-waffle-topping-menu.jpg"></a><a href="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/zinnekens-waffle-topping-menu1.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-2886" title="zinnekens-waffle-topping-menu" src="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/zinnekens-waffle-topping-menu1.jpg" alt="" width="480" height="814" /></a></p>
<p><a href="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/zinnekens-chocolate-menu.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-2878" title="zinnekens-chocolate-menu" src="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/zinnekens-chocolate-menu.jpg" alt="zinnekens-chocolate-menu" width="480" height="841" /></a></p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/food-porn-of-the-day-molten-chocolate-cake-coffee-ice-cream-at-finale-harvard-square/' rel='bookmark' title='Food porn of the day: molten chocolate cake, coffee ice cream at Finale Harvard Square'>Food porn of the day: molten chocolate cake, coffee ice cream at Finale Harvard Square</a></li>
<li><a href='http://lingboli.com/uncategorized/some-food-porn-from-harvard-square/' rel='bookmark' title='Some food porn from Harvard Square'>Some food porn from Harvard Square</a></li>
<li><a href='http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/russell-house-tavern/' rel='bookmark' title='Russell House Tavern in Harvard Square is here to stay.'>Russell House Tavern in Harvard Square is here to stay.</a></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Russell House Tavern in Harvard Square is here to stay.</title>
		<link>http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/russell-house-tavern/</link>
		<comments>http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/russell-house-tavern/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 21 May 2010 19:07:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lingbo Li</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[American]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Harvard Square]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[harvard square]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[michael scelfo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[russell house tavern]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://lingboli.com/?p=2560</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Harvard was built in 1636. As another transient moving through these classrooms and dorms &#8211; every spring, boxing my pathetic belongings and thinking towards a shrinking timeline &#8211; it&#8217;s easy to forget that the Square is transient as well. After all, it seems that Spare Change man has been hawking his newspapers in front of [...]


