The Gaaga is a darkly funny, haunting phantasmagoria that takes us on a journey through the consequences of war.
The Harvard Square Business Association has announced the US premiere of The Gaaga, a fantastical trial of Putin set in a bomb shelter through this site-specific phantasmagoria written and directed by celebrated Ukrainian playwright and director Sasha Denisova, taking place June 2nd – 18th at the former location of the Beat Brew Hall, 13 Brattle Street, Harvard Square. These performances will also be available to stream virtually June 8th – 18th. The Gaaga is produced by HSBA member Arlekin Players Theatre & (zero-G) Lab.
The Gaaga is a darkly funny, haunting phantasmagoria that takes us on a journey through the consequences of war. Set in an abandoned restaurant converted into a bomb shelter, a Ukrainian girl dreams Vladimir Putin and his cronies into a trial for crimes of war. Developed through first-person interviews with refugees and officials, *THE GAAGA* *(The Hague)*, is inspired by world events.
After 18 years, Raven Used Books is shuttering its Cambridge shop and moving to a new location in Western Massachusetts, owner John Petrovato announced “with bittersweet emotion” Friday on Facebook.
“The years of business at this location has been amazing and I cherish all the strong relationships built and support of the community,” he wrote. “With my family’s relocation to southern Vermont, it is time to transition to a new adventure.”
The new location for Raven Used Books will be at 49 Conway St. in Shelburne Falls. Situated in a former mill, it will host indoor and outdoor events and feature a cafe.
Raven Used Books was originally started in Northampton, Massachusetts, in 1995; Petrovato moved the business to Harvard Square in 2005, setting up shop, initially, at 52 JFK St., according to the business’ website. A second location was opened on Newbury Street in 2010, but a large rent increase resulted in the shop’s closure in 2015.
The Cambridge store moved to its current location at 23 Church St. in 2015.
Petrovato on Friday did not provide a closure date for the shop on Church Street, but said that all gift certificates and credit slips will continue to be honored at Cambridge shop until the doors close and then be accepted at the new location.
“I cannot thank enough all of the Raven staff and dedicated customers who made this store a vibrant part of Harvard Square for so many years,” he wrote.
Madras Dosa Co., a chain specializing in customizable dosas, opened its doors last Friday with the goal of bringing South Indian food to Harvard Square.
Located on 22 Eliot St., the new establishment’s menu centers around the dosa, a crepe-like dish made of lentils and rice that is usually stuffed with savory fillings. The Harvard Square location is the second for the chain, which opened its first storefront in Boston’s Seaport district in 2021.
Koushik “Babu” Koganti, the owner and operator of Madras Dosa Co., said that plans to open the chain came about because Indian food, especially from southern regions, is “underserved” in America. “A lot of people think Indian food is chicken tikka masala and naan,” he said.
“Dosa has its own character, so we want to make dosa as big as it can go. That’s why we want to focus on one single dish,” Koganti continued.
The menu includes options to fill the dosa with a wide variety of vegetables and meats, as well as fruits for those looking for a sweeter option. The restaurant also serves rice pilaf, chaat, and sandwiches.
On expanding into Harvard Square, Koganti said that he believes dosa is “a great to-go for the students.” He added that he hopes the restaurant will attract “millennials who are health conscious, who love vegan food.”
Inside the restaurant, customers sit alongside a wall adorned with green foliage, highlighted with a pink neon sign stating, “Dosa is the Answer.”
“We want people to take pictures with this wall,” Koganti said.
Shreeja Kikkisetti ’25, a student at the College from South India, said she decided to eat at Madras Dosa because dosas were a “staple” for her at home. “I feel like it resembles very closely to what I’m very used to,” she said.
Rachna Gupta ’25 described the atmosphere in the restaurant as “very homely” and said she was excited by the opening, despite repeated delays to its opening.
“Me and my friends have been anticipating it opening, like I follow its Instagram page. I know there were some delays, which made us a little disappointed, but we’re happy it’s here,” Gupta said.
Madras Dosa’s opening saw a series of delays as the restaurant brought the space up to code and obtained permits from the City of Cambridge. The establishment initially sought to open its doors to students in December 2022 or January 2023.
Madras Dosa is open until 3 a.m. every day as Koganti hopes to add the dosa to the list of late-night options in Harvard Square.
