21 Nickels Grill and Tap 617-923-7021

21 Nickels Grill and Tap -- 21 Nichols Avenue

This bar and grill on Nichols Street is just next door to Sepal and serves standard pub fare. The restaurant has been active in charity work -- during the tsunami, patrons wrote a check to a tsunami relief fund for the amount of their tab, while owners picked up the cost of food and drink. Daily Show regular Rob Corddry is rumored to have put in an appearance once.

Acapulco Mexican Restaurant 617- 926-3131

Acapulco Mexican Restaurant -- 45 Lexington St. Acapulco serves Mexican favorites from their Lexington St. location, including tex-mex fare like tacos and burritos. But the menu also includes traditional stewed meat dishes featuring ropa vieja.

H2otownie BetaMistress says:

Right on the corner down from Mimi's is Acapulco. Those of us who remember the walk-down on Newbury Street in the late '80s still missed the original (forced out to JP by the traditional quintupling rent) excellent Mexican fare. The Watertown version is owned and run by cousins of the JP branch. The offerings are mostly house specialties, with a small offering of anglo traditional dishes (the eternal taco/enchilada/burrito triangle).

There are several friends of mine who insist upon takeout from Acapulco if they're coming over.

Aegean Restaurant - 617-923-7771

Restaurants of Watertown - 640 Arsenal St

This Greek restaurant has a pleasant, airy main room which attracts a line on weekend nights. Classic greek dishes are served along specials that often feature fresh fish. H2otown has thoroughly enjoyed her visits here.

Andrea's House of Pizza 617-924-1760

Andrea's House of Pizza -620 Mt. Auburn St.

This neighborhood pizza place serves pizza and subs until 11, and often has a selection of Greek entrees including spinach pie. Ample salads are also available, and customers are often watching a ballgame on a TV set on top of one of the three large soda refrigerators.

Arax Market - 617- 924-3399

Arax Market - 599 Mt. Auburn St.

Arax was started by Lebanese immigrants who came to the US in 1974 fleeing that country's civil war. They stock a wide variety of middle eastern foodstuffs, including olives, feta, excellent pita bread, and produce. Especially good is the rack of dried spices in poly bags. They're exceptionally fresh and inexpensive -- a great alternative to stale and overpriced spices sold at chain grocery stores.

Athens Deli

Athens Deli replaces the Riverside Deli & Cafe at 2 Watertown Street. Sandwiches, subs, gyros. Convenient to bus station.

Bugaboo Creek Steakhouse - 617-924-9000

Bugaboo Creek Steakhouse - 615 Arsenal Street

This chain outpost in the Arsenal Mall complex, with its talking animatronic buffalo and animated christmas tree, is admittedly cheesy. But we like it because it is the kind of place where you can take your preschool kids where no fellow diners or servers will shoot you death ray looks for the sin of inconveniencing them with the presence of your kids. Portions here are straight out of The Supersizing of America, however. We recommend ordering appetizers: the Snowbird Chicken appetizer, battered chicken tenderloins with fries and baked beans, is easily big enough to feed an adult for a full meal. Birthday celebrants get a free dessert and a mini-musical performance from the staff involving a giant stuffed moose puppet and a Happy Birthday song that doesn't violate the ham-fisted copyright enforcement fines that have been levied against restaurants for singing the more familiar birthday tune.

Busy B Pub - 617-923-3969

Busy B Pub - 451 Main St.

Cafe Cakes

51 Galen St. in the Archstone building. Glen Mohr reports that in their previous location in Belmont, this shop had great pressed sandwiches and a tea bar.

Celebrity Pizza 617-924-0009

Celebrity Pizza - 684 Mt. Auburn St.

China Rainbow 617 - 926-5170

China Rainbow 36 North Beacon St

Cosmo's Ice Cream and Cupcakes

Cosmo's Cupcakes and Ice Cream is a spinoff of the Deluxe Town Diner. This small storefront, a half a block up Mount Auburn Street from the diner, has interior is lovingly fitted out with vintage soda fountain fixtures, and the shelves feature some items that H2otown remembers from her high school years in Puerto Rico, notably Chupachups lollipops and watermelon soda.

A rotation of cupcakes is served, along with ice cream from Christina's, a specialty ice cream shop in Cambridge's Inman Square.

Crown Cafe (617) 923-9219

The Crown Cafe replaces Michael's Kitchen at 106 Main Street, directly across from the Watertown Public Library. Breakfast and lunch, sandwiches, soups, and specials all day. Excellent prices and generous portions.

