Me too. Little Joe Cook was one of a kind. He was great.

I need to check out Chicken Slacks. I meant to do this earlier but the pandemic hit.

If your username is anything to go by, I'd recommend Darryl's Corner Bar & Kitchen. I really like this spot. But have not been there since the pandemic started.

From Kendall it's almost like a straight 30 or 40 minute walk down Mass Ave. Or you can simply catch the No. 1 bus. (https://www.mbta.com/schedules/1/line). Or just Uber it. With the subway you would have to change lines (Red to Orange). I think the Mass Ave stop on the Orange Line is the closest stop.

Good food, drink, music and people:

https://www.yelp.com/biz/darryls-corner-bar-and-kitchen-boston

I really think Casey's in Somerville would be a good choice. Check out its Google reviews. I used to be a regular at this place before I stopped drinking during Covid. It has high-tops. Very family oriented. Good food at nice prices. it's a hidden gem. I've seen a lot of birthday celebrations there (a group will reserve a set of tables. There are two corners in the room that are really good for a group get-together).

They probably don't yet have enough business. I'm sure they were hit hard by the pandemic. Underbones is actually a really neat place. I found the bar there to be like a hidden gem. I think most people just know the upstairs bar.

Thanks for updating me!

If you do not mind Davis Square, Somerville, the downstairs bar at Redbones (called Underbones) was usually very quiet in the afternoons and early evenings. But I think it closed when the pandemic hit. Don't know if it reopened or will reopen. It had a huge beer selection on tap.

I'm sharing this info in case it's of interest to anyone. It's not in Cambridge but nearby (Arlington). I've not worked for the organization but have heard of it for a long time:

https://mysticriver.org/overview

https://mysticriver.org/volunteer

I laughed when you wrote, "For most of my time here, I was always expecting to move away again, so it was never a priority."

I had the same attitude when I moved to Somerville from CT, after completing grad school. That was in 1987. I'm still in Somerville and settled in! 😀

The years fly by really quickly.

Why not go to your dealership when they have oil change specials? That's what I do with my Toyota. I check the various dealerships and there's usually one that has a coupon deal going. I usually start checking like a month before I'm due for a change.