Food Friday Boston Edition: Taqueria Mexico

While we were in Boston reliving my college days, we made a stop to our go-to Mexican joint, Taqueria Mexico. This was the best place to go before a night out- grabbing tacos and beer, getting full, and not spending a lot of money. As a college kid, my budget didn't allow for that at all! While I do love this place, I don't love it nearly as much as my friend Matt, shown above, posing with his one true burrito-making love.

Located on a side street in the suburb of Waltham, Taqueria Mexico doesn't look like much. The inside hasn't changed one bit since I was last there 7 years ago, and I'm quite comforted by that fact. We went for a really late lunch and the place was sparsely populated, but there was a good trickle of people in and out.

The first thing to arrive on the table was fresh chips and salsa. The chips were still warm and you can tell they were just made. The salsas were pretty hot, but I used them sparingly and enjoyed them quite a bit. Also, I can't get over the crazy-busy table cloth!

Oh horchata, why must you be so delicious?! Taqueria Mexico makes a solid one, but if I was hungrier I would have ordered their fruit milkshakes which are delicious, sweet and very filling.

I went for two simple tacos, tongue and barbacoa. Both were pretty tasty! I do like their tongue, but as is the case with most tongue I've tried, it could use a tad bit more spice. In my college days I was a vegetarian, so my go-to dish here was the potato quesadilla. It was a cheesy gooey mess of carbohydrates, but damn if it wasn't delicious and filling. I feel like Taqueria Mexico has a good amount of vegetarian friendly fare, including mushroom and squash burritos.

Steve had a tongue taco and a torta. I know that I took a bite of the torta, and remembered the bread being spongy and delicious, but I don't remember much about the filling.

Overall, Taqueria Mexico is still as good as the day I graduated college. And if you are ever in the area and are craving Mexican, this is the only place worth going to.

Food Friday Boston Edition: Sound Bites

Back when I first started going to Sound Bites, it was about half the current size and the wait line often stretched around the block. The food was so good that there were many Saturday mornings where I stood in that that line for a ridiculous amount of time. It was just like that one Portlandia skit! Visiting Sound Bites was a must on my trip back to Boston, but this time we were smart and went on a weekday morning. Even with a group of 5, we got a table right away.

One of my favorite things about Sound Bites is the do-it-yourself coffee bar. You just walk right up, grab any of the super cute colorful mugs and make it the way you want it. The day we were there they had two regular brews, one decaf, and about 4 flavored varieties. They also have different types of milk, sweeteners, and cinnamon!

If you know me, then you know that my favorite breakfast food is eggs Benedict. Unfortunately, many restaurants murder this dish, over-cooking the eggs and burning the Hollandaise sauce. Sound Bites is pretty much the gold standard for solid eggs bene. The yolk is always super runny and their Hollandaise is tangy & perfect! Because of this Steve and I did the only logical thing: order two of their special Benedicts and split them. Steve ordered the prosciutto, asparagus and tomato Benedict, which was great. The salt of the cured ham and the sauce were delicious together.

I picked the Greek Benedict which contained tomato, spinach and feta cheese. Once again, the salt of the feta complimented the the hollandaise. And the yolk was SO RUNNY! I would also be remiss if I did not mention their no-place-like-home fries. It's different than any breakfast potato I've ever had. They fry and season the mashed potatoes so that the top gets super crispy while the center retains that creamy potato goodness.

Sound Bites is still one of my favorite breakfast/brunch spots ever. Located just outside of Davis Square, it is worth the little adventure for the perfect eggs Benedict.

Let's go to BOSTON!

Sorry I've been a bit MIA lately. Besides having some huge life changes (new job!) I also went home for a week to visit family in New York and then took a bus up to Boston to hang out with some of my favorite people from college. I don't think I've been back to Boston since 2008 and part of me really missed the city, almost to the point of craving it. When I found out that A) Steve had never been to Boston and B) Belle and Sebastian were playing there July 9th (with Yo La Tengo opening, no less!), it was a no-brainer. Here are some of our favorite phone photos from the trip!

The Miracle of Science bar was one of my favorite places to grab a drink after work. The menu is written like the periodic table and I love how tiny and triangular this place is!

We visited the deCordova museum and sculpture park. This is one of the most magical places I've ever been and I used to go about once a year back when I lived in Boston. Some pieces have changed, but some of my favorites stayed the same!

 Shot of a bell looking toward Boston from the Brandeis campus!

Not every college has a beautiful castle that serves as a dormitory. The outside looks great, but inside is a poorly designed mess with tiny walkways and rooms that make no sense. It honestly looked a tad bit abandoned... I hope they keep it in good shape!

 Matt is secretly a monkey!

 Just good old George Washington wearing a Bruin's jersey. Too bad they lost!

 Boston Harbor!

Steve had his first cannoli from Mike's Pastry in the North End. Mike's is hands down the best Italian bakery I have ever been to. Poor Steve, every cannoli he eats from now on will pale in comparison.

 The Public Garden is beautiful with all their elegant willow trees!

Boston is a really pretty city, but Boston City Hall might be the ugliest building of all time. Here is me frowning because it makes me so upset. Brutalist architecture at its finest.

 The Boston Massacre happened right here. 

 44 pound lobster!

Belle and Sebastian!

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. 

Boston, You're My Home

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I spent a good chunk of my adolescence in Boston. I went to college there and lived there for a year after. The city was historic, cold, and grumpy and I loved it dearly. I loved my Porter Square neighborhood despite the fact that I was miles away from a supermarket and I didn't have a car. I even loved the way people would put lawn chairs in the parking spaces they dug out from a blizzard. Yesterday's tragic events at the most historic marathon hit me hard. This was my city- I know Copley Square so well, I even worked in one of the buildings along the race route. This was also my sport- I'm a runner. I'm not elite and I've never run anything longer than a half-marathon, but still, these are my people.

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I'll be running the Music City Half-Marathon in two weeks. Yesterday I was supposed to go on a training run with my friend, but I just couldn't do it. My heart wasn't in it and lacing up my shoes felt strange. I opted to go home and watch the news instead. But much like the city of Boston itself, I need to be surly and resilient. I need to put on my shoes and go running. Every runner needs to get out there and run with Boston in their hearts. Run with all the innocent spectators and participants in their minds, taking them along with you at every step.
Adam, Me, Matt and Rachel- Senior year of college cruise along the Charles River

Boston, I love you. You gave me the best college experience and the best friends a girl could ask for. Buzzfeed has a really good list of reasons why you should love Boston. I highly recommend reading it.