When Harvard professor/scientist/inventor/restauranter Dr. David Edwards decided to close his innovative Cafe ArtScience in December 2019, he had no idea the obstacles he would face on the road to his next project.
Edwards planned to renovate the Cambridge space occupied by ArtScience for the previous five years. It would become what he describes as a "regenerative dining experience" focused on beautiful Mediterranean food from local small farms and fishing boats.
Nadia Michaud signed on to the project as head chef.
“The ethos of regenerative food is that the growing and consuming of food from the earth actually makes the earth more capable of growing more,” Edwards told Boston.com. “We need to recognize that we have [almost] eight billion people on the planet, and so the challenge is how do we get everyone eating regeneratively, not only those in East Cambridge, but around the world?”
And then the coronavirus hit. Despite the major wrench in his plan, Edwards went forward with the renovations and opened Senses Cambridge as a take-out-only eatery on September 17 in the midst of a pandemic.
For now, Senses is a very high-end takeout spot serving fresh, colorful produce and free-range meat from New England farms as well as wild-caught seafood from local fishermen.
“One of the things I’ve learned over the last several years is that there’s nothing more important [regarding] the future of food than meeting people where they’re at today,” Edwards said.
Try the baked vegetarian moussaka, a steamed catch of the day with kalamata olives and sautéed zucchini, hand-rolled cannelloni with summer greens and pine nuts, or the black-eyed pea salad with watermelon and barrel-aged feta cheese.
Those inclined can also get a taste of Senses' A-list cocktails with to-go offering for two including the Organic Bramble, a mixture of gin, organic berries, honey, and lemon; Captain Lockwood’s Punch with white rum, pineapple, coffee, cardamom, and lime; and the Fleur de la Seine (mezcal, elderflower, agave, and lemon).
When the restaurant opens for dine-in, guests will find an intimate, colorful setting with wood from Mozambique, live plants, and a grand piano to anchor the space.
For now, wear your mask and take advantage of Senses' pickup and delivery services. Check out sensescambridge.com for details.