Ole Mexican Grill

If you are craving some delicious, authentic Mexican food, but want a sit-down, up-scale atmosphere to enjoy it in, then Ole is your place.  Colorful, vibrant environment coupled with excellent food is the perfect recipe for a fantastic restaurant to add to your rotation.

An even bigger plus is that Ole rarely has a long wait and has a large parking lot, making it not only a tasty place to eat, but a convenient one as well.  Granted I went on a Tuesday, so it wasn’t surprising that there was no wait.  But after talking with the staff (and several of my friends who go regularly), the consensus is that the wait time is always very minimal.

Food

You must, without a doubt, order the Guacamole En Molcajete.  It’s under the starters section of the menu, and the only trouble with it is you may eat too much and be full for your entrees.  It’s guacamole made tableside, so it’s literally as fresh as it can possibly be.  It’s one of the most popular items on the menu, and with good reason.

As far as entrees go, I highly recommend the Arrachera.  On the menu it’s simply described as grilled skirt steak with frijoles, but it’s much more than that.  It’s a large amount of tender steak, seasoned perfectly.  Served alongside rice, beans, corns tortillas, and spicy sauces, you may not be sure of the best way to go about eating it.  However whatever way you choose (polite with a fork and knife or all out with your hands) it’s going to taste fantastic.

Last but not least is of course dessert.  Now in all fairness, I feel like I should be honest and tell all you readers that I received dessert for free because it was my friend’s birthday.  I would love to say that I was in no way affected by this; however we all know if it’s free it just tastes better.  That being said, the Crepas de Cajetas were fantastic.  Sweet enough to satisfy you after a big meal, but light enough to not leave you feeling overly stuffed.  They are a great choice to split if you just want a little something sweet after a filling meal.

Rating:

4 out of 4 forks

Typically if you go out for a meal where you order an appetizer, entrees, dessert and drinks you are looking at a seriously steep bill.  I think my favorite part of the meal was when I received the bill at the end of the night and it was shockingly low.  If I had known how cheap it was going to be, I might have ordered another pitcher of Sangria! 

Speaking of the Sangria, I highly recommend it as a nice, light alternative to the typical Margarita people tend to get at Mexican restaurants.  The perfect blend of wine, brandy and fruit like traditional Sangria should be, get a pitcher (or two) to share as a great additional to a sure-to-be amazing meal.

Naked Pizza

Naked Pizza is a chain with restaurants all over the US.  Recently a location opened in Brighton (and there is another in Brookline).  I’ve never heard of it before I passed it on my way home from work one day, but they now have another loyal customer.  After convincing my coworkers to order it for lunch one day, I’m sure they will be receiving business from us again.

Naked pizza’s whole cache is that you should “think before you bite” and only put healthy foods in your body, but that doesn’t mean those foods can’t be delicious.  It’s the epitome of healthy food that doesn’t taste like diet food.  They have plenty of options no matter what your diet is: gluten free, vegetarian, etc.  So anyone that gives it a shot I’m sure will be able to find something that they want to order.

Food

You begin the ordering process by picking a size: 10, 12 or 14 inch personal pies.  I got the 10 inch, but the next time I would get the 12 inch because I was still a little hungry when I was finished.  Then you pick a crust: the original, skinny or gluten-free.  I went with the skinny which was just as delicious as the original, just with fewer calories.  Your next option is tomato sauce, white sauce or barbecue sauce.  I had the tomato sauce and thought it was excellent.  After that you can either choose your toppings individually or go with one of their pre-selected pizzas.

I had bell peppers, spinach, tomatoes and mushrooms.  I was a little disappointed upon seeing it, because it was a variety of red, yellow and green peppers because I thought it was just going to be green peppers.  However it was delicious and the variety of peppers added some depth and range to the flavor of the pizza.

My coworker had the pre-selected “Mediterranean” pizza (artichoke, sun-dried tomato, red onion, black olive and feta cheese).  She liked it so much that she ate half of it before I got the chance to take a picture of her pizza!  I didn’t get a chance to try it, for fear of her biting my hand for getting in between her and her pizza, but she definitely recommended it.

