Comedor: A Blend of Chilean and American Food in Newton Center, MA

Comedor has several different atmospheric moods throughout the space.  Upon walking in, the food/chef bar overlooking the open, bustling kitchen is just as attractive as the bar on the far, left of the restaurant and the tables against the far right wall underneath large, colorful, attractive pieces of wall art- El Tiburon by The Couto Brothers, known for their socially aware collaborative pieces.

The space is warm, fresh, and welcoming.  We sat at the chef's bar and received the greatest service from both 

Steve and Erick.

After starting with an Old Tom's Negroni, we ordered a sweet and savory grilled cheese-the Sanguchito con Queso-fontina and cheddar with creamy, honey manjar and red pepper relish. 

 

Sanguchito con Queso

Our other two vegetarian dishes were excellent.

The Roasted Artichoke and Mushrooms were served with with crisp, charred kale on a blanket of roasted garlic emulsion with lemon.

The flavors complimented each other, boasting earthy notes, but the textural diversity was the highlight for me.

Roasted Artichoke and Mushroom

Another textural highlight of the meal was the  

Niños Envueltos-tender, roasted zucchini, black quinoa, bright, diced red peppers, cilantro, and meaty slices Portabello mushroom.

Niños Envueltos

Niños Envueltos

 One flat note dish was the Oysters a la Parmesana with chorizo and spring greens.  

I simply expected more of a flavor impact from the chorizo which fell short of my anticipation.

 We were quickly taken back on an upswing with the amazingly rich and creative 

Pig's ears Nachos-crispy-coated tender, carilaginous pig's ears topped with paprika, salsa, cotija cheese, and crema on a bed of lettuce!

Pig's Ears Nachos

Pig's Ears Nachos- a close up

Our last dish was a perfectly cooked, tender, medium-temperature Lamb T-bone with avocado, crisped navy beans, sumac, and grilled shallots.

For dessert we sampled Comedor's housemade Mandarin-Olive Oil Ice cream accompanying the Crema Catalanas- custard with EVOO caramel, whipped cream and toasted hazelnut. 

There's also a decent whisk(e)y list!

The menu has since changed since this fabulous first meal at Comedor's. 

 I am excited to head back in to try more!

A Tasty Breakfast @ Johnny's Luncheonette, 30 Langley Road, Newton Centre, MA

Voted "Best of Boston" for a number of years, we decided to head over to Johnny's Luncheonette in Newton Centre for a bite and see for ourselves.  

The food was good quality, simple diner food.  Flapjacks, breakfast meats and breads, potatoes,  fresh juice and coffee, Johnny's is the quintessential breakfast joint with great service and a friendly, bustling atmosphere.

We kept things relatively simple and ordered a few items to satisfy our morning munchies.

Pumpkin pancakes

While I was disappointed that the pumpkin pancakes were devoid of anything reminiscent of pumpkin spices- nutmeg, cinnamon and the like- they were moist and fluffy.

Homefries

The homefries were slightly too underdone for my taste but were cut into large chunks which is exactly the way I love them.

French toast platter with eggs, potatoes, and ham

Delicious huevos rancheros with tender black beans, salsa, sour cream, guacamole, tortillas

Classic crisp potato latke with apple sauce and sour cream

We washed breakfast down with fresh squeezed orange juice, coffee, and a couple of cranberry mimosas with lime (what Johnny's calls a Poinsettia).

Appetito (Italian Cuisine), 761 Beacon St Newton, MA

I enjoyed my meal here.  The service was slow once the dining area filled up (we sat at the bar)...they seemed to severely understaffed.

The specials were so numerous I simply couldn't keep track and ordered from the menu instead.  I suggest if they continue to have so many 'specials' they print a 'Special's Menu".

I started with the Sashimi over a bed of greens.  It was pretty good, but it seems it sat around a bit prior to bringing it to me since the wasabi drizzle over the tuna appeared dried on!  The salad was fresh.  The tobiko was barely detectable (and I LOVE tobiko)...

I thought the bread could have been toasted a bit more; the hummus was pretty good.

My pasta dish was really good (Pollo Salcicca).  My friend had the Capellini which was good as well.
The gentleman next to me had the cod special which looked fantastic, though the bowl of pasta it came with looked pretty undesirable.

I would go back to sample other dishes.

B Street Restaurant & Bar, 796 Beacon St Newton, MA 02459

 Update - 8/31/2011

The pan-seared trout with quinoa and sauteed spinach with lemon oil was fantastic!  The trout was moist and seasoned well.
I am a big fan of the lemon oil!
The mac'n cheese my boyfriend ordered...not so much.  It looked fantastic but fell short on seasoning.

7/14/2011

This was a cute little spot with an adorable, sweet couple as the owners.
I only had a drink and one appetizer which was pretty amazing.   I ordered the grilled flatbread with fig jam, duck confit and gorgonzola!  It was amazing.  The duck was cooked perfectly and the combination of flavors was interesting.  I will definitely return to try more!!! 

B Street Website:

www.bstreetnewton.com