Spice Box Lexington

Spice Box in Lexington opened just outside Lexington centre in March, and I just heard about them.

The Grand Opening is ongoing. There is parking in front and also more parking in the back.

The inside is nice and bright and impeccably clean. As you can see, they do a lunch buffet ($10.99) during the week and I slightly more expensive one on the weekend. Everything was labelled.

A better picture of the buffet and the amiable owner. He was one of the few that actually asked why I took photos. I'm surprised that it doesn't happen more often, but maybe people are used to everyone taking pictures these days.

They offer three different soups, and I tried the Lentil soup, and it was excellent and well seasoned. Check out the gorgeous counter if you go.

Naan is included. The first trip to the buffet yielded some spicy fries that were cooked really nicely but were just mildly spicy. The onion pakora ended up being a cauliflower pakora. The mini samosa was tasty and crispy.

Here we have roasted eggplant, chickpea saag, biryani, chicken curry and tandoori chicken. The first three items were very good and packed a bit of heat. The chicken curry was OK. The tandoori chicken was seasoned well, but I think it was reheated. For a lunch buffet, the food was surprisingly well seasoned.

Not only do they do pizza, but they also do pasta dishes. The owner brought me a slice of Chicken Tikka Pizza that was surprisingly good with a nice thin crust. The owner said that people loved the Indian influenced pizzas. I'll be back for more of the excellent buffet.
They don't have a fine dining license, so if you want to order from the menu, you have to order and pay at the counter.

Address: 321 Marrett Rd, Lexington, MA 02421 Phone: (781) 538-5870

Bickford’s Grille Woburn

I must admit that this was my first time at any of their locations, but I was intrigued by Bickford’s Grille in Woburn that is offering a weekend breakfast buffet.

They have plenty of parking. Getting out of here going towards Woburn is a nightmare.

They were busy on this sunny Saturday.

Lobster Pie (18.79). "Lazy man’s lobster made with large pieces of real lobster meat topped with Ritz cracker crumbs & broiled to perfection". Baked potato and Slaw as my sides. The baked potato was fine. The slaw was finely cut but was dry. The lobster pie was also very dry. Isn't there supposed to be butter in a lobster pie? The lobster (claw and knuckle) was previously frozen but wasn't watery. In fact, it was on the dry side, probably because of being under the broiler. I think it would be fine in the roll version. Service was fine. The cutlery was of the really cheap variety. I really dislike when restaurants don't post prices on their website. I might be back for the buffet, I looked at the food and it looked fine, but there were only a few scraps of bacon available. The bacon did get refilled.

Address: 325 Montvale Ave, Woburn, MA 01801 Phone: (781) 938-6068

Redstone Burlington

I was going to Wegmans for some more $4.99 lobsters and decided to have brunch at Redstone American Grill in Burlington since I had an enjoyable meal on a previous visit.

A very imposing entrance. Lots of parking behind the restaurant.

I like to sit at a high top in the bar, especially when it's 80+ outside.

I picked the Crab Benedict (17.00). "English muffin, jumbo lump crab cakes, garlic spinach, hollandaise and hash browns". The English muffin was super light, and the hollandaise had a nice consistency but could have been more lemony. The spinach was cooked well. The hash browns weren't very brown but really well seasoned with a hint of garlic. The crab cake was real lump crabmeat with no filler at all. The service was pleasant, water got refilled without prompting.

They now have outside seating along the railing.

Address 20 Third Avenue Suite A, Burlington, MA 01803 Phone number (781) 229-0330

My Diner Melrose

I suddenly had a craving for turkey and headed to My Diner in Melrose for lunch. For some reason, I really like Melrose and even more so after finding parking lots behind Main street. I still don't get the half-hour parking on one side and two hours on the other side.

The 3 eggs special have gone up a buck has as have a lot of the items on the menu. Still a great value. They have parking behind the building, usually full, but there is a communal lot nearby.

I forgot to take a picture of the interior, but it can be seen HERE
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"MY Turkey Dinner with dark & white meat ($10.95) is served with real mashed potatoes, corn, butternut squash. MY homemade stuffing and cranberry sauce." I ordered all dark and extra stuffing instead of the butternut squash. Somehow I got extra stuffing and also the squash. The turkeys are roasted inhouse. It was homemade mashed and homemade gravy, both were tasty even if the mash could have done with some more butter and cream. The stuffing was a bit liquid but still good. The turkey is excellent, tender and juicy. The corn was forgettable. The cranberry sauce was from a can but not bad.
Overall, this was an excellent meal with leftovers. Bread and butter were offered multiple times. Extra gravy for the leftovers? Not a problem and that's the answer to all requests, and it was service with a smile.
I asked if their Reuben used round or brisket and the waiter checked with the kitchen, and they said brisket. A Reuben was served to a nearby table, and it was round. Do people really don't know the difference? BTW, their Eggs Benny are excellent, and you get three eggs. Hash Benny is a whopping $8.95.

