Muqueca- Cambridge

Yes, this place still has blue holiday lights hanging up. Yes, there's tacky decoration of fish and nets on the walls. And yes, this place is inconvenient and out of the way. But does this place serve up a mean seafood stew? You bet.

When I searched the location, I was expecting Google to come back with a "closest T-stop" to the restaurant but none were to be found. That's when I called the restaurant and inquired about directions but all I got in return was "sorry maam, I'm not sure how you get here. I don't take the T to the restaurant." So with a little more research, we decided that Central Square on the Red Line was in fact our best bet. No wonder Google didn't return with any results. That's because the restaurant is located on some far off street that required an additional 10-15 minutes of walking after getting off the train. At any rate, if you are a seafood aficionado like myself, you will love this little restaurant that serves up authentic (well as far as I can tell) Brazilian fare at ridiculously reasonable prices.

Fried Frog Legs

As you can tell, we got a little carried away with appetizers and ordered 3 to share between the two of us girls. Frog is nothing new or foreign to me as I've had it quite a few times in Chinese restaurants as well as in Louisiana when I was down in New Orleans a while back. These frog legs were tasty but truthfully, over-fried. I liked the seasoning and the crunch on the outside of the little drumettes but the inside was dry.

Fried Yucca

I've never had yucca before so I was excited to try this root vegetable for the first time. It's comparable to potatoes but perhaps a little venous or stringy in texture. The yucca was probably pre-fried ahead of time in a large batch so they weren't remarkably hot nor fresh. What made this starter such a great success was that little cup of secret sauce in the middle. It's got a bit of a tang to it and tastes almost like cream cheese but way better. If I wasn't trying so hard to be slightly health conscious, I would've gladly drank the entire cup of sauce by itself. It was THAT good.

Brazilian Patties- Half Chicken, Half Cod
Continuing with the apparent trend of fried foods, we said why not order one more unhealthy item when we've already ordered two. Although these "patties" are similar to the Spanish croquettes in outside appearance, the inside is quite different. Instead of the moist, mashed potato-like, creamy filling found inside croquettes, the filling in these balls or "patties" was dry. The chicken was shredded and reminded me more of canned tuna than anything else (I do like canned tuna). The cod filling was also quite good but leans towards the saltier side.

Essentially the same picture below, but since I took another shot, I might as well post it.

Muqueca Completa- Fish, Shrimp, Mussels
Now for the star of the show and the dish that the restaurant is named after, muqueca. As yelpers forewarned, the muqueca does take a while to prepare so if you arrive famished, make sure to order something else to snack on first. The soup is a light tomato base with onion, cilantro, herbs and spices. Like I said, it's a light broth so the soup doesn't overpower the seafood and really allows the seafood to shine.The shrimp was thankfully not overcooked or rubbery and the fish was extremely tender. Along with the stew, they served a side of rice and this goopy orange colored sauce (obviously not a fan of the sauce). They are really generous with the amount of seafood they cook into the soup. The portion size is more than enough for sharing between two people, especially if you've order sides or appetizers.

Ambiance: 2 out of 5
Service: 4 out of 5
Food: 4 out of 5
Verdict: Seafood, seafood, seafood and more yummy seafood!

http://www.yelp.com/biz/muqueca-restaurant-cambridge

EVOO- Cambridge

Frequently switching up the offerings on their "home-grown" menu, EVOO (or extra virgin olive oil) prides itself on freshness by using local ingredients that reflect the seasons. The restaurant was just opening when we arrived for an early lunch around 11:30am. The dining area glows with earthy but saturated tones such as warm browns, deep reds and oranges. The waitress served up a basket of freshly baked bread that was still warm from the kitchen. Since we were right in Kendall Square, we opted for just the 2-course meal over the 3-course and headed over to one of my favorite bakeries, Flour, for dessert after.

Cornmeal Crusted Fried Oyster

This was a great starter. The oysters were freshly fried and very crispy. I appreciated the light coating of batter and not the heavy cakey mess that I often find on fried items. The fresh, meaty oysters sat on top of a bed of apple-bacon salsa. The apple was tart and crunchy and worked really well in contrasting the creaminess from the goat cheese fondue. And not that additional seasoning was needed but the bacon bits added a little more salt to the dish (one can never have too much bacon). They were quite generous with the portion.

