We tried a restaurant in Malden last night that has been getting some good press of late. The Salem Wood Cafe, which is on Salem Street in Malden, is a place that looks like so many other working-class bars and restaurants in Malden, Everett, Revere, and the surrounding area, but it is a big step above most of them as far as quality is concerned. The steak tips, for instance, seem nearly as good as those at the New Bridge Cafe in nearby Chelsea, which is saying a lot. The tips were tender, had a slightly sweet marinade, and had very little gristle at the Salem Wood. In fact, I'd say that the tips themselves were equal in quality to those at the New Bridge, though the New Bridge may have the best marinade anywhere in the Boston area.
The other food was good there, too, including a special they had last night. It was a type of lasagna that had sheets of pasta rolled into cylinders, and it was very good. The lasagna came with dense, hearty meatballs that had at least two or three different kinds of meat in them (I definitely tasted pork in them; possibly veal, too). Other items we had included a baked sweet potato, good rolls of bread, and basic salads.
I want to get back to the Salem Wood Cafe to try some of the other dishes, including the veal parm and the burgers. But it will be tough to get past those steak tips, so perhaps I'll have to go there a few times!
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Malden restaurants Italian restaurants Boston steak tips
