Friday, December 29, 2006
Yellow Tail Pinot Noir
I tried the Yellow Tail Pinot Noir at my friends' Christmas Party last week and it was really good. Great flavor, light but not watered down, kind of berry-ish.
Thursday, December 28, 2006
The Melting Pot
Location: The Melting Pot, Framingham, MA
Meal: Dinner, a celebration
For those of you who don't know, The Melting Pot is a fondue restaurant, not a place where people of all ethnicities have settled in harmony. Everything on the menu, except the salad, is supposed to be dipped in a hot sauce, whether it's sweet or savory.
Because there were 5 of us, we decided to get two of the "Big Night Out" option. This option is designed to serve 2, and you get 2 salads, 1 cheese fondue, 1 meat selection (there are three options), and a dessert selection. I passed on the salad, since I'd had one for lunch, but rumor has it, they were delicious.
The cheese course was tasty. We got the cheddar and the santa fe cheeses. The neat thing about the Melting Pot is that the waitress creates all of the dips at the table. She brought grated cheese, added the beer base and the cheese to the pot, stirred it up until it was all melted, and then added flavors like garlic and jalapeno. The cheese pot was a hit with the whole table. We mostly ate the tortillas and bread that came with it. I was the first to have a bread castaway in the cheese, and it led to veggie and meat castaways in the following courses.
At this point, we were all pretty much full, but then the meat courses came out. We chose one with mushrooms, potatoes, chicken, steak and ravioli, and another with all that plus shellfish (shrimp and 2 lobster tails). The meat came out raw and we cooked it in pots of almost-boiling broth, flavored with burgundy wine. The broth was really good. The wine added a nice full flavor.
The table pretty much all agreed that the best part of the meat course was the beef rubbed with a portabello paste. The mushrooms and potatoes were also delicious. There was a sour cream based sauce that went very well with the mushrooms.
A couple of years ago, Buffalo Girl and I went to a fondue restaurant in Montreal. We'd never had fondue in a restaurant and did not know what to expect. At that place, the meat was shaved very thin, and it cooked in less than a minute. It was easy to tell when it was cooked. At the Melting Pot, the meat came in chunks, and it made me nervous. Undercooked chicken is not something I want to eat, but overcooked chicken is also unappetizing. It was hard to tell when the chicken was done and the lighting was dim so it wasn't necessarily possible by looking. A few times, the steak was left in for the suggested 3 minutes and came out pretty rare. Some people might like that. I don't love it.
Moving on to dessert. (full yet?! I was.) Plus, we'd already been at the restaurant for almost 2 hours and we were all getting kind of antsy.) We ordered 2 different chocolates, milk chocolate with peanut butter and oreo cookie (dark chocolate, my favorite). The dipping snacks were bite-size versions of cheesecake, brownies, strawberries, bananas, and some other things I can't remember now. All good, but a little sweet, and too much after the first 3 courses.
Prices are pretty high at this place. The Big Night Out ranges from $84 - $92 (approx) and that does not include drinks or choosing specialty broths. I think I would share one Big Night Out with 3 people, depending on how hungry we were. I would also like to go back for just apps and drinks. One note: Beer selection sucked. Pretty much your standard clear beers and Sam Adams.
Meal: Dinner, a celebration
For those of you who don't know, The Melting Pot is a fondue restaurant, not a place where people of all ethnicities have settled in harmony. Everything on the menu, except the salad, is supposed to be dipped in a hot sauce, whether it's sweet or savory.
Because there were 5 of us, we decided to get two of the "Big Night Out" option. This option is designed to serve 2, and you get 2 salads, 1 cheese fondue, 1 meat selection (there are three options), and a dessert selection. I passed on the salad, since I'd had one for lunch, but rumor has it, they were delicious.
The cheese course was tasty. We got the cheddar and the santa fe cheeses. The neat thing about the Melting Pot is that the waitress creates all of the dips at the table. She brought grated cheese, added the beer base and the cheese to the pot, stirred it up until it was all melted, and then added flavors like garlic and jalapeno. The cheese pot was a hit with the whole table. We mostly ate the tortillas and bread that came with it. I was the first to have a bread castaway in the cheese, and it led to veggie and meat castaways in the following courses.
At this point, we were all pretty much full, but then the meat courses came out. We chose one with mushrooms, potatoes, chicken, steak and ravioli, and another with all that plus shellfish (shrimp and 2 lobster tails). The meat came out raw and we cooked it in pots of almost-boiling broth, flavored with burgundy wine. The broth was really good. The wine added a nice full flavor.
The table pretty much all agreed that the best part of the meat course was the beef rubbed with a portabello paste. The mushrooms and potatoes were also delicious. There was a sour cream based sauce that went very well with the mushrooms.
A couple of years ago, Buffalo Girl and I went to a fondue restaurant in Montreal. We'd never had fondue in a restaurant and did not know what to expect. At that place, the meat was shaved very thin, and it cooked in less than a minute. It was easy to tell when it was cooked. At the Melting Pot, the meat came in chunks, and it made me nervous. Undercooked chicken is not something I want to eat, but overcooked chicken is also unappetizing. It was hard to tell when the chicken was done and the lighting was dim so it wasn't necessarily possible by looking. A few times, the steak was left in for the suggested 3 minutes and came out pretty rare. Some people might like that. I don't love it.
Moving on to dessert. (full yet?! I was.) Plus, we'd already been at the restaurant for almost 2 hours and we were all getting kind of antsy.) We ordered 2 different chocolates, milk chocolate with peanut butter and oreo cookie (dark chocolate, my favorite). The dipping snacks were bite-size versions of cheesecake, brownies, strawberries, bananas, and some other things I can't remember now. All good, but a little sweet, and too much after the first 3 courses.
Prices are pretty high at this place. The Big Night Out ranges from $84 - $92 (approx) and that does not include drinks or choosing specialty broths. I think I would share one Big Night Out with 3 people, depending on how hungry we were. I would also like to go back for just apps and drinks. One note: Beer selection sucked. Pretty much your standard clear beers and Sam Adams.
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Linguine's (II)
Location: Linguine's, Marlboro, MA
Meal: Lunch (takeout)
Linguine's has a really good tuna sub. The basics: Tuna, lettuce, tomato, onion, on a sub roll that is kind of chewy and has cornmeal on the crust. The tuna is really fresh, just enough mayo, and delicately seasoned. I did add some pepper and little salt, but it wasn't really necessary. Price: $4.95. The sub is probably about a foot long, and they cut it in half. I actually shared it with a friend because a whole sub is usually too much for me to eat at once. Not that I don't but then I'm really full.
Meal: Lunch (takeout)
Linguine's has a really good tuna sub. The basics: Tuna, lettuce, tomato, onion, on a sub roll that is kind of chewy and has cornmeal on the crust. The tuna is really fresh, just enough mayo, and delicately seasoned. I did add some pepper and little salt, but it wasn't really necessary. Price: $4.95. The sub is probably about a foot long, and they cut it in half. I actually shared it with a friend because a whole sub is usually too much for me to eat at once. Not that I don't but then I'm really full.
Saturday, December 23, 2006
Snack Time!
I'd rather buy a big jar of applesauce and pack it in a reusable Tupperware container, instead of buying single serving snacks. Last week, though, I received a big box of free stuff from Rachael Ray magazine and their advertisers. One of the snacks was Mott's Blueberry Applesauce. This snack was delicious. The blueberry flavor was really prominent and since the ingredience only included apples and blueberries, and a little citric acid, it wasn't overly fake-sweet. I might have to get more of these sometime.
Fun colorful packaging
Wonderful purply color
Fun colorful packaging
Wonderful purply color
Friday, December 22, 2006
Bagel Time
Location: Bagel Time, Park Ave, Worcester, MA
Meal: Breakfast (late to work!)
There's a reason Bagel Time wins best bagels each year. They're awesome. The bagels are dense, boiled bagels with a shiny crust. I always get a spinach garlic bagel and last week, I had the scallion bacon cream cheese. Full fat. YUM. It's best when the bagel is still warm from the toaster.
They also have decent coffee but I don't know what kind it is. Only thing is, they use paper cups and the coffee is really hot and they don't have those extra cardboard pieces to slip around. So, remember to grab extra napkins.
Bagel Time is a once in a while place for me because eating that much cream cheese at once can't be good for me, and $5 for breakfast is a little much to make it a daily habit.
Meal: Breakfast (late to work!)
There's a reason Bagel Time wins best bagels each year. They're awesome. The bagels are dense, boiled bagels with a shiny crust. I always get a spinach garlic bagel and last week, I had the scallion bacon cream cheese. Full fat. YUM. It's best when the bagel is still warm from the toaster.
They also have decent coffee but I don't know what kind it is. Only thing is, they use paper cups and the coffee is really hot and they don't have those extra cardboard pieces to slip around. So, remember to grab extra napkins.
Bagel Time is a once in a while place for me because eating that much cream cheese at once can't be good for me, and $5 for breakfast is a little much to make it a daily habit.
Mmm Mangorita
Location: Naked Fish, Westboro, MA (it's a small chain, though)
Meal: Drinks only
When hearing I was heading out to the Naked Fish for drinks, my friend the margarita connoisseur recommended their mango margarita. I went for it and it was delicious. The drink is called a Mangorita and is in the Specialty Drinks section of the drink menu. Ingredients were Sauza Gold, mango puree, lime juice and Grand Marnier. It came in a festive bowl shaped stem glass with a sugared rim, on ice. The mango puree was thick but not too pulpy, and I couldn't even taste the tequila. Though, there was definitely some in there. (I had some food so don't be concerned about that.)
They have lots of other drinks that sound good too. My friend got a mango Mai Tai, and loved it. There was dark rum floating on the top and she didn't realize until she bit into the cherry and realized it had been soaking in rum.
I also like the bar at the Naked Fish. It's sufficiently dark, with nice lighting and sweet leather chairs and couches. Really comfortable. I've eaten dinner there before and the food's really good. Kind of pricey - better to go on the corporate card.
Meal: Drinks only
When hearing I was heading out to the Naked Fish for drinks, my friend the margarita connoisseur recommended their mango margarita. I went for it and it was delicious. The drink is called a Mangorita and is in the Specialty Drinks section of the drink menu. Ingredients were Sauza Gold, mango puree, lime juice and Grand Marnier. It came in a festive bowl shaped stem glass with a sugared rim, on ice. The mango puree was thick but not too pulpy, and I couldn't even taste the tequila. Though, there was definitely some in there. (I had some food so don't be concerned about that.)
They have lots of other drinks that sound good too. My friend got a mango Mai Tai, and loved it. There was dark rum floating on the top and she didn't realize until she bit into the cherry and realized it had been soaking in rum.
I also like the bar at the Naked Fish. It's sufficiently dark, with nice lighting and sweet leather chairs and couches. Really comfortable. I've eaten dinner there before and the food's really good. Kind of pricey - better to go on the corporate card.
