Sunday, March 31, 2019

Mortadella Head Somerville

Mortadella Head is really in Davis Square and has posted some really gorgeous pictures on IG. One sandwich had me do a double take when I saw it.



It's Sunday, so parking is free, but it was tricky to find a spot today.



It's small with only four four-tops available for dining in.



They sell slices of pizza for about $5 each. It's really squares, and they were big.



The sandwich was the Calamari Poor Ragazzo (13). "Fried calamari, garlic butter, pecorino, banana peppers, shredded lettuce, marinated tomato, garlic aioli, Calabrian chili mayo". Yup, a fried calamari sandwich, who would ever dream up a thing like this? I got the house made chips as my side, and the chips were very very crispy. The sandwich was excellent apart from the tentacles that were so overcooked that they weren't edible. After picking them off, there were enough rings for me to enjoy the sandwich. Of course the rings didn't stay crispy, but at least they were tender. It was a really tasty sandwich. I spoke to the manager after I was finished and he offered to make me a new one or give me a refund, so kudos to him for that. I declined since I had finished the sandwich. Reading online reviews it seems prices started at $12, went $17, much outcrying, went to $13. 

Address: 20 College Ave, Somerville, MA 02144 Phone: (617) 996-6680

Saturday, March 30, 2019

Tasty Cafe On The Hill Medford

Tasty Cafe On The Hill is located in Medford even if I think of this area as being in Somerville, but what do I know? I have been here before for their Francesinha's, and I made the mistake of ordering the traditional that comes with "steak". The "steak" was so overcooked I had to leave it. The rest of the sandwich was OK, but it was expensive.


There is free parking further down the street, and I think that you can park in the church lot as well. Otherwise, you have to use the infernal parking meters.



The front counter has been completely redone.



They now have the Francesinha as a half sandwich for $8.95. This time I went for the tasty burger. "burger, american cheese, ham, linguica, bacon, red onion, fried egg". "topped with house sauce and served with shoestring fries". This took 40 minutes to arrive. How is this even possible and they weren't that busy? The hamburger was rare, I was never asked, the egg was overcooked, the linguica was dry, and there was one thin slice of bacon included. The red onions didn't make it. The sauce is very tasty. I liked the fries but didn't like the trice fried old bits of fries that was mixed in. You can read more on the origin of the Francesinha HERE. It was OK but 40 minutes? I wasn't impressed by the service either. After I had been sitting at a table for a while, the waitress asked if I was eating in. No, I'm just sitting here decorating.

Address: 321 Boston Ave, Medford, MA 02155 Phone: +1-781-219-3269

Friday, March 29, 2019

Royal Roast Beef & Seafood Stoneham

I'm still looking for a good Shrimp Platter, and Royal Roast Beef & Seafood in Stoneham was recommended to me.



They have plenty of onsite parking.



The dining room. It was clean, and the tables got wiped down. It was on the chilly side inside.



I didn't feel up to spend $19 on their Shrimp Platter, so I went with the Shrimp Roll for $13.99. The pale fried shrimp are closest to the camera. I got six shrimps that were cooked really well, but the batter was soft and keep on falling off in the excellent tartar sauce. The batter was also unseasoned. The onion rings were great. Thickly cut with a crispy batter. They could have been drained better since there was a pool of oil on the bottom.

Address: 475 Main St, Stoneham, MA 02180 Phone: (781) 438-7779

Thursday, March 28, 2019

Mamaleh's Cambridge

Mamaleh's Delicatessen in Cambridge has an excellent reputation for being a delicatessen with all the traditional dishes available.



Mamaleh's is located in One Kendall Square. One Kendall Square is not located in Kendall Square. Use 15 Hampshire Street for your GPS.



The inside is nice and bright with a long counter. Just after noon, the place was packed.



I had to try their Griddled REUBEN ($13.95). "Corned beef, russian, swiss & sauerkraut pressed on seeded rye". The corned beef was thinly sliced, but at least it was brisket that was tasty and tender. Both the dressing and the kraut was top notch. The cheese was melted, and the corned beef was heated up. I expected more corned beef. The bread was light and fresh and actually tasted of something. It was so buttered that it was really greasy on the fingers. Service was OK, no water refill.

One Kendall Square, 15 Hampshire St, Cambridge, MA 02139 Phone: (617) 958-3354

Wednesday, March 27, 2019

Khao Hom Billerica

I was going to the new Thai restaurant that finally opened in Lexington, but looking at their lunch menu, the cheapest dish is $11. A green curry with chicken is $12, and it's not even marked as spicy. None of the rest of the dishes really excited me, so I decided to go to Khao Hom Thai & Pho in Billerica instead. They might not have much in the way of ambiance, but the food is top notch, and they can do spicy. The twisty backroads are another plus, and I can get there in 10 min+. The owner is also nice and super friendly.



