I'm Durjoy Bhattacharjya, though most people call me Ace. I'm a devoted Wes Anderson fan, and I believe Cambridge is my Rushmore.
My Roots in Cambridge
"My first impression was that it looked like a fairy tale..."
My connection to Cambridge runs deep—deeper than my own memories. On March 1, 1970, my mother, Sarmistha Bhattacharjya, arrived in Boston from Kolkata, India at age 22. She stepped off a plane into a New England winter, found herself mesmerized by the brightness of tunnel lighting, and thought America looked like a fairy tale.
I grew up in this area, shaped by the same brick sidewalks and neighborhood shops that still define Cambridge today. Though I don't live there now, the place never left me. Cambridge is where my family put down roots, where my mother discovered Filene's Basement and the T, and where I learned that a city can feel like home even after you've gone.
Cambridge Is My Rushmore
"I saved Latin. What did you ever do?"
If you've seen Rushmore, you know what Max Fischer feels for that school. The obsessive love. The need to protect it. The conviction that this place—his place—is worth fighting for, worth building something for, worth dedicating yourself to completely.
That's how I feel about Cambridge.
Every brick sidewalk in Harvard Square, every hidden courtyard in Inman, every neon sign flickering in Central Square at midnight—this city has layers and stories and character that deserve to be celebrated. That's what this guide is for.
Why Wes Anderson?
Wes Anderson's films are love letters to places and the people who inhabit them. The Grand Budapest Hotel isn't just a building—it's M. Gustave's entire world. The Tenenbaum house isn't just a brownstone—it's a container for decades of family drama, heartbreak, and reconciliation.
What Anderson understands—and what I've tried to bring to this guide—is that places matter. The physical spaces where we eat, gather, work, and live shape who we are. They deserve to be documented with care and celebrated with attention to detail.
That's why Guide to Cambridge looks the way it does. The vintage typography, the warm cream backgrounds, the careful borders and whimsical touches—they're a statement: Cambridge deserves to be treated like a Wes Anderson film. Every neighborhood is a set. Every restaurant owner is a character. Every hidden gem is a plot point waiting to be discovered.
Why Cambridge Matters
Cambridge is special. Not in the way every city claims to be special, but genuinely, irreplaceably unique.
This is a city where Nobel laureates grab coffee next to street musicians. Where a family-run Ethiopian restaurant thrives a block from a biotech headquarters. Where independent bookstores somehow survive, where dive bars share sidewalks with Michelin-worthy restaurants.
But Cambridge is also fragile. Rising rents push out the mom-and-pop shops. Chains replace local institutions. The quirky, weird, slightly broken places that give a city its soul get polished into oblivion or priced out entirely.
I Want Cambridge to Thrive
This guide exists because I believe that if people know about the incredible local businesses here—if they can find them, understand what makes them special, and choose them over the generic alternatives—those places will survive. They'll thrive.
Every time someone discovers Oleana because of this guide, or finds their new favorite coffee spot at Pagu, or realizes that Central Square has more soul than any neighborhood they've ever explored—that's Cambridge getting a little bit stronger.
The People Who Inspire Me
Cambridge's magic comes from its people—especially the entrepreneurs who've built something real there. I'm constantly in awe of them.
Tracy Chang
Pagu
Tracy is a neighbor. What she's built at Pagu—Japanese-Spanish fusion that actually works, in a space that feels both elegant and welcoming—is the kind of creative risk-taking that makes Cambridge special.
Joanne Chang
Flour Bakery
When my daughter was born at MGH, we got food from Flour. That's the kind of place it is— there for life's biggest moments. The sticky buns are legendary, but the ethos is even better.
Ana Sortun
Oleana
Her Mediterranean flavors at Oleana are worth every penny. The baked Alaska is legendary. She's been a Cambridge institution for decades, and she keeps getting better.
The Rancatore Family
Toscanini's Ice Cream
I've known Gus and Mimi my entire life. I worked for Mimi in high school, scooping ice cream and watching them obsess over every batch. Gus was my daughter's first babysitter. When the New York Times called it "the best ice cream in the world," they were right—and the Rancatores have been proving them right since 1981. Toscanini's isn't just a recommendation. It's family.
And Hundreds More
The Ethiopian family in Central Square. The Irish pub owner who knows everyone's name. The couple running the used bookstore. Cambridge is built by people who chose to build there.
Current Favorites
Best Coffee
Pagu & Flour
Best Ice Cream
Toscanini's (B3)
Special Occasion
Oleana
Favorite Neighborhood
Central Square
My Approach
No paid placements
Every listing earns its spot based on quality.
Regular verification
Confirming businesses are still open and accurate.
Local perspective
Prioritizing where Cambridge residents actually go.
Women & minority-owned first
Celebrating the entrepreneurs who make Cambridge special.
"I guess you'd say I'm building this for myself."
But if you love Cambridge too—or if you're just visiting and want to experience it the way a local does—I hope this guide helps you find something special.
Get in Touch
Have a recommendation? Found an error? Want to suggest a hidden gem? I'd love to hear from you.