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/russell-house-tavern-to-open-in-harvard-square/' rel='bookmark' title='Russell House Tavern to open in Harvard Square'>Russell House Tavern to open in Harvard Square</a></li>
<li><a href='http://lingboli.com/uncategorized/some-food-porn-from-harvard-square/' rel='bookmark' title='Some food porn from Harvard Square'>Some food porn from Harvard Square</a></li>
<li><a href='http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/food-porn-of-the-day-molten-chocolate-cake-coffee-ice-cream-at-finale-harvard-square/' rel='bookmark' title='Food porn of the day: molten chocolate cake, coffee ice cream at Finale Harvard Square'>Food porn of the day: molten chocolate cake, coffee ice cream at Finale Harvard Square</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 15px; width:240px;">
		<img src="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/DSCN8510.jpg" width="240" />
		</p><p>Harvard was built in 1636. As another transient moving through these classrooms and dorms &#8211; every spring, boxing my pathetic belongings and thinking towards a shrinking timeline &#8211; it&#8217;s easy to forget that the Square is transient as well.</p>
<p>After all, it seems that Spare Change man has been hawking his newspapers in front of Au Bon Pain forever, and ever, calling, &#8220;Young lady! Young lady! Won&#8217;t you have a heart?&#8221; And the Asian tourists spill eternal over the Yard, clutching their cameras like stunned mice and groping John Harvard&#8217;s storied foot. I remember freshman year, dodging and weaving through the tourists to breakfast, I&#8217;d feel superior to them. I <em>lived </em>here; I was real. But now, I think that I&#8217;m just as much a tourist as they are.</p>
<p>As an admitted high school senior, a freshman introduced me to the area. I remember one venue: <a href="http://http://www.thecrimson.com/article/2009/1/30/z-square-cafe-shuts-its-doors/">Z Square</a>, where the <a href="http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/russell-house-tavern-to-open-in-harvard-square/">newly opened</a> <a href="http://russellhouse.wordpress.com">Russell House Tavern</a> now stands. &#8220;This is where you take someone when you&#8217;re getting serious,&#8221; he explained, and it seemed like an institution to me. The unholy trinity of the <a href="http://www.hongkongharvard.com">Kong</a>, &#8216;<a href="http://www.pinocchiospizza.net/">Noch&#8217;s</a>, and <a href="http://www.felipestaqueria.com">Felipe&#8217;s</a> seemed cast in stone. It was only years later that I found out Felipe&#8217;s had only been around for a few years, as had Z Square.</p>
<p>I&#8217;ve long stopped talking to that freshman after a mysterious tiff my first semester, and I never visited Z Square while it was open. So when I heard a new restaurant was opening, I was curious.</p>
<p>I&#8217;ve now visited Russell House Tavern three times in the past few weeks, more than any other restaurant. This has been purely by mistake. But I can see why I keep getting drawn back. They&#8217;re not perfect, but they are very good, and more ambitious than I would have expected, or need be.</p>
<p>Russell House is owned by the Grafton Group, which also runs <a href="http://graftonstreetcambridge.com">Grafton Street</a>, <a href="http://redlinecambridge.com">Redline,</a> and <a href="http://templebarcambridge.com">Temple Bar,</a> where chef Michael Scelfo still works.* Their promo blurb of &#8220;seasonally changing, classic American fare&#8221; did not excite me. But I eventually got dragged along anyway after a viewing of Top Chef Masters at <a href="http://www.rialto-restaurant.com">Rialto, </a>where I somehow sat at a table with <a href="http://cmliu.com">Christine</a> of <a href="http://citysearch.com">Citysearch</a> and Leighann F. of <a href="http://yelp.com">Yelp</a>. (They&#8217;re friends!)</p>
<p>The space is heavy on dark wood, a kind of polished masculinity that&#8217;s not too old boy&#8217;s club. The dining room proper is downstairs &#8211; a sea of high tables and stools, a few padded banquets, a long U of a bar.</p>
<div id="attachment_2563" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 490px"><a href="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/DSCN8746.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-2563" title="DSCN8746" src="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/DSCN8746.jpg" alt="Crispy Soft Poached Chip-In Farm Egg 7 Pecorino Aioli, Toasted Brioche, House Pancetta" width="480" height="360" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Crispy Soft Poached Chip-In Farm Egg 7 Pecorino Aioli, Toasted Brioche, House Pancetta</p></div>
<div id="attachment_2565" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 490px"><a href="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/DSCN8510.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-2565" title="DSCN8510" src="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/DSCN8510.jpg" alt="Danielle of Eastern Standard with the pizzas for the night" width="480" height="360" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Danielle of Eastern Standard with the pizzas of the night</p></div>
<p>I wasn&#8217;t particularly hungry, but tried the fried poached farm egg, which was an oozy, bacon-laden, plate licking appetizer. It is a bit pricey considering a full pizza is only a few bucks more, but worth it in inspiration. It led me to attempt my own fried poached eggs, to little success. I also sampled a lamb tartare &#8211; a bit too raw/gamey for my tastes &#8211; and a cured and smoked lamb belly pizza, with fontina cheese and mushroom, although the intensity and saltiness of the lamb overpowered the rest. The chef clearly has a fondness for the bleating little creatures, and wasn&#8217;t afraid to show it.</p>
<div id="attachment_2564" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 490px"><a href="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/DSCN8511.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-2564" title="DSCN8511" src="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/DSCN8511.jpg" alt="" width="480" height="360" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">lamb tartare</p></div>
<p>I came back again, on a whim, on a busy Friday night to catch up with a friend. I had the crispy poached egg again, and savored every last crumb of the brioche and smudge of the aioli. Unfortunately, service was pretty slow &#8211; it seemed that they were short staffed &#8211; and my egg was already cooling down. I tweeted my dissatisfaction, and the chef tweeted back: &#8220;so sorry!! please let me make it up to u next timer ur in&#8230;&#8221;</p>
<div id="attachment_2561" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 490px"><a href="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/DSCN8807.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-2561" title="DSCN8807" src="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/DSCN8807.jpg" alt="" width="480" height="360" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Semolina-yogurt cake with basil</p></div>
<p>Finally, about a week ago, I dropped by again after one of the worst meals in the past year at Shabu Ya. (Avoid at all costs.) My friends had ordered up chicken liver crostinis &#8211; richly satisfying bites, rounded out with a dab of prune-honey jam. The short rib wellington was fine, as was the caesar salad. The centerpiece ended up being a lamb shank, cooked to a melting, falling-off-the-bone tenderness, presented in a black lentil stew. I didn&#8217;t get to talk to Chef Scelfo, but the manager sent out a few desserts &#8211; a semolina cake (tasting akin to a more complex corn muffin), sorbet (a trio including a nice icy grapefruit), and carrot cake &#8211; served in a round pot, with gooey layers. The waiter, coincidentally, happened to read my blog.</p>
<p>Not everything is perfect, but I give the chef points for taking risks with the menu. And even when there were hiccups in service &#8211; a forgotten order, say &#8211; the staff immediately corrected it and removed the dish off the bill. The prices are about right, with pizzas $10-13, and entrees $10-28. This is not a restaurant that will change dining, but it&#8217;s one I could see becoming an institution. Then again, in Harvard Square, that doesn&#8217;t take so long.</p>
<p>*Correction appended: Chef Michael Scelfo still works at Temple Bar, in addition to Russell House Tavern.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/4/1518304/restaurant/Boston/Harvard-Square/Russell-House-Tavern-Cambridge"><img alt="Russell House Tavern on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/1518304/biglogo.gif" style="border:none;width:104px;height:34px" /></a></p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/russell-house-tavern-to-open-in-harvard-square/' rel='bookmark' title='Russell House Tavern to open in Harvard Square'>Russell House Tavern to open in Harvard Square</a></li>
<li><a href='http://lingboli.com/uncategorized/some-food-porn-from-harvard-square/' rel='bookmark' title='Some food porn from Harvard Square'>Some food porn from Harvard Square</a></li>
<li><a href='http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/food-porn-of-the-day-molten-chocolate-cake-coffee-ice-cream-at-finale-harvard-square/' rel='bookmark' title='Food porn of the day: molten chocolate cake, coffee ice cream at Finale Harvard Square'>Food porn of the day: molten chocolate cake, coffee ice cream at Finale Harvard Square</a></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>8</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Russell House Tavern to open in Harvard Square</title>
		<link>http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/russell-house-tavern-to-open-in-harvard-square/</link>
		<comments>http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/russell-house-tavern-to-open-in-harvard-square/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 03 Mar 2010 22:02:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lingbo Li</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[American]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Boston]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Harvard Square]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://lingboli.com/?p=2170</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Update: Check out my Russell House review. Word on the Internet is that Harvard Square will soon have another restaurant to add to its roster &#8211; Russell House Tavern, headed by Chef Michael Scelfo from Temple Bar. Its opening is set for late March or early April. Their Twitter account is currently silent, although following [...]


