Okay, maybe some of these are a teensy bit of a stretch in the newbie category, but hey, I’ve got spring onions. It takes us a while to make the rounds.
Jae’s-(former Meju space) not an overall newbie, of course. I like what they’ve done with the space, although perhaps they haven’t done much- I’d only been in Meju once and it was years ago. Had lunch here recently and got the lunch special bento box with bulgogi. This was standard fare, nothing earth shattering, but tasty. I could have used a bit more crispness with the included won tons. My friend got the soon jigae lunch portion, which she liked but I did not try.
Mortedella Head (former Delilicious space). They’ve been open long enough for the sandwich prices on my take out menu to have all gone up between $2-3 each and to now be in the $13-14 range. I still think their sandwiches are a decent value, since they come with house made potato chips and either giardiniera or “pasta with beans” which is actually a soup, and should be called “tiny plastic cup of minestrone.” We liked most of the sandwiches we ordered. Some could use a little spicing up, but that’s what hot sauce is for. The Thanksgiving sandwich with deep fried stuffing (!) and cranberry sauce was a particular hit with the spring onions. I preferred the one with pastrami and mortadella called the Guigene. We haven’t tried their pizzas yet, because, well, holy pizza overload.
Genki Ya- former Diva space- also not all that new. Finally ended up here, having liked their multigrain and brown rice sushi from both the Brookline and Fresh Pond locations for years. The hospitality and service here was excellent- it bears mention that the manager was literally greeting regulars from off the street through the open front windows and was incredibly solicitious to our spring onion who was suffering from Meltdown. I tried a cocktail and was disappointed in the syrupy-unbalanced sweet concoction with no garnish that I received. Oh, well. Live and learn. We got an assortment of rolls and some gyoza and the sweet potato fries. Everything was good; nothing was spectacular. I mean, personally, even mediocre sushi is a treat for me. So we were happy and felt well-cared for, if not exactly awed by the actual fish.
Revival- former Subway space- I’ve written up my meals here elsewhere, but wanted to just put in another plug for their coffee and on-tap sparkling water. I’ve been underwhelmed by their baked goods compared to my fond memories of Crema’s, but the salads I’ve had have been excellent, and I generally like the space, especially the outdoor seating.
On my list to get to soon: whatever replaced the Joshua Tree. Maybe. If and when I feel like spending $17 on a Reuben.
