Tico

          I tried Tico the other night on a whim; it's been open for awhile and is one of Michael Schlow's newer restaurants (I used to love Radius). I'm not sure why I didn't make it in sooner.

 
          The atmosphere was not at all what I expected and at first I was disappointed. It felt more like a bar where you'd go out for drinks, and I was worried the food wouldn't be as good.  However, I was pleasantly surprised and ended up really enjoying my meal.

          The menu is a mix of tapas, tacos (two per order), and large plates. We ordered several of the tapas and tacos to share:

Fried Manchego Cheese with spicy pomegranate honey sauce

Sweet corn with smoked bacon, jalepenos, and thai basil

Serrano ham with guava jam and warm bread

Lobster taco with avocado

Spanish octopus with tangerines and pickled leeks

Shredded Cabbage Salad with Spicy Salsa Verde Vinaigrette and Crushed Almonds

Two Texture Beef taco with Morita Chiles

          I enjoyed all of the dishes but my favorites were the two texture beef taco and the octopus. I wasn't sure what both cuts of beef were, but one was definitely tongue which is my favorite kind of taco. Octopus is hard to get just right, and this was grilled perfectly with a great smokey flavor. I was surprised by the fried manchego (the menu didn't specify fried) but how can you go wrong with fried cheese??

          Tico is a fun spot to go out for a drink or for some tapas, the space is huge and wide open so it would also be great for a party or large group.

Taqueria El Amigo: The Best Kept Secret in Waltham (and maybe Boston!)

         This is a rare post without food pictures, but I loved this place so much I had to write about it and the pictures from my recent takeout just didn't do it justice.

         Tacos are one of my favorite thing, and I'm constantly on a quest to find the best and most authentic in Boston. Think the soft corn tortillas with meat, onion, cilantro, hot sauce, and some fresh lime squeezed on top. Aside from a couple of places in East Boston that do these really well, this is an area where Boston is surprisingly lacking.

         I moved to Waltham this past April, and expected to find a lot of places similar to East Boston. I asked just about everyone I knew for recommendations, but until recently was a little bit disappointed by the lack of good Mexican. Until last week, when a coworker who also lived in Waltham told me about Taqueria El Amigo. She said it was a tiny place, hidden in a mostly residential neighborhood. There were about six tables total, and she wasn't even sure there was a sign. But it was some of the best Mexican she'd had. I tried it that night.

        If I hadn't gotten the exact location from her, I would've missed it. The place is visible from a main road I'd been driving down daily, but the side street (Willow) did always appear to be completely residential. From the main road it does kind of look like a house, but there is a small sign. 

          On a Friday night they were packed, so the bf and I ordered takeout. I tried the four mini tacos and asked if I could mix and match. They told me I could do two and two, so I tried the beef cheek and pork carnitas. I also wanted like to try the beef tongue and al pastor, but after having tried the beef cheek, I can't imagine ordering anything else! The bf got a burrito and an order of chorizo nachos (of which I stole half). We both agreed it was some of the best Mexican in Boston.

          The tacos were traditionally done like the description above, with the addition of fresh avocado. I thought this was a great touch, and appreciated that the avocado was included since it's usually extra. The pork was good, but the beef cheek was outstanding - melt in your mouth tender, rich, and flavorful. The nachos were loaded with crumbled chorizo, lettuce, salsa, sour cream, cheese, and jalepenos.

          We barely managed to finish it all, and we were stuffed (all for about $20). This could easily become my go-to spot in Waltham, and I'm sure I'll be back soon. Check back for updates, as soon as I can get a table I'll include some pics!
 

Brunch at The Painted Burro

        I’ve been hearing tons of great things about the Painted Burro in Somerville lately, so I jumped at the chance to try their brunch with the Boston Brunchers last weekend. Dining with food bloggers = trying even more dishes, but I’m not sure I was prepared for just how much we were going to try!

          We started with several apps, and the group favorite by far was the fundido with house made chorizo. This was a skillet filled with melted Oaxaca, Chihuahua and Manchego cheeses, topped with spicy ground chorizo, and served with a side of warm tortillas. These went so quickly we ordered four (yes, four) for our group of nine to share!