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/russell-house-tavern/' rel='bookmark' title='Russell House Tavern in Harvard Square is here to stay.'>Russell House Tavern in Harvard Square is here to stay.</a></li>
<li><a href='http://lingboli.com/uncategorized/sweet-cupcakes-to-the-open-in-harvard-square/' rel='bookmark' title='Sweet Cupcakes to open in Harvard Square!!!'>Sweet Cupcakes to open in Harvard Square!!!</a></li>
<li><a href='http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/zinnekens-harvard-square-belgian-waffles-2/' rel='bookmark' title='Zinneken’s in Harvard Square Brings You Belgian Waffles'>Zinneken’s in Harvard Square Brings You Belgian Waffles</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 15px; width:240px;">
		<img src="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/20090921_boston_templebar_michaelscelfo_half.jpg" width="240" />
		</p><div id="attachment_2171" class="wp-caption alignleft" style="width: 265px"><a href="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/20090921_boston_templebar_michaelscelfo_half.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-2171" title="20090921_boston_templebar_michaelscelfo_half" src="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/20090921_boston_templebar_michaelscelfo_half.jpg" alt="Chef Michael Scelfo" width="255" height="289" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Chef Michael Scelfo</p></div>
<blockquote><p>Update: Check out my <a href="http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/russell-house-tavern/">Russell House review</a>.</p></blockquote>
<p>Word on the Internet is that Harvard Square will soon have another restaurant to add to its roster &#8211; <a href="http://russellhouse.wordpress.com/">Russell House Tavern,</a> headed by Chef Michael Scelfo from <a href="http://www.templebarcambridge.com/">Temple Ba</a>r. Its opening is set for late March or early April.</p>
<p>Their <a href="http://twitter.com/RussellHouseTav">Twitter account</a> is currently silent, although following and being followed by well over a 1,000 tweeps. What kind of food will it serve? According to a <a href="http://boston.craigslist.org/gbs/fbh/1624969695.html">Craiglist ad</a> calling for service staff, the eatery will have &#8220;seasonally-changing, classic American fare with contemporary influences, carefully-designed cocktails and a resolute selection of American wines and local craft beers.&#8221; Expect<a href="http://www.bostonchefs.com/restaurant_jobs/"> a focus on local, seasonal ingredients.</a></p>
<p><a href="http://twitter.com/mscelfo">Scelfo&#8217;s Twitter</a> chronicles a bit of the excitement: &#8220;confirmed on 1st equipment delivery for this thurs -my highlights: double hearth oven, large cabinet (cold/hot) smoker, immersion circulator,&#8221; he wrote yesterday.</p>
<p>It <a href="http://twitter.com/mscelfo/status/9653739872">looks like</a> he&#8217;s got some good people helping out with his new baby as well: &#8220;solid 1st impression from new crew at RH, everyone on board showed up to clean &amp; organize. 3 weeks of cleaning ahead, always rule number 1&#8243; says a tweet  from February 25th.</p>
<p>A recent blog post really gives away nothing about the restaurants menu, except that it won&#8217;t veer too wildly far from Temple Bar&#8217;s spirit &#8211; &#8220;I followed was to be mindful and respectful of Temple Bar’s style,&#8221; he writes, trying to balance competing interests.</p>
<p>Well, I&#8217;m looking forward to seeing what he&#8217;s got in store!</p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/russell-house-tavern/' rel='bookmark' title='Russell House Tavern in Harvard Square is here to stay.'>Russell House Tavern in Harvard Square is here to stay.</a></li>
<li><a href='http://lingboli.com/uncategorized/sweet-cupcakes-to-the-open-in-harvard-square/' rel='bookmark' title='Sweet Cupcakes to open in Harvard Square!!!'>Sweet Cupcakes to open in Harvard Square!!!</a></li>
<li><a href='http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/zinnekens-harvard-square-belgian-waffles-2/' rel='bookmark' title='Zinneken’s in Harvard Square Brings You Belgian Waffles'>Zinneken’s in Harvard Square Brings You Belgian Waffles</a></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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		<title>Grocery shopping like it&#8217;s window shopping in Cambridge</title>
		<link>http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/grocery-shopping-like-its-window-shopping-in-cambridge/</link>
		<comments>http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/grocery-shopping-like-its-window-shopping-in-cambridge/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 26 Feb 2010 18:53:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lingbo Li</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Boston]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Harvard Square]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[grocery stores]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://lingboli.com/?p=2128</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I fully believe in walking into grocery stores just to lustfully pine after that cheese you can&#8217;t afford (or don&#8217;t have a place to store, in my case). The vicarious thrill of handling boxes of exotic imported snack foods is almost as fun as eating them. In some cases, it&#8217;s more fun than eating them. [...]


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/a-few-of-my-guilty-pleasures-in-boston/' rel='bookmark' title='A few of my guilty pleasures in Boston.'>A few of my guilty pleasures in Boston.</a></li>
<li><a href='http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/valentines-day-in-boston-ideas-shoulda-put-a-ring-on-it/' rel='bookmark' title='Valentine&#8217;s Day in Boston ideas: Shoulda put a ring on it'>Valentine&#8217;s Day in Boston ideas: Shoulda put a ring on it</a></li>
<li><a href='http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/charlies-kitchen-quincy-dhall-cambridge-snow/' rel='bookmark' title='Charlie&#8217;s Kitchen, Quincy DHall, Cambridge Snow'>Charlie&#8217;s Kitchen, Quincy DHall, Cambridge Snow</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 15px; width:240px;">
		<img src="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/1239214_397114281.jpg" width="240" />
		</p><p><a href="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/1239214_397114281.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-2130 alignleft" title="1239214_39711428" src="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/1239214_397114281.jpg" alt="" width="236" height="140" /></a>I fully believe in walking into grocery stores just to lustfully pine after that cheese you can&#8217;t afford (or don&#8217;t have a place to store, in my case). The vicarious thrill of handling boxes of exotic imported snack foods is almost as fun as eating them. In some cases, it&#8217;s more fun than eating them. Especially if they&#8217;re licorice-flavored. Ew.</p>
<p>So my newest list for Citysearch is five places which are fun (and cheap!) to browse around. If I could extend the list, I&#8217;d also add Wine and Cheese Cask in Somerville which has a great cheese, cracker, and chocolate section along with their wines. Since I&#8217;m not a big drinker, I prefer to stare at the cheese section&#8230;</p>
<p><a href="http://boston.citysearch.com/list/181541">Grocery Shopping like its Window Shopping on Boston Citysearch</a></p>
<p>Buying groceries shouldn&#8217;t be drudgery &#8211; think of it as an adventure, a way to explore aisle six like the anthropologist you are. I offer you five places to stock not only your pantry but your heart as well, stores that will fill your cart and warm your stomach, tingle your olfactory glands and numb your lips. Don&#8217;t forget to pick up some frozen dumplings. <a href="http://boston.citysearch.com/list/181541">&gt;&gt; Read the list</a></p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/a-few-of-my-guilty-pleasures-in-boston/' rel='bookmark' title='A few of my guilty pleasures in Boston.'>A few of my guilty pleasures in Boston.</a></li>
<li><a href='http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/valentines-day-in-boston-ideas-shoulda-put-a-ring-on-it/' rel='bookmark' title='Valentine&#8217;s Day in Boston ideas: Shoulda put a ring on it'>Valentine&#8217;s Day in Boston ideas: Shoulda put a ring on it</a></li>
<li><a href='http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/charlies-kitchen-quincy-dhall-cambridge-snow/' rel='bookmark' title='Charlie&#8217;s Kitchen, Quincy DHall, Cambridge Snow'>Charlie&#8217;s Kitchen, Quincy DHall, Cambridge Snow</a></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>10</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Food porn of the day: molten chocolate cake, coffee ice cream at Finale Harvard Square</title>
		<link>http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/food-porn-of-the-day-molten-chocolate-cake-coffee-ice-cream-at-finale-harvard-square/</link>
		<comments>http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/food-porn-of-the-day-molten-chocolate-cake-coffee-ice-cream-at-finale-harvard-square/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 11 Feb 2010 22:22:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lingbo Li</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Dessert]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Harvard Square]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[finale]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[food porn]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://lingboli.com/?p=2024</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Related posts:Some food porn from Harvard Square Photo of the Day: Chocolate terrine with thai basil ice cream, sea salt Chocolate cake at Troquet


