20 great comfort foods
December through March can be brutal in this town, which makes digging in to these soul-satisfying—and cheap!—dishes all the sweeter.
Il Meglio, $9, City Girl Café
The owners of this Inman Square spot wanted to remake Eggs Benedict. Their iteration, like everything at City Girl Café, is cozy and well-researched comfort food. Focaccia from Clear Flour Bread is topped with aioli, melted fontina cheese, prosciutto, two poached eggs and asparagus. The focaccia is crunchy with rosemary and salt (a tiny serrated knife arrives to help you cut it) and it’s a substantial base for the soft eggs and melted cheese. On the side, the roasted red potatoes are tangy, thickly dusted with herbs and perfectly seasoned. With a steaming hot apple cider mimosa, the Il Meglio could be the beginning of your perfect Sunday. 204 Hampshire St, Inman Square, Cambridge (617-864-2809, citygirlcafe.com)
Lobster Melt, $11, Bergamot
How do you top a lobster roll? A lobster melt. At Bergamot, slices of airy brioche are topped with sharp cheddar, scallions and fresh boiled lobster, then crisped in a pan with sizzling butter. The combination of golden toast and sharp melted cheese lends a comforting after-school-snack feeling to the New England taste of fresh, sweet lobster meat. Eat the lobster melt with a crisp German beer at the bustling, golden-hued bar. 118 Beacon St, Somerville (617-576-7700, bergamotrestaurant.com)
Anson Grits, Tasso Ham and Cheddar, $4, Hungry Mother
The grits at this elegant, understated Kendall Square spot come in a delicate enameled crock, but close your eyes and you just might feel you’re in a sawdust-floor joint eating barbecue off of wax paper. In South Carolina, Anson Mills specializes in heirloom grits that were all but extinct after the Civil War. In Cambridge, the folks at Hungry Mother cook them to creamy, grainy perfection. House-smoked, cayenne-peppery tasso ham—a specialty of the South Carolina lowcountry—comes on top. 233 Cardinal Medeiros Ave, Kendall Square, Cambridge (617-499-0090, hungrymothercambridge.com)
Sweet Corn Tamale, $7.75, Villa Mexico
Food at convenience stores rarely qualifies as food, much less real food, which is why the corn tamale at Villa Mexico is such a miracle. From behind a friendly, bedecked counter at a Charles MGH convenience store, Julie King serves milky-sweet tamales made with real sweet corn. The tamale platter is a plate with two of the hot, smooth tamales encased in cornhusks, alongside rice and beans, and a salsa of charred green peppers. Grab a seat at the only table; just be prepared to move if someone needs a container of motor oil next to you. As you jangle the door to leave, Julie calls, “Thank you, my friend,” which is about the time you start dreaming about your next gas station tamale. 296 Cambridge St, Beacon Hill, Boston (617-957-0725, villamexicocafe.com)
One pot meal, $10, Centre Street Café
Digging into a one-pot meal at the friendly wood-paneled Centre Street Café is like eating at your friend’s house in Jamaica Plain. The one-pot meals have a special section on a whimsical menu that jokingly lists fish fresh from Jamaica Pond. The meals themselves are creative takes on what some would call traditional vegetarian/hippie food. Veggies are sautéed but still crisp, finished with curry or coconut milk, and served over rice, noodles or potatoes. Two favorites are Mistress Margie’s Bombay Curry Stir-Fry, a stew laced with raisins and cumin served over basmati, and Sesame-Peanut Noodles, which are soft and deliciously chewy. If you can, snag the table by the window; it’s heated underneath, making it the perfect antidote to a dreary winter night. 669 Centre St, Jamaica Plain (617-524-9217, centrestcafe.com)
Comments
There are no comments