Computer Museum | Harvard Square | Finale Dessert Company | Boston

DINING
Charlie’s Kitchen, inexpensive, (617) 492-9646. The best plan of attack at this Harvard Square institution? Drop some change in the jukebox, slip into a downstairs booth, and order up a brewski and a classic double cheeseburger. You’ll feel like one of the locals in no time, whether you’re a aspiring college student or a seasoned working stiff.

Finale Dessert Company, inexpensive, (617) 423-3184, www.finaledesserts.com. During the day, the bakery whips out gourmet soups, salads, and sandwiches, but we usually eat light before visiting so we can come in the evening and splurge on its prize-winning desserts, like manjari mousse (served with blackberry-Cabernet sorbet) and Finale’s own version of Boston cream pie. Sin-sational!

ATTRACTIONS
The Computer Museum, (617) 723-2500, www.mos.org. Nerd alert! Once private but now part of the Museum of Science, this temple of high tech covers all things computing, from an early Enigma machine to a virtual fish tank created by the brainiacs at MIT.

DeCordova Sculpture Park, (781) 259-8355, www.decordova.org. A giant wooden pig, a pair of 12-foot-high hearts, and a Kong-size baby are just a few of the unique pieces scattered throughout this 35-acre outdoor art museum. Better yet, it’s just minutes from Thoreau’s beloved Walden Pond.

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