Julia Child was born in Pasadena, California, but spent some of her most formative years in New England. The culinary icon graduated from Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts in 1934.
She took up permanent residence in Cambridge from 1961 until 2001. Her Cambridge home, located at 103 Irving Street in Harvard Square, became the set for three of her television shows.
The home kitchen became so synonymous with American culinary culture that the real kitchen is now on display at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, in Washington, DC. Child donated it upon moving out of the house and back to California in the 2000s. Today, the Harvard Square home is an occupied private residence.
Child lived in one of Cambridge’s most exciting neighborhoods with evolving gastronomy, so she indulged in the local food scene, becoming a regular at Harvest. The restaurant, hidden behind an unnamed brick walkway that adopted the name “The Architects’ Corner,” opened in 1975. The spot drew in visitors with its neon sign and vibrant Marimekko prints. The restaurant is rumored to have been Julia Child’s favorite dining destination, regularly visiting Harvest.
In 1997, Harvest reopened under new management but remains one of the area’s most historic restaurants. Several prominent chefs trained at Harvest before opening their own restaurants.
This year, Harvest celebrates its 50th anniversary with special menus and a “Julia Burger” that celebrates the relationship shared between the restaurant and culinary legend, Julia Child.
Find Harvest at 44 Brattle Street