Every community has a dedicated donut shop.
In Somerville, the favorite donut shop is Union Square Donuts.
Union Square Donuts is an award-winning donut company with locations in Boston and Somerville, MA, that has spent years perfecting something that others devour in just minutes (or seconds). Our donuts are made fresh, by hand, every single day. We pride ourselves on our commitment to producing the best donuts possible, using high-quality ingredients, an extraordinary attention to detail, and all with a passion that shines through to everything we make.
These donuts are unlike any other donuts I've tried.
I ordered the Sea Salted Bourbon Caramel - A rich and gooey caramel glaze, topped with sea salt sprinkles, finished with a kick of bourbon.
But look at that interior! It's like airy and light. So neat. Have you been here?
Oh my goodness, Sarma.
This is a popular restaurant in Somerville known for small plates of Mediterranean food.
Sarma is a restaurant & bar where food, drink and music come together in a vibrant celebration of the good things in life. Modeled after the traditional meyhanes of Turkey, the menu is a large selection of small, seasonal plates ( meze ) that are designed to be shared. The flavors represent the Mediterranean and encourage food-friendly cocktails, craft beers or a glass of wine from a small but carefully selected list.
Sarma – wrapped; enveloped; rolled up; a bundle of food that is bite sized and served as a meze. An embrace. Throughout the eastern Mediterranean & the Middle East, Meze is a common way to start a meal or a party. Just as in Spain with tapas, many different small plates are shared with family and friends for a variety of small tastes. The point of snacking this way is to make the experience at the table as long as possible allowing time to sip, share thoughts, and hang out. Spice & herb combinations are the secret to giving these little dishes their big flavors without making them heavy.
The menu is large, and I wanted to order everything.
And between the three of us, we may have.
Plus, they bring around delicious freshly made options to your table.
I think I ended up ordering five or six, plus nibbling on things from Josh & Kaitlynn.
But here are some of the ones I remember.
Pork belly biscuits jalapeño-whipped feta, cider
sambusek - turkish cheese, basturma, sheep’s milk yogurt, chives
Bread.
Chicken albondigas with manchego crema, mojo rojo, spinach and chickpeas
Shishito peppers with tomatillo kissir and haloumi
Feta cheese gnocchi loukaniko, rabe, red pepper, olive crumb
And an assortment of dishes from Kaitlynn & Josh:
Have you been here?
I'll admit, I'm not much a fan of dark chocolate.
Maybe it's a taste that comes with age or experience. But all I know is that the more sugar, the happier I am.
But Somerville - Kaitlynn's town - is home to their very own chocolate factory.
And how often do you get to visit a chocolate factory?
We took a tour of Taza Chocolate where we learned about the products they produce and how it was all inspired by this drinking chocolate the owner had.
So, of course, the shop has all sorts of drinking chocolates available.
They have flavors like ginger and coconut, but they also come in various percentages of cacao. 
Taza founder and CEO Alex Whitmore took his first bite of stone ground chocolate while traveling in Oaxaca, Mexico. He was so inspired by the rustic intensity that he decided to create a chocolate factory back home in Somerville, MA. Alex apprenticed under a molinero in Oaxaca to learn how to hand-carve granite mill stones to make a new kind of American chocolate that is simply crafted, but seriously good. In 2005, he officially launched Taza with his wife, Kathleen Fulton, who is Taza's Chief Design Officer and designed all of the packaging.
Taza is a pioneer in ethical cacao sourcing. We were the first U.S. chocolate maker to establish a third-party certified Direct Trade Cacao Certification program. We maintain direct relationships with our cacao farmers and pay a premium above the Fair Trade price for their cacao. We partner only with cacao producers who respect the rights of workers and the environment.
The different flavors wer unique.
But, of course, my favorite ended up being the original with only 60% dark chocolate.
Have you taken a tour?
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