Cozy, Charming, and oh the food!
DESCRIPTION: Artsy environment is so comfortable as to be transparent, because the focus is on the food. Freshness and quality of ingredients are priority one, most everything is organic and local, some of the veggies from the owners' garden. Very seasonal menu is French inspired but a little healthier, and the strictly European wine list is masterly composed. Plenty of local artists display there. Metro chic meets hometown accessability. Dinner's to die for but check out their lunch or brunch and it's easy on the pocketbook. Good luck finding it.
DATE: 2005-07-19
FOODRATING : 8
SERVICERATING : 10
AMBIANCERATING : 10
OVERALLRATING : 8
RECOMMENDED DISHES : Duck, local vegtables, seasonal dishes.

Urbane, not Urban
DESCRIPTION: Davis Square's only upscale restaurant, and worth every penny. The wine list shines, as does the cuisine. The staff is incredibly professional and courteous. The bar fills up quickly but never gets loud. Awesome spot.
DATE: 2002-01-15
FOODRATING : 10
SERVICERATING : 10
AMBIANCERATING : 10
OVERALLRATING : 8

Good and Puny
DESCRIPTION: Gargoyles is a fancy restaurant you go to when you need to impress, celebrate or just throw a grand gesture. So it was quite disappointing to receive main courses that were somewhere on the tiny/sample/where's-the-beef end of the scale. Food was good but portions were tiny. The deserts were excellent. Bottom line: pricy and good; arrive well-fed.
DATE: 2002-12-16
FOODRATING : 8
SERVICERATING : 8
AMBIANCERATING : 8
OVERALLRATING : 6
RECOMMENDED DISHES : Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Cake

DESCRIPTION: The food is amazing. Yes, the portions are small but if you get a dedo martini from Paul then you can handle the smaller portion. Not sure you will find better food in the immediate area. It is a fun place to go ritzy and that's cool for Davis square.
DATE: 2003-09-08
FOODRATING : 8
SERVICERATING : 8
AMBIANCERATING : 10
OVERALLRATING : 8
RECOMMENDED DISHES : Even the burger is great.

It's a Mystery to Me
DESCRIPTION: Gargoyles on the Square has always been a mystery to me. The mystery being WHY is this restaurant never included in listings of the best restaurants in the Boston area!?! The food is superb, the service impeccable and welcoming, the ambiance of the room always elegant and romantic. The dishes are inspired and combinations include things I would never expect to see combined in the same dish let alone on the same plate. Yet they work! Meats are especially well prepared. If you see things on the menu like duck, venison or ostrich; order them! They are always perfectly prepared, fresh and absolutely delightful to the tastebuds! I always leave there full and satisfied as portion sizes are perfect and not skimpy. Even the desserts are unique and delightful. I especially loved the velvet pie and the angel food cake. The only thing lacking is a vintage port (over 50 years old) and that's something I seldom find even in really good restaurants in the Boston area. If you go there often enough, you will also notice that the waitstaff is often the same as it was months and years earlier. That indicates to me that the restaurant is well run and their help are as happy to be there as their patrons.
DATE: 2004-01-04
FOODRATING : 10
SERVICERATING : 10
AMBIANCERATING : 10
OVERALLRATING : 8

Best Lounge in Boston
DESCRIPTION: It is always packed with the greatest people - you never have to worry about meatheads or college age kids. West Street is just fun - with tons of good looking women.
DATE: 2005-01-24
FOODRATING : 6
SERVICERATING : 10
AMBIANCERATING : 10
OVERALLRATING : 10

New Menu is OUTSTANDING
DESCRIPTION: We were fans of the Arbor, so didn''t know what to expect. Creative bar offerings still the same ;-) with the Pommegranite Martini and Ras-lime Rickey still offered. Excellent and unusual flavors still there - Majool date, almond, orange salad should be tried. 3 fish on the blackboard daily - all very well prepared with your choice of sauces (not the usual run-of-the-mill). Hamburger has the best sharp cheddar I have ever enjoyed (or blue, your choice) with what may be the best fries in town- you won't want catsup - just a little salt. Price is down a bit from the old (Arbor) menu, but the quality and presentation are still exceptional. Service improves with each visit. Another "star" added to the JP community Menu.
DATE: 2006-03-06
FOODRATING : 8
SERVICERATING : 8
AMBIANCERATING : 10
OVERALLRATING : 8
RECOMMENDED DISHES : Any of the fish. Lamb still the house speciality. I love the burgers too.

