We’re busy. We have to cook for too many people who are coming to our place this year. We’re not even close to being done with the shopping. We’re still hunting for the perfect tree. And did we mention we’re working right up until Christmas Eve? We could sure use some help from mom right about now.
Cafe Mami (1815 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge) fills the void when our moms are too far away to lend a hand. It’s heavy food season. We’re half drunk on eggnog, our bellies full of gravy and potatoes. We need a break from the constant cookie onslaught. So, we head for cleansing miso, veggies, and lean protein.
Cafe Mami is great for several reasons. In addition to making some killer tofu and steaming teriyaki to warm us up, their takeout saves us when our lives are just too hectic to handle cooking one more meal. At Mami’s, you don’t have to think long and hard. Will this sweater fit grandma? Does Billy want a remote control car or Legos? It doesn’t matter. Walk into Mami, order a hamburg set, and grab a green tea shake to wash it down. Don’t know what a hamburg is? This is why you need to get there.
Need to sit for a few minutes to cross stuff off your list? Lunchtime is packed, and the communal seating can be a bit up close and personal at a time when going out in public is already a frenzied, bumpy affair. But the service at Cafe Mami is super nice, and since they’ve avoided the holiday madness gloom that can settle over some cafes that get slammed this time of year, it’s worth the friendly smiles to stop in for some curry. We like the veggie kind the best.
Cafe Mami, 1815 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, (617) 547-9130
[Photo: yajico/Flickr]
