Yes, it is at Montecristo!

It's 3:36 pm on what seems to be one of the muggiest summer days of 2011. And I love it!

That's right, you read it right. I love it. This is the type of weather that I look forward to especially on one of those crazy, dreadfully soulless, gray cold nights here in Boston.

What's anathema to me? Someone complaining in the middle of the summer that it's too hot. Either that or that it's too muggy. Or worst both.

Back to the gist of the matter. I'm sitting here in Lynn's Montecristo Taqueria & Pupuseria Mexican-Salvadorean Restaurant waiting for the owner. And while I'm at it I figured why not break my diet and go for one of their delicious tacos. Yes, a folded corn tortilla with Pico de Gallo—diced tomatoes and onions with cilantro, and in this outing my choice of meat: chicken. I've also ordered up a side of guacamole.

Excuse me. My taco just arrived. Let me quickly spread some of this homemade guacamole on top and proceed to tear into it.

And just like that, I'm immediately transported back to my little town in Chiapas (Mexico), San Salvador (El Salvador), or any city called Trujillo in Latin America, which I would be proud to call home.

I order up a glass of tamarind juice, but all they have is the soda version. So I settle for marañón natural juice, which is equally sweet and hits the spot just the same.

Will I be back? I most certainly think so. I have to try their Beef Taco.

Montecristo
116 Central Ave
Lynn, MA 01901
781.593.1548
Delivery and catering available.

Update: Tamarind juice is now available. Yes!!!


© 2009-2011. iZiT LTY. All rights reserved.

Yes, it is at Los Pinos Salvadorean & Mexican Grill!

It's 5:57 pm and as usual, I've done a Boston.com/traffic check on my mobile phone. Traffic is starting to flow, but I think I'll wait a bit until the flow south on Route 93 is fully green. And so, I hunker down at a local Salvadorean & Mexican Grill in East Boston called Los Pinos. Literal translation: The Pines.

I order up a beef Salvadorean-style Enchilada. Takes a little longer than ordering up a burger at a fast food outlet, but just as well. I can wait for something tasty. Within 5 minutes my enchilada is served up. I quickly snap up a few pics and proceed to bite into it. The base of the enchilada is a crunchy fried dough with steak, lettuce, coleslaw, sliced beets, cucumbers, and goats cheese piled on top.

And just like that, I'm transported back to a time when enchiladas were a bi-weekly affair in our household. Like my mother's, Los Pinos does not disappoint. Orale!

Washed down with a cold, large glass of a reddish, seeded sweet juice or Refresco de Chang, which is a blended Chia seed drink.

Los Pinos
82 Bennington St.
E. Boston, MA 02128
617.567.1761
Delivery Available



© 2009-2011. iZiT LTY. All rights reserved.

Yes, it is at Tawakal Halal Cuisine!

Each time I visit a restaurant, it’s a new adventure. What will the food be like? Will they be friendly? Often I’ve visited the website beforehand to get an idea about the place. Sometimes you can get a really good indication. Tawakal Halal Cuisine’s website has nice music and welcomes you before you even step in the door. As a small family owned restaurant specializing in Somalian food, Tawakal incorporates East African, Middle-Eastern, and Mediterranean cuisines as well.

When you arrive at Tawakal on Bennington Street in East Boston, you’re given the choice of sitting at a table and chair or seated on the floor in the traditional way. Either way, you’re then offered some tea. I highly recommend that you take it, because it just might be your favorite tea from now on. It’s sweetened black tea with cardamom and cloves. I just couldn’t get enough of it!

For my lunch, I had a Chicken Sambusa appetizer, which was a hot crisp, light turnover stuffed with chicken. There’s no picture of it, because I devoured it before I had time to take a decent picture. Yes. It was that good. Then I had Chapati Fish, which is unleavened bread cooked on a griddle, then stuffed with fish and fresh sautéed vegetables. It was a joy to eat as well.

Unfortunately, no dessert was available at the time that I was there, so it looks like I’ll have to go back some other time and try it. And I’m very much looking forward to the next time.


~ Review by Lisa C. Johnson ~

Disclosure: While I tried to pay for my meal, I was told that it was a treat, so my meal ended up being complimentary.



© 2009-2011. iZiT lty. All rights reserved.

Yes, it is at Mi Pueblito Restaurant!

More and more, East Boston is becoming known for its bourgeoning restaurant community. Mi Pueblito Restaurant on Border Street in East Boston has a menu filled with foods that will please everyone. The food is Mexican, Salvadoran, and Guatemalan.

You’ll find fajitas, enchiladas, tacos, burritos, quesadillas, soups, and pupusas. There are vegetarian choices as well as dishes containing tongue, deer, and tripe for the adventurous carnivores.

Seafood is one of my favorites, so I enjoyed the shrimp quesadillas. The portions were generous and there was even enough to bring home leftovers. I also sipped on some fresh melon juice. Sweet and refreshing!

Mi Pueblito is also very kid friendly and has a special children’s menu. So make sure to bring the little tots with you! The restaurant interior is wide open and nice artwork hangs on cheerful yellow walls.

If you have a sweet tooth, dessert choices include flan, tres leches, and fried plantains with cream. I had to cut my lunch short and take my dessert to go. There was no way I was missing out on that tres leches cake! When I got home, I savored every wonderful morsel.

~ Review by Lisa C. Johnson ~


© 2009-2011. iZiT lty. All rights reserved.