Take Your Mama Out Tonight

Last night, JR and I got together and had dinner at Hungry Mother in Kendall Square. I must have gone by the restaurant a number of times without noticing it before last night. Fortunately, I recognized the sign with the small cardinal logo from the website as I was driving past. Hungry Mother is subtly tucked away in a converted house, just down the street from the Kendall Square Cinema. When I heard the menu was Southern, I wasn't sure what to expect. I wasn't sure if it was going to be like Famous Dave's or Redbones or what. The atmosphere was perfectly suited to my taste, hip while being comfortable and unpretentious, and, even though the restaurant was crowded, it didn't get terribly loud. The tables are a little bit cosy, and we did end up asking the people at the table next to us what they were eating as we eyeballed their entrees. (They had eaten there a number of times and gave some high praise to the catfish.)

We started with an order of the Southern-style cornbread with Sorghum butter, which I had never had before and tastes like a delicious blend of butter and maple syrup. So tasty. For our entrees, JR got the grilled rainbow trout in the almond butter vinaigrette, while I had the French-style gnocchi with pancetta. We ended up sharing our entrees, and that was SUCH a good idea. The trout was delicious, crispy on the outside, flaky on the inside, with lots of flavor. The gnocchi was a lot smaller than I am used to, but was still a light, puffy pillow, and the sauce was fantastic! JR asked for more bread so that the sauce wouldn't go to waste. Our waitress was attentive without being overbearing, and we weren't rushed out the door as we lingered talking over our respective tea and coffee.

While the menu isn't really expansive, there is variety in the selection, and the quality was very, very good. Prices are what you would expect at a nicer restaurant in Cambridge, reasonable, but not cheap (~$22 entree). The restaurant uses sustainable foods, and they recycle and compost. (It says so on their menu.) The drink and wine menu is diverse. I definitely want to go back soon. I wonder if they have outdoor space for the summer?