By wonderful serendipity, my husband and I were in Inman Square last weekend in need of a quick bite to eat, and we stopped in at Olecito (http://olecito.net/, the fast food joint across the street from its parent restaurant, Olé Mexican Grill. To my considerable astonishment, the food there was superb and wonderfully authentic, so much so that I went back yesterday for more.
On Saturday, my husband and I each chose a taco: one Rajas and one Arrachera. What we actually received, we think, was one Rajas and one Carnitas (the pineapple kind of gave it away.) Both tacos were served in double corn tortillas, soft rather than hard. The Carnitas, consisting of braised pork with salsa verde, pineapple salsa, pickled cabbage, was good, but not outstanding. I'm not a big fan of sweet, fruity salsas. If you are, this is the taco for you. But the Rajas... oh, the Rajas was fabulous. With poblano peppers, black beans, Jack cheese, lettuce, and guacamole, the spicy peppers dominated the taco in an entirely wonderful way. Best taco I've had this side of the Mississippi. I suspect the Arrachera, with marinated steak, pinto bean spread, Jack cheese, lettuce, and avocado sauce, would also be quite good, but only if I can convince them to add the poblanos.
On Tuesday, eating solo, I ordered the Yucateca sandwich, made with cochinita (braised pork with guajillo chile) pickled onions, avocado sauce, queso fresco, pinto bean spread, lettuce, and chipotle sauce. And it was sublime. The pork was the closest I've come to finding true carne adobada in the Boston area. I was dubious about the pickled onions, but their tartness cut through the grease (oh, and glorious grease it was) of the pork and the cheese. I would order it again in a heartbeat... right after I try the Sonora, which combines marinated steak and rajas. Mmm, I can hardly wait.
Olecito is take-out only. It's incredibly tiny and had a line out the door on Saturday. They have several tables outside, generally empty now that fall has set in. I suspect the best way to get food from Olecito is to call in an order in advance, then swing by to pick it up.
Make sure you pick up plenty of napkins while you're there. All three entrees were incredibly drippy, messy, and gooey. Alternatively, eat over a plate from which you can sop up the last few drops with a nice flour tortilla.
Olecito gets my seal of approval and my heartfelt thanks for finally providing me with homestyle Mexican food. I'm dying to try Olé Mexican Grill (http://olegrill.com/, open only for dinner and Sunday brunch. When I do, I'll be sure to report back.
