Blogs

YUM: A Taste of Immigrant City advances the work of The Welcome Project while supporting immigrant owned businesses. This YUM blog highlights many of the immigrant owned food establishments in Somerville, MA.

Masala Indian and Napali, Teele Square (617) 718-0703 11:00 am - 10:45 pm Seven days a week masalasomerville.com/

By Sumana Shrestha

As we entered Masala, I immediately noticed the calm ambience, enticing aroma, and the beautiful paintings from Nepal and India - which provided glimpse of traditional Nepal and India. The seating arrangement was comfortable and I was craving to try the food!

I had read numerous positive reviews about Masala’s “Palak Paneer” - a vegetarian Indian dish made of Indian farmer’s cheese and spinach, and I was eager to try Masala's take on this dish. Masala’s Palak Paneer exceeded my expectation. The dish was  rich in taste and texture. The “Paneer” (Indian farmer’s cheese) was just cooked right and was in good proportion with the Palak (spinach). I devoured it with white rice.

Istanbu'lu Turkish, Teele Square (630) 440 7387 Tues 5 pm-10 pm Wed-Fri 11 am-10 pm Sat 10 am-10 pm Sun 10 pm-9 pm www.istanbul-lu.com

by Liana Fedele

Don’t let its size fool you.  About a year and a half old, tiny Istanbul’lu packs huge Turkish flavors into its entire menu.

Located in Teele Square, Istanbul’lu owner and chef Huseyin Akgun serves up what he says could have found in his mother’s kitchen back in Turkey.  And while the fare at Istanbul’lu is traditional, Akgun’s personal history of global travel lends his food a unique twist.  In addition to a section of full-size entrees, the menu includes hot and cold tapas, a Spanish style of serving a variety of small plates instead of one larger meal.  Akgun says that this addition to the menu has encouraged his customers to take a meal slowly and enjoy a conversation instead of focusing on the meal in front of them.

Chef Akgun says that newspaper reviews have helped him stay connected to a loyal Boston-area group of customers

Spanish tapas culture aside, if you’re feeling rusty on your Turkish history look no further than the bright green walls of the restaurant.  From a kilij, a type of saber dating back to the Ottoman Empire of the 15th century, to a bağlama, a type of stringed instrument found along the Silk Road, there’s no shortage of interesting artifacts and art to be found.  When I asked the waitstaff about a few of these decorations they didn’t hesitate to provide me with some interesting stories to accompany my meal.

Highlighting the international flavors of immigrant-run Somerville restaurants, The Welcome Project today released the 2012 YUM Restaurant Card. Supporting the ongoing work this Somerville non-profit, the YUM Restaurant Card and April 25, 2012 celebration feature the multicultural cuisine of Somerville while strengthening the voices of immigrant families across the city.

Ronnarong Thai Tapas Thai, Union Square www.ronnarongthai.com (617) 625-9296 M-Th, 11:30am-10:00pm F-Sa, 11:30am-10:30pm

Ronnarong Saksua has been the chef at 255 Washington Street for over a decade. In 2009, The Great Thai Chef restaurant was revitalized and reopened to the public with a new look, a new menu, and a new name: Ronnarong Thai Tapas.

Owner Henry Patterson is passionate about supporting Somerville’s local economy and helped Chef Ronnie take on the task of revamping his business. Patterson describes Ronnie’s food as a means of “personal expression” for the chef, while Ronnie himself claims “creativity is the most important thing a chef must have.” Each dish is infused with Ronnie’s personality and stays true to the traditional flavor profile of Thai cuisine, which focuses on balancing five tastes: sweet, spicy, sour, salty, and bitter.

By Amy Bean

Taco Loco Mexican Grill Mexican, East Somerville tacolocomexican.com 617-625-3830 Taquería Tapatío Mexican Grill Mexican, East Somerville 617-625-4119

Traveling down Broadway in East Somerville, you might notice similarities in the food at Taquería Tapatío Mexican Grill at 82A and Taco Loco Mexican Grill at 44. Over sixteen years ago, Benjamin and Jessica Morales saw a need for Latino restaurants in their community and decided to begin their journey as restaurant owners.

