Sunday, December 11, 2011

Embajador Restaurant: Boston: JP

I can see this store and its bright, flashing lights from my window, and I have thought a number of times about going there and trying it out, but I have always felt like it wasn't the food I wanted at the time or, more often, I've just been intimidated.  I can see that it is run by Hispanic people and seems to be patronized almost completely be Hispanic people.  Oh and I just realized the menu is totally in Spanish.  Of course I'm cool with all that, and my Spanish is certainly good enough, but I feel like an intruder, wonder if I'm going to order something or say something they'll find strange.  I'm socially anxious, this is to say.

I hate that being hungover today and telling someone with whom I'd made plans, "Nah, I can't.  I'm tired and need to go home and chill," invariably means buying I'll be buying snack food from Trader Joe's, then seeking out food from a restaurant and getting take out, eating all of that, plus the snack, plus whatever else in my house I can possibly think to put together, like, for instance, cookie butter and strawberry jam sandwiches, but it does, and the the food truck I was hoping for wasn't out tonight, Fill Belly's had closed early, and Oriental de Cuba (for which I still have an unused Groupon) was already closed, so tonight was the night.

When I walked in and up to the counter, a woman smiled at me and asked me what I wanted.  I hadn't preread the menu and planned my moves as I usually do, so I said wasn't sure, that I was sorry that I'd need a minute as I'd never been there before.  She asked me if I wanted "rice, or yellow rice..." but instead of entering into a guessing game that would lead to me ordering something commonly ordered, like a sane person might, I just went for the Cuban.

It was just $6, and 10 minutes later it was mine.  Holding up a bright squirt bottles in each hand, she asked if I wanted ketchup and mayonnaise, and I did not.

I mean, shit, it was a good sandwich.  Nothing crazy, but arguably money better spent than on Subway.

Despite my social awkwardness and social anxiety, I will probably return, if for no other reason than that it's so close that, if they agreed to, we could set up a zip line for them to deliver me food.  Now I'm also much more organized about it.  I now know that it is a Dominican restaurant and have perused the menu for what I'll order:

  • Cosido (feet stew) - $10.99 (serves 2) I've never had pig feet stew, so duh.
  • Mofongo - mashed plantains with pork - $7
  • Sancocho (a Spanish soup only served on Fridays and Saturdays) - $10.99 (serves 2)
  • Papas Rellenas stuffed potatoes - $1.50
  • And for dinner a for $11.99 that comes with your choice of side (a few rice and beans dishes and fried plantains being the options), I'll probably go with chicharon de pollo, but you should probably go with pollo guisada (chicken stew).

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