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10 of the best tacos in and around Boston – The Boston Globe

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10 of the best tacos in and around Boston – The Boston Globe


Angela’s Cafe

Launched in 2007, this homey restaurant with branches in Eagle Hill and Orient Heights is an East Boston institution. Founder Angela Atenco Lopez, a Puebla native, introduced many a local diner to traditional dishes like mole poblano and pipian verde. Since her death five years ago, her family continues the tradition. The tacos are always good: soft and fragrant corn tortillas filled with pork, steak, shrimp, and more, garnished with onion and cilantro. While you’re in, try the chiles en nogada, stuffed poblanos in a creamy white walnut sauce, sprinkled with red pomegranate seeds and green parsley: the colors of the flag. They’re served this time each year, in honor of the holiday.

131 Lexington St., Eagle Hill, 617-567-4972; 1012 Bennington St., Orient Heights, 617-874-8251; East Boston; www.angelascafeboston.com. Tacos $2.50-$5 each.

Crispy shrimp tacos with a prickly pear margarita at Barra. A new fall menu is coming soon.
Jessica Rinaldi/Globe Staff

Barra

Mexico City-style food from Mexico City natives. The slip of a bar has a great nighttime vibe plus plenty of mezcal and sotol, on their own or in cocktails. (You can get your margarita with a chile-grasshopper rim if you like.) Along with other delights, the menu includes tacos made with hand-pressed tortillas, blistered and charred. Try the crisp fried fish with morita chile mayonnaise, pickled cabbage, and a dollop of avocado salsa.

23a Bow St., Union Square, Somerville, 617-764-1750, www.barraunionsquare.com. Tacos $8-$9 each.

Casa Verde

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Here’s a departure from tradition, and a welcome one, particularly for vegetarians. Chef Valentine Howell, who wowed diners at Krasi and his Black Cat pop-up at Vee Vee, has remade the menu at this Jamaica Plain spot. Now tacos range freely from carnitas to fried chicken with bread and butter pickles. I like the meat-free versions, such as yuca fritters with kale curtido and chipotle ranch; roasted carrots with charred scallion salsa and avocado crema; and Brussels sprouts with pomegranate, cotija cheese, and salsa verde (visually appropriate for Mexican Independence Day). Quesabirria tacos, the omnipresent griddled beef and cheese tacos served with consomme for dipping, are made here with jackfruit too.

711 Centre St., Jamaica Plain, 617-477-9977, www.casaverdejp.com. Tacos $7.60 each.

A lengua taco at Chilacates.Kayana Szymczak

Chilacates

This tiny spot serving Mexican street food — hecho a mano con amor — opened on Amory Street in Jamaica Plain 10 years ago. Since then it’s expanded. There are nearly a dozen locations, from Brookline to Cambridge to South Boston. The original is still the best, and it’s the one I continue to go to, even though there’s a different branch around the corner from me. Tacos on handmade tortillas with potato and chorizo, carnitas, grilled shrimp, and more are always satisfying; order a plate, which comes with rice and beans. Don’t forget to ask for extra hot sauce. It’s good. (With the addition of the delightful but less taco-focused Abuela’s Table, JP’s Mexican food scene is on the up.)

224 Amory St., Jamaica Plain, 617-522-6000, www.chilacatesmx.com. Tacos $4.99-$5.99 each.

Esquite

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A cheerful ode to Mexican street food, Revere’s tiny, tasty Esquite helps make this corner of Shirley Avenue shine. It’s located across from Revere Beach Pizzeria and next to 4 Season Boba Tea. America, the beautiful intersection. The owners ran food cart Eloti prior to opening this location and another on North Shore Road, and they still sell the Mexican corn they became known for. It’s part of a long menu stocked with delicious things — including excellent Mexico City-style tacos, from birria to carne asada to cochinita pibil with pickled onions.

194 Shirley Ave., Revere, 781-629-5713, www.esquiterestaurant.com. 1148 North Shore Road, Revere, 781-629-5117, www.esquitetaqueria.com. Tacos $4.99-$5.99 each.

Pátzcuaro’s birria tacos, filled with braised beef, cheese, onion, and cilantro, served with beef consomme. House-made salsas elevate whatever they touch.Josh Reynolds for The Boston Globe

Pátzcuaro Taqueria & Bar

This warm and friendly Newton restaurant is named for the town in Michoacán, Mexico, where chef-owner Avelina Saavedra grew up in her father’s taqueria. Tacos are served with caramelized onions and potatoes, as they are back home. The birria version with its rich consomme is a highlight, but you can’t go wrong here. The house-made salsas elevate whatever they touch.