Shaved Lamb on Baguette

After such a great appetizer, the entree really underwhelmed. To begin, I ordered the habanero coleslaw as my side but was served fries by accident, but I didn't mind too terribly much. The sandwich included roasted red peppers, arugula, tomatoes, pickles and some sort of mayo or cream sauce. The lamb itself was tender and soft but really (and I mean REALLY) lacked seasoning. In fact, the sandwich as a whole was extremely bland and I really wished they'd use a more flavorful spread or sauce for the bread.

 

Parsley and Garlic Studded Beef Tenderloin

Ordered by my lunch date, this entree was far more exciting than mine. The beef was served with a fried ball of creamy whipped potatoes (sort of like a croquette) and doused in a delicious mushroom sauce. The meat was lean but tender and quite tasty. They could have withheld the unnecessary salad on top though.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/evoo-cambridge

Cuchi Cuchi- Cambridge

If it's personality you want, it's personality you'll get. From the "bling-ed out" mermaid who welcomes you at the entrance to the beautiful stain glass windows lining the wall at the bar, down to the wait staff dressed in costume, Cuchi Cuchi bubbles over with character. The decor can be overwhelming to say the least, some may even venture to call it borderline gaudy, but that's what makes this establishment so much fun. Bringing together a medley of fares from around the world (Russia, Guatemala, Spain, Italy, France, you name it!), Cuchi Cuchi embodies international cuisine in the form of easy-to-share "small plates." Our waiter, dressed as a Flamenco dancer, was very knowledgeable about the menu and we asked him to serve up the dishes at his digression.

Chicken Liver Pate

The pate was really rich and dense. My dinner date said it tasted like hummus. Haha, I can't say I agree with that statement. The fruits and syrupy sauce do a wonderful job at masking some of the gaminess of the liver. But between the two of us, this block of pate was far too much to stomach in its entirety. On a side note, there is something odd about the placement of the pepinillo (small pickle) that sticks out awkwardly and throws off the presentation of this otherwise beautiful dish.

Brie en Croute

Everybody who comes here must absolutely try this ball of heaven. That's not a suggestion, that's a command, and trust me, you'll thank me later. Encased in a light and crispy pastry shell is brie, walnuts and bacon. There is nothing I would change or criticize about this dish. It was served extremely hot and fresh and when you cut into the ball, the melted brie just overflows. The apple slices on the side perfectly complement the salty bacon and cheese, giving it that punch of tartness.

Duck a l'Orange Crepes

Whenever I think crepes, I think desserts and sweets. This is my first savory (and by savory, I mean salty) crepe. I was so busy scarfing down the brie puff that when I got around to finally eating the crepes, they were a little soggy from the citrus dressing. However, it was still delicious. The meat inside was tender and the light vinaigrette was refreshing without being overly citric. The minced fennel imparts a bit of crunch to the texture of the dish.

Grilled Eggplant Napoleon

Sandwiched between the layers of eggplant, the sour slices of tomato do a great job at cutting through some of richness of the dish. The goat cheese is extremely smooth and creamy. The grilling of the eggplants gives it that charred, crispy outer edge but the eggplant is nonetheless, still very soft and moist in the center. Although it added nothing in terms of flavor, I love the whimsicality of the fried leaf sticking out of the cheese on top.

Chicken Kiev

This is easily my dinner date's favorite dish (perhaps because it's the most normal and he's all about simplicity). The fried chicken breast is stuffed with a melange of herbs and diced mushrooms, and sits in a bath of melted butter. Talk about a heart attack waiting to happen. Although the chicken breast is deep fried, it maintains a great deal of moisture and is very juicy as well as flavorful. Likewise, the stuffing was tasty and seasoned well.

This picture doesn't do the place justice but everything about Cuchi Cuchi is over the top and glitzy.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/cuchi-cuchi-cambridge