Menton

Has it already been a year? It really feels like just yesterday that Bryan and I celebrated our 8th anniversary at Barbara Lynch's then flagship restaurant. And then - woosh - all of a sudden a year has flown by and, again, we are visiting Barbara Lynch's new flagship restaurant for our anniversary.

It's been nearly five months since Menton (pronounced "Mon-ton") opened in the Fort Point neighborhood of Boston. With Menton, Barbara Lynch ambitiously set out to out-do even herself in offering a new level of haute cuisine here in Boston. The service, the food, the ambiance - Menton aims to be at the level of a Michelin-starred restaurant.  Barbara Lynch is convinced that there is a market for fine dining in Boston, and she's willing to take the risk on Menton to prove this point.

In celebration of our 9th anniversary (which is actually today!), we visited Menton on Sunday evening.

The space is modern, bright, and airy. Bryan had requested a window seat for us (what a thoughtful husband!) so that I could have good lighting for my pictures. Of course, since it was our anniversary, we opted for the 7-course Chef's Tasting ($145). You can also get a 4-course meal for $95. The wine pairing with the Chef's tasting menu is an additional $105.

Amuse bouche: white bean veloute with forbidden rice, wild mushroom
We started with a lovely amuse bouch, which was really just 1-2 spoonfuls of a light, velvety white bean soup. Lovely flavors, and a great way to whet the appetite. The croissant came early in the meal (lower left), and  the rest of the bread came a little later. I loved all the different types of bread, which tasted fantastic with whatever butter was served alongside them.

Rock Crab Salad
Grapefruit, Almond, White Sturgeon Caviar
2008 Heidi Schrock Muscat

The first course was incredible. Beautifully plated with such precision, this dish also have wonderfully complex flavors. I loved how the grapefruit added just a little citrus-y bitterness, which cut the richness of the caviar and the crab perfectly.

Clean Seas' Bluefin Tuna Tartare
Heirloom Tomato, Lemon Cucumber, Yogurt
2009 Chateau Peyrassol Cotes de Provence Rose

Again, I was really impressed with the presentation of this dish. Each individual flower seemed to be placed with the utmost care in its own special place on the plate. The tuna itself was high quality and tasted very good -not a hint of stringiness. Bryan did comment that the way in which the tuna was cut reminded him more of a poke than a tartare. He couldn't help but think about the super-finely cut cubes we've seen from other high-end establishments. To him, this slightly "rougher" cutting style made this dish just a little less refined than some of the top restaurants we've visited.*

Maine Lobster
Pain Perdu, Grilled Local Romaine, Dill
2007 Qupe Roussanne "Bien Nacido Hillside Estate"

Bryan commented that this meal felt very "New England," which I think is pretty unique. Who else than Barbara Lynch to take Boston's quintessential dishes and transform them into her version of haute cuisine? It's something unique that she can offer which distinguishes her from other chefs in other regions of the country. Bryan thought this dish tasted really good. The lobster is succulent, juicy, and poached in butter! The pain perdu on top is essentially a fancy French toast. According to the server, this is Barbara Lynch's interpretation of a Lobster Roll, deconstructed.

Carnaroli Risotto
Summer Vegetables, Lobster Mushroom
2007 Nigl Gruner Veltliner "Privat"

Our next course was a total surprise, since it was not on the menu. The chef sent out an extra course. This deeply rich risotto had a wonderfully rich mushroom essence from the lobster mushrooms. The risotto had that perfect, chewy texture, and the vegetables tasted aromatic and sweet. Bryan was shocked to find out that this dish was completely vegetarian since it had such strong umami flavors.  Really really good.

Seared Fois Gras de Canard
Wild Maine Blueberries, Lemon, Basil
NV Velenosi Lacrima di Morro d'Alba, "Visciole"

Another New England twist, this seared fois gras is paired with Main blueberries, which, according to Bryan, "works surprisingly well." I don't usually like fois gras that much, but for some reason I really enjoyed this entree and actually ate the whole thing (usually I end up giving Bryan my fois gras). The fois gras was perfectly grilled and had a nice, seared crust. Bryan agreed that it was one of the best seared fois gras he has ever had (and that's saying a lot!).

