Food Friday Boston Edition: Mi Tierra

Earlier this month I went back to Boston with some of my college buddies and revisited our old haunts. My favorite local restaurant while in college was Mi Tierra, hands down. They made the best Guatemalan food I've ever tasted and had a very nice staff. After a ten year absence, I eagerly made my way back. The food was still just as good as I remembered!

Located in suburban Waltham, MA, Mi Tierra inhabits a rather unassuming storefront. The inside isn't fancy, although they do have a deer head mounted on the wall and you can always catch a soccer game or a telenovela on one of the TVs. But let's be honest, no one goes here for the decor. The food is the real treat.

For drinks we ordered a pitcher of sangria. It was more than enough to give 6 people two nicely sized glasses. The fruit in the sangria was fresh and firm and the perfect conduit for the sweet wine.

If you are ever lucky enough to eat here, you MUST order the tamalitos as an appetizer. It's sweet corn dough shaped into a tamale and cooked to perfection. It's then served with fresh sweet cream and cheese. This appetizer is sweet and to me it could just as easily be a dessert. But I'm not one to fight customs so I will gladly have this at the start of the meal! I have never had anything else like this any place else and I crave these things more than I care to admit. They tasted just as good as I remembered. Sweet (pun intended!) nostalgia.

For my entree I ordered the papusa plate. Papusas are like Guatemalan quesadillas, for lack of a better comparison. I chose the cheese papusa because I can't get enough of the melty gooey stuff they put inside. Papusas are traditionally served with a mild tomato sauce and a vinegar slaw. Not to be out shined by the papusas, the fried sweet plantain is always a welcome addition to the plate. Mi Tierra are experts at getting their plantains just right. Oh, and their beans are pretty stellar as well. Trust me, this is A LOT of food for one person.

I honestly love this place with all my heart. I have so many good memories (food and otherwise) from this local joint. The best part was that when I walked back in after my ten year absence, the hostess remembered me. REMEMBERED ME. I guess I really did go there a lot of times! If you are ever in the greater Boston area, Mi Tierra is a must.