Last night I had the opportunity to check out a place that has been on my "must visit" list for at least six months. In the space that used to house the Green Street Coffee House there is now a chic bar and restaurant called Tory Row.
Tory Row is literally in the center of Harvard Square, just opposite the Curious George store.
On the "about" page of Tory Row's website the restaurant describes itself as " . . . not only impossible to miss, it is impossible to compare to anywhere else." Well, that's simply not true.
As soon as I set foot inside the restaurant I thought "Ooooo, Cambridge 1 must be pissed!" Tory Row has completely ripped off the style and decor of its Harvard Square neighbor Cambridge 1. Both restaurants have wood paneled walls, long, black industrial looking tables that seat multiple parties, the same font on their menus and they even have websites with identical lay outs! I was a bit surprised that two places within a block of each other could be so stylistically similar. I guess Cambridge 1 can take solace in the saying "imitation is the most sincere form of flattery." That, or they have the same owner.
We started out with drinks at the bar while we waited for our table. The drink menu is extensive, offering a great variety of beer, wine and a few specialty drinks. I opted for the Harpoon cider while my dining companion ordered pinot grigio.
While at the bar we noticed several plates of food coming out that all looked spectacular. When we would see something especially tempting we would ask the bartender which menu item it was so we could be sure to order it.
By the time we were seated we already had our dinner game plan. We ordered two starters and an entree. We started with the roasted red pepper hummus and the curry apricot cheese spread. Both were served with a baguette which came out sliced and piping hot. The roasted red pepper hummus was yummy with a bit of a kick, and the curry apricot cheese spread was mind blowing. The flavors seem at first an odd combination, but we literally licked the plate clean.
For an entree we tried the veggie burger which comes with roasted potatoes and mixed green salad. The presentation was beautiful, the portion was generous, the sides were quite tasty and the veggie burger didn't taste like feet (always a victory).
The crowd at Tory Row on this particular night was large groups of coworkers having drinks and couples out for dinner. We saw many romantic dates happening in each corner of the restaurant.
If you live in Cambridge, Tory Row is a great place to have dinner or drinks with friends and a nice change from the usual Harvard Square spots. The floor to ceiling front windows give a great view of the square while you hang, and the staff are all incredibly friendly.
Be sure to order the curry apricot cheese spread to start, and check out the awesome prints on the back wall. They were so gorgeous I wanted to take them off the wall and home with me to hang in my apartment. I learned on Tory Row's website the prints are by an artist named Shepherd Fairy.
Tory Row is located at 3 Brattle Street in Cambridge and is open until 1:00 am, seven days a week.
