In the winter, the area around HMS can often seem empty – especially after a long day in lab. However, even with the Sox out of town, the Fenway is still bustling with places to get good food. Here are some dining options for those late nights in lab or when you want to get out of Longwood and venture afar for lunch.

Sweet Cheeks – A new addition to the Fenway area, Sweet Cheeks opened this past November at 1381 Boylston St. It fills space formerly occupied by Cambridge, 1.  Sweet Cheeks serves southern-style barbeque and offers a wide variety of meats (that you can order by the pound!). In addition, there are great sides like mac ‘n’ cheese, collard greens, heirloom BBQ beans, and coleslaw. Sweet Cheeks is run by Tiffani Faison, the second place finisher from the first season of Top Chef and later winner of the Top Chef Holiday Special.  With extensive food and drink offerings and a late-night menu coming soon, this is a fantastic addition to the Fenway food scene.

The Return of Restaurant Row – In January 2009, a fire burned down the popular “Restaurant Row” on Peterborough St. and caused $5 million in damage. Gone were six local favorites: El Pelon Taqueria, Rod Dee Thai, Thornton’s Fenway Grille, Sorento’s Italian Gourmet, Umi Japanese Restaurant, and Greek Isles Restaurant. Now, after three years, the Row is finally reopening. So far, El Pelon Taqueria, Rod Dee Thai, and Thornton’s Fenway Grille have returned, rebuilt, and opened their doors. Voted “Best of Boston” in 2011, El Pelon serves great authentic Mexican food – perfect for your burrito cravings, when Boloco and Chipotle just won’t do the trick. Thornton’s Fenway Grille is a much-loved gathering place for locals – great for gatherings after classes and a chance to catch up with friends. Sadly, Sorento’s, Umi, and Greek Isles will not be returning. However, there are some new faces! Swish Shabu, a Japanese hot pot-style restaurant, has set up shop in Sorento’s old space and has just opened for business. There are still three vacancies on the row, so we can look forward to new food options in the coming months.

Yard House – Yard House is a restaurant and bar chain that is planning to open at a new location in the Fenway area. The restaurant will fill the empty spot left by the Boston Billiard Club, which closed over four years ago. Renovations are ongoing, and there are plans for both indoor and outdoor seating. No specific opening date is known yet, but Yard House was recently using space in the Landmark Center to interview interested workers, so look for them to start slinging street tacos soon.

Marshall’s Fenway Farm Stand – Local favorite Marshall’s Fenway Farm Stand is back, but for a limited time only!  They closed their doors on January 29th when their lease expired, but, after negotiating with their landlord, they were able to return until April. They will unfortunately have to permanently vacate their space in the spring, as construction will be starting on a new apartment high-rise on the site. Marshall’s returned on February 6th with new hours (12pm-7pm, Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays). They are also continuing their Boston farmers markets till the end of the winter. They are at Northeastern on Wednesdays from 12-6pm and in South Boston from 11am-4pm.

Clover – A new food option a little closer to Longwood is the area’s Clover food truck, which provides healthy, locally sourced, and organic fast food. The Longwood Clover truck is parked on Blackfan St. near Merck and is open weekdays from 8am until 7pm, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They offer various breakfast and lunch sandwiches, coffee, French fries, soups, and daily specials. Their twitter feed (@CloverLMA) is a great resource for general info and the daily specials. They often have 3pm specials – perfect for an afternoon snack. There are several other Clover food trucks located all over Boston and Cambridge, in addition to the main restaurant in Harvard Square.