Orinoco in Brookline Village

I couldn't be a food critic. I just love restaurants and going out too much. My reviews would read like, "They had booths (booths!) and served the bread with olive oil and sprinkle cheese (omg!). The chicken was good but I had just had chicken for lunch so I wasn't so in to it. But they had mashed potatoes(!)! " Not so helpful. But one thing I love to do is pass on good news.

Orinoco in Brookline (22 Harvard St. next to Pomodoro) is fantastic! They have a lunch menu with gourmet sandwiches around $7. Their dinner menu hovers around $13 for entrees. The food is Venezuelan and features such wonders as an almond wrapped in a date wrapped in bacon(!), and fried plantain hunks sliced open and stuffed with cheese(!).

OK, enough of me talking about food. The decor has an air of a South American farm house without feeling cluttered or kitchy. There are small tables and booths along the side walls and a gorgeous long wooden table in front of the open kitchen. There's also a bar by the windows, perfect for sipping caipirinhas while thinking about what to order when it all smells so good.