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://lingboli.com/uncategorized/some-food-porn-from-harvard-square/' rel='bookmark' title='Some food porn from Harvard Square'>Some food porn from Harvard Square</a></li>
<li><a href='http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/photo-of-the-day-chocolate-terrine-with-thai-basil-ice-cream-sea-salt/' rel='bookmark' title='Photo of the Day: Chocolate terrine with thai basil ice cream, sea salt'>Photo of the Day: Chocolate terrine with thai basil ice cream, sea salt</a></li>
<li><a href='http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/cake-and-port-wine-at-troquet/' rel='bookmark' title='Chocolate cake at Troquet'>Chocolate cake at Troquet</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 15px; width:240px;">
		<img src="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/molten-chocolate-cake-finale1.jpg" width="240" />
		</p><p><a href="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/molten-chocolate-cake-finale.jpg"></a><a href="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/molten-chocolate-cake-finale1.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-2027" title="molten-chocolate-cake-finale" src="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/molten-chocolate-cake-finale1.jpg" alt="" width="530" height="398" /></a></p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://lingboli.com/uncategorized/some-food-porn-from-harvard-square/' rel='bookmark' title='Some food porn from Harvard Square'>Some food porn from Harvard Square</a></li>
<li><a href='http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/photo-of-the-day-chocolate-terrine-with-thai-basil-ice-cream-sea-salt/' rel='bookmark' title='Photo of the Day: Chocolate terrine with thai basil ice cream, sea salt'>Photo of the Day: Chocolate terrine with thai basil ice cream, sea salt</a></li>
<li><a href='http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/cake-and-port-wine-at-troquet/' rel='bookmark' title='Chocolate cake at Troquet'>Chocolate cake at Troquet</a></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>A love affair with coffee shops &#8211; The Biscuit in Somerville</title>
		<link>http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/a-love-affair-with-coffee-shops-the-biscuit-in-somerville/</link>
		<comments>http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/a-love-affair-with-coffee-shops-the-biscuit-in-somerville/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 09 Feb 2010 20:00:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lingbo Li</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Boston]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Coffee shops]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dessert]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Harvard Square]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[the biscuit]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://lingboli.com/?p=2013</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[It was spring, freshman year. By then, the Cambridge frost had receded from the cobblestone, and warm air spilled out from T stop as you walked by. To cheer myself up, I&#8217;d appoint myself in a wrap dress and green wedge sandals, the ones my mother bought me from China, and slip on a pair [...]


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/a-four-course-hot-dog-dinner-yep-trinas-starlite-baby/' rel='bookmark' title='Trina&#8217;s Starlite in Somerville Serves a Wicked Hot Dog'>Trina&#8217;s Starlite in Somerville Serves a Wicked Hot Dog</a></li>
<li><a href='http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/food-porn-of-the-day-molten-chocolate-cake-coffee-ice-cream-at-finale-harvard-square/' rel='bookmark' title='Food porn of the day: molten chocolate cake, coffee ice cream at Finale Harvard Square'>Food porn of the day: molten chocolate cake, coffee ice cream at Finale Harvard Square</a></li>
<li><a href='http://lingboli.com/uncategorized/cafe-pamplona/' rel='bookmark' title='Cafe Pamplona'>Cafe Pamplona</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 15px; width:240px;">
		<img src="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/fruit-tart-at-the-biscuit-somerville.jpg" width="240" />
		</p><div id="attachment_2014" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 490px"><a href="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/fruit-tart-at-the-biscuit-somerville.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-2014" title="fruit-tart-at-the-biscuit-somerville" src="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/fruit-tart-at-the-biscuit-somerville.jpg" alt="Fruit tart ($3.50) at The Biscuit in Somerville" width="480" height="360" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Fruit tart ($3.50) at The Biscuit in Somerville</p></div>
<p>It was spring, freshman year. By then, the Cambridge frost had receded from the cobblestone, and warm air spilled out from T stop as you walked by. To cheer myself up, I&#8217;d appoint myself in a wrap dress and green wedge sandals, the ones my mother bought me from China, and slip on a pair of $10 sunglasses. Then I&#8217;d find a coffeeshop.</p>
<p>And I&#8217;d sit there, feeling the caffeine ooze into my blood, my fingertips, buzzing in the back of my mouth. There was something nice about being surrounded by people you didn&#8217;t feel guilty for not knowing.</p>
<p>As a result, I&#8217;m an unapologetic table hog. I&#8217;ve planned days where I come in the morning, buy a large cup of joe, stake out a table, and stay for a good 8 hours. I love how coffeeshops occupy a liminal space that is not quite home, school, or work.</p>
<p>You can go by yourself, or with a friend. You can talk, or not talk. You can linger, or you can rush. You can eat, or just drink.</p>
<p><strong>The Biscuit </strong>is a favorite of mine that I often forget. They suffer from a few flaws &#8211; there&#8217;s no wifi, and seating could be more plentiful. Their pastries are enormous &#8211; think, biscotti the width of your forearm &#8211; and cheap. But you&#8217;d probably have better luck, in terms of execution, with their hot sandwiches. You can even get them in halves for $3.25 each. Blissful.</p>
<p>I was seduced by the candy-toned hues of their fruit tart ($3.50), but was a little underwhelmed by the crust, which was more of a brioche than a pastry crust. Maybe a personal preference. Even so, I love the charm of their mismatched wooden chairs, chalkboard menu, and low prices. If you&#8217;re looking for a more substantial lunch, Kebab Factory down the street has Cambridge&#8217;s best Indian buffet by far. It&#8217;s a lovely part of town, and one that Harvard students don&#8217;t often discover.</p>
<p><strong>Find it!</strong></p>
<p>&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;-</p>
<p><a href="http://www.visitthebiscuit.com">The Biscuit</a></p>
<p>406 Washington St<br />
Somerville, MA 02143<br />
(617) 666-2770</p>
<p><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/4/394116/restaurant/Boston/Biscuit-Somerville"><img alt="Biscuit on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/394116/biglogo.gif" style="border:none;width:104px;height:34px" /></a></p>


