Though I have been hanging out at Cambridgeside since it was known as the Galleria and Lechmere was more than just a stop on the recently-expanded green line, I had never considered it a place to go to eat.

Recently, however, that has changed with the opening of CanalSide Food & Drink at CambridgeSide.

Anchored by a central bar that offers big-screen TVs, trivia and musical BINGO, its own DJ, and other fun reasons to take a break from shopping and gather with friends, the expansive upgrade on the traditional food court offers everything from Asian to Mediterranean to New Zealand-ish and plenty of space to enjoy it all.

At the bar (which also has waterfront views) you can enjoy beers and ciders from such regional faves as DownEast, Trillium, and Lawson’s, as well as an international selection of wines by the glass and such top-shelf tipples as the C-Side Sling with Don Juan tequila and Tomatillo and the Zima 2K – another callback to an earlier era made from Ketel One Grapefruit and Rosé.

When it comes to food, its hard to go wrong, but among my most recent faves have been the baked felafel wrap from Anoush’ella, the arugula-topped bianco verde pizza from Lala’s, the miso ramen from Sapporo, and a steaming cup of cacio e pepe from DalMoros pasta. No matter what I get, I always leave room for either some chocolate kookaberry ice cream from Far Out or a cream puff from Beard Papa’s (or maybe both!). 

If I am in a rush to grab a gift elsewhere in the mall, I can always stop by Caffe Nero, Juicygreens, or Teazzi for a liquid pick-me-up, but the food has been so consistently good and the activities so fun that I have often found myself going for a meal and maybe picking up something in the shops between courses.

To see what is new in and around Cambridgeside, go to www.cambridgeside.com.