Toscanini's Ice Cream

French Vanilla
Belgian Chocolate
Cocoa Pudding
Cookie Dough
Grape Nut
Chocolate Sluggo
Butter Chocolate Chip
Nocciola
Khulfee
Black Bottom Pie
Rum Raisin
Mango
Green Tea
Burnt Caramel
Maple Walnut
Hydrox Cookie
Cake Batter
Bourbon
Mixed Berry
Junior Mint
Cardamom Coffee
Earl Grey
Almond Joy
Lemon Espreso
Vienna Finger Cookie
Salted Caramel
Goat Cheese Brownie
Raspberry Thin Mint Candy
Buckeye
Espresso

Mango Sorbet
Coconut Sorbet

We also have Hot Fudge and Hot Spicy Butterscotch

Craigie on Main
Tony Maws, Food & Wine Best Young Chef and James Beard Award winner
Snout to tail, famous for its hamburger and much more.
853 Main St.
617 497-5511
www.craigieonmain.com

Rendezvous
Lifetime Achievement Award to Chef Steve Johnson
502 Mass. Ave.
617 576 1900
www.rendezvouscentralsquare.com

Bondir
Jason Bond’s very individual take on farm to fork locavore
279 Broadway
Ste A
Cambridge, MA 02139
617 661-0009
www.bondircambridge.com

Area 4
Michael Leviton takes the turnpike in from Newton’s Lumiere
Very good pizza plus
500 Technology Square
On Main St but the address is disguised with a real estate address that doesn’t tell you much at all.
www.areafour.com/

Catalyst
Bill Kovel from Aujourd’hui in Boston
300 Technology Square
Where your venture capitalist takes to give you good news or very bad news.
Close to Area Four but both addresses might as well be in different languages.

Moksa
Asian fusion and mashup with a club.  Patricia Yeo from NYC’s AZ and Ginger Park in Boston and Om in Harvard Square.
450 Mass. Ave.

Central Kitchen
Gary Strack’s hip bistro
567 Mass. Ave.
617 268-0106
www.enormous.tv/central

Firebrand Saints
Gary’s new restaurant in once-lonely Kendall Sqaure
1 Broadway
617) 401-3399

Meadhall
4 Cambridge Center
617  714-4372
www.themeadhall.com
Beer drinking engineers.  Yes!

Central Bottle
handsome wine store, great cheeses and meats and wonderful small bites inspires by Venetian cichetti.
196 Mass. Ave.
617 225-0040
www.centralbottle.com

Flour
The third bakery from Joanne Chang.  Sandwiches, home-made pop tarts and more.
190 Mass. Ave.
617 225-2525
http://flourbakery.com/

EVOO/ ‘Za
‘Za is the pizza and salad cafe.  EVOO is Patrick McCarthy’s restaurant.  Extra Virgin Olive Oli.
350 Third St.
617 661-3866
www.evoorestaurant.com

Abigail’s
291 Third St.
Cambridge, Massachusetts 02142
617 945-9086
A hip gastropub that just opened across from EVOO and next to Abigail’s.  Part of the group of places that might be traced back to East Coast Grill.
abigailsrestaurant.net

Fuji
303 Third St.
Sushi on a street that suddenly has a lot of people on it.

Miracle of Science
The perfect bar for this quirky neighborhood.  Lots of engineers, labtops for tables and photos of Einstein and Dr. Land.  Good ice cream too.
321 Mass. Ave.
617 868-2866.
www.miracleofscience.us/
l
Middlesex
The guys from Miracle of Science open a lounge-scene. 
315 Mass. Ave.
617 617 868 MSEX
www.middlesexlounge.com

AFRICAN
Bytes
Hidden down an alley and not really on Sidney Street.  Great West African food and American lunches.
64 Sidney st.
617 621-3513

Baraka Cafe
Northern African food.  Best lemonade in the world and much more.
80.5 Pearl St.
617 868-3951
www.barakacafe.com

Asmara Ethiopian
Central Square’s first and third African restaurant.
739 Mass. Ave.
617 617) 864-7447
www.asmararestaurantboston.com

Coffee shops
1369
757 Mass. Ave.
617 576-4600
www.1359coffeehouse.com

Dwelltime
364Broadway
http://dwelltimecambridge.com/
Cambridge’s newest very good coffee shop.  Run from Hi Rise to Dwelltime and then on to Voltage.  You will run very fast and be happy.

