Cubano Research Part I: Tropicana Cuban Restaurant

Cubano Research Part I:

Tropicana Cuban Restaurant

( http://www.TropicanaAustin.com )

So these next few food blogs entries (I’m not exactly sure how many there will be or the extent of time it will take to finish the set…so yeah…) you’re going to have to blame the movie Chef (what I’ve dubbed the food porn movie).  I've watched this movie about a dozen times and after each time, I crave a Cubano sandwich.  Until now, I've never actually gotten my lazy self up to do something about these cravings. So now, I've decided to do my own research into the subject matter of Cuban sandwiches and dishes.  If you haven't watched this movie, obviously, I highly recommend it (even if you're not a huge foodie, you'll probably enjoy it).  The movie can be found on NetFlix (no I didn't get paid to write that, in fact I don't get paid for any of these blogs).

Now I’m going to start with this huge caveat, I’m not well versed in Cuban Cuisine.  I mean, at, all.  I’ve never had a Cuban sandwich, let alone anything that is considered traditional Cuban (that I’m aware of).  So with that being said, I do not have a proper baseline for this blog, all I have are my subjective senses of smell and taste.  In other words, take this blog with a grain of salt.  If you have read and somewhat agreed with most of my blogs then you’ll probably agree with me here.  With that being said…here we go…

                What is a Cuban or Cubano sandwich?  Well if you look it up in the Oxford dictionary, it states: “A type of submarine sandwich, typically grilled, especially with ham, roast pork, Swiss cheese, mustard and pickles.”  What good ole Oxford didn’t say is that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts; at least from what I’m told, that's how it’s supposed to be.  

                Since I was eating alone, I could only order and try so much from their menu, but I decided on getting the appetizer sampler and of course, the main thing I was craving, a Cuban sandwich.  The prices were very reasonable and my server was very nice and attentive when he wasn’t busy with other tables (he was the only server for the entire restaurant). 
Their menu:

 

            The appetizer plate: “Includes a Cuban-style Tamal, Ham Croquette, Stuffed Potato and Fried Yucca.”  To be perfectly honest I’m not quite sure which appetizer item was which.  I would have asked my server what everything was, but since he was starting to get double and triple sat, I left well enough alone.  I am pretty positive that I knew which the tamale was, the empanada and the rellena were, but I’m not too sure about the rest. 

The Tamale Cubanos was a decent sized appetizer and it tasted like a Hispanic grandmother made it, so it was very tasty, though I probably wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between this Cuban tamal and a Mexican tamale.  The masa was soft and moist with just a hint of some salt and pepper.  The boiled shredded pork inside the tamal didn’t stand out, but it wasn’t bad either.  Actually this was probably the best part of the appetizer plate in my opinion.

The beef empanada had a good crispy outer shell around the outer edges, but the beef inside needed more seasoning and was a bit greasy.   To give you an example, do you remember in junior high school on sloppy Joe day?  And the amount of grease that drained out of the slotted ladle the lunch lady used before placing the meat on the cold burger bun?  Well the beef inside reminded me of Sloppy Joes.  Don’t get me wrong I like a good sloppy Joe for nostalgic reasons, but not so much when it’s in an empanada.

The Papa Rellena wasn’t bad.  The outside of the Rellena was crispy and thin and the mashed potatoes were decent.   Though just like the empanada and the pork from the tamal, needed more seasoning.  (At this point, I began to think that traditional Cuban food was maybe designed to be slightly bland so that whomever is eating can adjust to their taste).   

So the rest of the plate, I didn’t exactly know what they were so, it probably wouldn’t be fair to give my opinion of them.  I could tell two were plantains, but I didn’t know which was the tostones, which were the fried and which were the croqueta de Jamon.  The center of all of that was a type of garlic sauce.  From what I could taste, it was a combination of some lime, lemon, vegetable oil, maybe a dash of cumin, some salt and pepper with some garlic.  The sauce wasn't bad, but it did over power the subtle flavors of the ingredients, so I used it very sparingly.

Now for what most of you have been waiting for, well at least I was when I ordered it.  The Cubano! Let's start with the bread.  The bread was in house made and toasted well.  It had a nice crunch and the inside was soft, glutinous and smooth.  The cheese was gooey and complimented the (few) pickles that were in the sandwich rather well...