398 Watertown St., Newton, 857-297-2079, www.patzcuaronewton.com. Tacos $6-$7 each.

On the side of Plazita Mexico Tacos in Watertown are the words “No Tacos No Life.”Devra First

Plazita Mexico Tacos

The words “No Tacos No Life” are painted on the side of this Watertown taqueria, and eating here makes me inclined to agree. If the message isn’t enough to lure you in, the beguilingly tortilla-scented air surrounding the place will be. Plazita Mexico opened here in December; its original Wakefield branch debuted in 2023. Meats are juicy, salsas are on point, house-made tortillas are thick, pliant, and fragrant. I’m a little jealous of the Watertown High students who get to eat here all the time. Come on the weekends if you want tamales.

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385 Main St., Watertown, 617-923-2339; 10 Vernon St., Wakefield, 781-666-0364; www.plazitamexicotacos.com. Tacos $3.25-$4.95 each.

The Taqueria Don Roge truck is parked in a lot on Revere Beach Parkway in Everett.Devra First

Taqueria Don Roge

When you see the red truck, pull into the parking lot. On Revere Beach Parkway in Everett, Taqueria Don Roge serves tacos worth the stop. Customers range from police officers to food-tripping hipsters to Spanish-speaking locals. Place your order, take a buzzer, and soon enough you’ll be cradling a container of warm tortillas filled with cabeza, lengua, al pastor, and more.

1739 Revere Beach Parkway, Everett, 781-513-7340, www.taqueriadonroge.com. Tacos $3.49-$4.49 each.

A carne asada taco at Taqueria El Amigo.Essdras M Suarez/Globe Staff

Taqueria El Amigo

A beloved classic in Waltham: friendly, tasty, speedy. You’ll know the place by the Mexican flags that hang outside. Walls are decorated with folk art and kids’ drawings, and banda music plays on the speakers. Get your tacos to go, or if you’re lucky grab one of the handful of tables in this tiny taqueria run by the Timoteo brothers, who took over a few years ago. The cabeza taco, made with tender and rich beef cheek, is a favorite.

196 Willow St., Waltham, 781-642-7410, www.taqueria-elamigo.com. Tacos $3.75-$4.95 each.

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Taqueria Jalisco is deservedly known for its birria tacos.Craig F. Walker/Globe Staff

Taqueria Jalisco

Open for more than 20 years in East Boston’s Day Square, this has long been a contender for Boston’s best tacos. Owner Ramiro Gonzalez grew up in California, where his parents operated taco trucks. He learned the business, and their recipes. Three months ago, he opened a second Taqueria Jalisco, in Orient Heights. It is just right for the neighborhood, serving a similar menu in an Instagram-ready space. Staff make fresh tortillas on one side of the restaurant. Kids are here eating dinner with their parents; people are celebrating birthdays (the staff sings, and the whole room joins in); customers lose their minds over the soccer game on at the bar. It’s festive and delightful, and the food is still great.

Greis Garcia makes tortillas at Taqueria Jalisco in the Orient Heights neighborhood of East Boston.Craig F. Walker/Globe Staff

Now there’s also breakfast, with chilaquiles, concha French toast, and other Mexican and American classics. A full cocktail list serves up Oaxacan Old Fashioneds, spiked aguas frescas, and margaritas garnished with house-made popsicles. But I digress! You’re here for the tacos. Al pastor, lengua, cabeza, adobada … all are excellent as always. And the birria tacos, for which Taqueria Jalisco is well-known, remain some of the best around.

980 Saratoga St., Orient Heights, 617-418-5121; 293 Bennington St., Day Square, 617-567-6367; East Boston; Instagram @taqueriajaliscoeb. Tacos $4.50-$5.50 each.

Alberto Salinas tends bar at Taqueria Jalisco, where you can get your margarita garnished with a house-made popsicle.Craig F. Walker/Globe Staff

Devra First can be reached at devra.first@globe.com. Follow her on Instagram @devrafirst.