No Longer Traditional
DESCRIPTION: It took me a year or two to go to Cedar Street Restaurant after it replaced the much-loved Le Bearn, a traditional French restaurant which owed more to Escoffier than Alice Waters. That was a year or 2 of my loss. Cedar Street serves the very best of fusion. Your choices include spring rolls and risottos, and sauces flavored with chipotles. The unique menu gives everyone in the family a choice. (And my family includes a vegan, a lacto-ovo vegetarian who eats some seafood and a big-time steak-loving carnivore.) The menu is divided by ingredients rather than course, the first being vegetarian, the second page seafood and the third meat and poultry. The menu changes frequently to accommodate the freshest of seasonal vegetables. Although the restaurant can be a little loud when full, the service is prompt and unintrusive and the food wonderfully prepared. I've never had an entree or appetizer I didn't enjoy although the side vegetables are sometimes unimaginative. The desserts are prepared by their own pastry chef and are not to be missed. Order your dessert with your meal if you want their not-to-be-missed molten chocolate cake, or one of their fruit cobblers or crisps. All in all Cedar Street provides satisfying and eclectic food, and is well-worth the trip to Sturbridge.
DATE: 2002-08-05
FOODRATING : 8
SERVICERATING : 10
AMBIANCERATING : 8
OVERALLRATING : 8
RECOMMENDED DISHES : portobello Napoleon, smoked duck breast salad with figs and blackberries, steaks, vegetarian spring rolls

Best Restaurant in Sturbridge
DESCRIPTION: Food always good--many choices for all types of eaters. Great service.
DATE: 2003-08-25
FOODRATING : 10
SERVICERATING : 10
AMBIANCERATING : 10
OVERALLRATING : 10
RECOMMENDED DISHES : duck, ravioli, specials, desserts

Don't Miss This Experience
DESCRIPTION: Service - excellent. Food - wonderful menu. Prepared to perfection. Coffee - not so good - bitter. But, it is the same coffee that was offered by previous owners. Does not stand up to the dinner. I highly recommend this dining experience.
DATE: 2004-09-20
SERVICERATING : 10
AMBIANCERATING : 8
OVERALLRATING : 8

Excellent Food Served in Abundance
DESCRIPTION: My wife and I ate at the Cedar Street Restaurant as we were en route back to Washington, D.C., after a New England trip. We were very satisfied with the experience. The dining room was cozy, the service was friendly and attentive, and the food was excellent. What portions! No chance of going away with questions about value for money here.
DATE: 2004-11-22
FOODRATING : 8
SERVICERATING : 10
AMBIANCERATING : 10
OVERALLRATING : 8
RECOMMENDED DISHES : cognac-pumpkin cheesecake topped with whipped cream and drizzled with mulled cider syrup

A Must During Your Ptown Visit
DESCRIPTION: On Saturday night I had dinner with friends. It was lively. I sipped a great Martini and enjoyed some people watching from the outside dining patio. On many evenings, the crowd at Bubala's spills out onto the sidewalk (actually Commerical Street) in wait of a table The atmosphere is casual and friendly with an upscale edge. I had the grilled Portabella mushroom stuffed with Fontina, goat and Ricotta cheese, over roasted red and yellow pepper coulis, served with basmati rice and perfectly cooked green and yellow beans. My Martini was exceptional and the bartender was more than generous with the "spirits".
DATE: 2004-09-07
FOODRATING : 8
SERVICERATING : 8
AMBIANCERATING : 8
OVERALLRATING : 8
RECOMMENDED DISHES : grilled Portabello mushroom

Less Expensive, Quick, Great Outdoor Space
DESCRIPTION: I've been going here for about 8 years and consider it a mainstay of Ptown. The staff is always on the move, delivering consistent food quality at a reasonable price. On a nice day, it's the perfect place to sit outside and people-watch. All around great value.
DATE: 2004-10-04
FOODRATING : 6
SERVICERATING : 8
AMBIANCERATING : 8
OVERALLRATING : 6
RECOMMENDED DISHES : Thai salad