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<li><a href='http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/food-porn-of-the-day-molten-chocolate-cake-coffee-ice-cream-at-finale-harvard-square/' rel='bookmark' title='Food porn of the day: molten chocolate cake, coffee ice cream at Finale Harvard Square'>Food porn of the day: molten chocolate cake, coffee ice cream at Finale Harvard Square</a></li>
<li><a href='http://lingboli.com/uncategorized/cafe-pamplona/' rel='bookmark' title='Cafe Pamplona'>Cafe Pamplona</a></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Valentine&#8217;s Day in Boston ideas: Shoulda put a ring on it</title>
		<link>http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/valentines-day-in-boston-ideas-shoulda-put-a-ring-on-it/</link>
		<comments>http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/valentines-day-in-boston-ideas-shoulda-put-a-ring-on-it/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 28 Jan 2010 23:03:27 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lingbo Li</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Central Square]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dessert]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Harvard Square]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[valentine's day]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://lingboli.com/?p=1939</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Since my foray in Jewish speed dating clearly hasn&#8217;t earned me a date for Valentine&#8217;s Day, I&#8217;m turning all my brilliant ideas over to you, dear reader. This list of a sugar-themed crawl of Cambridge is meant primarily for the adventurous and thrifty, a winning combination in my eyes. I realize that my awkwardly inserted [...]


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<li><a href='http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/boston-food-bloggers/' rel='bookmark' title='Boston Food Bloggers'>Boston Food Bloggers</a></li>
<li><a href='http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/grocery-shopping-like-its-window-shopping-in-cambridge/' rel='bookmark' title='Grocery shopping like it&#8217;s window shopping in Cambridge'>Grocery shopping like it&#8217;s window shopping in Cambridge</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 15px; width:240px;">
		<img src="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/RDIrBoru172.jpeg" width="240" />
		</p><p><img class="alignnone" title="sf" src="http://images4.citysearch.net/assets/imgdb/guide/2010/1/24/0/RDIrBoru172.jpeg" alt="" width="384" height="216" /></p>
<p>Since <a href="http://lingboli.com/life/lingbo-does-jewish-speed-dating/">my foray in Jewish speed dating</a> clearly hasn&#8217;t earned me a date for Valentine&#8217;s Day, I&#8217;m turning all my brilliant ideas over to you, dear reader. This <a href="http://boston.citysearch.com/list/174571">list of a sugar-themed crawl of Cambridge</a> is meant primarily for the adventurous and thrifty, a winning combination in my eyes. I realize that my awkwardly inserted mentions of makeouts perhaps should be cut. I&#8217;ve spent too long with my Macbook to know what you crazy kids do these days.</p>
<p>Or, if you&#8217;re sexy singleton, a la Bridget Jones and pre-Big-and-wedding Carrie Bradshaw, try my <a href="http://boston.citysearch.com/list/174581">&#8220;For all the single ladies&#8221; v-day lis</a>t. Except I&#8217;d probably switch out the movie options &#8211; I just don&#8217;t watch enough quality cinema to know of movies where men turn out to be evil puppy-eating beasts &#8211; a much better ointment for the soul than some 40-something tearing up as her man abandons her at the altar. Buzzkill, much?</p>
<p>I&#8217;ll be hitting the gym, regardless.</p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/a-few-of-my-guilty-pleasures-in-boston/' rel='bookmark' title='A few of my guilty pleasures in Boston.'>A few of my guilty pleasures in Boston.</a></li>
<li><a href='http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/boston-food-bloggers/' rel='bookmark' title='Boston Food Bloggers'>Boston Food Bloggers</a></li>
<li><a href='http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/grocery-shopping-like-its-window-shopping-in-cambridge/' rel='bookmark' title='Grocery shopping like it&#8217;s window shopping in Cambridge'>Grocery shopping like it&#8217;s window shopping in Cambridge</a></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Harvard Square Cafes: the definitive guide</title>
		<link>http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/harvard-square-cafes-the-definitive-guide/</link>
		<comments>http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/harvard-square-cafes-the-definitive-guide/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 11 Jan 2010 04:46:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lingbo Li</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Coffee shops]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Harvard Square]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://lingboli.com/?p=1866</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Harvard Square is home not only to a lot of foot-fetishizing Japanese tourists and uppity academics, but also an overwhelming number of cafes. For real cafe die-hards, these businesses are much more than a coffee dispenser. (I&#8217;m looking at you, the one nursing your $3 latte for 6 hours.) Here&#8217;s to admitting that your trapped-on-a-desert-island [...]


