The Euro Place

According to students, La Ruche attracts a certain type of Harvard affiliate. "My social studies tutor has office hours there," says a Winthrop House sophomore. "It's where the beret crowd hangs out."

Die-hard fans of the Cafe Pamplona would do well to check out this nearby alternative, where, in addition to the Orzata, Italian sodas, and cappucino, members of the literati can also indulge in a delicious plate of tortellini.

After the pizza, and the Coors, most Harvard Square enthusiasts tend to demand ice cream. With the overabundance of gourmet stores like Steve's, Herrell's, and the Gelato store, where do students choose not to go?

Baskin Robbins, according to Sam, the owner, has gotten a good mix of people for the 14 years it has been open. "We've always had our regulars. People who work here, people who live here. Town people."

The afternoons after football games are busiest for Sam, who adds that the Dartmouth weekend provided an especially large crowd. "It was like a zoo," he says of the hordes who clamored for Rocky Road and Mandarin Orange Sherbet.

Comparing his parlor to the newer ones in the Square, Sam says the "only difference is in personal taste. Some have better chocolate or vanilla, but they're all about equal. In terms of price we're the least expensive."

Yet, some undergraduates charged the parlor with being too far from River houses and basically "outclassed" by the more upscale joints. "Baskin Robbins isn't trendy enough," says Anne Gregory '87.

"Why would you go there when you have all the other places in the Square?" she says.