The Portuguese breakfast platter at The Neighborhood, a Somerville, Massachusetts restaurant.

When hungover in Boston, I can’t think of a better start to an afternoon than the Neighborhood. Besides the eggs, potato, rice and beans, the plate includes a fish cake, crab cake, pork sausage and, surprisingly, blood sausage.

Blood sausage is sort of the last thing I would expect on the plate of a divey restaurant catering to college students, but there it is in all its iron rich glory.

Every breakfast comes with either a bowl of fruit or bowl of cream of wheat. Only a fool would order the fruit. The neighborhood’s cream of wheat has developed something of a cult following on the internet. People have tried to deconstruct the recipe and rebuild it in their own kitchens.

The formula, to my knowledge, has proven elusive. Someone on Chowhand claimed to have discovered it, but fell short in our independently verified taste testing. I suspect the secret involves a heavy dose of butter and cream. The bowl is served with a sprinkle of cinnamon and a splash of faux-maple syrup or honey.

Neighborhood Restaurant
25 Bow Street
Somerville, MA