Cafeteria Boston is nestled on the corner of Gloucester and Newbury Street - but you might not see it at first. It is half-underground, down a set of stairs and offset from the usual hustle and bustle of Newbury. But it is very much worth visiting.
To start, there's the interior. Its whitewashed walls contrast with the corkboard accents scattered throughout the restaurant. Chair backs and wall decorations promote this unusual aspect of Cafeteria; even the check comes tacked to a piece of corkboard.
This quirky taste in decorating is mirrored by Cafeteria's unique, gourmet twists on traditional cafeteria food, an approach summed up nicely by the restaurant's catch phrase, "Tray Chic." Prices vary enough that visitors should look up the menu beforehand to ensure that the item they want is being offered for the price they want. Entrees range from $9.00-$26.00 depending on how fancy you decide to get, but diners can buy a decent three-course meal for two - including drinks - for around $50.00. Cafeteria offers brunch, lunch and dinner, and its menu stays the same for much of the day. The only major changes are the egg dishes that are available on the brunch menu and the changing list of cocktails that Cafeteria offers with each meal.
Cafeteria states its sustainable commitments on the menu, but subtly. Select salads are touted as organic and, when it is available, the restaurant purchases grass-fed and organic beef. However, these commitments are not at all a hindrance to a customer's options. Cafeteria offers everything from traditional sandwiches - like the tuna melt and Cuban, which is served with your choice of organic mixed greens or Parmesan fries - to scallops, burgers and braised short rib. Even the toppings on Cafeteria's pizzas turn traditional cafeteria food on its head. Fig jam with goat cheese and caramelized onions, arugula and, of course, fresh figs adorn the fig pizza, and the Mediterranean contains feta, red onions, tomato, Kalamata olives, garlic and, as with most good pizzas, oregano.
The egg sandwiches are also superb. The freshly made buns on which they are served are fluffy and perfectly toasted, allowing the cheese to melt flawlessly onto the bun before it seals the eggs onto the sandwich. The eggs are cooked to the customer's liking and served with home fries, which are both garlicky and salty, the way any good home fry should be. Cafeteria's tuna melt breaks from the dish's usual recipe of soggy bread and and sub-par cheese. The sandwich consists of poached tuna salad, cheddar cheese and capers on ciabatta. The capers add the perfect amount of tangy saltiness to this sandwich, balancing out the creaminess of the tuna salad. The ciabatta does not overwhelm the sandwich, and the proportions of tuna and cheddar are perfect for a healthy appetite.
Cafeteria's burgers are hefty but cooked to perfection. The sauces that the restaurant has developed are what take its "cafeteria" food to the next level. These sauces range from the somewhat-traditional herb mayo to the exotic habanero-radish cream cheese. Even the fried calamari appetizer comes with sauces that have an interesting spin, from traditional tomato sauce to pepperoncini mayonnaise, which has just the slightest hint of smoky spice. Some appetizers are nearly as pricey as a meal, but the portions are large enough for several people to share.
Of all the possibilities on the lunch and dinner menu, the grilled cheese might be the closest to traditional comfort food. Layered on sourdough with fontina and mozzarella cheeses, tomato and arugula, it puts a nice twist on the American classic. Still, the tomato soup that comes with the sandwich is what puts this entree?over the top. A thick mixture of sun-dried tomatoes, cream, cheddar cheese and croutons, it definitely makes the grilled cheese worth the purchase.
The drinks do not disappoint, either. They have both domestic and imported beer, as well as an extensive wine list. They also offer "mocktails." And, of course, for those whose curiosity is piqued by eccentric names, they have cocktails. The cocktail prices range from $8.00 for a glass of Cherry Coke infused with cherry vodka to $34.00 for a pitcher of the strangely named "English Class." Finally, "Detention" is not for the weak of heart.
Those who commit to this drink will face pineapple infused, coconut rum. It's essentially a "naked" pi?±a colada served either straight up or on the rocks. It is sweet and a bit tangy and does not skimp on the alcohol.
Overall, Cafeteria serves up a great mixture of comfort food, traditional concoctions and unexpected twists. Their bold take on traditional meals makes their restaurant as much about the experience as it is about the meal. The food, regardless of its unusual elements, is worth the price.
