I may have mixed feelings about Boston’s development boom but it’s exciting to see the number of quality places to eat increasing. The proliferation of excellent restaurants further away from the city is what I call the “creep-de-cuisine” (trademark pending) and it’s a boon for those of us who jabber about food to make you smile. Woburn is about ten miles north of Boston and is known more for its proximity to the interstate than its food scene. But even Woburn has a few culinary surprises, ( Sichuan Garden, for example) so I figured I ought to take a look.
I don’t own a car but one of the perks of my line of work is I can trade fame (and lunch) for rides to the suburbs. Thankfully, my good friend and former Highland Kitchen brother-in-arms, Marco is feeling peckish and agrees to pick me up. We have a familiar conversation about the absurdity of restaurant ownership, as if we’re in control of our destinies and there aren’t greater powers conspiring to have us one day signing our lives away to a 15 year lease.
Our first stop in Woburn turns out to be a mini Highland Kitchen reunion. Located outside the city center at the mouth of an industrial park is Revolution Catering. While it may feel like an odd place to put a restaurant, it’s doing brisk business when we arrive. We spot our former co-workers Carl and Angel in the open kitchen, getting meals out to the people crowding Revolution’s cozy dining area. Primarily a commissary kitchen for Revolution’s catering arm, the space now doubles as the neighborhood go-to for lunch break sandwiches and iced coffee.
“Whatup fellas,” is the unmistakable greeting of Executive Chef Rob Morotto, another Highland Kitchen vet, who comes out from the kitchen for high fives and hugs. I liked working with Morotto as we bonded quickly over ‘90s hip-hop, Regina’s Pizza and the unrivalled beauty of a clean pair of Jordan 3s. Morotto is his usual happy self and approves of our order of the knuckle sandwich ($9) with beef brisket, muenster, scallion mayo and pickles alongside a bag of Zapp’s Cajun-dill potato chips. One bite into the sandwich and the the name makes total sense as juice from the brisket runs between my fingers.
Morotto says Revolution’s catering business is gangbusters while the late addition restaurant is surpassing expectations. What seems like an undesirable location has actually been a boon for Revolution. “There’s a ton of businesses in the area that need a good place to eat,” Morotto says. “Within a two-mile radius there’s something like 20,000 employees. We’re trying to bring Boston food to Woburn.”
Marco and I wrap things up at Revolution with a pair of sweet and creamy Thai-iced teas ($3.50) and another round of high fives and hugs. We head to Main Street which, as expected on a weekday in suburbia, barely hums. But small businesses appear to be thriving here as there are a number of restaurants and bars along the main drag.
We’d been hearing good things about Gene’s Flatbread Café which specializes in Western Chinese pulled noodles. (I know you didn’t see that coming.) Owner Gene Wu started the business in Chelmsford before opening a second location in Downtown Crossing. Coming to Woburn was more happy accident than design. About two years ago, the building in Chelmsford changed ownership and the original Gene’s was kicked to the curb. Not wanting to put his staff out of work, Wu moved quickly to sign a new lease in Woburn. He admits Woburn is an unlikely landing place for his specialized cuisine because there isn’t a significant Asian population but the larger location provides Wu more seats and the opportunity to expand his menu.
The restaurant’s name refers to a flat, English muffin-like sandwich filled with pork or beef ($4.50). But the focal point of this business is really Wu’s noodle dishes which are ordered by number from an LCD menu behind the counter. Aside from the menu screen, there’s nothing flashy here. Heaping bowls of noodles with roasted meat, sauces and broths come out of the kitchen on cafeteria trays. The counter woman encourages us to get the #16, hot and sour soup with pork ($8.40). She says it’s new on the menu and really good. She’s right about that. The dish is delicious, anchored by the wide hand pulled noodles which are akin to a pappardelle only thicker and chewier.
Wu knows his menu is unfamiliar to many. “We have a lot of customers, when they walk in, they think from the name that this is a Chinese pizza shop,” he chuckles. “We learn our customers. Our customers learn us. It takes time. Most customers, the first time they walk into our restaurant and check out the menu, say 'alright, we’ve never had that before' and they stay.”
Gene’s and Revolution both feel like they don’t quite fit in Woburn and yet they’re thriving. It’s a pleasant reminder that great things can happen in unlikely places and Woburn might continue to surprise us.
Revolution Catering – 161 Merrimac St., Woburn, 781-939-6977, revcocatering.com
Gene’s Chinese Flatbread Café – 466 Main St., Woburn, 781-938-6888,
genescafe.com
