20-03-2025
At Smoot Standard, the espresso drinks and sandwiches measure up
The backstory
: Co-owner Alex Tannenbaum is coming up on a decade of owning Naco Taco down the block; when Darwin's was planning to close, owner Steve Darwin reached out to his neighbor.
'I said, 'I don't really know how much interest I have in a coffee shop.' But my colleague, Yared Lacey, has known Steve his entire life and worked for him before he worked with me — so it all came together, and the neighborhood obviously loved the space,' Tannenbaum says.
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They still do: On a recent lunch visit, it was bustling with duos writing in journals and pecking away at laptops, sipping espresso. Soothing.
A dry-aged steak tartare garnished with lemon, parsley, dried olive, and cured egg yolk is served at The Smoot Standard in Cambridge.
Erin Clark/Globe Staff
What to eat
: Tannenbaum runs Naco Taco as well as Lily P's at Hub Hall and in Kendall Square, known for fried chicken and biscuits. The menu here is equally comforting and just this side of subtle without trying to do too much.
'There are a lot of bakeries and places for sandwiches in Central Square. ... Cafe Verveine has a line out the door half the time. We knew we didn't need to jump into the gluten-free baked goods category, because they're killing it [there], right across the street. We wanted to create a menu that was super approachable but surprising,' Tannenbaum says.
And so, at breakfast, there are toasts and breakfast sandwiches; at lunch, try a lightly fried green tomato sandwich with pickled relish on Pain d'Avignon ciabatta or a version of pork banh mi smeared with kewpie-cilantro mayonnaise. Portions are reasonable but not oversized.
At dinner, snack on fried green olives with black pepper cream cheese or shrimp fritters and spicy remoulade.
A plate of shrimp fritters served with remoulade and lemon is presented at The Smoot Standard in Cambridge.
Erin Clark/Globe Staff
What to drink
: There's a bustling espresso bar, where you can get everything from iced hazelnut lattes to kombucha on tap and several kinds of espresso martinis named after local iconography, like the Necco (with vanilla cream) and Nabisco (Irish cream) factories. There's also a large highball menu, similarly named: The Live Poultry, Fresh Killed combines Sprite with lime and rum.
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'The bar at the front might actually be a hidden gem, comfy-looking seats, and it faces Mass. Ave., perfect for first dates and old couples who don't have enough to say to one another,' remarked my lunch companion, who lingered post-meal to send emails.
The 'Superior Nut' cocktail is served at The Smoot Standard in Cambridge.
Erin Clark/Globe Staff
The takeaway
: Something for everyone, with a little buzz.
Smoot Standard, 313 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, 617-518-5050,
Kara Baskin can be reached at
