Valentine's Day may be over, but that doesn't mean its too late to hit town for some dinner. And by town, we don't mean Boston. Between here and Harvard Square, there's a multitude of eating options from which to choose. We took a night out to explore four of them:
Stepping off Harvard Square's Eliot Street and in through the doors of Tanjore, we were hit by an intoxicating and spicy aroma. As we moved under the hanging blue curtain, the lack of a wait to get seated at this popular Indian restaurant came as a pleasant surprise. Although two-seat tables lined the window, and there were plenty of bar stools, our group decided to take a larger table in the smaller of the two rooms that comprise the restaurant.
We began our meal with potato and pea-filled Samosas ($3.50). Delicate and crispy, they were accompanied by the "most-excellent" plum sauce, into which members of our group eagerly dipped everything. Forks were not necessary! The Naan, served either plain ($2.50), or with onion, garlic, or potatoes ($2.95), eliminated any need for utensils. The Lamb Vindaloo ($11.95), a hot and spicy red curry dish with chilies, garam masala, ginger, and garlic laced with vinegar, was deliciously tender and tangy.
If you are looking for a fun and unique dish, order the Masala Dosa ($7.50). Rolled with potatoes and herbs, these surprisingly long crepes are crispy with an outside reminiscent of Munchos Potato chips. Don't forget to pour the accompanying Sambhar (lentil stew) onto the crepe. Otherwise, it's like eating a bowl of "blah."
Those with a sweet tooth who still want something substantial will love the Bhel ($5.50), a crunchy blend of puffed rice, gram flour sev, crushed tomatoes, and onions, mixed with sweet and tangy sauces. While a light and satisfying entree, it can probably double as a perfect breakfast. Mango Lassi ($3.50) gives a new meaning to "plain old yogurt" and has a similar taste to plum sauce.
Moving closer to Tufts, we stumbled upon Kaya, a Japanese-Korean restaurant, located in Porter on Mass Ave. Put simply, the wooden, airy architecture, and rice-paper window-divided booth-style sitting were the restaurant's only redeeming qualities. Dinner was rather bland to the taste buds and "interesting" due to the odd service.
The waitress materialized out of nowhere to refill our water glasses after we had taken only three sips of water. This high-maintenance water service lasted throughout the whole dinner. To the other extreme, however, we had to request napkins and utensils at least three times. The best part: after receiving our entrees with a side bowl of rice, our waitress decided we were not worthy, and took them back. After protesting, she unwillingly surrendered them.
Sticking with vegetarian dishes, we ordered the Vegetable Yakisoba ($11.95) and the Farmer's Stir-Fry ($10.95). These two entrees differed only in their accompaniments - rice or ramen noodles. Thank goodness for soy sauce! We did, however, enjoy the miso soup, with its funky spoons, and the tasty chocolate-filled mints.
Hidden under Blockbuster in the Porter Square Galleria lies Anna's Taqueria, serving a variety of burritos and tacos for take-out or sit-in. Most importantly, know that you may be standing and waiting for a table for an extended period of time. But it's worth the wait.
One can happily try their Super Burritos ($3.75 or less) filled with chicken, carnitas, steak, grilled veggies or beans and rice, or Mexican Plates ($3.95) of rice topped with various meats or vegetables. Several additions - salsa, hot sauce, black or brown beans, cheese, corn tortillas, and guacamole - help spice up each dish. If you are out on a date, watch out for major burrito drippage!
Hopefully, by this point in the year you have already discovered our favorite of these four restaurants -Mr. Crepe, on Holland Street in Davis Square. Small and steamy, Mr. Crepe whips up the best dinner crepes this side of Boston. Full of roasted bell peppers, fresh spinach, caramelized onions, fresh basil, and herbed feta-goat cheese, this Vegetarian Supercrepe ($6.50) is scrumptiously satisfying. Because you have the opportunity to build your own crepe, you can take advantage of the myriad cheeses, vegetables, meats, and relishes/sauces Mr. Crepe has to offer. Sadly, we were too stuffed to try any of the tempting dessert crepes. But you can't go wrong with dark Belgian chocolate, banana, and coconut!
