Cheeseburger To Go, French Fries, Coke

Some time between now and the end of your first week here, it'll get to you Maybe it will be the dining hall's quivering yello jello, or perhaps one too many cakey flounder fillets For many, the halibut cheese casserole seems to do the trick. Whatever it is, one day soon you'll find yourself headed out the door for one of the Square's extraordinarily diverse culinary institutions.

But truth be told, as varied as these offerings might be, they are not exactly awe inspiring. If you find a diet of hamburgers, pizza, a little bit of salad, and an occasional bite of Chinese satisfactory, you might be sated by Cambridge's offerings For those in search of a more meaningful dining experience, a trip to Boston is definitely in order The local array of French, Japanese, seafood, and places you might conceivably want to take your parents leaves much to be desired--a fact you'll learn yourself all too soon. Here's a rundown of places to chow down in Cambridge

American

If you can't be satisfied by the possibilities for hamburgers in the Square, well then you obviously don't like hamburgers Burgers, you see are one of Cambridge's specialties Bartley's on Mass Ave. tops the list with one of the best juiciest burgers you ll find anywhere The French fries are tops too as is the lemonade A meal here will run you about $5. The cheeseburger platter at Charlie's Kitchen at under three dollars is one of the better deals around just don't remind the locals who frequent this watering hole where you prepped Buddy's Sirloin Pit on Brattle St., serves a goodly slab of beet Brigham's on Mass Ave does not but it cheap.

Those in search of a more varied American menu may want to check out the well known 33 Dunster St. They would do well to avoid the temptation. This haven for the Lacoste set is over priced overrated and pretentious What's more the food is bad Parents seem to like it but a better bet would be two classy inexpensive soup-salad and quiche joints: Grendel's and The Stockpot. both on JFK St

And better still is The Blue Parrot on Mt. Auburn St. near the post office. It ain't Casablanca, but the American/continental selections are superb, very reasonably priced, and served up in pleasant surroundings.

For the grease and soft drink crowd, three choices stand out. Elsie's is a Harvard institution, supplying delicious, cheap, hot pastrami sandwiches to legions of River House residents down through the years. (The Kennedys allegedly came here for snacks following touch football games in front of Winthrop House.) By the way, the chef's salad is an underrated gem. Tommy's just down Mt. Auburn St., is every bit the venerable institution, having served pinball-players and procrastinators for over 25 years now. The cheese steak sub is marvelous at 1 a.m. With these two stalwarts in tow, you'll find little reason to check out Mug and Muffin over the summer, except perhaps for a bagel or blueberry muffin for breakfast

Finally, a variety of excellent little shops fill the Garage on Dunster St., next to the loathsome 33 D. Formaggie's deserves particular mention because of its delectable, Albert expensive, cold cut and cheese sandwiches.

French/Continental

For those of you with more adventure in your hearts, not to mention money in pockets or parents in tow, Cambridge offers a fair number of alternatives to strict meat and potatoes. Ferdinand's offers small portions, overpriced but served in a pleasant atmosphere. Check it out once if you can stand the $30 per person charge and heavy Brahmin concentration at this Mt. Auburn St joint.

You'll need $30 as well if you want to eat at Harvest, a chic restaurant with outside cafe down the way on Brattle St. A less expensive stomping ground would be Autre Chose, with fine French cuisine. Other places you might want to consider are Ahmed's, on Winthrop St., Cafe at the Atrium on Church, and Locke-Obers. No, just kidding on the last one. The super traditional Boston restaurant is out of touch for all but the Chase and Salomon Brothers set

Fast food meets French food at the more affordable Au Bon Pain, smack in the middle of the Square The varied croissants are quite good, but sandwiches are overpriced and the bread (the restaurant's name notwithstanding) tends to be card board

Ethnic

If there's one thing that rivals the preeminence of hamburgers in the Square, it's Chinese best, clearly the best of the possible international fare. Actually, the Oriental cuisine is rather workman like compared to some of the more trendy Boston emporiums But most are relatively cheap and the moo-shi pork and sweet and sour soup provide constant solace in the onslaught of halibut cheese and jello.

Hunan, on Mass Ave., Joyce Chen, on Mass Ave., and Lucky Garden, on Concord Ave. lead the pack in the hotly contested race for the hearts of Cambridge's sinophiles. Yenching, also on Mass Ave. Wei Ta, on Winthrop St., and Ta Chien, on Eliot are all adequate The Hong Kong is still for scorpion bowls, not egg footing, its routed new chef notwithstanding And Yung and Yee on Church St is still unknown by most Cantabrigians not without good cause

For other international buffs, Cambridge will not prove as filling For avatars of wiener schnitzel and franks (not to mention scores of international beer choices) the Wursthaus on JFK St. is not to be missed And if you show up early. you'll meet President Bok who likes to take his breakfasts at this friendly Square institution reportedly he is still open to advice on South Africa investments Chi Chi's Mass Ave ) and Paco's Laco's JFK St.)will tickle your hot spot but Casa Mexico's a few doors up from hot spot Paco's offers the best burritos and enchiladas albeit at higher prices. The Iruna on JFK serves up sangria and other Spanish delicacies while sushi mongers can satisfy their gullets at Roka upstairs from Ta Chien on Eliot St.