Back in Boss Town / Mei Mei and Ribelle

     People have been asking why I never post about my home town, Boston, Mass. The truth is, my own back yard never seems exotic enough to me to warrant much internet interest. And when I'm home, I'm more of a homebody than I care to admit. So I'm not the guy trying the newest "in spot" every week.  But lately I've been turned on to a few places that demand some attention.

     One of my favorite eateries is the brand new Mei Mei Restaurant, 506 Park Drive in Boston (just west of Kenmore Square). The web site is here: http://meimeiboston.com/restaurant/. Mei Mei (meaning "little sister" in Chinese) was originally a food truck business rolling through the streets of Boston. I was one of the people that often spent part of his lunch hour this past summer standing in line for my braised beef dumplings. In November, these three siblings opened their brick and mortar restaurant near Boston University and the Brookline Town line. Here's what's to love about Mei Mei:

1. Delicious, home made, locally-sourced food. Inventive, always fresh, and served with interesting house sauces and condiments. The Double Awesome is all about scallion pancakes, poached/fried egg, a slice of fresh cheese and a "pesto" made from different, slightly piquant fresh herbs. The braised beef dumplings are full of lean, slow-cooked beef. The kale salad is heaven but seasonal (don't fret: the wheat berry salad is also excellent).

Carrot soup, corn fritters, kale salad, double awesome, beef dumplings

2. Customer Service. Everyone at Mei Mei is friendly, helpful, service-oriented. We have met several of them while visiting, and I just had my birthday party for 12 people there last weekend. The whole team, especially my man Alex, was wonderful. My friends all commented on how hospitable and cordial the staff was. It's amazing how many stores and restaurants have a good product but blow it in dealing with the public. They need a lesson from Mei Mei.

3. Price. You want to talk bang for the buck? The food is excellent value. The Double Awesome is $7.
Carrot soup is $4.50 and (could be a meal--- Seinfeld).

4. Vibe and Space. Well, yes, it is brand new. But so clean, you can eat off the floors. The kitchen is visible and the decor is simple, minimalist, light and airy.

Go to Mei Mei and enjoy a great food experience. Tell them John, The Birthday Boy sent you.

There's another new contender, just about two miles west of Mei Mei on Beacon Street in Washington Square, Brookline. Ribelle https://www.facebook.com/ribellebkline is at 1665 Beacon Street. This is the first solo project of Tim Maslow, formerly chef at Mamafuku in NYC and the man who helped his father turn a sandwich shop in Watertown into a dining destination for foodies without affectation. That Watertown restaurant, Strip-Ts, deserves its own space in this blog, but that will have to wait.

Ribelle serves some amazing food. I think the paparadelle with bolognese, kale and pork skin is, easily, one of the best dishes I've had in Boston.

The killer paparadelle

The pasta and octopus is also very good. Kale salad is excellent. Truffle egg toast also wins a Dish Delish award. But there are some underwhelming offerings, too. Agnolotti with short ribs was a missed three-pointer. And desserts are not amazing, not even the touted olive oil ice cream.

You should know that the restaurant is loud, and some seating is family style. These dishes are mostly fairly small, too small to share with more than one dining partner. Service is attentive and helpful. You owe it to yourself to check out Maslow's work. It is worthy of any belly god.