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Everyone wants a multipurpose hangout like Building on Bond in their neighborhood: Cozy café, dining tables, floorboards so worn and smooth they feel ancient, and wine and beer. Mix in free Wi-Fi, industrial-chic art-gallery-meets-hardware-store decor, and voilà! Lingering locals and writers galore. With all the positives, it’s too bad Building on Bond wants to feed you beyond the delicious Balthazar pastries already available. The most popular offering, a barbecue pork sandwich on a pretzel roll, tastes neither of pretzel nor barbecue; it’s over-sauced, with an aftertaste of cumin. The New York strip steak appears out of nowhere, as does their veggie-filled take on the classic French chicken Paillard and The burger—a mixture of beef and chorizo—is perfectly cooked. There is a small but well-chosen selection of microbrews, and the coffee is rich and robust, exactly how it should be. — Josh Brentan

BoB mac n' cheese, $10, B.O.B. burger, $11.50