Tuesday, February 28, 2017

The Porch Wakefield

It's Mardi Gras the whole week at The Porch in Wakefield, and I had to check out the specials.


Appropriate decorations were in place.


Apart from King Cake they also had Duck and Sausage Gumbo ($10) and who can resist that. How do you make a Duck and Elk stew? Take a half duck and a half elk and ... None of that here, the big lump in the middles is a duck drumstick. The sausages in the gumbo were duck and andouille sausage, and the gumbo itself was outstanding. Just look at this dark and spicy concoction, and I wish you could smell it. I was going to save half for dinner, but I couldn't stop eating. I'll be back later in the week for more of this.

Monday, February 27, 2017

Madras Grill Chelmsford

Madras Grill in Chelmsford was recommended to me by a friend a while back, and I decided to make it my Monday Indian lunch this week.



They are located in a small strip mall, but so is everything in Chelmsford, it seems. I have seen this restaurant while going to Sichuan Palace that's almost next door.



The inside was nice and bright with good quality furniture.



Decent sized buffet for $10.95 during the week.



Condiments and a couple of dessert choices.



Fresh Naans are brought to the table, and they were properly brushed with clarified butter, but they were a bit dense. You also get a Dosa, plain with no filling. The dosa was crisp and tasty.



First trip to the buffet. There were two soups available, and my Rasam soup was hot and very delicious. Unfortunately, the rest of the food was stone cold. I did get here about 11:50 so I would recommend getting here later if you want warm, or at least lukewarm food. When the manager asked how the food was, I said it was all cold. He went and checked that the heat was on, and then said that I might have to stir the food. Sorry, that's your job, mine is to eat warm food. My second trip to the buffet a little bit later yielded a better result.



I really like an Egg Curry, and this one was very good and bordered on spicy. The eggs were way overcooked.



The vegetable Pakoras was pleasant, crispy and crunchy all the way through. I got seconds of this.



The dal with spinach (top) was very good. The vegetable khorma, their spelling, (bottom) didn't look very good but was really tasty. The overcooked green beans were also delicious and again, the dish bordered on spicy.


The egg curry was delicious and spicy. The crispy corn wheels I have never seen before, but they were delectable. The manager said that they were very common in India. I might be back for a later lunch in the future since all the dishes was very nicely seasoned and that's not common on a buffet.

Address 7 Summer Street, Unit 31, Chelmsford, MA 01824
Phone number (978) 330-5133

Madras Grill Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Saturday, February 25, 2017

Charcoal Guido's Waltham

There is one dish that I been dying to try at Charcoal Guido's in Waltham since I first heard about it. When I found that they were on GoPapaya with a hefty 25% discount, it was time for a first visit. I also wanted some pizza for the weekend.



They are located on Moody Street so parking can be iffy, and since there are no marked spaces, you can get boxed in.



The interior is nice with an openish kitchen and a big bar. Big windows looking out on Moody Street and they were open today!



And here is the dish from the appetizer section, SAUTÉED OCTOPUS ($15). "Tomatoes, zucchini, olives, capers, cherry peppers & grilled bread". The first slice of bread was probably the end piece from yesterday since it was a bit stale but the second slice was fine, and I happily dipped it in the juices. The octopus was very tender, and the whole dish was just a delight to eat. A very well executed dish.



I have also heard good thing about their pizzas, so I ordered the GLENN GREASY ($16). "Parmesan cream sauce, Gorgonzola cheese, crispy pork belly, hot salami, truffle oil". It really doesn't get any better than this, super thin Neapolitan Pizza and pork belly. The pizza crust was really good and tasty, and so was the toppings.

Download the GoPapaya app on the Apple store or Google Play store and create an account using the invitation code "PET8456". After your first meal out on GoPapaya they'll send you a $10 Amazon gift card plus you save up to 50% off your meal!

Address 482 Moody Street, Waltham, MA 02453
Phone number (781) 373-2733 

Charcoal Guido's Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Friday, February 24, 2017

Chopps Burlington

Chopps in Burlington had the best birthday gift, they give you a coupon for $25 off your bill, and it's good for forty days.



