I love avocados, but more importantly I’m obsessed with the smooth and spicy concoction that is guacamole. My philosophy is: one can never have too many avocados or too much guacamole in their life…unless of course you’re not a fan of the green goodness.

In honor of National Guacamole Day (which was yesterday in case you missed it), I thought it would be fitting to dedicate today’s post to a blogger dinner I was invited to at The Painted Burro. 

Gracing the space that formerly housed Gargoyles on the Square, the Mexican eatery opened its Davis Square doors in March. With Joe Cassinelli at the helm as chef/owner and Dante Bua serving as executive chef, the duo created a menu offering tastes from some of Mexico’s most creative culinary corners such as Baja, Vera Cruz and the Yucatan.                                                                            

The décor in the bar and dinning room is reminiscent of a modern farmhouse with the distressed wood furniture giving the entire space a country feel. Think rustic New England cabin meets vibrant Central American villa. The eye-catching skeleton mural, a symbol of Mexican culture, is a beautiful piece of art created by a local artist and is not to be missed.

Our lively party of eight consisted of local food bloggers, including The Boston Foodie and The Passionate Foodie, and me (a moonlighting food blogger of some sort). We sat at a high table in the middle of the dinning room which was prime for people watching, but the oversized wooden chairs weren’t the most comfortable. However, all of my discomfort dissipated after one sip of their mango margarita (pictured above), a blend of fresh mango purée, Agavales Blanco tequila and Combier. It was so delicious. Of course I had two.

The group chatted about writing and restaurants as a parade of plentiful plates came our way. The aromas of poblano, manchego and cayenne swirled into a cyclone above us. After one bite of the guacamole covered with a blanket of pork belly and grape tomatoes, I was in heaven. It was fierce. It was flavorful. It was savory, bite after guaca-licious bite. The accompanying chips were good too. From salty to sweet and creamy to crisp…the textures served throughout the meal were tantalizing and tasty.

The Painted Burro is located at 219 Elm Street in Somerville. My meal was courtesy of The Painted Burro.