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Archer Farms Ginger Beer
Target has an exclusive brand, Archer Farms. I've had some hits and misses with this brand. The ginger beer soda is in the middle. It has some pretty good ginger flavor, but I don't think it's as good as Shweppes ginger ale - not enough crispiness or bubbles or something. I have one bottle left from a 6 pack, so I'm going to try to mix it with some liquor. It will probably hold up, maybe better than ginger ale.
Saturday, December 16, 2006
Finder's Pub
Finders Pub is the only place around here that serves their meals on Fiestaware. I think it adds a nice homey feel to an already comfortable and good-eatin' restaurant.
Tonight, I had the Bud Light draft. It's a steal at $1.95/pint. I also ordered the baked haddock dinner. It came with a very large piece of haddock, perfectly cooked, with a light topping of bread crumbs that were appropriately crispy. I chose the mashed potatoes as a side. They were delicious, and had little bits of potato skin in them, so I knew they were real. The pat of butter I added made the experience even more decadent. The vegetable side was mixed vegetables: broccoli, parsnips, carrots, green beans, cauliflower. They were pretty awful - unflavored (I chose not to add the butter provided), and kind of soft and I guess overcooked. But I ate them because they're good for me.
My dining companions, Buffalo Girl and Steak and Potatoes, had the BLT on white with fries and the Sirloin Tips and Tomatoes Salad. The BLT was okay, a little dry. The sirloin salad was very good. It looked good from where I was sitting. Romaine lettuce and spring greens, very red plum tomatoes, onions, gorgonzola cheese, and steak tips. S and P chose blue cheese dressing and was very happy with his meal. His only complaint was the tips were cooked more than he'd like. He ordered medium-rare and they weren't rare enough.
Tonight, I had the Bud Light draft. It's a steal at $1.95/pint. I also ordered the baked haddock dinner. It came with a very large piece of haddock, perfectly cooked, with a light topping of bread crumbs that were appropriately crispy. I chose the mashed potatoes as a side. They were delicious, and had little bits of potato skin in them, so I knew they were real. The pat of butter I added made the experience even more decadent. The vegetable side was mixed vegetables: broccoli, parsnips, carrots, green beans, cauliflower. They were pretty awful - unflavored (I chose not to add the butter provided), and kind of soft and I guess overcooked. But I ate them because they're good for me.
My dining companions, Buffalo Girl and Steak and Potatoes, had the BLT on white with fries and the Sirloin Tips and Tomatoes Salad. The BLT was okay, a little dry. The sirloin salad was very good. It looked good from where I was sitting. Romaine lettuce and spring greens, very red plum tomatoes, onions, gorgonzola cheese, and steak tips. S and P chose blue cheese dressing and was very happy with his meal. His only complaint was the tips were cooked more than he'd like. He ordered medium-rare and they weren't rare enough.
Johnny Rockets
Location: Johnny Rockets, Burlington Mall, MA
Meal: Late night dinner.
First of all, let me say that going to Johnny Rockets after 10 pm on a Friday night is probably not the best idea. It left the service a little lacking, but overall, it was a decent experience. I think that they were pretty much done for the night and we happened in after a marathon shopping event. There were about 2 other parties there, and the waiter seemed to be pretty new. He was really nice, though, and as attentive as he was able to be.
There were 2 of us, and we both ordered cheeseburgers and cherry Cokes. I got the half onion rings/half fries. My friend got just fries.
The burgers came out separately from the fries. I guess they cook the burgers out back, and the fries are made out front, behind the counter. So there was kind of a lag between when I got my fries/rings and when my friend got her fries. Once we had all the food on the table, we realized that we could have shared a small order of fries and have still been totally full. As it was, we barely made a dent in the sides. I ate the entire burger, though. It was good, and cooked as I requested (medium).
You get these neat little paper dipping bowls that you can put the ketchup in. They also have something called "red red sauce", which is a ketchup-based sauce for fries and burgers. I can't figure out what else is in it. It was okay but I didn't put it on my burger. Burgers come with mustard and mayonnaise. Love it.
It's a good place to go for a table-service meal that is reasonably priced in the mall. The decor is flashy.
Another cool thing is they have straw dispensers on each table, and the waiter pulled up the top so we could each grab a straw when he brought our Cokes.
Meal: Late night dinner.
First of all, let me say that going to Johnny Rockets after 10 pm on a Friday night is probably not the best idea. It left the service a little lacking, but overall, it was a decent experience. I think that they were pretty much done for the night and we happened in after a marathon shopping event. There were about 2 other parties there, and the waiter seemed to be pretty new. He was really nice, though, and as attentive as he was able to be.
There were 2 of us, and we both ordered cheeseburgers and cherry Cokes. I got the half onion rings/half fries. My friend got just fries.
The burgers came out separately from the fries. I guess they cook the burgers out back, and the fries are made out front, behind the counter. So there was kind of a lag between when I got my fries/rings and when my friend got her fries. Once we had all the food on the table, we realized that we could have shared a small order of fries and have still been totally full. As it was, we barely made a dent in the sides. I ate the entire burger, though. It was good, and cooked as I requested (medium).
You get these neat little paper dipping bowls that you can put the ketchup in. They also have something called "red red sauce", which is a ketchup-based sauce for fries and burgers. I can't figure out what else is in it. It was okay but I didn't put it on my burger. Burgers come with mustard and mayonnaise. Love it.
It's a good place to go for a table-service meal that is reasonably priced in the mall. The decor is flashy.
Another cool thing is they have straw dispensers on each table, and the waiter pulled up the top so we could each grab a straw when he brought our Cokes.
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Muffin
Location: The Bean Counter, Highland Street, Worcester, MA
Meal: Breakfast
I was running late today so I didn't have time to make breakfast. I decided to swing by the Bean Counter and pick up a coffee and hopefully a sinfully delicious pastry. I usually go for the chocolate croissant, and those are always delicious. Today, they were all out of croissants. There was a customer giving the cashier some feedback on that very fact. Nice feedback, but it had probably been going on for quite a while before I got there, and I think the girl working was holding her patience very well.
I settled on a muffin, and while I'd like to give it a thumbs up, today, it was a half-thumb. The muffin was raspberry lemon, and the flavor was very raspberry and lemon, but the muffin was definitely overcooked. The top was hard-ish and chewy, there was melted sugar and other sticky stuff all over the outside of the muffin paper, and the muffin inside the paper had a thick overcooked crust. The center was really good - if only it was all cooked just enough, instead of too much.
The coffee was good- Kenya AA with milk. Smooth, creamy, not bitter, and very hot.
Meal: Breakfast
I was running late today so I didn't have time to make breakfast. I decided to swing by the Bean Counter and pick up a coffee and hopefully a sinfully delicious pastry. I usually go for the chocolate croissant, and those are always delicious. Today, they were all out of croissants. There was a customer giving the cashier some feedback on that very fact. Nice feedback, but it had probably been going on for quite a while before I got there, and I think the girl working was holding her patience very well.
I settled on a muffin, and while I'd like to give it a thumbs up, today, it was a half-thumb. The muffin was raspberry lemon, and the flavor was very raspberry and lemon, but the muffin was definitely overcooked. The top was hard-ish and chewy, there was melted sugar and other sticky stuff all over the outside of the muffin paper, and the muffin inside the paper had a thick overcooked crust. The center was really good - if only it was all cooked just enough, instead of too much.
The coffee was good- Kenya AA with milk. Smooth, creamy, not bitter, and very hot.
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Tony's Pizza
Location: Tony's Pizza, Sutton, Route 146
Meal: Dinner (around 5:30 pm on a Friday)
After a shopping trip in Providence, Buffalo Girl, Mom, and I headed home. We stopped by Tony's Pizza for some dinner. This place was crazy busy. It was dinnertime so we expected it to be a little crowded. It was a madhouse, what with takeout orders being picked up, numbers being called over the loudspeaker, and lots of hungry people waiting for their food by the counter. We ordered pretty quickly, 3 fish and chips, a Greek salad, and 3 small sodas. They also serve beer and wine here. We found a good sized booth by the window. The only downside was that it was right beneath a speaker, and the volume was kind of loud.
Our food came out very quickly - around 10 minutes, which was great. We'd just gotten our sodas.
Each fish and chips order came with 2 large pieces of fish. The batter was thin and pretty tasty. The plate was piled with french fries, way too many to eat. They were not my favorite kind of fries, they were not smooth. But, they were hot and crispy. I ate one piece of fish, and too many fries. Then, Buffalo Girl and I dug into the salad. We were stuffed, though, so couldn't eat as much as we'd like. The salad was very good. You have to be sure to ask for Greek dressing (it's Ken's), otherwise you will get Italian. Lots of feta, tomatoes, I think iceberg lettuce, kalamata olives, purple onions.
I liked it at Tony's. The food was good, the price was right, and it was a good stopping point on the way home from RI.
Meal: Dinner (around 5:30 pm on a Friday)
After a shopping trip in Providence, Buffalo Girl, Mom, and I headed home. We stopped by Tony's Pizza for some dinner. This place was crazy busy. It was dinnertime so we expected it to be a little crowded. It was a madhouse, what with takeout orders being picked up, numbers being called over the loudspeaker, and lots of hungry people waiting for their food by the counter. We ordered pretty quickly, 3 fish and chips, a Greek salad, and 3 small sodas. They also serve beer and wine here. We found a good sized booth by the window. The only downside was that it was right beneath a speaker, and the volume was kind of loud.
Our food came out very quickly - around 10 minutes, which was great. We'd just gotten our sodas.
Each fish and chips order came with 2 large pieces of fish. The batter was thin and pretty tasty. The plate was piled with french fries, way too many to eat. They were not my favorite kind of fries, they were not smooth. But, they were hot and crispy. I ate one piece of fish, and too many fries. Then, Buffalo Girl and I dug into the salad. We were stuffed, though, so couldn't eat as much as we'd like. The salad was very good. You have to be sure to ask for Greek dressing (it's Ken's), otherwise you will get Italian. Lots of feta, tomatoes, I think iceberg lettuce, kalamata olives, purple onions.
I liked it at Tony's. The food was good, the price was right, and it was a good stopping point on the way home from RI.
Crapsto's Part Deux
You know what was really funny though? Mom thought that the greek dressing was soup, but really weird looking soup. Because it came in a ramekin with a spoon!! If they were going to do it that way, it should have come in something like a creamer or a cruet or something. Not a ramekin!
Saturday, December 09, 2006
The Golden Arches
Saturday late dinner
After a nearly fruitless Christmas shopping excursion Steak and Potatoes and I emerged from the mall just before closing time. It was too late to go out for a full service dinner so we decided to swing through McDonald's and pick up something unhealthy but tasty. As usual, we chose our meals from the dollar menu. One McChicken sandwich (recommended by Dairyqueen), two double cheeseburgers, a fruit and yogurt parfait, and two small fries.
When we pulled up to the cashier we were told that the fries would be three minutes and if we'd like to park he would bring our entire order over to us. After ten minutes a polite and apologetic teen brought us our food and told us he had upped our fries to larges because of the long wait.