          We also enjoyed the goat empanadas with spicy tomato salsa and pork belly guacamole (because isn’t everything better with pork belly??)

         I was so full after the appetizers; I wasn’t sure how I’d eat any of the four entrees I’d ordered to split with my fellow brunchers. I planned to at least taste everything, but it was all so good I ate almost my full share of each.

        We tried both the chicken and vegetable chilaquiles, which were similar but definitely had their own unique flavor. They both came with crispy tortilla strips and were topped with fried eggs, meat or veggies, and salsa. The chicken came with red salsa and was slightly spicy, while the vegetarian version came with green salsa and was the milder of the two. Both were delicious, but I preferred the chicken.

         Taking the advice of our server, we also tried the el montanero, a crunchy tortilla piled high with eggs, chorizo, fried plantains, rice, beans, and chicharron. I really enjoyed everything, but was glad we shared this because it was huge!

          The sunshine burrito with scrambled eggs, mushrooms, corn, and sweet peppers was slightly less adventurous than our other choices, but equally good. Often the basics are what demonstrate talent, and the Painted Burro’s burrito really drove this point home.

          For dessert we tried the scoops of the chocolate chipotle and coconut avocado ice cream, and corn popsicles. The chocolate definitely had a kick, and everything was so fresh you could actually taste pieces of coconut and corn.

          At the end of the meal our server brought over comment cards, and I honestly couldn’t think of anything constructive to offer. Everything I tried was delicious, the service outstanding, and I wouldn’t change anything! Thanks to The Painted Burro and Boston Brunchers for hosting such a great event!

*Although brunch was provided free of charge the opinions are my own.

Angela's Cafe

          Angela’s Café is a tiny authentic Mexican restaurant in East Boston with a mix of casual and higher end menu options. I recently had the chance to try it with some foodie friends, and we had a great experience sampling a good portion of the menu! We were impressed by both the food and service, and almost as impressed by the fact that Guy Fieri had visited recently (and signed his name on the wall)!

 

          We started with several appetizers including an order of guacamole and the Favoritos de Angela, a sampler including several types of tacos, tostadas, and gorditas. The guacamole was some of the best in Boston. I've eaten a lot of guacamole lately that seems to be overwhelmed by the non-essential ingredients like onions or lime juice. This had the perfect balance of flavors to complement rather than overwhelm the taste of fresh avocado.

         Next, I tried both the chicken and the sausage gorditas. Although the sausage was my favorite I loved the mole sauce on the chicken so much that I decided to order the chicken mole as my entree!

Chorizo

 

Chicken Mole

          Next, I tasted each of the three tostadas. The shrimp ceviche was my favorite; the shrimp was incredibly fresh and had a light citrus flavor. The tinga was also very good, I loved the combination of the marinated steak and the cotija (as an aside, I've seen many places charge extra for cotija. Angela's included generous servings on several dishes). I enjoyed trying the nopales (cactus), which I'd never had before, but it just wasn't my thing. It was an interesting texture, the outside similar to a pepper or green bean and the inside more like a cucumber.

Shrimp Ceviche

Nopales (Cactus)

Tinga (Beef)

            The two tacos (arabe and al pastor) were the last of the appetizers and probably my two favorites. The arabe was more like a fajita than taco, it was stuffed full of roast pork, onions, and chipotle sauce. It had a great flavor, and wasn’t too spicy. The tacos al pastor were some of the best I’ve had (and as one of my favorite dishes, I try this any place I see it). The pork was tender, juicy, and had just the enough pineapple so that it wasn't overly sweet. It was served traditionally in two corn tortillas, and topped with onion and cilantro.

Al Pastor

Arabe

          Just as I was finishing the apps, thinking I couldn’t possibly eat anymore, our server arrived with the entrees! I’m not sure how, but I rallied and managed to eat almost my entire plate of chicken mole. It was delicious and the mole sauce was unlike any I’ve had before. It included a mix of dried chiles, nuts, seeds, and sweet chocolate, and according to the menu was cooked over several days. The chocolate gave it a milder flavor so that it wasn't quite as bitter as other moles I’ve tried.









