Hipster Hangouts: Clover

I’ve been accused of being many things in my day: a fool, a bro, a ‘God-damn liberal.’ But never a hipster; which is why my endorsement of Clover as the ultimate hipster-hangout in Harvard square should carry all the more weight.

You see, my support of Clover bears no pretense. I know I wasn’t the first one to hear about it, and the fact that I’ve been there a number of times probably makes it less cool than it was before. On the few occasions when I have graced Clover with my presence, I have worn shorts and a t-shirt, had a distinct lack of reading material, and conversed with others—sometimes about sports. I do not own a cardigan, my musical taste is eclectic and rather mainstream, and I’ve never tried their ‘Jaggery Lemonade’ straight from the markets of Mumbai—but I am sure that my non-refined pallet would not be able to appreciate the variety of flavors.

What I have tried at Clover are the French Fries with rosemary, and boy are they good. For just $3, you can get a plate of the best fries in town without having to worry about them being deep fried or processed—because, like, they’re organic and stuff. Sprinkled with just the right amount of seasoning and promised to be ready in 6.7 minutes, Clover’s fries alone propel it to victory for Hipsters and non-Hipsters alike.

Situated in a prime location on Holyoke Street and adorned with pseudo-industrial interior design, it has everything the Harvard hipster could ask for: convenience, quality, and the illusion of being ‘of the people.’ Clover was founded by an MIT-grad to serve Harvard-undergrads, not exactly a typical story for a local entrepreneur. But as long as their food stays tasty, people will keep on coming back. I hear the chickpea fritter with a side of rhubarb soda is to die for. Maybe the good folks at Clover Food Lab will make a hipster out of me yet.