According to Koganti, the chain is seeking to expand to major cities around the world, with a location on Madison Avenue in New York City set to open in a few months, as well as another along the Las Vegas Strip. Negotiations are also under way for a potential location in Paris.
“One billion people in India love it. From north to south, east to west, everybody loves dosa,” Koganti said.
CAMBRIDGE – A group of choir boys who go to school in Cambridge had the experience of a lifetime recently that included a ride on the Popemobile with Pope Francis.
The Boy Choristers of Saint Paul’s Choir School, Harvard Square, were on a 12-day choir tour of Italy. They were personally invited to sing for Francis during his general audience at the Vatican on April 26.
“Six of the boys rode through the crowds of St. Peter’s Square with Pope Francis on the famous “Popemobile,” the school said.
CAMBRIDGE (WBZNewsRadio) — It was a beautiful sunny day for the 38th annual MayFair Festival in Harvard Square on Sunday.
Streets were closed to traffic, opening the location up for festivalgoers to enjoy all the activities including street performers, live music, dance, and sidewalk sales.
There were three beer gardens and a wide variety of international food vendors serving everything from cannoli to Mexican street corn, to jumbo turkey legs
The city’s expanded patio program is back — and this time, it’s permanent.
Dining alfresco is one of my favorite ways to enjoy lunch or brunch on a sunny weekend. There’s a sort of European vibe to it (though I wouldn’t suggest using the term ‘alfresco‘ in Italy) that makes me feel like I’m on vacation… even when I’m right at home in Boston.
WBUR is a nonprofit news organization. Our coverage relies on your financial support. If you value articles like the one you’re reading right now, give today.
You might notice some changes to the outdoor dining scene this year: Most notably, the lack of on-street parking spot “patios” in the North End. City officials say the shift is due to the neighborhood’s unique set up (fun fact: the North End has the densest per capita number of restaurants in the entire state, with 95 restaurants in just over a third of a square mile) that led to traffic and sanitation concerns from someits residents. Read Monday’s edition of WBUR Today for more details on the change.
Still, there’s no lack of outdoor dining options across the Boston area. With this weekend’s favorable forecast in mind, I asked the WBUR Newsroom about their favorite patios, rooftops and alfresco dining spots in the city. Here are the ‘BUR-approved recs:
“Orinoco in Harvard Square has a great patio! (And good food.)” — Dianna Bell, arts and culture editor
“The Speedway in Brighton is my favorite outdoor patio, a perfect stop after a stroll along the Charles. The tables are big and great for large groups. There are umbrellas for super sunny days so you don’t have to roast in the sun. Notch Brewing beers are delightful and there are multiple food options to grab a bite (Super Bien empanadas — chicken bacon cool ranch or mac and cheese, come on! — are my go-to choices).” — Meagan McGinnes, assistant managing editor for newsletters
“Petit Robert Bistro + oysters + rosé = heaven.” — Candice Springer, assistant director at CitySpace
“Owl’s Nest on the Esplanade is my vote. Bonus: the dog (shhhh) can come and sit outside of the ropes. We [also] spend a lot of summer afternoons/evenings at Time Out Market’s patio.” — Steven Davy, senior producer for CitySpace [Editor’s note: Boston announced a new policy this week to soon begin allowing people to bring dogs to approved patios and beer gardens.]
CAMBRIDGE — A woman was injured after she was struck by falling equipment at the Harvard MBTA station on Monday afternoon, two months after an insulation panel fell from the station’s ceiling, narrowly missing a commuter on the same platform.
The woman was standing near a column shortly after 4:30 p.m. when a supporting brace hit her as a utility box attached to the column slid to the bottom, according to MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo and the Cambridge Fire Department.
Joanne Wyckoff was sitting nearby when the piece fell.
“We all heard this very loud rumble and then the metal apparatus fell from the ceiling with a huge bang,” she said in an e-mail.
The victim, believed to be in her early 30s, was taken by ambulance to a hospital for treatment of minor injuries, according to the fire department.
The area surrounding the column was blocked off while MBTA officials worked “to determine what caused the equipment to detach from its mounting,” Pesaturo said in an e-mail.
A piece of equipment fell from the top of a column at the Harvard MBTA station on Monday, striking a woman who was then taken to the hospital, officials said.JOANNE WYCKOFF
MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng, who took over as head of the agency less than a month ago, went to Harvard station Monday evening to examine the damage.
