The Critics Find 'Simple, Unconflicted Happiness' and More This Week

This week, Forage in Cambridge received a visit from The Boston Globe’s Ted Weesner, who wrote that the space "feels thoroughly lived in," and the dining experience creates a "simple, unconflicted happiness." He noted that "the food at Forage rarely transcends, but it’s also never un-good," praising the luscious liver mousse and the borscht, while suggesting the salads could benefit from "more plentiful dressing." Weesner wrote that the scallop spaetzle had delicious components but again could use more sauce, and he commended the fish stew, as well as the strawberry spoom and rye wafers for dessert.

The Globe’s Catherine Smart stopped in at Winter Hill Brewing, where she found a family-friendly hangout with a "short and sweet" menu. The brewery doubles as a cafe and has a hearty breakfast sandwich and smooth iced coffee, Smart wrote. Other menu items include the pork banh mi, which "is tasty enough" but lacks punch, as well as a Cuban sandwich, which may be Smart’s favorite. The place also has a satisfying vegetarian chickpea gyro. Smart wrote that "the sides are the real standouts," calling out the mac and cheese and the spicy Korean Brussels sprouts, in addition to the easy-to-like beer-battered fried pickles. On the lighter side, the Caprese salad delivers, and there is a sweet corn gazpacho.

• At Forage restaurant, subtlety and the spirit of old-school Cambridge [BG]
• It’s a cafe. It’s a brewery. But mainly it’s a neighborhood hangout. [BG]