...But I’m sorry to say that the bread and cheese might have been the best parts of the sandwich itself.  The ham and the pork were very dry, so much that the thin layer of mayo on the sandwich wasn’t helping much. And just like the previous items that I had tasted, was pretty bland in flavor.  I tried the ham and the pork individually outside of the sandwich itself to see how it compared, but sadly, I didn’t get a different result.  On a positive point, when I did happen to get a big in with all the ingredients, pickles, mustard, mayo, ham, pork, and melted cheese, I can see where the potential would be for a truly awesome sandwich.
    
    Well there you have it folks, as you can probably tell, I was very disappointed with my first encounter with Cuban dishes, but maybe this was a fluke, maybe the flavors weren't brought out because the chef was having an off day or maybe the prep cook thought someone else had flavored the dishes already.  I'm not sure, but this is the whole reason why I'm going to try other Cuban restaurants to see if this place was just an anomaly and I just happened to be unlucky with my first choice.  Maybe it'll be like watching a movie first, before reading the novel, this way if you liked the movie, you'll like the book even more.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

So until next time...I bid y'all happy eating!
-Henry

Jinya Ramen Bar

Jinya Ramen Bar

3210 Esperanza Crossing #130, Austin, TX, 78758

    Another Ramen House?  Yeah, I know they seem to be popping up everywhere in Austin now-a-days.  First there was Ramen Tatsuya (which is still probably my favorite), then came Kome, Michi, more recently Daruma and Kanji, and now there is Jinya.  Though Jinya is a bit late to the Ramen arena in Austin, this chain is well equipped to do battle.  I apologize now for the length of this blog, it's gonna be a bit long.

    My sister and I were fortunate enough to crash the invitation only soft opening of Jinya and I was even more fortunate to be able to partake in its grand opening lunch service.  I usually don't go to the same restaurant in one week, let alone the same one two days later, unless the food is outstanding.  And that is exactly what it is... outstanding!

     So for the appetizers, the Tapas (from both days) I had the Jinya No.1: the Jinya Bun, Jinya No.2: the Brussels Sprouts Tempura, Jinya No.3: Caramelized Cauliflower, Jinya No.4: Pig Ear Chicharron, and Jinya. No.5: Spicy Creamy Shrimp Tempura.

Jinya No1. :Jinya Bun

Top: Jinya No.2: Brussels Sprouts Tempura
Bottom: Jinya No.3: Carmalized Cauliflower

       The Jinya No.1: Jinya Bun: "Thick braised pork with vegetables wrapped in a fluffy white bun."  Basically this was a braised pork belly sandwich that had arugula, cucumber and mayo surrounded by a white bun transport vessel.  The pork itself was very savory and salty enough for the bun not mellow out the pork's flavor. The cucumber and the arugula gave the dish a nice brightness and slight crunch to a potentially really heavy dish.
     The Jinya No.2: Brussels Sprouts Tempura with truffle oil.  I couldn't really taste the truffle oil, which isn't entirely a bad thing, truffle oil can over power a delicate dish.  The tempura coating was just enough to coat the Brussels and allowed for the natural sweetness of the vegetable to be fully actualized upon contact with your taste buds.
    Jinya No.3: "Caramelized Cauliflower with pine nuts, crispy mint and lime ponzu."  This was roasted cauliflower that had a been dressed in lime ponzu.  The ponzu itself I couldn't really isolate, but it did enhance the essence of the cauliflower.  Though I don't believe that the pine nuts added much to the dish in way of flavor, the nuts themselves added a crunch that the soft cauliflower lacked.

Jinya No.4: Pig Ear Chicharron

Jinya No.5: Spicy Creamy Shrimp Tempura
(What was left of them after digging in)

