A Hit and a Miss in Harvard Square

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Though Harvard is the oldest college in the United States, change is always in the air. In fact tomorrow is the 2009 commencement so a large group of students will be transformed into alum in just a few hours. But we Nomads are more concerned with places to eat and stay.

Tory Road is the newest gastropub in the neighborhood having moved into the spot on Brattle that formerly housed the legendary Garden Coffee Shop. Well, at least legendary for me — it’s where I took my first date in my college days. That one didn’t work out so well but the Garden continued in operation for another 30 years and was a great place to grab a couple of eggs or a bowl of soup for short money. Low-priced joints can’t survive anymore given the rising rents in the ever more mall-like Square.

Tory Row, however, is a charming replacement. It features mostly communal seating and its large wall o’ windows opens fully to the street. I’ve been twice and found the service friendly and knowledgeable, the food an interesting twist on comfort fare, and the wine list a cut above what you’d expect. The veggie burger is a bit spicy and very moist (a bit too moist for the roll it is served on as the burger tends to squirt out of the side when you bit it). It is much better than the typical hockey puck that calls itself a veggie burger. The pasta with tomatoes and four cheeses was also a winner if not a radical surprise. The portions are well-sized: enough to make a meal but not so large that you over indulge.

The wine list features a nice mix of old and new world wines including a couple of nice Rhones (sorry, a personal favorite). There is a good range of beer selections as well including seasonal and craft offerings.

After lunch or dinner at Tory Row, you’d think that a stroll across the street to Sweet for a cupcake would be the perfect next step before heading to the Brattle Theater for a classic film. Save your steps and the calories — I’ve sampled four of the offerings from Sweet and while they are indeed that, they are hardly special enough to warrant the $3.25 price tag. Generally the cake is a bit dry and the icing tending toward sugary rather than creamy. The chocolate was the best of the bunch; cappuccino the worst.  The Sweet Cake (vanilla) and lemon were somewhere in between. On the plus side, they do offer minature versions of several of the cupcakes and that may result in a more manageable sugar rush.

I think I’ve simply been spoiled by Party Favors — the best cakes and cupcakes on the planet.