A different view today since my normal table was already reserved.



Lunch size Khao Soi ($9.95) with fish. "Egg noodles in a curry sauce with pickle green mustard, red onion, cilantro, topped by crispy egg noodles".I ordered the fish not crispy and it was cooked nicely. See the blackened chilis on top? They had been fried to a crisp and added both heat and smokiness to the dish when crumbled in. I love this dish, it has everything from textures to heat and tons of flavor. Yes, there was fresh chilis involved.

Address 258 Salem Rd, Billerica, MA 01821 Phone 978-362-8269

Monday, March 25, 2019

Royal India Bistro Lexington

I have been eyeing the lunch Thali at Royal India Bistro in Lexington for some time. Thali is really the name of the round platter that the many small portions are placed on. Thali is also used to refer to an Indian-style meal made up of a selection of various dishes which are served on a platter.


Their Thali (10.95) looks more like something that would be served in a roadside dhabas in Punjab. You have four choices of entrees and I picked the Vegetable Curry, Chana and Chicken Tikka Masala. All ordered medium since their medium actually is medium. The veg curry was nice. The Chana was excellent and on the spicier side. I never order Chicken Tikka Masala anymore since everything I have had since Punjab in Arlington pale in comparison. This was an excellent dish, well seasoned and tasty even if they used white meat. Did you know that this classic dish British dish was invented in Glasgow? There are claims that a Pakistani chef, Ali Ahmed Aslam, proprietor of the Shish Mahal restaurant in Park Road in the city of Glasgow was the inventor of this dish. The half Naan was light and tasty. The rice is always good. They were fully booked 5 minutes after noon.


Address: 7 Meriam St, Lexington, MA 02420 Phone: (781) 861-7350

Sunday, March 24, 2019

Urban Hearth Cambridge

I had an excellent SHAKSHUKA at my previous brunch visit to Urban Hearth in Cambridge, and this is where I ended up again today. I had other plans, but they didn't work out.



They are located on Mass Ave before Porter Square. Metered on-street parking only. I found a spot just outside, and that was like a Miracle on Mass Ave.



Corned Beef Hash (14). "baharat roots & kale.| paneer | corned beef | fried egg | harissa". I had to ask what baharat roots were. Nobody knew, but it turned out to be the seasoning on the root veggies. This was an excellent dish with a perfectly fried egg on top. Not a steamed egg but a properly fried one. The house-made corned beef was excellent, tasty and tender. It was also a well-seasoned dish. After the egg was gone, I got a second helping of harissa. The harissa could have been spicier. The weekend brunch "Featuring table service, including 4 exclusive seats at the chef’s counter". I got a seat at the counter so I could watch the chef working two feet away. Service here is always pleasant and friendly.

Address: 2263 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02140 Phone: (617) 682-7295

Saturday, March 23, 2019

Borrelli's Deli Methuen

There was a rumor that the Reuben at Borrelli's Italian Deli in Methuen was very good.


They are big, and there is plenty of parking.


They have a dining room but no table service.


Here is the Valley's Best Reuben ($10.25). "Choice of First Cut Pastrami, Our Own House Cooked Corned Beef, or Ovengold® Turkey, Melted Swiss Cheese, Sauerkraut & Russian Dressing grilled on Rye Bread". Corned beef of course. This was a big sandwich with nicely toasted bread, and the corned beef was heated up. Despite the corned beef being thinly sliced, it was a really good Reuben. Plenty of dressing.


You also get a Tortellini salad that was served in a container that ketchup usually comes in. It was OK.

Address: 322 Merrimack St, Rte 110, Methuen, MA 01844 Phone: +1-978-687-2306

Friday, March 22, 2019

Johnny's Stoneham

I first heard about Johnny's Famous Roast Beef & Pizza in Stoneham in a FB group where someone was looking for fried chicken in Woburn. I had never heard of them.



They are located almost next door to Three Amigos that I really like. There is parking, but it can be scarce.



No surprises on the inside and the place was bright and impeccably clean. There is also some window seating.



This is the EXIT #2-TWO PIECE SNACK ($4.75). "Thigh & wing". I got two thighs at no extra charge. I also got two potato wedges (45¢ each). I thought that this was expensive, but I got two humongous wedges that were seasoned and cooked perfectly. The chicken was super crunchy with a SEASONED batter. It was also tender and moist. This was an excellent fried chicken. It's also cooked to order, so it takes about 15 minutes before it's ready, but I have no objection to waiting for freshly cooked chicken. Roadies are the company that supplies the marinade and the coating, but the chicken is bought fresh locally. The husband and wife who runs the place were also super nice. I see more fried chicken in my future. I would suggest getting better paper napkins. Eating fried chicken those flimsy thin ones don't work.

