Phantom Gourmet: Eclectic Eating At Little Donkey In Cambridge
CAMBRIDGE - This might be the only restaurant in the world where you can find Fried Chicken Sandwiches, Oysters, Matzah Ball Soup, Lobster Fra Diavolo, and Cookie Dough, all on the same menu. That's what happens when two of the country's top culinary minds create an eclectic restaurant in Central Square, Cambridge, called Little Donkey.
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After opening a string of eateries stretching from Boston to Bangkok, Jamie Bissonnette and Ken Oringer decided to serve a different type of dining experience that caters to their new neighborhood.
"We wanted to have a restaurant that was mimicking if you came over to our house and cooked for you," Jamie said. "We just wanted it to be the kind of place where we could let all of our travels and creativity kind of show.
"To me, the name Little Donkey is great because donkeys are a part of every culture. They're a workhorse. They're great animals; they're companion animals; they're comforting. It's just a fun restaurant, designed to be there for you whenever you want: Breakfast, lunch and dinner."
Starting out with breakfast, the kitchen serves up creative spins on nostalgia, like the Toad in a Hole made with griddled banana bread and a cracked egg in the center. Obviously, these chefs like to think outside the box, including the cereal box.
"Every once in a while when I'm with a group for breakfast, I just want something basic like cereal. Captain Crunch is a guilty pleasure. So we kind of thought we would throw that on with dehydrated raspberries or blackberries, and a choice of milk, and see what happened," Jamie said. "We kind of thought it would be funny, but people really love it."
"Sometimes when you're out you're like, 'I wouldn't mind of a bowl of Captain Crunch and a coffee while I'm looking at the menu, before I order my egg sandwich,'" Ken added.
And it's not just any egg sandwich they offer. It's a Jersey Shore breakfast sandwich.
"I'm from Paramus, New Jersey and a lot of people don't exactly brag about the food there, but the one claim to fame is the Jersey Shore sandwich, the breakfast sandwich," explained Ken.
"Taylor ham, one of the original American like charcuterie items, just basically an American style salami, cooked on a griddle with avocado, ranch, fried egg, and a Martin's potato roll," Jamie listed. "It's salty. It's rich. It's creamy, and it's gooey."
At lunch time, Little Donkey brings out some big flavors. There's fluffy, fresh-baked Parker House rolls stuffed dim sum style with Chinese sausage; and an impossibly crispy fried chicken sandwich topped with green papaya slaw.
"We call it Pickle Brine Fried Chicken Sandwich. We use some pickle juice, we use some kimchee juice, that we mix in with buttermilk and a whole bunch of other spices to brine the chicken. We dredge and we fry it. And we twice fry it," Ken described.
At dinnertime, there's a rich and satisfying Lobster Fra Diavolo over Penne a la Vodka, or check out their fresh take on fusion cuisine: Matzo Ball Ramen Noodle Soup.
"Matzo Ball Ramen is something that Ken has been talking about for years. He makes amazing ramen at Uni. I make a lot of ramen in the past. I love making ramen. I love eating ramen," Jamie said.
"Why don't we make a really intense chicken broth, but then float some matzo balls that we can season with some togarashi and some garlic and some onions, and then go with the traditional ramen noodles," Ken added.
Before we get to dessert, which is a doozy by the way, we have to talk about the burger, because it's an absolute show-stopper. It starts with some dry-aged beef from world-famous butcher Pat Lafreda; then caramelized onions some with seared foie gras; add on some house-made buffalo ranch pickles, plus crispy jalapeno potato chips, and more.
"We thought, 'What's the best thing with chips? Dipping them in French Onion Dip,'" Jamie answered himself. "So we made a French onion soup mayo to go on top of it. It is a gut bomb and it is awesome."
It's not nearly as awesome as their signature dessert, Cookie Dough that's served right on the beater.
"It's just so freaking good. I mean, who doesn't love cookie dough?" Ken asked. "We serve it with a milk foam on the side with some cocoa nibs and some sea salt. Nostalgia and memories that people love."
"Seeing that go through the dining room, you know that anybody who is close to dessert is going to order it, because aesthetically it looks so impressive. But once people start eating it, they have to order another one," Jamie said.
From sweet to silly, early morning to late night, every meal is certainly full of fun and flavor at Little Donkey.
"We don't want it to be too fancy," Jamie explained. "We want it to just feel like a neighborhood restaurant that's like one step up from a dive bar."
You can find Little Donkey at 505 Mass. Ave. in Cambridge, and online at littledonkeybos.com.
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