Before checking out the coming changes to Mossland Street in Somerville on May 2, the Boston Cafe Bikers rode to a backyard pop-up in Boston for Jimmy’s Cafe. There’s good cause to go back to a new temporary pickup location near Inman Square: Jimmy’s is selling its entire menu at half-price this week, through Friday.
Popping up at events across Cambridge, Somerville and Boston, Jimmy’s offers Asian-inspired lattes, matcha drinks and more. I tried its s’more’s cold brew topped with Marshmallow Fluff foam, shaved dark chocolate and graham cracker crumble. The foam mixed with chocolate shavings was a standout worthy of Marshmallow Fluff’s Somerville roots; the freshly torched marshmallow made for a perfect middrink snack.
Liam Gordon founded and operates the business with help from his partner, Junru “Jimmy” Ruan, and is soon going full time. “Jimmy’s Cafe is our attempt to bring more interesting and innovative menus to the area,” said Gordon, who has worked in the restaurant industry since starting as a dishwasher at 15.
The menu changes each season. This time around, it features the Filipino-inspired drinks Halo-Halo milk tea and Bu-koconut latte. Jimmy’s also has a black barley and sweet corn iced tea and a cucumber mint and matcha refresher. Its limited-time special is the coco melon matcha.
“Developing the sweet corn and barley tea was the most fun, because it really encapsulates the whole vibe of the cafe in one drink,” Gordon said. “We lean toward cultural appreciation and always try to understand a culture, and that’s our biggest influence and keeps the menus going.”
Though Jimmy’s usually pops up one day at a time at different locations – the next scheduled dates are Aug. 30 at the Foundry community building (101 Rogers St., East Cambridge) and Sept. 19 at the Fluff Fest (Union Square, Somerville) – a one-month residency is scheduled for the Foundry later this year.
Gordon and Ruan had prepped enough ingredients for a Sunday pop-up on Newbury Street, thinking it was an Open Newbury Street day – part of Boston’s summer car-free schedule. Foot traffic was lower than expected because there was no Open Newbury that weekend.
That’s the source of this week’s flexible hours and the half-off sale to go with it: Drinks are $4 each until sold out.
“To be clear, I don’t regret it at all. The old friends and new friends that came by and supported made it sooo worth it,” Gordon wrote on Instagram.
It’s just one bump in the road on their plans to be at more farmers markets and events, then eventually a permanent storefront cafe.
Orders this week can be picked up on Concord Avenue near Inman Square after DM’ing @cafesjimmys on Instagram for pickup and the exact address.
People coming from the north may be able to use the Elm-Beacon Connector route, on which painted lines now mark the work to come.
Bike activities calendar
Streetwise at Aeronaut. Join BCU Labs at 6 p.m. Wednesday for the August Streetwise presentation at Aeronaut Brewing, 14 Tyler St., near Union Square in Ward 2, Somerville.
Somerville Bike Kitchen 11th Anniversary Bash. Food, art, games, a cash bar and a band at 6 p.m. Aug. 20 at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave., Spring Hill, Somerville. $10 plus fees.
Boston Cafe Bikers. Ride at 11 a.m. Sunday to the O’some Cafe, 100 Main St., Watertown. Free.
Cambridge on-road skills workshop. Cambridge offers learn-to-bike workshops at noon Aug. 27 for a variety of skill levels. Free, but register.
For more Boston bike events, see bostonbikeevents.net. (No affiliation with The Independent.)
