BARTLEY'S

He says:
I'm not a religious man, but for several years now I have been worshipping at Mr. Bartley's Burger Cottage, the high church of hamburgers located just off Harvard Square in Cambridge, MA. I used to visit Bartley's every month when I lived in Cambridge, and our recent trip there allowed me to introduce Uptown Girl to the best hamburger joint in America.

Bartley's has cramped quarters, hectic service, and no bathroom. It does have a bitchin' menu though. Where else can you find a Swiss cheese burger with mushrooms called "The John Kerry" (he voted this the best burger before he voted against it) or a double burger called 'The Arnold Schwarzenegger" (this is no girly burger)? The 20+ burger combinations at Bartley's are not only amusing, but delicious too. The first bite of a medium-rare burger is a miraculous moment -- the beef juices literally explode into your mouth. No other burger I've ever had does that. The meat itself has a perfect texture, tender with just the right amount of give, and the plain bun does an admirable job of sopping up the oozing grease.

She says:
I agree that the menu is very witty. I had "The Bill Clinton" (don't inhale) substituted with a veggie burger pattie. The burger was, well, it was a veggie patty covered in cheddar cheese and BBQ sauce. Tasty, but worth worshipping? Nah. You have to be a beef eater to worship a burger joint.

That said, the fries were crispy and delicious, much better than their flaky, barely-there onion rings.

He says:
I love Bartley's onions rings! They're sliced razor-thin and lightly breaded; I can eat a whole basket and not feel full. And the Oreo vanilla frappe is arguably the tastiest milkshake in America.

I will admit that Barley's can be maddeningly inconsistent. Burgers ordered rare may come out well-done. You'll have soggy fries one day and perfectly crisped ones the next. You may have to go to the bathroom, and you'll find yourself running down Mass. Ave in search of a public toilet while a stranger watches your table.

Even if Bartley's does miss the mark every now and then, all is eventually forgiven when you take that first bite of burger perfection and wipe the hot grease off your chin like the happy fool that you are.

He says:
Bartley's has the best burgers in America. Period.



She says:
How can a burger joint get five forks? For a cramped and crowded burger place with fine (vegetarian) food ...



Although I might add a fork just for the milkshakes.

Bartley's
1246 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138
http://www.mrbartley.com/

EAST COAST GRILL

She says:
While visiting Cambridge this past weekend, Downtown Boy and I brunched at East Coast Grill. It’s a hip, casual spot in Inman Square that focuses on seafood, which is evident not only in the dinner menu, but also in the funky (and fishy) décor. Aside from the raw bar, the brunch menu was not very fishy. Instead it had a strong Cuban influence.

I started out with a fantastic cup of Columbian coffee, and then tried the cornbread crusted French toast with orange marmalade. I wouldn’t say that the French toast was out of this world, but it was as tasty as most, and I appreciated the contrast of the maple syrup with the subtle bitterness of the marmalade.

He says:
My Tortilla Rellanas weren’t quite as good as Uptown Girl’s selection. In fact, they were kind of disgusting. Shredded duck had been stuffed inside a green chili with cilantro and jack cheese to create an over-spiced, yet tasteless brown mush. The sweetness of the sweet potato mash was nicely tempered by a healthy dose of salt, though the garlic-seared greens were slightly undercooked.

I can only hope this dish was an aberration because in the past I have had some truly excellent breakfast burritos at East Coast Grill. At least the fresh-squeezed orange juice was as light and refreshing as I remember.

We say:
Outfitted with a do-it-yourself Bloody Mary bar, East Coast Grill is a fun spot for breakfast with friends. But choose your dish wisely! The foodies in us may prefer their seafood dinners.

For brunch:



For dinner: TBD

East Coast Grill & Raw Bar
1271 Cambridge Street, Cambridge, MA
http://eastcoastgrill.net/

FINALE

She says:
Every city has its up-scale, ultimate-date-spot dessert restaurant. For Boston, this is Finale. After a long day of walking around the city, Downtown Boy and I stopped at their Coolidge Corner branch (there are two other locations at Harvard and Park Plaza). The first floor was filled with smartly-dressed Bostonians, but we were quickly ushered upstairs to sit among the other sneaker-wearing tourists. Hmph.

The place reminded me of a 1970’s lounge, complete with plush red bench seats and carpet to match. And the waitress didn’t help to put us at ease with her strict rules about what we could and could not order (no ordering from the display case downstairs).

Fortunately, Finale’s desserts were fantastic: they were delicious, complex, and gorgeously presented. I ordered the Manjari Mousse, a rich bittersweet chocolate mousse layered with chocolate buttermilk cake. Yum. It was served with a napoleon of blackberry cabernet sorbet and strudel dough, and to top it off, a delicate stick of crystallized sugar. The waitress assured me that the sugar stick is completely edible, but as you can see in the photo, it’s just really pretty.


I think that Downtown Boy was also thoroughly enjoying his cheesecake, but I was too deep in my chocolate bliss to pay much attention.

Did I mention that I ate the leftover mousse for breakfast the next morning? Not only is Finale a delicious way to end the day … it’s a pretty good start to the day as well.




Finale
1306 Beacon Street, Brookline, MA 02446
http://www.finaledesserts.com/