Address 399 Main Street, Melrose, MA 02176 Phone number (781) 662-6777

Okipoké Burlington

Okipoké in Burlington officially opened yesterday. They have another location in Westford. Finally, you can get poké locally. It's a Hawaiian dish with rice, raw fish and various toppings.

They are located next to the little rotary in the 3rd Ave complex.

You start at the right and then follow your bowl down the line, adding toppings as you go along. The proteins and some of the toppings were labelled. They have premium toppings, and they are not marked in any way. Now I can't find where I saw that, so ask. The crab salad was fake crab.

I went with a regular (2 proteins) $11.95. I picked brown rice, double salmon, Cucumber, fresh jalapeno and sweet onions. For flavor, I went with wasabi aioli. It wasn't very spicy, so next time I'll try the spicy mayo. For toppings, I went with seaweed salad (delicious), pickled ginger (yeah!) and cucumbers. I would have added egg if I noticed them. For crunch, I went with garlic crisps. They are the big ones on top. Next time, I'll try the wonton crisps. One drawback is that they don't have any made up bowls that would help people who are not familiar with poké. The fish was fresh. The jalapenos had the seeds removed but could have been cut in half. Same goes for the slices of cucumber.

This is how it looked five minutes past noon. They only have a few tables inside and two outside.

Wegman's next door has a Lobster fest Fri-Sun with live or steamed lobster for 4.99/Lbs. They are chx so just about a pound each.

Address: 3rd Ave Burlington, MA 01803 Phone: 781-365-0890

Shadi's North Andover

I have had a couple of good lunches at Shadi’s Restaurant and Lounge in North Andover, and since I was in the area, it was time for a visit.

"Specializing in homemade Middle Eastern and American cuisine". They have plenty of parking.

I took a high top in the bar. The inside is nice and bright and impeccably clean.

The dining room.

You get fresh but cold pita bread in a bag and butter that is spreadable. Thinking about it, it makes sense to serve the pita cold otherwise the butter would run off.

From the Sides menu, I picked Lamb and Eggs (10.99) and asked if they could make it into a lunch entree. There were other 10.99 dishes on the sides menu that was 12.99 on the lunch menu. The waiter offered to add fries. I was charged 3.50 for the fries. The 12.99 dishes on the lunch menu come with two sides. The hand-cut fries are excellent. I have seen people complain that fries like there aren't crispy enough. If you want to stick with previously frozen fries, that's fine with me. You are missing out on something really delicious. The lamb and eggs looked like a small portion. It wasn't. This was very enjoyable but could have done with some seasoning. Salt and pepper helped. I actually got a spoon with the dish, and that was good. Trying to eat this with a fork was a losing proposition. Did I mention that the fries are excellent? Service is always good here.

Address: 585 Chickering Rd, North Andover, MA 01845 Phone: (978) 683-9559

Mount Vernon Somerville

I have had numerous twin lobsters at their now closed Saugus location. I have driven by Mount Vernon restaurant & Pub in Somerville and thought that they only had street parking, so I never bothered. I was then informed that they have parking behind the restaurant.

In fact, they have two parking lots, and they filled up quickly today.

I took a booth in the bar, and the seat had seen better days. It was nice and bright inside. They have three entrances, two to the bar and one for the dining room.

The dining room. They also have two function rooms that were filled with people eating lobsters.

Todays special was Twin Lobsters for $12.99 but only if you knew about it. The lobsters were correctly cooked and were piping hot. You used to get a popover in Saugus, but now there are just the lobsters. I left no meat except I didn't crack the legs since I'm lazy. Service was fine.

Address: 14 Broadway, Somerville, MA 02145 Phone: (617) 666-3830

Longboards Salem

I was a beautiful day for a trip, and the roads going north was clear, so I headed out to Longboards Restaurant + Bar in Salem.

They are located in Pickering Warf so forget about parking, especially on the weekend.

It's a bar, and they have some outside seating. It was nice and bright inside, and everybody was getting ready for football.

They have free spicy popcorn, help yourself.

The Reuben (15) comes with one side, and I picked the Chowder. "Corned beef, sauerkraut, melted swiss, wharf sauce. Stuffed between thick marble rye". The chowder was good but needed more seasoning. Despite being assured by the owner that they used brisket for their Reuben, I again got round, and that wasn't very tender. It also had bits of gristle. Brisket don't. The kraut was good, and extra dressing helped. If there was any swiss in there, it eluded me. Service was good.

Address: 72 Wharf St, Salem, MA 01970 Phone: (978) 745-6659

Senmonorom Restaurant Lowell

There was a dish that I wanted to try at Senmonorom Restaurant. I was pleased with my first visit here. If you find a website, let me know.