Complaints

It would be the perfect place to go out to for lunch to get a break in the day, except that there isn’t much seating in the actual location.  This is frustrating if you want to sit there and eat your pizza while it’s hot (and most tasty).  Your options are unfortunately limited to delivery or pick up unless it happens to be empty in there and you score one of the few seats available to patrons.

It’s actually pretty important that you eat it when it’s hot because of the cheese.  While lower fat cheeses may be healthier for you, they don’t taste very good when cold.  So if you get Naked Pizza, try to eat it right away if you want to have it when it tastes best.

My third complaint is that the vegetable choices are surprisingly limited.  While it’s great they have unique choices like jalapenos, black beans and sundried tomatoes.  I was disappointed to see they didn’t have some of my usual toppings, like broccoli, sautéed onion, or eggplant.  If they can just increase the vegetable options I would have given is another “0.5 fork” higher ranking.

Rating:

 2.5 out of 4 forks

Overall I was really happy with my experience at Naked Pizza.  It’s great to have healthy options that are different than the usual salad bar choices.  I would definitely return to try other types of pizza, as long as I planned ahead to take it back to my apartment since I knew I wouldn’t likely be eating there.  While it might not be as delicious as other take out or delivery places, it’s definitely better for my waist-line, which is well worth it!

Highland Kitchen

Highland Kitchen is the type of place I would recommend to a friend for pretty much any occasion.  The atmosphere makes it great for a date, for a celebration, or just with a group of friends for a good meal.  However I would suggest you go during a weekday.  Monday through Thursday you get seated quickly, if there is any wait at all, and you get plenty of attention from the staff.  On the weekends the staff is still good, but since they don’t take reservations on Fridays or Saturdays you could be waiting up to an hour since it’s a small restaurant.

Every night Highland Kitchen is open from 5:00PM to 11:00PM, serving upscale southern comfort food with a unique twist.  (Think veal in the meatloaf and goat in the curry stew.)  Since they are only open until 11:00PM I would say this is a great place to start the night, but maybe not end it.  Fortunately since it’s in Somerville you have plenty of options if you want another bar for post-dinner drinks!

Food

Check if the fried chicken is a special when you go.  I think it would be a mistake to go to a place like Highland Kitchen and not at least try it.  I mean, nothing is more southern comfort than fried chicken and they definitely do it right!  It is a massive portion, served with mashed potatoes and gravy, a biscuit, and collard greens.  The greens were ok, but the biscuit and potatoes were the perfect sides and the fat kid in me rejoiced at them.

I definitely recommend the blacked catfish po’ boy sandwich to any seafood fans visiting this establishment.  It’s a good size, without being huge, comes with a side of either a salad or fries (my friend went with a salad, but that’s the dealers choice), and is absolutely delicious.  The fish is cooked to perfection, the remoulade is creamy, and the french bread is thick with a crunch.  Even better for those of you on a budget like myself, it’s only $9.95.

The apple pie a la mode was the perfect way to end the meal.  Nothing is more American than a piece of hot, crispy apple pie with cold, smooth vanilla ice cream.  There are more creative desserts on the menu, but this one is delicious in its simplicity.

Complaints

I try to eat vegetarian twice a week, and when you review restaurants that can sometimes be challenging.  I’m always pleased when restaurants have other, more creative, vegetarian-friendly options on the menu aside from soups or salads.  Unfortunately I wasn’t impressed with Highland Kitchens choices.  They only had one choice on the sandwiches menu (a black bean veggie burger) and one choice on the main courses menu (grilled vegetable kabobs).  So if you are a non-animal eater I would say to stay away.

My other problem with Highland Kitchen is that they have a small menu in general.  I typically enjoy eclectic dishes, and am a pretty adventurous eater.  So since I am open to trying new foods, small menus don’t bother me too much.  However if I was dining with a picky eater I wouldn’t bring them to Highland Kitchen.  With small menus, you can run into trouble if most of your dishes are unique, which theirs are.  I can think of a few friends that wouldn’t have easily found something they wanted to try on the menu.

