Where to Dine Now

Five Great Made-from-Scratch Cheap Eats

It takes quality-minded joints like these to create delicious handmade food…and then sell it at a bargain.

1. Polish // Café Polonia
With airy pierogies, sweet borscht, and lightly fried cutlets, this rare outlet for authentic Polish food belies the cuisine’s purported heaviness. ask for: Potato pancakes ($12 for four).

611 Dorchester Ave., South Boston, 617-269-0110, cafepolonia.com.

2. Mexican // Angela’s Caf

Angela Atenco Lopez’s four decades as a professional cook in Puebla shines through in her complex sauces, hand-mortared guacamole, and sublime tacos árabes (Puebla-style pork tacos served in flour tortillas). ask for: Mole poblano, served with chicken, rice, and black beans ($12.95).

131 Lexington St., East Boston, 617-567-4972.

3. Lebanese // Reef Caf

In this family affair, Mariam Monzer cooks while son Salam works the front of the house. Maybe that’s why their Middle Eastern classics like fava-based falafel, lamb kebabs, shawarma, and spinach pie taste like the best kind of home cooking. ask for: Falafel ($4.75).

170 Brighton Ave., Allston, 617-202-6366.

4. Vietnamese + Chinese // Xinh Xinh

This Chinatown charmer dishes up fresh-tasting Vietnamese favorites like noodle soups, salad rolls, and stir-fries alongside superb fruit shakes and frappelike iced coffees. ask for: Chao tom (grilled shrimp paste on sugar cane, $7).

7 Beach St., Boston, 617-422-0501.

5. Brazilian // Muqueca

The homey stew moqueca, cooked and served in handcrafted clay pots, is the namesake of this colorful spot (sticklers will note that the restaurant’s name is spelled with a “u” in place of the standard “o”). Don’t overlook the fabulous fritters of shrimp and salt cod. ask for: Naturally, moqueca with fish, shrimp, and mussels ($14.95).

1093 Cambridge St., East Cambridge, 617-354-3296, muquecarestaurant.com.

—By MC Slim JB