I love a good mozzarella stick – who doesn’t? – but there is nothing more disappointing than biting into one that was frozen and catching that stale aftertaste, let alone the too-hard and too-thick breading that traps moisture as it thaws and produces unsavory mushy spots. Just … no. If I’m going to pack on guilty calories, there had better be be a win for my sin.
And even if that stick is housemade with fresh mozzarella and seasoned breadcrumbs, if it’s paired with a watery or weak marinara, I want my dietary hall pass back.
You can tell the mozzarella sticks at Vera’s in Union Square are made in the back, because they aren’t pretty: They don’t have that smooth, sleek cigar shape to them; there are bumps and imperfections. That’s a winning omen for a nosh.
The batter has a bit of a bite to it too, and the mozz is fresh, gooey and stringy. It’s cheesy comfort of the most divine kind, and the house marinara is chunky and zesty, packing a bit of a kick. If you order a basket, ask for a second serving of the sauce – not because Vera’s doesn’t give you enough to get through a generous serving of sticks bigger than your typical generic frozen fare, but because it’s that good.
You can find that marinara sauce elsewhere on the menu too, specifically on the spaghetti and chicken Parm and on the Parm’s sandwich sister.
Other fun – and affordable – eats on the menu are the chili shrimp scampi, crispy artichoke sandwich and house meatballs, which also come with that marinara. Vera’s has a dollar oyster happy hour deal and, for the summer, Vera’s Famous Clam Roll, with fried steamers in a buttered brioche bun. It won’t make you forget Woodman’s or your favorite North Shore clam shack, but it will save you the time in traffic.
Operated by the Independent Restaurant Group, which includes Foundry, Saloon and The Rockwell theater in Davis Square as well as the cornerstone property, The Independent, practically next door in Union Square, Vera’s is a dark, cozy, subterranean den with a masculine speakeasy woodiness to it – a tone repeated at Saloon and The Rockwell. It’s not fine Italian, but gastropub Italian would be spot on; the vibe and culinary theme at Vera’s is casual, no-frills comfort.
The group had other concepts in the space – Toast, Precinct and Union Brass – before flipping it to Vera’s during a pandemic reemergence. Before that the locale had long been home to the beloved Elephant Walk before it moved to Porter Square where Gustazo now is. Vera’s has a performance space in the back for karaoke and other events, and a street-level patio for al fresco dining.
True to its speakeasy lean, Vera’s offers a playful slate of cocktails, including martinis served with an ice sidecar and blue-cheese-stuffed olives (or pearled onions) and house concoctions named after tunes such as the Rings of Saturn (gin, coconut, passion fruit and lemon) or Just Beet It! (mezcal, tequila and beet juice).
Though Vera’s postures as a saloon-styled watering hole, on my last visits there I saw plenty of families having early dinner on the patio and what looked to be first dates in the nooks between the front and back barrooms. It seems that Vera’s cool comfort is many things to many.
Vera’s, 70 Union Square, Somerville
Cambridge writer Tom Meek’s reviews, essays, short stories and articles have appeared in WBUR’s The 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.
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