Voltage
Another new neighbor in once empty Kendall Sq.  Across from EVOO and next to Abigails.
295 Third  St.
617  714-3974
www.voltagecoffee.com

Starbucks
Venti and Trenta and singular Panini.  Worst Italian in American
655 Mass. Ave
617
www.

Dunkin Donuts
Munchkins!
Mass. Ave.

Toscanini’s
899 Main St.
617 491-5877
www.tosci.com

ASIAN

Mary Chung’s
Dan Dan noodles!
464 Mass. Ave.
617 864-1991
www.marychung.com

Fuji Sushi
300 Third St.
Kendall Sq.
Cambridge, Ma.

Royal East
Where parents of MIT students eat.
792 Main St.
617 661-1660
www.royaleast.com

Pu Pu Hot Pot
The real name is No. 1 Scholar’s Special Eating Place
907 Main St.
617 491-6636
www.pupuchinese.com

All Asia
The Cape Cod League of Boston’s music scene
332 Mass. Ave.
617 497-1544
www.allasiabar.com

Floating Rock
Great Cambodian food from Revere
485 Mass. Ave.
617 455-4009
www.floatingrockcambridge.com

Pepper Sky
Thai
20 Pearl St.
617 495-2541
wwww.pepperskys.com

Rangzen Tibetan
24 Pearl St.
617 354-8881
www.rangzenfood.com

Theolonious Monkfish
524 Mass. Ave.
617 441-2116
www.facebook.com/theloniousmonkfish

Thailand Cafe
A great Szechuan restaurant hidden inside a Thai restaurant.
302 Mass. Ave.
617 492-2494

INDIAN
Royal Bengal
Mass. Ave.
617

MIDDLE EASTERN FOOD

Middle East
472 Mass. Ave.
617
www.mideastclub.com

Zu Zu
474 Mass. Ave.
617  864 -3278 x 237
www.zuzubar.com

Karl’s Rant@Zu Zu
is the daytime version with ouside seating, brunch and lunch

Olive Tree Cafe
245 Mass. Ave.
617 441-8689
www.

BURGER Chains
Wendy’s
Mass. Ave.

Four Burgers
704 Mass. Ave.
617 441-5444
www.fourburgers.com

McDonald’s
Mass. ave.

PIZZA
Every band eats here, and their fans.
Hi Fi Pizza & Giant Sub
496 Mass. Ave.
617 492-4600

Cinderella’s
They deliver everywhere, have a big menu, stay open late and sell Toscanini’s.  They’ll deliver ice cream too.
901 Main St.
617 576-0280
www.cinderellasitalianfood.com

Chicago Pizza
239 Mass. Ave.
617 497 - 5555
www.cambridgepizza.com

You can guess what Off Ramps is like.