The New England Clam Chowed ($6) smelled wonderful when it arrived. It was chockful of potatoes and bacon, but the same couldn't be said about the clams. The few scraps of clams that were there were nice and tender. Due to al the bacon, it tasted really good. You also get a small toasted corn muffin.



Having money to spend, I decided to go for the Lobster Roll ($19) with Fries. The Fries on top was excellent, the fries on the bottom were greasy. The lobster roll had a nicely toasted bun, but the lobster was all claw meat, but it was lightly dressed. It was, however, at room temp and very tender. It wasn't exactly an abundance of lobster meat. I thought it was cute to serve the fries in a fry basket.

Thursday, February 23, 2017

Brewer's Coalition Newton

I have only been to Brewer's Coalition in Newton for their $5 Burger and Fries lunch offering, so when I saw that they have joined GoPapaya I quickly reserved a table to try something else from them.



I decided to try the CRAB CAKE sandwich ($12.95). "Our house-made Maryland lump crab cake, on a fresh baked roll, with arugula, tomato and chipotle mayo". Of course I went with their hand-cut fries that are excellent. The crab cake was outstanding with almost 100% crab and just some light binder. The chipotle mayo had a nice kick to it. Another excellent meal here.



I usually don't take pictures of the staff, but my waitress was soo pretty and soo smiley, that I couldn't resist. 

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Sichuan Taste Malden

It's sunny, and almost 60 outside so Sichuan Taste in Malden took that as an excuse to not turn the heat on at lunch today. Not too happy about that but it was also very few customers at lunch time.


Only a few more interesting dishes left to try on the lunch menu. I had pretty high hopes for the Cumin Beef (8), but the cumin was pretty much absent in the dish. The beef was tender, and it still tasted OK, but it was just beef and veggies. The H&S soup is still excellent.

Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Temazcal Lynnfield

Taco Tuesday again so I headed out to Temazcal in Lynnfield to partake in some half-priced tacos.



I was curious to see if the flames would be visible and they are. Why don't they have a sign outside saying "Half Priced Tacos Today"?



I was going to have the Fish Tacos today, but then I spied this on the menu: Grilled Salmon Tacos (13). "Lettuce wrapped, jicama pineapple, orange agave". They had them on as a special a while back, and I really liked them. Two big pieces of moist salmon, perfectly grilled. The orange agave was a bit sweet but went well with the salmon. The black beans are excellent. What happened to the bean dip that comes with the warm chips? Pricing on Taco Tuesday is interesting. Last time I had the Asada Skirt Steak Tacos ($14) and was charged $7. Today I was charged $7.50. Go figure, but it's soo cheap that I don't care.

Sunday, February 19, 2017

Fat Biscuit Lynnfield

They started with one restaurant in North Conway, NH and have now expanded by opening Fat Biscuit Southern Table & Taps in Lynnfield.



They are located in the Market Street complex, so parking is not an issue.



Inviting space with an open kitchen in the back. They were really busy on this warm Sunday, and it was loud. I don't remember table service when I poked my head in here a little while ago, but they had just opened then.



I was happy to see a number of items on the menu with fried chicken, but it was all white meat. I opted for the BIG SOUTH BREAKFAST ($10). "Two farm eggs, smoked bacon, country ham, house-made pork sausage, breakfast potatoes, and a Fat Biscuit". My over easy eggs was cooked perfectly. The country ham (cold) was delicious, and so was the bacon. The pork sausage was delightful, with a hint of heat. Actually, a bit more than a hint. Not sure what breakfast potatoes were, but it turned out to be fried potatoes with onions and rosemary. The potatoes were cooked perfectly and were really delectable. The biscuit was light and fluffy, but it was on the salty side. I was surprised at not getting a spread or butter with the biscuit.



The biscuits are ready for the oven.



I like this. Locally sourced if possible.

Fat Biscuit Southern Table And Taps Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Saturday, February 18, 2017

Taste of Siam Stoneham

I was going to Gun U Dee to see what the food looked like under the new ownership, but they weren't serving lunch on this sunny Saturday, so I continued on to Taste of Siam that's just up the road. I really like this small family run restaurant.



