Near Radcliffe, on Mass Ave

We didn't find out about the College Grille until junior year, probably because it's located up near Radcliffe on Mass Ave. If you're looking for decent pizza, good draft beer, and a nice atmosphere, don't wait that long.

But if you do decide to take the walk, wait until 11 p.m. and just order pizza. One group of eight made the mistake of going to the Grille for dinner--and one of the eight waited an hour for a hamburger. The pizza eaters had finished their meal and ordered another one.

Natalie's

1672 Mass Ave

Pasta lovers will not find a plethora of Italian restaurants in the Square area, and the best spot--Natalie's--is near Radcliffe. Although the spaghetti is superior, the best item on the menu is a $3 antipasto salad which is almost a meal in itself. The Caesar dressing adds just the right tang.

The spaghetti dinners start at $1.85 for a good mushroom sauce. The pasta noodles are excellent. The wine list is ordinary, but the prices are reasonable. The restaurant has a loyal clientele, so first-time customers can expect a line at the height of the dinner rush.

Hilles

In Radcliffe Quad

Lightning probably won't strike the top of Hilles Library and you probably won't meet the Harvard or Radcliffe life mate of your dreams there. But the Hilles Coffee Shop is full of library users taking a study break, and God knows they aren't attracted exclusively by the food--which is pretty skimpy. Ice cream, pre-packaged cookies and brownies, doughnuts, and other standard House grill fare is about all that is offered. Hilles is a much nicer library than Lamont, and the Coffee Shop on the top floor is just one of the reasons. It's a nice place to go for a study break, but you'd have to be pretty desperate to actually go there for anything else.

The Midget

1712 Mass Ave

The Midget (up near Radcliffe) is best at preparing the kind of food usually available from delicatessens. Although this Jewish style deli is not in the same league as Katz's Delicatessen on New York's lower east side (and it is not Kosher), in the Harvard Square area the Midget is probably the closest you'll come to a decent corned-beef-on-rye with a side order of kishka. The triple decker "College Sandwiches" are well worth their prices, and bagels with cream cheese and lox are available (a rarity in this town). The adjoining maxi bar and lounge is comfortable and its booze is served at reasonable prices. (Try the scotch-and-milk).

Young and Yee

27 Church St.