It’s just a time capsule—hop in: Collectors of antiques and Americana might think they’re dreaming when they arrive downtown. Crazy Joe’s (17 W Main St, 908-218-1114) has vintage action figures, baseball cards, old-time posters, and comics. The self-proclaimed “largest antique complex” in the state, Somerville Center Antiques boasts four locations in town (25 and 34 W Main St, 908-595-1887, 908-595-1294; 9 and 17 Division St, 908-526-8055, 908-526-3446).
From baba ghanoush to banana custard: Cedars Restaurant (45 W Main St, 908-722-8686, picture 2) is an excellent place for delicious, competitively priced Lebanese cuisine. The combination platter, which includes a basket of flatbread and plate of aromatic baba ghanoush with hummus, gives the best bang for your buck. Afterward, stop at the Dessert Plate (34 E Main St, 908-722-9881, picture 3), which churns out banana custard and flourless chocolate cakes, bourbon pecan tarts, custom cookies (give baker and co-owner Megyn Craine at least two days’ notice), and other special pastries that vary by season. Colombia meets Jersey at El Sabor Latino, a tiny restaurant (56 E Main St, 908-725-0875) where Spanish-speaking patrons feel right at home and the vegetarian arroz amarillo con verduras —yellow rice with mushrooms, greens, and sweet plantains—is terrific.
Canine club: What do Somerville’s model-railroad retailer, a florist, and a record store have in common? Each has a live-in canine mascot. Pennsy, who hangs out at the Big Little Railroad Shop (63 W Main St, 908-685-8892), is named for the old Pennsylvania Railroad Company. Ginger, a yellow Labrador retriever, dozes between the stacks of rock, hard-core, and punk records at Curmudgeon Music (31 W Main St, 908-704-1984), although she sometimes wanders next door to visit Pennsy. And Bailey, the boxer resident at Carousel of Flowers (15 W Main St, 908-231-7330), might be persuaded to help select fresh roses for your Valentine.
History-buff alert: Tour the historic Old Dutch Parsonage and Wallace House (71 Somerset St, 908-725-1015), one block from Main Street. Now a museum, the Wallace House served as General Washington’s headquarters from 1778 to 1779. The Old Dutch Parsonage, once the home of John Frelinghuysen, son of Theodorus Frelinghuysen, an outspoken minister to several Dutch Reformed congregations in the 1700s, was also home to Jacob Hardenbergh, a founder of Rutgers University. Call in advance for guided tours. Today, a 9/11 memorial clock tower honoring 39 Somerset County residents who died in the World Trade Center attacks stands at the corner of Main and Bridge streets.
At Neet-O-Rama’s Pop Culture Superstore (6, 14, and 19 Division St, 908-722-4600), intrepid collectors may peruse ancient newspapers, obscure paperbacks, vinyl records, and Marilyn Monroe memorabilia.
For creative and funky fashions, Express Gear/Sound Express (84 W Main St, 908-231-8933) is worth a visit. Featuring urban apparel and accessories by renowned designers Ecko, Rocawear, and Enyce, the store also carries hip-hop and rhythm-and-blues mixtape CDs. Web surfers can browse the store’s myspace.com page to find friends in Somerville.