Address: 125 Main St, Stoneham, MA 02180 Phone: +1-781-438-8899

Wednesday, March 20, 2019

Tung's Taste Middleton

My first visit to Tung's Taste in Middleton wasn't exactly a success, but there was a dish that I really wanted to try so back I went today for another lunch.


There is parking in the strip mall where they reside.



Their H&S was mediocre, so I went with the Wonton Soup today. The broth was bland, but there were two big wontons in there and also finely julienned pork and veggies. Way better than the H&S soup.



The dish that I wanted to try was the lunch Long Horn Beef🌶️🌶️ ($9.95). "Shredded Beef Sautéed with Long Horn Peppers". It also comes in a chicken version. I ordered it extra spicy. The waiter said, "But it's already spicy". Extra spicy it was and what arrived was really extra spicy for once. See the fresh chili slivers in there? The longhorn peppers turned out to be the normal long green peppers that might be spicy or not. You never know, but today they were spicy. The beef was tender but still had texture. So often beef in Chinese restaurants is tender to the point of being mushy. Not only was it spicy but was also very flavorful. The plate looks like a paper plate in the picture, but it's not. This time I got chopsticks, and they were the real thing. The gentleman that runs the place is very nice and friendly. Water was replenished frequently. This was an excellent dish, and they certainly redeemed themselves. There is a couple of dishes on the regular menu that I'll be back for. I also saw their pork fried rice and it was a properly fried rice without any soy sauce being involved.

Address: 242 S Main St, Middleton, MA 01949 Phone: (978) 777-8298

Tuesday, March 19, 2019

Tequila's Wakefield

Tequila's Mexican Cantina in Wakefield now has a Taco Tuesday deal, but it doesn't start until 3 PM, so no good for my lunch.


Lots of parking and look at that sky. Not too warm today but there is hope for spring.


The inside is very nice, and I got my regular window booth.


The chips keep improving as does the salsas. The salsas are now excellent with a bit of heat.


Today I went for the Enchiladas Suizas (9). "Tinga, with tomatillo salsa and melted cheese, topped with crema and queso fresco, served with rice and beans". My waiter asked me what I wanted for the filling. I didn't know that there was a choice but went with one chicken and one ground beef. The rice here is excellent, and I don't say that very often in a Mexican restaurant. The enchiladas were excellent with tender and delicious chicken. The ground beef was also very tasty and not greasy at all. I also really like their refried beans. This place continues to impress with delicious food that is seasoned and cooked well. Service is always delightful.

Address: 979 Main St, Wakefield, MA 01880 Phone: (978) 710-5512

Sunday, March 17, 2019

Andiamo Chelmsford

Andiamo Restaurant + Bar in Chelmsford does a decent Sunday Buffet for $17.


Plenty of parking.



It's a smallish buffet, and nothing is labeled. Of the excellent breakfast potatoes that I had on my first visit, there is no trace.



The first trip involved some OK charcuterie and Beet salad sans beets and a Caesar salad. The beet salad is excellent, but the Caesar needed a stronger dressing and smaller leaves. If you have to cut them to eat them, they are too big.



Apart from the missing potatoes, there wasn't any egg dish. There was some sort of pasta dish with shrimp and dry chicken. The shrimp was overcooked and not deveined and had the tail left on. The bacon here is excellent, thin and crispy. The sausages were just OK.



They also do omelets to order. This one is with caramelized onions and spinach with mostly absent cheddar cheese. How do you make an omelet that's layered? The open salt and pepper bowls have now been replaced with enclosed shakers. I wonder if they read my second blog post from here? The dining room was full, so I sat in the bar, and the service was pleasant.

Address 18 Boston Road, Chelmsford, MA 01824 Phone number (978) 710-7218

Saturday, March 16, 2019

The Irish Cottage Methuen

Despite having a terrible Cottage Pie at The Irish Cottage in Methuen, I decided to go back for their Reuben. Was this a mistake or not?



They are easy to get to from Rte 93, and they have plenty of parking, but parking can be scarce when they get busy.