St. Canut Farm's Porcelet
Green Tomato Jam, Fava Beans, Rapini
2008 Hirsch Estate Pinot Noir "Storyteller's Cuvee"

By this point I was starting regret eating all that bread in the beginning because I was really getting full! That extra risotto course (thought delicious) did not help the stomach-size problem. This dish was an interesting take on pork in three ways. I can't remember all three, but I think it was pork loin, pork belly, and tete de cochon (pig's head - we had something similar at the French Laundry). All three bites were delicious, and I liked how the rich pork contrasted with the bitter rapini. The slight tartness from the green tomato jam was also a great addition. It really made me want to try making tomato jam.

PT Farm's Strip Loin of Beef
Carrot, Langue de Boeuf, Sauce Perigueux

Although this beef was fine, it was not earth-shattering in anyway. The flavors were nice, but did not stand out as being particularly inventive or amazing. "Solidly prepared, but nothing extraordinary."

I was about to pop when the server rolled out the cheese cart. Of course, Bryan LOVES cheese and was still very game to keep on eating.  Our server did a fantastic job of describing all the different cheeses, and Bryan ended up picking the ones she seemed to rave about the most.

Hooligan - Connecticut
Nostrale di Elva - Piedmont, Italy
Chiviri - Extremadura, Spain
2007 Kracher Beeranauslese Cuvee

Excellent choices! My favorite was the Hooligan, which is great since it's kind of locally made. I also really liked the tangy chiviri, which was great on the little toasts that they gave us.

Oeufs a la Neige

Raspberry, Vanilla, Black Sesame, Mint

Espresso

We had a few lovely baby macarons in all different flavors. Bryan thought they were way too sweet, but then he doesn't even like macarons. I thought they were sweet too, and definitely nowhere as good as other ones I've had. I did think it was unique that they had a black sesame flavored macaron though. I mean, how often do you see that flavor?

We finally ended with a lovely chocolate dessert. Read the plate!

Chocolate Cake
Vanilla Glace, Cherry, Marcona Almond
2009 Marenco Brachetto d'Acqui "pineto"

This deeply rich chocolate cake was paired with a light, bright sparkling red wine - something I've never had before. The pairing worked surprisingly well, and I really enjoyed it. Even though I did not order the wine pairing, they were nice enough to give me a glass "just for a taste." In fact, they did this twice, also giving me a complimentary glass of wine with our "surprise" risotto course. It was great service on their part to invite me to try a few of these "tastes" at no cost.

After the meal, we had a chance to check out one of their cool private dining rooms called The Chef's Table. This room has a direct view into the kitchen. Isn't that SO COOL?? You can just stand there and watch them prepare food all night while enjoying your own dinner. Unfortunately, there's a $1500 minimum to reserve this room (it seats up to 12), but hey, you never know, sometimes restaurants will waive that fee if you call last minute.


Final Thoughts
We had a wonderful time at Menton and we both agreed that it sets a new standard for Boston. There's no question it's one of the nicest restaurants in Boston. It definitely reminds me a lot more of the restaurants in New York.

The service was definitely top notch. If my water glass was even a tad empty, someone would come straight away to refill it. Timing was impeccable. The moment after I finished the last bite of a dish, someone would come and whisk it away. At one point in the evening, a woman even came up to me and offered me a shawl because I looked cold. Now THAT's service!

Bryan thinks it still doesn't quite reach the level of the 3-star Michelin restaurants we've visited, but then, it's not priced that way either. Most of those restaurants are over $200/person, while Menton comes in right under $150. Considering how there are many subpar tasting menus in Boston that still cost over $100, Menton is (in a twisted way) almost a bargain when you consider the level of food, service, and ambiance you are enjoying.

I think it's funny how we've visited Barbara Lynch restaurants two anniversaries in a row. People are like, "what are you going to do for your tenth, fly Thomas Keller to your home so he can cook for you?" [update! - this is where we went]

Ha ha, I wish - as if we need to top ourselves every year. In truth, it doesn't really matter where I go for my next anniversary. I'm just as happy sitting at home and eating a simple home-cooked meal. As long as we're together, I don't care where we spend our next anniversary.

Happy Anniversary Bryan!

Menton
354 Congress St.
Boston, MA 02210


* yes, we're being nit-picky at this point, but if you are aiming to be world class restaurant, than all of a sudden you're under a pretty crazy standard

Fritillaria (chuan bei mu)

*Cough cough cough cough*

I have been battling an awful cough for the last 5 weeks. I haven't been this sick since the same thing happened to me 8 years ago. I get these violent coughing spasms that are so disruptive I usually have to leave the room so as not to freak out everyone. Worse yet, I think I bruised the intercostal muscles in my ribcage, which makes it pretty painful whenever I do cough.

