Best burger
Hey, done right, even burgers can be brain food, which is why Harvardians eschew their curried lentils now and then for a good old ground-beef sammy at Mr. Bartley's Burger Cottage. Thick and mouthwatering as they are, eating them is only half the fun - the latter half. The initial pleasure derives simply from reading about them. The menu changes regularly to include the latest creations, which offer up as much topical commentary as culinary novelty: take the Skip Gates (that's Dr. Henry Louis to you and me) with teriyaki sauce and a pineapple ring, or the Hillary Clinton with mushrooms and sour cream. See? Eating burgers is downright educational.

Clearly, word of the burger at Bukowski Tavern has gotten out - and the word is ideal. The six-ounce patty isn't mouth-boggling, but just big enough to be nice and juicy; the toasted egg bun is fresh and sufficiently pillowy to soak up those juices; and the toppings - in combinations like the tangy Swiss cheese and pesto or the Reuben-style Thousand Island, sauerkraut, and Swiss - bring plenty to the table without overturning it in their zeal. But the luscious best of the lot is undoubtedly the chunky-peanut-butter-topped burger (hey, doubters - ever heard of cashew beef?). Still, Bukowski buffs must balk - what, no ham(burger) on rye?

Mr. Bartley's Burger Cottage, 1246 Mass Ave, Cambridge, (617) 354-6559, www.mrbartleys.com; Bukowski Tavern, 50 Dalton Street, Boston, (617) 437-9999, 1281 Cambridge Street, Cambridge, (617) 497-7077.