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/harvard-square-guide-tourist-stops/' rel='bookmark' title='Harvard Square Guide: 4 Tourist Stops You CANNOT Miss'>Harvard Square Guide: 4 Tourist Stops You CANNOT Miss</a></li>
<li><a href='http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/should-cafes-ask-customers-to-leave/' rel='bookmark' title='Should Cafes Ask Customers to Leave?'>Should Cafes Ask Customers to Leave?</a></li>
<li><a href='http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/russell-house-tavern/' rel='bookmark' title='Russell House Tavern in Harvard Square is here to stay.'>Russell House Tavern in Harvard Square is here to stay.</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 15px; width:240px;">
		<img src="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/DSCN3407.jpg" width="240" />
		</p><div id="attachment_1867" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 490px"><a href="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/DSCN3407.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1867" title="DSCN3407" src="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/DSCN3407.jpg" alt="" width="480" height="360" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">a brownie from Crema (good for camping out to)</p></div>
<p><em>Harvard Square is home not only to a lot of foot-fetishizing Japanese tourists and uppity academics, but also an overwhelming number of cafes. For real cafe die-hards, these businesses are much more than a coffee dispenser. (I&#8217;m looking at you, the one nursing your $3 latte for 6 hours.) Here&#8217;s to admitting that your trapped-on-a-desert-island essentials include your Macbook, a wi-fi connection, and a hard stool you had to elbow through the lunch rush crowd for. </em></p>
<p><a href="http://boston.citysearch.com/list/171811">Read my definitive list on where to slum it, where to pretend you&#8217;re bohemian, and where to camp out for HOURS on Citysearch.</a></p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/harvard-square-guide-tourist-stops/' rel='bookmark' title='Harvard Square Guide: 4 Tourist Stops You CANNOT Miss'>Harvard Square Guide: 4 Tourist Stops You CANNOT Miss</a></li>
<li><a href='http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/should-cafes-ask-customers-to-leave/' rel='bookmark' title='Should Cafes Ask Customers to Leave?'>Should Cafes Ask Customers to Leave?</a></li>
<li><a href='http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/russell-house-tavern/' rel='bookmark' title='Russell House Tavern in Harvard Square is here to stay.'>Russell House Tavern in Harvard Square is here to stay.</a></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>2</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Food porn of the day: Ten Tables Cambridge</title>
		<link>http://lingboli.com/boston-food-restaurant-blog/boston-food-restaurant-harvard-square/food-porn-of-the-day-ten-tables-cambridge/</link>
		<comments>http://lingboli.com/boston-food-restaurant-blog/boston-food-restaurant-harvard-square/food-porn-of-the-day-ten-tables-cambridge/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 07 Jan 2010 14:57:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lingbo Li</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[American]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Harvard Square]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://lingboli.com/?p=1829</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I had some photos knocking around on my ever-trendy (and broken) Macbook, unshared, so here they are &#8211; the remnants of a meal from several months ago at Ten Tables, on the fringes of Harvard Square. I already posted the dessert portion &#8211; chocolate terrine with thai basil ice cream &#8211; which was my favorite [...]


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<li><a href='http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/photo-of-the-day-chocolate-terrine-with-thai-basil-ice-cream-sea-salt/' rel='bookmark' title='Photo of the Day: Chocolate terrine with thai basil ice cream, sea salt'>Photo of the Day: Chocolate terrine with thai basil ice cream, sea salt</a></li>
<li><a href='http://lingboli.com/uncategorized/some-food-porn-from-harvard-square/' rel='bookmark' title='Some food porn from Harvard Square'>Some food porn from Harvard Square</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 15px; width:240px;">
		<img src="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/twocoursesattentables2.jpg" width="240" />
		</p><p><center><a href="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/twocoursesattentables2.jpg"><img title="twocoursesattentables" src="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/twocoursesattentables2.jpg" alt="" width="480" height="758" /></a></center><br />
I had some photos knocking around on my ever-trendy (and broken) Macbook, unshared, so here they are &#8211; the remnants of a meal from several months ago at Ten Tables, on the fringes of Harvard Square. I already posted the dessert portion &#8211; <a href="http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/photo-of-the-day-chocolate-terrine-with-thai-basil-ice-cream-sea-salt/">chocolate terrine with thai basil ice cream</a> &#8211; which was my favorite course of the night. It combined the silkiness and unexpected flavor of the ice cream with the edifying crunch of sea salt sprinkled on the terrine. I found the grilled octopus too heavy on the vinegar, but the housemade sausages were juicily gratifying. I didn&#8217;t see stars (after all, this post is coming way too late), but was glad I gave it a try.</p>
<p><strong>Find it!</strong></p>
<p>&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;-<strong>&#8212;&#8212;&#8211;<br />
</strong></p>
<address>Ten Tables<br />
</address>
<address> 5 Craigie Circle<br />
Cambridge, MA 02138<br />
</address>
<p>(617) 576-5444</p>
<div id="bizUrl"><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.tentables.net&amp;src_bizid=eo5O5VgAIL7dz8AWBGBcjg&amp;cachebuster=1262876159" target="_blank">www.tentables.net</a></div>


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<li><a href='http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/photo-of-the-day-chocolate-terrine-with-thai-basil-ice-cream-sea-salt/' rel='bookmark' title='Photo of the Day: Chocolate terrine with thai basil ice cream, sea salt'>Photo of the Day: Chocolate terrine with thai basil ice cream, sea salt</a></li>
<li><a href='http://lingboli.com/uncategorized/some-food-porn-from-harvard-square/' rel='bookmark' title='Some food porn from Harvard Square'>Some food porn from Harvard Square</a></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Oggi&#8217;s &#8220;to die for&#8221; slice of the day</title>
		<link>http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/oggis-to-die-for-slice-of-the-day/</link>
		<comments>http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/oggis-to-die-for-slice-of-the-day/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 05 Dec 2009 02:31:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lingbo Li</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Harvard Square]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Pizza]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[oggi's]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://lingboli.com/?p=1412</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Steak pizza with fried shallots? It sounded promising, and it was indeed pretty tasty. The shallots added a lot of textural interest &#8211; plus they were kind of fun to eat, but didn&#8217;t actually add any positive flavor to the slice. They&#8217;d clearly been sitting on a pan for a bit, so they weren&#8217;t crunchy, [...]