Rating:

With incredibly reasonably priced meals, a very friendly and knowledgeable staff, and a fun environment I was a fan of Highland Kitchen.  While I don’t think it’s necessarily for everyone, if you like southern foods then I definitely think you should check it out!  It’s a nice change of pace in a city full of chains.  So if you want an affordable meal, but with a better environment and better ingredients, then add Highland Kitchen to your list of places to try.

3 out of 4 forks

Fajitas and ‘Ritas

Hidden on West Street by the Boston Common, “Fajitas and ‘Ritas” has long been a favorite of the college crowd.  However it’s not just for those matriculating in Boston.  With their cheap prices, fun atmosphere and variety of Mexican food it’s a winner for anyone looking to get something to eat before hitting the bars on a weekend night.

The tables have rolls of paper towels already on them for the mess you will inevitably make.  So I don’t recommend this as a date restaurant, at least not a first date restaurant.  You also receive a basket of fresh chips and salsa from the moment you sit down, which is never a bad thing.  Once perusing the menu you don’t have to worry about shouting your order to the wait staff because you just check off what you want on the additional paper menu they give you.   This place is loud, colorful, fun and delicious.

Food
While there are many choices on the menu, it would be a mistake to at least not try the fajitas.  You can order them steak, chicken, vegetable, shrimp, scallop or a combination of any of those options.  They come fast and hot, served with guacamole, pico de gallo, sour cream and flour tortillas.  From there you pick how many people it’s for.  So if you and another person are ordering the same thing, make sure you sit next to each other because both orders will come out on one sizzling skillet.

Aside from sharing the dishes, you should also look into sharing pitchers of margaritas with your co-dinners.  I’ve been to “Fajitas and ‘Ritas” a few times, and I’ve never had anything to drink except the margaritas because they are fantastic.  My suggestion is to get one mango and one raspberry (my favorites) and half a glass of half of each.   You can also order original, strawberry, or one of their nightly special flavors.  About $5.00 for a glass and $13.00 for a pitcher it’s a (tasty) steal.

If you are like my friends and I, you sometimes want to make small adjustments to the dishes but feel bad asking to do so.  The way you order nachos at “Fajitas and ‘Ritas” eliminates that problem.  You start with a platter of chips and cheese, and then just build from there, adding whatever you want for set prices.  We went with chili, refried beans, guacamole, sour cream, tomatoes, salsa and jalapenos.  But you can also add extra cheese, cucumbers, steak, black olives, or a variety of other toppings.

Complaints

One of the reasons we came here was because a friend of mine has a gluten allergy.  Typically she does well with Mexican restaurants because of the corn tortillas, chips and rice.  However, they unfortunately didn’t have corn tortillas, only flour.  This lead to much fewer options for her to chose from.  Eventually she decided on the Tequila Wings, which weren’t terrible but weren’t great.  They were relatively bland and dry. Not bad enough to send back, but not good enough to order again.  So if you are also Gluten-free, this probably isn’t the best place for you.

For a large restaurant, the wait time always seems like it’s much longer than it should be.  This is partially because they don’t take reservations for small groups of people (yet another reason to go with a big group).  If there is only a few of you going I suggest not being too hungry because it’s going to take a frustratingly long time.

If there was a decent bar space to sit at and have a drink while waiting, it wouldn’t be such an issue.  Unfortunately the bar area is miniscule, and typically packed with plenty of other people waiting just like yourself.  The bar tenders are pretty good about getting you a drink right away, but there isn’t much room to sit.  So if you want to order an appetizer you’re pretty much out of luck.

Rating

3 out of 4 forks

I am a big fan of “Fajitas and ‘Ritas” for their food, atmosphere, and especially their prices.  I’ve been a few times and I’ll definitely be back.  What their menu lacks in depth they make up for in quality.  Definitely check it out if you have a group of friends that don’t mind waiting, sharing, or drinking margaritas.

Oleana

If you want upscale and unique cuisine, Oleana is an excellent choice.  Just be absolutely sure to make reservations, no matter what night of the week it is, otherwise the wait will usually be at least an hour.  Oleana is small with a very intimate atmosphere, great choice for a date if you really want to impress.  While you won’t be disappointed in the food, be prepared to drop some serious money if you go for dinner and want the whole experience (appetizers, entrees, wine, dessert).  Oleana can be found at 134 Hampshire Street in Cambridge, they have a very small parking lot across the street for patrons who choose to drive.

