Cuisine En Locale

En Locale? I am en locale as it gets. I actually LIVE in this neighborhood. So incredibly disappointed by CEL’s total lack of respect for the neighborhood they inhabit.
I live a block and a half away and many nights we can’t leave our windows open because of noise from the patrons of events at CEL. I wonder how long it will take for the those abutting CEL to speak up about the pretty consistent noise from people coming and going. Drunken patrons causing a ruckus in the parking lot at all hours. Not to mention the people hanging outside smoking throwing their butts onto the sidewalk along with other trash that is constantly left behind after events. I grew up in a small business and I own one myself. I am no white collar snob, that’s for sure. I am someone who consistently supports small businesses and love all the new indies we have opening in S’ville, but I just can not for the life of me understand why the owner of CEL doesn’t show any respect for those of us who live next door? Step up to the plate CEL and take care of us who live next to you! Managing a business that has the type of events CEL hosts should include hiring staff to provide security out front, keeping the noise down for neighbors and cleaning up the front of your building! I drive by almost daily and it’s always a hot mess out front. Maybe some greedy developer will buy the property and put up more half a million dollar condos like we have popping up all over Somerville at this corner and gentrify the neighborhood? That would be VERY sad, but at least there would be some peace, quiet and cleaner sidewalks.

Thank you SO much for being so incredibly accommodating with your meal delivery service. We called at the last minute, you said you had made extras, and even though you were done with deliveries for the evening, you still made it happen for a very special family.
This means so much to us, and we are so glad to know you are right around the corner from our family and we won’t hesitate to order from you again!

I have thought a LOT about this review and have really given it a solid go — This is for 3 negative (well, 2 somewhat negative and 1 really negative) experience at the dining part of Cuisine En Locale. I’d like to specify that this is unrelated to their venue side of the business, ONCE (which hosts amazing venues that there just isn’t a place for otherwise, which is fantastic). I also haven’t experienced their catering or meal delivery service.
My thesis is that CeL obvious has a lot of vision, passion, and personality, but they desperately need someone that knows how to manage restaurants and understands small business management, or it’s just not going to do well. I hope this can help their QA and training process along to help them stay around as long as possible!
My experiences (again, the first two weren’t bad enough to not want to give them a third try):
¹²⁄₂₀₁₄: I ate there during a speed dating event. They were relatively new here, so the menu only had two items: Red and white pizza. All pizza orders took between 45 – 60 minutes, which seemed really long for it being all that was on the menu. Since the event had prepaid attendees, they had an idea of how many folks to expect and how much to prepare for. Even with pizzas being made to order, it’d be great to have them get started on both types when the evening began. All staff seemed a bit confused and newly trained, but the whole business was just starting out after transitioning from Anthony’s.
¹²⁄₂₀₁₅: I ate upstairs during a Resonance event, which is a DJ lounge night (no dancing, which I found a bit odd, but mainly an awesome soundtrack to food and drinks, which is still great!) I ordered a pasta with a cream sauce that mentioned poblano peppers, but nothing else about spiciness (and poblanos generally aren’t made to be more spicy than jalapenos, particularly mixed with a bunch of other things in a pasta sauce.) It was SO spicy that even my date, who tosses Sriracha on everything like there’s no tomorrow, couldn’t eat more than a bite. We were in spicy death mouth pain for a LONG time, and it took all the flavor out of the whole thing. We didn’t eat more than the two bites, and the server didn’t ask about it, so we just got something else and paid for both. When we did mention it at the end, the sever said that every other diner had said the same thing, and that the chef just «likes to make what they like», which I found pretty bizarre. The servers that night seemed to really love the environment and love their jobs, but didn’t seem to have a lot of foodservice experience. Again, nothing hugely awful, just… well, if there are only a few things on the menu and one is a pasta dish, it’s important that it can be enjoyed by the majority, culinary creativity aside. It sounds like no one could eat it.
⁰²⁄₂₀₁₆ — This was the experience that means I won’t go back. I was at another one of the speed dating events and ordered a pasta dish at 9pm. I checked in about 20 minutes later and it wasn’t on the food table yet, so I had to go back to the event. The next break I had was 50 minutes after I ordered and it… still wasn’t on the table. I asked a server, and she got a strange look. She then left and came back, and told me that not only had they been out of the pasta at 9pm when I ordered it, but she was amazed that no one had told me. I was completely starving by this point. I asked for a side of veggies, and she went off to get them but then was very confused at what to do about voiding a credit card and how to proceed. A male employee then came by and apologized a ton, voided the sale, and said the green beans were on the house (yay?) I haven’t seen the transaction voided on my bank statement yet, but hopefully that’s forthcoming! I actually wasn’t too peeved at this point, though it’s really bizarre that I was left hungry for an hour without anyone telling me they were out of what I ordered. But I gave up when he said his excuse: That they were crazy busy trying to serve the event. That’s why they messed up. This is ONLY an event venue — it’s not a regular restaurant! They do catering! They had the number of attendees in advance, and ran out of food halfway through.
I really want this place to do well because it has all the fixings of being a Somerville establishment, but they’re just not ready to run a restaurant yet. Hopefully they’ll improve!

