Season to Taste

You know when you’re cooking at home, and you’re reading a recipe, there’s always a line in there making sure you “season to taste”. Well, there’s an outstanding neighborhood restaurant in Cambridge, Massachusetts that really takes it to heart, so they named it “Season to Taste”.

Located just outside of Harvard Square, on Mass Ave in Cambridge, Season to Taste is all about local, seasonal ingredients celebrating the best of what New England has to offer, but it’s done with bit a Southern twang, because Chef / Owner Robert Harris grew up in Alabama and worked at the legendary Commander’s Palace in New Orleans. “We're going for an upscale neighborhood place, a place where you could arrive in a T-shirt like I'm wearing, or if you're one of the Harvard folks from across the street in a suit, you'd also feel comfortable. Our main focus is hospitality that's driven by kindness and friendliness, but then also food that's really creative and interesting through the lens of seasonality and my southern roots.”

This is a great place to go to grab a craft cocktail and share some delicious dishes with friends and family. In fact, I could really recommend making an entire meal out of the various “snack and starters” section of the menu. There’s a fresh-baked Cheddar and Thyme Biscuit served with housemade bread and butter pickles and pimento cheese butter. And check out the Tennessee Caviar, which is like the world’s fanciest potato skin. It starts with a pave, which is basically a little cube of crispy, thin-sliced potatoes. That’s topped with some creme fraiche, paddlefish roe, and fresh chives. You don’t see that every day. Here’s a perfect example of New England ingredients with a Southern twist: the Fried Oysters. These are Island Creek oysters out of Duxbury. They’re lightly breaded and fried, and served in the half shell over some parsnip puree with a pickled shallot over the top.

I can never pass up a good lamb chop, and these are actually great lamb chops. Talk about “Season to Taste”, the meat is seasoned and cooked perfectly. And they’re served over a fresh mint sauce with some kale and a big, puffy, beer-battered onion ring. But if you’re looking for meat on the bone, these might be even better: The Crispy Pork Ribs. They’re slowly cooked over two days, and then they’re flash-fried so you get a nice crunch when bite in. They’re coated in a sticky-sweet glaze and sprinkled with some fried shallots and pickled jalapenos. You might want two orders of these, because they’re just so good.

And then there’s the signature Cajun Shrimp and Grits, served right in the skillet, that’s like a little Mardi Gras for your mouth. “This is our version of the classic, you know, shrimp and grits. Being from Alabama, I grew up eating this, and also I worked for a while in New Orleans. It's stone ground grits that are sourced from a low country in South Carolina, with a gumbo, a rich gumbo, and then Cajun Spice shrimp sauteed and house made pickles on top. It's really, really good.”

When it comes to the main entrees, you always have a bunch of interesting and enticing options, even though the menu changes with the seasons. So, you could get a tender grass-fed steak, topped with onion jam, bone marrow butter, and a demi glace. And it’s served with a couple of blocks of those crispy layered potatoes on the side. Or, go for the Crispy Fried Half Chicken. This is Southern style fried chicken gone gourmet, and once they drizzle it in some housemade hot honey, the flavors are kicked into overdrive: Spicy, sweet, juicy, crispy. Hits all the right notes. And for the ultimate bowl of Italian comfort food, order the Rigatoni Bolognese with brown butter breadcrumbs. 9:43 “The flavor profile is just a classic Bolognese, slow simmered, rich meat flavor, with our house made pasta, tossed and topped with ricotta salata. It's fantastic to enjoy on a cold winter's night or even in the summertime, if you’re about to run the marathon and you’re trying to bulk up.

You've got to try this.” For dessert, it’s all about the S’mores. And all the classic flavors are there: chocolate, Graham cracker, toasted marshmallow. But it’s served as a torte, and they use classic Marshmallow Fluff… which is made in Lynn by the way, so they’re still technically sourcing locally.

Season to Taste is just everything you’re looking for in a chef-owned, neighborhood restaurant. It’s warm, and inviting, and fun. And obviously, the food is fantastic, no matter what season it might be. “So Season To Taste is an upscale neighborhood place. We're right next to Harvard Square. We've got a craft cocktail bar, some tasty food, a very lovely atmosphere to come and enjoy with friends and family. And if you're ever in the Harvard Square area, we'd love to see you.”