Food

I typically wouldn’t order whipped feta as an appetizer, especially on a menu with so many unique and fascinating options.  However, my co-diner suggested it and I was thrilled that I listened.  It was incredible.  Whipped perfectly so that the texture was more of a creamy hummus as opposed to the texture of a cheese, the sweet and hot peppers it was combined with gave it the perfect kick, and it was a wonderful way to start the meal.  If you want a light starter that will definitely please everyone at the table, I suggest going this route.  While it’s seemingly “safe” it’s tasty enough to impress even the most adventurous food snobs.

Frequently I’ll order fish when I’m at upscale restaurants because they tend to be the star of the show.  However at Oleana it’s clear they are more focused on meat when you take a look at their menu.  If you eat lamb, I highly recommend the Azuluna Lamb with Turkish Spices.  It was seasoned just enough to make it spicy without overwhelming the flavor of the lamb itself.  The greek yogurt it was served with was the perfect cool and creamy side to counter the flavor and texture of the lamb.

At many restaurants of this caliber the wine menu is usually intimidating, expensive and difficult to navigate unless you are a wine connoisseur.  However at Oleana they have an incredible selection of whites, reds, and champagnes (broken down into those categories) for any price range.  What’s even more impressive is the fact that they have wine by the glass, the bottle and by the half bottle which is a nice, albeit rare, option.  If you want a red that isn’t too full-bodied (or too expensive) then I suggest going for the Syrah (Grenache, Domaine Chaume-Arnaud, Cotes du Rhone, France) for a great compliment to meat dishes.

Like I said before, the food is definitely expensive.  It also always has a wait unless you make reservations.  While these things are not an issue if you know about them ahead of time, the first time I went to Oleana I didn’t stay because I didn’t want to wait an hour.  Just know what you are getting into if you decide to go!

Rating

3 out of 4 forks.

For those of you with adventurous tastes, and don’t mind splurging on a more expensive meal, Oleana is definitely worth trying.  Ask about the specials because they change every night, order a bunch of appetizers and eat dinner tapas style, or pick one of their impressive entrees to enjoy for dinner.  This is definitely not the type of place you go on a weekly basis, but it’s great if you want to go somewhere off the beaten track when you’re in the mood for unique food.

East Coast Grill & Raw Bar

The first thing you notice when you walk into East Coast Grill at 1271 Cambridge St. (in Cambridge) is the atmosphere.  It’s young, vibrant, loud and fun.  There are crazy decorations all over the place and it instantly puts you in a good mood.  But as great as the atmosphere is, once you look at the menu you know people come for the food.  The wait staff is friendly and they know their stuff, so feel free to ask away.  This is a restaurant meant for hearty eaters, so if you’re on a diet or are a vegetarian I suggest you stay away because there are very few options for you.  Otherwise, enjoy!

Food

If you don’t listen to anything else I have to say in this review, then at least listen to this.  Order the Prince Edward Island Mussels from the appetizer section.  Do it.  I’m serious.  Order them.  Have them as an appetizer; eat them as your entrée.  Hell, order them as your dessert!  It doesn’t matter, just get them.  Trust me on this.  They are absolutely amazing.  They are steamed in a sauce of coconut milk, chilies and lime, and they will blow you away.  Make sure you order bread to go along with them, because you’re going to want something to dip into the sauce once the mussels are gone.

If you’re looking for a drink to enjoy with your meal, I suggest you check out the margaritas.  While there are plenty of wines that would accompany anything you order quite well, East Coast Grill is known for their margaritas, and with good reason.  Whether you go for a Martin’s, a House, the Real Deal, or a Raspberry (my favorite) margarita, it doesn’t matter, you’ll be glad you did.

Lastly check out the specials.  Every day they offer something new and creative you won’t find on the regular menu.  The dish pictured below is the “Portuguese Style Seafood Stew.”  It’s a combination of some of the best things already offered on the menu like the shrimp, scallops, crab, fried fish, and more mussels in yet another amazing sauce.  Order a piece of corn bread or sweet mashed potatoes on the side to pair some BBQ influence with a seafood dish.