Danish Pastry House 617-926-2747

205 Arlington St.

From H2otown's full review:

Both kids were deeply impressed, nay, awed at the sheer multiplicity of treats piled appealingly on trays behind the counter and at pies and breads stacked on open racks near the back of the bakery.

I myself was impressed at the large urns of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Stacked alongside were glass quart bottles - bring yours back for a refill and the price drops from $9.50 to $7.50.

Mini-H2otown selected a sandwich cookie, a sort of Uber-Oreo created with two delicate macaroons mortared together with chocolate ganache and then dipped half in chocolate. Verdict: "Can I have another one?" Micro-H2otown was treated to the store's namesake, a danish filled with custard cream.

Now, most of us are used to the kind of danish that is merely a way to cover the bottom of a tray between some uninspired lemon poppyseed muffins and some ersatz bagels. They look, and experience tells us they are, in fact, made of hard brittle layers of the same library paste some of us ate as kids.

This is not that kind of danish.

Mine was so tender I could have folded it in quarters without breaking it. The pastry was glossy and tasted of browned butter. They weren't mailing it in on the custard cream, either: it was creamy, not stiff, and had a strong taste of vanilla.

Micro-H2otown's verdict: ate it all and licked his fingers.

Deluxe Town Diner 617-926-8400

Deluxe Town Diner - 627 Mt. Auburn Street

If you only go to one place in Watertown, go to Don Levy's Deluxe Town Diner. Don used to own The Blue Diner downtown, and has taken this iconic train-car diner and made it into one of those places that just makes you happy to be inside it. They have a traditional diner menu as well as adventurous and delicious dinner entrees that have probably never seen the inside of a diner before.

Demos - 617- 924-9660

Demos Restaurant - 64 Mount Auburn Street

This informal Greek restaurant, two blocks further up Mt. Auburn from The Spot, specializes in lamb kebabs. The kebab dinner, which can feed the ordinary human for approximately 3 days, is delicious and costs only $7.95 and comes with excellent rice pilaf. They also have really great French Fries.

Donohue's Bar and Grill - 617-924-4900

Donohue's Bar and Grill - 87 Bigelow Ave.

Eating Tresca's Place 617-924-9600

Tresca's Eating Place - 25 Church St.

This diner is the parkinglot of the CVS next to the laundromat. A one page menu is dominated by eggs, pancakes, and bottomless cups of coffee. Serviceable fare at excellent prices.

Emilio's Homemade Subs 617-923-4647

Emilio's Homemade Subs - 6 Bigelow Avenue

Fordee's isn't alone in the "best cheesesteak" race. Emilio's also makes great sandwiches. It's unusual in that it's the first place I can remember that makes things like meatball subs but does not make pizza. You won't be disappointed in the quality or the portions.

Fastachi Gourmet Nuts 617-924-8787

Fastachi, 598 Mt. Auburn St.

Fastachi is the kind of store that is fueled by a foodie's passion -- in this case, for nuts. Fastachi roasts nuts in small-batches onsite. Taste them, and you'll immediately know the difference between these and store-shelf varieties. Fastachi also makes the best kind of chocolate -- the kind with nuts. Their candy selection features a mindboggling array of chocolate bark combos between exotic and familiar nuts and different grades of chocolate. The store also has a wide variety of dried fruits. Packaging is lovely, making treats from here a nice gift. More info is available at the store's website.

Fordee's Grill 617-923-3673

Fordee's Grill - 555 Mount Auburn St.

This sandwich shop at the corner of Mt. Auburn and Dexter makes really exceptional cheesesteak sandwiches, and carries high-end Boar's Head brand cold cuts for their deli-style sandwiches. Mt Auburn and the corner of Dexter Street. The shop changed hands in early 2005 and had a major interior makeover and added felafel to the menu. The old shop had truly exceptional steak and cheese subs, but we haven't sampled these in the new incarnation.

Grappa: New Restaurant on Elm St.

You'll have to use your imagination to fill in for H2otown's complete lack of photographic skills to envision the lovely interior of Grappa, a new restaurant on Elm St. (Elm Street runs between Arlington Street and Arsenal Street; Sterritt Lumber is on the corner of Arlington and Elm, and the street is sometimes used as a shortcut to the parkinglot at Target.

This tiny restaurant, perhaps a dozen tables has an elegant bar and serving area. H2otown spoke to restaurateur Shirley Matarazzo, who's opened the place in the space once occupied by the Italian Villa.

Renovations have put a litle arbor over the patio -- it looks like there might be outdoor seating in the spring.

Green Peapod 617-926-8881

Green Peapod 557-561 Mt. Auburn St.

This Thai restaurant opened up after a Chinese restaurant in the same location closed. Try the Pad Thai or the noodles with basil and chili peppers. In the same building as Massis Bakery.

