My friend was in town this weekend so I seized the opportunity to check out a few restaurants on my never-ending list, and dragged him along
Saturday was his birthday and we had dinner at
Tu y Yo a Mexican Fonda ("inn") in Somerville. We were eager to tried deep-fried grasshoppers, chapulines,
as an appetizer but they weren't available. We did get a quesadilla with huitlacoche, a black fungus that grows on corn that was earthy and cheesy and good. In the section of their menu called Mom's Cuisine, items also list the Mama responsible for the recipe, a testament to authenticity and good home-cooking.
Next day was Superbowl Sunday and barbecue seemed fitting so we headed to
SoulFire in Allston. I dug the place, especially with the soul music that plays all the time to go with the overall feel. I am not qualified to judge great barbecue but I will say the cornbread was perfect. Sweet and buttery, and just enough crumbing going on.
Monday I was craving something curried so we went to
Rani, an Indian restaurant in Coolidge Corner. I got 'Mirchi Ka Salan' which my server warned wasn't vegetables, just the chili sauce. The bowl that arrived had a soupy mustard-yellow sauce with tiny peppers (Thai chiles?) and two soggy jalapenos lurking under the surface mischievously. It was served with basmati rice and daal to make it a real meal.
Overall a good sampling and hopefully a break for him and the chain restaurants he's used to in suburbia.