          Despite feeling full before my entrée arrived, I tasted three desserts: traditional flan, mango crepes with chocolate and caramel, and chocolate bread pudding. The flan was by far the group favorite, and some of us agreed the best flan we’ve ever had. The custard was the perfect texture, silky and creamy, and the caramel sauce went perfectly! The crepes were good, although the mango was a bit sweet for my taste. The chocolate, caramel, and coffee ice cream that came with it were less sweet and gave the dish some balance. The chocolate bread pudding was the least favorite, it was much too dense for bread pudding and although the texture was similar to a brownie or flourless cake it lacked the rich chocolaty flavor.

 

Flan

Crepe

 

Bread Pudding

          Overall the meal at Angela's was excellent. While there were a couple of dishes I probably wouldn't order again, I enjoyed almost everything I tried. The big winner for the night was definitely the flan, but I would go back for the tacos, chicken mole, and to try a number of entrees that looked great on the menu!

The Taco Truck

          After hearing about it on facebook and twitter for the past month or so, I spotted the taco truck in Copley Square the other day and decided to give it a try.

         At first I thought the prices were a little high, $4-$5 each, but then I realized that was the price for two tacos (about the same as the New Haven taco places and the authentic restaurants in East Boston). I was a little disappointed they wouldn’t let me order one each of chicken, barbacoa (beef), and carnitas (pork) but I went with the barbacoa and the carnitas and decided I would just have to go back for the chicken.

          While I was waiting for my tacos (they’re all cooked fresh to order) I read the takeout menu and side of the truck, and was surprised to learn that all of the meats are vegetarian fed with no antibiotics or hormones. This is impressive, given that the prices aren’t much higher than competitors who certainly don’t use the same quality ingredients or have the commitment to sustainability.

          When my tacos were ready I ate them right there while they were hot, and they were delicious. Both the carnitas and the barbacoa were cooked perfectly and very flavorful. The barbacoa, which was a little bit spicier, was my favorite.

Barbacoa

Carnitas

          This was a quick, cheap, and tasty meal and if I spot the truck again I will definitely try the chicken tacos (and possibly some of the other options). I’ve also heard they plan to open a brick and mortar location at some point, when they do I plan to check it out!

 

Ole

Ole is a Mexican restaurant in Inman Square that serves a mix of tapas and full dinners. The ingredients are all fresh and made from scratch, and menu is creative and includes twists on classic Mexican dishes. I tried it for the first time over the weekend and ordered several items off the tapas menu. One appetizer, four tapas, and two sides were more than enough for two to share and experience a good portion of the menu. 

We started with the guacamole, which was prepared tableside. The ingredients were simple: avocado, onions, tomatoes, cilantro, jalapeño, lime juice, salt, and once complete the guacamole tasted great. They seemed to use a little more lime juice than I’ve had at other places, and it really added to the flavor. The chips were also fresh, served warm, and not too oily.



The tapas and sides came next and included:
 

Sopes Ole: corn masa boats (like mini taco bowls) with black beans, plantains, braised pork, tomato salsa, cotija cheese, and pea tendrils. These were delicious and one of my favorites.

Tamal de mole negro: corn tamale stuffed with chicken, and topped with a black mole and pea tendrils. These were good, but I realized I’m not crazy about mole unless it’s mixed with another sauce (like BBQ).

Tacos de pescado: beer battered haddock in corn tortillas, topped with cabbage, cilantro pesto, spicy mayo, and black sesame seeds. These were another favorite, the fish was fried perfectly and I loved the flavor of the cilantro pesto.

Tacos al pastor: grilled marinated roast pork in corn tortillas, topped with orange pineapple salsa. This is one of my favorite Mexican dishes in general, and I ordered it whenever I see it on a menu. This was one of the better preparations I’ve tried.  

          Arroz Mexicana: this was described as baked rice with tomato sauce, onions, and garlic. I was expecting the rice to be creamy because of the sauce, but it was traditional Mexican rice cooked with just a little bit of sauce for flavor.

Frijoles churros: pinto beans simmered with bacon, poblanos, tomato, and pesto. These looked like Boston baked beans, and tasted great mixed in with the rice.

Each plate came with two pieces or portions big enough for two to share (and just have a taste). I enjoyed all of them, but my favorites were the two tacos and the sopes ole.  I would definitely like to go back and try some more tapas as well as the full dinner menu.