The NexMex Thing Peabody

The NexMex Thing in Peabody recently moved to Main Street, and I was curious to see what it looked like. I still don't get the name.

The website says that there is also parking behind the library, BUT that's only when the library is closed. The metered parking is only 25¢ per hour.

I like the seat yourself.

The dining room with the bar. They now have a full liquor license, and more importantly, they now have restrooms.

You get chips and salsa. The chips were fresh, but the salsa was a bit bland. Some hot sauce helped. You get rolled up silverware that are wrapped in minuscule napkins. They need to get some better napkins.

On Taco Tuesday the chicken (2.50) and the pork tacos (2.50) are half priced. Tacos come with pico de gallo and avocado sauce. The avocado sauce didn't make it. There was way more protein than what I remember from my last visit so I could have done with two tacos instead of four. The chicken was fine and is now well seasoned.

The pork tacos were really good and tasty. They were a bit greasy so the bottom of the corn tortilla kind of disintegrated. I also ordered a side of black beans (.99) that I completely forgot to take a picture of. The beans were cooked well but were on the bland side. Service from the bartender was fine. They use recycled containers for takeout.

Address: 77 Main St, Peabody, MA 01960 Phone: (978) 839-3931

Bacci's Stoneham

I have had some delicious lunches at Bacci's of Stoneham. Their Scampi Pizza is phenomenal, and I was astonished to get real clams in my lunch Linguini with Clams.

There is on-street parking, and they also have a lot behind the restaurant. There is even an entrance there.

Their free garlic bread is excellent, light and fresh and they don't hold back on the garlic.

Lunch Chicken Parmigiana (10). "All Italian Specialties served with bread & butter, and your choice of pasta". I went with linguine that was cooked perfectly, and the tomato sauce was really flavorful. The chicken parm had plenty of cheese and was still crispy. Another excellent meal here.

Address 316 Main St (rt 28), Stoneham, MA 02180 Phone number (781) 438-9200

W Cafe Woburn

W Cafe in Woburn opened not long ago in South Woburn. They do breakfast and lunch daily. Correction: They have been there for four years.

There is only on street parking.

There was a surprising amount of seating, including at the counter. I was delighted that I got a table right away, but I guess the rush was over at lunchtime.

I can't resist a hash so Hash & Eggs (9.95). "Two eggs any style over house-made corned beef hash, white or wheat toast, any home fries or shredded potatoes". Not sure what shredded potatoes are, but they are only available Mon-Fri. The unseasoned home fries were really nice and crispy. My over easy small eggs was steamed but cooked right. The hash was also unseasoned and lacked texture. Not sure what part the beef was from since it had a lot of gristle in it.

The had Scali bread, and that made me happy. The slices were very thin and really unevenly buttered. They were also only toasted on one side.

Address: 109 Main St a, Woburn, MA 01801 Phone: (781) 281-1559

Jimmy's Steer House Saugus

I usually have the lunch primer rib at Jimmy's Steer House in Saugus. Today it was time for something else.

They are of course on the wrong side of Rte 1. Plenty of parking.

The inside is in very good condition. It didn't get much more busy than this at lunch today. Why do they put the silverware on the wrong side?

NATIVE SEA SCALLOPS ROLLED IN SEASONED BREAD CRUMBS AND LIGHTLY BROILED (10.99). As my side, I picked Jimmy's Special Rice Pilaf. Of the seasoned breadcrumbs, there was no trace. I quickly moved the scallops to a plate to stop them cooking and also moved the rice on to it. The unseasoned scallops were fine, and it was real scallops since I found one whole side muscle and one partial. One scallop was also gritty. The rice was excellent, well cooked and seasoned. I think I'll stick to the prime rib here. The service is always very good here.

Address: 114 Broadway, Saugus, MA 01906 Phone: (781) 233-8600

Brodie's Pub Peabody

This weeks Reuben is brought to from Brodie's Pub in Peabody. I had this sandwich a couple of years ago and was impressed.

NY Style Reuben (11.99). "Marble rye, swiss, sauerkraut, russian dressing". It was a big heap of thinly sliced corned beef that was very tasty, but it was from the round and not from the brisket. I picked the steak fries as my side, and they were excellent. Crispy on the outside, and fluffy on the inside. Steak fries are excellent when cooked well, and terrible when overcooked. The Reuben was huge, and I really like that they use marble rye, since I'm not a fan of the dark rye. The bread was fresh and toasted. The cheese was melted correctly, and I really liked that the sauerkraut was in the middle, so that I could make two sandwiches out of a half. The dressing comes on the side, and that makes perfect sense to me since I can now add as much as I like. There is a very tart pickle hiding back there, and despite the rumors, it's not made in-house.

I like the two top in the back corner. It didn't get much busier than this. The service is always amicable here.

Address: 10 1/2 Lowell St, Peabody, MA 01960 Phone: (978) 977-9988

Yalla Methuen

Yalla Mediterranean Grill in Methuen is another Mediterranean restaurant, and there isn't too many around. I must admit that I had a very good and interesting lunch at Shadi's.

