Between the CambridgeSide mall and Kendall Square, Lily P’s is where you can lob cornhole beanbags, listen to bluegrass and nosh on buttermilk-battered fried chicken.

Taiyaki NYC and The Dough Club are in a soft opening at 6 Church St., Harvard Square, and will open officially Dec. 2, a manager said Wednesday. Taiyaki sells ice cream in warm, fish-shaped cones made out of waffle batter; The Dough Club sells fluffy, chewy mochi doughnuts.

Coffee is coming back to the Harvard Square location that Starbucks left a year ago – but in place of that two-story space with lots of room for studying and first dates it marks the coming of a chain known for being no place at all: Blank Street Coffee.

Little Crepe is back in business after a pandemic shutdown, and with an emphasis on service and community engagement – crepes, community and coffee, if you will.

It’s only been a few weeks since the nouvelle bistro Juliet and its funky, eclectic menu settled into its new, upscale digs on Washington Street in Union Square.

Harvard Square’s coffee shop refresh doesn’t stop at the return of Starbucks in The Abbot building at JFK and Brattle streets. The Dunkin’ Donuts on Church Street has gotten a makeover into one of the company’s “next gen” locations.

That Mu Lan survived a 2014 fire and the coronavirus pandemic is testimony to its quality, which draws a Kendall Square tech crowd, families from The Port and seekers of good, authentic Chinese cuisine with unique accents.

Vive la France. Batifol in Kendall Square has the classics, including coq au vin and steak frites, but it’s on small plates such as escargot that offers a true raison d’être.

Kelly’s Diner in Ball Square is in a 55-foot, 1953 Jerry O’Mahony rail-style diner, and the menu of eggs and omelets, deli sandwiches and burgers, and New England dinners such as meatloaf feels just as classic as its setting.

Bosso Ramen Tavern has found a way to stand out among its many competitors with simple and unique dishes served in a casually cosmopolitan atmosphere.