Matsu-Ya

1770 Mass Ave

Good food at reasonable prices is hardly one of the bases of Harvard Square's fame. In fact, serious Cambridge diners learned long ago that if they want a decent meal that won't break them, they must get out of the Square. Matsu-ya is one of the few restaurants far enough out of the Square to be good, and close enough to walk to from the Houses. The Japanese and Korean dishes at Matsu-ya are quite good and surprisingly reasonable in price. The shrimp tempura is one of the best dishes, but we haven't come across anything on the menu that we wouldn't recommend. Diners can either eat Oriental style, sitting on cushions around the knee-high tables, or opt for the more run-of-the-mill booths and tables. The service here also is a refreshing change from the hustle-bustle feeling you get in most of the Square restaurants.

Matsu-ya is open from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays and until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. It closes on Monday. If your stomach can hold out, a late evening visit to Matsu-ya is particularly pleasant.

Allston Depot

Harvard Ave. at Cambridge St. in Allston

Steak is not the specialty at most Harvard Square restaurants. One must usually go into Boston to find quality steaks, but the Allston Depot offers meals equal to Boston's finest and for more reasonable prices. The seafood makes equally as good a meal for a similar fare though the lobster is not priced on the menu and varies with the season. The club steak special for $5.95 is a good bet but the scallops are good enough to be a worthy competitor and possibly the winner for seafood fans.

The bar is well attended in the evenings and equally as full during the lunch hour when it becomes a sandwich bar with deli sandwiches going for less than $2. The wine list is short but detailed with suggestions for your meal.

The service is excellent on weeknights; we were seated immediately and served very quickly. Weekends are more crowded; we suggest making reservations before dining.

Because the depot is out of walking distance, a car or a bus trip up the Allston line is necessary. The depot is not an every night hangout but is well worth an evening. Be sure not to miss the salad bar.

Duck Soup

58b Boylston Street

Duck Soup used to be, and probably still is, the best place to sit for an hour over coffee and watch the carefree types breeze of Boylston St. A low-ceiling but airy basement at the southern end of Boylston's cramped commercial row, Duck Soup still offers good coffee, at a dime a cup if you order something else, at a quarter if you just want to sit. The soups here are interesting and tasty--even wholesome--while the dessert breads and cheesecake are fine if expensive. The chili, too, is memorable; it has character. It's difficult to feel gloomy in Duck Soup because so many lunching shoppers are smiling and talking at neighboring tables, because Billie Holliday and Ella Fitzgerald are themselves already wailing over small speakers on the walls, and because the service is so cordial and earnest. Duck Soup is open Friday and Saturday to 1 a.m., and till 10 p.m. the rest of the week, but it's at its finest at midday.

Latino-O

19 Brookline St.