By John Lynds
The drinks are flowing at Angela’s Cafe’s second location in East Boston at the former El Paisa Restaurant located at 1012 Bennington Street. Angela’s recently received a beer, wine and cordials license and is now open for breakfast, lunch and dinner indefinitely.
Angela’s owner Luis Garcia said the new location did a soft opening last month for breakfast and lunch until 3 p.m. but is now serving dinner with the addition of the new license.
“We started off with just breakfast and lunch,” said Garcia. “We received out license last month so we are now offering our full menu of breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as brunch on the weekends.”
Garcia said Angela’s original location on the corner of Lexington and Brooks Streets on Eagle Hill will still be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and the second location will compliment the widely successful restaurant on Eagle Hill.
“We wanted more space and we have a lot of customers that come to our Eagle Hill location from Orient Heights, Revere and Winthrop so the second location will be a more convenient choice,” said Garcia.
Garcia said the new locations close proximity to the Orient Heights MBTA station across the street would also encourage patrons from Jeffries Point and the Maverick areas to hop on the T and not have to worry about parking.
Garcia said the restaurant has planned a special grand opening event for Tuesday, May 3 at 5 p.m. and will offer outdoor seating along Bennington Street during the warmer months.
The menu at the Orient Heights location, with food items like Angela’s award winning guacamole and mole poblano, will be the same as the Eagle Hill restaurant.
“We have added some items like the Angela’s burger and some new breakfast items but for the most part it is the same fresh food you’d expect from Angela’s,” said Garcia.
Since its opening, Angela’s fresh Puebla cuisine has made the Mexican Restaurant a favorite among foodies and restaurant reviewers. Angela’s has been named in Boston Magazine’s ‘Best of Boston’ editions, the Improper Bostonian, and Zagat.
In 2013, Angela’s gained national fame when the Food Network’s popular show Diners, Drive Ins and Dives (Triple Ds) debuted its segment on Angela’s and host Guy Fieri was beyond impressed by the Puebla/Mexican cuisine being served at the small corner restaurant on Eagle Hill.
Garcia and his mother, and Angela’s namesake, Angela Atenco Lopez dazzled Fieri with a traditional Puebla dish and staple among Mexican Food enthusiasts.
The entire segment focused on Angela’s Chilaquiles and the dish prepared by Garcia using his mother’s recipe did not disappoint.
Garcia walked Fieri through preparing the dish’s important ‘green sauce’. Garcia showed Fieri how, at Angela’s, nothing comes from a can. Garcia boiled down tomatillos with jalapeños then blended them with garlic, water and stock to a thin liquid. The sauce was then put into a pan where Angela’s homemade fried tortilla chips are added. The sauce is reduced then topped with shredded chicken, fresh Mexican cheese, sliced onions and avocados, fresh sour cream and then fried eggs.
After one bite Fieri was propelled into food ecstasy that only a dish like Angela’s Chilaquiles can cause.
“I’m coming back to get this tomorrow,” said Fieri of the dish.
Fieri was also impressed by how quick Angela makes her homemade tortillas as well as Angela’s Pepian Rojo and Mole Poblano.