Eat like an insider: Lauren Vigdor

Lauren Vigdor knows a thing or two about where to get a good drink. As the bar manager at Assembly Row’s River Bar, the 30-year-old has the barstool-hopping diet you’d expect from any hospitality pro. But Vigdor, who lives in Somerville, and delivers the cheeky likes of Absinthe Frappes and I Still Don’t Know What You Did Last Summer cocktails made with Akvait for her day/night job, favors the comfort of low-key roast chicken and pie during her hours off.

Best late night meal?
Tacos from Lone Star Taco Bar! Nothing beats a few tacos and a Por Mi Amante made with strawberry-infused mezcal after a night out. 635 Cambridge St., Cambridge, and 479 Cambridge St., Allston, lonestar-boston.com.

Best meal under $5?
A corn dog from Trina’s Starlite Lounge, obviously. 3 Beacon St., Somerville, trinastarlitelounge.com.

Best hidden foodie gem?
Machu Chicken in Union Square. I like the quarter charcoal chicken with rice and plantains. It’s comfort food at its finest, and definitely earns bonus points for being within walking distance from my apartment. London Square, 25 Union Square, Somerville, 617-623-7972.

Best place to dine alone?
I am very much a creature of habit. I live in Somerville and spend a lot of time at a handful of places that I really love. Our sister restaurant, Brass Union, is my go-to spot to dine alone. There are enough hidden corners where I can sit with a book and disappear, but if I’m feeling social, I sit at the bar and I’m guaranteed to run into someone I know — and maybe convince them to split the steak tartare with me. 70 Union Square, Somerville, brassunion.com.

Place you recommend for out-of-towners?
State Park in Kendall Square; it’s impossible to not feel at home there. The food and drinks are fantastic, and they have pool and pinball! 1 Kendall Square, Cambridge, statepark.is.

Go-to date spot?
My partner also works in restaurants so it’s rare for us to have a night off together, but when we do we go to Sarma. We like to sit at the bar and start with one of their awesome house cocktails, and then switch to wine by the glass and eat our way through as much of the menu as possible. Every single thing they serve is delicious. We always end with dessert, Turkish coffee and Amari. 249 Pearl St, Somerville, sarmarestaurant.com.

Best place to catch up with friends?
Highland Kitchen
It’s a favorite spot for birthday celebrations, and karaoke night on Wednesdays has been a staple of my social life for years. We pretty much always start with a couple of orders of Buffalo-fried Brussels sprouts for the table, and end with bourbon pecan pie. I don’t share pie. Get your own. My go-to drink here is usually a Notch Session Pils. I can have a few without being coerced into actually singing karaoke, which is kind of a win-win for everyone involved. 150 Highland Ave, Somerville, highlandkitchen.com.

Most Instagrammable dish in town?
A perfectly poured pint of Guinness at The Druid. 1357 Cambridge St, Cambridge, druidpub.com.

Visit River Bar at 661 Assembly Row, Somerville,river-bar.com.