Where to have a fun night around MIT?
July 13, 2007 2:04 AM Subscribe
Fun night-time activities around MIT?
My wife and I are going to meet another couple Saturday night around MIT. We all like to party - can anyone recommend compelling restaurants, bars, and/or clubs around there?
My wife and I are going to meet another couple Saturday night around MIT. We all like to party - can anyone recommend compelling restaurants, bars, and/or clubs around there?
I LOVE Miracle of Science -- it is the hangout of choice for my coworkers.
River Gods is a close second (and is maybe another 10 minute walk away from Miracle, which will be 10 minutes from Kendall) but it is very small inside and gets incredibly crowded really fast, so you might try to hit it up early for dinner (get the garlic aioli fries) and then go elsewhere afterward.
Next to Miracle is Middlesex, owned by the same folks, but it's a little more clubbish-loud pulsing music-hard to hear you sort of atmosphere.
Have fun!
posted by olinerd at 4:42 AM on July 13, 2007
River Gods is a close second (and is maybe another 10 minute walk away from Miracle, which will be 10 minutes from Kendall) but it is very small inside and gets incredibly crowded really fast, so you might try to hit it up early for dinner (get the garlic aioli fries) and then go elsewhere afterward.
Next to Miracle is Middlesex, owned by the same folks, but it's a little more clubbish-loud pulsing music-hard to hear you sort of atmosphere.
Have fun!
posted by olinerd at 4:42 AM on July 13, 2007
Miracle of Science has the best burgers I have ever tasted. Yum.
posted by mkb at 7:21 AM on July 13, 2007
posted by mkb at 7:21 AM on July 13, 2007
I've got to put in a mention for the B-Side Lounge, which has amazing cocktails. It's over on the Kendall theater side, sort of. Also, the Enormous Room is great, but when I've gotten there around "prime time" (10pm Saturday, say) it's been packed and impossible to get a seat. Not in a bad way, but just a very different vibe from late night.
posted by lillygog at 7:49 AM on July 13, 2007 [1 favorite]
posted by lillygog at 7:49 AM on July 13, 2007 [1 favorite]
Seconding the Cambridge Brewing Co., Enormous Room, River Gods, and the B-side lounge.
If you want live music head up to Central Square and hit the Middle East (two stages, a tiny one upstairs and a large one downstairs) or TT the Bears.
As far as restaurants, Central Kitchen is good as is the Blue Room in Kendall (the Blue Room is pretty upscale, you might want a reservation). Another option is to walk to Inman Square (maybe 15-20 min) which has lots of good restaurants (try the East Coast Grill) and is not too far from the B-Side lounge.
posted by pombe at 9:48 AM on July 13, 2007
If you want live music head up to Central Square and hit the Middle East (two stages, a tiny one upstairs and a large one downstairs) or TT the Bears.
As far as restaurants, Central Kitchen is good as is the Blue Room in Kendall (the Blue Room is pretty upscale, you might want a reservation). Another option is to walk to Inman Square (maybe 15-20 min) which has lots of good restaurants (try the East Coast Grill) and is not too far from the B-Side lounge.
posted by pombe at 9:48 AM on July 13, 2007
I was also going to recommend the Enormous Room.
Green Street Grill is also a lot of fun.
posted by occhiblu at 9:48 AM on July 13, 2007
Green Street Grill is also a lot of fun.
posted by occhiblu at 9:48 AM on July 13, 2007
I highly recommend Oleana (134 Hampshire Street) for dinner -- a few blocks from the Kendall Square Cinema and across from the Blue Room (both previously mentioned).
posted by ericb at 11:19 AM on July 13, 2007
posted by ericb at 11:19 AM on July 13, 2007
How adventurous are you? Are you looking for a night on the town or a night underneath, inside, and around MIT?
I'm not sure if they still do it now, but at one point, about two years ago, you could go to the classroom in the basement of building seven on a saturday night* at midnight and find some students hanging out there. Tell anyone you see that you are 'looking for Mike.'**
wear black clothes you don't mind messing up, and consider bringing a flashlight and a leatherman. It won't be glamorous, but it will be awesome. You do not need to be a student to enjoy the fun.
*the location may have changed over the intervening time
**this phrase works wonders on the MIT police. You would be shocked at the circumstances it has excused.
posted by OldReliable at 1:49 PM on July 13, 2007 [1 favorite]
I'm not sure if they still do it now, but at one point, about two years ago, you could go to the classroom in the basement of building seven on a saturday night* at midnight and find some students hanging out there. Tell anyone you see that you are 'looking for Mike.'**
wear black clothes you don't mind messing up, and consider bringing a flashlight and a leatherman. It won't be glamorous, but it will be awesome. You do not need to be a student to enjoy the fun.
*the location may have changed over the intervening time
**this phrase works wonders on the MIT police. You would be shocked at the circumstances it has excused.
posted by OldReliable at 1:49 PM on July 13, 2007 [1 favorite]
If you're looking for a good meal, Helmand on First Street is amazing (Afgahni food) and not too far from MIT.
I'll second the B-Side Lounge - a fantastic place for post dinner drinks, or they have a late night menu.
Venturing farther up into Cambridge from the B-Side, there's also the East Coast Grill which has a killer brunch.
posted by smallstatic at 4:16 PM on July 13, 2007
I'll second the B-Side Lounge - a fantastic place for post dinner drinks, or they have a late night menu.
Venturing farther up into Cambridge from the B-Side, there's also the East Coast Grill which has a killer brunch.
posted by smallstatic at 4:16 PM on July 13, 2007
Middlesex Lounge if you want a clubby place. Cambridge Brewing Company if you want to sit outside and chill, B-side for cool hipsters, the Phoenix Landing for a loud boozey disco-bar, The Field for a decent Irish Pub, The Cantab for live R&B and the best $6 burger in the area, and all of the above.
If you look on yelp.com for reviews and cool maps.
posted by zaphod at 6:30 PM on July 13, 2007
If you look on yelp.com for reviews and cool maps.
posted by zaphod at 6:30 PM on July 13, 2007
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Kendall itself will offer the delicious home brews of the Cambridge Brewing Co. (don't miss the barleywine!) and art/indie movies at the Kendall Sq Cinema. Not too far afield on Mass Ave, there's a whole cluster of places, the most esteemed of which is the Miracle Of Science Bar & Grill. The only club I can think of in Kendall proper is Shine, and that's gay on Saturday nights.
A few blocks further down Mass Ave, the options explode as you hit Central Square. There's the awesome River Gods (loud ambience, great food) and the legendary Middle East restaurant and rock club (louder ambience, even better food) for starters. The masses flock to the Phoenix Landing for great DJs, cheap drinks, and an exremely vibrant atmosphere. To me, though, the sine qua non of Central is the Enormous Room, an unassuming door next to the Central Kitchen which leads upstairs to an awesome salon-style hangout with highly eclectic music, tasty (if pricey) libations, and a seriously comfy lounge setup festooned with pillows and couches rather than proper chairs and tables. Perhaps the thing to do is to get all your high-octane partying in at the Phoenix and save a little comedown time for the Enormous.
posted by mykescipark at 3:15 AM on July 13, 2007