They are located in mini-mall with plenty of parking.

This is the front dining room, and there is another behind me with a full bar. If the hostess has a jacket on you, know that the heat will not be on, and it wasn't.

Lunch Combo 7 "Skewer of Kafta, hummus & salad (10.99)". The salad was fresh, and the dressing was nice. There was warm pita bread to go with a generous serving of tasty hummus. The skewers were very tasty and seasoned well, but it was probably the smallest skewers I have seen in a long time. The service was friendly. Rice or fries are extra.

Address: 169 Merrimack St, Methuen, MA 01844 Phone: (978) 794-1718

Brothers Kouzina Peabody

I decided to forego my Monday Indian lunch with something more appropriate for the Easter weekend. Not that I need much of an excuse to head out to Brothers Kouzina in Peabody since this is one of my favorite restaurants.

Coming from Rte128 north, they are straightforward to get to, and it's also easy to get back to Rte128.

Mondays are slow, and they are so slow that they close at 3:00 PM.

This is one of my favorites here, Lunch Lamb Kokinisto ($13.99). "Lamb baked on the bone in a traditional red sauce with Greek seasoning". I always go for a double order of the roasted potatoes since I like potatoes. They were cooked really nice but could have been more lemony. The lamb is always tender, and the sauce is tasty, but all taste seems to have been breed out the lamb in this country. It is really lamb as can be seen from the bone, and the ribs also confirm this. I easily get two meals out of this. The service is always friendly, and the staff seems happy to be here.

Address: 25 Newbury St, Peabody, MA 01960 Phone: (978) 535-9297

Giacomo's Melrose

Giacomo's Ristorante in Melrose is now serving lunch daily. I have only heard good things about them and the same for their North End location, so I was looking forward to my visit today.

They are located on Main Street on the side where you get two hours of free parking. On the other side you get 30 minutes, so don't confuse the two. There is also a big communal lot behind the restaurant. The actual entrance is on the side of the building.

The windows down there faces the main street. Behind me is the bar with more seating.

You get fresh (cold) bread. I had to snag the olive oil from a nearby table. Other tables got a cheese shaker. Nice napkins but marginal silverware.

It's an Italian restaurant so trying the "Chicken Parmigiana (16) served with side of linguine" is a must. This shows if the kitchen can cook chicken and if they can cook pasta. Yes, they can on both counts. The unsalted pasta was cooked a tad more than al dente, and the tomato sauce was good. The chicken parm was also cooked really well with moist chicken and plenty of cheese. The tomato sauce was really bright and well seasoned. I don't think a chicken parm can be better than this. Now I have to go back and try a seafood dish.

Address: 454 Main St, Melrose, MA 02176 Phone: (781) 620-1191

Zaftigs Delicatessen Natick

I have known about Zaftigs Delicatessen in Brookline for forever but had no clue that they also have a Natick location. Thanks, IG.

They are located in a shopping plaza that is easily accessed from both directions of Rte 9. I'll leave it to the readers to figure out what Est. 5757 means.

A big and busy dining room. There is also bar seating in the entrance.

You quickly get some crispy toasted bagel slices with some cream cheese. The flavored cream cheese was delightful.

One thing that I have never had is a Chicken Soup ($3.95). "World famous homemade chicken matzo ball soup". That is, a chicken soup with matzo ball. The soup was very light but was full of interesting things. It needed salt. The matzo ball was very light and airy, but I found it bland. Is this normal?

This weeks Reuben is obviously from Zaftigs. Reuben ($12.95). "Grilled pumpernickel, corned beef, swiss, sauerkraut, Russian dressing. Served with a pickle and your choice of French fries, cole slaw or potato salad". I quickly subbed light rye for the pumpernickel. The Reuben had a good amount of tasty corned beef, but again it was sliced round and not brisket. I had to ask for extra dressing since a shmear on the top and bottom slices of the bread don't cut it. The bread was toasted nicely, and the beef had been heated through. The engineering of the sandwich left something to be desired since part of it lacked corned beef. The pickle was light and unremarkable. The potato salad was more like lumpy mashed potatoes, and it was also incredibly sweet. Not sure if this is normal or not. A nearby table got the fries, and they did look good. Not impressed by the service. No water refill. I got a box for my leftovers but had to ask for the check.

Need some Lox?

Address: 1298 Worcester Rd, Natick, MA 01760 Phone: (508) 653-4442

Boston Chowda Co. North Andover

Boston Chowda Co. in North Andover has been on my list for quite a while, and I finally got around to pay them a visit. The PDF menu includes prices.

They are located in a small plaza just off the main street.

It's self-service and plenty of soups available. The soups on the shelf were about $12.

Plenty of nice seating.

