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itaunas
Jun 10, 2010 06:28 AM
I really enjoy lunching in Everett and gimlis1mum has hit on several of my favorites. Traffic can be a real drag, particularly on Broadway, followed by Chelsea, Ferry, and 2nd. Main St is a bit better, but a lot of it depends on where you are so consider your time and geography when selecting. Most of the Brazilian places deliver with a single plate of the day order which can help if you have a time crunch some day. There are lots of threads on Malden options, which is close if you are on Main, parts of Ferry and Broadway.
With Broadway Cafe the "lanches" are good, but I prefer their "PF" (prato feito) which is just a simple plate of rice, beans, your choice of meat. You can get a thin steak, chicken breast, shrimp, or a mixture. Their salgadinhos are probably more consistent than Bread and Co (which has selection and atmosphere, but I am usually pretty disappointed). Also consider bread with mortadella for breakfast and a vitamina (shake), including "abacate" or avocado if you want something specifically different from American tastes.
Cake and Cia on Main St at the Belmont St end also does a good PF and they whip up different bakery things which are good both savory (biscoitos de povilho) and sweet (various cakes with coconut). If you have time to order ahead they can do some more iteresting dishes (bahian and mineiro plates), but that is better with a couple of people or for dinner. I think only the husband speaks English and not certain how much. They also do juices, fresh bread with mortadela, but not a big fan of their salgadinhos.
Oliveira's is probably the most reliable per-lb buffet place, with reasonable churrasco (gas grilled). I like Pampas on Broadway after Ferry (near the Malden line) for churrasco more than Brazilian Country/Cafe Belo/Picanha's which are bit inconsistent (Belo last I was there was more consistent), but at Pampas go for the meat only and not the buffet. If you are near that end of town (Ferry near Broadway or anywhere near rt 60), Panificadora Modelo is a bit before Picanha's and a decent full service bakery (closed Mondays?). Brazil on Ferry is ok for delivery.
Abbondanza is my favorite sit-down lunch and I prefer it to the Pasta Market, but that is another good suggestion and easy. I think both close Mondays (?). At Abbondanza I usually go for the grilled calamari with vinegar peppers (a special, but they will make it even if not on the menu), sausage and rapi, pork chops... I have had good seafood, but on a recent visit that was a bit of a mixed bag.
Regina's on Main changed hands recently, but still has a good selection of cold cuts and would be my place for sandwiches. Across from Regina's/Abbondanza is a place which I think has ok steak tips, there is a Haitian bakery/restaurant which seemed fine when it opened, and I haven't seen anyone mention trying Rex Caffe but its moroccan owned.
Bella Isla is pretty reasonable (Puerto Rican, but I prefer some Dominican restaurants a bit further away) and easy to get to on 2nd st. Definitely order the caribbean dishes and not the daily American specials.
Instead of Floramos go a bit further to the New Bridge, but if you are there a few weeks Chelsea is worth a visit: Arthurs, Katz, El Charrito (across from Pollo Campero), and El Chalan are pretty close but traffic can be a bit of a drag unless you scoot around it. Its a bit further, but at Webster and Broadway (pretty easy access from Ferry/Union) gets you the small dominican place (Latino Restaurant or some common name like that) and Las Carnitas de Monte Cristo.
I have done the converse of gimlis1mum at Super Burritos -- having the plates, rather than burritos. They do a decent job on Salvadoran basics, but you can do a lot better in Chelsea. But its worth going there. I think they are also better than the taco joint on Norwood. Avoid the salvadoran fried chicken, though. Cancun has changed hands since I was there, but wasn't that great before. On Norwood there are some options for fried seafood and roast beef, although I prefer Mikes on 99 so its been ages since I have tried any of those.
There are a lot of pizza options, including Brazilian (Chriscilla's is probably the best in the area, but is an acquired taste and the crust leaves much to be desired). Abbondanza is pretty decent, one of the places I liked on Ferry changed hands, but not really certain where to steer you. The sicilian pizza joint on Broadway is decent (north of Broadway Cafe, south of McKinnon's) and also ok for hot subs.
Out of pure curiosity, does the Silver Fox still have its takeout/delivery kitchen open on 2nd st (the back entrance)? Their food was decent ages ago, but it hard to imagine them remaining open because nobody could find it.
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Pasta Market Cafe
237 Ferry St, Malden, MA 02148Floramo's
213 Everett Ave, Chelsea, MA 02150Panificadora Modelo
508 Medford St, Somerville, MAPollo Campero
115 Park St, Chelsea, MA 02150Oliveira's Restaurant
150 Main St, Peabody, MA 01960Silver Fox Restaurant
530 2nd St, Everett, MA 02149Bella Isla Cafe
220 2nd St, Chelsea, MA 02150›1 Reply-
re: itaunas
Thank you for the great number and specificity of the recs.
Had coffee and pastries at Rex Cafe yesterday. Deliciious fillo triangles folded around almond paste/semolina? He's been open just three weeks, has "Moroccan sandwiches" as well as pastry (not sure what these are, no menu) but no cooked food yet--no kitchen.
The coffee was good there, and even better next door, at the Marrakech, where I was the only woman among tables of men playing board games and watching TV. That's the kind of place where there's just one cooked thing behind the counter that everyone's eating. The other week it was small whole fish--trout size, but I wasn't hungry enough for that.
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I really like the Brazilian sandwiches at Broadway Cafe. You wouldn't think that mushy peas, corn, and an egg would taste good on a burger but it works. my favorites are the X-Chicken (chicken breast, ham, cheese, corn, peas, and potato sticks) and the X-Salad (burger, ham, cheese, corn, peas etc.). They also have good cakes (though most of them are pretty sweet) and pastries.
For Italian, Abbondanza on Main Street is wonderful. The homemade pasta from Lilly's (a little farther up Main St) is great too - love their meat ravioli. If you venture just a bit farther into Malden, try Pasta Market Cafe on Ferry St. too. More good homemade pasta, yum. For dessert, I prefer the Elm Street Bakery (located on - surprise! Elm Street) to Continental Bakery on Main St., but some of my friends really like Continental.
We get burritos from Super Burrito on Ferry St and enjoy them, but haven't explored the other menu items.
Also, if you're in the mood for some soul food, Taste of Soul on Ferry St. (Malden/Everett line) is pretty good.
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Pasta Market Cafe
237 Ferry St, Malden, MA 02148Main Street Cafe
85 Main St, Woonsocket, RI 02895›1 Reply-
re: gimlis1mum
Forgot to say, yeah Dempsey's, loved the grilled muffins. And the one place that I would avoid is Sei Bar, at least for their Thai food; we had takeout once and it was dreadful. Hubby and I agreed that it was the most depressing meal we'd ever eaten. I didn't even save the leftover.
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Don't miss Dempsey's while you are here! (right in the square) If you go in the morning, expect a crowd, but it's worth the wait! They have awesome lunches and salads, too. Be sure to note, some days they close at 3pm, and they aren't open for dinner.
Just 5 minutes down the road (Chelsea)is Floramos, famous for meat falling off the bone. Get the chicken Parmesan. It is huge, but you can order it in a lunch size,too.
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Floramo's
213 Everett Ave, Chelsea, MA 02150
