Norm's White Horse Methuen

It's time to try a Chicken Barb, and the word on the street is that Norm's White Horse in Methuen are doing a good one. No Website. Never heard of Chicken Barb? Neither did I until recently. You can read all about the Chicken Barb here.

The outside is very unassuming, but there is parking. There is also a big lot behind the restaurant.

Inside was nice and bright and impeccably clean. This is the bar area.

The dining room with big windows. "Sit anywhere" so I took a window booth.

The famous Chicken Barb ($7) with fries. It was actually called Chicken BBQ on the menu, and that confused me. I thought the actual name was chicken barb. The fries were pretty terrible, but the sandwich wasn't bad. The chicken tasted just like shredded chicken, so that didn't impress. Would I order it again? Don't think so. They have a summer specials menu, without pricing. This baffles me.

Pleasant view of the river from my window seat.

You can take a riverboat tour from the dock in the back.

Address: 510 Lowell St, Methuen, MA 01844
Phone: (978) 687-1211

New Brothers Danvers

Today I headed out to New Brothers Restaurant & Deli in Danvers for a Roast Pork Dinner. Their website states that they are not affiliated with any other Brothers or Deli.

They are located in downtown, and there is free street parking and also a big lot behind the restaurant.

Ambiance? We don't need no stinking ambiance. Get in line, grab a tray and silverware, order and get your food and then pay at the end of the line. No signature for CC's and I really like that. I can't wait until this is implemented everywhere.

Roast Pork Dinner ($14.95) with roasted potato twice, extra gravy and stuffing. I didn't get stuffing the last time, and I'm not happy about that since the stuffing was really good. Three good sized slices of tender pork. The roasted potatoes could have been a bit more roasted, and they also lacked the lemon but were cooked nicely. Of course everything needed salt, no big deal. Guess what I'm having for dinner? A gentleman behind me in line ordered the same thing, plus a gigantic slice of pie, and he finished everything.

Address 31 Maple St, Danvers, MA 01923
Phone number (978) 750-0100

The Bacon Truck Cafe Charlestown

As the name implies, The Bacon Truck Cafe in Charlestown, started out as a food truck but recently opened a B/M cafe in Charlestown. They announced last week on FB that they were doing Pork Belly Tacos for Taco Tuesday.

They are located in a heavy industrial area, and my GPS took me way down the road. Luckily I spotted the sign in time. There is parking to the right of the building, and then you have to navigate all the way back around to find the stairs. The stairs are to the left in the picture. They have a nice little patio.

No surprises inside. Watch out for the step-down inside the door. There is seating, but not in abundance. Most of the business seemed to be takeout.

I got the last taco. Turns out that they only do the taco as a special, so this was left from the weekend. Crispy Pork Belly Taco ($4.50) served with house brussel kimchi, lemon coulis aioli, and fresh mint". The taco was excellent and substantial. It was also seriously tasty, I don't like brussel sprouts, but these I could eat all day. The pork belly was luscious. I was going to order a sandwich as well but was warned that the taco was kind of big, so a side would be better. I went with the BACON SCALLION HASH ($4). "Red potatoes, sour cream, bacon". I was glad that I did, this was delicious despite the potatoes have the skin left on. Perfectly cooked potatoes, tasty bacon and really well seasoned. This with an egg on top (+1) would make an excellent light snack.

Condiment station that includes cold water. The people were very nice and friendly.

Address: 50 Terminal St, Charlestown, MA 02129
Phone: (617) 580-8174

Tavern in the Square Burlington

Tavern in the Square in Burlington loaded my Insiders card with $10 off, and I felt like a burger today, so off I go.

I wonder if they read my previous blog, or just fixed the sign anyway?

The menu had changed a lot since my visit in February. I picked the Picanté Burger ($15). "Crispy bacon, cheddar, jalapeno, tomato relish, chipotle aioli". The burger was cooked exactly as ordered, and that never happens, so kudos to the kitchen for that. Look at those thick slices of crispy bacon that were unfortunately cold. Didn't really matter, it's still bacon. This was one tasty burger, and I was pleased with it. The fries were also delicious, cooked perfectly. I had to ask what the sauce above the ketchup was. That's their Special Sauce that wasn't mentioned anywhere. It was tasty, and I kept on dipping the fries into it. Service was friendly, food was good and the weather today is fantastic. Is this really a Monday? The suggested tip was correctly using the pre-tax value and was also pre-discount.

La Perle Everett

Having had a very nice lunch at La Perle in Everett previously, so I headed back to try another dish that has always been dry at other restaurants.

