I have an on-again, off-again relationship with Cambridge. I love exploring its museums, shops and cafes, but I don’t make it over there on anything resembling a regular basis. And when I do, I frequently hop off the Red Line at Harvard Square, to meet friends or attend a reading at the Harvard Book Store. I don’t often make it all the way out to Porter Square.
But if I do, I am treated to that rare thing: a local, quirky, independent bookstore, hidden in the middle of a shopping center and bursting with bookish delights.
I love the whimsical signage, the creative table displays, the wide selection of books in many genres, the laid-back atmosphere. I could browse for hours.
Not every good bookshop has a cafe, but this one has Cafe Zing:
(I love hand-drawn chalkboard menus. Always takes me back to my barista-college-student days at the Ground Floor.)
The last time I visited, as I waited for my husband to join me for Siobhan Fallon’s thoughtful reading, I ordered a chai latte and a raspberry crumble bar:
Tasty treats and delicious books. What a delectable combination.
cakes, tea and dreams 
Looks like a lovely bookish space! And that raspberry crumble bar… mmmmm, I almost licked the computer monitor.