Shrimp and Chorizo Appetizer from Tempo in Waltham
This Bostonist first discovered Tempo as a place to grab a good, girly after-work drink with some friends. Tired of pounding pints at one of Waltham’s many great pubs, we were hankering for a more cosmopolitan atmosphere where we could lounge in style and have, well, a cosmopolitan. Tempo was an instant hit; its martini and cocktail selection is extensive, and drinks are both sizable and well below Boston prices, not to mention girly enough for the most diehard fuzzy navel fan. The Pink Lemonade martini is huge, and tastes so much like fresh squeezed lemonade that you might forget there’s vodka in there—though not for long. (They used to make a fizzy apple drink that was so popular we had to adapt it for home use.)
After a few sessions of meeting for drinks, we moved on to appetizers and learned that Tempo has a deal on seven-dollar apps before seven. While this is still a little pricey for appetizers,this deal includes great sharing appetizers like baked brie in puff pastry with apricot jam, fried calamari, and their huge order of chicken lettuce wraps. It also includes this Bostonist’s favorite appetizer, possibly of all time: shrimp and chorizo in a hot skillet with ancho lime marmalade. If you don’t want to visit Tempo for any other reason, go simply for this tasty treat! The shrimp is perfectly cooked so that it’s tender and not chewy, with great seared in flavor from being cooked in the skillet. The chorizo is a little spicy but above all exactly what I want out of chorizo: salty. The flavors blend surprisingly well, and if you want a little more kick and some citrusy sugar to go along with your salt fix, then dip everything in the ancho lime marmalade that comes in a little dish on the side. Again, the marmalade is a surprisingly good accompaniment to this dish, the citrusy sweetness complimenting the sweet, savory shrimp while the slight spice of the ancho enhances the kick from the chorizo.
Tempo also has great offerings in the entrée department. They really do some interesting and quite flavorful things with seafood, such as their cashew encrusted halibut or their wasabi and sesame seared tuna. And this Bostonist highly recommends their meaty, succulent swordfish steak.
However, the dish that draws us back every time is the natural raised Brant rib eye, which comes with mac and cheese and green beans. While the steak is acceptable, the mac and cheese is some of the best this Bostonist has ever sampled. The blend of cheeses is salty and rich while not overpowering the palette or feeling waxy, and the curled pasta is the perfect receptacle for all of that cheesy goodness. The green beans are crispy and lightly seasoned, making them the perfect fresh accompaniment to the meat and pasta.
While tempo can be a little pricy, entrées run between eighteen and thirty-five dollars each, the dinner portions are huge. If the portions are too big for you to finish alone for a five-dollar additional charge Tempo will split an entrée onto two plates. Considering how large the portions are, this is a worthwhile option, particularly if you feel like trying a few of the excellent appetizers. Tempo is also pretty good about substitutions, though changing something out for mac and cheese incurs a two-dollar surcharge.
Tempo does change their menu seasonally and they often have nightly specials. You can check out their menu on their website.
Tempo on Moody is a great all-around restaurant. Whether you’re looking for dinner with friends, after-work drinks, or a romantic evening for two, Tempo makes for a great time.
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