 Complaints

When you first sit down you are greeted with a bowl of the E.C.G. Pickle Mix.  At first I was thrilled because I love pickles (if you read my post about the New England Soup Factory you would know this).  However I was really disappointed.  I assumed since it was called a “mix” there would be a mix of flavors, but they were all sweet.  It was just a mix of vegetables that were pickled; cucumbers, carrots, peppers.  Hopefully in the future they’ll add kosher dill or something else for variety!

I unfortunately wasn’t in love with my entrée either.  In all fairness it may have been because it came after the PEI Mussels and it paled in comparison.  I had the fried cod (it was a special) and it just wasn’t anything exceptional.  It was much too plain of a dish and needed a ton of lemon to give it flavor.  Additionally the fried swordfish in the Seafood Stew was way too buttery and also didn’t have great flavor.  In the future I would definitely go for one of the BBQ options as an entrée instead.

Rating

3 out of 4 forks.

If you want a fun, lively meal with friends then this is a great option.  The menu isn’t very deep, but most of what they do offer is delicious.  East Coast Grill is meant for seafood and BBQ lovers, if you don’t fall into either of those categories you may have a hard time finding something to order.  But a trip to Cambridge is worth it for the mussels alone and you can’t go wrong with one of their many excellent margaritas.  And who doesn’t love a margarita?

Grotto Restaurant

Grotto is without a doubt one of Boston best hidden gems.  Located underground on 37 Bowdoin Street in Beacon Hill, it seats barely 50 people.  But because it’s such a well kept secret, reservations are never hard to get.  It has a vibrant and intimate setting, perfect for a date or dinner with a group of friends.  No matter the occasion, Grotto is one of the best Italian restaurants in the city.

 My favorite part of Grotto is the fact that it’s a prix fixe menu, every night of the week.  It’s $34.00 per person, and includes a primi, a secondi, and a dolce!  (That’s an appetizer, an entrée, and a dessert for you non-Italian speakers out there.)  So not only is it a great dinner, but it’s an absolutely steal as well.

Food

Picking what you want for your appetizer, entrée and dessert is not easy with all of the delicious sounding options.  However a few stood out above the rest.  The fontina cheese fondue appetizer was a unique appearance on an otherwise traditional menu.  It’s served with beef tenderloin to dip into the cheese, and it’s incredible.  The aged balsamic and truffle oil added the perfect additional flavor.  If it were socially acceptable to eat melted cheese with a spoon that’s exactly what I would have been doing.

My favorite entrée was the potato gnocchi with short ribs, mushrooms and gorgonzola.  While the gnocchi was homemade and excellent, the short ribs were truly the star of this dish.  They were so tender they essentially melted in your mouth.  Despite how (uncomfortably) full I was, I still managed to finish every bit of the meat.

All of the desserts were excellent, but for me the melting chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream really stood out.  They took a classic dessert and made it extra indulgent.  The cake was rich and “melting” was the best adjective for it.  It was the perfect end to a wonderful meal.

Runner up’s for favorite primi, secondi and dolce are the mussels, the grilled beef tenderloin and the banana bread pudding respectively.

Complaints

My biggest complaint about Grotto is there are too many delicious options and too much food to finish!  No, in all seriousness, it is an excellent restaurant.  My (very small) problem with it is that there is no parking in the area, unless you get very lucky, and there is no valet.  If you can walk, take the T or a cab, I suggest you do so.

Additionally they are open from lunch between 11:30 AM and 3:00 PM and then for dinner from 5:00 PM and 10:00 PM.  Just something to keep in mind if you are in the area from 3:00 to 5:00, you’re out of luck.

Rating

4 out of 4 forks.

Incredible food, great atmosphere, attentive service, reasonably priced.  I will certainly be going back and I recommend you do the same!  Grotto has become my new go-to restaurant to take friends when they visit!