MAINE LOBSTER SPECIAL (18.49). "Maine Lobster Roll.... w/ a Small Chowda or Soup (100% Hard-shell Maine lobster, with a mix of sweet claw and knuckle and a touch of mayonnaise. Served on a buttery grilled brioche roll with lettuce". The combo saves you 49¢. The chowder was excellent, tasty and well seasoned. It was thick as it should be. If you think the chowder seems familiar, they supply a lot of restaurants with chowder. The lobster roll had plenty of lobster with just a small amount of lettuce underneath. The roll was nicely buttered and toasted without being greasy. This was a really good value for the money. I'll be back for some more soups, the chili looked really good. They have a Reuben melt, but it's from the round.

They have a small outdoor sitting area. There is also an entrance here.

Address: 109 Main St, North Andover, MA 01845 Phone: (978) 685-9610

Rang Indian Bistro Stoneham

This is a compilation of my recent lunch visits to Rang Indian Bistro in Stoneham.

There is free on-street parking and also the communal lot across the street.

02/25/19. Since the medium hot didn't work on my last visit, I ordered the lunch CHICKEN CURRY (7.95) spicy. "Boneless chicken cooked with fresh onions, garlic, & a unique blend of spices". I must admit that this time it was seriously spicy. I am now worried about how hot their Vindaloo will be. I was also told if I wanted the medium to be spicy, I should order it medium+. The very generous lunch serving was excellent and tasty as was the basmati rice. The chicken was tender. I asked if I could get dark meat chicken, but they don't do that. Their naan is great, light and fluffy.

I also got a small complimentary rice pudding that was actually very good. I usually stay away from the rice pudding since it's usually sickly sweet.

03/04/19. Today it was time for the lunch LAMB VINDALOO (HOT) (8.95) 9.95. "Very tender pieces of lamb marinated in fresh tomatoes & lemon, cooked with potatoes, ginger, hot spices, & fresh green herbs". It was marked as HOT on the menu, so I expected something really fierce, but the vindaloo was just a tad spicier than last weeks spicy. It was still really spicy, so I was happy. It was a different flavor profile from last week. They use lemon instead of vinegar, and that's better than nothing. The lamb was tender (mostly), but the rice wasn't as fluffy as before. There were only a couple pieces of potatoes, and I really appreciate that. Sometimes you get almost as much potatoes as meat.

03/11/19. Lunch GOA SHRIMP CURRY (8.95) 9.95. "The famous shrimp curry goa style prepared with freshly ground coconut & an array of masterfully blended spices". The prices on the menu both online and in the restaurant are wrong. Today the rice was back to its normal excellent quality. The shrimp were good sized and cooked perfectly. I ordered it medium+ and it was medium. Strange custom, this. The curry was very tasty and well seasoned. I must say that the food here impresses.

03/18/19. Lunch KABULI CHANA (6.95). "A north Indian Specialty-subtly flavored chickpeas & potatoes tempered with ginger & garlic". I ordered this spicy and got something that wasn't even medium. He took it back to the kitchen, and it comes back HOT. Now there was finely minced fresh chilis in there, and this was excellent. In addition to being hot, it was also very flavorful. This time I got charged the price on the menu.

04/01/19 Lunch CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA (7.95). "Charbroiled chicken tandoori cooked in a rich creamy tomato sauce". Today I got charged the menu price. I rarely get this dish since it mostly never is well executed. A good tikka masala should have a creamy, thick and tomatoey sauce. This one had none of that. The sauce was watery and really bland. The chicken had not seen the charbroil or a tandoori. It was just cut up white meat. I ordered it medium+ and got something I would have been happy with it I had ordered extra extra spicy. It was hot! It even had cut up fresh chilies. I like spicy, but this was not what I expected. This is by far the worst dish I have had here.

04/08/19 Lunch LAMB ROGAN JOSH (9.95). "Boneless tender pieces of lamb cooked w/ onions, garlic, fresh tomatoes, & fresh spices". I ordered it spicy, and finally, it was what I would call spicy. The lamb was tender, and there were fresh tomatoes. This was a very tasty dish, too bad you can't find lamb that actually tastes of lamb. First visit in a long time when the sun wasn't shining.

Either they have a problem with what's vegan, or I have.

Address: 6 Central St, Stoneham, MA 02180 Phone: (781) 438-8200

Rox Diner Newtonville

I tried to go to Newton center today but the Boston Maraton is tomorrow, so there was no way to get there. Instead, I ended up at Rox Diner in Newtonville where I had an excellent hash on a previous visit.

Since it's Sunday, parking is free, and there is a big lot just around the corner.

I was a bit late but was still surprised that I got seated almost at once.

HOUSE MADE CORNED BEEF HASH & EGGS (11.89). "HOMEMADE HASH TOPPED WITH TWO POACHED EGGS. SERVED WITH CRISPY RED BLISS HOME FRIES AND PEASANT TOAST". No more choice of toast and the toast I had on my previous visit was superior to this. The eggs still had a runny yolk, but only partly. The home fries were not seasoned this time, and neither were they crispy, but they were cooked well. The hash was excellent with real corn beef, and the finely diced peppers added a bit of acidity. Service was delightful.

Address 335 Walnut St, Newton, MA 02460 Phone number (617) 916-1795