                           Jinya No.4: "Pig Ear Chicharron with harissa sauce, crispy kale, with an onsen tamago (poached egg)."  This dish is for the more adventurous.  These are, Julienne cut, boiled, pig ears that have been battered and deep fried and set atop a bed of slightly fried kale with a creamy spicy chili and pepper sauce, the harissa sauce, and a poached egg in the middle.  The intended way to tackle this dish, is dump the poached egg into the center of the chicharrons, after removing the ramekin that the egg is presented in and mix the egg yoke with the rest of the ingredients on the plate.  My sister and I had no problems with dealing with this dish and thoroughly enjoyed it.  It was salty, crunchy, a bit chewy, was spicy and rich all at the same time.  I do think that a non-fried component was needed to balance the denseness of dish, but it was good.  Don't be afraid of it, just try it. :-)
     Jinya No.5: "Spicy Creamy Shrimp Tempura."  The picture above doesn't show the generous amount of shrimp that comprises this appetizer, I forgot to take the picture before my chop sticks did their thing.  Anyway, the creamy spicy sauce that dressed the tempura battered and fried shrimp, seemed like an emulsion of Sriracha and mayo (which I always think is delicious on just about anything).  The shrimp themselves were served atop a bed of arugula.  A very well composed dish that anyone would be happy to order...I would presume even kids.

Jinya's Tonkotsu Black

     Now for the Ramen!!! To be fair to all the other ramen houses that are in Austin, between my sister and I, Jinya's signature Tonkotsu broth ramen, Jinya Tonkotsu Black, was ordered to be able to compare apples to apples, ramen-broth to ramen-broth in the case.  We also ordered the Tonkotsu Spicy, because well, I like spicy foods and I wanted to see what they considered Spicy (their medium spice level).  I have to say that the broth is as delicious as Tatsuya's but just slightly thinner in consistency.  Another slight difference between Tatsuya and Jinya is that Jinya isn't as heavy handed with their toppings. But the broth is nothing sort of stellar and I can see why it has won so many awards (check their website for their accolades).

Tonkotsu Spicy

    The Tonkotsu Spicy is basically the Tonkotsu Black except with Jinya's spicy sauce/paste added and blended into the broth.  The manager/owner actually told me that in order to increase the spiciness of the dish all I'd have to do is add the spicy sauce that was already provided on the table.  He further added that the chefs do the same in the kitchen to amplify the heat.  So I added about another 2 teaspoons of the sauce and I obtained my desired level.  So for those of you who like a little bit of spice, I suggest just getting the Black and adding the spice in yourself so to not ruin the broth.  If you like a lot of spice, then go right on ahead and try the "HOT" and add more spicy sauce to your hearts content.  

Panna Cotta

    During the soft opening, my sister and I tried the panna cotta (one of my favorite all time desserts).  "A homemade panna cotta with caramel cream sauce, graham cracker, and vanilla ice cream."  Now what they failed to say is that the caramel cream sauce had a heavy infusion of essence of coffee.  I'm not really big into coffee so that threw me off a bit.  I could tell that the panna cotta itself (at least the samples that were given to us) had been sitting in refrigerator a bit long because it had already started to form a skin, a thick top layer.  Unfortunately because we ordered the dessert during the soft opening we didn't actually get the complete dessert, the portion size was tiny, and there wasn't any ice cream or graham cracker, so I guess I'll have to get it during my third go round with this restaurant (since I didn't want to wait for dessert during lunch).
     
     Jinya Ramen Bar is a must visit if you're 1) enjoy really exceptional ramen 2) live up north near the Domain or 3) like trying out new places that you can put in your restaurant Rolodex for when people can't decide on places to eat.  I'm sure that they have a decent sake selection, but since I only occasionally partake in libations, I'll leave that for someone else to discuss and write about.

So until next time, I bid y'all happy eating!
-Henry

Veracruz Tacos

Veracruz Tacos

(2711 La Frontera Blvd Suite 320, Round Rock, Texas, 78681)

        Veracruz Tacos started off as one food truck, then expanded to two trucks and now finally has a brick and mortar location (which is where this blog will be over).  Nestled between Brooklyn Pizza Company and Deluxe Dry Cleaners, this place is kinda small, but can be easily located, if you see a line outside that snakes around patio tables, just get in at the back, you're at the right place. 

        The menu is sizable for such a small location, but very much quality and adequate to satiate your appetite.  Since it was my first go round with Veracruz cuisine I decided to get a bit of everything.  I ordered the chips and salsa, steak quesadillas, one of the Taco Especiales, the fish taco, from the Tacos de Carne options, the steak with the works and to wash it all down a pineapple aguas fresca.

