Angela's Cafe in East Boston: Getting it Right

In East Boston, MA a small café is earning the reputation for serving high-quality, authentic Mexican recipes in a family-style atmosphere. Open any local magazine or paper and you will probably find a review praising Chef Angela "Mama" Atenco Lopez's homemade dishes -- especially her mole sauce and the guacamole, which was voted BEST IN BOSTON by Boston Magazine.

While the café is open all day and serves a great breakfast and lunch, I wanted a chance to see how they operated at night when the menu is chalk full of "Mama's" family recipes and has been the focus of so much chatter on websites such as Chowhound and Yelp. So, for the price of playing the phone reservationist for the night, the owners graciously allowed me to observe a typical night at the café.

I arrived on a Wednesday at about 5:30pm, giving me just enough time to watch the final preparations before the dinner rush and to snag a prime seat at the counter, where I had full view of both the dining room and open kitchen. With a maximum capacity of 30, this place is small and fills up quickly. On this night it had three reservations for parties of 3-6 people each, taking up a large portion of its dining room. Each party was there to celebrate something from birthdays to a much needed night out and was greeted with a broad smile by the manager, Luis.

I was given a reservation book, the phone and told "Yes we are open on the Fourth of July". This is a family-owned and operated restaurant and Luis, the youngest of Chef Angela's sons was running the dining room that night with one waitress, Johanna Ohman and a busser he called "Chico," who did double duty at the guacamole station when he wasn't clearing tables. In the back-of-the-house, Chef Angela was in her element commanding a team of three. Nothing was allowed to leave the kitchen if it wasn't up to her standards and she kept a careful eye on everything without losing a beat.

Watching the report between the staff and the customers this night, it was easy to see why the café has earned so many accolades. It's not fussy or gimmicky. The red and gold walls are simply decorated with the articles and awards received over their first two years in business with a memento or two they brought with them from Mexico. The ceiling is still decorated in festive colors and a piñata left over from Cinco de Mayo at the request of frequent customers who just don't want it to be taken down. Finally, in a special place of honor behind the counter where I was seated is an oil portrait of Delores, Chef Angela's mother. "She taught me how to cook and all the recipes here," nodding towards the portrait she flashes me a proud smile.

While perfection is always elusive, the service that night ran seamlessly with only two chairs available at any given time and many folks coming in for take out orders as well. The success of the night was owed to both the leads --in the kitchen and dining room. They both showed what it takes to lead a team. First, by being vigilant of their area and staff; and then by anticipating the needs of the floor and leading their teams with speed and efficiency while maintaining a friendly, welcoming feeling that makes customers want to come back. While each had their role, there was no one too good for any job. The supervisors easily moved from lead role -- instructing their staff on dishes and customer needs to a supporting role such as helping bus tables when things got hectic.

They even checked in on me to make sure I was comfortable and had something to eat and drink. Sitting at the counter I was able to chat with Luis and Johanna in the quiet moments, asking them how they handled very busy nights. "Communication is the key," said Luis, "that and working as a team. We have only one wait staff member on most nights and they have to be able to rely on the manager for both balance and communication."

He couldn't be more accurate. I watched him move from welcoming and seating customers while Johanna was with another table to taking drink orders and letting them know that Johanna would follow to tell them of tonight's specials. As a team, Johanna worked well with him passing along information with quick exchanges and a smile, knowing that they were always insight of the customers. When Johanna needed a guacamole order, Chico was quick to respond moving from busboy to guacamole station without hesitation.

Johanna had an easy-going manner about her, chatting with customers but not lingering and laughing at herself when she got tongue-tied trying to pronounce Epazote; the Mexican spice that gave their Pozole Verde a savory kick. It also helps that she is beautiful. Several of the counter and take-out patrons, I suspect, come here for both the food and to see Johanna. She seems quite at ease with this giving them a warm smile as she listens to their stories. Each left promising to see her next week.

By the end of the night they had completely sold out of the desert special, customers were treated to a birthday sing-a-long and a mock piñata ritual. They all left promising to return with more friends who just had to try on of "Mama" dishes.

Without hesitation the entire staff went into "clean mode," sweeping, washing and preparing everything for the morning service. "At Angela's your shift doesn't end with the last customer," Johanna smiles, "It ends when the café is clean and ready for the next shift and everyone pitches in to get it ready."

Angela's Café is open everyday at 8am and doesn't close until 10pm most nights. While reservations aren't required, I would recommend them for parties of four and more. You can make reservations at any time during the day, but if you call after 4pm ask what the nightly specials are as they are always unique and meant to be a treat.

For more information see their website at

Angela's Café

131 Lexington Street

East Boston, MA 02128

617-567-4972

　

　www.angelascaferestaurant.com