• Diesel Cafe, 257 Elm St. Coffee, sandwiches, wifi, a pool table, a photo booth. Good coffee, but you won't confuse it with Starbucks. Our next-door neighbor, has a young, diverse, and very loyal crowd.
• Redbones, 55 Chester St. People come from all over New England for the barbecue. Has a lively bar as well.
• The Burren, 247 Elm St. Irish pub and restaurant, with live Irish and contemporary music.
• Martsa's, 233A Elm St. Tibetan cuisine.
• Gargoyles on the Square, 219 Elm St. Contemporary American cuisine, surprisingly affordable, given the quality.
• Spike's Junkyard Dogs, 217 Elm St. Hot dogs.
• Out of the Blue, 215 Elm St. Seafood, Italian, informal atmosphere, good food in a comfortable place.
• Rosebud Diner, 381 Summer St. A classic American diner.
• La Spina, 381 Summer St. "The thorn" behind the Rosebud. Italian.
• Benjapon's, 195 Elm St. Thai food, served fast.
• Boloco, 187 Elm St. "Inspired burritos." Or do you call them wraps?
• Anna's Tacqueria, 236 Elm St. Very basic menu but good, cheap Mexican food.
• Namaskar, 240 Elm St. Indian cuisine in a quiet, dignified atmosphere.
• Diva, 246 Elm St. Indian bistro.
• Joshua Tree, 256 Elm St. Mostly a sports bar, but with a fairly extensive menu.
• Johnny D's Uptown Restaurant and Music Club, 17 Holland St. You don't have to stay for the music, but it just might soothe your soul. A reasonably ambitious kitchen, roots music.
• Orleans Restaurant, 65 Holland St. More a bar than a restaurant, but with a restaurant's menu.
• Antonia's, 37 Davis Sq. Italian.
• Mike's, 9 Davis Sq. Pasta, pizza, subs, hundreds of menu items, no surprises, but they're in the most prominent spot in the square for a reason.
• Blue Shirt Cafe, 424 Highland Av. Salads, soups, wraps, mostly but not only vegetarian.
• Sagra, 400 Highland Av. Italian festival restaurant, bar, and cafe... "road-side," not "red-sauce" Italian.
• Sligo, 237A Elm St. Neighborhood bar with a mix of regulars and young people. Not for dilletantes.

LIVE MUSIC, THEATER

• Johnny D's Uptown Restaurant and Music Club, 17 Holland St. Roots music, mostly, with an ambitious kitchen.
• Somerville Theatre, 55 Davis Sq. A survivor of a different industry's "chain wars." Not only an independent movie theater, also has extensive live music programming.
• Jimmy Tingle's Off Broadway, 255 Elm St. Comedy, social commentary, theater, poetry...
• The Burren, 247 Elm St. Irish pub and restaurant, with live Irish and contemporary music.

OTHER RETAIL (a selection)

• Poor Little Rich Girl, 255 Elm St. Consigned designer label and vintage clothing. Possibly the other store most frequented by our customers, not only because it's next door.
• McKinnon's Meat Market, 239 Elm St. If you've been buying meat in supermarkets, check McKinnon's prices. Usually they're not much more than half.
• CD Spins, 235 Elm St. New and used cds. Another survivor, with an interesting selection.
• The Caning Shoppe. Chairs are their business.
• Magpie, 416 Highland Av. Hip, hand-made gifts from more than two hundred crafters and designers.
• Comicazi, 407 Highland Av. Comic books, gaming, collectible toys... for the bad boy in you.
• Rockin Bob's Guitars, 31 Holland St. New, used, and vintage guitars and accessories, also guitar repair.
• Cibeline, 85 Holland St. Designer clothing and accessories.
• Black and Blues, 89 Holland St. Funky clothing boutique for women.
• Chinook, 93 Holland St. Outdoor lifestyle clothing.