Neighborhood Spotlight: Somerville’s Union Square

The historic building that houses Brass Union was once the neighborhood police station: now it’s something considerably more fun. Today you’ll find a wood-paneled cocktail lounge up front and a game room equipped with shuffleboard tables, GameCubes, and more in the back. Either location is a fine place to enjoy a menu that boasts fried avocado tacos, Jägermeister jerk wings, eclectic cocktails, and more than 20 beers on tap.

If you find yourself craving schnitzel, spaetzle, or sauerbraten, a trip to Bronwyn is required. This rustic Union Square favorite has all three in abundance, plus Weihenstephaner by the liter. Return each Tuesday to find a different take on the footlong “Brondog,” served on a “bretzel” bun with potatoes.

Celeste puts the flavors of Peru front and center in a dining room with a house-curated playlist of funky cumbia and salsa beats. Make a Resy to enjoy abundant ceviche bowls, pisco cocktails, and daily specials that encompass everything from cilantro rice with chicken to Peruvian-Chinese seafood risotto. 

Field & Vine’s plant-filled, farmhouse-style dining room is the perfect environment in which to enjoy an ever-changing menu that prizes local ingredients and sustainability. Vegetable lovers will enjoy a prolific selection of greens, while carnivores can feast on a cast-iron cheddar cornbread made with roasted pork shoulder. On the potable side, the selection of wines and local beers is curated with the same thoughtfulness as the dinner menu.

Locals have been meeting at “The Indo” for cold beers and nachos since long before Union Square became a buzzy food destination; the neighborhood bar and restaurant is still going strong. Come on a Saturday night for a buttermilk fried chicken sandwich and one of 30 beers on draft; reboot at Sunday brunch with a coffee martini and a “poutine madame”—a dish prepared with Guinness gravy and a sunny-side up egg.

The newest venture from the Bronwyn team explores pizza: specifically the Neapolitan and Roman al taglio varieties. And while the multi-day fermentations required to make these pies are traditional, the toppings are anything but: here you can enjoy a Neapolitan pie crowned with thick-cut bacon and pickled jalapeno, or a Roman-style pizza garnished with lobster and shaved celery.