Alden & Harlow

Duck into this subterranean hideaway—the former site of Casablanca, a Harvard Square institution—and discover a bustling multi-room dining and drinking destination that balances a rustic laid-back vibe with an industrial edge. The reclaimed wood and brick walls add warmth to the sprawling space, as do the honey-colored glass lanterns that hang over the bar. There’s a small atrium dining room, high-top tables in the bar area, and a main dining room where guests can glimpse the open kitchen through metal shelving stacked with cookbooks. Chef-owner Michael Scelfo's varied menu includes a dizzying assortment of modern dishes, most of which fall under $20. Typical of the inventive approach: morels stuffed with pork and snail sausage, or root vegetable latkes with smoked apple honey.