Bonus!
The parfait was not bad. The strawberries were quite flavorful but the blueberries ( I think they were blueberries) had zero taste.
Overall it was a fairly routine trip to McDonald's. Low cost, good taste, moderate guilt.
After a nearly fruitless Christmas shopping excursion Steak and Potatoes and I emerged from the mall just before closing time. It was too late to go out for a full service dinner so we decided to swing through McDonald's and pick up something unhealthy but tasty. As usual, we chose our meals from the dollar menu. One McChicken sandwich (recommended by Dairyqueen), two double cheeseburgers, a fruit and yogurt parfait, and two small fries.
When we pulled up to the cashier we were told that the fries would be three minutes and if we'd like to park he would bring our entire order over to us. After ten minutes a polite and apologetic teen brought us our food and told us he had upped our fries to larges because of the long wait.
Bonus!
The parfait was not bad. The strawberries were quite flavorful but the blueberries ( I think they were blueberries) had zero taste.
Overall it was a fairly routine trip to McDonald's. Low cost, good taste, moderate guilt.
Crapsto's
Location: Christo's Restaurant, Stafford Street, Worcester
Meal: Dinner, Saturday evening
Dinner at Christo's was an altogether bad experience. I'm going to just list all the terrible things that happened.
Meal: Dinner, Saturday evening
Dinner at Christo's was an altogether bad experience. I'm going to just list all the terrible things that happened.
- The service was horrendous. We were basically ignored for a good portion of the evening. It took almost an hour to get our entrees. We were provided with 2 drink servings; you know, firsts and seconds. The wait staff was made up of about 4 college age girls, and an older woman who seemed to be in charge. Except that she didn't seem to mind that the wait staff was, for the majority of the time, leaning on the waitress counter, chin in hand, slack-jawed and blank-stared.
- We never got the extra napkins we asked for, so took some off the next table. The table was NEVER cleared. We were surrounded by dirty, empty dishes and glasses for a good 40 minutes after we finished eating.
- We were never asked if we wanted dessert. We didn't. But they should have asked.
- We sat for at least 20 minutes waiting for a waitress to come by to see if we wanted the check. Then we waited another 20 to get it after we asked for it. When we got it, there was an 18% gratuity added on. For shame, Christo's. Just because we had a large party, we weren't going to tip for shitty service. The waitress took it off. But really now. How rude. We tipped about 10% and even that seemed wrong.
- Almost all of the specials were seafood-based. There were at least 30 seafood casserole type entrees. Apparently, they were trying to use it up before it went bad.
- Out of the 7 seafood entrees, they mixed up 5 of them. The waitress claimed she wasn't very good at telling the seafood entrees apart. The she laughed. Yeah, real funny. One of our entrees was actually given to another table, so that person was the only one who got hot food because they put a rush on a re-do. I had the haddock. it was kind of rubbery. I also had the greek grean beans. The beans were the consistency of a shoelace and there were way too many tomatoes. They were basically gross.
- One of us ordered the monte christo but said, just turkey please. They also put in ham, and forgot the maple syrup.
- The greek salad was just an insult. It was as if the chef said: "To make salad, remove all green leaves from a head of iceberg. Chop up the yellow center and place on plate. Add a miniscule amount of the rest of the ingredients. Serve with super long green onions or scallions or whatever. Dressing goes in a ramekin with a spoon." Nice. Why wouldn't you do the same for the maple syrup? That came in a plastic to go cup with a cover.
- Prices were way too high for what we got. Entrees were around 13. The scallop casserole had about 5 scallops, the small ones.
- The saddest part was, this was to celebrate a birthday, and the waitress knew it was a birthday celebration and obviously didn't care. The memory is just painful. I hope next year's is better.
Thursday, December 07, 2006
The Aegean
Location: The Aegean, Framingham, MA
Meal: Dinner
The Aegean is in a new location on Route 30 in Framingham, behind Shopper's World. A friend and I tried to go there on a weekend night, at the height of dinner hour, and the wait was over an hour and a half. This time, we tried on a Thursday night.
The inside is beautiful. The space is very large, and has an open floor plan with 2 levels. We were seated on the second level, at a two-person table that was next to a curved wall that looked over on the lower level. We were right in the middle of the restaurant, with a view of the whole room. The table was set very nicely, and the bathrooms were really nice, and very clean.
Dipping oil and a selection of breads came out quickly. Delicious! The oil was very flavorful and the bread was delicious - pita and another type of bread. I ordered a class of Greek red wine, a Pinot Noir, I think, and my companion ordered a Greek white wine. Both were delicious. I wish I could remember the names of them but the meal was about a month ago and I didn't take notes. Now, I carry a notepad.
I ordered the chicken gyro dinner; my companion ordered the lamb gyro dinner. The came disassembled on an oval plate - a row of tzatziki, a mound of chicken or lamb, and a mound of vegetables (lettuce, tomato, onion). The chicken was nicely seasoned and the tzatziki was wonderful. The lamb gyro also got rave reviews. There was enough for me to take leftovers home and have a second meal.
We shared a dessert, galaktobouriko, which is a custard filling with filo dough crusts and honey. It was delicious and tasted just like my grandmother used to make. They served it with cinnamon and whipped cream but I like it served simply, with a glass of milk or cup of tea.
The Aegean is a good destination for a nice dinner. Prices are in the medium to high range, but the gyros were actually not too pricey, about $13 each. Just try to get there early on the weekend.
Meal: Dinner
The Aegean is in a new location on Route 30 in Framingham, behind Shopper's World. A friend and I tried to go there on a weekend night, at the height of dinner hour, and the wait was over an hour and a half. This time, we tried on a Thursday night.
The inside is beautiful. The space is very large, and has an open floor plan with 2 levels. We were seated on the second level, at a two-person table that was next to a curved wall that looked over on the lower level. We were right in the middle of the restaurant, with a view of the whole room. The table was set very nicely, and the bathrooms were really nice, and very clean.
Dipping oil and a selection of breads came out quickly. Delicious! The oil was very flavorful and the bread was delicious - pita and another type of bread. I ordered a class of Greek red wine, a Pinot Noir, I think, and my companion ordered a Greek white wine. Both were delicious. I wish I could remember the names of them but the meal was about a month ago and I didn't take notes. Now, I carry a notepad.
I ordered the chicken gyro dinner; my companion ordered the lamb gyro dinner. The came disassembled on an oval plate - a row of tzatziki, a mound of chicken or lamb, and a mound of vegetables (lettuce, tomato, onion). The chicken was nicely seasoned and the tzatziki was wonderful. The lamb gyro also got rave reviews. There was enough for me to take leftovers home and have a second meal.
We shared a dessert, galaktobouriko, which is a custard filling with filo dough crusts and honey. It was delicious and tasted just like my grandmother used to make. They served it with cinnamon and whipped cream but I like it served simply, with a glass of milk or cup of tea.
The Aegean is a good destination for a nice dinner. Prices are in the medium to high range, but the gyros were actually not too pricey, about $13 each. Just try to get there early on the weekend.
Great Greek Salad
Location: Leo's T Bird Pizza, Chandler Street, Worcester
Meal: Lunch, Sunday
I've been to Leo's a few times over the past several years - it seems that I always go there with one particular friend. Every time I go, it's always good, and the folks who work there are always super friendly. This time, both I and my dining partner ordered the Greek salad. This was a great salad. It was really big, so big I couldn't finish it. My friend could, but she's eating for two. There's plenty of feta, good kalamata olives (pits in, yay!) and it comes with 4 large slices of very soft pita bread. The best part, though, is the dressing. It's creamy and tangy, and the menu says it's homemade.
P.S. They also have the Coffee News, so it's cool to dine in alone.
Meal: Lunch, Sunday
I've been to Leo's a few times over the past several years - it seems that I always go there with one particular friend. Every time I go, it's always good, and the folks who work there are always super friendly. This time, both I and my dining partner ordered the Greek salad. This was a great salad. It was really big, so big I couldn't finish it. My friend could, but she's eating for two. There's plenty of feta, good kalamata olives (pits in, yay!) and it comes with 4 large slices of very soft pita bread. The best part, though, is the dressing. It's creamy and tangy, and the menu says it's homemade.
P.S. They also have the Coffee News, so it's cool to dine in alone.
Sunday, December 03, 2006
A Dunkariffic Experience
Location: Dunkin Donuts Drivethrough, Grafton St, Worcester
DD Employee: I'll be right with you...I'll be right with you... One minute
[3 minute wait]
DDE: Ok, what can I get for you? (Lots of water running, clinking of metal on metal, and many conversations in the background)
Us: Small gingerbread latte, no whipped cream.
DDE: Anything else?
I've changed my mind so:
Us: Actually, please add the whipped cream.
DDE: Okay.
Us: Also, a medium half coffee, half hot chocolate.
DDE: That's basically a dunkaccino.
Us: No, I just want regular coffee, not the cappuccino coffee.
[Lots of back and forth, until finally, we drive up to the window.]
Here's where it gets interesting. One DDE takes our money, and returns with our change. Another employee altogether delivers my gingerbread latte, but forgot the whipped cream. He quickly returns with the modified drink, and kind of looks at us. We ask where the coffee/cocoa is.
DDE: Oh, that's right. (because it's been all of 3 minutes since we ordered)
He returns quickly with the coffee/cocoa, and pleasantly asks how my latte is. We chat about whether it's coffee or syrup (it's syrup with caramel and gingerbread flavoring), and then, drive off, laughing. The funniest part was that the DDE was checking in on us as if we were dining in. It was the slowest drive through experience, but not unpleasant.
DD Employee: I'll be right with you...I'll be right with you... One minute
[3 minute wait]
DDE: Ok, what can I get for you? (Lots of water running, clinking of metal on metal, and many conversations in the background)
Us: Small gingerbread latte, no whipped cream.
DDE: Anything else?
I've changed my mind so:
Us: Actually, please add the whipped cream.
DDE: Okay.
Us: Also, a medium half coffee, half hot chocolate.
DDE: That's basically a dunkaccino.
Us: No, I just want regular coffee, not the cappuccino coffee.
[Lots of back and forth, until finally, we drive up to the window.]
Here's where it gets interesting. One DDE takes our money, and returns with our change. Another employee altogether delivers my gingerbread latte, but forgot the whipped cream. He quickly returns with the modified drink, and kind of looks at us. We ask where the coffee/cocoa is.
DDE: Oh, that's right. (because it's been all of 3 minutes since we ordered)
He returns quickly with the coffee/cocoa, and pleasantly asks how my latte is. We chat about whether it's coffee or syrup (it's syrup with caramel and gingerbread flavoring), and then, drive off, laughing. The funniest part was that the DDE was checking in on us as if we were dining in. It was the slowest drive through experience, but not unpleasant.
