Fire-roasted quail at La Brasa in East Somerville. (Photo: Tom Meek)

Happy 10th year to La Brasa, which just notched the milestone with a celebration this past weekend at its spacious digs in East Somerville. If you’re not familiar with La Brasa or its sister eatery next door, Fat Hen, you’re likely not dialed into the restaurant-rich lower strip of Broadway that funnels out into Sullivan Square. It’s a bit of a hidden gem bursting with diverse cuisines and price points for all wallets. La Brasa and Fat Hen are emblematic: One is fine Mexican, while the other is fine Italian. Everyone’s doing fine Italian these days, but who’s doing fine Mexican? And did I mention it’s wood-grilled Mexican?

The menu at La Brasa changes some and covers a variety of flavor and desires. You’ve got sea and land, fried as well as wood grilled, raw and roasted. The slate has a tapas vibe to it, and while there is a short small-plates section with raw oysters, deviled eggs and tacos with crispy cochinita (slow-roasted pork), it feels like an extension of the appetizer section with its roasted oysters and mussels, empanadas, mushroom crepes and more. There are mains to be had, too: grilled steak, roasted chicken, a coffee-rubbed chuleta (pork chop), burger and wood-fired quail. That last entry had me hooked (so did the mushroom crepe, now earmarked for a future sojourn). You don’t see quail on many menus: It’s a rare culinary delight, lean yet moist, and just the right tint of gamey. 

To begin with I started out with some of those roasted oysters and the special of the day, tempura fried soft-shell crab – an entry I find hard to ignore on any menu. The four oysters came up with breadcrumbs and gremolata butter (garlic, parsley and lemon zest), not quite a la clams casino, but that is a fair comparison. They made for a nice light snack, but being that an oyster is so delicate, I’d maybe go for the raw shucked version next time. Props on the soft-shell, which came in a generous portion that was plump, juicy and flavorful. If I had one nit, it would be to have a tad less batter; like oysters, soft-shells are delicate and easy to overwhelm.

Now that quail – that was the win, a revelation, tender with a lightly crisp skin from the wood-fired roasting. It had a bit of a sweet, maple-ish glazing, and the meat came off the bone effortlessly. It’s served atop a puree of parsnips accompanied by a tangy compote of raisin, rhubarb and ginger. 

With its Southwestern/Mexican decor, La Brasa is a solid go-to for large dinner parties and makes for a great after-work sneak-away; its off-the-beaten-path locale makes you feel like you just found your way to Shangri-La. The bar seats are unique, with metal covered in red leather that make you feel like you’re sitting on a handcar pumping across the llano.

Up for something different to imbibe? La Brasa’s one of the few bars in the area that sling clarified cocktails (with a milk washing used to extract impurities). I tried out the Bee’s Knees (the list rotates, but there is generally three cocktails on the slate), which was distinctly different  from the usual speakeasy versions I’ve had. The drink is essentially gin, honey and lemon; this lacked whipped egg white and was served room temperature, but it was smooth and you could clearly and cleanly taste all the flavors. You could see clarified cocktails becoming a trend – but the reason to come to La Brasa is the wood-fired oven. I guarantee you that burger comes off that grill with flavor and accents that you’re not going to get from more traditionally equipped kitchens.

La Brasa, 124 Broadway, East Somerville

Tom Meek is a writer living in Cambridge. His reviews, essays, short stories and articles have appeared in the WBUR ARTery, The Boston Phoenix, The Boston Globe, The Rumpus, The Charleston City Paper and SLAB literary journal. Tom is also a member of the Boston Society of Film Critics and rides his bike everywhere.