So August has been sort of a drag. I can't exercise anymore (sorry boot camp!), and yet I know that the warm weather will be leaving soon. Such a bummer!

My mom heard of my plight and offered to send me some Chinese herbal medicine. Apparently she always makes this for my dad and it helps out with coughs. Well, I know from past experience that even Robitussin with codeine can't really stop my coughs, so I was curious about this ancient pear soup that people in China have been drinking for centuries.

So what the heck am I actually eating here?

Fritillaria (know as chuan bei in Chinese) is a bulbous  flowering plant often used in Chinese medicine to treat coughs or other lung conditions. According to traditional Chinese medicine, this compound is "cooling" and affects the "heart and lung meridians." It is typically used to moisten dry mucous membranes, loosen phlegm, and suppress coughing.

I know a lot of people in America are quite skeptical about Chinese medicine, and I still don't know exactly what I think either, so I thought I would at least investigate the science a little bit.

Research conducted in China has shown that compounds in fritillaria (including verticine, verticinone, imperialine and thymidine) help inhibit the contraction of bronchial smooth muscle and decrease mucus secretion. The unprocessed bulb is poisonous, although commercially available bulbs are usually processed.


verticinone

There have been no toxicities associated with oral administration of the medicine, although high IV doses have been associated with reduced blood pressure, slower heart rate, pupil dilation, and tremors. I've seen warnings that pregnant women and children should not take this either, but I am not certain of the reasons.

More recently, scientists have even synthesized analogs of these isosteroidal alkaloid compounds and have shown that they have even stronger antitusstive and expectorant properties.


Bottom line: It looks like there are definitely active compounds in this bulb that have been shown to have clinical effect on coughs, though at higher doses they might affect other things too. Overall it seems reasonably safe if taken orally in small doses, and it seems to work for my dad.

At this point I had been coughing for over 4 weeks so I was happy to try anything.

Epilogue (sort of, not really yet)
That was two days ago, and I've had two bowls of this stuff so far. My cough virtually disappeared yesterday afternoon (after having it for breakfast), but it came back with a vengeance right around 9PM. I had it again this morning and so far the cough has been suppressed. Only time will tell.

As for taste, this soup tastes good for a Chinese remedy. It tastes like a light, slightly sweet pear soup with tiny bits of barley in it. It's soothing for someone who's sick. The bulbs themselves are just slightly bitter, but the sweetness of the pear and the rock sugar really take most of that bitterness away.

Fritillaria Pear Soup 
~ 1 T fritillaria
Rock candy or honey to taste (optional)
1 Asian pear, sliced

Put the semi-crushed fritillaria "beads," rock sugar, and diced pear in a ceramic bowl. Fill up the bowl with hot water and steam for about 30-45 minutes, or until the pear is soft. Serve immediately.

Disclaimer
I am by no means a doctor (unless if you count juris doctors) and all of the information I discuss above was taken straight off of the internet. If you are seriously considering taking chuan bei mu (fritillaria) for your cough, definitely consult a medical professional. I have no idea if it interferes with other compounds (e.g., other cough medicines, alcohol, other medications, etc.). Personally I don't take Mucinex or Robitusson if I've had chuan bei mu, but then I tend to be a little paranoid/overly cautious about drug/drug interactions. :)

Summer Salad Lyonnaise ("Frisee" Aux Lardons)

I visited my local Farmers Market in Central Square the other day. Yes, yes, I know I belong to a CSA, and I really really don't need any more vegetables than the bounty that I get every week. But it was so hard to resist, and when I started walking along the stands and seeing such beautiful produce, I couldn't help myself. I ended up buying tons of stuff, including some beautiful tomatoes, amazing locally-made burrata, and some fresh corn.

The summer harvest is so bountiful right now.  This is really the perfect time to enjoy vegetables at the peak of their flavor.

Salade Lyonnaise (Frisee aux Lardons) is a traditional French bistro salad that consists of bacon, poached eggs, and bitter greens (usually frisee). I decided to take advantage of the bountiful summer vegetables that are in season  right now to create my own take on this delicious salad.

The basics are the same, but I've added some summer twists, such as fresh corn, basil infused tomatoes, and sliced avocados.

I was inspired to do this when Olivia's Organics contacted me and asked whether I would be interested in submitting a recipe to their Summer Harvest Recipe Contest. I'm a huge fan of fresh, leafy green vegetables, and I try to buy organic vegetables when I can.

