The first Chinese restaurants in Boston’s Chinatown appeared during the 1880s, but when did the first Chinese restaurant appear across the river, in Cambridge?
It appears their first Chinese restaurant was not established until June 1902, with the opening of the Harvard Chinese Restaurant. It was located at 527 Massachusetts Avenue, on the second floor of the building, and employed only three people: a Chinese cook and two Chinese waiters. The Cambridge Chronicle, June 28, 1902, noted that it possessed two dining rooms and their cuisine included a “variety of Oriental dishes,” including “soups, chop sooy, lobster, chicken, candy, nuts and tea.” However, the Harvard Chinese Restaurant then seemed to vanish from the newspapers. Did it quickly close for some reason? Why did it pass into obscurity so fast?
The next Chinese restaurant didn’t open in Cambridge until the next decade. The Cambridge Tribune, June 19, 1915, first reported on the plans of James Ort, who wanted to open a Chinese restaurant at 2 Central Square, Cambridge. There is some contradictory information about Ort’s prior business. Some sources claim he ran a spot called Loud’s Lunch at 545 Massachusetts Avenue, and other sources allege he ran a Chinese restaurant at that location. Still, another source claims that though he received a victualler’s license, he never actually opened the restaurant. The licensing board generally favored allowing the transfer of the victualler’s license, although Alderman McCarthy was an outlier, believing the location was not a proper place for a Chinese restaurant. As such, the decision on the transfer was delayed a week.
The Cambridge Tribune, June 26, 1915, then noted that the decision on the transfer was tabled once again. Three on the board were in favor of the license, noting that it was backed by several prominent businessmen and there was a personal guarantee that the place would be run properly. Two members now opposed it, claiming they had received letters of opposition from ministers and others, and that “such a place is not generally conducive to morality.”
That same day, the Cambridge Sentinel, June 26, 1915, reported that Alderman McCarthy alleged the restaurant, “would be conducive to immorality, as young girls would most likely be enticed up there.” The same racist rhetoric that had previously fueled efforts to ban women from visiting Chinese restaurants unless accompanied by a man. Another interesting detail also emerged from this brief article, that the rental for the restaurant would be six times the current rate.
Despite the opposition to the transfer of the license, Ort went forward with construction work on the restaurant. The Cambridge Chronicle, July 31, 1915, detailed the renovations taking place on the second floor of 2 Central Square, which was thought would be completed around September 1. The restaurant was going to be divided into three main sections. “The corner on Magazine street is to be handsomely fitted for ladies, and ladies with escorts. The portion facing Massachusetts avenue will be for gentlemen, both being elaborately furnished and lined with mirrors.” The third section was for the kitchen, storage, etc. A section was also being set aside primarily for women.
The Cambridge Tribune, October 2, 1915, had an advertisement for the Grand Opening of the Imperial Chinese Restaurant, offering Chinese and American foods. There would be “Special Table D’Hote Dinners, 25 cents to $1.50 per plate” and “A La Carte Bill-of-Fare”, including “Chinese Chop Suey, Chow Mein, Soups, Candies, Nuts and Preserves–Chicken, Lobster and Oysters Served In All Styles.”
The restaurant proved to be quite popular, as noted in the Cambridge Sentinel, November 6, 1915, which also stated, “Perfect cooking is the policy here.” It was also run quite well, and in the Cambridge Sentinel, November 27, 1915, it was noted that one of the aldermen who had previously opposed the transfer of the victualler’s license was now supporting the idea. This led to the victualler’s license finally being granted in early December.
For about the next twenty years, ads for the Imperial Chinese Restaurant would be regularly printed in various newspapers, and there didn’t appear to be any significant problems with crime, or issues about morality. However, after October 1940, advertisements and mentions of the restaurant vanished. Thus, we do not know when and why the restaurant may have closed. Another mystery.
There were a couple other brief mentions of Chinese restaurants in Cambridge during this time period. The Cambridge Sentinel, March 15, 1924, reported that The Inspector of Provisions had inspected, a few times, a Chinese restaurant located over Gordon’s theater. He found it unkempt, and after several warnings failed, he closed the place. A similar incident was reported in the Cambridge Sentinel, August 18, 1934. The Board of Health revoked a license for a Chinese restaurant at 86A Windsor Street, owned by Mary China, which was found to be dirty and unsanitary.
Cambridge was much slower than Boston to open Chinese restaurants, and that might have been due to racism of local ministers and aldermen, who opposed the opening of such places. However, when such restaurants existed, there did not appear to be any instances of significant trouble with them, except some sanitary issues with a couple spots.