Friendly's
Location: Friendly's, Tatnuck Square, Worcester, MA
Meal: Lunch, weekday
When you go to Friendly's, you pretty much know what you're getting. The food quality is consistent, the fries have been good since high school, and they've even added some decent healthy options. The other thing is, now that friends and family are having children, it's a good place to go that has reasonably priced food for kids and grown-ups, and this place actually likes having the kids there.
On a recent visit, I got the Tuna Roll (tuna, cheese, and lettuce), on light rye, with fries, and a Sprite. I was disappointed by the lack of ginger ale on the menu, but the Sprite was good. The only feedback I have on my meal is the tuna could have used some seasoning, like salt and pepper. I had to rush out and couldn't stick around for dessert, which was quite a disappointment.
Service was good. The waiter was attentive and called the second-youngest member of our party "the youngster". So cute.
Meal: Lunch, weekday
When you go to Friendly's, you pretty much know what you're getting. The food quality is consistent, the fries have been good since high school, and they've even added some decent healthy options. The other thing is, now that friends and family are having children, it's a good place to go that has reasonably priced food for kids and grown-ups, and this place actually likes having the kids there.
On a recent visit, I got the Tuna Roll (tuna, cheese, and lettuce), on light rye, with fries, and a Sprite. I was disappointed by the lack of ginger ale on the menu, but the Sprite was good. The only feedback I have on my meal is the tuna could have used some seasoning, like salt and pepper. I had to rush out and couldn't stick around for dessert, which was quite a disappointment.
Service was good. The waiter was attentive and called the second-youngest member of our party "the youngster". So cute.
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Why Food Network is Good for You
Tonight on Good Eats, Alton Brown said that egg nog is good for counteracting the acetaldehyde production that results from drinking alcoholic beverages. It's in direct competition with the grease-heavy diner breakfast that has been the usual hangover breakfast of choice. I'll have to try it.
Sunday, November 26, 2006
Quick Chicks!!
Remember Quick Chicks? Well, if you're having a craving for the popular college food, hit the McDonald's Dollar Menu. The McChicken Sandwich is a good replacement - breaded, deep fried, mayonnaise, and lettuce. It brings me back to days of Daka and WPI.
the Little Penguin
Location: Austin Liquors, Gold Star Boulevard, Worcester, MAThe Cabernet Sauvignon by the Little Penguin was on sale for $9.99 / 1.5 liter bottle, so I picked up a bottle for Thanksgiving. We found that the red wine actually went pretty well with the traditional Thanksgiving meal. The flavor was mild, light to medium bodied. The wine actually looked like it was watered down, but didn't taste watered down. For a reasonably priced bottle of wine, I'd get it again.
Snack Attack
Store: Christmas Tree Shops, Olde Shrewsbury Village
For a snack attack during the Christmas shopping season, I recommend Utz Cheddar and Sour Cream potato chips. They were a bargain at 69 cents for a 5 oz. bag. These chips are great. The cheddar flavoring is not laid on too heavily, and is consistent across all chips. The grease factor is low and you can taste the potato. You might want to get more than one bag. I wish I had.
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Not so Lucky
Location: Lucky's Cafe, Grove Street, Worcester, MA
Meal: Lunch
I've never been to the Blue Cricket on Chandler Street in Worcester. Mom and I tried to go there on a a Monday at about 1:45. It was closed. The door was unlucked, but the sign said "Closed". At 1:45. It seemed a little early to be closing for the day, but we actually don't know if they're even open on Mondays because their hours aren't posted anywhere.
We ended up at Lucky's Cafe, because they still had a half hour left. I'd been there before and remembered it being pretty good. This time, not so good.
I had the special sandwich: 3 cheese pita melt with onions, artichoke, and tomatoes. There was way too much cheese - it was like all melted cheese, which made it hard to choke down. And they forgot the tomatoes.
Mom had the ham, cheese and asparagus wrap (lettuce, tomato) and a tea. The sandwich was way more substantial than mine, and I actually had the leftovers. It was good but I think the asaparagus was a weird touch. The bad part was the tea. The presentation was awful. It came in a tiny cup, without a saucer. It just looked awful sitting there, tea bag string hanging down to the table, a little water foam on top, since the tea hadn't steeped or been stirred yet. So with no saucer, where does the used tea bag go? I guess wrapped up in a napkin. Ick.
They did have some really beautiful photographs displayed, taken by Don Bullens in Key West.
Meal: Lunch
I've never been to the Blue Cricket on Chandler Street in Worcester. Mom and I tried to go there on a a Monday at about 1:45. It was closed. The door was unlucked, but the sign said "Closed". At 1:45. It seemed a little early to be closing for the day, but we actually don't know if they're even open on Mondays because their hours aren't posted anywhere.
We ended up at Lucky's Cafe, because they still had a half hour left. I'd been there before and remembered it being pretty good. This time, not so good.
I had the special sandwich: 3 cheese pita melt with onions, artichoke, and tomatoes. There was way too much cheese - it was like all melted cheese, which made it hard to choke down. And they forgot the tomatoes.
Mom had the ham, cheese and asparagus wrap (lettuce, tomato) and a tea. The sandwich was way more substantial than mine, and I actually had the leftovers. It was good but I think the asaparagus was a weird touch. The bad part was the tea. The presentation was awful. It came in a tiny cup, without a saucer. It just looked awful sitting there, tea bag string hanging down to the table, a little water foam on top, since the tea hadn't steeped or been stirred yet. So with no saucer, where does the used tea bag go? I guess wrapped up in a napkin. Ick.
They did have some really beautiful photographs displayed, taken by Don Bullens in Key West.
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Don't Drink the Water
Don’t drink the water at TGI Friday's at the Blackstone Shoppes in Millbury. It is unfiltered Millbury tap and tastes like bleach. Which then leads me to: better not order any soda. Stick to beer.
We went on a Tuesday night and it was surprisingly busy. Maybe that was why the fries and burger weren't hot.
We went on a Tuesday night and it was surprisingly busy. Maybe that was why the fries and burger weren't hot.
Monday, November 20, 2006
An eating break
Last week, I was on vacation and had all the time in the world...to shop Peapod online and have my groceries delivered! The ultimate in lazy, practical, or something. I got a lot of good, healthy food - soup, salad fixins, and yogurt. I also ordered a delicious can of Pringles (reduced fat, of course) and a package of double stuff oreos (to make up for the reduced fat Pringles).
With all this eating out and ordering in, I thought it was high time I returned myself to the gym. And wouldn't you know, they have brand new treadmills!! That have TVs!! Personal ones!! This is really awesome. Now I can watch Seinfeld, or whatever crappy sitcom I want, instead of CNN or Fox News, which is always on the big TVs.
No worries - I have plans to go out to eat very soon, and even if I don't, I do plan to eat some prepared food that I'll tell you all about.
P.S. I was not saying Seinfeld is a crappy sitcom. Just other sitcoms.
P.P.S. Maybe Seinfeld was not the best choice of sitcoms, in light of the Michael Richards press.
With all this eating out and ordering in, I thought it was high time I returned myself to the gym. And wouldn't you know, they have brand new treadmills!! That have TVs!! Personal ones!! This is really awesome. Now I can watch Seinfeld, or whatever crappy sitcom I want, instead of CNN or Fox News, which is always on the big TVs.
No worries - I have plans to go out to eat very soon, and even if I don't, I do plan to eat some prepared food that I'll tell you all about.
P.S. I was not saying Seinfeld is a crappy sitcom. Just other sitcoms.
P.P.S. Maybe Seinfeld was not the best choice of sitcoms, in light of the Michael Richards press.
Max Stein's
Restaurant: Max Stein's
Location: 94 Hartwell Ave, Historic Lexington, MA
Meal: Lunch
Day: Friday
A group of six, we drove out to Lexington to celebrate a birthday. We managed to beat the lunch rush by arriving around 12:30, and were seated at a nice table at the end of the room.
Max Stein's has great atmosphere. The lighting is soft, with dark woodwork and light colored walls. There is fairly large bar - it looks like a nice place to go for drinks and apps. We sat in the main room, where the tables were outfitted with white tablecloths, water goblets, and cloth napkins. The chairs, though, were fantastic. Plush leather, rounded, padded backrest and seat. These chairs were the best. Especially after a long drive on little sleep.
We had bread and butter, and here too, Max Stein's was top notch. There were three kinds of bread: french, garlic-infused french, and cranberry. The butter was whipped. Need I say more?
The good:
The fried haddock sandwich was good. The piece of fish was large, and the vegetables on top (LT) were fresh and crisp.
Three layer chocolate cake with whipped cream was decadent. We shared it and it was big enough to go around. Maybe that was because it was for the birthday diner.
The tea came in the cutest round stainless steel pot, with round ball feet.
The bad:
They forgot to put the candied walnuts on RunnerGuy's Goat Cheese Salad. Two other diners had the Caesar salad and they forgot the dressing for both. Not to mention, the chicken on the salad was not as moist as it could be. And only 2 croutons! 2!
The awesome:
The bathroom. Huge, clean, fancy, and paper towels that are practically cloth napkins.
Overall, I'd give it a good review, but might want to test out lunch again before I dropped the cash for dinner.
Location: 94 Hartwell Ave, Historic Lexington, MA
Meal: Lunch
Day: Friday
A group of six, we drove out to Lexington to celebrate a birthday. We managed to beat the lunch rush by arriving around 12:30, and were seated at a nice table at the end of the room.
Max Stein's has great atmosphere. The lighting is soft, with dark woodwork and light colored walls. There is fairly large bar - it looks like a nice place to go for drinks and apps. We sat in the main room, where the tables were outfitted with white tablecloths, water goblets, and cloth napkins. The chairs, though, were fantastic. Plush leather, rounded, padded backrest and seat. These chairs were the best. Especially after a long drive on little sleep.
We had bread and butter, and here too, Max Stein's was top notch. There were three kinds of bread: french, garlic-infused french, and cranberry. The butter was whipped. Need I say more?
The good:
The fried haddock sandwich was good. The piece of fish was large, and the vegetables on top (LT) were fresh and crisp.
Three layer chocolate cake with whipped cream was decadent. We shared it and it was big enough to go around. Maybe that was because it was for the birthday diner.
The tea came in the cutest round stainless steel pot, with round ball feet.
The bad:
They forgot to put the candied walnuts on RunnerGuy's Goat Cheese Salad. Two other diners had the Caesar salad and they forgot the dressing for both. Not to mention, the chicken on the salad was not as moist as it could be. And only 2 croutons! 2!
The awesome:
The bathroom. Huge, clean, fancy, and paper towels that are practically cloth napkins.
Overall, I'd give it a good review, but might want to test out lunch again before I dropped the cash for dinner.
Sunday, November 19, 2006
The Mediterranean Cafe
Restaurant: The Mediterranean Cafe
Location: 33 Blackstone River Road, Worcester, MA
Meal: Dinner, Saturday night
Attendees: Diary Queen, Buffalo Girl, and Steak and Potatoes
When you hear "Mediterranean food" the first thing that probably comes to your head is "Oh, that's Greek food. Lamb, gyros, and feta." A visit to The Mediterranean Cafe will set you straight. Mediterranean cuisine is considered the cuisine of the countries who border the Mediterranean Sea, and that includes Italy. Now that that's settled, let's get to the meat of things.