The Morales’ take great pride in being able to offer a family-friendly space for families in Tapatío, but are clearly also keen on the needs of the local professional or passerby looking for a quick and delicious take-out option, hence Taco Loco’s take-out friendly setup and location near Sullivan Square. The duo has been working together through thick and thin, overcoming a fire in Tapatío four years ago. Another twist? Benjamin is a traveling priest, which makes it even more of a hectic balance.

By Evan Winter

Pescatore Italian, Ball Square www.pescatoreseafood.com (617) 623-0003 T-Sa, 4:00pm-10:00pm Su, 4:00pm-9:00pm

Pescatore is an Italian restaurant that was built in the place of an old fish market. At the main entrance on Boston Avenue, the brightly lit kitchen is filled with busy chefs at work, preparing meals and doing take out orders. The main dining room is located down the side street (which the owner, Ana, told me confuses some people, who open the kitchen door only to be directed down the block). At first glance, one can see that the windows are decorated with wooden shutters, and, in my case, pumpkins, which were also on display because of the fall season. When I entered the restaurant, I noticed a fairly large dining area to the right, and a small bar area to the left.

Interior shot from their website

While I spoke to Ana, the owner of the restaurant, she told me a little about her approach to keeping the interior so clean; keep it simple and not overly decorated! The restaurant itself may not be adorned with numerous decorations, but at the same time it has a sophisticated atmosphere, with some paintings spread around the dark yellow walls. The restaurant is very spacious, while not being too noisy, keeping customers relaxed.

Yak & Yeti Nepali and Indian, Ball Square www.yakandyeticafe.com (617) 384-6227 11:00am-10:00pm seven days a week

by Alexanne Neff

The sleek and modern interior of Yak and Yeti, located in Ball Square in Somerville, is not what you think of when you think of an authentic Nepali and Indian restaurant. There are no Hindu gods and goddesses adorning the walls, no images of traditional Nepali life. Instead, owner Amrit Thakali has chosen to concentrate on making his food as authentic and delicious as possible. And boy did he succeed.

Amrit Thakali was born in the western part of Nepal. After moving to Los Angeles in 1998 he eventually found his way to Punjab Restaurant in Arlington, MA. Though in Nepal he had been a soldier, Amrit was successful at the restaurant business in the United States, and moved quickly from becoming manager at Punjab Restaurant to opening his first restaurant in Alston/Brighton called Mount Everest Kitchen. The success of this business prompted him to open Yak and Yeti in Somerville and to concentrate on Nepali food.

Pastelaria Victoria Broadway Brazilian, East Somerville 192 Broadway Somerville, MA 02145 (617) 776-4303 Accepts credit cards, will deliver

by Alicia Chatterjee
La Pastelaria Victoria Broadway is in East Somerville, across McGrath Highway, but a little before the thick of the restaurants and stores that cluster further down Broadway. The store has a complete menu with sandwiches, salads, and deserts and already-made treats at the counter. There is also a small section where customers can buy a variety of convenience-store goods like packaged foods and cosmetic products.

Panificadora Modelo Bakery Brazilian, Magoun Square 508 Medford St., Somerville MA 02145 (617) 625-2868 Mon-Sat 6am-8pm; Sun 6am - 1pm

by Anna L. Williams

We have finally reached the most beautiful part of fall in the Northeast; the leaves are changing to deep golds and bright reds, pumpkins are carved, and autumnal winds sweep across the city. However, with the impending winter chill coming, some of you may be dreaming about exotic getaways. If you are looking for the feeling of something different and fresh but lack the resources to leave the four square mile city of Somerville, then the Panificadora Modelo Bakery really delivers.