2008 Woodie Awards
Put it Plain-ly: Jamaican plans for the weekend
Kasey Fielding, Beacon Explorer
Issue date: 10/9/08 Section: Lifestyle
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The Jackson three places to eat
El Oriental de Cuba fancies itself “a little piece of Cuba in Jamaica Plain,” and once inside, it feels as close to Havana as Boston could muster. The 90-seat dining room is decorated with photographs of local people and places in Cuba, maps of the country, cultural artifacts and framed and labeled photos of many dishes.
Their extensive menu includes breakfast staples—served daily until noon—like eggs with sausage, bacon or ham; authentic Cuban sandwiches, daily specials and unique tropical shakes. The entrees range from $9.95 for various chicken dishes, to $22.95 for an impressive lobster tail and shrimp in spicy sauce.
All entrees are served with rice and beans, and a choice of tostones, (fried green plantains), maduros (sweet fried ripe plantains) or boring old french fries. Try the tostones and a beef or crab empanada; both are large-sized side orders that are cheap and delicious. The friendly staff won’t make fun of you if you try to order in broken Spanish, and you’ll fall in love with them even more when they bring over their tasty Spanish custard (flan) for dessert, at only two bucks apiece.
For a never-ending brunch menu with more than a dozen varieties of pancakes (blueberry-hazelnut and pistachio) and french toast (peanut butter-banana and cornbread), try tucked-away Sorella’s. On a weekend morning be prepared to wait outside for upwards of a half-hour. A surly woman with a clipboard will put your name on the list.
The walls, covered in colorful paper, offer even more menu choices—customers who frequent this pancake paradise are given the chance to make up their own special creation and share it with other breakfast enthusiasts. Open daily from 7 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Sorella’s is an affordable but cash-only spot.
La Pupusa Guanaca is simple both inside and out, with a dimly-lit exterior and a small, cramped dining space. With only a few tables and a smattering stools against the window, La Pupusa isn’t exactly the best place for dining in. But the small menu, displayed on a bilingual blackboard above the counter, offers cheap and delicious Salvadoran selections. The empanadas are tasty and affordable at $1.50 apiece, and everything is made fresh-to-order. This can sometimes cause a little bit of a wait, but the friendly staff and bright decorations help make the wait a little more bearable.
More than a Margarita
The abundance of take-out options in around JP is a blessing if you stumble across the Brendan Behan Pub, next door to La Pupusa Guanaca. The Behan is a bar, and only a bar, with no food menu available. They do, however, encourage you to bring in your own dinner. The Behan is a relaxing location to gather with friends or settle in with your laptops, with free Wi-Fi and the freedom to bring along dog, with water bowls available. Live rock and traditional Irish music serve as the main entertainment in this space, which is devoid of televisions.
If you’re craving a more traditional club scene and a place to get your dance on, hit up the Midway Café, which features either live music or a guest DJ and is open until 2 a.m. every night. Check out their Web site’s calendar for monthly events. One of the best is Thursday night Queeraoke, described as “a night of dancing, singing, costumes, wigs and more.” Cringe and Nerd Nite are two other monthly events, both of which originated in New York City clubs, and were brought to Boston by some of their regular performers.
Cringe is a reading series in which people get up and read from their high school diaries and journals, revealing embarrassing and often hilarious stories. Nerd Nite brings together local students and anyone else to give lectures and PowerPoint presentations on anything from the philosophy of “The Simpsons” to the mating rituals of ants.
Doyle’s Café is a semi-famous Boston bar, playing host to both movie scenes from Mystic River and Celtic Pride, to mayoral patrons, since the early 1900s. Operating as a speakeasy during Prohibition, Doyle’s has been slinging draft beers ever since, along with their famous corned beef and cabbage dinner served every Thursday. St. Patrick’s Day is huge at this place, since it boasts bagpipers playing all day and a long wait to get in for the only non-Thursday serving of corned beef.
Mayor Thomas Menino had a room dedicated to him to mark 10 years of service as mayor of Boston, and just about every mayor before him since John “Honey Fitz” Fitzgerald in the 1910’s has been spotted here.
Boomerang back to the rhythm
Second-hand resale store Boomerangs stocks a large selection of gently used clothes, housewares, furniture, jewelry, books and knick-knacks. The endless racks and several rooms full of hidden treasures make it easy to load up a bag and feel like you’re spending more than you should on used dining sets and funky paintings. But spend assured: every dollar is going straight to the AIDS Action Committee of Massachusetts.
Donations of housewares and clothing can be dropped off either at the store or at their donation center near the Samuel Adams Brewery, and they’ll come pick up your old furniture from your apartment, free of charge.
Book and music shop Rhythm & Muse has its fair share of hidden gems as well. Located in what looks like the first floor of someone’s humble house, Rhythm & Muse is a small, tightly-stocked store filled with both new and used music on CDs, vinyl and cassettes as well as books of all genres. Its small selection forces them to sell more unique and quality items, and the friendly staff members are happy to answer any questions. With a used book section toting titles as low as a dollar, Rhythm & Muse is the perfect place to find quick and quirky gifts for a friend.
Arbore-ing happy days
The outdoorsy type will find more excitement at the Arnold Arboretum, the perfect place to take in some fresh air. The oldest public tree museum in North America, this Harvard-owned park is one of the largest and most well-loved in Boston and Brookline’s Emerald Necklace. The Necklace, a 7-mile long chain of parks stretching from Boston Common to Franklin Park (near the Zoo), stretches across more than 1,000 acres. The 265-acre Arboretum was established in 1872 as a public park and a research facility for the study and preservation of hundreds of species of plants. Today, the Arboretum provides a relaxing backdrop for people walking their dogs, lounging in the grass or taking some photographs of New England’s fantastic fall foliage. But don’t plan on a picnic in this park, though; picnicking is only allowed on the second Sunday each May. The Arnold Arboretum is open daily from dawn until dusk.
El Oriental De Cuba
416 Centre St.
(617) 524-6464
Sorella’s
388 Centre St.
(617) 524-2016
La Pupusa Guanaca
378 Centre St.
(617) 524-4900
Brendan Behan Pub
378 Centre St.
(617) 522 5386
Midway Café
3496 Washington St.
617 524-9038
Doyle’s Café
3484 Washington St.
(617)-524-2345
Boomerangs
716 Centre St.
(617) 524-5120
Rhythm & Muse
470 Centre St.
(617) 524-6622
Arnold Arboretum
125 Arborway
(617) 524-1718
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