Abbey staffer — and occasional food blogger himself — Ryan Agate says his favorite place to grab a bite near the bar is Olecito (12 Springfield St Cambridge, 617.876.1374), Olé Mexican Grill's laid back little sister. Wearing one of his own home-printed taco T-shirts, he'll gladly put away everything from burritos and quesadillas to battered and fried shrimp tacos. Best of all is the Baja Taco, a package of fried shrimp, chipotle mayo, cilantro sauce and cabbage.
PA's Lounge in Somerville's Union Square is a homey rec room environment, the walls therein a flushed red. Even the most homebodied Jamaica Plain music fan knows it's worth the while to cross the river for PA's eclectic bills, from French garage noise bands to the Union Square Round Table, a regular forum for regional smart-alecks.
Once there, take the advice PA's booker Tony Confalone — and frontman for the aptly named Tony the Bookie Orchestra — who enjoys Taqueria La Mexicana (247 Washington Street, Somerville, 617.776.5232), the newly expanded source for hearty chorizo and potato taco fillings ($6.50); a full bar now counts among its offerings mashed banana and rum cocktails ($7.50).
CLUBS: Milky Way Lounge and Lanes, Midway Café
FOOD: Bella Luna, El Oriental de Cuba, Food Wall, La Pupusa Guanaca, Alex’s Chimis, Canto 6, Doyle’s
Hyde Square's Milky Way Lounge and Lanes can feel like a neighborhood clubhouse to that corner of Jamaica Plain. The complex does a fine job of providing one-stop shopping; that is, if your shopping list includes cheap bowling, salsa dance lessons, GBLT dance nights and thin-crust pizza. Bella Luna (403-405 Centre Street, Jamaica Plain, 617.524.6060) is the bar's restaurant upstairs, where homey, Italian-esque pizza and pasta dishes reign. Try the sage gnocchi with tomatoes, asparagus and ham ($16), or the Bella Burger, a hefty slab of sirloin stuffed with Gorgonzola on brioche ($11.50); on a warm night don't miss a seat on the discreet patio out back.
Meanwhile, El Oriental de Cuba (416 Centre Street, Jamaica Plain, 617.524.6464) continues to serve pressed Cubanos ($6.50) with sliced meats, special sauce and pickles, pressed and bundled in foil to go. Sweet crab rangoon ($4.25/6.55), flaky scallion pancakes ($2.95) and addictive, peppery shredded chicken with onions, scallions, and ginger ($4.95/7.95) put Food Wall (387 Centre Street, Jamaica Plain, 617.524.6636) atop JP residents' speed dials. La Pupusa Guanaca, (378 Centre Street, Jamaica Plain, 617.524.4900) next to Fat Ram's Pumpkin Tattoo, offers the cheese-filled tortillas of their namesake ($1.50-1.75 each, meat or cheese) alongside simple, filling burritos ($5). Closer to Jackson Square, stop in for fried yucca, chicken or beef empanadas at Alex's Chimis (358 Centre Street, Jamaica Plain, 617.522.5201). Fill a heartier appetite with a pile of sliced flank steak, lime and fried plantains, or have a seat and join the regulars as they wait for the real treasure, slow-roasted rotisserie chicken.
When heading over to see DJ Nitetrain spin his epic disco collection at the Midway's Wednesday night MUSK party, you'll likely be too late to bite into a fiery, dark chocolate bon bon at Canto 6 (3346 Washington Street, Jamaica Plain, (617.983.8688). But you can always sidle up to Doyle's bar next door for traditional pub fare (3484 Washington Street, Jamaica Plain, 617.524.2345).
