Aguacate Verde Restaurant
13 Elm Street
Somerville, MA 02143
617-666-0677
www.aguacateverderestaurant.com
Hours:
Tue – Sat: 11am-9pm
Sun: 10:30am-7pm and Special Events
Closed Mondays
http://g.co/maps/7depa
Walking into Aguacate Verde, you are likely to receive a warm “hello” from a friendly woman behind the counter or straightening things up around the restaurant. Upon further investigation you will quickly learn that this woman is Silvia De la Sota, owner and founder of the new restaurant, Aguacate Verde, at 13 Elm Street in Somerville.
This new Mexican restaurant is situated on the corner of Elm Street and Porter Street, about two and a half blocks up from Porter Square. Neighbored by a skate shop and in the old location of Tacos Luptia, Aguacate Verde’s physical location has always been a hot spot for those looking to enjoy quality Mexican cuisine.
Silvia De la Sota hopes that those who enter Aguacate Verde will feel comfortable and welcome. She asks customers about their food preferences as she is making their dish and checks in to make sure that each guest enjoys their order.
Silvia has always had a knack for cooking and opened Aguacate Verde this past May as a challenge and a way to connect with the community. Her professional background ranges from public health to social work to karate, in which she is a black belt. Her restaurant management techniques are closely tied to her public health experience, given that she takes care to create food that is healthy for her customers.
I had the pleasure of experiencing one of her chicken quesadillas upon my first visit to Aguacate Verde. From the perfectly melted cheese to the plentiful amounts of rice, chicken, and other delicious ingredients, I was thrilled with both taste and quantity. I was easily able to take home my leftovers and eat them for lunch the next day, a wonderful realization for me as a college student always looking to make food last.
Another time Silvia let me in on more of her cooking secrets, as I got to go into the kitchen with her as she and her newest employee showed me how to make cheese pupusas, one of the multiple types of pupusas available at Aguacate Verde. Here I witnessed the amount of precision and expertise that goes into each dish and could truly understand what Silvia meant when she told her employees to always make the food with “a lot of love.”
While beans and rice are two staple ingredients when it comes to Mexican food, love and care take top priority in Aguacate Verde's kitchen. Here Silvia and a new employee work together on the pupusas, explaining each step to me as they go.
So one might wonder, why “Aguacate Verde”? Translated into English, it means “Green Avocado.” Avocados are a signature ingredient in all of Silvia’s vegetarian dishes and, as she points out, they are a source of protein, vitamins, and the good oil that helps to lower cholesterol. Speaking of vegetarian options, Silvia takes care to make sure that everything on her menu has a vegetarian option so that her food is more accessible.
Ordering at the counter, one can then watch his or her food being prepared from start to finish, a fascinating and comforting aspect of the setup. There is a menu on the wall above the window and another, more detailed one on the countertop that customers may also peruse.
Silvia’s not only focused on the food aspect of her restaurant, however—she is also committed to educating the community about nutrition, health, and culture. Born in Lima, Peru, Silvia feels an obligation to create opportunities for her customers to learn more about Latin American culture, whether it’s at her every-other-Thursday-night karaoke events or her weekly Sunday morning tamale brunch festivities. Pulling in her public health knowledge, she sees the importance of promoting balance and mental health as well– be on the lookout for her upcoming laughing workshops, teaching how to laugh often and well in order to alleviate stress.
If you have not yet checked out Aguacate Verde, it is a serious must. While you’re there, be sure to introduce yourself to Silvia and share in her enthusiasm for food, culture, and health.
When asked her goals for the future, she noted that she sees food as a necessity but also a vehicle for personal connection: “It’s a way to share, but also to show that we care about people’s health and well-being.”