       

The Chips and Salsa:  So the chips seem homemade, thick, crispy, with just slight seasoning and the salsa was obviously homemade.  You could taste the roasted ingredients if you tasted them individually and when you tasted them all together, the flavors meld together like the colors of a Texas sunset overlooking the hill country (yes, just like that).  The salsa was probably the best salsa I've had in quite a long time.  Order it, you won't be sorry.

        The Quesadilla: A pair of homemade, eight inch, griddle toasted, flour tortilla filled with a generous portion of juicy marinated (marinated in what I couldn't tell you) steak and plenty of what I guess was Monterrey Jack cheese, cut into four portions for easy eating and eye catching presentation.  The cheese was gooey, the steak was flavorful and the pico and the guacamole you could tell was made in house.  I'm not sure if the sour cream was made in house as well, but it wouldn't surprise me if it was.  I had the quesadilla's plain and with the sides and I have to say, both were excellent.  If you have little ones that are finicky eaters, the quesadilla will be a very good go-to option.

        The Fish taco: "Grilled Tilapia, with cabbage, mango pico, avocado, cheese, and a chipotle mayo salsa."  I'm not really into cabbage, never really have been, but it worked within this taco, as did all the rest of the ingredients.  I added the juice of the lime wedge that came with the taco and the acid just made the dish that more complete.  The only thing that I wish I would have thought about doing to this taco was to add the spicy mayo sauce that came with my other taco.  I think the spice would have brought the fish taco score to a 10 on a 10 point scale instead of its measly 9 on the same scale.  The numbers just like points on "Who's Line Is It Anyway" doesn't mean anything, except to give some arbitrary reference point of how good the taco was.  I know of at least one pharmacist friend that would absolutely love this taco (Yes, I'm talking to you).

        The Steak Taco with the Works:  The steak was probably the same steak as in the steak quesadilla, so the same great flavor was brought to this taco.  I opted for "the works" which added roasted diced tomatoes, avocado and more cheese to my taco.  In my book, every bit worth the $0.75 and pretty much a no brainer when it comes to up-grades.


        I usually don't talk too much about drinks, but in this case I'll make an exception.  The pineapple aqua fresca quelled my thirst, satiated my sweet craving and gave me plenty of vitamin C (that's the former nutrition major in me).  The frescas are made fresh and the portion size (32 ounces) is well worth the $4. (Sorry I don't have a good picture of the Fresca, but you can see it in the quesadilla picture)

       I really can't say enough good things about this place and its hard for me to think of negatives.  The only negatives I can come up with would be that there is limited space indoors and even more limited space outside on their patio and that the line can become rather long about 25 minutes worth.  So if you're in a hurry for a quick lunch if you're in the area, I'd suggest you call in an order for pick up.  So until next time, I bid y'all happy eating.

-Henry

General Tso 'Boy

General Tso' Boy

11501 Rock Rose Suite 152, Austin, Texas, 78758)

 Tso to get started (see what I did there?).  When my sister told me about a place that sold American Chinese food, I wasn't the least bit intrigued.  But when she said that it was being served as a sandwich, Po' Boy style, my ears perked up like a puppy's when their human is unlocking the door to come home.  General Tso'Boy's web site (http://www.generaltsoboy.com/) states that their concept is American Chinese food adjoined with French bread.  I would say its more of an American Chinese meets Cajun Po' Boy.  It's an interesting concept, one I've definitely never heard of before, so I figured I'd give it a good ole' college try.

     The menu is a bit small, with only five different sandwich choices, four side items, a single dessert and a few beverage options.  I'm not entirely sure which canned, local craft beers are in stock and since I'm not a beer connoisseur, my description of the brew would probably not do them justice.


     I brought along my sister so that I didn't look like a complete glutton eating two sandwiches and a couple of sides alone.  I ordered the signature General Tso's Chicken sandwich with the spicy Szechuan crinkle fries and a cheeseburger spring roll, while my sister ordered the Mapo Tofu sandwich also with the cheeseburger spring roll.

General Tso's Chicken Tso'Boy

    The order was put together and brought out to our table rather quickly, for which I was very appreciative, since I was already pretty famished upon arrival at the restaurant. The general Tso's Chicken tasted exactly how I expected. The added lettuce and mayo made for a lighter less heavy dish, but didn't necessarily add anything to the overall taste.  On the menu, the chicken is described as being somewhat spicy, 1 pepper, but it is anything but.  I did not get a sense the any spiciness from the chicken whatsoever.  Maybe the mayo canceled out the heat or maybe the baguette (sourced by Easy Tiger) neutralized the sensation, but if I had one criticism about the General Tso's Chicken Tso'boy, that would be it.  Though the sandwich itself was decent, it really needed a kick.  A spicy mayo would have done the trick.

