El Pelon / Cold Stone Creamery

I've been really busy with school and job search stuff lately and as a result, I have unfortunately neglected the food blog. In early November, Eric and I had dinner at El Pelon, but I haven't had time to write about it until now.

El Pelon is a small taqueria located on Peterborough Street right behind Fenway Park. It's essentially a Mexican fast food joint, serving all the standard type stuff that you would expect like burritos, tacos, enchiladas, and quesadillas. Don't get me wrong though - the quality of food at El Pelon is head and shoulders above any of the crap served at a place like Taco Bell. El Pelon is a small place, likely family-owned, and you can tell that the workers behind the counter take at least some pride in the food they prepare and serve.

Fried Plantains

Fried plantains are pretty typical, standard fare when it comes to Mexican food and lots of people ahead of us in line seemed to be ordering them, so I figured I would give them a shot. They turned out to be quite good. They were deep-fried, so a nice crust formed on the outside that was firm, but not overly crunchy. The inside, although cooked through, managed to maintain a little firmness. The lime and salsa were also a nice match, adding some acidity and heat to keep things interesting.

Rajas Tamal

Eric ordered this tamale for his appetizer. I believe the tamale was filled with roasted poblano peppers, corn and monterrey jack cheese. I tried a little, but wasn't overly impressed. It seemed a little dull and bland.

Fish Tacos

Eric and I both ordered these fish tacos as our main dish for the evening. The fish was deep-fried in a nice batter and then stuffed into the soft taco shell along with some red cabbage, sliced cucumbers, and a spicy mayo sauce. In terms of taste, I thought the tacos were great. My only complaint was the size. It honestly took me like three bites to finish each taco. I wouldn't exactly say I was stuffed by the end of the meal.

Since we finished our meal at El Pelon with a little less than a full stomach, we stopped by Coldstone Creamery on our walk back to the apartment. At the time, Coldstone was offering several special, limited-time only combinations. I forget what the exact name was of the one we ordered, but I remember it having oatmeal raisin ice-cream mixed with apples, caramel, and some nuts.

It was my first time having Coldstone ice-cream, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I found the ice-cream to be exceptionally smooth and creamy. I thought the whole mix-in-your-ingredients concept was a little gimmicky at first, but after experiencing it first hand, it definitely works. Almost $5 for ice-cream is a little steep though, but I suppose it's worth it.