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://lingboli.com/uncategorized/oggis-special-of-the-day-slice/' rel='bookmark' title='Oggi&#8217;s Special of the Day Slice'>Oggi&#8217;s Special of the Day Slice</a></li>
<li><a href='http://lingboli.com/uncategorized/the-best-pizza-in-new-york/' rel='bookmark' title='The Best Pizza in New York?'>The Best Pizza in New York?</a></li>
<li><a href='http://lingboli.com/uncategorized/the-blue-october-pizza-at-zing-pizza/' rel='bookmark' title='The Blue October Pizza at Zing! Pizza'>The Blue October Pizza at Zing! Pizza</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
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<p><a href="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/dscn4543.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1414" title="dscn4543" src="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/dscn4543.jpg" alt="dscn4543" width="480" height="360" /></a></p>
<p><a href="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/dscn4540.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1413" title="dscn4540" src="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/dscn4540.jpg" alt="dscn4540" width="480" height="360" /></a></p>
<p><a href="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/dscn4549.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1415" title="dscn4549" src="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/12/dscn4549.jpg" alt="dscn4549" width="480" height="360" /></a></p>
<p>Steak pizza with fried shallots? It sounded promising, and it was indeed pretty tasty.</p>
<p>The shallots added a lot of textural interest &#8211; plus they were kind of fun to eat, but didn&#8217;t actually add any positive flavor to the slice. They&#8217;d clearly been sitting on a pan for a bit, so they weren&#8217;t crunchy, and had been overcooked so they actually tasted bitter. As always, though, this place really kills it with their flakey, sesame-seed sprinkled crust. Divine.</p>
<p>I ended up not finishing the slice (I wasn&#8217;t that hungry) and gave it to this homeless woman with a broken arm who made me feel so sad that I wished I had just bought her an entire pizza pie.</p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://lingboli.com/uncategorized/oggis-special-of-the-day-slice/' rel='bookmark' title='Oggi&#8217;s Special of the Day Slice'>Oggi&#8217;s Special of the Day Slice</a></li>
<li><a href='http://lingboli.com/uncategorized/the-best-pizza-in-new-york/' rel='bookmark' title='The Best Pizza in New York?'>The Best Pizza in New York?</a></li>
<li><a href='http://lingboli.com/uncategorized/the-blue-october-pizza-at-zing-pizza/' rel='bookmark' title='The Blue October Pizza at Zing! Pizza'>The Blue October Pizza at Zing! Pizza</a></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Sublime fried eggplant salad at Cafe Algiers</title>
		<link>http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/sublime-fried-eggplant-salad-at-cafe-algiers/</link>
		<comments>http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/sublime-fried-eggplant-salad-at-cafe-algiers/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:02:38 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lingbo Li</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Harvard Square]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Middle Eastern]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Algiers]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://lingboli.com/?p=1199</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Algiers is the kind of place that I often throw out as a good first date location: it has charm, a bit of old world romance, and that je ne sais quoi flavor of bohemian Cambridge before the Gap moved in. However, I always throw in a word of caution that the prices are uh, [...]


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/1204/' rel='bookmark' title='BOMB Lemonade at Baraka Cafe in Central Square'>BOMB Lemonade at Baraka Cafe in Central Square</a></li>
<li><a href='http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/egg-fried-rice-not-as-straightfoward-as-i-thought/' rel='bookmark' title='Egg fried rice, not as straightforward as I thought.'>Egg fried rice, not as straightforward as I thought.</a></li>
<li><a href='http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/tony-maws-fried-pigs-tails-at-craigie-on-main-cambridge/' rel='bookmark' title='Tony Maws&#8217; Fried Pigs&#8217; Tails at Craigie on Main, Cambridge'>Tony Maws&#8217; Fried Pigs&#8217; Tails at Craigie on Main, Cambridge</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 15px; width:240px;">
		<img src="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/dscn3953.jpg" width="240" />
		</p><p><a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/algiers-coffee-house-cambridge">Algiers</a> is the kind of place that I often throw out as a good first date location: it has charm, a bit of old world romance, and that je ne sais quoi flavor of bohemian Cambridge before the Gap moved in. However, I always throw in a word of caution that the prices are uh, pretty inflated. You pay for ambience in the form of 5 dollar coffees and $3.50 plain bagels (!). (They might even charge extra for cream cheese.) Their food menu are dependable Middle Eastern dishes at higher than the average cafe price points &#8211; expect to drop at least $13-14 for a decent entree. For drinks, I recommend their mocha arabica &#8211; muddy, chocolatey, and comes in its own pot.</p>
<div id="attachment_1200" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 490px"><a href="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/dscn3953.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1200" title="dscn3953" src="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/dscn3953.jpg" alt="Fried eggplant salad" width="480" height="360" /></a><p class="wp-caption-text">Fried eggplant salad</p></div>
<p>I have a secret love affair with eggplants, so I went for a fried eggplant salad, which seemed like it would be delicious (it was) and the word &#8220;salad&#8221; in it made me feel better about eating fried food when I should really be on a strict beauty queen diet. It came with a basket of Syrian bread, making for absolutely luscious, sensual, interactive eating: cutting up the salty, flavor-soaked eggplant, wrapping it up with feta cheese and dressed greens, and eating it one mini-wrap at a time. The waitress came right after I had mopped my platter spit-shine clean with some bread.</p>
<p>&#8220;You came just in time,&#8221; I told her. I might have actually licked the plate.</p>
<p>Find it!</p>
<p>&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;&#8212;</p>
<p>Algiers</p>
<p><span class="street-address">40 Brattle St</span><br />
<span class="locality">Cambridge</span>, <span class="region">MA</span> <span class="postal-code">02138</span><br />
<span id="bizPhone" class="tel">(617) 492-1557</span></p>
<p><a href="http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/4/50957/restaurant/Boston/Harvard-Square/Cafe-Algiers-Cambridge"><img alt="Café Algiers on Urbanspoon" src="http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/logo/50957/biglogo.gif" style="border:none;width:104px;height:34px" /></a></p>


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<li><a href='http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/egg-fried-rice-not-as-straightfoward-as-i-thought/' rel='bookmark' title='Egg fried rice, not as straightforward as I thought.'>Egg fried rice, not as straightforward as I thought.</a></li>
<li><a href='http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/tony-maws-fried-pigs-tails-at-craigie-on-main-cambridge/' rel='bookmark' title='Tony Maws&#8217; Fried Pigs&#8217; Tails at Craigie on Main, Cambridge'>Tony Maws&#8217; Fried Pigs&#8217; Tails at Craigie on Main, Cambridge</a></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>My favorite secret study spot in Harvard Square: Karma Tea</title>
		<link>http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/my-favorite-secret-study-spot-in-harvard-square-karma-tea/</link>
		<comments>http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/my-favorite-secret-study-spot-in-harvard-square-karma-tea/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sun, 27 Sep 2009 18:22:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lingbo Li</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Coffee shops]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Harvard Square]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[karma tea]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://lingboli.com/?p=1096</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I may regret letting this one out of the bag, but Karma Tea on Mass Ave is a truly magical study nook. While it may be better known for the yoga studio attached to it, the floor-to-ceiling windows, rock sculptures, and comfy faux-suede chairs are every bit as zenergizing as the physical exertions in the [...]