Again I went for the Lunch Box Special ($8.95). The chicken noodle soup was excellent today. For my mains, I picked the Panang Curry **. "With bell pepper, carrot, string beans, red onions, kaffir lime leaves and basil leaves in Panang curry and coconut milk". I asked for it three-star spicy and it almost made it, but it was just nose dropping and not nose running hot. It was, however, very tasty. Another really enjoyable meal in this little restaurant.

Friday, February 17, 2017

Fiorella's Newton

Time to use my Christmas envelope from Fiorella's in Newton, so on this sunny Friday, I headed down to them.



There is usually plenty of parking at lunch time, but today the lot was almost full.



The great breadsticks are really their cheese pizza sliced into thin strips. The warm marinara dipping sauce is very savory.



Since I had money to spend, I decided to try a cup of their Italian Wedding Soup ($3). "A marriage of tiny meatballs & spinach in a chicken broth with noodles". The soup was very good, with tasty little meatballs hiding in there.



Everything I have ordered so far has been excellent, so it was time to try their pizza and based on their breadsticks, I expected the pizza to be very good. I decided to order the Carne Trio ($9). "Pepperoni, imported prosciutto & sausage over our pizza sauce & mozzarella cheese". The pizza was excellent with paper thin crust, and it was very delicious. It was a bargain at this price. Even thought they were packed to the rafters, the service was, as usual, very quick and pleasant.

Thursday, February 16, 2017

Roxy's Grilled Cheese Lynnfield

It started with a food truck and progressed to four B/M locations, the latest to open are Roxy's Grilled Cheese in Lynnfield.



A gray day today, but at least it isn't snowing. They are located in the Market Street open-air shopping center.



You get a menu when you arrive, order at the counter, and when the food is ready, they yell your name. To say that the interior is spartan are a bit of an understatement. The chairs aren't exactly comfortable, and my table was a bit wobbly.



I decided to move up from a plain grilled sandwich and picked the HOT HONEY BACON ($7.49). "Vermont cheddar, muenster, fontina, north country bacon, mike's hot honey". The sandwiches are made with Iggy's country pain de mie bread. This was a really delicious sandwich with more than a hint of heat. And it was big. I couldn't refrain from ordering the POUTINE ($7.95) made with hand cut fries. "Maplebrook farm cheese curd, beef gravy". The fries were excellent and the gravy was really rich and tasty, but the very delicious curds were stone cold. I must say that the portion was big enough. The poutine will go into the microwave for dinner, and that should take care of the curds.

Roxy's Grilled Cheese Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Wednesday, February 15, 2017

Pokéworks Somerville

Poke seems to be the new and upcoming trend in the fast food space with shops opening all over the place. I stuck my head into Pokéworks in Somerville after my lunch at Diva last week. It looked really good, so I headed over there today to try it out.



They are located on Elm Street with about a zillion other restaurants. I got there about 1:00 PM, figuring it would be easier to find parking at that time, but no such luck. It took forever to find a parking space, and it wasn't close either.



The inside was a bit spartan with communal seating, but there were some nice seats at the window.


Tons of different proteins to choose from. You can see the tuna poking up next to the salmon.



This was my first time with poke, so I picked the HAWAIIAN CLASSIC ($10.95 small bowl). "Ahi tuna - green and sweet onion - ogo seaweed - cucumber - chili flakes - sesame seeds - roasted sesame oil - hawaiian salt - pokeworks classic sauce". Three choices for the base, Sushi Rice, Organic Brown Rice, or Quinoa. I went with the brown rice and for crunch picked the garlic crisps. I was surprised how good this was! Tons of flavor, tons of textures and the tuna was top notch. I definitely have to eat more poke. Maybe the parking is less scarce on the weekend.



Here is what they are famous for, the poke burrito. It's really just an enormous Maki roll, but there was plenty of fish inside. I asked the nice lady behind the counter how much bigger the Large Bowl ($15.95) was? Same size as my bowl but you get more protein. I'm still trying to wrap my head around this.

Address 261 Elm Street, Somerville, MA 02144
Phone number (617) 996-1198

Pokeworks Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato