Nothing screams New American dining like having a “secret burger” on your menu, and chef Michael Scelfo took his private-patty concept with him after leaving Russell House Tavern to launch Alden & Harlow. Topped with a sheet of crisped Cabot cheese and bread-and-butter pickles, it’s been hailed as one of the best in Boston. Burgers aside, this goosed-up basement tavern in Harvard Square is known for its straightforward and shareable small plates and its spin on the farm-to-table idea where ingredients reach beyond the ordinary. You can order a “ubiquitous kale salad,” surely, but why not try the salad of the moment, perhaps a radish and nettles or a local strawberry and escarole, instead? The inventive cocktail menu always features a barrel-aged cocktail (white negroni anyone?) as well as options both stirred or shaken.