The Mediterranean Cafe is on the former Millbury Street, and is a small building across the street from the White Hen Pantry. They have a light-up sign, so it's easy to find. Parking might be tough during the busy times. We were able to parallel park in the driveway, and there is probably room for 4 or 5 cars. We went around 8, and there seemed to be some empty spots on the street.
The menu here leans heavily towards Italian food, notably pasta. You will also find a lot of Green items, such as Greek salad and chicken and other meat kabobs. They don't have gyros. You can choose from 5 different sauces (red, tomato cream, alfredo, oil and garlic, and ... one more. can't remember.) The main meat options were chicken, seafood, and veal. No steaks or red meat, except for meatballs.
Buffalo Girl and I had the Greek salad. It was delicious. Lemon mint dressing, tomatoes, cucumbers, feta, super large pepperoncini (almost 3 inches long and hot!) red onions, and calamata olives. The only flaw we found all night was with the olives - they were flavorless. Steak and Potatoes (a frequent dining companion) had the house salad with good blue cheese dressing.
For entrees, BG and SP had the Chicken and Broccoli with alfredo and penne. They both really liked it. I sampled and it was great. Good alfredo sauce, with plenty of cheese flavor. I had the Chicken Parmesan with spaghetti. They make their own marinara sauce, and it was nice and tomatoey, fresh tasting, not too sweet, nor very thick. It's like I'd make it at home. It came with two thin tender breaded chicken breasts, cooked to perfection. We all ate about half of our huge portions, and took the rest to go. My favorite part of to-go: the waitress fit it all into a small container, which takes up less room in the fridge. Today, I'm having leftovers for lunch.
Dessert - Even though we were full, we shared the cream puffs. They were the opposite of how you might think of cream puffs: filled with chocolate mousse, topped with whipped cream and white chocolate sauce. Delicious.
Location: 33 Blackstone River Road, Worcester, MA
Meal: Dinner, Saturday night
Attendees: Diary Queen, Buffalo Girl, and Steak and Potatoes
When you hear "Mediterranean food" the first thing that probably comes to your head is "Oh, that's Greek food. Lamb, gyros, and feta." A visit to The Mediterranean Cafe will set you straight. Mediterranean cuisine is considered the cuisine of the countries who border the Mediterranean Sea, and that includes Italy. Now that that's settled, let's get to the meat of things.
The Mediterranean Cafe is on the former Millbury Street, and is a small building across the street from the White Hen Pantry. They have a light-up sign, so it's easy to find. Parking might be tough during the busy times. We were able to parallel park in the driveway, and there is probably room for 4 or 5 cars. We went around 8, and there seemed to be some empty spots on the street.
The menu here leans heavily towards Italian food, notably pasta. You will also find a lot of Green items, such as Greek salad and chicken and other meat kabobs. They don't have gyros. You can choose from 5 different sauces (red, tomato cream, alfredo, oil and garlic, and ... one more. can't remember.) The main meat options were chicken, seafood, and veal. No steaks or red meat, except for meatballs.
Buffalo Girl and I had the Greek salad. It was delicious. Lemon mint dressing, tomatoes, cucumbers, feta, super large pepperoncini (almost 3 inches long and hot!) red onions, and calamata olives. The only flaw we found all night was with the olives - they were flavorless. Steak and Potatoes (a frequent dining companion) had the house salad with good blue cheese dressing.
For entrees, BG and SP had the Chicken and Broccoli with alfredo and penne. They both really liked it. I sampled and it was great. Good alfredo sauce, with plenty of cheese flavor. I had the Chicken Parmesan with spaghetti. They make their own marinara sauce, and it was nice and tomatoey, fresh tasting, not too sweet, nor very thick. It's like I'd make it at home. It came with two thin tender breaded chicken breasts, cooked to perfection. We all ate about half of our huge portions, and took the rest to go. My favorite part of to-go: the waitress fit it all into a small container, which takes up less room in the fridge. Today, I'm having leftovers for lunch.
Dessert - Even though we were full, we shared the cream puffs. They were the opposite of how you might think of cream puffs: filled with chocolate mousse, topped with whipped cream and white chocolate sauce. Delicious.
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Fundraiser Chocolates
There aren't too many children in my neighborhood, and I feel like, if they make the effort to climb all 36 steps to ring my bell and ask me to buy something, I'll help out. (steep, huh? The picture cuts off some of the bottom steps.)So, in September, I bought some Kathryn Beich peanut butter cups. They just came last week and boy, are they good! Melt in your mouth chocolate, and great peanut butter filling. Doesn't taste nasty, like those gross Palmer Easter candies.
I also bought some PB Cups and Dulce de Leche Girl Scout candies. They are waiting on the dining room table for me to either eat, in a fit of weakness, or give away, in a fit of generosity. I'm dying to know if they're good, though, so they probably won't last too long. (Oooh, maybe I'll bring them to Thanksgiving.)
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Quick Bites: Dunkin, Big Y, and Honey Dew
Dunkin Donuts: I really like the festive fall pumpkin muffins. I got one on Saturday morning and it was really good. I got one on Monday morning and it was a little dry. Both were purchased at Dunkin in Tatnuck. My plan. to avoid overspending, and having to go to DD on the way to work, is to make the Pillsbury Pumpkin Quick Bread on Sunday and eat that all week. It is delicious. Moist and full of pumpkin flavor. I sometimes add nuts, raisins, or dried cranberries.
Big Y: In a pinch, Big Y pizza from the "ready to eat" section does the trick, and for $20 you can get a pizza the size of a poster ("party size")
Honey Dew: I like their hot coffee. I do not recommend the apple fruit stick twisty thing. It's kind of dry. I wonder if it would have been better if I had dunked it in the coffee.
Big Y: In a pinch, Big Y pizza from the "ready to eat" section does the trick, and for $20 you can get a pizza the size of a poster ("party size")
Honey Dew: I like their hot coffee. I do not recommend the apple fruit stick twisty thing. It's kind of dry. I wonder if it would have been better if I had dunked it in the coffee.
My Friend Joe
Trader Joe's is the kind of place I shop at no more than once a month. I do a big stock-up of frozen and non-perishables, and usually pick up a gallon of milk because it's just so darn cheap there. Recently, I bought a bunch of frozen items, and I've been slowly going through them. Here's a roundup of the most memorable items, frozen or otherwise.
Kung Pao Stir Fry: Good. Cooked up in 5 minutes, good peanut sauce, not too sweet. The packaging says 2.5 servings. I'd say more like 1.5 or 2 reasonably sized servings.
Asparagus Risotto: Blah. No flavor.
3 cheese pizza: Okay. Tiny. Better to get a fresh one from the local pizza place.
Blue Corn Jalapeno Corn Bread: So so good. Blue corn bread!! Very moist and not really crumbly like regualr corn bread. And the heat it delivers sneaks up on you - first you swallow a bite. Then about 30 seconds later, you feel the jalapeno in the back of your throat. Not too much, just enough.
Charles Shaw Cab Sauv: Great. Goes down easy. I've had really bad CS, though. It's hit or miss but for $3, who's complaining? Not me.
Green Beans, Frozen: These are the best frozen grean beans. Whole, bright green. A rebuy, definitely.
Kung Pao Stir Fry: Good. Cooked up in 5 minutes, good peanut sauce, not too sweet. The packaging says 2.5 servings. I'd say more like 1.5 or 2 reasonably sized servings.
Asparagus Risotto: Blah. No flavor.
3 cheese pizza: Okay. Tiny. Better to get a fresh one from the local pizza place.
Blue Corn Jalapeno Corn Bread: So so good. Blue corn bread!! Very moist and not really crumbly like regualr corn bread. And the heat it delivers sneaks up on you - first you swallow a bite. Then about 30 seconds later, you feel the jalapeno in the back of your throat. Not too much, just enough.
Charles Shaw Cab Sauv: Great. Goes down easy. I've had really bad CS, though. It's hit or miss but for $3, who's complaining? Not me.
Green Beans, Frozen: These are the best frozen grean beans. Whole, bright green. A rebuy, definitely.
Sunday, November 12, 2006
The Perfect Cookie
A few days ago a wrote about the Blue Hydrangea Bake Shop. And last month, I visited Sweet Melissa's bakery in Park Slope, Brooklyn, NY. I like the idea of independent bakeries with pretty pastries, and unique desserts. What I don't like is that these kinds of businesses think that, because they are independent, they can charge an outrageous price for something that you can make just as easily yourself with a box mix from the grocery store and it might even taste as good. As Buffalo Girl said, "I'll stick with Widoff's."
Widoff's is the best bakery in the city, in my opinion. They have awesome bulkies, with and without seeds. A holiday in my family would not be the same without some fresh-that-day Widoff's "bookies". Their bread is delicious. They have a rainbow of colors of butter cookies. But the thing that pulls me to Widoff's more often than not is the chocolate chip cookie. This cookie is thick, buttery, and full of chocolate chips. It's about 4 inches in diameter, and the last batch I got was about 1/2" thick. I ate the whole thing on an empty stomach (Yes, dessert before dinner. It's okay, I'm a grownup.) and didn't get sick.
I know that Buffalo Girl's favorite cookie is the Widoff's Black and White. This is not your usual, New York Style black and white cookie. To us, that's just an imposter. This is a butter cookie, also about 4 inches in diameter, half chocolate, half vanilla. Crumbly, sweet. Unbelievable.
Best part about these cookies: $0.60 each. Not no dollar fifty for a cookie the size of a sand dollar.
Widoff's is the best bakery in the city, in my opinion. They have awesome bulkies, with and without seeds. A holiday in my family would not be the same without some fresh-that-day Widoff's "bookies". Their bread is delicious. They have a rainbow of colors of butter cookies. But the thing that pulls me to Widoff's more often than not is the chocolate chip cookie. This cookie is thick, buttery, and full of chocolate chips. It's about 4 inches in diameter, and the last batch I got was about 1/2" thick. I ate the whole thing on an empty stomach (Yes, dessert before dinner. It's okay, I'm a grownup.) and didn't get sick.
I know that Buffalo Girl's favorite cookie is the Widoff's Black and White. This is not your usual, New York Style black and white cookie. To us, that's just an imposter. This is a butter cookie, also about 4 inches in diameter, half chocolate, half vanilla. Crumbly, sweet. Unbelievable.
Best part about these cookies: $0.60 each. Not no dollar fifty for a cookie the size of a sand dollar.
Burritos, Tacos, and Beans, Oh my!
It seems that Mexican food is good to get on the run. And surprisingly, the Worcester area has more than the pond scum that is Taco Bell.