I think I'd start at  Wellesley College.  The College is pretty, with beautiful landscaping, some good buildings and a fine museum.  Boston College is a good place for an early watering spot.  Two streetcar lines end near the college, suggesting the limits of Boston's inner core.  Up and down hilly Commonwealth Avenue is a good ride with confusing or competing traffic signals for streetcars and auto traffic.  When you get to Packard Corner there is a Turkish grocery and a big Asian supermarket with Japanese noodles.  City life beckons.  Continue to pedal down what was once a big strip of auto dealers.  When you get to Peter Fuller Cadillac turn right and head for Audubon Circle and Frederick Law Olmsted's Emerald Necklace.  Bostonians are always giving directions that include vanished landmarks.  Once you've reached the bike path you are safe from the bad car drivers and can glide between the Muddy River and another stretch of the Green Line.  A very tranquil ride beneath old trees.  Scamper across Route  9 and continue on the Arborway to Jamaica Pond and the Arnold Arboretum.  I recommend a quick survey of the Arboretum.  What's in bloom?  How are the Bonsai?  How are the dog walkers?  Then out the back entrance and over the decaying Casey Overpass.  The view from the Overpass is superb and it is too bad that fifty years of negligent maintenance has doomed this span.  You can see the Hancock Building miles to the north and discern the not quite good enough length of the Southwest Corridor, which also has a bike path.  Next you  have to brave a bad traffic rotary before getting into Olmsted's Franklin Park.  The direct route through the park takes you between the zoo and the golf course and leaves you at the intersection of Columbia Road and Blue Hill Avenue.  This begins a long royal descent until you reach a beautiful sculpture of a pear and Edward Everett Square.  Edward Everett Horton was the butler in all those movies. Edward Everett gave the long speech before Lincoln at Gettysburg.  If you turn left at this intersection you can travel down a flat but dull section of Mass. avenue until you reach the Marathon crowds.  If you can get through the mobs you pedal along Mass. Avenue and cross what is technically the Harvard Bridge even though it is near MIT.  The bridge is measured in Smoots, which was the height of an MIT student who was laid end to end by his clever fraternity brothers.  There is also a small plaque dedicated to Harry Houdini although I don't know why.

You then reach the World's Smartest Intersection where MIT students and faculty members wander across the street, walking from one side of campus to another.  You're getting close to Lafayette Square.  You can stop at Central Bottle or Flour or the cleverly disguised Szechuan Restaurant called Thailand Cafe.  If your bike needs a little love I'd suggest visiting Cambridge Bicycle.  The intersection of Mass. Avenue and Main Street is considered part of Central Square by most people but old timers know that it is Lafayette Square.  The Park is dedicated to Jill Brown Rhone.  And now I'd recommend a scoop of chocolate chip with hot fudge.

The Brattle is showing a documentary about Hollywood discount king Roger Corman, now described as a rebel.  http://brattlefilm.org/2012/04/15/cormans-world-exploits-of-a-hollywood-rebel/

French Vanilla
Belgian Chocolate
Goat Cheese Brownie
Chocolate #3
Vietnamese Coffee
Earl Grey
Espresso
Burnt Marshmallow
B3
Black(berry) & Blue(berry)
Bananas Foster
Strawberry
Maple Walnut
Butter Chocolate Chip
Sweet Cream
Cookie Dough
Gianduia
Hydrox Cookie
Cambridge Brewing Wort
Mango
Malted Vanilla
Grape Nut Raisin
Khulfee
Burnt Caramel
Buckeye
Girls Scout Thin Mint
Toasted Coconut

Mango Sorbet
Strawberry Sorbet

We also have hot fudge and hot spicy butterscotch.

Mango Sorbet
Raspberry Sorbet

We also have Hot Spicy Butterscotch and Hot Fudge.

The Together music festival continues until Ap 8.  Tonight at 8PM is Big Freedia at Brighton Music Hall.
http://togetherboston.com/

The Turkish Film Festival continues at the MFA.
http://www.mfa.org/programs/series/boston-turkish-film-festival

Pax East gaming conference ontinues until Su Ap 8.
http://east.paxsite.com/

Passover begins tonight.  Sunday is Easter.

We have hot fudge and Hot Spicy Butterscotch.