Greg's 617-491-0122

Greg's - 821 Mt. Auburn St.

This old-school Italian restaurant dishes up a battery of Italian fare from lasagna to chicken marsala, served by waitresses who will call you Honey without any apparent irony. It's wonderful.

Halfway Cafe 617-926-3595

Halfway Cafe, 394 Main Street, Watertown

The Halfway Cafe serves pub fare and American entrees, such as steamers, country-fried chicken, seafood, and burgers. Menus and directions to the three other Halfway Cafe locations are available at The Halfway Cafe website.

Jasmine

This new Persian restaurant now occupies the storefront where Town Shawarma once was. H2otown hasn't eaten there yet.

Kay's Produce - 617 - 923-0523

Kay's Produce - 594 Mount Auburn Street

Kay's Produce has fresh and inexpensive produce both better and cheaper than what you'll find at chain grocery stores. The store also stocks a variety of breads, Armenian yogurt, and flowers. In December the store sells Christmas trees on the sidewalk, enabling H2otown to walk her tree back to her house while pushing a stroller one year -- a memorable experience.

Know-Fat, Low-Fat Gourmet 617-924-7676

Know-Fat Low-Fat Gourmet - 222 Arsenal St.

La Casa de Pedro 617.923.8025

La Casa De Pedro -343 Arsenal Street

La Casa De Pedro now has more seating space and serves fantastic Venezuelan food. Try the empanadas.

Lilly's French Bakery & Cafe

Susan Sideropoulous's business -- Lilly's Bakery and Cafe -- reopened on Monday in East Watertown. The new space on Arlington Street across from UPS and Super Fitness has plenty of tables and smells wonderful. When H2otown visited this morning, the place was filled with plants and flower arrangements from wellwishers celebrating the relaunch of the bakery.

Lilly's is open 6 days a week from 6:30AM to 7PM, closed Sundays. In addition to a wide array of pastries, there's also a well-stocked deli, and the bakery serves some good-looking sandwiches.

Main Street Pizza and Grill 617-924-5060

Main St. Pizza and Grill -- 401 Main St.

This pizza place is in the small retail strip just before Lexington St. as you head west on Main St. H2otown hasn't eaten there yet, but welcomes your reviews.

Mango Grill (617) 923-0482

Mango Grill has moved in to the old Casa de Pedro location once that restaurant decamped for new and bigger quarters next door to the Arsenal Center for the Arts. The Salvadoran cuisine gets high marks for freshness and taste.

Massis Bakery - 617 - 924-0537

Massis Bakery - 569 Mt. Auburn Street.

A wide variety of Middle Eastern sweets and baked goods are made onsite at Massis, including boreg, lemejune, baklava, kinefejabdne, and choreg. You can see web video made by Watertown High students of this bakery at work or visit the Massis Bakery website for more information.

This bakery has been called "the best Armenian food in the Boston area, and perhaps outside of Armenia," by Boston Magazine.

Matilda's 617-926-0700

Matilda's 1 Crawford Street

This small storefront at the hairy intersection of Arlington Street, Coolidge Hill Road, Nichols Street, and Crawford Street, serves breakfast from 7-11 AM and has sandwiches that H2otownies vouch for. H2otown herself has tried the pastries and the coffee, and gives them the thumbs up.

Mayflower Chinese Restaurant - 617-972-9188

Mayflower - 600 Mt. Auburn Street

Mimi's House of Roast Beef - 617-923-0255

Mimi's House of Roast Beef - 447 Main Street

Mimi's serves the thinly sliced roast beef on a roll with tangy barbecue sauce style sandwich initially made famous by Kelly's Roast Beef of Revere Beach.

Molana 617-923-2554

Molana - 5 Spring Street

Mount Auburn Grill 617-923-8013

Mt. Auburn Grill - 643 Mt. Auburn St.

Napoli Pizza - 617 - 926-3323

Napoli Pizza - 9 Main Street

This downtown pizza shop sells thin crust New York Style Pizza. On the occasions that H2otown has eaten there, she's noted a thin but not crackerlike crust -- a bit thicker, for example, than Stella's Pizza -- and slightly salty but excellent sauce. They do not skimp on the cheese here.

New Ginza - 617-923-2100

New Ginza - 63-65 Galen St.

New Yorker Diner 617-924-9772

New Yorker Diner - 39 Mt. Auburn Street

This no-nonsense diner is H2otown's favorite of the downtown diners. Very basic eggs, eggs, eggs and bacon. No messing around. Closes at 2PM, but reopens and stays open late on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

Not Your Average Joe's 617-926-9229

Not Your Average Joe's - 55 Main St.