American Craft

Located in Brookline, this upscale yet casual pub has a lot going for it, on paper.  It has a ton of seating room, a fantastic outdoor patio, and is pretty crowded any night of the week.  Their restaurant saying is “Eat good food, drink better beer,” and I found that to be half true.  If you are interested in checking them out online first, you’re unfortunately out of luck since their full website isn’t up yet, and their fall menu has yet to replace their summer one online.

Food

The best thing American Craft has going for it is its impressive list of beers.  As the name suggests they are all American beers, and they have something for everyone’s taste.  No matter what you like; (American-made) Belgians, IPA’s, beers with high alcohol content, you name it, they have it!  If you want to go and try some new beers that you can’t get at most bars, then this restaurant is a great choice.

The seared scallops were prepared beautifully.  They have just enough seasoning that the scallop taste wasn’t overwhelmed, and they were cooked perfectly.  This is a great dish to order for lunch or dinner that you would never expect to be able to get at a pub type restaurant.  I was pleasantly surprised with this dish and would definitely order it again.

As with most bars, many of the options (sandwiches, burgers, etc…) come with an order of fries or a side salad.  I definitely recommend that at least one person at the table order the fries.  The amount of fries they give you on one plate is easily enough for four people, and they are excellent.  Skin on, large cut, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, they are delicious.  I suggest adding a bit of salt (they are a bit light with the seasoning) and you are set!

Complaints

I waitressed from the time I was 16 until I was 23, so I know a thing or two about the service industry.  I also can pick up on when a server is having a bad night, and I will typically still give them a good tip because I understand.  However the server I had at American Craft simply didn’t care.  He didn’t smile, didn’t bother asking us how we were doing, and was terribly slow on everything from water refills to asking us how our food was to bringing the check.  I’m willing to cut a lot of slack on servers, but this one made me question whether he was aware that he was working for tips, and it really put a damper on my overall experience.

Aside from the service I was really disappointed with my meal personally.  I had the grilled swordfish, that’s all it was.  It was an extremely dry and flavorless piece of fish.  Considering it was an $18 meal I was pretty unhappy.  Additionally the burger that my co-diner ordered was simply OK.  Considering that 1/6^th of their menu are their burger selections, I had higher expectations.

Rating

2 out of 4 forks

American Craft has great potential with a prime location and an excellent beer selection.  However there is certainly room for improvement.  While perfect for meeting friends or coworkers for a post-work drink and appetizers, I would go somewhere else for a date or a full meal.

New England Soup Factory

Now that the weather is turning chilly, the wind is kicking up, and rain is more common, I’ve started to crave hot comfort food.  There aren’t many meals as soul satisfying and body warming as a bowl of thick and hearty soup.  If you are anything like me, then you need to check out the New England Soup Factory, located in both Brookline (2-4 Brookline Place) and Newton (244 Needham Street).  Their motto is “Feed Your Body Well,” and they aren’t kidding.

Food

Every day the New England Soup Factory has Chicken Vegetable, Chili Con Carne, Clam and Corn Chowder, Lobster Newbury, Beef Stew and Chicken Pot Pie on the menu, with four additional rotating soups (from 150 varieties!).  All the soups come with rolls, perfect for sopping up whatever you can’t get at with a spoon.  Aside from soups they have plenty of gourmet sandwiches, salads, delicious homemade baked goods, and my absolute favorite: giant barrel pickles!

As far as soups go, I’d recommend the Chicken Pot Pie Soup.  For those who don’t believe that soup is a real meal, I dare you to eat this and not change your mind.  It’s thick and full of chunks of chicken, potatoes, carrots, and all other traditional pot pie ingredients.  But best of all there is a delicious biscuit on the bottom and on the top that really adds to the meal, and fills you up.

For those days where you’re feeling under the weather, there’s no cure quite like the chicken vegetable soup.  Add matzoh balls (or noodles) to it, and your cold is as good as gone!  Bring this home in a quart or gallon size and you are sure to please the whole family.

If you try the soups and love them (which you will), and want to attempt at making them at home, you’re in luck!  The New England Soup Factory sells a cook book full of all the soups they sell!  Chef Marjorie put her most requested and favorite recipes in a book that is easy to follow and perfect for the budding chef.