At least I know where they are now. From the outside, it looks like they just opened, but they have been here for quite a while.

The inside is nice and bright.

The dish I wanted to try was the Pork Rib Coconut Soup ($14.95) (Som Law Ka Ti). The green blobs floating in the soup are Thai eggplant that is way better than the regular eggplant. Not sure how to describe the taste of the soup. It was mild but enjoyable. I thought the name was wrong and it should have been Pork Rib Pineapple Soup, but it turns out that there is coconut milk in the soup.

A closer look at the ingredients. I usually don't like pineapple in my food, but it went really well with the soup. The pork was on the drier side but still good. I also ordered a bowl of white rice ($2), so I had something that could soak up the soap. The staff is very helpful, and everyone spoke English. It's a good place if you want to try some different food.

Address: 1671 Middlesex St, Lowell, MA 01851 Phone: (978) 275-0024

Brodie's Pub Peabody

Brodie's Pub in Peabody has had an Italian on the lunch specials menu for a while, and I was curious about it. They are VERY generous with the proteins in both the Reuben and the Pastrami.

Brodies Italian Sub ($11.99). "Prosciutto di Parma, Sopressata, Genoa Salami, Capicola, Gouda Cheese, Shredded Lettuce, Diced Tomatoes and Pickle, Banana Peppers, Olive oil, Choice of side". I picked Onion Rings (+1) as my side. I remember the onion rings as being cut way thicker than these, but they were cooked really well with a crunchy batter. There were only two slices of meat. The bread was old and stale. Not their best offering.

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

Not Your Average Joe's Burlington

Not Your Average Joe's in Wayside Commons in Burlington are doing half-priced burgers on Tuesdays, all day, this month.

Kind of a grey day today. Something is happening in the location next door where Bonefish Grill resided.

They have small dining areas all over the place.

You get focaccia bread with a cheesy dipping slurry. The bread was again old and stale.

They only have two meat based burgers, so I picked the BACKYARD BURGER. "Our classic burger, served on a martin's famous roll with cabot white cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle and choice of mixed greens or french fries $13. $14 with country bacon". I went with the bacon. The burger was ordered medium rare and come out medium well, so back it went. The manager stopped by and apologized. I kept the fries as my burger was redone. The friers were really good and salted. The second attempt was medium with half the burger medium-rare. It had two pickles stacked on top? The bacon was excellent but very thin. What is country bacon? In my mind, it's thick-sliced bacon. The bun was nice and soft. The cheese was tasty but not melted. Despite being cooked correctly, the burger was dense and dry. Who serves a burger without onions? Not impressed by the service, I had to flag down a waiter to get a water refill. The manager comped my burger, and that impressed me. I needed change for the tip, so I handed my waiter a twenty and asked for change. "How much?". "All of it".

Did you know that a coyote runs 28mph faster than a roadrunner?

Address 4c Wayside Rd, Burlington, MA 01803 Phone number (781) 505-1303

Anchor Pub & Grille Beverly

Second day in a row that 128N was clear. School must be in session or something. I headed up to Anchor Pub & Grille in Beverly after looking at their specials on FB. Another 30-minute drive.

Plenty of parking outside and there is also parking across the street.

The dining room is smallish compared to the bar area. On Saturdays, lunch service starts at about 12:15.

The Twin Lobster special with one side is now a reasonable $19.95. I picked baked potato as my side. The lobsters were steamed perfectly, and one was an actual hardshell and the other one almost one.

Today's specials. As it says on the board, a small kitchen and cash only. On my lunch visits, I have never waited long for my food. The service is very friendly.

Address 20 Cabot St, Beverly, MA 01915 Phone number (978) 921-0504

Rusty Can Byfield

I had today's lunch all planned with a visit to Feng Shui in Burlington to eat myself silly on Nigiri and dumplings at the buffet. Then Rusty Can in Byfield posted today's Specials on FB and the previous plans vaporized. A quick look at Google Maps showed that 128N was clear.

It takes me about 30 minutes door to door. They get busy, so get here early.

While checking out the specials board, I noticed "Crispy Thai Chicken Thigh $3", and that sounded like a deal. Not sure where Thai comes in but the chicken was cooked perfectly. Most and tender and not very crispy, but it was delicious.

And here is the reason for the change in plans. Smoked 1/2 duck with sticky sauce and two sides ($20). For my sides, I went with hand-cut French fries that are excellent and Collared Greens that morphed into Mac & Cheese. I don't really mind since their M&C are good. They salt the fries when they come out of the fryer. They know how to cook here. The duck was excellent, tender and moist and just lightly smoked. Dissecting the duck was easy since it was soo tender. It did require a massive amount of napkins. The sticky sauce was more of a sticky glaze. If this gets on the menu again, I'm going despite the boring drive on 95.

Address 6 Fruit Street Byfield, MA 01922 Phone (978) 462-1204