MaPo Tofu Tso'Boy

     I not sure how many of you have ever had MaPo tofu, or even heard of the dish before reading this, so let me describe an authentic dish.  Mapo tofu is a Szechuan tofu dish that is comprised of lots and lots of chili spices, fermented black bean curd, garlic, black pepper, green onions and obviously tofu. Characteristically, Mapo tofu can be described as very spicy, while still being very aromatic and flavorful with the tofu described as silky and fresh.  Additionally, ground pork or beef is generally incorporated into the dish.  So with all that being said, this sandwich was the one that made me want to try this restaurant.  I loved this dish growing up as a kid and the same can be said and even more so in my sister's case.
    Unfortunately, I have to report that this sandwich did not meet my obviously high expectations. Though the general flavor is there, the spice and the fragrance is not.  The tofu could have used just a bit more corn starch coating before being fried.  I only say that because it would have added a bit more texture to the sandwich; the baguette itself was soft and the main ingredient was even softer, so there wasn't really any tooth feel when taking a bite.  And just like the General Tso's chicken sandwich, this 2 pepper sandwich (their spiciest on the menu), was lacking of any spice.  They should have renamed it MaLa tofu Tso'Boy.  MaLa tofu, a dish that isn't spicy and is vegetarian/vegan.  I did ask a couple of the employees if this sandwich was vegan, the cook responded "yes", while as the server responded with a "no."  So if you're vegan and want to live a bit on the wild side, order this sandwich.

Cheeseburger Spring Rolls

    I have to say that I did thoroughly enjoy the cheeseburger spring roll.  Even though I would classify it as a cheeseburger egg roll, I guess its really just semantics.  Now don't get me wrong, I thought this was a tasty side dish, but in reality, it tasted like cheeseburger hamburger helper with ground beef added, placed in a egg roll wrapper and deep fried.  If you're not fond of hamburger helper, you probably shouldn't order this.

    I'm only going to barely mention the fries.  The seasoning tasted more of a cajun seasoning instead of an actual Szechun (which again is suppose to be spicy), but they were crispy and who doesn't like crispy crinkle fries anyway? :-)

   Folks there you have it, General Tso'Boy in a nutshell,  a pretty good place for a quick sandwich if you're not much into spicy foods, that has a decent "spring" roll side dish and some fun crinkle fries.

I don't want to make it sound like I didn't like this place (even though after re-reading what I wrote, it seems exactly that way), on the contrary I did.  After all it does serve Americanized Chinese food and trying to compare it to an authentic Chinese restaurant wouldn't be fair.  So until next time, I bid y'all happy eating.

-Henry

Skirted Heiffer - Colorado Springs Day 2

Skirted Heiffer

(204 N Tejon Street, Colorado Springs, CO, 80903)

                What can I say about this place?  It’s small, there’s apparently always a line, and even when you finally do order, and if its later in the afternoon, you’ll still have to wait about 30-35 minutes for your order.  So you’re thinking, “Man alive, waiting for 45 minutes for a burger and fries!?!! Nope, next place.”  Let me tell you my friend, you’d be doing your taste buds a great injustice.  Regardless of the wait and the cramped (real estate agents would consider it “cozy”) quarters, this eatery is not one to pass up. 

               The Skirted Heiffer was the first dining establishment that was recommended to me by my Lyft driver after landing in Colorado Springs.  I have to say, “Well played sir, strong work on the recommendation.” 

                Here’s their story/concept local "grass-fed beef and grass finished beef", eggs from local farmers and even the bread from local sources.  They make their own sauces for crying out loud, homemade house ketchup and homemade “Heiffer Sauce,” more on that later.  Not only do they support the community they believe in those three R’s that we learned as kids (at least while I was a kid) reduce, reuse and recycle.  The owners took this concept to heart and ran with it, just go to their website to learn more www.skirtedheifer.com.  Let’s get onto the most important thing of a food blog…the food (the menu in the pictures below).

