tupelo

thanks to a killer groupon , derek and i were able to hit up brunch at tupelo , a southern-tinged comfortfoodjoint in inman square. not only had i been dying to check out this gem, but i also had a hankering for chicken and waffles that just wouldn't qu

best southernfoodi've had! try the fried oysters and pork belly corn dog. the fried chicken and pulled pork are fantastic as well. great service! i have to go back for the pie!

not even close. i'm a louisianian. i have tried tupelo twice now, once with a a fellow louisianian, and we both agree that while the beer selection is a great representation of la, thefoodis not. the search for a taste of home continues.

a louisiana perspective. having grown up in south louisiana and being a cajun, i thought i'd give this place a try. i must admit that i was a bit wary of a place with supposed louisiana dishes being named after a city in mississippi. one of the first things i noticed after sitting down was a bust of elvis (who was born in tupelo). the walls were decorated with paintings of new orleans style architecture. i didn't feel like i was in louisiana, but aside from being a bit noisy, the place was comfortable and felt a bit like home. i was pleased by the drink selection as they had abita and dixie beers (both breweries are in louisiana and put out quality products), as well as chimay and some other imports. the wine list didn't look bad, either. my date and i didn't have to wait long for service. it was prompt and friendly. the menu, while not extensive, had a number of dishes i'd expect to find on the menu in cajun or creole restaurants (there is a difference and no, cajun does not simply mean "spicy" as people seem to think in some parts of the country). gumbo, red beans & rice, and grits are all mainstays on menus in louisiana. our waiter recommended the fried grits as an appetizer. wait...fried grits? grits aren't fried. he explained that they take grits, cut them into cubes, batter and fry them. not traditional, but we decided to give them a shot (regular grits are easy enough to make on my own). grits have a mild flavor and i found that the batter overshadowed the grits a bit, but they were still good. my date ordered the special of the day (blackened tuna with potato salad and a green salad of some sort). i ordered the gumbo. the portions were large and we both were full well before finishing them. the tuna wasn't what i consider typical of blackened fish, but it was cooked rare and was seasoned well. the potato salad wasn't typical southern potato salad (the kind some people add to gumbo), but was lighter and went well with the fish. the gumbo would have been at home at any restaurant in south louisiana. roux is the heart of any good gumbo, and i could definitely taste it in the bowl i had. the consistency was perfect. it was thickened with enough okra and file' that it wasn't the watery crap i've seen passed off as gumbo in some places. i'd say the gumbo was more creole than cajun, as it contained no seafood and wasn't as spicy as is typical in the cajun parts of louisiana. there also was no duck, squirrel, rabbit, or anything else freshly killed by some relative or another. :-) whatever...it was still good. very good. i added a dash of tabasco and for a minute i forgot i was in boston. my date and i decided to forego dessert as we both had enoughfoodleft over for lunch the following day. there was no bread pudding or anything uniquely southern about the desserts, but they sounded good. next time i may forego the appetizer and try one of the pies they had available. overall, it was a very pleasant experience. while not 100% authentic, i'd definitely recommend the place to anyone in the area looking for a taste of louisiana.

chef laymans offers straight-forwardfoodthat covers a wide swath of southern cuisine - from texas b-b-q to more refined french-inflected dishes of new orleans and charleston.

avoid, avoid, avoid.. first, my credentials. i was born and raised in savannah, georgia. i grew up down the street from mrs. wilkes boarding house restaurant - best southernfoodon the planet, hands-down.

do yourself a favor and skip this restaurant.

these are awful misrepresentations of southern cuisine. myfoodwas horribly over-salted, mis-cooked, and generally inedible. my girlfriend's dish was equally bad (and she grew up in the dc area with a mom from south of the mason-dixon line so she knows what southernfoodshould taste like too).

a much better option for the boston area would be the (nearby) hungry mother. they do some really nice interpretations of dishes such as shrimp and grits - and they do it right.

who'd expect to find good southern style comfortfoodin the middle of cambridge? my red wine braised beef brisket with fresh ground horseradish was fork tender and was accompanied by some very good collard greens and buttery mashed potato. my wife enjoyed the catfish and cheesy grits. greatfoodand generous portions for the money. a definite win in my book.

great southernfoodup north. i'm from virginia, but thefoodat tupelo is better than anything i'd had in the south. it's flavorful, and authetnic, but has that extra boston touch of freshness in ingredients and ideas while not being too heavy (as southern can be). small, fun location and great staff, too.

tupelo, a new new orleans/southern restaurant, is definitely one of the best bangs for your buck when it comes to dining in cambridge. the ambiance is cozy and laid back, thefoodis pretty good, and the prices are very reasonable. appetizers ranged betwe