I was really pleased to find out that Olivia's Organics is a local company based out of Chelsea, Massachusetts, that sells USDA certified organic salad mixes to the local area. They care about their community, and donate a portion of their proceeds to local children's charities. Furthermore, the plastic clamshell boxes in which the salad is sold are made out of 50% recycled plastic.

I happily agreed to try creating a recipe with Olivia's Organics salad. I started out with the traditional salade Lyonnaise ingredients and basically added all of Bryan's favorite ingredients to the salad. Maybe I should call this Salade Bryannaise, since he also loves bacon and runny eggs.

Salad Lyonnaise (with a summer twist) a.k.a Salade Bryannaise
Serves 4

Dressing

8 slices bacon

1 T chopped shallots

1 T red wine vinegar (or cider vinegar)

1 1/2 t dijon mustard

salt and pepper to taste

olive oil

Salad

1 large beefsteak tomato, sliced

Fresh basil, finely chopped
1 ripe avocado, sliced
4 eggs
1 package Olivia's Organics Herb Salad
homemade croutons
2-3 ears of corn (cooked in the microwave and kernels cut off)

Preparing the tomatoes

Place the slices on the plate and sprinkle kosher salt on top of each slice. Sprinkle each tomato with some chopped basil. Let sit for ~10 minutes to allow ample tomato flavor molecules to be released.

Making the Dressing  
Cook bacon over medium heat until crispy and most of the fat is rendered (about 10 minutes). Remove the bacon slices, place on paper towels, and set aside. Add shallots to the rendered bacon fat and saute for about 1 minute. Mix together red wine vinegar and dijon mustard in a separate container and then whisk this mixture into the bacon fat/shallot mixture in the pot. Add salt and pepper to taste. Toss the greens with the dressing and set aside

Poaching the Egg
Bring a pot of water just under boiling. Add about 1 T vinegar to the water mixture. Crack an egg and place it in a small cup. Gently slide the egg into the water and let it cook for 2-3 minutes (2 minutes for a pretty runny egg) . Remove immediately with a slotted spoon and gently place on top of the salad.

If you want to get a nicely shaped poached egg, you can slowly lower the rim of the cup into the hot water (letting some water into the cup). Keep the egg inside the cup for the first 30 second or so (until the whites start to turn opague), and then slowly pouring the rest of the egg into the hot water).

Assembly
Arrange the sliced tomatoes, sliced avocados, and corn around the bed of greens (which have already been dressed with the bacon, shallot, mustard vinaigrette). Crumble the bacon and sprinkle it on top of the greens. Top with croutons and sprinkle with a little bit of sea salt and freshly ground pepper. You can optionally add cheese as well, such as crumbled blue cheese or goat cheese.

Notes
A traditional salad Lyonnaise only has greens, the bacon vinaigrette, and the poached egg. You typically want greens that are a little bitter (like arugula, frisee, or dandelion greens). I found that Olivia's Organics Herb Salad mix worked best for this recipe because it includes a nice variety of bitter greens. You can be creative with the "additional ingredients" and there is no need to add all the same ones that I added. Be creative with what's available from your garden, what catches your eye at the farmers market, or what your spouse likes. During this season, things taste the best if they are in season and fresh, so feel free to experiment!

Make your own version of Salade Bryannaise. ;)

Enjoy!

Oh, I almost forgot! Remember to break open the egg and use the yolk to dress the greens.


Disclaimer
As a food blogger, time to time I receive products from vendors to try out, to review, etc. The Olivia's Organics Herb Salad was provided by Olivia's Organics as  part of their Summer Harvest Recipe Contest. The views expressed in the posts are completely my own.

Tiny Urban Tidbits #15

Hey All!

Hope you are having a wonderful Friday. I really should have done this two weeks ago but I just did not have a chance to get around to it. Tonight is the last official day of Restaurant Week, although some places (like Smith & Wollensky, I think), are extending it another week.

I've had mixed experiences during Restaurant Week, with most of them being sub-optimal. Nevertheless, I have compiled my reviews for restaurants participating in Restaurant Week below. The ones with an asterisk are actual reviews of a Restaurant Week meal.

I've had good Restaurant Week experiences at UpStairs on the Square (lunch) and Sorellina. Henrietta's Table was also decent because it's just stuff off their regular menu. I often find that lesser known restaurants or new restaurants will tend to work harder during Restaurant Week to attract new customers. I bet places like Bergamot (which is already an excellent restaurant, btw), will be a pretty good bet since it's relatively new and the head chef is still in the kitchen most days.

