BOSReview
Included In
There are some restaurants you go to because the food is great (hopefully, that’s most restaurants). There are some restaurants you go to for the setting. And there are some restaurants you go to because you’re driving down I-95 and the Roy Rogers has a “bathrooms are for paying customers only” policy.
The reason you go to Alden & Harlow in Harvard Square, though, is to be at Alden & Harlow. It’s designed to be a destination, in that it’s a collection of things you’ve seen and liked in every other cool restaurant around town: small plates, open kitchen, high-end cocktails, exposed brick, wooden beams, and quirky neon signage you’re either supposed to take a picture of, or point to and say “hey, there’s some quirky neon signage.”
photo credit: Emily Kan
The food itself, though, is mostly a collection of good but not great stuff you’ve had elsewhere - in every “New American” restaurant that’s opened on the Eastern Seaboard in the last five years. There’s the smoked duck breast, the tuna crudo, the kale salad, and the secret burger with the short rib beef blend.
Having said that, nothing is bad, several things are pretty good, and you’ll easily find your favorites. We like the Wellfleet clams and the shiro plum salad, which is exactly the type of dish you dream about making when you spend $50 at the farmer’s market, only to let half of your exotic fruits and vegetables ferment in the bottom drawer of your refrigerator. For the most part, though, the dishes here just remind us of other restaurants that do them a little bit better.
There are situations when Alden & Harlow is a good option - like when you’re with your friends and need a place you know will be fun. Or, perhaps you’ll find yourself in Harvard Square when you need to go to the bathroom. In that case, a drink at the bar and a bite of the stuffed peppers will be significantly better than whatever happens inside a Roy Rogers.
Food Rundown
photo credit: Emily Kan
Shiro Plum Salad
photo credit: Emily Kan
Zucchini Agnolotti
photo credit: Emily Kan