Taste of Fall in Harvard Square

As fall settles over Cambridge and the air turns crisp, life slowly moves indoors. Patio dinners fade away, the days get shorter, and most importantly, the season of the best food arrives. For those of us in college, we are no longer privy to homemade apple pies and the wonderful bliss of nostalgic kitchen aromas, but that doesn’t mean we have to miss out on the incredible tastes of fall. With smells of apple pies and pumpkin spice rolling through the Cambridge air, we are tempted by just one more sweet treat or cozy meal, well deserved after a hard day of classes or failing a midterm. So, if you’re in the same boat as me, looking for a fall-themed snack that actually hits close to home, don’t worry—I’ve risked adding on a couple of pounds to sample some of the most delicious fall-themed treats around Harvard Square for you. 

Tatte Bakery Oat Milk Pumpkin Spice Latte: 5.5/10

Of course, we have to start with the fall classic: the pumpkin spice latte. The drink arrived with a pleasant layer of soft foam and instantly gave off the unmistakable pumpkin spice smell of nutmeg and cinnamon with an undertone of oats. Overall, Tatte provides a decent latte, but the oat milk slightly overpowers the pumpkin spice flavor. The sweetness builds as you drink; it starts mild, but by the end, all you taste is pumpkin spice syrup. Maybe it was because I had it first thing in the morning, but I couldn’t finish this one. That being said, the blend of oat and pumpkin works surprisingly well together. While I’m not factoring price into my ratings, $6.25 for a 12-oz cup feels excessive, but as to be expected from Tatte.

Tatte Bakery Apple Pie: 8/10

This is what I’d call a “classic” apple pie. It’s nothing revolutionary, but it doesn’t need to be; it’s just a good, simple apple pie. The crust has a satisfying crispness—arguably the most important part—and the filling is nicely tart, though a touch too sweet for my taste. This, combined with the Oat Milk Pumpkin Spice Latte, would make for an extra-sugary meal, so I recommend buying each separately like I did to save yourself a trip to the dentist. $7.50 per slice is steep, but the portion size is decent, with the slice filling the entire plate, and my stomach. 

Sweetgreen Autumn Harvest Bowl: 6.5/10

Seemingly, this is the only healthy item I’m testing for you all. The Autumn Harvest Bowl hits you right away with its strong flavors: mainly goat cheese and balsamic vinaigrette. Personally, the maple-glazed Brussels sprouts are the standout ingredient. My main issue, though, is that there’s just too much happening. Between the shredded kale, wild rice, roasted sweet potatoes, almonds, apples, blackened chicken, sprouts, goat cheese, and vinaigrette, it’s hard to know what you’re tasting at any given moment. Still, the cheese/vinaigrette combo complements each other very well, adding a pungent yet pleasant flavor to the bowl. While I still favor CAVA over Sweetgreen, the bowl is a solid menu item. At $13.25, it’s a moderate price for a filling meal.

Union Square Donuts Pumpkin Spice Latte Donut: 7/10
The pumpkin flavor of this donut itself is excellent, having every spice you would look for in a pumpkin-flavored treat. The glaze, while sweet, has a nice balance of coffee and pumpkin flavorings that complement rather than overwhelm the donut itself. While the donut slightly crossed my personal threshold for sweetness, which is quite low, it still didn’t oversaturate my tongue with sugar. The texture is doughy, dense, yet still very fluffy, which is exactly what I need from a donut. It’s a large, satisfying donut that, if you were feeling peckish, could be shared with a friend, justifying the $4.25 price tag. 

Fall in Harvard Square tastes like comfort: sweet, spiced, and a little overpriced. From pumpkin spice lattes to apple pie slices, there’s no shortage of seasonal treats to indulge in between classes. While not every item blew me away, there’s something about sitting in a café as the leaves change and the air cools that makes every bite taste a little better. Whether you’re after a cozy drink, a nostalgic dessert, or a hearty salad that makes you feel slightly less guilty, Harvard Square has your fall cravings covered.

Aidan Gallagher ’29 (aidangallagher@college.harvard.edu) is comping the Independent and is from Wyoming.