Attempted to eat dinner before seeing a concert. Waitress was not attentive at all, could not explain any questions about the menu and was extremely difficult to get a hold of, even to pay the check. The food was mediocre at best. I had very high hopes after reading everyone else’s reviews on Unilocal.
The venue itself was neat. I will return for shows but never again for dinner.

Bored with your own cooking? Too busy with a new baby or exams to cook? Lazy and a bad cook like me? Try Cuisine en Locale weekly meal delivery! ONCE a Week is healthy farm to table food. Local. Delicious. Organic. Sustainable. I love it! This weekly food service makes healthy eating so much easier. Plus I love supporting a local business. It’s delivered quickly by bicycle which is awesome. It’s exciting to check the new menu and see what you’re going to eat for the week.
Can’t wait the flourless chocolate cake :) Viva la Locavore :)
Also, the venue is doing ONCE in Valhalla which is a viking feast! Ready to buy my tickets.

Hey! I just tried the Cuisine en Locale weekly meal delivery farm to table food and yes! I am hooked. Locavore food and organic clean eating. Price is right too. Catering service kitchen makes great food delivery too. Sustainable too, I know I am eating real food from local farms. I am so busy to cook and this weekly food service makes healthy eating so much easier. I give it 5 stars! Can’t wait to see the weekly menus based on organic food and what is naturally available from the local growers.

Great food. Great people. Cool place.
CeL takes food seriously, as in they were doing local sourcing 10 years ago, well before it was cool. Whether for catering, their Once a Week meal delivery program, or for food @ the ONCE Lounge, you can’t go wrong.
…and now their doing concerts in their ballroom at ONCE. More cool stuff. Check them out.

My wife and I were considering many caterers when planning our wedding that just took place this weekend. We found that the hurdles were many; either dietary restrictions (vegan and gluten sensitivity, namely) or logistical issues such as setup time or what equipment would be provided always seemed to ensure that we would either get mediocre service or a price tag far beyond what we could afford.
When we first spoke to JJ at Cuisine en Locale, we knew that the story would be different with them. JJ took the time to not only call and introduce herself, but instead of giving a hard sell started asking about us and the wedding setup to ensure that the fit would even work. By the time we sat down and met JJ and Sean to discuss a potential menu, we were sold. They’re both not just passionate about what they do, but clearly proud of the work they do as well.
In the time between then and the ceremony, JJ would contact us periodically to let us know the status of the food that would be served; after all, their ingredients are all locally sourced. It was kind of fun a couple months out to hear about what vegetables were being grown, and what meat would be in season. JJ also worked with colleagues from an excellent rental company to acquire tables, chairs, linens, and other necessities that she and her team later even set up.
On the day of the ceremony, I arrived four hours early and found that JJ and her team had beaten me to the venue. They had begun setting up and were completely flexible with all requests and suggestions I had during the process.
Finally, after all was said and done, after several months of back and forth we finally got to eat the menu we’d decided upon a few months prior. To say that the food was delicious would be an understatement. Our carnivore friends raved about the steak, sausage, and grilled chicken, while our vegan friends loved the grilled vegetables, quinoa, and mayo-​free potato salad. The food came out right on schedule, and it just kept on coming out. I got more compliments about the quality and quantity of the food than I’ve heard at any other wedding. Our guests (and, let’s be honest, me) were very well-​fed and happy, and we have a fridge and freezer filled with leftovers we’re excited to eat.
So this is a bit wordy, and good on you if you’ve read it all. You’ve just heard about the best caterer for a fun event in the area, and one that will work hard for you every step of the way to make sure your big day is exactly what you’d like. JJ and Sean and the whole Cuisine en Locale team earned our enthusiastic recommendation.
P. S. — CeL’s Taco Mondays cannot be beat.