Dinner starts at noon on weekends, and they can't put in food orders until then. Here is the Sligo Corned Beef Reuben (12). "Slow Cooked, Hand Cut Corned Beef, Swiss Cheese, Sauerkraut and 1,000 Island Dressing on Thick Cut Rye". The original calls for Russian dressing that is less sweet. For my side, I picked Beer Battered Onion Rings. I also asked for extra dressing on the side, and that was no problem. You never get enough dressing with your Reuben. The corned beef was thick cut and I guess that's what hand cut really means even if this was so evenly sliced that I really doubt it was hand cut. The corned beef was tender and tasty and the kraut was good. I would not call this thick cut rye, but I like the thinner cut. The bread was nicely toasted, but the sandwich was cold. The onion rings looked good and had decent sized onions inside, but they were soggy and greasy. I would have this again, maybe with fries instead.



Taking the top slice of bread off reveals that the top half of the sandwich had no corned beef. It was the same for the other half. The service this time was friendly, and she checked in on me a couple of times.

Address: 17 Branch St, Methuen, MA 01844 Phone: (978) 208-4347

Friday, March 15, 2019

Cafe Escadrille Burlington

The lunch offerings on this years Dine Out Boston wasn't too impressive in the burbs. The usual suspects had the same menus again, and even Davio's that changes the menus weekly failed to enthrall. Cafe Escadrille in Burlington had nothing new on the menu either but have a couple of items that I like, and it's a good value at $20 for a three-course lunch.



I never noticed that they have a soup de jour in the first course offerings. I was going with their excellent clam chowder but today's soup was Manhattan Clam Chowder and Dine Out Boston week is a chance to try new things. The chowder was excellent, really well seasoned and with plenty of clams.



The second course was Tournedos á la Bordelaise. "Twin Petite Tenderloin Steaks with Artichoke, Spinach, Mashed Potato, Sauce Bordelaise". The tenderloins were ordered rare, and that's how they arrived. The mashed potatoes were helped with two packets of butter and plenty of salt and pepper. Still could have done with more cream. The waitress handed me an extra packet of butter so everyone must be aware of the lack of cream and butter. In fact, everything needed salt and pepper. The spinach was cooked perfectly as was the artichokes. The crispy onion strings was a nice addition. After seasoning, this is a very pleasant dish.



Last is a MINI DECADENT DESSERTS, and I picked the Chocolate Walnut Brownie Sundae. The warm and moist brownie was chockful of nuts, and the ice cream was pleasant. I really enjoyed this and could have eaten a couple more. Service here is always amicable and professional.

Thursday, March 14, 2019

Cucina Toscana Nashua NH

Cucina Toscana in Nashua has gotten a lot of good reviews.



They are located in a strip mall and I have never noticed them before and I used to go to the Thai place a couple doors down. There is parking outside and more around the corner.



The small dining room was nice and bright. They have a bar/lounge in the back that has its own entrance.



Nice table setting and fresh crusty bread with a garlic dipping oil arrive promptly.



With lunch entrees, you have a choice of Minestrone soup or a couple of salads. I went with the Caesar that was very pleasant.



For my lunch entree, I picked the Veal alla Francese (with side of pasta) ($13.99). "Dipped in egg batter, sautéed in a light lemon sauce with a touch of sherry". You can't really "sautéed in a light lemon sauce". You can also get the pasta on the side with red sauce, but I opted for it on the plate. The sauce was tasty and the pasta was cooked right. The veal, however, was seriously tough and chewy. There was a good amount of meat. I probably should have gone with the chicken version. The service was very friendly.

Address: 427 Amherst St, Nashua, NH 03063 Phone: (603) 821-7356

Tuesday, March 12, 2019

Strega Prime Woburn

Strega Prime in Woburn are participating in the Dine Out Boston, but I was going to skip them since their $20 three-course lunch offering has been very similar to their daily $21 lunch. I then noticed that they had swordfish on the menu. I had swordfish a long time ago at Legals, and the only thing I remember was that it was dry and not very exciting. It was time for another try.


They have plenty of parking.


Google calls the interior "swanky", and I can go with that. The window tables with the leather chairs are nice, and I managed to get one. The place got packed at lunch today.


You get a warm and light popover that is delicious as is the whipped butter.



The Beef Carpaccio "amarena cherry gastrique, blue cheese, grissini" was also new. This was very good even if the blue cheese almost overpowered the beef. Tasty!


Grilled Swordfish "herb risotto, thyme beurre blanc". Not sure if it was thyme beurre blanc, it tasted more like lemon. The risotto was creamy and cooked perfectly al dente. The swordfish was nicely grilled and very tender. This was an excellent dish, and I guess swordfish is back in the rotation.


I finished with the Maple Tiramisu that was a proper tiramisu this time, and it was excellent. Their last attempt at tiramisu was terrible. The service was again not impressible. Crumbs wasn't removed, no "How is the food?".


The curtains could do with a good cleaning.

Address: 100 Sylvan Rd, Woburn, MA 01801 Phone: (781) 933-3333 (neat number)