Omelets and sandwiches at the Mass Ave Diner
Sometimes as I sail through that long stretch of Massachusetts Avenue between Harvard and Central squares, I get a bit of a no-go vibe, but when I step back and take stock of the culinary destinations there, it easily – in terms of variety, ambiance and price point – qualifies as one of the more diverse enclaves of eateries in Camberville. In the past we’ve highlighted the area’s fine dining (Pammy’s and Waypoint) as well as Indian (Tanjore) and Asian fare (Sakana and Dumpling House), and then there’s the long-ensconced Irish gastropub the Plough & Stars, which has a killer blackened catfish sando. Nestled along that stretch too is the Mass Ave Diner, which delivers on the “diner” tag but is so much more.
The sandwich slate packs pleasant surprises, and many of the spin on eggs comes with a definitive Mexican accent. Your basic French toast comes in challah and brioche renditions (do the brioche!) and if you want to go down the super sweet – and super filling – highway there’s lemon ricotta pancakes, corn cakes slathered with strawberry sauce and cannoli-stuffed pancakes. Delicious decadence indeed.
For eggs you can make your own combo plate (style, meat, sides, etc.), but the eggy highlights are the Gallo Pinto (scrambled eggs and rice and beans to fill your breakfast tortillas with) and classic huevos rancheros (as a breakfast wrap) along with a French toast breakfast sandwich (a plumper Monte Cristo). Moving over to the omelets, as with the egg plates you can make your own in addition to ordering the classics (Greek, Western and Denver). But if you like veggies (and I do), the Mexican comes with generous helpings of mushrooms, onions, peppers and tomatoes, all folded meticulously and griddled golden with cheddar cheese. It’s a hearty, “less guilty” feast that comes with a fairly spicy salsa packed inside. Though that salsa is the dish’s signature, I prefer getting it on the side and meting the spice factor by the bite. The veggies are sliced big and done al dente, so you get a nice bit of fresh crunch – something that might not for all, but that I value. The home fries are pretty respectable too, skin off, fluffy on the inside and griddle-browned with spice on the outside. You can get sides such as rice and beans, grapefruit and so on…