Food Nation was smaller this year, providing tastes of five Davis Square restaurants rather than the 20 featured a year ago, and provided a different kind of experience: It gave a sense of what kind of surprises can be found in even the most staple eateries in the area.
Among the five – American Flatbread, The Burren, Elm Street Taproom, Five Horses Tavern and Redbones – the youngest (The Taproom) has already been serving for seven years and the oldest (Redbones) for 39, and all cook within a fairly narrow range compared with last year’s expanded offerings with Mexican, Greek, Korean and Japanese food, as well as more Italian and bubble tea. With this year featuring a pub, a barbecue joint, two taverns and a pizzeria, it was easy to assume an entire menu without really digging in…