Bondir Opens in Cambridge

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Before you head off to attempt to make turducken, I want to let you know about a new intimate restaurant that's opened in Cambridge - Bondir.

Jason Bond from Beacon Hill Bistro opened his new restaurant Bondir this weekend on Broadway in the old Con y Sol space. The 24 seat restaurant features a fire place, and a country table bar that seats four. There is also a little nook of seats near the fireplace, which may be the best spot for this winter.

The food is a little based on French food, but more importantly, Jason is dedicated to using local, fresh ingredients. The menu is small as a result - but that's OK. The veggies were delicious - and they were sides to lobster and pork belly. The nice thing that Bondir does is that all entrees can be half portioned, so you could have one half for an appetizer (I recommend the grits or the pork belly) and another half for an entree. Meat eaters, you will like the array of pork and beef. :)Ha;f items ran around $12 to $13, and full entrees around $23-$25.

As for the bar, Bondir currently offers beer and wine. Bondir is open 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. for dinner besides Tuesdays and is located at 279A Broadway in Cambridge. The official opening of the restaurant is November 26th. Click here for more information.

Photo credit: www.bondircambridge.com

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This Weekend's Picks - MFA Open House and Canary Square Opening

This weekend my picks are delayed, but they are about food and art. Two of my favorite things! :)

Tomorrow (Saturday) head over to the MFA for a FREE Open House - 10:00am-4:45pm enjoy the new Art of America wing and the fashion exhibits. Expect a crowd, but um, it's FREE! For details on the Open House, click here.

This weekend Canary Square opens in JP in the old Alchemist venue. From the folks who have brought us Coda and Common Ground, Canary Square is sure to be bring affordable local treats. I hear they have fried twinkies on the menu. Hmm. twinkies. Canary Square opens Sunday at 3:00pm and is located at 435 S. Huntington Ave. Stop by!

Lastly, stay tuned for Bondir opening in Cambridge and the Staff Meal Truck in JP. More to come on those soon.

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Voltage Cafe Opens in Kendall Square

For those who live or work in Kendall Square, most of us know that the only coffee shops around are the Starbucks located in the hotels near the T stop. But there is something new in the Square today - Voltage. And its pretty great.

Voltage started out of JP in 2008 when the owner launched Voltage as an espresso catering service. Since then, she found a storefront in Kendall Square where she brews up great coffee (this morning's latte=no need for sugar) and tea. In addition to drinks and some snacks, Voltage offers a gallery of wall space with works of art from local artists. It has, as Lucy, the owner, described this morning "a warehouse vibe."

For menu and other info on Voltage, click here. Voltage is located at 295 Third Street as is open 7am-7pm Monday-Saturday.

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Cheeseboy Review

Cheeseboy : Grilled Cheese to Go opened recently in the train concourse of South Station. The Boston Globe had an article about the food, and it was only a matter of time before a grilled cheese urge would result in a visit.

Alas, the photos of the actual grilled cheese were not saved on my phone as I got overly excited to wolf it down.

First impression: the line. It looked long but the owner insisted that it would take only 15 minutes to get our order. He was correct. It took about 10 minutes to get to the register and then 5 minutes to get the sandwich. For commuters on the go - one of the target customers of Cheeseboy - this is probably something to keep in mind if your train is about to leave soon. During non-lunch hours, however, the line is likely to be much shorter.

After some contemplation, I ordered The Classic (sliced Italian bread with American cheese) for $2.99 and the Cheddar Delight with bacon and tomato (sliced rye bread with Cheddar cheese) for $5.27. Though tomato soup is available, I did not order it. I ate half of it right away and the other half after getting back to the office to see how well it would travel.

The Classic is very basic but also very good. The bread is lightly crisped on the outside and the cheese is a decent thickness to it. Eating the second half back at the office, unsurprisingly, was not nearly as good. The bread had gotten cold and a bit chewy.

The Cheddar Delight with bacon and tomato on rye was a bit disappointing. The bacon flavor was a good addition, but the cheese did not have that thick quality to it. With so many different ingredients than my first sandwich, it's hard to know if it was the Cheddar vs American cheese change or the addition of the tomatoes and bacon that made it less thick.

One of the nicer aspects of the "to go" idea is that the sandwiches came in mini pizza box. This prevented the grease of the sandwich from soaking through and helped prevent any unwanted smushing. Also, don't forget to grab some napkins as they will definitely come in handy.


Overall, I'd say Cheeseboy hit the spot. The taste was good and the price is about right. A single sandwich may not be enough for a full meal, but adding tomato soup or chips or getting a second sandwich would suffice. Finding a table at South Station is a bit difficult during lunchtime and grilled cheeses do not travel well, so I'm not sure what the optimal consumption plan is yet.

As a footnote, today's profits were being donated to Hole in the Wall.

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