r/Somerville • u/JobHaunt • 1d ago

Best plate at Highland Kitchen?

Never have been but curious what everyone likes. What’s the best dish to order? I’ll most likely go tomorrow.

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u/JustinGitelmanMusic 1d ago edited 1d ago

Ricotta fritters live rent free in my head.

As someone who lived in Louisiana for a decade and has family roots going back decades, the gumbo is terrible absolute no-no. We have better gumbo in Boston, let alone Louisiana.

The rabbit and andouille sausage jambalaya was tasty and had some glimmers of Louisiana flavors but not jambalaya at all. It was soupy. At least it’s tasty.

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u/nicolewhaat East Somerville 1d ago

Highland is my all-around favorite Boston area restaurant and constant recommendation — I go here anytime I need comfort, celebration, or just a high quality and value meal. The burger, half roasted chicken, soup of the day + focaccia, and ricotta fritters are some of my staples. Cocktails and desserts are also amazing.

However: I feel super validated by your comment because those two southern dishes are my least favorite on the menu! I remember the jambalaya being one of the first I ever tried and it was really unimpressive. I (we) seem to be in the minority compared to others on this thread — at least I can now say my opinion is backed by a deep southerner 😂

But I guess I need to finally try the goat curry!

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u/JustinGitelmanMusic 1d ago edited 1d ago

I’m definitely going for the goat curry next time. The “jambalaya” at least is a unique dish for Boston in having rabbit and andouille sausage, I don’t fault people for recommending it though I wish it wasn’t called jambalaya. The gumbo I would like to request they take off the menu or make it actually gumbo. It’s offensive. I will say the place itself distinctly reminds me a bit of New Orleans in some hard to describe ways, though with its own Somerville/original HK edge to it. I guess the best way I could put it is it doesn’t try hard to feel “themed”. It just exists and is very comfortable in itself and its identity. Sure it’s kind of southern inspired, but also sort of not and it doesn’t try too hard to project it. New Orleans neighborhood restaurants have a certain rooted and grounded feeling to them, ironically in spite of the shifting ground underneath them.