“We will take all necessary measures to protect our riders and employees and secure our infrastructure for safer service,” Pesaturo said.
Red Line train service was not affected, he said.
The walkway between the column and the wall was roped off with yellow caution tape Monday evening, and small bits of debris remained on the tiled floor after the fallen structure was removed. Water dripped from the ceiling a few feet away.
MBTA workers in yellow reflective vests were seen leaving the station around 8 p.m.
The incident happened a short distance from the spot where a ceiling panel weighing more than 20 pounds suddenly dropped to the ground March 1, narrowly missing a patron. About 100 ceiling panels were removed by the following week, and MBTA crews inspected ceilings at several other stations on the Red Line corridor.
The agency has come under scrutiny in the last year following a series of safety incidents.
Last summer, federal transportation officials issued a scathing report that found the agency’s workforce was too small and had too little training. Last month, the Federal Transit Administration sounded the alarm again, warning that T workers face a “substantial risk” of death or injury while working on train tracks and ordering the agency to make immediate changes to its protocols and training.
Riders passing through Harvard station Monday night expressed little surprise about the latest incident.
“If you look up, it’s all rust,” said Dave, a passenger who declined to share his last name.
Damien Vladimiroff said he was thinking about the incident while entering Harvard station.
”The MBTA needs updates,” said Vladimiroff, a Boston University student. Victoria Hagen, who was waiting with him on the platform, chimed in, “The MBTA is way behind.”
“I’ve been deeply disappointed by public transit in the city,” said Nika, another passenger. “I haven’t felt unsafe … but it’s always unpredictable, unreliable.”
Wyckoff stepped onto a Braintree-bound train shortly after the incident.
“It’s a horribly broken system that we workers have to endure to get to work,” she said.
The Asian Street Food and Music Festival is one of the annual events of the Harvard Square Philippine American Alliance and it is intended to bring the Asian American community together by showcasing a panorama of our rich heritage and traditions through music, dance, and food to the local community. In partnership with the Harvard Square Business Association’s Annual Mayfair, this event will feature live music on multiple stages from different eras catering to a multi-generational crowd, international vendors of crafts and items including those uniquely from Asia, and festive beer gardens from both local and international businesses. Come spend your weekend learning more about our rich Asian culture with your family and friends, while enjoying good food and music at the heart of Cambridge.
Coming soon: Bánh Mì Oi will open in Waltham in the next two to three months (1097 Lexington St.), owner Yeanie Bach tells me. The restaurant, with other locations in West Roxbury and Foxborough, is worth waiting for. You’ll find plenty of bánh mì varieties: cold cuts, fried fish or shrimp, barbecue pork, lemongrass steak, and more. There’s also pho, vermicelli or rice bowls, and Vietnamese iced coffee. Bach also runs Phinista Café in the Fenway.
Changes: Harvard Square’s Bar Enza (1 Bennett St.) has new culinary leadership. The restaurant inside the Charles Hotel made a splash for many reasons when it opened in 2021: It was taking over the hallowed Rialto space, for one thing. Also, it was run by Mark Ladner, the award-winning Mario Batali protégé who earned acclaim at New York City’s Del Posto.
But now chef Tony Susi is in charge. The executive chef has remade the menu: Find squid ink pasta with crabmeat, sirloin carpaccio, and poached monkfish. Ladner’s ballyhooed 100-layer lasagna is no more.
Susi got his start at Todd English’s Olives. He’s best known for Sage, which opened in the North End in 1994 and moved to the South End in the mid-2000s, where Susi was hailed for his “exceptional appetizer menu,” per a 2007 Globe review. Visit for dinner Monday through Saturday.
Openings: Pizza Project celebrates its grand opening at the Charles River Speedway (525 Western Ave.) on Saturday, April 29, new from Dan and Alexandra Spinale. Visit Wednesday from 4 p.m. and Thursday through Sunday from noon for naturally leavened Sicilian slices of cheese, pepperoni and hot honey, plus Italian subs and rotating specials. Pizza Project launched as a mobile pizzeria during the pandemic; this is its first shop.
Reopenings: In Burlington, Chopps (1 Burlington Mall Road) has reopened after two years, now with an Italian steakhouse twist. Once an American bar and grill, Chopps serves eggplant parmesan, arancini, and negronis. There’s live music Tuesdays and Wednesdays. It’s open daily.