A little bit rock-​n-​roll, little bit kitchen, a whole lot of fun. Great place for music and fun and the all-​local ethos makes it even better.

I LOVE taco night. I order something different every time and I’m never disappointed. Also, shows there are always a blast!

Love this place! Wonderful food, music, and people. Can’t wait to go back.
JJ and her team really love what they do and it shows. Their commitment to the local community is inspiring and they’ve created an oasis of cool in Somerville.

Wow! The food here is so good… Tacos and pizza. yum! The drinks are amazing too! Love that everything is sourced locally… And there’s live music too! Two floors of food and entertainment… Go now!

Went to the event space to see a concert. It seemed like a cool venue… until the bands started playing. The opening band had a great set except that there were problems with the PA and microphones throughout, making constant interruptions. When the headlining band came on, everyone pushed to the front, as is typical of a concert. This apparently created the potential for some structural problems with the floor and everyone in the front row was physically pushed backwards by the people working the venue. I personally was shoved in the chest, into the giant wall of people behind me who had no idea what was going on. The employees then created a makeshift barrier out of chairs. But since the people in the back didn’t know what was happening, they continued to push forward, so those of us in the front ended up toppling over chairs. Eventually the band had to take it upon themselves to explain what was happening. If this venue wants to continue holding concerts, they need to understand what a concert entails and create a space that is safe for that kind of event. It’s a pity such a great performance was tainted by abysmal event management on the account of Cuisine en Locale. What I witnessed tonight was unacceptable.

I was enticed to Cuisine en Locale by being one of a certain local ace trumpet player’s circle of 2,000 or so close personal friends. His band was on the bill for a show there, so I rallied some of MY close personal friends to catch the gig. The event? Awesome! The hall? A bit shy of that.
The unnatural redhead staffing the door for ticket collection searched in vain for a grip for the duration of the night. Scan ticket, stash ticket, ink event-goer’s hand, wave them in the door. How complicated is that? It was sufficiently beyond her capabilities that a line of three people ended up constituting a queue in and of itself. Once past that hurdle, however, the all-​important detail of cash collection for food went by in no time flat. Then the buffet line moved at a reasonable enough speed.
The food itself? A mere «meh» for what was charged in relation to what was served: «sample» amounts of so-​so quality eats. Since just about everything edible at Cuisine en Locale is said to be «local,» «sustainable,» and such Whole Foods hipster buzz words, I guess that makes everything all right. Not… really…not when you’re trying to quiet tummy rumbles and you know you’re gonna spend the better part of the next four hours shakin’ what Mama gave you.
The bar service? Decent enough in terms of swiftness and efficiency. No beers on tap, more than slightly comical overemphasis on the… wait for it…“local.” The blueberry soda I tried was, um, interesting — in a good way. My mixed-​drink-​o-​phile buddy was less than impressed by having to make a Black & Tan by his damn self (because the bartenders had no clue) and by having lime juice instead of a wedge of that familiar green fruit added to his Cuba Libré. Recommended on the brewski side of things? Whale’s Tail. BTW it tastes better from the can than from the plastic cup you’ll be given.
The venue? Much hipster street cred has to be given, for the place (better known as Anthony’s) is straight out of Hipster Central — the Park Slope/​Astoria axis in NYC. Exactly like in Brooklyn and Queens, the life-​ceremony celebration facilities beloved by the blue-​collar ethnic group pushed out by gentrification have been re-​appropriated. Crystal chandeliers! Ornate carpeting! Ill-​advised exterior remodeling! You’d swear you were in Greenpoint or Bushwick, but no, you’re still in Slummerville.
I had a blast at Cuisine en Locale, but next time I’ll eat ahead of time.