Bergamot

Personally, if I had to pick a place for tonight, I think I would pick Bergamot, Oishii Boston, Mamma Maria, or UpStairs on the Square. A person who is in the mood for seafood or meat might opt for a place like Oceanaire Seafood Room, Capital Grille, or Smith & Wollensky at Boston's Castle.

Of course, there are also great restaurants that not participating in Restaurant Week but have their own deals, such as Craigie on Main, Garden at the Cellar, and Ten Tables.

One of these days I think I will compile all the great dining deals around Boston. There are various great prix fixe menus at a lot of these restaurants that go on year round. No need to wait for Restaurant Week! I'll work on that kind of post sometime in the next two weeks!

A Selection of Restaurant Week Restaurants
Beacon Hill Bistro
Bergamot
Bina Osteria
Blue Room 
Capital Grille
EVOO Restaurant
Grafton Street Pub & Grill
Henrietta's Table**
KO Prime**
Legal Sea Foods (only Park Square & Copley are participating)
Mamma Maria
Mare
Market by Jean-Georges
Oceanaire Seafood Room
Oishii Boston
Rialto
Russell House Tavern
Sandrine's Bistro
Sel de la Terre (Natick)
Sel de la Terre (Back Bay)
Smith & Wollensky at Boston's Castle
Sorellina**
Tango Restaurant
Tapeo Restaurant & Tapas Bar
Taranta
Trattoria di Monica
Uni Sashimi Bar**
UpStairs on the Square

Convection Oven Roasted Potatoes

Those Thanksgiving weekend sales are dangerous.

Last Thanksgiving weekend we walked into Sears with the intention of checking out some appliances. Before we knew it, we had plopped down a couple thousand of dollars in exchange for a spanking new double door refrigerator and a convection microwave oven.

I hadn't even considered getting a convection oven. How quickly salespeople can change your mind.

Well, it's been over half a year since we got our appliances delivered, and I have to say, this tiny urban kitchen is loving her new appliances. After having suffered for years with 20+ year old appliances (that probably needed replacement parts like these), I was thrilled to have a microwave that could properly pop popcorn and a refrigerator that dispensed water!

I've been slow to adopt the convection oven capabilities of my microwave. Maybe I'm chicken, or maybe I'm just too lazy to learn. I have no other excuse for why it's taken me this long to learn how to make perfectly crispy roasted potatoes.

But alas, I've finally figured out a good recipe that makes potatoes that I love.

I used Yukon golds from my CSA farm share, which have fantastic potato flavor and are also waxier in texture. I love waxy potatoes, which could explain why I loved these potatoes even more.

Convection Oven Roasted Potatoes
Potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes
Vegetable oil
Herbs (e.g., rosemary)
Sea salt

Spread out the potatoes in a single layer on the convection microwave tray. Toss with olive oil to coat and season liberally with salt and herbs. Heat on convection mode at 450 °F for 35 minutes, or until the edges are crispy.

Serve!


Additional Resources
Looking for a new refrigerator? Come visit this website for more details.

Angela's Cafe

Who doesn't love a best kept secret?

Angela's Cafe seems like that at first glance. A small, family-owned restaurant in the middle of a residential neighborhood in East Boston, it's easy to miss while driving by. At the same time, how could you miss that bright and cheerful little building?

Looks can be deceiving, and this place is far from secret. Step inside and you'll immediate see the numerous awards and articles splashed all over the walls. It seems like every food writer out there has tried this place except for me. Do a quick search on Chowhound and over and over, people recommend "Angela's Cafe" as one of their favorite Mexican restaurants in Boston.

So finally . . finally . . a group of food-loving women and I decided to make the trek out to East Boston* (which, in retrospect, wasn't that far of a trek) to try this elusive place.

I loved it from the moment I stepped in. This family run restaurant is cozy, warm, and super inviting. The place is small, and really can't hold more than 20 people max. The waitress was super friendly and took the time to really explain all the dishes to us.

The complimentary homemade tortilla chips are served with two sauces, both of which are quite spicy. The green one is surprisingly the more spicy one, although both pack quite a kick! At one point one member of our party actually asked for a mild salsa because she was having trouble handling the heat!

Favoritos de Angela
Chicken Mole Gordita, Tinga Tostada, Taco Arabe, Ceviche Tostada, Taco Pastor, Rajas Poblanas, Verde Chorizo Gordita, and Nopales Tostada

We started out with a sampler of appetizers, which were all wonderful. I love small bites in general, but I was thrilled to see gorditas, which I love. The only other place in Boston I've ever had them is at Cantina La Mexicana (which I also love). Everything was made with really fresh ingredients and had wonderfully complex flavors.

