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Amber and I met Moses Sabina, the chef and co-owner of Hot Suppa, at a holiday party recently. Mo and I had a lengthy discussion on the Portland food scene, and I promised Amber and I would stop in for lunch during the holidays since we both had almost two weeks off. With our last day off upon us, Amber and I headed to Congress Street today after hitting the gym. We arrived just after 1:30 PM and missed most of the lunch crowd. The small dining room is cheery, with red  and gold accents and local scenes painted on clam shells on display. I did not ask who the artist was, but they were pretty cool.

We looked over the menu and were torn on what to order (well, Amber was…I selected the Cubano sandwich quite quickly). On the recommendation of the waitress, Amber got the fried green tomato BLT and a side of the day’s soup, butternut curry. I selected the homemade mac & cheese for my side. Some of the other menu highlights were a roast duck sandwich (a special of the day), eggs benedict with fried green tomatoes (breakfast is served all day), and a French-style tuna sandwich whose name escapes me. Both of our lunches were fabulous. The Cubano melted in my mouth, and Amber’s BLT was excellent. I’ll have to ply Moses with some good beer (he’s a big fan of Novare Res, so it shouldn’t be hard) and see if I can wrest the breading recipe from him. It was that good. The soup was great, and the mac and cheese was good too, though I’m not sure it was the right decision to pair with the Cubano. 

The waitress was cheery and attentive (especially considering we were the last table of the day and they were closing up and doing sidework), Moses came out to chat, and we’ll most assuredly be going back. The check was a touch high for a regular lunch spot (~$24, including a soda and a hot chocolate and tax, but not the tip), but I would not be surprised if Amber and I end up there a couple or three times a month. This is a soul food cafe with a soul, and some damn good fried green tomatoes. They’re open every day, with the exception of some holidays, from 7:00 AM (7:30 on Sundays) to 2:00 PM at 703 Congress St., between the Rite Aid and Local 188. Check them out; you’ll be glad you did.

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