Olympic House of Pizza - 617-926-1800

Olympic House of Pizza - 810 Mount Auburn Street

Panera Bread 617-923-2918

Panera Bread - 321 Arsenal St.

This chain outpost in the same building as the Arsenal Center for the arts serves up bagels, more than a dozen different pastries, and a full line of sandwiches and soup. They do a brisk lunch business -- but what really endears H2otown to Panera is the free wi-fi.

Peking Cuisine 617-923-2222

Peking Cuisine - 72 Bigelow Ave.

Peking Cuisine is in the old Bocage space. The owners take special care on the obligatory dishes that seem to populate every Chinese restaurant menu -- for instance, the hot & sour soup is really wonderful.

Peter's Kitchen

Driving through the Square yesterday I noted that this storefront eatery had a new (to me) name -- Peter's Kitchen.

Questions:
1. Was this formerly "Why Not Soup & Sandwiches?"
2. Have you eaten there? How is it?

Pleasant Pizza & Subs 617- 924-8626

Pleasant Pizza & Subs, 467 Pleasant St.

H2otown hasn't eaten here herself -- have you? What's your verdict?

Porcini's 617-924-2221

Porcini's - 68 School St.

Russo's Quality Fruits and Vegetables 617-923-1500

Russo's Quality Fruits and Vegetables - 560 Pleasant Street

Russo's is a regionally celebrated produce center which stocks a huge variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts, cheeses, and now deli items.

Sensational Foods 617 924-6703

Cafe arm of Sensational Foods Catering, 91 Mt. Auburn St. directly next door to Donohue's Bar and Grill. Open 7A to 4P daily. Panini, sandwiches, salads, pastries, espresso and brewed coffee drinks. H2otown gives it the thumbs up. Try the mango scone.

Sevan Market 617-924-9893

Sevan - 599 Mount Auburn

This Armenian grocery stocks an amazing array of olives, olive and nut oils, nuts, and dried fruits. Sevan also makes their own stuffed grapeleaves, hommos, tabouleh, baba ghanouj, and borekas (turnovers) with many fillings. They also make lamejunes daily (lamejunes are a pizzalike flatbread covered with crushed tomatoes, spices, and other toppings. They are small, delightful, and usually sold by the dozen).

Spot Cafe 617-923-2339

Spot Cafe - 385 Main St.

Carla Mavrogiannidis' Spot Cafe aims to be a parisian-style patisserie. Light breakfast fare is accompanied by great bread and croissants. Open mornings.

Stella's Pizza - 617 924-5692

Stella's Pizza - 605 Mt. Auburn Street

Thin crust pizza that is baked on the bottom of the oven - not in a pan with olive oil, which is common at many takeout pizza places in Watertown. Stella's is very basic, non-trendy, and very good. Delivery is available in East Watertown.

Stellina 617-924-9475

Stellina - 47 Main St.

On nearly every measure, probably the best restaurant in Watertown. This is a restaurant that foodies from other towns make the long pilgrimage into Watertown for. In the summer, ask for seating in the rear outdoor garden. Also, for desert, try the cookie plate. Stellina also owns a bakery, Little Stars Bakery, that makes the restaurant's bread and deserts. So don't skimp on them; they are not just "average cheesecake." The waiters and waitresses have typically worked at the restaurant for a long time and make excellent menu and wine suggestions.

Strip-T's 617-926-3595

Strip-T's - 93-95 School St.

Strip-T's is named for their hot, fresh grilled steak tip sandwiches with tips carved from strip steak. But that's not all they have -- a rotating menu of great, filling sandwiches on fresh bread and salad are served 11-6 daily. They also do catering.

Strip-T's website.

SuperHeros Persian Grocery - 617-924-9507

SuperHeros - 509 Mt. Auburn St.

This Persian grocery stocks jasmine and basmati rice as well as a wide variety of traditional Persian foodstuffs.

Sushi 21 617-926-4164

Sushi 21 - 54 Mt. Auburn St.

Tabrizi Bakery - 617 -926-0880

Tabrizi Bakery - 56A Mt. Auburn St.

This Persian bakery makes traditional Persian sweets like kolbi and bami, as well as many kosher baked goods.

Talk of the Town Diner 617-923-2369

11 North Beacon St
Watertown, MA 02472
(617) 923-2369

Tantawan - 617-926-8371

Tantawan - 356 Arsenal St.