 

      Burgers!!! That’s what this place specializes and it doesn’t disappoint.  Instead of ordering one of their “No Brainers,” a choice between seven specialty burgers, I opted to make my own.  Of course I chose a “Skirted Heifer.”  I mean, why would I come to a burger joint that named their restaurant after their signature burger and not choose to order it?  Since I was on vacation, I wasn't really worried about being healthy so I didn’t order the turkey or veggie skirted heifer, though I'm sure they would have been on par with their burger. So I ordered a Skirted Heifer with ketchup, mayo, caramelized onions, shredded lettuce and peach-wood smoked bacon on a garlic focaccia bun.  I also added a side of Belgian Fries and a fountain drink. My goodness this burger was good.  There is something to be said about having fresh, local ingredients and that word is DELICIOUS!
                 Let's start with the bun and go from there.  The Garlic Focaccia bun was surprisingly sturdy, able to take on the mass of the burger, condiments and my added toppings.  The bread was distinctly garlicky, without being too overpowering and thereby not masking the favor of the beef.  I happen to love garlic and to me, the intensity of the garlic flavor was perfect.  The onions were grilled with butter on a flat top griddle and just to the point of caramelization, so they still had a good bite all the while keeping the natural sweetness of the onions.  The bacon was thick, crisp and had a nice hint of smokiness to them.  Though I've never consumed anything that was smoked by Peachwood before, I'm going to assume the sweet and yet soft smoke flavor that I was able to isolate was from being smoked with the Peachwood.  Now for the skirt.  If you've been wondering what a "skirt" has anything to do with a burger, here's the scoop.  To create a "skirt", you top a burger with a bunch of cheddar cheese on a hot griddle, through some water around the burger so it steams and immediately cover it with a lid.  What transpires is what you see after removing the lid and letting the cheese cool.
                  The beef patty...oh the patty...I can't find anything negative to say about the patty.  The beef was tender, seasoned masterfully and not by any means dry.  The 1/3 pound (I'm not really sure about the actual weight since they don't mention the size anywhere on the menu or in the store itself) of beef basically melted upon contact with your tongue and coated it with a deluge of piquancy.
I have to say, this burger ranks as one of the top three burgers that I've ever had, which includes burgers from fancier restaurants that charge three times the price.
                 I probably should have went with a more adventurous selection, but I played it safe (which I kinda regret) and went with the Belgian Fries instead of the Sweet Potato Fries that the Skirted Heiffer offered.  Not that the fries weren't good, they were.  They tasted like french fries, nothing less, but nothing really more.  After tasting the burger and I was kinda expecting the fries to have had something done to them to make them stand out from other fresh cut fries that I've tried.  What I can say is that, though the fries were a bit regular, the homemade ketchup and Heiffer sauces were excellent. In fact they were so complementary to the fries that I almost want to assume that the fries were purposely left bland to enhance the deliciousness of the sauces.  I obviously do not have any proof of that assumption, but its what I want to believe.   Anyway, the ketchup was peppery, smokey, tangy, sweat and salty all at once.  The Heiffer sauce, I was originally hesitant to try, but did so for science.  The Heiffer sauce is a combination of their homemade ketchup, mayonnaise and pickle juice.  I had never even heard of such a concoction, let alone seen or tried it, maybe its just a Colorado thing, who knows.  But the Heiffer sauce was amazing.

Take all the descriptors of the ketchup, but now add a smoothness that came from the mayonnaise and a tartness from the pickle juice.  I have a bunch of flavor profiles stored and taking up more memory in my head than it probably should, but I never thought of putting those flavors together.  I know that they work together since I like pickles, but I never would have thought to add pickle juice to mayo and ketchup.  Brilliant, just brilliant.
                In a nutshell, this 1000+ word conglomeration of a blog is trying to say is, go check out the Skirted Heiffer if you're ever in Colorado Springs, you won't be sorry.  So until next time, I bid y'all happy eating.

