September RC – Loretta’s Last Call

Loretta’s

When Jerel picked this month’s RC, I had never heard of it! I knew it was near Fenway, but couldn’t place it…turns out it is where La Verdad used to be. And it looks totally different – bye bye awkwardly shaped tiki bar! 

Pimento and bacon grilled cheese

We had a couple of RC firsts this month…all of our appetizers were comp’d, and the chef gave us a free dessert (gluten-free chocolate cake). Also, we accidentally shorted the bill. We worked so hard to try to calculate the tip based on what the bill should have been that we forgot to cover Jimmy’s portion (he was on call and had to leave early). We realized what we did after we were all home, so we called the restaurant to apologize and explain and I dropped off the money we owed a couple of days later. We felt REALLY BAD.

As for those free appetizers, we ordered a bunch! The pimento and bacon grilled cheese bites were probably my favorite…described by someone at the table as “Oh shit. This is delicious.” I also loved the honey bourbon butter that came with the hush puppies, and the collards that came with the lobster grit cakes. We also tried the fried pickles and jalapenos and the Frito nachos….because if there are Frito nachos on the menu, you just have to try them.

Buttermilk fried chicken

Chicken and waffles

When you go, ask for Lauren – she was super awesome and spot-on with her recommendations. She described the differences between the different fried chickens on the menu. Loretta’s classic southern is standard fried chicken. Erica’s buttermilk is first marinated in buttermilk, then dipped in herbs before frying. The Hot chicken is first rubbed with cayenne pepper. Lauren’s personal favorite is the chicken and waffles (which is boneless chicken!). I got the buttermilk fried chicken and a side of loaded mash…fantastic. The loaded mash is “loaded in the right way”, with bacon, cheddar, scallions, and caramelized onions. Aka crack in a cup. Unfortunately I was already pretty full from all of the appetizers, but I don’t say no to leftovers (and everything reheated pretty well). 

Jerel was the winner winner chicken (waffle) dinner…I think the boneless fried chicken gave it the edge over the others. A couple of people managed to resist the lure of the fried chicken, and one tried the housemade andouille sausage and one tried the brisket plate. We also got some biscuits and gravy and collard greens for the table. I wish I could learn how to cook collards like that!

The damage
$40 each (but ALL of our appetizers were comp’d)

The rundown
Loretta’s Last Call
1 Lansdowne Street, Boston
@LorettasTweetin