Local Eats: Tenoch Mexican

Where should we eat?  I get asked this question a LOT.  Rarely, however, do I get asked:  where do you eat most often?  And the answer is:  Tenoch Mexican in Medford Square.  I eat there at least once a week and my favorite is the Chicken Torta.  It's delicious, probably the best I've had.  I'm also a fan of the Fish Tacos.

I believe in supporting local restaurants on a regular basis and in telling everybody about them.  Tenoch is just around the corner from me, as are a lot of great local restaurants in this once dining wasteland.  They range from fancy to casual places like this that just serve consistently great food.  Typically there is a line out the door with lots of students from Tufts.  Over the next few months we'll be featuring more of these great local finds and hope to spread the word as quality food, including fine dining, moving to the suburbs seems to be a trend for 2018.  

Happy local eating everyone!  Bienvenido!

Tenoch Mexican
24 Riverside Avenue
Medford, MA  02155
Telephone:  781.391.2221

Socials:
@TenochMexican
@TheBostonFoodie

Temazcal In Burlington

We ventured out to Burlington recently which, as you may recall from previous posts, has become quite the dining mecca.  We visited Temazcal just across from Wayside Commons in a small office park.

We felt compelled to order the sangria since it seems most of our summer was spent consuming these at various locations throughout the city.  Here, they pack a punch.  White, Blush or Red Wine is mixed with Bacardi Limon, Raspberry Vodka, Crème de Peche, Sprite and fresh fruit.  A nice sangria and, as noted, a bit stronger than others we have sampled in the past few months.

Next up was the Lobster Guacamole.  This appetizer featured lobster, tomato, onion, cilantro, and serrano chile.  It was interesting in that one would think the delicate lobster flavor would get lost in the layers of other flavors.  It did not.  And there was plenty of lobster meat.

 

 

 

We also felt we should try the classic Mexican dish of street corn.  Here it's called Acapulco Street Corn, good but a little light on the cheese as compared to others we have sampled.

 

The Scallops Al Pastor, however, was spot on delicious. With sautéed sea scallop, grilled pineapple, kale, crispy plantain, and spicy citrus butter.   We thought the pineapple would be a bit too sweet but there are really only small bits of it in the dish and the plantains were excellent.

Grilled Skirt Steak Tampiquena:  rolled skirt steak, cheese enchilada, black beans, queso fresco, salsa roja, and Mexican rice.  This was packed with flavor.  The spices in the marinade were both subtle and compelling and the enchilada had that firm texture that is the signature of the bite.  Great all around.

For dessert this Mexican Brownie was standard fare, served warm with a dollop of vanilla ice cream.

The Fried Ice Cream was not exactly what we envisioned.  We were thinking more of a frozen-solid as-a-brick slab of ice cream actually fried long enough to form a crisp coating on the cornflake and coconut crust.  In reality, it was more like a pudding.  Still good but not quite what was expected.

All in all, the drinks were great and the fare traditional if you are in the area and looking for a casual spot for Mexican.

Temazcal Cantina
2 Wall Street
Burlington, MA  01803
Telephone:  781.272.9700

Socials:
@temazcalcantina
@TheBostonFoodie

Follow us for more mouth-watering pics, fun food events and adventures throughout New England.

Our food and drink was provided by Temazcal Cantina without any editorial consideration.  All opinions are our own.

Painted Burro: Food And Sound

It was an interesting invitation, or two invitations I should say.  A group of local food bloggers and writers were asked to dinner at The Painted Burro, a fairly new Mexican restaurant in Davis Square in the space formerly occupied by Gargoyle's and owned by the same people who operate Pizzeria Posto, just up the street.  We were there to enjoy dinner, of course, but also to pay specific attention to the noise level.  In coming months, sound-absorbing panels will be installed, after which we'll be invited back to experience the difference.

We were seated near to the very center of the dining room at a high-top table, not really my favorite as I never find them comfortable but that's just me.  The seating gave us a slight elevation over the crowd as we were served Nachos and Salsa that were just about as good as they get.  We sat for dinner at 8:00 p.m., the height of service and the place was filled with a young, energetic, fashionable crowd.  I had not been here before and read a few reviews in advance, none of which complained about the noise level.  It was loud but one did not have to scream to be heard by the person next to you and I rather liked the vibe of activity.   It's predecessor, Gargoyle's, was a regular haunt for me and it was quite the quiet spot, I always thought.   Painted Burro, however, has a completely different design.  Gone are the heavy velvet drapes and banquettes.  Everything here is a hard surface, which makes for noise.

I ordered the Mango Margarita:  Agavales Blanco, Combier, Lime and Mango.  Very refreshing and not overly sweet.

Other guests enjoyed the Burro Margarita Royale:  Kah Organic Blanco, Damiana Liqueur and Lime Juice.  This reportedly packed a greater punch and you are presented with the little bottle that the Kah comes in as a gift.  They loved them.

Guacamole "El Mero Mero" included Pork Belly and Roasted Grape Tomato.  This was excellent and a dish I would certainly order again,  great guacamole.  The din of the crowd had not subsided.  There was laughter and loud conversation all around us but, again, it did not bother me at all.

The Empanadas were excellent, some even commenting that they were the best that they've had.

My favorite appetizer was this "Cholo" Corn Cob smothered in Roasted Garlic Aioli, Cotija Cheese and Cayenne.  I only had one.  I wanted several.  The sweet corn with the cheesiness and garlic was a great combination of flavors.

My main was the Street Cart Chicken:  1/2 Giannone, Ochiote-Citrus Marinade, Fried Plantain and Tamarind Butter.  The chicken was soft and buttery with a nice, crisp skin.  A generous portion, again, excellent, rich flavors.

Others enjoyed Tacos such as the Pork Cochinita with Pineapple and Serrano Salsa with a Spicy Citrus Achiote.  I was offered the beans served as a side which passed my taste testing with flying colors.

For dessert we almost all opted for the Tres Leches, the traditional sweet ending to a Mexican meal.

For some additional input on restaurant and sound design I consulted with Jennifer Glickman of Glickman Design Studio, who has worked on several restaurant/cafe interior designs.  Here's what she had to say:  "It's not a matter of what makes a restaurant sound good rather than it being a question of what makes the food taste good. Dining is a theatrical experience, from taste to smell to performance to visuals. A well thought out restaurant design encompasses all of those elements in a creative way that supports the chef's artistic talents for that restaurant concept and allows the cuisine to shine. A restaurant with erroneous acoustics (or lighting, hvac zoning, layout, fill in additional design elements...) distracts the diner from the cuisine and focuses them on the problematic issues. In addition, no diner wants to pay $30-$50/plate when they have to yell to their dinner party sitting 2 feet away from them."  I think that pretty much sums up my attitude, as well.  It basically all comes down to the flavor.  As long as the service, atmosphere and ambiance do not detract from it I'm happy.  The showcase can be simple or elegant but the real star is always the food and this worked just fine for me.

The Painted Burro
219 Elm Street
Davis Square
Somerville, MA
Telephone:  617.776.0005