Restaurants, etc. near the Somerville Theatre

[fourish.livejournal.com]

I'm seeing a show at the Somerville Theatre soon, and I've only been to Davis Square once. I loved the area and would like to do a little exploring before the show. I know this comm is crawling with restaurant reviews, but can anyone recommend a good one within easy access to the theatre? Doesn't have to be fancy or expensive, but a nice ambience for a small group would be cool.

Anywhere else (cool shops, strange landmarks, awesome places to park) within easy access of the theatre you can tell me about would also be greatly appreciated. (Is that cupcake shop anywhere nearby, perchance?) Apologies if this is the sort of thing that gets asked too often, but I just don't know the area well enough to figure out what goes where.

Thanks!

ETA: This community is amazing. You make me want to move to Somerville. :D

Comments

[ratushebarl.livejournal.com]

MOBA! It's right in the theater basement. http://museumofbadart.org

[jadasc.livejournal.com]

Kickass Cupcakes is about four blocks from the theatre, down Highland Avenue. Cross the star-shaped intersection so that you're on the corner with Mike's Restaurant and the blue shirt café, and walk down that street.

[slinkr.livejournal.com]

If you like Indian food, Diva and Namaskar (both on Elm St.) are pretty good. Martsa on Elm across the street serves Tibetan food. All of those are nice sit-down places and not particularly expensive.

[closetalker11.livejournal.com]

I like Taipei Tokyo, a pan-Asian place just across the street from the theater.

[anotherjen.livejournal.com]

My favorite cool shop is Magpie, on Highland Avenue. I also love the basement of Goodwill on Elm.

[lissie930.livejournal.com]

Redbones for BBQ is good!

[ron_newman]

Sacco's Bowl-Haven is a nifty 1950s-throwback candlepin bowling alley.

Mr. Crepe is right in the theatre building. Maybe you'll want a dessert crepe before or after the show.

The Rosebud Diner is worth walking by at night when the neon sign is lit up.

[balsamicdragon.livejournal.com]

Snappy Sushi is right in the square on Highland. Best sushi in the area, and a really nice, cozy atmosphere :)

[ron_newman]

You could catch a show at Johnny D's after your show at the Somerville Theatre. Sometimes there are cross-promotions with discounted admission to the club.

[catling.livejournal.com]

Across the street from the theater is Taipei Tokyo, a Japanese/Chinese restaurant that is tiny, so it would only work well for a very small group, but the food is really quite good. They don't yet have a liquor license (not sure if that matters to you), but do allow you to bring in your own beer or wine if you wish. You can then stroll over to JP Licks for Ice Cream if you want. Another option which is right next to the theater is Mr. Crepe, which also has ice cream, iirc. They have a yummy selection of savory and sweet crepes, and the savory crepes are big enough to make a filling meal out of if you are so inclined.

If you keep going into the main drag of Davis Sq., Diesel is always a great place to hang out before or after a movie with a good range of hot and cold drinks, delicious soups and various sammiches, baked goods, etc. The people watching at Diesel tends to be fun.

There are, as you are aware, a ton of restaurants along Elm street and many of them are good, so it all depends on how much you want to spend and what you are in the mood for. Diva is good for Indian, Anna's Taqueria is really good and cheap. Gargoyle's is more upscale, with awesome froofy drinks.

The cupcake shop of which you speak is further away, down Highland Ave. I have not visited it but most of my friends that have were underwhelmed.

[thetathx1138.livejournal.com]

For my money, the best place to eat in the square is Orleans. It's just up the block from the theater, the prices are decent, and the food's good. If you drink, try the White Russian!

[fenicedautun.livejournal.com]

Since everybody else is giving recommendations, I'll second Namaskar and add Out of the Blue (which is up Elm past Gargoyles) and serves Italian seafood.

[moireach.livejournal.com]

If you'd like more recommendations, or a map of businesses in Davis, you might want to try playing around with the Davis listings on Yelp (http://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=&ns=1&rpp=10&find_loc=Davis+Square).

[tsuki-no-bara.livejournal.com]

namaskar is indeed really good, but the service can be hit or miss - the first time i went, the service was so incredibly slow i was tempted to leave, but the second time, the service was great. but both times the food was excellent. it's not cheap-cheap but it won't break the bank.

redbones is also fabulous, but there might be a wait, depending on when you get there. the earlier you get there, the quicker you'll get seated, and weeknights are better than weekends. the bbq is fantastic, and it's just down the street from the theater. (walk away from the theater past the cvs and turn right at diva.) slightly cheaper than namaskar. big beer menu. really good pecan pie. (everyone who comes to visit me, i take them to redbones.)

the diesel is a good place for coffee/tea/cider and baked goods.

there's a metered parking lot behind the post office, and another one across the street from orleans.

Parking

[unferth.livejournal.com]

I don't think anyone has posted parking information yet.

Parking can be hard to come by in Davis Square, especially if you're looking on a Friday or Saturday evening. Your best bet is probably one of the city lots.

There's an unnecessarily large PDF showing their locations and hours here:
http://www.somervillema.gov/CoS_Content/documents/Davis%20Square%20Parking%20Map.pdf

And a smaller, faster-loading version hosted by Johnny D's here:
http://www.johnnyds.com/images/img_parking.gif

Either the Buena Vista lot or the Day Street lot would be closest to the theater.

[firepail.livejournal.com]

So... are you going to the Friday or Saturday Cinematic Titanic show?

(just guessing)

[tfarrell.livejournal.com]

The Burren is Davis Square's popular Irish pub. It's a nice place to stop for drinks, and if you want a snack, order the curry fries. Several friends have opined to me recently that their food is not what it used to be, but I still enjoy their beef stew. Tends to get rather loud on weekend evenings.

Dragon Garden chinese, the place with the neon moon and bunny in the window, is my preferred chinese fast food place in Davis. It's not gourmet chinese food, but if you want chinese fast food, cheap-ish, and you're there, it's always respectable. The ambiance is kind of a zero however.

Taipei Tokyo, across the street from the theater, offers a mix of chinese, japanese, and thai food. The chinese food is very nice, somewhat better than Dragon Garden and somewhat more expensive to match. I am unimpressed with their sushi - it's edible, but not as good as the sushi from any of the nearby sushi restaurants. I haven't tried their thai dishes.

JP Licks ice cream is in the middle of the square and is always tasty.

Rosebud diner is... well, it's a diner. With full bar, for some reason. Order something you'd expect to order at a diner, and they'll probably do a really good job of delivering to you what you'd expect to get at a diner. They have really huge BLTs, and service with a smile. (Damn, now I want a BLT.)

[obie119.livejournal.com]

Just putting in a word for the underappreciated Al Fresco. Just went there for the first time a week ago: really fresh tasting food. Very homemade-like, and great prices. We will return - delicious!

a little further out...

[by-lime.livejournal.com]

Don't forget Sabur, Mediterranean fare. It's up Holland a 1/4 mi., maybe a wee bit more, but worth it. Hip bar space and great food. I recommend the tilapia if you like fish and the chicken dish is great too.

[ron_newman]

So ... how did it go, and what did you end up doing (both for food and parking)?