Buffalo Girl and I needed to get a quick dinner before going to see The Departed last Tuesday night. (It was $5 movie night at Showcase North.) We decided on takeout from Tortilla Sam's - 2 spinach and chicken burritos with black beans and rice, and a Vitamin Water came to just over $10. Scrap the Vitamin Water and it was about $8.50. The burritos were delicious. Fresh tortillas, stuffed full of chicken, spinach, and rice. The sour cream was a nice addition. They're not too hot (spice-wise), but the seasonings are very flavorful. One burrito and half of the beans/rice side was plenty for one. The beans/rice side was wrapped separately, in a covered plastic tub, and it was still piping hot after a 10 minute ride to the movie theater. $10 a person = Bargain Tuesday Night.
The next trip, I was on my own. I was in desperate need of nourishment, after a trip back from Boston in the rain, and before a visit to Babies R Us for a baby shower gift. The Blackstone Shoppes don't have a lot of options for takeout, so I ran into Qdoba, hoping it was a cut above the Bell. I was pleasantly surprised by a tasty beef soft taco. The salsa verde was hot but not painfully so, and the filling was tasty. I also got a chicken soft taco, which was good, but not as good as the Tortilla Sam's chicken. It was almost $5, which I thought was a little high, but I didin't feel sick after so it was worth it.
Buffalo Girl and I needed to get a quick dinner before going to see The Departed last Tuesday night. (It was $5 movie night at Showcase North.) We decided on takeout from Tortilla Sam's - 2 spinach and chicken burritos with black beans and rice, and a Vitamin Water came to just over $10. Scrap the Vitamin Water and it was about $8.50. The burritos were delicious. Fresh tortillas, stuffed full of chicken, spinach, and rice. The sour cream was a nice addition. They're not too hot (spice-wise), but the seasonings are very flavorful. One burrito and half of the beans/rice side was plenty for one. The beans/rice side was wrapped separately, in a covered plastic tub, and it was still piping hot after a 10 minute ride to the movie theater. $10 a person = Bargain Tuesday Night.
The next trip, I was on my own. I was in desperate need of nourishment, after a trip back from Boston in the rain, and before a visit to Babies R Us for a baby shower gift. The Blackstone Shoppes don't have a lot of options for takeout, so I ran into Qdoba, hoping it was a cut above the Bell. I was pleasantly surprised by a tasty beef soft taco. The salsa verde was hot but not painfully so, and the filling was tasty. I also got a chicken soft taco, which was good, but not as good as the Tortilla Sam's chicken. It was almost $5, which I thought was a little high, but I didin't feel sick after so it was worth it.
Delux - Love it!
Location: Delux
100 Chandler Street, Boston, MA
Meal: Dinner, Saturday night
My friend M and I went out for dinner on Saturday night. We had plans for a couple of weeks and I was excited to get together with her as it had been a while, and I always enjoy going out in Boston. We knew we wanted to go somewhere casual, and on the reasonably-priced side, so I did some research on Boston.com/Cheap Eats. Delux sounded pretty good. The South End is getting to be more of a destination, and the scenery in some sections is nice, lots of trees and brownstones.
The restaurant is on the corner of a street, and is a long, fairly narrow room. The front has about 10 tables, and the bar runs along the left side, back half of the room. We waited only about 5 minutes for a seat, and ended up sitting at that table for about 4 hours! And nobody hassled us to leave. It was great.
Atmosphere: dark lighting, lots of Elvis memorabilia, record album covers paper the walls. Casual, fun, funky. I hear they have outdoor seating in the nice weather.
Food: Delicious. M and I split the special app salad: Pear, arugula, endive, in a balsamic vinaigrette. It was really good. The arugula was a little stemmy, but still, tasted good. Plenty to share. For my entree, I got the grilled cheese with portabella mushrooms, red peppers, and cheese on sourdough. It also came with coleslaw. The crust on the grilled cheese was unbelievably crispy - not soggy at all, definitely made by an experienced chef. The cole slaw was delicious, and seemed to be obviously freshly made. There was the standard cabbage, but there was also red onion, which added a nice tang.
M got pumpkin ravioli with a nutmeggy cream sauce. She ate the entire plateful, with the exception of the one ravioli she gave me. I loved it. There was plenty of pumpkin filling, the pasta was very tender, and the sauce was a perfect complement.
Beer: They have 3 beers on tap: Guinness, Pilsner Urquell, and Tremont ale. I started with a Tremont ale. It was nice and cold, but I moved to Pilsner after one, because I didn't want to fill up on beer. I've never had it - it was good - sweet flavor that I was not expecting.
Overall, this was a great place for dinner. I think that there are probably times where you have to wait a while for a table, but we got there kind of late, around 9, so we must have missed the crowds. The menu changes every 6 weeks, so we plan to go back!
100 Chandler Street, Boston, MA
Meal: Dinner, Saturday night
My friend M and I went out for dinner on Saturday night. We had plans for a couple of weeks and I was excited to get together with her as it had been a while, and I always enjoy going out in Boston. We knew we wanted to go somewhere casual, and on the reasonably-priced side, so I did some research on Boston.com/Cheap Eats. Delux sounded pretty good. The South End is getting to be more of a destination, and the scenery in some sections is nice, lots of trees and brownstones.
The restaurant is on the corner of a street, and is a long, fairly narrow room. The front has about 10 tables, and the bar runs along the left side, back half of the room. We waited only about 5 minutes for a seat, and ended up sitting at that table for about 4 hours! And nobody hassled us to leave. It was great.
Atmosphere: dark lighting, lots of Elvis memorabilia, record album covers paper the walls. Casual, fun, funky. I hear they have outdoor seating in the nice weather.
Food: Delicious. M and I split the special app salad: Pear, arugula, endive, in a balsamic vinaigrette. It was really good. The arugula was a little stemmy, but still, tasted good. Plenty to share. For my entree, I got the grilled cheese with portabella mushrooms, red peppers, and cheese on sourdough. It also came with coleslaw. The crust on the grilled cheese was unbelievably crispy - not soggy at all, definitely made by an experienced chef. The cole slaw was delicious, and seemed to be obviously freshly made. There was the standard cabbage, but there was also red onion, which added a nice tang.
M got pumpkin ravioli with a nutmeggy cream sauce. She ate the entire plateful, with the exception of the one ravioli she gave me. I loved it. There was plenty of pumpkin filling, the pasta was very tender, and the sauce was a perfect complement.
Beer: They have 3 beers on tap: Guinness, Pilsner Urquell, and Tremont ale. I started with a Tremont ale. It was nice and cold, but I moved to Pilsner after one, because I didn't want to fill up on beer. I've never had it - it was good - sweet flavor that I was not expecting.
Overall, this was a great place for dinner. I think that there are probably times where you have to wait a while for a table, but we got there kind of late, around 9, so we must have missed the crowds. The menu changes every 6 weeks, so we plan to go back!
A lovely spot for some lunch
Location: SpecialTeas
10 Church St, Northboro, MA
Meal: Lunch
Three of us at work have been working together for about six years now. It's hard to believe it's been that long. We used to all sit within 5 feet of each other but over the years, we've become farther apart. Now, we try to get together for either lunch or dinner at least once every couple of months. Last week, we went to SpecialTeas. This place is great!! It's in an old Victorian house right in the center of town. They have a limited menu- mainly, soups, pressed sandwiches, salads, and at least 30 kinds of tea.
One of my friends got the special soup of the day, butternut squash and curry soup, a melt, and hot chai tea. She said: "I loved my meal, from the melt, to the soup, to the chai!!" The other friend got the tomato soup, a melt, and hot chai tea. She was also impressed. The girls got the special: soup and half a melt, and said it was very filling.
I ordered the special sandwich, basically a grilled cheese and ham on sourdough, with coleslaw. When our meals came, they'd gotten my order wrong and had made an omelet. While it looked delicious, I did not want eggs. Of course, the waitress was very apologetic and had my real meal out very quickly. In the meantime, though, she offered me a bowl of soup. I opted for the curry. It was delicious!! Not too heavy, just the right amount of spice. I also got the homemade lemonade, which was great. Sweetened, not overly.
The atmosphere is really nice and comfortable. The only thing is, you might want to allow more than an hour. There were a lot of people there (pretty much all women!) and the kitchen is pretty small.
Next time, I might like to go for tea and dessert. They had several options of what looked like homemade desserts, and the hot tea comes in a cool clear glass teapot that is kept warm by being seated above a tealight.
Prices are reasonable - sandwiches are around $8.
10 Church St, Northboro, MA
Meal: Lunch
Three of us at work have been working together for about six years now. It's hard to believe it's been that long. We used to all sit within 5 feet of each other but over the years, we've become farther apart. Now, we try to get together for either lunch or dinner at least once every couple of months. Last week, we went to SpecialTeas. This place is great!! It's in an old Victorian house right in the center of town. They have a limited menu- mainly, soups, pressed sandwiches, salads, and at least 30 kinds of tea.
One of my friends got the special soup of the day, butternut squash and curry soup, a melt, and hot chai tea. She said: "I loved my meal, from the melt, to the soup, to the chai!!" The other friend got the tomato soup, a melt, and hot chai tea. She was also impressed. The girls got the special: soup and half a melt, and said it was very filling.
I ordered the special sandwich, basically a grilled cheese and ham on sourdough, with coleslaw. When our meals came, they'd gotten my order wrong and had made an omelet. While it looked delicious, I did not want eggs. Of course, the waitress was very apologetic and had my real meal out very quickly. In the meantime, though, she offered me a bowl of soup. I opted for the curry. It was delicious!! Not too heavy, just the right amount of spice. I also got the homemade lemonade, which was great. Sweetened, not overly.
The atmosphere is really nice and comfortable. The only thing is, you might want to allow more than an hour. There were a lot of people there (pretty much all women!) and the kitchen is pretty small.
Next time, I might like to go for tea and dessert. They had several options of what looked like homemade desserts, and the hot tea comes in a cool clear glass teapot that is kept warm by being seated above a tealight.
Prices are reasonable - sandwiches are around $8.
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Blue Hydrangea Bake Shop
Blue Hydrangea Bake Shop
June Street, Worcester, MA
Meal: Indulgent Snack after Hassling Morning Getting Lost in Boston
There's a new bakery in Worcester, in the plaza next to Nancy Chang's. I think it's in the old Indigo Bistro, or maybe next door. Anyone remember that place? They had great fresh squeezed juices.
I like to support the local business owner, so I stopped in on the way home yesterday and bought two items: a small Pear, Apple, Cranberry tart and a Peanut Butter Truffle Brownie.
Tart: I just ate this and it was great. Small, about the size of a piece of pie. It had a good pie crust, plenty of fresh filling, and the top was all crumbly. Granted, I could have shared it and still have been satisfied, given the slightly sick feeling I have, after downing all that sugar. Price: $4. (overpriced, but homemade and good for every once in a while)
Brownie: This I ate yesterday. The brownie was about an inch think and had a quarter inch layer of PB truffle topping, then chocolate over that. It was good, but I think the truffle was a little too sweet. I would have preferred it swirled throughout rather than spread thickly on top. Price: $2.50. is that overpriced? Not if you're used to buying pastries at Rosie's. Yes if you're used to buying a mix for $1.00 on sale and getting a whole tray for about $2.00 total.
