La Brasa

The girls and I have been on a roll these last few months with making reservations to visit the Somerville up-and-comers! First there was Sarma, followed by Bronwyn and now La Brasa! With excellent chefs at the helm offering unique dishes of varied cuisines, Boston's neighboring city is lucky to have them all. La Brasa itself draws on a wide influence - Mexican, Peruvian, Spanish, Chinese - a grand mixture of flavors from all over. 

{What we ate}

mexican fried rice with charred scallions, fava beans, radishes, cilantro

tacos de carnitas - slow roasted pork shoulder with salsa verde & chile de arbol

artisanal cheese with ginger-rhubarb chutney

a table-side cart delivers prime rib with cilantro chimichuri

smoked bone in pork milanese with mushy peas

swiss chard pie with colorado chile, coddled farm fresh egg, spanish ham & piperade

fried soft shell crab with arugula & cherries

that fried rice again. it was my favorite. tacos de carnitas were second.

la brasa fried chicken with escargot-brown butter viniagrette, parsley and fresh horseradish

butterscotch pudding with Rice Krispies

La Brasa

124 Broadway St

Somerville, MA 02145

Lunches | Downtown Boston

After working at the Schrafft's Building in Charlestown for nearly 7 years, I had the good fortune of transitioning to a project within my company that moved us to an office in Downtown Crossing. Working in the city is much more exciting than being on the outskirts for the lunch options alone. It has been over a year now, so sharing some of my favorite lunchtime eats is long overdue. (Additionally, a lot of my favorite spots are in Chinatown, which will come in a separate post.) 

Gene's Chinese Flatbread Cafe - 86 Bedford Street 

I always get the #4 - Hand Pulled Noodle ($6) and a Cumin Lamb Skewer ($1.50) with a green tea juice box. If I'm there early enough I'll grab a small table to watch the chefs "Biang Biang" noodle-making in action and the place fill up with regulars. These thick and wide noodles coated in garlic and chili paste, generously spiced with chili powder and accented with scallions and cilantro are jealousy inducing good. If you have not tried them yet, I guarantee you are looking at that photo, itching to slurp some up at this very moment. Eating here kind of feels like you are part of a secret lunch club. 

Gene Wu's hole-in-the-wall establishment is cash only and open from 11am - 4pm.

The Taco Truck

Yes, their tacos are excellent, but have you tried their Tortas? A torta is a toasted Mexican sandwich with white onions, pickled jalapenos, avocado crema and black bean spread. Pictured is the Carnitas Michoacan Torta ($6.50) which in addition to the above contains slow braised sweet pork and fresh cilantro. Mexican street food in the form of Tortas, for the win. 

Roxy's Gourmet Grilled Cheese 

One of the first food trucks to hit the streets of Boston and still one of the best. Their gourmet Grilled cheeses are classic comfort with a twist. On this day I enjoyed the Green Muenster Melt ($6) made with muenster cheese, applewood smoked bacon and guacamole, the Roasted Tomato Soup ($3) and a Blueberry Mint-ade ($3). 

Avery Provision - 571 Washington Street

They have plethora of lunch options here but the sushi counter for a Maki-Rito ($9.95) is where it's at. Spicy tuna, crunchy tempura flakes, crisp english cucumber and creamy avocado are wrapped tightly in sticky white rice and nori and instead of slicing up the roll, it is left whole to enjoy burrito style - a fun take on sushi. Of course, you could always stick to regular maki, though, they tend to be a splurge compared to the options next door in Chinatown. I like the Shrimp Tempura Roll ($11).

 Captain Marden's Seafood Truck
This phenomenal Crab Cake Sandwich is best enjoyed in the summer time when the Cod Squad truck is out and about. It comes on a lightly toasted bun with crisp lettuce, onions and tomatoes. On the side some equally amazing hand cut French fries and a scoop of zesty coleslaw. 

The lunch options in Downtown Crossing and the Financial District are endless, especially with the consistent presence of food trucks in Dewey Square, Government Center and Post Office Square. The City of Boston Food Truck schedule can be found here. 

Lone Star Taco Bar

From the crew who runs Deep Ellum comes an adjoining taco bar that goes by the name of Lone Star, where the Texas inspired vibe is casual with an understated hipness. Look for a single hanging star on the exterior and then settle into a vintage wooden booth under a giant mounted bison head, or pull up a stool at the custom zinc bar backed by an impressive stock of tequilas and mezcal. 

Margaritas like the smokey and spicy El Diabolo to the sweet and unsuspecting Chica Facile, shaken with aperol and orange bitters, are captivating. The tacos on housemade tortillas run the gamut from a crispy beer battered fish of the day to one that pairs grilled avocado with sweet corn relish and griddled queso, to heartier options like pork carnitas with salsa verde and Dallas spicy beef. Sides and starters to compliment the main attraction include a refreshing tuna ceviche, remarkable whole pickled jalapenos and grilled street corn bathed in a chili lime aioli dusted with cojita cheese. Lone Star is crushing it in Allston 7 days a week from 11am-1pm. Pay them a visit soon!

Lone Star Taco Bar

479 Cambridge Street

Allston, MA 02134

Zócalo Cocina Mexicana

Relocating from Brighton over a year ago, Zócalo has made a home in the former Stix Restaurant space on Stanhope Street, directly across from the Clarendon Street entrance of Back Bay Station.Serving contemporary Mexican cuisine in an atmosphere almost identical to that of its former predecessor; hard angled wood panels and large circular light fixtures define the space. I liked their blackboard specials done up in bold artistic writing and brightly colored chalk. 

The Award Winning Guacamole ($9.95) is prepared fresh to order, living up - in my opinion - to whatever awards it has been granted.Crispy corn Tortilla chips are served warm with a side of salsa. We went all out and ordered the non complimentary bowl of salsa as well, (the portion size compares to the guac bowl) the Salsa De Jalisico ($9.25) which is also prepared fresh to order with roasted chiles, roasted tomatoes, roasted tomatillos, garlic, onions and cilantro. I wished it had a little more heat to it, but otherwise it was a flavorful salsa with prevalent chunks of roasted green chiles. You would be wise though, to save yourself $9 and stick with the complimentary version.
My Mango Chilita ($10.95) cocktail made with Corzo Silver Tequila, mango puree, jalapeno syrup, and fresh lime was good but not remarkably strong or spicy. Plantains came alongside some of the entrees and they were fantastic! My friends Gretchen and Lisa both loved their entrees of Chile Rellenos ($19.95) - two roasted poblanos chiles; one stuffed with mixed Mexican cheeses, spinach, raisins and toasted almonds; the other with braised pork, served on a roasted tomato broth, with plantains and Mexican rice. The menu did look to offer some vegetarian options and DeMane was able to customize a vegan dish to her liking. The waiter was happy to accommodate her requests which is always nice to see. I was equally as impressed with my entrée choice of Carnitas ($20.95). The tender, flavorful braised pork adobo sat over a brilliantly paired mango-cucumber guacamole. Thick, fresh chunks of juicy mango and crisp cucumber smothered in more of that creamy, lust-worthy guacamole was excellent!A cold pico de gallo piled on top of the pork adobo rounded out the dish. Mexican rice and black beans accompanied, I especially enjoyed the presentation of the beans in a mini cast iron skillet.The reasonably priced entrees utilizing high quality, authentic ingredients proves Zócalo Cocina is a worthy choice for your next Mexican meal out in Boston!