-Henry

Galleria Umberto Rosticceria - Boston Day 3

Galleria Umberto Rosticceria

(289 Hanover Street, Boston, MA 02113)

                Day three of my Boston trip and basically my last day in the area/city/state brought a great many sites to behold.  I started the day off at the Boston Aquarium, walked over to take a gander at the Museum of Science, hiked over to Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital to visit a new friend, trekked to the Museum of Fine Art …oh and somewhere in there I so happened to find a fantastic local hole-in-the-wall little Italian Restaurant in Little Italy; Galleria Umberto Rosticceria.  I guess from my mastery of the Italian language, “Rosticceria” meant that it was some sort of Italian deli, “Galleria” probably meaning a display of some sort and “Umberto,” the original owner’s name.  So in my mind “Galleria Umberto Rosticceria” = Umberto’s Italian displayed Deli.  Hold your applause you don’t have to be awed by my astute understanding of Italian, it’s just what I do.         

     

                                                                                                                                                                                The first thing you notice is that there’s a line.  It’s 12:15 on a Thursday afternoon and the line is just about out the door.  Fortunately for me, I got there just before the line actually made it out the door and along the sidewalk.  Secondly, the smells… oh the aromas.  This little joint smelled like what most people (myself included) would think a mom and pop Italian place would smell like.  I didn’t know what everything was on the menu, or in the display counter, so I decided to get one of each and figure it out myself. 

      Let the festa begin…yes I spelled that corrected “feast” in Italian is apparently spelled “festa.”  The guy behind the counter, whom I could only assume was part owner kindly asked for my order and when I told him that I was from Texas and came to Umberto’s to have authentic Italian food, a smile appeared on his 50-60 year old worn face that span ear to ear.  I ordered one of everything, but sadly he had just run out of the Paninis so I had to go without.  So the list of players on my tray of goodness: a Sicilian Pizza Slice, Pizzette, Panzarotti, Arancini, and a Calzone.

The pizza slice was Sicilian Style and with just cheese as the topping.  Don't mistake this as just your plan Jane ordinary slice of pizza, this my friend, was a work of pizza art.  Though unassuming, the bread was soft, airy, had a hint of olive oil and herbs and was cooked though well enough to have a nice crispy outside layer.  The cheese was flavorful, I wouldn't have been surprised if the cheese was made from scratch in house or from a neighboring deli, but I'd like to think that they made the mozzarella in the back everyday...kinda gives it more of an rustic mom and pop feel.

     The Pizzette (picture above) was as tasty as it is hard to pronounce for an Asian ESL elementary student. This was comprised of a baked pretzel stuffed with rolled up pastrami, cured ham and what I presume as their homemade mozzarella.  It was a bit salty, but just barely.

    The Panzarotti was a lightly battered and deep fried oblong shaped amalgamation of mashed potatoes, mozzarella and rosemary.  You would think that this would be greasy and pretty hard to stomach, but the potatoes were buttery, creamy and seasoned very well with salt, pepper and rosemary.  In the middle of all of it was melted mozzarella that gave it a bit more of a tooth feel that worked quite nicely.  And the breading wasn't greasy, but crispy and crunchy at the same time.

    I had to ask another patron which dish was the Aranciini (picture to the left).  From what they told me and what I could gather from inspecting experiencing its composition, its a well seasoned deep fried rice (maybe risotto) ball stuffed with mozzarella, beautifully seasoned pulled pork, and peas.  I've never heard of such and animal before, but I'm glad I had the opportunity to have my cranial nerves VII and IX stimulated to allow me to perceive the pleasantly palatable item.

The last item on my rather large plate was the .Spinach, Cheese and Sausage Calzone.  Umberto's used the same pretzel shell as they did for the Pizzette and stuffed it with a large helping of spinach, mozzarella and Italian sausage.  Though it was good, I do believe that it could have used a bit more salt.  The only salt came in the form of the salt located on the outside of the breading.  This lead to a sort of bland tasting, albeit moist, spinach filling.  The Italian sausage was barely noticeable.  Quite frankly the calzone was a bit of a let down compared to the other four dishes that I was lucky enough to sample.  
    So upon doing a bit more research on Galleria Umberto, apparently they are only open for lunch and only until everything runs out.  So I want to thank the food gods (if there are such things) for the good fortune of me finding the place and finding it when everything wasn't already sold.  If you happen to get a chance to find yourself in "Lil Italy" in the North End of Boston and its lunch time, you should really...REALLY...consider stopping at Galleria Umberto Rosticceria for a bit of authentic Italian cuisine. 
   So until next time folks, I bid y'all happy eating.
-Henry