I like the place though - it's very wide open and you can see all the ingredients they use. I'd like to try their cakes sometime.
June Street, Worcester, MA
Meal: Indulgent Snack after Hassling Morning Getting Lost in Boston
There's a new bakery in Worcester, in the plaza next to Nancy Chang's. I think it's in the old Indigo Bistro, or maybe next door. Anyone remember that place? They had great fresh squeezed juices.
I like to support the local business owner, so I stopped in on the way home yesterday and bought two items: a small Pear, Apple, Cranberry tart and a Peanut Butter Truffle Brownie.
Tart: I just ate this and it was great. Small, about the size of a piece of pie. It had a good pie crust, plenty of fresh filling, and the top was all crumbly. Granted, I could have shared it and still have been satisfied, given the slightly sick feeling I have, after downing all that sugar. Price: $4. (overpriced, but homemade and good for every once in a while)
Brownie: This I ate yesterday. The brownie was about an inch think and had a quarter inch layer of PB truffle topping, then chocolate over that. It was good, but I think the truffle was a little too sweet. I would have preferred it swirled throughout rather than spread thickly on top. Price: $2.50. is that overpriced? Not if you're used to buying pastries at Rosie's. Yes if you're used to buying a mix for $1.00 on sale and getting a whole tray for about $2.00 total.
I like the place though - it's very wide open and you can see all the ingredients they use. I'd like to try their cakes sometime.
Saturday, November 04, 2006
Apricot Wheat Beer
I've just discovered Ithaca Beer Co. Apricot Wheat. It is delicious! Light, fruity, great apricot smell, and not too sweet. Have you tried the Wachusett Blueberry Beer? It's similar to the Apricot Wheat, but I could actually drink a few of the Apricots and not get sick of the fruity flavor. This sentiment was seconded by Buffalo Girl and a dinner guest, and I believe RunnerGuy also enjoyed his 12 oz. bottle. (Purchased at Austin Liquors, where Buffalo Girl likes to do all of her Christmas shopping.)
Tonight, I'm using it to wash down some Wheat Thins Toasted Chips - by far better than the originals.
Tonight, I'm using it to wash down some Wheat Thins Toasted Chips - by far better than the originals.
Monday, October 30, 2006
A bad idea
In an effort to stop spending an outrageous amount of money on lunch at work everyday, to eat a little healthier, and because I noticed that I've been going out to dinner waaay too frequently, I decided to try a little frozen food action.
I bought some Lean Cuisines. You know the ones, where the really annoying single mid-thirties women talk about how they all had ridiculous dinners, until the one smug woman raves about the gourmet meal she had. Well, they were on sale at the local Hannaford (love that grocery store. it's really clean and the people are nice. and the bakery looks really yummy. but back to the healthy part.) so I picked up a week's worth on the way to work. I also had some apples and a yogurt to supplement.
Well. I ate the itsy bitsy bowl of pasta (about 10 noodles in all), chicken and broccoli and while it was actually pretty good, I was starving about an hour later. Good thing I had that apple.
The next day, I tried again. Again, starving within minutes. But this time, instead of going for the healthy afternoon snack, like the yogurt that was sitting in the fridge, I bought a bag of Cheetos from the cafeteria. Ate the whole bag. 3 servings, 10 grams of fat each. Yahoo. Not only did I feel gross, but strangely satisfied, the excess salt gave me a canker sore.
This week. I'm still on the Lean Cuisine train, since I have 5 more in the freezer, but I'm sticking to the healthy snacks and eating oatmeal for breakfast.
Lean Cuisines I'd recommend:
Creamy Basil Chicken
Garlic Beef and Broccoli
Manicotti with red sauce. I wasn't hungry for about 3 hours. Not bad.
A nasty one: Chicken Portabello
The wild rice was hard, and the dessert was basically cherry pie filling with some melted chocolate in it. Gross and not worth the calories. Unfortunately, I have another one of these in my freezer. I might have to give it away.
I bought some Lean Cuisines. You know the ones, where the really annoying single mid-thirties women talk about how they all had ridiculous dinners, until the one smug woman raves about the gourmet meal she had. Well, they were on sale at the local Hannaford (love that grocery store. it's really clean and the people are nice. and the bakery looks really yummy. but back to the healthy part.) so I picked up a week's worth on the way to work. I also had some apples and a yogurt to supplement.
Well. I ate the itsy bitsy bowl of pasta (about 10 noodles in all), chicken and broccoli and while it was actually pretty good, I was starving about an hour later. Good thing I had that apple.
The next day, I tried again. Again, starving within minutes. But this time, instead of going for the healthy afternoon snack, like the yogurt that was sitting in the fridge, I bought a bag of Cheetos from the cafeteria. Ate the whole bag. 3 servings, 10 grams of fat each. Yahoo. Not only did I feel gross, but strangely satisfied, the excess salt gave me a canker sore.
This week. I'm still on the Lean Cuisine train, since I have 5 more in the freezer, but I'm sticking to the healthy snacks and eating oatmeal for breakfast.
Lean Cuisines I'd recommend:
Creamy Basil Chicken
Garlic Beef and Broccoli
Manicotti with red sauce. I wasn't hungry for about 3 hours. Not bad.
A nasty one: Chicken Portabello
The wild rice was hard, and the dessert was basically cherry pie filling with some melted chocolate in it. Gross and not worth the calories. Unfortunately, I have another one of these in my freezer. I might have to give it away.
Friday, October 27, 2006
Mezes
Best Greek appetizers by far:
Bay State Bakery pita, Tzatziki, Hummus, Kalamata Olives, Domestic Feta, and Tabouli
Purchased at Ed Hyder's Mediterranean Marketplace, Pleasant Street, Worcester, MA.
Bay State Bakery pita, Tzatziki, Hummus, Kalamata Olives, Domestic Feta, and Tabouli
Purchased at Ed Hyder's Mediterranean Marketplace, Pleasant Street, Worcester, MA.
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
New York
Want a slice of hot pizza for a dollar? Try Broadway Bakery in Brooklyn. It's reminiscent of Papa Gino's, but the sauce is not as spicy.
Bagels from Bergen Bagels are great. I had the pumpernickel with jalapeno cream cheese. These bagels are solid, and heavy.
Brunch at Sotto Voce left a little to be desired. Here's what was good: unlimited mimosas, coffee, bread, and pound cake, the spinach/egg/hollandaise portion of the eggs florentine, and the frittata. Here's was was less than good: the rock hard english muffins that the eggs florentine were on, the fruit salad that had only bananas, tasteless honeydew, something that might have been a pear, and green apple. It was very light on the granola and where were the berries, people!? Also, the smoked salmon plate tasted good but there was about 3 times as much salmon as there was bread to eat it with.
Service was great, so that was a blessing.
Late night snacks at Caliente Cab (tip: not many places in the village are open past midnight for dinner). They make the guacamole fresh tableside. It was delicious! We also liked the flautitas. The vegetable quesadillas were boring but they made me feel like I was attempting health.
Bagels from Bergen Bagels are great. I had the pumpernickel with jalapeno cream cheese. These bagels are solid, and heavy.
Brunch at Sotto Voce left a little to be desired. Here's what was good: unlimited mimosas, coffee, bread, and pound cake, the spinach/egg/hollandaise portion of the eggs florentine, and the frittata. Here's was was less than good: the rock hard english muffins that the eggs florentine were on, the fruit salad that had only bananas, tasteless honeydew, something that might have been a pear, and green apple. It was very light on the granola and where were the berries, people!? Also, the smoked salmon plate tasted good but there was about 3 times as much salmon as there was bread to eat it with.
Service was great, so that was a blessing.
Late night snacks at Caliente Cab (tip: not many places in the village are open past midnight for dinner). They make the guacamole fresh tableside. It was delicious! We also liked the flautitas. The vegetable quesadillas were boring but they made me feel like I was attempting health.
Mac's Diner
Restaurant: Mac's Diner
Location: Shrewsbury Street, Worcester
Meal: Dinner (though good lunch deals to be had there)
It was a night out with the girls. We all got the salad - most liked it - I thought the dressing was a little too sweet, but the greens and veggies were very fresh.
Best meal ever: Chicken Gabriella. It was tortellini with a roasted red pepper sauch, pepperoni, grilled chicken, and I believe caramelized onions. It was delicious, and there was plenty for lunch the next day! I've heard that if they run out of pepperoni, they replace it with chorizo, which sounds yummy too.
It's BYOB/Wine at Mac's. I drank the Big House Red and loved it, even though I was drinking it out of a dessert cup. It must have been a busy night - they ran out of clean wine glasses.
Embarrassing moment of the night: being unable to open the wine bottle w/the corkscrew provided. Another diner had to help.
The girls all liked their meals: Eggplant parm, sliced very thin; Haddock, best piece of fish recently, and a third meal I can't recall right now (this meal was a few weeks ago!).
Prices are so reasonable - entrees are mainly $10 or less and salads are included. They don't have dessert but the meals are so filling you don't need it!
Location: Shrewsbury Street, Worcester
Meal: Dinner (though good lunch deals to be had there)
It was a night out with the girls. We all got the salad - most liked it - I thought the dressing was a little too sweet, but the greens and veggies were very fresh.
Best meal ever: Chicken Gabriella. It was tortellini with a roasted red pepper sauch, pepperoni, grilled chicken, and I believe caramelized onions. It was delicious, and there was plenty for lunch the next day! I've heard that if they run out of pepperoni, they replace it with chorizo, which sounds yummy too.
It's BYOB/Wine at Mac's. I drank the Big House Red and loved it, even though I was drinking it out of a dessert cup. It must have been a busy night - they ran out of clean wine glasses.
Embarrassing moment of the night: being unable to open the wine bottle w/the corkscrew provided. Another diner had to help.
The girls all liked their meals: Eggplant parm, sliced very thin; Haddock, best piece of fish recently, and a third meal I can't recall right now (this meal was a few weeks ago!).
Prices are so reasonable - entrees are mainly $10 or less and salads are included. They don't have dessert but the meals are so filling you don't need it!
Friday, October 13, 2006
The Oldtimer, Clinton, Massachusetts
Columbus Day night, October 9, 2006.
It's been there over fifty years and the photos inside prove it. A well known Irish bar and restaurant that is has been frequented by politicians for a long time. Its was visited by Presidents Carter and Clinton.
It was a slow night for some reason so we had the full attention of the staff. We started off with the local brew . . . Wachusett Ale. They have a Wachusett Blueberry on tap at this time of year.
Food was above average. Among the entres, prime rib, baked haddock, grilled haddock and alfredo fettucini. Everything was done to perfection. We averaged $24 each including the tip.
It's been there over fifty years and the photos inside prove it. A well known Irish bar and restaurant that is has been frequented by politicians for a long time. Its was visited by Presidents Carter and Clinton.
