Chicharrones, Chorizo, Churros

Nhi was craving Gustazo, and what Nhi wants, Nhi gets.

Side note: I was in Waltham to get an eyelash lift and tint. I had heard several people talk about it, and was curious. And I actually quite like it! Not something I'd do regularly, but it's nice having eyelashes ahah.

Onto the food:

Guacamole Cubano - with plantain chips. This was smooth, and the sunflower seeds were great. Nhi normally doesn't like guacamole but she liked this - but really, who doesn't like guac?! 

Mejillones con chorizo -  smoky, creamy. Simply lovely.

Empanadas - these were great. Great proportion of dough to filling, and the accompanying sauce was fantastic.

Costillas a la guayaba - guava glazed ribs. Tender meat, sweetened by the glaze.

Chicharrones - crispy pork belly. Pretty delicious, albeit a tad salty.

Queso frito - strangely sweet?

Pudin de pan - I didn't try this

Churros - yum














This experience was miles better than my dinner at the Cambridge Gustazo (which honestly just made me really sad, because I've always loved the Waltham one). So - stick to Waltham.

Take a Time Out

Okay, so I will say, I kinda love Time Out Market. So much that I went back the day after my initial visit.

So I describe Time Out as an adult food court. But that's not to say it isn't kid-friendly. It's just that you're not necessarily going to find ball pits and bland pizza. And - there's alcohol.

There are food stalls lining the sides, with seating in the middle. There is additional seating behind some of the stalls on one side, as well as an outdoor patio area. 

I have heard complaints of it being pricey for the portion sizes, but I don't know - it's a centrally located market with food from renowned chefs in the city. It's not your average mall food court. 

 A watermelon drink. Boozy.

Lentil rice and chicken bowl from anoush'ella - the flavors were so great. Portion is sizable.

OG burger and fries from Craigie burger - with house ketchup. I probably would've preferred Heinz.

Second visit drink. Less boozy but still good.

Sushi tacos from gogo ya. We got these out of curiosity really. And they were good, but I wanted the ability to add wasabi or soy sauce. It's almost like eating a hand roll with a crunchier vessel.

Sashimi bowl from gogo ya - okay, I def was expecting more sashimi in this. And also wasabi.

The spicy chicken karaage sandwich from Mrs Cluck Deluxe - Tai loved this.

Octopus empanadas from Saltie Girl - probably my least favorite thing I've tried. Really. And not that it was bad, but it was too doughy. I did not taste the filling.











Get doughnuts from Union Square Doughnuts. Also pick up a pastry from George Howell (they get them from Seven Stars in Providence, and they are soo good). But most of all, go visit! Bring friends so you can try more things.

Tides Are Turning

When Portland, ME restaurant Eventide announced they were opening a Boston restaurant two years ago, there was a lot of excitement and buzz. There is always a long wait for a table at the Maine location. They came to Boston with a different, more casual, concept - and while I like the restaurant, I don't always like it as much as I want to.

Sangria - this tasted off to me. Do not recommend.

Brown butter lobster rolls, fries, nori potato chips - I like these lobster rolls, but I don't know if I love them the way some people do. The roll is more like a bao in texture though - so that's interesting.

Fried oyster plate - meh. Maybe the batter? Maybe I prefer raw oysters. They weren't bad, but they weren't something I'd want again.












Gilt City always has these deals for the lobster rolls, which is why I go haha. And we usually add on another dish. Eventide's dishes change, and sometimes they're a hit, and others, like yesterday, are not such a hit.

(from a previous visit) I don't even remember what this was. Fried something and uni on rice. And I don't usually like uni, but this was really good.












So, come. Maybe don't expect to be blown away. It's a nice casual setting for great oysters (raw) and other (mostly seafood) dishes with Asian influences/flavors. And some really work. And some are just okay.

Pre-Heatwave Dinner

So yesterday, I wake up and it's cold and rainy. And really, I should've cooked, but I craved ramen. Thus, we're off to what used to be Pikaichi inside what used to be 88 Supermarket in Allston.

We walk into Isshindo Ramen, and my first two thoughts: 1. they've expanded the space (this is good), and 2. it's practically empty inside (this is not good). But we are here, and we are seated, and we can't just up and leave, right? And I might as well give it a try.

Tai's karaka men. It was pretty spicy. He also got corn instead of mushroom.

My isshindo ramen. Meh. Broth was a bit on the bland side.













So, while the ramen wasn't bad. I don't know that I'd be back. The pork was too thick and too fatty, but not tender. And just off. I appreciate the simplicity of their ramen, but I definitely wanted more flavor from mine.

That leaves me still on the hunt for good ramen, other than Santouka.

Lazarus with Lolita

So. It's been nearly two years. A lot of life has happened, a lot of food has been eaten. And maybe, just maybe I'll sift through the photos of food digested to write about them. Likely not hah.

In the meantime, let's carry on with last night's dinner. Alex, Joyce, Tai and I initially made plans to meet at Trade for oysters, because this was advertised on their website:

I legit just pulled this from their website right now - but apparently this doesn't exist. They stop doing dollar oysters at 6pm. No one appreciates being lied to. So Tai and I finish our drinks, and the four of us are on the hunt for another place to eat.

And we think - let's try Lolita. No one's in the city, the wait can't be that bad, can it? As we approach, their outdoor bar is hopping, so there goes that. But the kind hostess directs us towards one of their three bars, which she says is usually least busy. And sure enough, there's a large open picnic-type table open. Score.

And so, it begins.

Drinks drinks drinks. Yall - the coconut frolita tasted purely of alcohol.

Steak tacos. Topped with potato sticks. Genius. More things should be topped with potato sticks.

Ceviche. Really good but I wanted more? Or smaller pieces? I'm not sure. It felt like a cubed crudo.

Street corn. I didn't eat this, but I have in the past and have always loved it. And they're so clever to put them on a stick to facilitate the eating. Not many places do that (looking at you, Toro).

Patatas bravas. Well cooked, great texture. More sauce please.

Brussels sprouts. Great flavor, cook longer please.

Pollo asado. Alright, so I don't usually go for chicken dishes, because chicken. But this was perfect - perfectly cooked, great flavor, complimenting sauce.

Los tres guacamole. Really wish this came out earlier. Not gonna lie, I don't really understand huge chunks of protein in guac. Nor do I appreciate the little serving dishes this came in. I'll probably just stick to regular guacamole next time.

Chicken nachitos. Fun but could've done without the chicken.

Churros. Consensus: better than Costco's churros. Haha but really, solid churros.

I secretly come here for this. Cotton candy with pop rocks. What a mess to eat but so fun. I don't think they usually serve this to diners in the bar, but I asked and she was great and got us one.
















Overall, a really great meal. And a great start to the long weekend. Service was fantastic, food was delicious, vibe was almost too cool for school, but I'll forgive it that as long as the food and service continue to exceed expectations.