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| Fry of the day |
As we kick of our 11th year of RC, have crowned January as “reunion month.” Last January we went back to one of the 12 restaurants we went to in year one, and this year we revisited year two restaurants (aka 2007). Unfortunately, four of the restaurants are no longer with us (Sandrine’s Bistro, Pulcinella, Forrest Cafe, and Vlora). The vote came down to these eight:
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| Grilled octopus |
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| Whole wheat pappardelle |
I can’t remember who picked Golden Temple, but it is safe to say that our tastes have evolved in the past 10 years. There were votes for 51 Lincoln, Punjab, and Brookline Family Restaurant, but the winner was Green Street. I felt a little bad voting for Green Street because I go there a lot, but it is my favorite place in Central Square and several people in the group had never eaten there.
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| Tea smoked duck breast |
Green Street is a restaurant that has “been serving its neighbors since the Greet Depression.” Apparently it is the proud owner of the city’s longest standing liquor license. And I can personally attest to the fact that they put that liquor license to good use…they make a fabulous cocktail, my favorite being the Bohemian. It has an unassuming presence on the outside — for a long time the only sign was the big Budweiser sign atop the building. But inside it is warm and cozy, a place I am proud to have in my neighborhood.
I was having such a nice time at dinner that I forgot to take notes! Or perhaps it was too many Bohemians. We started with the lobster and corn fritters, the chips and dip, the “fry of the day” (arancini), and the grilled octopus. I took a fuzzy photo of the starters menu so I can’t provide much more detail about what we ordered, other than that they were yum-o.
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| Mac & cheese, Brussels & bacon |
While I am a frequent flyer at Green Street, I don’t regularly order dishes from the dinner menu. Plus it’s always hard for me to pick just one thing! I think I was waffling between the grilled hanger steak, the roasted 1/2 chicken, the mac & cheese, and what I ultimately decided on…the whole wheat pappardelle with mild mushrooms, shaved Brussels sprouts, whole grain mustard, and poached egg. I made a good choice, and I also got to try some of the duck and the macaroni & cheese (with tomato, bacon, aged grafton cheddar, and herb bread crumbs) and the duck. The duck was a popular choice at the table, a tea smoked duck breast with wild rice, charred escarole, and cherry demi-glace. We also got some sides to share, the Brussels sprouts and bacon, sweet plantain and smoked ketchup, and fried yuca and spicy aioli.
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| A sweet finish |
For dessert we ordered the chocolate chili mousse with vanilla whipped green and the tres leches with toasted coconut and dulce de leche. They were both tasty, but not super memorable. I believe there was one comment that the tres leches could have had more leche, perhaps it needed quattro leches.
All in all, a warm, comfort-y meal…perfect for January, and perfect for kicking off another delicious year of RC!
The damage
$72 per person
The rundown
Green Street Grill
280 Green Street, Cambridge
Kara Cooks and Eats 