HORRIBLE.
Went to this place for an event that looked promising, but, wow, what an illusion. Once I finally got in the door, I had to wait IN LINE for AN HOUR to order my «dinner.» There was ONE woman at the bar taking food orders, another making drinks. Ordering took forever, despite there only being less than ten things on the menu — waitress punched in the orders, THEN turned the screen around for customers to swipe their cards and sign… I’m pretty sure there’s an easier way to do that. Ordered my $ 13 drink and, after seeing that my thirst would not be quenched by the thimble half full of cheap booze, I asked for a double and was promptly met with the b.s. response of «per the state of Massachusetts, doubles are not allowed to be made at bars.» What in the holy hell kind of crap is that? I’ve had more than my share of doubles in this state. So I ended up ordering two drinks — you’re welcome for that extra cash. We got numbers to bring to our table so the wait staff can identify us when they bring out our orders. Then it was time to try to find a seat. What the hell kind of «restaurant» is this? It’s more like a cafeteria with a crappy bar. Finally found a seat — it’s community seating (read: free-​for-​all), so we had to sit with some unpleasant people (it just helped seal the deal of me never returning). Silverware is all piled in the center of the table — half of it was dirty and had crusted food on it. There’s a warm carafe of water, but no glasses for it. So we sat there and watched the waiter come up the stairs with trays full of food, walk past us, and deliver it to at least 8 other people who had ordered AFTER us. This went on for a solid thirty minutes. We FINALLY got his attention and he said he would «check on it.» He came back a few minutes later with two out of four of our orders. It took another ten minutes to get the other orders. No apologies, no nothing. Now, the food. Anything that was supposed to be hot, was cold and anything supposed to be warm was just as cold. Profiteroles were so dry it seemed like they had been sitting out on the counter for a week (which it’s possible they were, considering the promptness of the wait staff). Soup was cold. The pizza made frozen pizza seem desirable. Pizza was also cold. Stuffed apple still had the skin on it and the stuffing tasted like cardboard. Potatoes were on the menu, but weren’t an option to order (why, I have no idea). No one checked on us (I guess it doesn’t matter once they got their money?), no one apologized or mentioned the lack of staff or decent service. I saw the owner wandering around posing for pictures when it would have been more helpful if she either 1) assisted her employees or 2) had more staff on duty, especially when you’re fully aware you’re dealing with a sold out event. I had really been looking forward to this night and heard amazing things about Cuisine, but this was the most disappointing place ever. There was literally not ONE redeeming quality of that night — not even the musician («artist»). I will never recommend this place and never return — it was a complete waste of my time and money.

It took my husband 20 minutes to get two drinks at the bar. He was 3^rd in line. I spent that time waiting in line for pierogies that they ran out of. None of the staff seem to be on their game, including the 9 year olds who were serving food. Based on this first impression, we don’t plan on coming back.

This place was very cool. The staff all seemed down to earth and very helpful. I was in a situation where the kitchen was closed. I spoke to someone and they were able to feed me. I know how much of a pain this can be for the staff of a restaurant. I really appreciate all of the help. You definitely gained my patronage for life. I have been raving about it to myself fiends. Can’t wait to come back! iViva Cuisine en Locale!

