Bites Nearby: Not Your Average Joe's

For 13 years, has been occupying the large and airy space of a former furniture store in Watertown Square. It has a contemporary and diverse menu (they call it "creative casual") at reasonable prices. It's a popular destination. There are many fresh seafood dishes, with salmon, haddock, shrimp and shellfish. But the catchword is "eclectic." For instance, new dishes this month include pecan chicken, barbecue turkey kabob, and penne milano.

Suggested dish: We chose one of the new appetizers, stuffed quahogs, which turned out to be hearty and filling. Customers first get a basket of homemade bread and a large dish of olive oil, romano cheese and red pepper for dipping. ("Some people come for the bread," said the server.) Three large quahogs are stuffed with not only clams, but sausage, roasted onion, grilled corn, and a dash of tabasco sauce. The dish was rich and complex, a sort of surf-and-turf on the half-shell. One suggestion: leaving the hot sauce on the side.

The vibe: Pleasant, lively and spacious, with a solicitous staff, and a touch of hipness.

Cool factor no. 1: Every Tuesday is "not your average cause," in which 15 percent of the establishment's receipts are donated to a local nonprofit organization or group.

Cool factor no. 2: There's a separate menu of "new additions," as well as a gluten-free menu, for easy reference.