Phantom Gourmet: Great 8 Somerville Restaurants

Who would have thought that Somerville, Massachusetts would become a super-hot restaurant destination? These are Phantom's picks for the 8 tastiest spots from Davis Square to Assembly Row.

La Brasa

Kicking off the Great 8 is La Brasa on Broadway, a cool new spot where they cook over live fire. This open airy eatery is decked out with rustic, reclaimed wood and a lofty ceiling housing a big bustling dining room. A sensational way to start your meal is with a slice of slow cooked rib roast. This magnificent mobile meat is wheeled around the dining room on a cart. Customers can order as big a piece as they like, before it's sliced, sauced, and served tableside.

Earl's Kitchen and Bar

Earl's Kitchen and Bar at Assembly Row is a massive, and massively popular new spot serving a globally inspired menu, in an eye popping setting. The food has flavors from all over the world, including Crispy Thai Shrimp, creative Japanese sushi, all-American burgers and barbecue. Plus, there's the famous Warm Potato Salad made with butter, garlic, bacon, and corn.

Amsterdam

Amsterdam Falafelshop in Davis Square is a bright, fun, and affordable quick-service spot. Here, the specialty is deliciously authentic falafel sandwiches you can customize at a toppings bar filled with a smorgasbord of 25 sauces and veggies.

RF O'Sullivan's

Another great 8 winner is RF O'Sullivan's. This Somerville institution is serious about burgers, firing up about 400 pounds of fresh-ground beef every week. Along with a side of over-sized steak fries, each belly-busting sandwich features a half-pound of premium meat, cooked on the grill exactly the way you want it.

Q's Nuts

Q's Nuts in Davis Square is a quirky, family run snack store specializing in all things nuts. Owners Brian and Beth Quinn roast almonds, cashews, peanuts and pecans in intriguing flavors like Key Lime Ginger and Sea Salt with Herbs.

Petsi Pies

Another Great 8 winner is Petsi Pies, just across Beacon Street from RF O'Sullivan's. Petsi's is a sweet and colorful little bake shop that offers muffins, scones, cookies, and cupcakes. They specialize in all natural, Southern-style pies like sweet potato, classic apple and lemon meringue, and they're all a slice above anything you've ever tasted.

East End Grille

East End Grille is a casual eatery with a fun bar and busy dining room overlooking Broadway. Back in the open kitchen, they're cooking a mix of upscale entrees and classic pub grub like chicken wings, crispy grilled flatbread pizza and one heck of a hamburger.

Flatbread Company

With multiple locations across New England, Flatbread Company is famous for insanely addictive thin crust pizza, cooked in custom built, wood fired clay ovens. It's the Davis Square, Somerville location that's extra special, because it's built inside one of the country's original candlepin bowling alleys. No matter where you sit, you can see dough being stretched, and pins being smashed. Plus, the restaurant's booths are actually made from old bowling lanes, and so is the seventy foot long bar.

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