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Proposed “perfect” Red Sox trade sees Boston deal Jarren Duran, prospects for $15.5 million two-time All-Star ace

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Proposed “perfect” Red Sox trade sees Boston deal Jarren Duran, prospects for .5 million two-time All-Star ace


The Boston Red Sox found their ace in Garrett Crochet this year, after trading for him around this time last year. Now, they’ve made some moves to finally get him some support in the rotation, but none of those moves are truly a No. 2 to back him up.

Fansided’s Cody Williams believes he has the perfect trade for a name that’s been floated around as an option: Milwaukee Brewers All-Star Freddy Peralta. 

“While Boston has long looked like an obvious suitor for Peralta, the trade assets haven’t necessarily lined up perfectly for both them and Milwaukee…Now, the Brewers still aren’t in need of outfield help, so to speak, but there is certainly room to upgrade over the likes of Jake Bauers, Garrett Mitchell or Blake Perkins, which Duran or Abreu would allow them to do. Furthermore, in typical fashion for Milwaukee, they could flip an asset they’re unlikely to be able to pay in Peralta for immediate major-league upgrades with plenty of club control at low cost and prospects that could help keep the ball rolling under Pat Murphy,” Williams wrote. 

MORE: Cubs predicted to trade for $3.75 million 150 SO ace to create 1-2 punch with Shota Imanaga

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The trade would look like this: 

Red Sox get: RHP Freddy Peralta

Brewers get: OF Jarren Duran, SS Franklin Arias (No. 1 Prospect), RHP Juan Valera (No. 12 Prospect) 

MORE: Mariners predicted to trade for $5.75 million All-Star, Gold Glove as amazing replacement for Jorge Polanco

Peralta posted a 17-6 record, a 2.70 ERA, 204 Ks, and a WHIP of 1.075 over 176 innings pitched last season. Combine him with Crochet, and the Sox have a World Series-contending-level rotation. 

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The only problem with this is it’s basically a one-year rental. Peralta’s contract is up after this year, and he’s projected to get a five-year, $152 million deal. 

The Sox have shown they don’t believe in giving long-term contracts out to players over 30, and Peralta will be 30 in the upcoming season. Hopefully, the Sox make an exception, get uncomfortable like they said they would, and pursue this trade.

MORE MLB NEWS

Braves predicted to be top trade candidate for $325 million two-time World Series MVP, five-time All-Star as massive upgrade over Mauricio Dubon

Red Sox predicted to be top landing spot for $116.5 million three-time All-Star, two-time Silver Slugger, would be massive upgrade from David Hamilton

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Phillies predicted to be top trade candidate for $7.7 million All-Star MVP, would replace Nick Castellanos



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BU spoils Northeastern final game at Matthews Arena

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BU spoils Northeastern final game at Matthews Arena


BOSTON – Before the lights went out at Matthews Arena for the last time, they shined brightly on Boston University center Brandon Svoboda.

The sophomore from Pittsburgh scored two goals including the game-winner at 18:21 of the third to lift the Terriers to a 4-3 victory over Northeastern, on Saturday night. Svoboda’s fourth of the season was the final goal scored at Northeastern’s historic Matthews Arena.

The Terriers’ victory over the Huskies was the last sporting event played inside Matthews Arena, which officially opened its doors as Boston Arena in April of 1910.

“I got a lucky bounce and I capitalized on it and put it in the back of the net,” said Svoboda. “Playing the last game ever in this building is pretty special and what was it, 1910 this place was built so it was pretty special being the last team playing in this building.

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“We are a young group and we are figuring it out so it was obviously a big deal to get a W in the last game in this arena.”

BU improved to 9-8-1 and 6-3-0 in Hockey East going into the semester break while the No. 11 Huskies fell to 10-6-0 and 5-4-0 in the conference.

“It was just a big win for us going into the semester break,” said BU coach Jay Pandolfo. “The first half has not been ideal for us so to finish it that way, to come back in the third period to win a hockey game in this environment, where this is their last home game here and they wanted to win and we found a way to pull it off.”

Northeastern purchased the structure in 1979 and renamed it Matthews Arena three years later. The demolition of the old barn nestled between Mass. Ave and Gainsborough Street will begin in January and the new arena is scheduled to go online in September of 2028.

“Having a new facility is definitely a big selling point,” said NU coach Jerry Keefe. “It is going to have all the amenities you need to develop players and I think this generation of recruits like the shiny and the new.”

