Saturday evening I went out with 12 girlfriend's to celebrate my 26th birthday. After careful consideration, I decided to make our reservation at Cuchi Cuchi in Central Square in Cambridge. A few years ago while I was living in Inman Square my roommate went to Cuchi Cuchi with her mother and older sister and came back to the house delightfully buzzed and raving about her experience there. Three years later, and after many more rave reviews from others, I finally made it there!
Cuchi Cuchi is just a few blocks east of the Central Square T stop on Main Street. The doorway is flanked by mermaid sculptures and beautiful shrubbery. Inside the bar is lively and the dining room has fantastic 20s, girly decor. Even the wait staff dress the part!
Since Cuchi Cuchi doesn't take reservations on Fridays or Saturdays, we had our name on the preferred seating list and after an hour wait in the bar, we were seated.
Our table was right in the front window with an excellent view of the restaurant. Our waiter was very friendly and began the evening by offering us warm towelettes to clean our hands and baskets of bread fresh out of the oven with olive oil for dipping.
The menu begins with the cocktail list which is just as long as the food menu! This is one of the most impressive and exciting cocktail lists I have seen. Each drink sounds delicious and has a fun, campy name. I tried the Raspberry Lime Rickey Ricardo, which was fantastic! The girls also offered high praise for the Blackberry Cosmo, the Orient Express and the Moulin Rouge.
Cuchi Cuchi offers small plates and recommends 2-3 plates per person. I think we may have sampled just about everything on the menu!
We tried the marinated mushrooms which were extremely flavorful and had two plastic, pink flamingos as a garnish:
We ordered the eggplant napoleon which rapidly disappeared at each end of the table:
Brie stuffed with walnuts and bacon, wrapped in a puff pastry, and served over green apple slices (the absolute favorite dish of the night):
The potato croquettes which actually tasted more like falafel. They came with two dipping sauces, a tomato and a cheese, and were garnished with two gorgeous origami paper cranes:
The ladies also devoured the short rib cigar served over black beans:
The duck a l'Orange crepes:
We also tried the mushroom risotto which was creamy and sublime, and what I would say was the best dish of the night, the deep fried tomato. The tomato is served with Mexican cheese and avocado, then deep fried to crispy perfection and served over pico de gallo. Sadly I couldn't snap a picture before it was gobbled up!
We had zero room for dessert, but it being my birthday and all, the girls had pre-ordered one chocolate cake for us to share (my favorite item on any dessert menu!). All of the wait staff came out singing and shaking tambourines as they carried the cake toward the table. They also brought a giant candle stick with a 12 inch candle for me to make a birthday wish. At that moment, surrounded by my best girlfriends in the most beautiful restaurant, I've honestly never felt luckier.
Thank you Cuchi Cuchi for superb drinks, crave-able food, and a one of a kind, fabulous atmosphere. I can't wait to return!
