Rendezvous, Cambridge

Down a lovely street in Cambridge, is the best bed and breakfast I know: my brother and sister-in-law’s home. A spectacular 3 floor townhouse from the turn of the century, it has been a retreat for me twice in the last few months. The first time, I needed a 12 hour vacation from 3 full time jobs: caring for the three males in my life (43, 3 and 16 months), being a middle school teacher and writing this blog. I read a newspaper without having to skim the headlines. I drank coffee without listening to the Wiggles. I ate a dinner of Clear Flour bread and cheese from both Wasik’s and Frommagios. I slept past 6:15 a.m. It was glorious. This time I arrived to complete coursework. Admittedly it was hard to focus when I could write in their sunroom or doze on their porch. But like any mother feeling guilty when she goes to work, I tried to complete the task at hand and read textbooks, articles and take notes from lectures on DVDs. My one respite was an hour of total bliss at Rendezvous in Central Square. My brother and sister-in-law are also foodies and they had raved about this place for so long. After my one visit I understood why they speak so highly of this place. I was deeply impressed by the care given to the service, to the drinks and to the food. For $20.00 (including tip!), I had a fantastic light meal, while still being given the consideration more reflective of a more expensive restaurant.

The atmosphere is lovely. The natural light brightens the restaurant. The clientele was more diverse than I am used to: two older women talking about feminist theology, a young couple and a baby, women in head scarves sitting with an eight year old and a duo of 50-somethings enjoying the food.

I began with a non-alcoholic drink that was, hands down, one of the best I have had. Pictured at the top of the post, it is called a Gulab Sharbat. This Turkish drink was a combination of lemon, pomegranate, rose petals, cardamom and soda water. Neither too sweet or too floral, this gussied up lemonade was as lovely to look at as it was to drink.
My waiter recommended the squid with arroz negro as a light main dish (it is listed as an appetizer.) Combined with the tender bread from Iggy’s it was perfect. The dish itself was fantastic. It consisted of browned garlic, smoked chorizo and pimenton de Vera, squid ink from Valencia, and arroz negro. The squid was so tender that it would make a convert of any non-squid eater.

If this is a taste of what Rendezvous has to offer, I will be back.

Rendezvous, 508 Mass. Ave, Cambridge, 617-576-1900