Arsenal and School streets. Overtaking the former diner in this small, unassuming brick building is a very good Thai restaurant. Highly recommended. Try the hot basil noodles and the red curry dishes. No meal is complete without the soft rolls. Relatively inexpensive. (Remember not to park on the left-hand side of the building; the owner of the gas station is a surly malcontent and may do mean things to your car while watering down his cut-rate fuel.)

The Halfway Cafe 617-926-3595

394 Main St, 617-926-3595

The Meat Spot 617- 923-9730

The Meat Spot - 28 Mt. Auburn Street

This butchershop sells custom cuts of meat and many imported products, notably from Italy. H2otown has been there several times and has found the prices and portions far superior to those offered by other well-regarded western-style butchershops. If you typically buy your meat at the supermarket, try buying from a local meat market such as this one -- you'll see and taste the difference.

The Verona - 617-926-0010

The Verona - 18 Mt. Auburn Street

Tiki-In 617-923-2250

Chinese takeout and eat in, 30 Mt. Auburn Street; delivery available.

Uncommon Grounds 617-924-9625

Uncommon Grounds - 575 Mt. Auburn Street

The place to get coffee in town. Peter Kaloostian's father passed this business down to him -- except Peter's father operated a gas and service station. UG has become the place in the neighborhood to read your Sunday paper. Excellent sandwiches, baked goods, and, of course, coffee. Outdoor seating in the summertime. Now serves Breakfast all day.

Victor's Luncheonette 617-926-4975

Victor's Luncheonette - 214 North Beacon Street

Storefront across from the Perkins School for the Blind on North Beacon St. Good portions, friendly and unfussy. Very crowded on weekends.

Vito's Pizza Plus 617 - 926-8787

Vito's Pizza Plus -- 135 Mt. Auburn St.

Watertown House of Pizza (617) 924-0720

50 Mt. Auburn Street.

Wild Willy's 617-926-9700

Wild Willy's -- 46 Arsenal St.

This newly constructed restaurant on Arsenal St. just across the street from the Hess gas station specializes in burgers. Local blogger Phil Temples gives it the thumbs up, though Krissy says steer clear of the grilled cheese. The original and only other Willy's, in York, Maine, generates some major buzz among road-food enthusiasts.

Wonton Kitchen

This Chinese Restaurant on Mt. Auburn St. just a few doors down from The Meat Spot must be very new -- H2otown can't even find a phone number for it in online yellow pages directories. Have any H2otownies eaten here?

Z: New Management see Athens Deli Riverside Deli & Cafe - 617-926-9888

Riverside Deli & Cafe - 2 Watertown Street

Z: Restaurant Closed Marzo 29

Marzo 29 is in the building formerly occupied by Red Sauce in the Arsenal on the Charles, right next to the Arsenal Center for the Arts. They serve Italian food, Roman-style pizza, and gelato. For additional comments on the place see entries here and here.

Z: Restaurant Closed Ararat House of Barbecue 617-924-4100

Ararat House of Barbecue - 71 Arlington St.

Z: Restaurant Closed Christo's Seven Star Pizza 617-924-3959

Christo's Seven Star Pizza, 94 Main St Watertown

Z: Restaurant Closed Red Sauce 617-924-6400

Red Sauce - 343 Arsenal St.

According to H2otown reader Jeffmed (thanks, JM!) this chain restaurant is closed. No word on what's going in there yet.

Z: Restaurant Closed Town Shawarma 617 - 923-2999

This storefront in the same block as Kay's Produce serves felafel and the eponymous Shawarma. Shawarma is made using meat cooked on an upright rotisserie, and these are in evidence behind the counter. Town Shawarma also sells halal-butchered meat. Halal meat is prepared for sale according to Islamic dietary laws. From H2otown's (admittedly limited) knowledge, many halal items are also kosher.

Z: Restaurant Closed Why Not Soup & Sandwiches (617) 923-9219

Why Not Soup & Sandwiches is housed in a storefront at 106 Main Street, across the street from the downtown firehouse. A sign in the window says they also serve breakfast.

Z: Restaurant Moved Out of Town Sepal 617-924-5753

Sepal - 17 Nichols St.

In our opinion, the culinary crown jewel of Coolidge Square. This small, six-table sandwich shop turns out truly sublime felafel that is not fried. In addition, there's excellent squash and lentil soups and a variety of lunch and dinner plates. Sepal is a vegan restaurant, so anything on the menu can be eaten by a vegetarian. [When Sepal moved to its Nichols St. location, the larger kitchen allowed them to expand the menu, which now includes meat items. There are still many vegan and vegetarian items. Thanks, Alison]. Sepal has moved from its small location on Mt. Auburn Street to a larger one on Nichols Street. Take Bigelow to Nichols, then take a left; the restaurant will be on your left.