French Vanilla
Belgian Chocolate
Burnt Caramel
Maple Walnut
Sweet Cream
Malted Vanilla
Grape Nut
Khulfee
Hydrox Cookie
Ginger
B3
Cocoa Rum Chip
Vienna Finger Cookie
Goat Cheese Brownie
Raspberry
Cocoa Pudding
Cranberry
Earl Grey
Salty Saffron
White Coffee Hydrox Cookie
Lemon Espresso
Rice Krispie Treat
Buckeye
Espresso
White Russian (The Dude)
Sine Wave
Guinness
Salty Saffron
Mint Chocolate Chip
Chocolate Chip

Mango Sorbet
Coconut Sorbet

Five recommendations: Gus Rancatore

By Marc Levy
Published: April 1, 2012 at 10:16 AM

Five questions. We just want to ask you five questions — or, rather, get five recommendations of things to read, listen to, watch, eat and buy from people who live, work or otherwise spend time in Cambridge. Here are some from Gus Rancatore, founder of Toscanini’s ice cream in Central Square.
Read: Rancatore has several reasons to recommend Merry White’s new “Coffee Life in Japan,” described by publisher the University of California Press as “part ethnography, part memoir”: The Boston University professor is not just a regular at Toscanini’s, but a regular date of its founder, and the two recently traveled to Japan together. But Rancatore is also a trustworthy adviser of reading on the topic, being an evangelist for and a walking encyclopedia of good coffee. He notes that the Japanese are not only devoted coffee drinkers themselves (more so than of tea, despite the stereotype) but influential in the high-brow coffee scene in Cambridge: Hi-Rise Bread Co., Voltage and Dwelltime (now heading into a soft opening), for instance, are city coffee shops that have adopted avant-garde individual-pour techniques popularized in Japan. “She’s opened my squinty eyes,” Rancatore said of White’s work. (Bonus recommendations: Rancatore is a fan of “Deng Xiaoping and the Transformation of China” (The Belknap Press/Harvard University Press, 2011), by Harvard historian Ezra Vogel; and says a novel is due in May from John Irving, a onetime Cambridge resident, called “In One Person” (Simon & Schuster). In it the popular author take a first-person look at the life of a 60-year-old bisexual man.
Listen to: One Thursday a month Rancatore has been pleased to stop by Lilypad, 1253 Cambridge St., Inman Square, to hear a jazz trio led by pianist and composer Bert Seager. (The next appearance of the New England Conservatory and his Kombucha trio, though, is 8 p.m. Saturday.) “It’s amazing. It’s one of the great things about living in town: I can wander out of my apartment, go down the street and it’s what, $5, to hear this piano virtuoso?” Seager and his music have “kind of an otherworldly air — not of this earth.” (Listeners also get a glass of kombucha, the fermented tea-based drink, to mellow out with.)
Watch: Rancatore is only slightly embarrassed to say he enjoys a “series of videos of Korean-Americans making fun of almost everything” — that is, Just Kidding Films, the YouTube series created by Los Angeles-based Bart Kwan and Joe Jo. Even when the occasional video isn’t all that funny (there are five years’ worth of videos and other content), Rancatore finds the stars “innately engaging,” like a latter-day Abbott and Costello with the silliness to match.
Eat: The weather is getting nice enough for Rancatore to go bicycling into Belmont and back, and he likes to stop at Sofra when he does. The Oleana-spawned bakery and cafe at 1 Belmont St. is “wonderful,” he says. “I go there to see new ideas, new flavor combinations, spices that I’d never thought about and because I think it’s altogether delightful.” He buys a sharbat — an iced drink with fruit syrup and sparkling water — and a small item from the mezze bar and still rides back having spent $5 or less.
Buy: For commerce, Rancatore has to recommend the hipster wear Bodega, 6 Clearway St., Boston, even though “I do not fit their customer profile. I am much older and bigger than their customers. I’m wider, too.” But he can’t resist the store’s secret entrance through what looks like a classic bodega with a soda machine that slides mysteriously to the left to allow access to the clothing, featuring everything from Acronym to Yuketen gear. (This is only meters away from the Christian Science Plaza’s Mary Baker Eddy Library for the Betterment of Humanity, with flowing typography by Cambridge’s Small Design Firm, led by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology-educated David Small, and sound design by Kevin Brown, of Boston’s Brown Studios, which did Toscanini’s sound system.)
Send us your own five recommendations and your best big photo at editor@cambridgeday.com.

