Angela’s Cafe, East Boston

We went back to Angela’s Cafe (their website does not come up on Google for some reason) with five friends the other week. We arrived a bit on the early side (6:15) and were lucky to be seated immediately, though the owner suggested that we should make reservations in the future since they usually can’t accommodate such a large walk-in party on Saturday nights.  I was under the impression that they didn’t accept reservations. Who knew. On the whole everyone enjoyed their meal, and I can once again confidently endorse Angela’s. The guacamole and all the Antojitos that I’ve tasted (which I think is all of them by now) are delicious and I think it’s well worth the trip to just dine on that. But I do have a couple less than positive things to say. The meat used for the entrees is by far the worst part of the dining experience. Dry, dry, and dry. And tough. The first time I ate there I was willing to pass it off as a one-time mistake, but this time, having tasted at least three others’ meals as well, I’m leaning towards concluding it’s the norm. It’s such a shame since the sauces, particularly the mole, are so damn good. I’m hoping that my experience is an anomaly, so I look forward to proving my intuition wrong in the future. The other not so positive thing I have to say is less about the food and more about the direction I see the restaurant going. It seems as if Angela’s just realized that it’s the popular girl in high school. Puberty dealt it a winning hand and it went from that weird thing in the corner of the classroom to the confident and pretty center of attention. This isn’t all bad, as I’m sure a host of high school age boys can attest, but what ultimately is lost in such a transition is personality. Angela’s is getting a lot more attention these days and I hope that doesn’t translate into the metamorphosis of a charming and unique place to a shallow shell of its former self.

Having said that, here’s some of what we ate:

Angela’s makes creamy and perfectly seasoned guacamole. The lime will ever so lightly tickle the back of your throat as the salt from the chip melts into the milky flesh of fresh avocado. Delicious. A perfect way to start the meal.

A perfect way to continue the meal is any number of the antojitos offered. I recommend a large number of them.

In the front court we have the gordita with chorizo.  I loved it. I wanted to get to know it better. Take it out to cafe’s and movies, fight over it, sacrifice friendships for it, and ultimately live with its sweet and savory taste on my lips until I die. Fading back into the distance a taco al pastor and then something I don’t remember.

Angela’s platter / Favoritas de Angela. I recommend sharing it with 1 friend as an appetizer. The menu says it serves 6-7 as an appetizer. Perhaps 6-7 dieting ballerinas.

Above we have the enchiladas rojas y verdes.   Stuffed corn tortillas with shredded chicken, pork, or vegetables (onions, spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, red and green pepper). Topped with sour cream, Mexican cheese, radish, onion rings, and a slice of avocado. Our friend Vicki thoroughly enjoyed it.

The famous mole. The sauce was as good as last time, but the meat does not do it justice, as I mentioned. Below was another less than satisfying dish, again because of the meat. The  Adobo with pork. The sauce was tasty, though not as tasty as the mole, and it might be a bit overwhelming for an entree since it has a much stronger flavor.

Below was the special of the night. A pepper stuffed with assorted chopped meat, nuts and fruit, battered and served over a light cream sauce and pomegranate seeds. It was very good, and quite unique.

 

Angela’s Cafe (Lexington St. East Boston)

A splendid spot. I went with three friends last night after reading nothing but rave reviews all over the internet. Don’t be intimidated by venturing into a different area of town. Angela’s is easy to find and a very quick ride from downtown. It’s a bit tricky to park close by (mostly resident), but you’ll be thankful for the walk back to your car after you eat the quantity of food that you ought to. Angela’s seats about 20-25 diners and, understandably, they like to take their time eating. After poking my head in to see what the story was, an older gentleman took my name and approximated that it would take around 25 minutes for a table of four. Having read that Angela’s closes at 9pm I was a bit concerned, but came to the conclusion that this meant they stopped seating at 9 rather than closed the kitchen at 9. So we hung out on the corner until our number was up (the restaurant is in a very residential part of town so you will have nothing to do but hang on the corner). It took a bit longer than expected (45 minutes or so), but when we were seated we were presented with a complimentary order of homemade chips and guacamole in apologies for the wait – unanimously the best guacamole we have had. Indeed, it was the first guacamole one of my fellow diners had ever enjoyed -absurdly creamy with a slight kick of lime and served in the molcajete it was made in.

We started off with several smaller plates (tacos, gorditas, tostadas, etc..) all ranging from $2 – $4 each. The chorizo gorditas with queso fresco won the night in my opinion. A thick and chewy tortilla layered with red or green salsa (the waiter suggested the red because the green wasn’t “as good as usual”) and topped with either chorizo or chicken and chunks of queso fresco. This is not to disparage the taco al pastor or chicken tostada that I had, they were delicious as well. In all honesty, when you go you should have as many things as you can. Suck it up and put yourself in a food coma. It will be worth it, if only in retrospect, since unless you live in Eastie you probably won’t be going back every week.

The one thing you certainly should not miss is the mole (entrees go for around $12-$20). Hard to describe. Just know this: it takes a lot of effort and experience to make this sauce. The chef, Angela Atenco Lopez, cooked professionally in Puebla, according to The Globe, and has channeled all her expertise into this mole. Unfortunately, I don’t know that I can fully appreciate it yet. Right now, it just tastes really good to me, but I think it deserves more than that. It deserves a story, some sort of lore that lifts it to a mystical level. Maybe I’m exaggerating. But it is damn tasty. The meat it came over was a bit dry, but I didn’t particularly care. I finished off with a chocolate bread pudding. The gratuitous addition of an anglo dessert might compromise Angela’s authenticity to the observer, but it was yummy, so lay off. Next time I’ll have the flan.

I ordered strictly off the menu this time, but a chalkboard above the kitchen details daily specials and I’ll be sure to dig into those on the next visit. It’s hard to imagine anyone not enjoying their meal at Angela’s, and considering the cost, it’s one of the best values in the area that I know of. Go often.