Ghost Pepper
The ghost pepper it’s one of the spiciest chilies in the world and it’s making it much more hot in Dot at Ghost Pepper Taco and Tequila Bar. Located in the Savin Hill section of Dorchester, Ghost Pepper is the latest installment from Kenneth Osherow. The brains behind local restaurants McKenna’s cafe and Savin Hill kitchen. In this new spot, he decided to bring the heat the flavors and the fun of Mexico to the neighborhood.
“Our vision with designing this place and with the food was a place where people could come and really relax, kick back, have some drinks, have a lot of small plates, share them with friends, just eat an order as you go. The food comes out as it’s ready. So if you sit down order a drink order, some dishes, they come out one at a time, and it’s really an experience.”
So he decked the place out with comfy couches, quirky content on the walls, a beautiful bar and an open kitchen where chef Patrick Noonan does his thing.
“I like open kitchens. I like everybody to see my cooks. I like us to be able to see what’s going on but they should be able to see us and see the way that we’re working and have ultimate confidence in the food that we’re producing.”
So Phantom grabbed himself one of ghost peppers signature cocktails and went in search for the perfect meal.
The tapas section of the menu was the perfect way to kick off your meal with shareable snacks like fried yucca and a spicy red sauce, empanadas stuffed with slow braised short ribs and topped with pickled red onions and buttery grilled corn on the cob slathered in a spicy Chipotle aoli with cotija cheese.
“It’s like a Mexican street corn that you’d find there like at the side of the road slathered in a delicious butter but the corn is also very sweet has a nice spice on it really crunchy, definitely worth trying.
But the nachos are the true standout of the starters.
“The nachos are just fantastic. It is a huge heaping plate of nachos smothered with Monterey jack cheese, pickled red onion, jalapenos. It’s all put into the oven and then baked to a crispy toffee are just fantastic and definitely one of our specialties and worth a try.
Served in a cast iron skillet. These nachos are overloaded with toppings so no chip goes uncovered.
“There is so much on top that as you eat it all the ingredients fall in and you’re never eating just a chip. It’s always a chip smother with ingredients.”
You can’t have a Mexican menu without tacos and at Ghost Pepper. They offer all sorts of fillings.
“People like tacos because there’s a lot of variety and you can try all the different flavors and can mix and match. Sit down have a cocktail and literally you can try every talk on the menu.”
Served in pairs on these adorable trays, the tacos are addictive. There’s the shrimp taco topped with a citrus habanero sauce with pico de gallo, for vegetarians, a roasted cauliflower version with a spicy yogurt sauce and cucumber pico and if you’re a meat lover, you could opt for the slow braised carnitas with white onion, cilantro and salsa or try the carne asada taco.
“The meat is so tender and is prepared with avocado and the red onion just gives it a nice kick and sort of ties all the flavors together. You just can’t beat it. It’s fantastic.”
The entrees are authentic here with plates like the pan roasted chicken cooked in adobo or the citrus braised octopus served over Peruvian potatoes.
“The octopus is crunchy but also very tender here. It’s a large piece and it feels like you’re almost eating a steak absolutely delicious. The way they prepared is second to none.”
But the entree that’s a true must order is the churrasco skirt steak served with coconut white rice.
“We’re searing the steak on the plancha so you put the steak on top of the casamento. This is a chimichurri for that all around like that topped out with some pickled onions. And there you go.”
Before you wrap up your meal at ghost pepper, another cocktail and perhaps dessert is in order with offerings like a creamy flan and fresh hot churros.
“Churros are fantastic. They’re made pressed daily. They’re fried to order they come with a delicious chocolate sauce. They are a wonderful dessert and definitely worth trying.
Nachos, a carne asada taco, churrasco skirt steak and some churros make for the perfect meal at Ghost Pepper Taco and Tequila Bar.