Hungry Mother

Update: Hungry Mother will be named one of the top 10 "Best New Restaurants In America" by Bon Appetit magazine next month. Wow, kudos to Hungry Mother, the only restaurant in Massachusetts to make that list. I feel so fortunate to live so close to such good dining.

Click here for the full list of top 10 restaurants.









We went to the Hungry Mother in Cambridge (near the Kendall Cinema) last Thursday evening. This place was recently featured in the Boston Globe, and has received raving reviews on sites such as chowhound.

We really enjoyed our meal there. The food was excellent and prices were reasonable, making this restaurant a great value.

The cuisine is a mixture of Southern American (think fried catfish, buttermilk pie, boiled peanuts, and cornbread) and French (think French-style gnocchi with mushrooms, beef tongue with gruyere and dijon).

We ordered the grilled bluefish entree with artichokes, arugula, new potatoes, olive tapenade, and sea salt ($24) and the French style gnocchi ($17). I thought the fish was excellent - well cooked, nice blend of flavors. Bryan really enjoyed the French style gnocchi, which was cooked with pea tendrils, peas, mushrooms, and parmesean. It was light yet deeply flavorful (mmmm . . . umami) at the same time. We also had one of the special appetizers - fried green tomatoes with cheese ($7) - which was excellent, and a side of cornbread, which was also very good. Dessert, buttermilk pie, was absolutely heavenly. All in all, a highly enjoyable meal.

Other than when I go out for sushi, I seldom leave a restaurant feeling so perfectly balanced and satisfied. It takes a special mixture of food quality, service, price, and ambiance. Another factor: portion size. The portions here are smaller. Despite ordering 2 appetizers, 2 main entrees, 2 cocktails, an espresso, and a dessert, we did not take any leftovers home, and we were not too stuffed afterwards (and I don't eat a lot at all, in general). Not being too stuffed and not feeling gross probably contributed to my over all "perfectly satisfied" feeling.

Over all, the hype is warranted. We *really* enjoyed this restaurant and would definitely return.



previously posted June 13, 2008 - updated July 29, 2009