Nicest surprise: Garden at the Cellar
A man walks into a bar. Orders . . . a glass of Shiraz and a braised short rib with carrot purée? Okay, it's no punch line, but Garden at the Cellar (991 Mass Ave, Cambridge, 617.230.5880), a civilized little hideaway adjoining an old Harvard Square watering hole, does indeed deliver the unexpected. A profusion of fresh herbs is chef Will Gilson's trademark, one he acquired on his family's Groton farm, the Herb Lyceum. Even if the menu didn't read like the lyrics to "Scarborough Fair," the dishes themselves sing lustily of their debt to sprigs and leaves. We're especially fond of the small plates and side dishes - from warm olives and spiced almonds to frîtes and puréed parsnips - that, in their judicious redolence, blot out all thought of your average overprocessed bar snack.
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