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The first Beanpot Tournament was played at Boston Arena in 1952, so it seemed appropriate that Northeastern would play its final game against a neighboring Beanpot opponent. BU played its home games at Boston Arena from 1918 to 1971 before moving into its new facility on Babcock Street.

Pandolfo enjoyed many Matthews moments both on the ice and behind the bench. Pandolfo also played in the final Beanpot game at the old Boston Garden.

“I always enjoyed playing here that’s for sure,” Pandolfo said. “It was a fun place to play and I always enjoyed it and I enjoyed coaching there. It is a great environment and a special old building.

“That’s the biggest attachment for me and that I just enjoyed it. My grandfather played at Northeastern, my mom’s dad and that makes it special as well. It was also Boston University’s home rink as well for a long time and that is a big reason we are here closing it out with Northeastern.”

The Huskies had some extra zip in their blades that created several scoring opportunities, all of which deftly handled by BU netminder Mikhail Yegorov.

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NU went up 1-0 on a power play goal by freshman center Jacob Mathieu at 11:28 of the first. Mathieu found an opening outside the BU crease and redirected Giacomo Martino’s wrister from the left circle for his fifth of the season.

NU went up 2-0 at 14:36 when junior center Tyler Fukakusa finished a two-on-one break with his second goal of the season. BU got on the board when Svoboda netted a power play goal at 17:40, his third of the season.

“We were playing fine but we just made some mistakes so to get out of that first period 2-1 was important no question about that,” said Pandolfo.

BU tied the game 2-2 on sophomore center Sacha Boisvert’s second of the season at 13:38 of the second. NU went up 3-2 when sophomore left wing Joe Connor beat the buzzer at 19:59 with his sixth of the season. NU tied the game 3-3 on Kamil Bednarik tally at 18:02 of the third. Svoboda would score 19 seconds later to complete the comeback.

“You give up a late goal at the end of the second period after a power play, that can really hurt you,” said Pandolfo. “But our guys were determined to come back.”

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Boston city councilor pushes for state audit of federal grant funds after misuse by city program

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Boston city councilor pushes for state audit of federal grant funds after misuse by city program


Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn requested that the state auditor’s office conduct a formal audit of the nearly $560 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds the city received from the federal government, in light of misspending by a city program.

Flynn sent a letter to State Auditor Diana DiZoglio on Friday requesting an audit of the federal grant funds the city received through the ARPA legislation of 2021 that was issued as a COVID-19 pandemic-relief measure.

The councilor said Boston received nearly $560 million in federal funds for pandemic recovery. The money was committed by the end of 2024, and must be spent by the end of next year, he said.

“In May of this year, it was reported that the City of Boston’s Three Squares Main Streets program allegedly misspent ARPA funds in the amount of $32,000,” Flynn wrote in the letter. “Irresponsible funding and spending leads to inflated costs and missed opportunities to improve our communities.

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“It is critical that the City of Boston spends taxpayer dollars responsibly to regain our credibility and show respect to the residents,” he added.

Flynn wrote that he chose to pursue a state audit due to the City Council’s failure to hold oversight hearings, and ensure that “Boston is in compliance with spending regulations.”

Auditor DiZoglio’s office said Friday that it had received Flynn’s letter and that the councilor’s request requires a majority vote from the City Council and approval from the mayor to permit the auditor’s office to conduct a municipal audit.

“Our General Counsel will be sending Councilor Flynn the legal process required, under the law, to engage the Office of State Auditor with respect to a municipal audit,” DiZoglio spokesperson Andrew Carden said in a statement.

“Unlike the Office of Inspector General, which has the full legal authority to audit and investigate municipal government entities without a request or permission from a city or town, the Office of State Auditor, while mandated to audit state government entities, is actually legally required to obtain permission from a municipality, via both a majority vote from the City Council and approval by the Mayor, to be permitted to conduct a municipal audit,” Carden added.

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Flynn told the Herald he wouldn’t hold his breath for approval from his colleagues on the City Council, which is largely allied with Mayor Michelle Wu.

“Since the City Council failed to hold the necessary oversight hearings to determine how we spend federal funds, an outside audit is essential to ensure appropriate spending, demonstrate transparency and accountability,” Flynn said. “The Boston City Council will not support an independent audit of our financial records to ensure we are complying with federal spending laws.”

Mayor Wu’s office didn’t respond to a request for comment on whether the Wu administration would support Flynn’s request for a state audit.



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