Complaints

If you want a basic soup for cheap, then this isn’t your place.  There is great variety and high quality ingredients, but you definitely pay for it.  Matzoh balls are $1.50 each to add to a soup, and the soup prices range from $4.75 to $5.50 for a bowl and $37.95 to $52.95 for a gallon depending on the type of soup you get.

My other problem with the New England Soup Factory is the inside is clearly for take-out.  It’s small and gets packed around dinner time.  So either be prepared to weight or try and get there at an “off” time.  Additionally, it could really benefit from an expansion or at least a major facelift.

Lastly, I highly recommend you sample the soups before you order.  Since they are made from scratch, they are typically excellent.  However, the soups are sometimes extremely over–salted.  While everyone loves salt, and have no problem with drinking some extra water to combat the sodium, I suggest sampling before you buy to avoid being unhappy with the dehydration that may accompany your meal.

Rating

3.5 out of 4 forks

Perfect for a cold fall or winter night, the New England Soup Factory has enough variety to satisfy any group.  Get there early to avoid lines and bring it home for an easy and delicious meal.

Esperia Grill & Rotisserie

Esperia is an authentic Greek “kouzina” (cuisine) restaurant located right in Brighton Circle, 334 Washington Street.  It is family run, so you’re always sure to get great service as everyone takes personal pride in dishing up an excellent meal.  The menu provides plenty of classic, traditional Greek dishes along with pizza, subs, paninis and calzones.  Esperia is available for sit down, take out, delivery and catering.

Esperia has a small parking lot it shares with the Dunkin Donuts next door, which is somewhat shocking for a place this small.  While parking in never particularly challenging Brighton, it’s great to know you’ll be able to find a spot for free when you go.

Food

Esperia’s menu has plenty of options, but I recommend sticking to the customary Greek dishes.  Definitely start with either the Tzatziki or the Humus.  If you’re fewer than four people, go with the small.  The portions are massive, which is a huge plus in my book.  The humus had a lovely creamy texture; I just wish it had a bit more flavor.  But the pita that was served with it was spot on; warm, delicious and plenty of it!  The tzatziki, however, was perfect.  It was the right blend of yogurt, cucumbers, garlic, herbs and olive oil.  Both the humus and the tzatziki you can buy by the pint or half pint at the counter, a perfect option if you need to bring an appetizer to a party.

While it might sound boring, the Greek salad with chicken was fantastic.  The chicken was perfectly seasoned and they gave you a massive portion of it (I see a theme here…).  I wish there were more pepperoncini’s, there was only one in my salad.  But that’s the only thing I would have changed.  The best part was the dressing.  It was easily the best Greek dressing I’ve ever had.  The fact that it was homemade was very clear.  You can even buy it in a variety of sizes at the counter!

Being at a Greek restaurant, I obviously had to have some lamb.  I got mine in the form of a gyro and it was the best one I’ve ever had, and I’ve had plenty of them in Greece.  It’s served with two sides and a salad, the two sides being completely unnecessary.  The Gyro is huge and delicious, and completely filling on its own.  I wouldn’t waste room on the sides; they are pretty simple and nothing special.  But like I said, the gyro is incredible and doesn’t need anything to go along with it to make it a fantastic dish.

Complaints

My main problem with Esperia is that it doesn’t feel like a restaurant.  Instead it just feels like a takeout place with a few tables thrown in, just in case you felt like eating there.  The atmosphere leaves a lot to be desired.  That being said, they do have takeout and delivery, so eating in isn’t necessary.

Additionally, I would love to be able to order the gyro for dinner on its own; however it only comes in the dinner platter for $12.95 (with the two sides and a salad).  While that’s not a bad deal, I would be much happier if I could order just the gyro for cheaper since the sides would probably be left uneaten any way.

Rating:

3 out of 4 forks

Overall I highly recommend you checking out Esperia if you like Greek food.  Get it to-go or delivery on a night you want delicious, homemade Greek food while sitting in the comfort of your own home.  The best part is, if someone in your party isn’t a fan of Greek food (although who doesn’t like Greek food?) they can order one of the many, delicious non-Greek options!