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<li><a href='http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/harvard-square-cafes-the-definitive-guide/' rel='bookmark' title='Harvard Square Cafes: the definitive guide'>Harvard Square Cafes: the definitive guide</a></li>
<li><a href='http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/russell-house-tavern/' rel='bookmark' title='Russell House Tavern in Harvard Square is here to stay.'>Russell House Tavern in Harvard Square is here to stay.</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
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		</p><p><a href="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/dscn36463.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1097" title="dscn36463" src="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/dscn36463.jpg" alt="dscn36463" width="360" height="480" /></a></p>
<p>I may regret letting this one out of the bag, but Karma Tea on Mass Ave is a truly magical study nook. While it may be better known for the yoga studio attached to it, the floor-to-ceiling windows, rock sculptures, and comfy faux-suede chairs are every bit as zenergizing as the physical exertions in the studio upstairs. They carry vegan muffins from Veggie Planet (haven&#8217;t sampled these, but &#8220;blueberry lime&#8221; sounds intriguing) and <a href="http://lingboli.com/?p=594">I&#8217;ve enjoyed their cupcake treats in the past</a>. Recently, I had a hibiscus elderflower lemonade which tasted similar to a cranberry lemonade with a more floral note. $2.25 netted me a giant, elegant iced glass of it. Did I mention there&#8217;s a great outlet board to plug your laptop into AND free wi-fi? Magic, indeed.</p>
<p><a href="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/dscn36522.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1098" title="dscn36522" src="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/dscn36522.jpg" alt="dscn36522" width="480" height="360" /></a></p>


<p>Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://lingboli.com/uncategorized/some-food-porn-from-harvard-square/' rel='bookmark' title='Some food porn from Harvard Square'>Some food porn from Harvard Square</a></li>
<li><a href='http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/harvard-square-cafes-the-definitive-guide/' rel='bookmark' title='Harvard Square Cafes: the definitive guide'>Harvard Square Cafes: the definitive guide</a></li>
<li><a href='http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/russell-house-tavern/' rel='bookmark' title='Russell House Tavern in Harvard Square is here to stay.'>Russell House Tavern in Harvard Square is here to stay.</a></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>HUDS food cart column in the Crimson</title>
		<link>http://lingboli.com/uncategorized/huds-food-cart-column-in-the-crimson/</link>
		<comments>http://lingboli.com/uncategorized/huds-food-cart-column-in-the-crimson/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 17 Sep 2009 14:27:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Lingbo Li</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[ ]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cheap eats]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Harvard Square]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[HUDS]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://lingboli.com/?p=996</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Check out my review of the HUDS food carts in the Crimson&#8217;s Fifteen Minutes today&#8230; the print version is accompanied by a smiling photo of me cluthing two desecrated halves of whole wheat bread. Anyway, in the spirit of supplementary online content, here are the photos taken of my two meals. Probably more entertaining would [...]


Related posts:<ol><li><a href='http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/cheesey-greasy-poland-review-of-zaps-in-allston-in-the-crimson/' rel='bookmark' title='Cheesey, greasy Poland: review of Zaps in Allston in the Crimson'>Cheesey, greasy Poland: review of Zaps in Allston in the Crimson</a></li>
<li><a href='http://lingboli.com/uncategorized/some-food-porn-from-harvard-square/' rel='bookmark' title='Some food porn from Harvard Square'>Some food porn from Harvard Square</a></li>
<li><a href='http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/whats-your-food-story/' rel='bookmark' title='What&#8217;s your food story?'>What&#8217;s your food story?</a></li>
</ol>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 15px; width:240px;">
		<img src="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/dscn3438.jpg" width="240" />
		</p><p><a href="http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=528964">Check out my review of the HUDS food carts</a> in the Crimson&#8217;s Fifteen Minutes today&#8230; the print version is accompanied by a smiling photo of me cluthing two desecrated halves of whole wheat bread.</p>
<p>Anyway, in the spirit of supplementary online content, here are the photos taken of my two meals.</p>
<p>Probably more entertaining would be the outtakes for the column&#8217;s photoshoot, where I start snarling as I rip apart bread and throw it up in the air, all expertly captured by photog Terrell Woods. (Who is great! Go see him give a tour with Unofficial Tours sometime.)</p>
<p>So yeah, moral of the story is: eat a wrap, or better yet, walk a little farther up Oxford and get some greasy Chinese food. Seriously.</p>
<p><a href="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/dscn3425.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-997" title="dscn3425" src="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/dscn3425.jpg" alt="dscn3425" width="480" height="360" /></a></p>
<p>The site of the unholy chicken salad sandwich&#8230;</p>
<p><a href="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/dscn3429.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-998" title="dscn3429" src="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/dscn3429.jpg" alt="dscn3429" width="480" height="360" /></a></p>
<p>It seemed ok at first glance.</p>
<p><a href="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/dscn3435.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-999" title="dscn3435" src="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/dscn3435.jpg" alt="dscn3435" width="480" height="360" /></a></p>
<p>Don&#8217;t be fooled by this photo &#8211; that bread is sawdust.</p>
<p><a href="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/dscn3438.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1000" title="dscn3438" src="http://lingboli.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/dscn3438.jpg" alt="dscn3438" width="480" height="360" /></a></p>
<p>I fared much better with this tasty beef kebab wrap.</p>


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<li><a href='http://lingboli.com/uncategorized/some-food-porn-from-harvard-square/' rel='bookmark' title='Some food porn from Harvard Square'>Some food porn from Harvard Square</a></li>
<li><a href='http://lingboli.com/food-blog-dining/whats-your-food-story/' rel='bookmark' title='What&#8217;s your food story?'>What&#8217;s your food story?</a></li>
</ol></p>]]></content:encoded>
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