Love juicy short ribs rich and flavorful from the slow rendering of fat and soaking up of the savory broth they simmer in? Who doesn’t? With all that fat, it’s not quite cardio-friendly, let alone guilt free. What if you could have all that glorious good meatiness, shredded and served as a French dip au jus, and no reason to feel bad about it?
Saus at Bow Market in Union Square serves The Somerville Dip, a vegetarian short rib, French dip style. And it’s more than satiating – it’s meaty and juicy and downright addictive – yet gobble one down and there’s no need for self-reproach or any belly-heavy afternoon nap.
Saus makes its veggie burgers in haus and uses Beyond and Impossible meats for hot dogs and burgers. Yet the meatless meat for The Somerville Dip comes from Tender, not too far away up Somerville Avenue in a complex next to the Aeronaut Brewery and the Boulder Project rock-climbing gym. A Harvard affiliated startup that launched in 2020, Tender also supplies Saus with a plant-based poultry used for a Taiwanese-style fried chicken sandwich and chicken tenders. (My daughter’s a fanatical convert despite being a gold badge tender aficionado – see you later, Chick-fil-A!)
Saus provides the preparation and curation of Tender’s “meat” as well as the final product’s accents: American cheese, caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms and that au jus for the dipping – a light and savory blend of soy and mushroom gravy. It’s a perfect match for the soft golden roll The Somerville Dip comes on (supplied by Dirty Buns, another nearby food partner), which soaks up all that brothy goodness.
The 8-ounce serving of Tender short rib “meat” is primarily a blend of fava beans and rice. Data from Tender suggests cow rib meat is five times greater in calories and eight to 10 times higher in fat content.
The Somerville Dip’s not a big nosh, but it is dense, and the most appetizing vegetarian sandwich I’ve had since the shroom shawarma at Koshari Mama dazzled my tastebuds three years ago. The all-vegetarian Saus shows how far plant-based foods have come in the fine food scene. It’s funny to recall that the original Saus in downtown Boston that opened almost 13 years ago – and closed last year – was a real red-meat burger-and-hot dog place.
The Bow Market storefront has a cool, kitschy vibe and supplies board games for use in Bow Market’s outdoor space, so appealing in these bright early days of fall. Saus serves a limited selection of alcohols and a slate of fries and poutine has that has a multitude of inventive – and off the rails – incarnations. Of all things, there’s now a strawberry caramel poutine. Haven’t tried it, but the mind reels.
The Saus chili dog that I found regular comfort in during the Covid years is off the menu, but you can get a kimchi dog or The Remy, named after the late longtime Sox player and announcer Jeremy Remy. The Remy’s your basic dog with pickles, pepper relish, mustard and some other apt condiments that, as the remaining boys of summer vie for a World Series win, will bring Fenway to your mind and belly without the guilt of pink fillers.
Saus, 1 Bow Market Way, Union Square, Somerville
Cambridge writer Tom Meek’s reviews, essays, short stories and articles have appeared in WBUR’s The ARTery, The Boston Phoenix, The Boston Globe, The Rumpus, The Charleston City Paper and SLAB literary journal. Tom is also a member of the Boston Society of Film Critics and rides his bike everywhere.
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