The Justice

Media Credit: Max Matza Chef Victoria Tiza and her husband Rafael Tiza work behind the counter at Victoria's Café, located at 241 Crescent.

The belief that Moody Street alone is the "culinary capital" of the Metro West is a serious exaggeration. Waltham offers many dining options, and while there are a lot of restaurants on Moody Street, not every one is a viable dining location. Furthermore, the world is not limited to the realm within the Branvan loop; there are culinary gems hidden beyond the hustle and bustle of Main and Moody.

Any well-informed foodie should have a proper knowledge of quality go-to restaurant locations. If one place is packed, you have to have other options. For instance, by now, you've probably dined out rather than ventured to Usdan for brunch when lines are too long or the cafeteria too busy. Thankfully, Waltham truly shines in providing options for mid-morning culinary experiences. According to the collegiate lifestyle, breakfast is usually consumed during normal lunch hours. Luckily for us, the one-mile radius around this University is home to a number of delicious breakfast places.

Certain locations, however, are just too crowded. Long waits for relatively mediocre pancakes are simply not acceptable when you have a huge pile of chemistry to study on Sunday afternoon. Greasy and cheap are lovely on some days, but not exactly ideal for every occasion. Fortunately, as an esteemed Waltham breakfaster, you know of yet another culinary delight hidden from the spotlight. A short detour from the usual Main and Moody loop will lead you to a tiny location literally hidden inside an old factory building.

Victoria's Café at 241 Crescent is almost wasted on its tiny location. The old brick building looks completely abandoned except for this one shop. The café advertises with just one white sign situated outside the iron gates and word of mouth. They're so surprised by new customers that they even asked me how I had found their restaurant. The owner's husband, Rafael Tiza, remarked, "We don't have a web site … but some people have reviewed us online."

The restaurant is aptly named after the owner herself, Victoria Tiza, a native of Huacho, Peru who came to the United States 25 years ago. She worked for Mariott for 10 years, some of which were spent at the nearby Newton location. After a career in hospitality, she decided that she would apply her cooking skills to her own business. She developed upon what she learned from the Mariott and made up an entire menu of her own recipes at Victoria's. Although the lone white sign advertises Peruvian and American food, their menu sticks to classic American meals. Victoria noted that she has limited the menu due to the small size of her kitchen.

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