Friday March 30 is the last Friday of the month and that always means Walk Ride Day.  If you ride your bike or take the T, or frankly, simply tell us that you rode your bike we will give you a Free half cone of ice cream.  One to a customer so don’t talk everyone on the #1 bus into crossing the street for a Gianduia ice cream. 

April 1 means that the City of Cambridge will resume street cleaning and their own tow truck rodeo.  So remember what side of the street you live on and watch out until the end of December. 

On Thursday, March 29 the Winsor School will celebrate Persian New Year.  Sunday is Palm Sunday.

Thursday is the first day of the Boston Underground Film Festival at the Brattle in Harvard Square 
http://bostonunderground.org/

The MIT Flea Market doesn’t return until April 15.

Taste of South Boston is at the Seaport Hotel
http://www.tasteofsouthboston.com

The Together music festival will start on Sunday, Ap 1 at Somerville’s way cool Artisans Asylum.  Most of the action takes place here in Central Square.
http://togetherboston.com/
Andy is creating a Sine Wave flavor containing a green ripple.

Saturday March 31, is Feast Mass.
http://feastmass.blogspot.com/
We’ll be supplying ice cream.

Roflcon is not until May 4. 
We will be creating a Nyan Cat flavor.

JP Licks closed its big store on the last block of Newbury Street.  Not so long ago this area was Boston’s Harvard Square with Tower Records, Newbury Comics, a Starbucks and JP Licks.  Now Harvard Square is not Harvard Square.  So ...

In central Square Moksa finally opened, and so did its fabulous club, Naga.
Years ago Jack Barty started Pho Republique in Central Square, and now he will open a new restaurant/club in Harvard Square called Liberal Servings. 

Toscano’s is a good Italian restaurant on Charles Street and a source of confusion for some people.  They are opening a second place in Harvard Square, on Brattle Street.  We promise not to accept reservations from dizzy customers.

Tonight we’re serving Raspberry Caramel Sauce in addition to the Spicy Butterscotch Sauce and Hot Fudge. 

We’re working on new flavors including a Vanilla Bean Anise that may yet gain some cardamom.   Also Orange Pistachio Khulfee.   Andy made Goat Cheese Cherry and will make more batches of Burnt Marshmallow. 

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203750404577173241864893920.html?mod=WSJ_Markets_RIGHT_Top

But at the end of the article, which seems altogether confusing about what might happen to cocoa prices,  there is an interesting observation.

"Some experts believe hard economic times will reduce demand for luxuries such as chocolate, but others say the debt crisis in Europe, the world's largest consumer of chocolate in per-capita terms, could also send futures higher. Consumers are likely to buy more sweets as they seek comfort during trying times, they argue.

"The rougher the economy, the greater the stress," said Rohit Deshpande, a marketing professor at Harvard Business School. "And the greater the stress, the greater the need for the socially acceptable stress-relieving chemical [dopamine] in chocolate."

Today we have
French Vanilla
Belgian Chocolate
Cocoa Pudding
Khulfee
Burnt Caramel
Goat Cheese Brownie
Salty Saffron
Strawberry
Chocolate Chip
Cookie Dough
Butter Almond
Rum Raisin
Bananas Foster'Buckeye
Coffee Ice Cream Sandwich
B3
Earl Grey
White Russian (AKA The Dude)
Ginger
Nocciola
Gianduia
Cake Batter
Grape Nut
Hydrox Cookie
Cambridge Brewery Wort
Sweet Cream
Lemon Espresso

Mango Sorbet
Chocolate Sorbet

We have hot fudge and hot spicy butterscotch.