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 PHAN-TASTIC DINING
This casual Southern-food fine dining restaurant gets almost everything right.
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Hungry Mother in Cambridge is a friendly, homey eatery with a laidback vibe. The two-story space feels like the corner of an old Virginia plantation, with white walls, dark wood floors, and a soaring ceiling. |
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The appealing menu of Southern comfort grub is short and sweet, with nothing but nostalgic favorites. |
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Starters were flawless. Plump, briny deep-fried oysters were served atop creamy coleslaw, laced with orange drops of potent hot sauce. Even better were shrimp and grits, enriched with salty ham, scallions, and corn “maque choux.” |
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Next, roast chicken was cooked to golden perfection, with crispy skin moistened with red-eye gravy. Cornmeal-crusted catfish was crunchy and filling, served with yellow rice, collards, and a tasty mustard beurre blanc. |
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Peach shortcake, loaded with sweet, juicy fruit, was straight out of a Georgia home kitchen. Phantom got down-and-dirty with the chocolaty Mud Pie, piled high with pillowy whipped cream. |
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Portions were generous, and you can always upgrade with terrific Southern snacks like the spicy housemade pimiento cheese or salty boiled peanuts. |
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Phantom’s waitress must have been a mind reader, offering more conscientious service than most of Boston’s fancier restaurants. |
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The place was clean as an Appalachian breeze, from the bustling downstairs bar to the second-floor dining room. |
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Single-digit appetizers and $20 entrees will have you whistling “Dixie.” |
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Hungry Mother is on Cardinal Medeiros Avenue in Cambridge, steps from the Kendall Square Theater. |
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Review Date:
10/5/2008 |
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