Gigi's Restaurant Maynard

Gigi's Restaurant in Maynard opened about 6 months ago and after looking at their lunch menu, they immediately went on my "must try" list but Maynard is so out of the way that I didn't get around to it until today. They only do lunch Thurs-Fri. It was a glorious day for a cruise, mid 70's, low humidity and sunny.

They are located in what used to be the Quarterdeck Restaurant and fish monger. The fish monger is still here next door. I had some excellent lunches at the Quarterdeck when I worked here for DEC. There is only on-street metered (expensive) parking.

Smallish bar area with two high tops at the window and I managed to snag one of them. There are advantages to getting to places at 11:50.

The dining room area was bright and looked really nice.

Accouterments for the Pho. I even got a slice of jalapeno chili that is often promised but rarely seen.

This is what got me excited in the first place, an appetizer-sized portion of Pho. PHO Appetizer ($4.95). "Smaller version of Pho Noodle soup bowl with any choice of meats." I ordered it with brisket that was very tender and tasty. Unfortunately, I couldn't say the same thing about the soup, it was bland and lacked a depth of flavor. Where were the flavors from star anise, roasted ginger, roasted onion, black cardamom, coriander seed, fennel seed, and clove? I really do like the concept of a small sized portion of Pho.

Vietnamese Sandwich (Bánh Mì) ($5.95). "Grilled meat (pork, chicken, beef) on toasted french bread served with homemade sauce, cucumber, cilantro, pickled carrots & Asian radish." I ordered it with pork and it was excellent, a big portion of tasty pork in a crusty roll that was still warm. The veggies were OK, seems that the radish didn't make it but overall this was one of the better Bánh Mì's I have had. It turns out that the bread is baked to order so no wonder it was soo good.

Address 177 Main St, Maynard, MA 01754
Phone number (978) 793-8684