The Dish

13 restaurants to try on your next Cambridge-Somerville food crawl

As part of our Yes, Chef series, Erin Miller, owner of Urban Hearth, shares her picks for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and a nightcap.

Vineyard Bay Scallop Fettuccini from Urban Hearth Katelyn Umholtz / Boston.com

December 27, 2024

3 minutes to read

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This one is for my Cambridge-Somerville-loving diners. I recently moved to Somerville, after a year living in Brighton.

I’m not here to make any judgments against Boston and its 23 dynamic neighborhoods, but there’s just something about Camberville. Everyone bikes. The dining scene is fresh and fun. I’ve had an easier time finding community in these Boston suburbs. I’ve been Camberville-pilled, as one colleague put it.

In a way, it reminds me of my previous home, New Orleans. Even HONK Fest and Porchfest have a Mardi Gras feel to it (but with far less beads and booze). Smaller doesn’t equate to less interesting, and this is especially the case when it comes to the small businesses that make my old and new home vibrant.

I was recently on the phone with Erin Miller, chef and owner of Urban Hearth, and like me, a former Southerner who now proudly calls Camberville home. Though I didn’t prompt her to only give me Cambridge and Somerville recommendations for this month’s “Yes, Chef,” she insisted on celebrating her home’s culinary scene.

There are a lot of great makers and spaces to celebrate in the area just west of Boston. And luckily for those who live across the Charles River in Boston, it’s a slow-zone-free Red Line ride away.

Breakfast

When Erin hosts family during the holiday week, there will most likely be an assortment of pastries from nearby La Saison Bakery. “That’s a real holiday treat” for her visiting parents. Other breakfast picks include Sofra Bakery & Cafe and Shirley Eats More Sunshine.

Lunch

Since Erin usually works at Urban Hearth around this time, she’s looking for a healthy lunch near the restaurant. Luckily she works next door to a Lebanese restaurant that whips up her favorite Fattoush salad: Cafe Barada. Erin and her staff also frequent Porter Square’s Sugar & Spice Thai Restaurant for its pad thai and summer rolls, and when she’s out on her bike, there’s a great stop for sandwiches along the Minuteman bikeway called Kickstand Cafe.

Dinner

Because she spends most of her nights cooking elevated dishes like a bay scallop fettuccini and confit duck leg, Erin said she becomes a “lo-fi girl when it comes to dinner.” So she heads to the super hip and casual Bow Market for a bite, usually grabbing a Hotbox pizza before she grabs a bar seat at Rebel Rebel. Her not-so-lo-fi pick? Nearby Field & Vine for various small plates made with locally-sourced ingredients.

Nightcap

Erin and her Urban Hearth crew have several picks for drinks and snacks that they venture out to once the restaurant closes. Sometimes it’s Season to Taste for an exceptional cocktail. Spoke Wine Bar for its wine selection. Highland Kitchen is where you’re bound to run into someone from the industry, according to Erin. Not a Camberville pick, but if you love a good walk before your beer, Erin and her husband get in their steps from home to Notch Brewing in Brighton, located in the Charles River Speedway.

For your reading list

🍺 Whitney’s in Harvard Square forced to close
🥣 Use this map to find your next bowl of soup
🍸 The pistachio martini is beloved. And baffling. (New York Times)
🍩 What one writer learned wearing Dunkin’ deodorant (Boston Globe)

For your calendar

🍻 New Year’s Eve in 1950s fashion at Night Shift
🍹 Drink holiday cocktails at Baldwin Bar
⛷️ High Street Place becomes a cozy ski lodge
🥐 Eat a French prix fixe menu before 2025

What I loved eating this year: Moschari Me Damaskina (beef cheeks) from Bar Vlaha

2024 will be remembered as bumpy, but many of my favorite moments revolved around eating in Boston — whether it was over getting to know new friends, celebrating milestones (I turned 30!), or discovering the most special plates of food.

Here are some dishes I’ll remember and will certainly go out for round 2 in 2025:

Ricotta Gnocchi from Bar Volpe
Kai Tod Had Yai (fried cornish hen) from Mahaniyom
Shuggie’s Pizza from June Bug
Down the Rabbit Hole Cocktail from Equal Measure
Dwaeji Bulgogi from Somaek
Napoli Cookie from Yafa Bakery & Cafe
Double Cheeseburger from Highland Kitchen
Dim Sum from Hei La Moon

Happy New Year, Boston foodies. See you next year.

— Katelyn Umholtz

Katelyn Umholtz

Food and Restaurant Reporter

Katelyn Umholtz covers food and restaurants for Boston.com. Katelyn is also the author of The Dish, a weekly food newsletter.

13 restaurants to try on your next Cambridge-Somerville food crawl