It was a slow night for some reason so we had the full attention of the staff. We started off with the local brew . . . Wachusett Ale. They have a Wachusett Blueberry on tap at this time of year.
Food was above average. Among the entres, prime rib, baked haddock, grilled haddock and alfredo fettucini. Everything was done to perfection. We averaged $24 each including the tip.
Saturday, September 30, 2006
Finder's Pub
Restaurant: Finder's Pub
Location: Route 12, West Boylston, MA
Meal: Dinner, after a hike
There were three of us for dinner at Finder's. We got a good tall table in the back bar, even though the place was packed. After much debate, we decided on the basket of onion rings as an appetizer. (you'll also find the rings on the sides menu - a much smaller portion.)
Beer: Cold, Bud Light draft, a bargain at $1.90/pint
Other: Tomato juice for the guy on the wagon. It was pretty good. $1.25
Entrees: Lobster Roll - we can't say enough about the lobster roll. it's chock full of big chunks of lobster meat; none of that shredded up lobster salad that you pay $16 for on the Cape. It's $10 and comes with a cup of clam chowder. Tips Carbonara and Garden Salad - delicious, cooked perfectly, plenty for 2 meals. salad was huge and fresh. iceberg lettuce, canned olives (I never eat them), cherry tomatoes, cukes, red onions, and good italian dressing.
Buffalo Girl really wanted to get the Saturday special: $9.95 for Prime Rib, potato and veg. It was not even 6 pm and they were out!! So, she got the London Broil, medium, with the same sides. It was pretty good, pretty tender. But, she was sort of full from the apps. Did I mention we also got a basket of french fries? mmmm delicious. The plan is to make steak and eggs on Sunday morning with the lefties.
Total cost for 3: $41.something plus tip.
Service was really good.
Location: Route 12, West Boylston, MA
Meal: Dinner, after a hike
There were three of us for dinner at Finder's. We got a good tall table in the back bar, even though the place was packed. After much debate, we decided on the basket of onion rings as an appetizer. (you'll also find the rings on the sides menu - a much smaller portion.)
Beer: Cold, Bud Light draft, a bargain at $1.90/pint
Other: Tomato juice for the guy on the wagon. It was pretty good. $1.25
Entrees: Lobster Roll - we can't say enough about the lobster roll. it's chock full of big chunks of lobster meat; none of that shredded up lobster salad that you pay $16 for on the Cape. It's $10 and comes with a cup of clam chowder. Tips Carbonara and Garden Salad - delicious, cooked perfectly, plenty for 2 meals. salad was huge and fresh. iceberg lettuce, canned olives (I never eat them), cherry tomatoes, cukes, red onions, and good italian dressing.
Buffalo Girl really wanted to get the Saturday special: $9.95 for Prime Rib, potato and veg. It was not even 6 pm and they were out!! So, she got the London Broil, medium, with the same sides. It was pretty good, pretty tender. But, she was sort of full from the apps. Did I mention we also got a basket of french fries? mmmm delicious. The plan is to make steak and eggs on Sunday morning with the lefties.
Total cost for 3: $41.something plus tip.
Service was really good.
Friday, September 29, 2006
Linguine's
Restaurant: Linguine's
Location: Route 20, Marlboro, MA
Meal: Lunch
I had the mozzarella, tomato, and basil sub. it's delicious and cheap: $4.95. be sure to add some salt and pepper.
Get there early if you're going to lunch, to beat the rush. The specials run out fast too.
Location: Route 20, Marlboro, MA
Meal: Lunch
I had the mozzarella, tomato, and basil sub. it's delicious and cheap: $4.95. be sure to add some salt and pepper.
Get there early if you're going to lunch, to beat the rush. The specials run out fast too.
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Bertucci's
Restaurant: Bertucci's
Location: Marlboro, MA, Solomon Pond Mall
Meal: Dinner, weeknight
Chicken Pesto Primavera: It was good, but I really don't think the sauce was pesto cream sauce, like the menu says.
Salad was good. Fresh, and good dressing.
Rolls were piping hot and awesome with the olive oil dipping sauce.
I'd go back. But I'd get the pizza.
Location: Marlboro, MA, Solomon Pond Mall
Meal: Dinner, weeknight
Chicken Pesto Primavera: It was good, but I really don't think the sauce was pesto cream sauce, like the menu says.
Salad was good. Fresh, and good dressing.
Rolls were piping hot and awesome with the olive oil dipping sauce.
I'd go back. But I'd get the pizza.
Wendy's
Restaurant: Wendy's
Location: Route 20, Marlboro
Meal: Weekday lunch
Ok, not the healthiest of meals, but a coworker and I had to get out of the office for a while. I got the Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger, small lemonade, and small fries. All off the dollar menu, so frugal. Total cost: $3.12. Nutrition info: 820 calories, 35 grams of fat.
It was okay. I've had better burgers but I liked that there was lettuce and a slice of tomato. The funniest part was actually dining in. The 2 person tables are really small - it almost feels like being in a miniature restaurant.
Location: Route 20, Marlboro
Meal: Weekday lunch
Ok, not the healthiest of meals, but a coworker and I had to get out of the office for a while. I got the Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger, small lemonade, and small fries. All off the dollar menu, so frugal. Total cost: $3.12. Nutrition info: 820 calories, 35 grams of fat.
It was okay. I've had better burgers but I liked that there was lettuce and a slice of tomato. The funniest part was actually dining in. The 2 person tables are really small - it almost feels like being in a miniature restaurant.
Thursday, September 21, 2006
1790 Restaurant
Restaurant: 1790 Restaurant
Location: Route 9, Westboro
Meal: Dinner
Day of week: Tuesday
The event was a work dinner. We were a group of 11, and we had a private room. The tables were set up in a U-shape, which was nice, and allowed the whole group to talk together, and for smaller group conversations. The waitress was very nice, and attentive.
What I liked
Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc
Great blue cheese/walnut/cranberry salad with balsamic dressing. The lettuce was really fresh, and there was an abundance of blue cheese. The blue cheese was really mild, so it wasn't overwhelming. The walnuts and cranberries were a nice touch. I ate the whole thing.
Green beans as a vegetable side were good - bright green, fresh.
What I didn't like
They were out of the filet, and nothing else on the menu was appealing, so I ordered the surf and turf with the pepper-encrusted sirloin substituted for the petit filet. There is no substitution for petit filet, at least not last Tuesday. The sirloin was fatty, tough, and cooked much more than medium, which was my request. The stuffed jumbo shrimp were pretty stuffed, but it wasn't very flavorful.
The music was awful. I would have expected some classical, or jazz, but instead, there was a poor substitute for WSRS meets MIKE FM. There were some awkward silences where the music was just completely offensive.
I'd go back but I'd probably get the pork. Another one in the group got it and loved it. The lamb also got rave reviews.
Prices are really high, but since work was paying for it, it didn't matter. Check the menu online before you go so you're not surprised.
Location: Route 9, Westboro
Meal: Dinner
Day of week: Tuesday
The event was a work dinner. We were a group of 11, and we had a private room. The tables were set up in a U-shape, which was nice, and allowed the whole group to talk together, and for smaller group conversations. The waitress was very nice, and attentive.
What I liked
Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc
Great blue cheese/walnut/cranberry salad with balsamic dressing. The lettuce was really fresh, and there was an abundance of blue cheese. The blue cheese was really mild, so it wasn't overwhelming. The walnuts and cranberries were a nice touch. I ate the whole thing.
Green beans as a vegetable side were good - bright green, fresh.
What I didn't like
They were out of the filet, and nothing else on the menu was appealing, so I ordered the surf and turf with the pepper-encrusted sirloin substituted for the petit filet. There is no substitution for petit filet, at least not last Tuesday. The sirloin was fatty, tough, and cooked much more than medium, which was my request. The stuffed jumbo shrimp were pretty stuffed, but it wasn't very flavorful.
The music was awful. I would have expected some classical, or jazz, but instead, there was a poor substitute for WSRS meets MIKE FM. There were some awkward silences where the music was just completely offensive.
I'd go back but I'd probably get the pork. Another one in the group got it and loved it. The lamb also got rave reviews.
Prices are really high, but since work was paying for it, it didn't matter. Check the menu online before you go so you're not surprised.
Monday, September 18, 2006
Junior's Pizza Grille
Restaurant: Junior's Pizza Grille
Location: Shrewsbury Street, Worcester, MA
Meal: Dinner
Day of week: Sunday night
After a long day of church (!), fun family lunch, and a great time at the Start of the Street festival, we were hungry, and really didn't feel like cooking. Sunday nights in Worcester are sort of a dead zone when it comes to dining out, unless you want fast food, chain food, or bad food. It was a beautiful night and we really wanted to spend some time outside, so we decided to go to Junior's. They had plenty of tables outside, and even though it was a little cool, we decided to go for it.
"Please seat yourself," the sign said by the door. Past experience taught us that this often means a lengthy wait for service. We weren't wrong this time, but once we were able to get some table service (about 10 minutes), everything was prompt and pleasant.
We started with 2 beers: I can't remember what kind at this point, but what I do remember is that it was ice cold. There's not much better than an ice cold beer.
We shared the the antipasto and delicious chicken pesto pizza.
Antipasto: romaine, olives, red peppers, rolled up cheese and italian meats, marinated mushrooms, and italian dressing. I would not get it again. The cheese in the meat rolls was kind of dry, there wasn't enough of topping, and too much lettuce.
The pizza was delicious. Only problem: so much garlic and pesto, it made me bloated for days. Leftovers are great with red sauce, though.
Would I go again? Yes, but I wouldn't get the antipasto.
One last thing: It was a cool night after a while and they have these awesome heaters that make the patio a great place to sit.
Location: Shrewsbury Street, Worcester, MA
Meal: Dinner
Day of week: Sunday night
After a long day of church (!), fun family lunch, and a great time at the Start of the Street festival, we were hungry, and really didn't feel like cooking. Sunday nights in Worcester are sort of a dead zone when it comes to dining out, unless you want fast food, chain food, or bad food. It was a beautiful night and we really wanted to spend some time outside, so we decided to go to Junior's. They had plenty of tables outside, and even though it was a little cool, we decided to go for it.
"Please seat yourself," the sign said by the door. Past experience taught us that this often means a lengthy wait for service. We weren't wrong this time, but once we were able to get some table service (about 10 minutes), everything was prompt and pleasant.
We started with 2 beers: I can't remember what kind at this point, but what I do remember is that it was ice cold. There's not much better than an ice cold beer.
We shared the the antipasto and delicious chicken pesto pizza.
Antipasto: romaine, olives, red peppers, rolled up cheese and italian meats, marinated mushrooms, and italian dressing. I would not get it again. The cheese in the meat rolls was kind of dry, there wasn't enough of topping, and too much lettuce.
The pizza was delicious. Only problem: so much garlic and pesto, it made me bloated for days. Leftovers are great with red sauce, though.
Would I go again? Yes, but I wouldn't get the antipasto.
One last thing: It was a cool night after a while and they have these awesome heaters that make the patio a great place to sit.
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