Being Unilocal Elite has its perks, and I was able to finally enjoy one of them this past month. I was compensated 2 free tickets to «ONCE Muertos, starring Walter Sickert and the Army of Broken Toys» at this venue ($ 80 value).
Having recently moved from Boston to San Diego, a city notorious for its amazing and authentic Mexican food, you can only imagine how excited I was to come to this event.
This venue, despite being modest and small, can certainly hold its own with its deliciously authentic Mexican food — all made from ingredients that can only be acquired locally! They served a pseudo buffet/​course type of dinner. The appetizer course consisted of tortilla chips, pico de gallo, corn salsa, queso, and marinated red onions. Everything tasted fresh and hand made (because it is!).
Their main course consisted of Stillman Farm Pulled Pork Verde, Chicken Mole with Taza Chocolate, Mexican Red Rice, and Mexican Vegetarian Beans. My favorite out of all of them had to be the Stillman Farm Pulled Pork Verde. They even served freshly fried Chicharrón (fried pork skin) to sprinkle on the pork to give it an immaculate crunch.
I’m not too big on traditional Mexican-​style music but the mariachi band was very entertaining. They went around to each table giving a private show. Even though I couldn’t stay for the rest of the night to see the main performers, it was still an awesome experience — one I would recommend to anyone nearby to get a true taste of what real, authentic Mexican food tastes like. These people work hard and they spend several days prior to the events just preparing the food!

– this review is for Monday Taco Night –
In general I love what J. J .is doing at Anthony’s, an underutilized event space in my neighborhood. Sadly the tacos were underwhelming.
Our group of six tried every flavor and only the chicken skin and pork belly was outstanding. The chicken skin was the taco «shell.» Great idea. But you could put anything on crispy chicken skins and it would be awesome! The elote (corn and poblano) was also quite delicious — my second favorite but the rest of the flavor combinations were not bright or spicy enough, just kind of muddy and bland.
no need to rush back.

Have friends that just became new parents? Want to be a really good person? Buy them a meal share from Cuisine En Locale!
Friends bought one for me and my wife, and we used it the first week we didn’t have anyone home supporting us and our brand new son. The pickup was easy, and the food is delicious! It was such a relief to have everything done and made for us – just needed to be heated up. Very delicious, and I am definitely already wondering if I can find an excuse to use them in the future!

I stopped by one day and had a pulled pork taco. It was really delicious. The meat was very tender and juicy. The flavor was well balanced. I stopped by during the Somerstreet Festival (I think that’s what it’s called?), so their menu was limited. I’ll have to stop by during a regular day and try their food as well.

J.J. Gonson has put together an amazing business in the former Anthony’s space, and hosts really great locavore food events, fundraisers and all manner of soirees! Their weekend brunches are not to be missed, and keep an eye out for all their special events. CeL has done some amazing work with area farms and restaurants, and their commitment to the local, sustainable food scene is commendable!
Also, the 90s prom was TOTALLY BALLER. Special thanks to Kat and Taybin Rutkin! WOO

From their pop-​up dining One Night Culinary Events to the brunches and dinners at their new home at Anthony’s to their ONCE a Week meal service, Cuisine en Locale has become a huge part of our lives. We’re big believers in what they’re doing with interesting, palate-​broadening, and — most importantly — DELICIOUS locavore food, crafted by good people.
If you want to get an idea of what CeL is all about, definitely check out their weekend brunches (I believe they’re on hiatus during the summer) or the dinners they’re doing there at Anthony’s on Highland Ave in the evenings. Or just jump in the deep end like we did by trying a ONCE dinner. You won’t be disappointed.
And if you have kids — or if you’re just busy — definitely consider their ONCE a Week meal service. Every Tuesday you’ll get about five meals worth of high-​quality food. It eliminates time-​intensive cooking and is way healthier (and definitely cheaper) than eating takeout every night. When you just have to put something in the oven for 20 minutes or on the stovetop for 10 minutes, you have way more time to spend doing other things on a weeknight, which is a godsend. And you won’t find yourself eating the same things over and over in rotation or searching for new recipes to take a chance on. Maybe one dish a month isn’t our thing, and we’ll find a deserving home for it. That’s a great hit rate.
Anyway, CeL is a no-​brainer for us.