Now’s the perfect time to dine in Kendall Square. Oodles of new restaurants are popping up (Abigail’s, Catalyst, Firebrand Saints, and on and on), yet the neighborhood is still undiscovered enough that street parking is gleefully easy and it’s possible to walk in to a restaurant without a reservation, snag an al fresco table, and sup heartily. We suggest starting with Area Four.
We dined there the other night (patio-side, of course) and snapped a few shots of our favorite dishes. We really liked the place: part coffee shop, part bakery, part pizzeria, totally Kendall. As such: The guy sitting next to us, apparently (hopefully?) a doctor, who regaled a wide-eyed dining companion with tales of his operating-room exploits. He’s not pictured. But the awesome pretzel nuggets are.
Smoked Chatham bluefish and scallion salad. It’s billed as a starter, but it’s deceptively filling.
A small, creamy skillet, complete with pine nuts, golden raisins, and capers. Crostini was nice and all, but truth be told, we ate this with a spoon. Ain’t no shame in it.
If you get nothing else from our site, know this: These nuggets are probably the best appetizer in town right now. Salty, carb-y, and hot. We could swim in the tangy cheese dip. Plus there’s bacon. Devastatingly on-trend. Kind of makes you want to break up with someone and then go stuff your face. Order these.
Loved the dough. A bit fluffy, a bit chewy. Comes with clam sauce, pecorino, hot pepper, and parsley.
Their soft-serve sundae changes daily; either way, it’s a heaping pile of creamy goodness. This one involved honey and arrived in an old-fashioned silver dish.
