Best yuca dish in Cambridge/Somerville (fried or otherwise)?

[bella_sarda]

Also interested in places that serve yuca in other close-in neighborhoods, such as downtown, Allston, JP, Brookline. Still trying to match some fried yuca with hot salsa verde I had in Baltimore many years ago at a Peruvian hole-in-the-wall.

[foodieB]

Best Yucca I ever had was just steamed in Coconut milk and eaten as a snack. Healthy and tasty.

[itaunas]

Both Izzys and Taqueria Tapatio (Cambridge, Somerville) have excellent Yucca. They often have it prepared rather than fried to order, but sell a lot. The latter has some decent salsas, but I have never had sauced fried yucca.

If you would like a different preparation, I would keep your eye out for the brazilian dish "vaca atolada" (cow stuck in a mud) which is short ribs cooked with yucca into a thick broth. The version that is served on lunch buffets is a bit variable, but I might suggest Churrasco Buffet and Grill on Medford St which I recall as having a decent version (they serve it on the buffet on a certain day, but I need to check which).

Oasis does an excellent job with their appetizers and this tends to be overlooked -- they have several plates that come with fried yucca. The combo plate comes with a bit of everything, but my favorites from it are the torresmos (fresh fried pork rinds) and the carne seca (dried beef). All of the bars have small plates with yucca and Midwest Grill does nice combinations of diced churrasco meat with fried yucca pretty inexpensively. They should have hot sauce if you ask and I would request some "vinaigrette" (a salsa made with tomatoes, garlic, green peppers, vinegar, etc). Samba Bar and Grill on Somerville ave also has good small plates with yucca, but go early unless you want a night club.

Update: Oasis has oxtail on their buffet Tuesdays and I have had an excellent oxtail + yucca dish, but it is more commonly made with potatoes and that is what they usually have.

[horrible]

I've had good fried Yucca at La Casa De Pedro over in watertown and Muqueca in Cambridge.

[hiddenboston]

Another place to go for it is La Casa De Pedro in Watertown. The yucca is very good there, as is nearly everything else there.

[bella_sarda]

Thanks for the recs. I've got to get over to Rincon Limeno. I also hear the ceviche there is amazing. I just realized, though, that Macchu Picchu in Union Square must have it, but I haven't been there yet.

FYI: I *did* know how to pronounce it, but thanks for the info anyway. I might not have! I also know that it can be spelled either with only one "c" or with two. Most likely the spelling varies regionally??

[gini]

I had always thought the yucca was a plant while the yuca was cassava, or the potato bearing one.

[eatanddestroy]

The best fried yuca that I have had in Boston is at La Pupusa Guanaca in JP.

[Bostonbob3]

Not to sound too much like a know-it-all (although, of course I do know it all), it's pronounced "you-ka," not "yuck-a."

[galleygirl]

How could you tell how he was pronouncing it?

BTW, there is stewed yucca most days at Cafe Miami in the South End...and I'll second the fabulous fried at Rincon Limeno.

[Bostonbob3]

I wasn't speaking of the OP. Just in general. Most people call it "yuck-a." Which is such an insult to the poor thing.

That, and he's from Cambridge. (That's a Boston joke, so don't flame me.:))

[Rubee]

I'll third the yucca at Rincon Limeno though it's in East Boston (and I don't know anybody that pronounces it "yuck-a").

[maillard]

I have been looking for yuca con mojo criollo. Any cuban restaurants around here that might have that?

[Luther]

Izzy's in Cambridge?

[MichaelB]

Does Eastie count as close-in? Rincon Limeno has excellent fried yucca sticks, along with excellent salsas (not verde, as I recall, more of a rocotillo salsa, mmm).