After eating my way through the Taste of Somerville on June 10, I thought I was prepared for Cambridge Taste, the sampling-table event held Wednesday at University Park Commons near Central Square. That was mostly true: The weather was cooler, there were 40 restaurants and drink purveyors selling – slightly fewer in a more spread-out space – and fewer desserts to tempt me away from, you know, food. (Surprisingly, considering the many great ice cream makers speckled throughout Cambridge, the Taste was bereft and so was I.)
But if avoiding rolls and bread is the key to getting value out of a buffet, which these events essentially are, that was nearly impossible at Cambridge Taste. There were sliders and sandwiches in every direction I wandered, not to mention the cornbreads, biscuits (also used for sandwiches at the State Park table), tortillas and chips, and giant pretzels that Iggy’s Bread offered in either salt or Parmesan. Fortunately, I love all these things, so it was not a stretch that I left University Park Commons not just full, but full of interest in finding and returning to a few tastes again outside its borders – or giving the makers a chance to match the quality of their Taste offerings, since not every item is available at the brick-and-mortar settings.
I will only mention the snap pea Caesar from Gufo in East Cambridge – it was on the list of favorites in Somerville – and some honorable short mentions go to Russell House Tavern’s griddled flatbread, Sumiao’s little beef slices and spicy crunch cucumber (it was a good day for lovers of pickling in general), Veggie Galaxy’s yummy seitan meatballs, the overall delicious effort of Barcelona Wine Bar and to The Hourly Oyster House for the sampling and the shucking lesson.
Mestizo’s pollo pibil tacos
A goopy but universally loved dish of achiote-rubbed chicken (the achiote makes for that vibrant orange-red color and exhilarating sharpness), pickled onions, cilantro and queso cotija. A little bit of art on a tortilla that managed to stay together throughout the eating despite the soupiness of the chicken and sauce. (A trio of these is $18 at the restaurant.) Mestizo, 10 Broad Canal Way, Kendall Square, Cambridge
Boston Burger Co.’s sliders
Neither I nor my companion were prepared to like this, because Boston Burger more often falls into a pile-it-on, sloppy, kitchen-sink, let’s-see-what-else-we-have-lying-around-that-we-can-stick-in-this-dish, hard-to-eat Instagram-thirsty restaurateur contingent. That’s why it it was so great to enter the Taste and be greeted by this perfectly simple slider with American cheese and onions in which every taste worked alone and together, with a single modest slice of pickle as the capstone. Paperback Tavern in the Hyatt Regency had a great smash-style char on its slider; Cambridge Common’s 1667 Slider also looked great, but I opted to try an Impossible burger for the first time and missed out. Boston Burger Co., 1105 Massachusetts Ave., near Harvard Square in Mid-Cambridge (and 37 Davis Square, Somerville)
Scull & Keel Fish House & Spirits’ seared scallops
This was a gourmet bite amid a lot of handhelds and comfort food (beef stew, pan con tamate, pasta, chips and salsa, those Iggy’s pretzels, etc.) and show-offy in the best way: scallops of significant size, excellently seared and complemented by a sofrito tartar sauce and roe. But this recent replacement for ArtBar doesn’t just reflect “the spirit of the Charles River,” as this all came atop a garlic potato hash brown that was secretly a latke. The only dish that came close to this in terms of feel and freshness at the Taste was Fuji’s sushi rolls, with the benefit being that Fuji’s Taste offerings are on the regular menu in Kendall and Assembly squares, and the scallops were a Taste-only offering. Scull & Keel Fish House & Spirits at the Royal Sonesta Hotel, 40 Edwin H. Land Blvd., East Cambridge
Viet Citron’s banh hoi bowl
Lemongrass sirloin and turmeric chicken were offered side by side from the grill with sheets of cool vermicelli noodle, daikon and pickled carrot, and peanuts with scallion oil and fish sauce, and all of this was savory on its own in each version. In both cases, though, the secret to ultimate enjoyment was using the accompanying oil- and sauce-soaked shisho leaves as a wrap. ($16 for the full-size versions.) Viet Citron, 290 Main St. in the Eastern Edge Food Hall, Kendall Square, Cambridge, and 1 Bow Market Way, Union Square, Somerville
CSCA Cafe’s caramel coffee tart
This was not a dessert lover’s event. The only competitors to this tart were the surprisingly good mini chocolate chip cookies and brownie bites from Caffe Nero and the shockingly lackluster chocolate chip cookies from Harvest. (Did an intended dish fall through for this Harvard Square mainstay, and these were a last-minute fallback?) Fortunately, this tiny tart was enough on its own – so rich and perfect, with a crisp and flavorful crust and crowning coffee bean that made this a very satisfying little work of art. (A full-size version is $7.50.) CSCA Cafe, 1995 Massachusetts Ave., Porter Square, Cambridge
Also: Atomic Black coffee spirit
An honorable mention included on the strong recommendation of my companion for the Taste, rather than on my own sampling (because I don’t drink). This espresso liqueur begins from Atomic Coffee Roasters in Danvers and benefited from being served extremely chilled with some Tito’s vodka. What really sells the mixer is that it’s reminiscent of Kahlúa but not as sweet, reflecting mature tastes as well as the area’s fanaticism for coffee. Family-owned, too. (A bottle is $28 online.) Atomic Black, available at more than 20 locations in Cambridge and Somerville
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