To comment on the Indian food part of your post, that (Indian food) has interestingly declined over the last 10-12 years. There was a time when Bengal Cafe on Mass Ave (beyond Porter Square) and Royal Bengal (near MIT) both offered very good Bengali food, and Tamarind Bay offered many interesting dishes in its basement location. Above it, perched in a much nicer location, Bombay Club was mostly solid, and Cafe of India offered a delicious Indian breakfast. All gone, and we’re now awash in a red sea of generic tikka masala.
I should add that I haven’t ventured to Burlington, etc., so can’t comment on what’s available there. The best Indian food I’m aware of in town is that served by the delivery service Bombay Brunch. I’ve started a thread on them and have been using them pretty much every week. They offer things that you can’t get anywhere else in the area, and that are objectively excellent, not just “for Boston”.
