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I'm happy to say there's a great new bar/restaurant in Cambridge, the B-Side. It's between Kendall Sq. and Inman Sq., on Hampshire at Windsor, right where the old Windsor Tap used to be.
A completely different place than the old Windsor Tap. They seem to be aiming at the 20s & 30s hipster crowd, serving good food until late and running a good bar. Think of a neighbourhood version of the Blue Room, a place you could go and enjoy a civilized evening without having to plan ahead to fight through the crowds of mad yuppies at the Blue Room.
The most striking feature is that this is a bar that really cares about making proper cocktails. You're not going to find trendy icky vodka drinks here, but you will find a well balanced list of classic (and neo-classic) cocktails, like the Bronx or the Aviation. Even better, they're made properly: good liquor, and *fresh juice*.
Many of the cocktails seem to be borrowed from Paul Harrington's wonderful cocktail book "Cocktail: The Drinks Bible for the 21st Century"
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0670880221/nelsonminar
I couldn't think of a finer source for contemporary cocktails. (You might also enjoy htheir web site, http://www.cocktailtime.com/)
We had dinner there last Friday, the second day they were serving food. It's a bit hard to judge a kitchen when they're so new, but on we thought they were just fine, very promising.
I started my dinner off with a baked gouda appetizer: a nice piece of cheese melted in a skillet, with a heavy amount of cream and some toasted bread. Very tasty, although a bit heavy for my taste. (Then again, what do you expect for melted cheese and cream?). For dinner, I had their lamb shanks. It was excellent, nicely cooked with good flavour, although I would have preferred it to be trimmed a bit more closely. My companion had their steak tips, really more of a kabob. They were tasty but a bit tough.
Overall, we were quite satisfied with the meal, especially for the cost. My only regret is that the menu was still a bit limited, I would enjoy a few more options. Maybe even a nicely done hamburger!
Dinner is reasonably priced - entrees are $10-$14, appetizers are about $7. Cocktails are on the pricy side, about $6, but well worth it. Other drinks are reasonable - $5 for a glass of fairly good wine, $2.50 for a bottle of beer. They're open very late: dinner until midnight or 1am, liquor license until 2am.
It's a great addition to the neighbourhood.
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