Here they are, one by one.

Shrimp Ceviche Tostada
Crispy corn tortilla layered with srimp, re-fried pinto beans, shredded lettuce, sour cream, Mexican cheese, and a slice of avocado

Taco Al Pastor
Roasted pork with adobo sauce and diced fresh pineapple, served with onion and cilantro

Tinga Tostada

Shredded beef sauteéd with onions in a mild spicy chipotle sauce

Verde Chorizo Gordita
This was probably my favorite appetizer. I loved the spicy deep flavors of the chorizo, which worked so well with the cornmeal based gordita.

Guacamole
Ripe avocado dip served with tortilla chips.

I have to say that this guacamole was AMAZING . . . probably one of the best guacamoles I've ever had in my life. I loved how there were still clear chunks of avocados inside. This thicker, lumpier texture is achieved by using a coase mortar and pestle to make the guacamole. The ingredients are simple, yet this dish totally works. None of us could stop eating this one.

Here's a another picture- this was sooooo good.

Sopa Azteca
Crispy corn tortilla strips in a chicken tomato broth, slice of avocado and Mexican cheese.

I also loved this soup. The broth was very flavorful yet not heavy at all. The Mexican cheese reminded me of mozarella and worked perfectly with the other ingredients (avocados and tortilla strips) in the soup. I would definitely order this again if I came back.

Special: Chiles Rellenos and Pork with Mole Poblano de Angela
We ordered one of their specials, which allowed us to try their signature dish alongside another dish. The Mole Poblano de Angela is their signature dish, whose prize ingredient is mole poblano (pronounced mo-lay), a dark, earthy sauce made from a variety of dried chiles, nuts, and seeds with sweet chocolate cooked over a period of several days (I think the waitress told us FIVE days!). You top this deep, rich sauce over the meat of your choice (we chose pork). Chilies Rellenos are stuffed Poblano peppers with cheese, battered in egg lightly fried.

I thought the mole had an interesting deep complex flavor. I could definitely taste the chocolate, which was interesting. We all loved the Chiles Rellenos, which were filled with that same Mexican cheese that was in the soup. Unfortunately, the pork was a bit dry compared to the rich flavors of the sauce.

Pepian Verde
Sesame and/or pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, green tomatillo, and jalapeños, served with chicken breast or pork loin
This unique sauce was also flavorful with a slight kick, although again, the meat was a bit dry.

We started to notice a trend. The sauces that they make are really flavorful, wonderfully complex, and delicious, but for some reason the meat always seems to be quite well done and sort of dry. Maybe as a result of all the sous vide cooking I've been doing lately, I'm kind of spoiled when it comes to meat texture now!

Dishes come with a side of rice, which everyone agreed was really good. It was moist, fragrant, and reminded me a bit of rice that you would find in a Spanish paella.

The bread/tortillas are homemade, which are excellent.

We shared a flan for dessert, and even though we were all beyond stuffed, we really enjoyed it.


Overall Thoughts
This is a great little family restaurant with a lot of really good Mexican food. The dishes are made by Angela herself, who learned the traditional cuisine of the Puebla region from her mother. Angela had already been working as a professional chef for 50 years before she opened Angela's Cafe. That's a wealth of experience right there! The place is so warm and friendly - you really get that small-family-owned-restaurant feel. There was a birthday celebration at the next table and Angela herself came out (middle one in the photo above), armed with a cake and ready to sing.

We absolutely loved all of the "favoritos" (the appetizers in our sampler plate), and seriously, that guacamole is to die for.  My personal favorites were the guacamole, the gorditas, and the soup. Although the moles and the other sauces were delicious and had complex flavors, we were all a little disappointed by the texture of the meat, which in general we thought was a little overdone. If only I could buy the sauce and top it on my own sous vide meat at home, heh heh . . .

Nevertheless, don't let that stop you from coming here! Overall, the food is fantastic and there are so many worthy dishes to try. We're lucky we even have access to such good Puebla cuisine here in Boston. I would highly recommend making the trek out to East Boston to try this little gem!

*Note: I took the T on the blue line to Maverick station and got picked up by a friend who drove me the rest of the way. The restaurant is not more than a 5-minute drive from the T station. I think it's possible to walk from Maverick Station, but it's probably at least a 15-20 minute walk, if not more. If you drive, there is plenty of unrestricted parking in the surrounding neighborhood. 

Angela's Cafe
131 Lexington St
Boston, MA 02128