Griot/Fried Pork ($9 small). One plantain was good, the other one was dry as a rock. The pikliz is tasty. The mixed salad was small but had a dressing on the side. The fried pork was excellent, and only two pieces were on the dry side. It was tasty, and some pieces had real crackling. For my side, I went with white rice and pinto bean sauce. Mix them together and enjoy. I think the sauce is called Ti-Malice, and it was nice, but the next time I try to get it spicier. I'll be back for the Dinde Sauce. Parking here is interesting. "DO NOT PARK HERE" signs are completely ignored. Maybe because it's Sunday?

Loui Loui Stoneham

I went to Loui Loui in Stoneham shortly after they opened and the shrimp was of such a low quality that I never went back. Too much money to squander on sub-par food. I now see that they have reasonably priced lunch specials, so I decided to go back.  Their website has the wrong opening hours.

Shrimp Basket ($9.95) with Cajun Fries and Jambalaya. I was going to go with the Fried Calamari, but that lacked tentacles, so I passed on that. The good sized shrimps were perfectly fried, but the batter was unseasoned. This is two shrimps less than what I got at the famous Dube's in Salem, and they were about twice the price, fries not included. The Cajun fries were cooked really well and had a hint of heat. They did need salt. Both the remoulade and the tartar sauce was tasty, but I preferred the remoulade. The Jambalaya was very tasty with lots of good stuff in it. It was also almost spicy. This meal was really good and a good value for the money. 

This is from my visit on Monday this week. 

They are in the Redstone Plaza, so there is plenty of parking. They have outside seating. The plaza also sports a Target now.

Nothing has changed inside, you order at the counter, get a buzzer and then pick up your food.

I went with Shrimp and Clams in a Louisiana Hot Sauce ($10.95). I wanted corn and potatoes as my side, but they were out of corn. They have three sides and are out of one of them when they open? I went with the Garlic Noodles instead, and that wasn't a bad idea. The noodles were cooked well and not really garlicky. The seafood still comes in a plastic bag.

A closer look at what was in the bag. I tipped the content into a boater, makes it much easier to get to the food. The shrimp this time was excellent, the clams were overcooked and rubbery. The Louisiana sauce was nice and respectable spicy with tons of garlic. Not just a little but a lot. I like garlic, so this was fine with me.

I think this was the best part of the meal. I poured the sauce over the noodles and enjoyed myself.

Address: 3305, 101 Main St, Stoneham, MA 02180
Phone: (781) 435-2145

Temazcal Lynnfield

I usually stick to the Blackened Fish Taco at Temazcal in Lynnfield for Taco Tuesday (Half price opening to 6). I tried to get the Salmon Taco blackened, but that never happened so I gave up on that. Last time my waitress raved about the blackened salmon taco, so here we go.

Blackened Grilled Salmon Tacos ($7.50). "Lettuce wrapped, jicama, pineapple, orange agave". Two tacos with good sized pieces of well-cooked fish, rice and beans plus warm tortilla chips with three dips. The bean dip is excellent. Even the pineapple had grill marks. Now I have a new favorite.

Fresco's Malden

I have read reviews about the Lobster Roll at Fresco's Roast Beef & Seafood in Malden that sounded like they were made up. I decided to head over and check it out today.

They are located in what's looks like a relatively new strip mall. There is plenty of parking.

No surprises inside, everything was super clean, and the padded seating was very comfortable.

Here is the much acclaimed Lobster Roll ($21.50). "French Fries and Lettuce On Roll". The actual menu is calling this a Lobster Salad Roll, which I think is misleading. It's a Lobster Roll. And it's a darn good lobster roll. Some mayo and some finely diced celery don't detract from all the fresh lobster meat. There must have been four or five lobster tails in there. No, not chunks of tail, but actual tails. This was so good that I got another one to go, but with a salad instead of the fries. The fries were terrible, way overcooked and dry. The total was $23.01 and I got $1.99 in change, which is correct but a nuisance.

What looks like outdoor seating for Domino's, is actually shared between the restaurants. They really should have a sign inside explaining this.

Address: 775 Eastern Ave, Malden, MA 02148
Phone: (781) 605-3531

Buono Bistro North Andover

It was a bit confusing trying to find the entrance to Buono Bistro in North Andover. It was also confusing trying to leave.

There is plenty of parking when you finally find the entrance.

A big and pleasant bar.

The dining room was pleasant and bright, and of course, impeccably clean.

Warm crusty bread with a tasty dipping oil arrives promptly. Linen napkins and quality silverware.

You have the option to add 1/2 a salad for $4. The Caesar salad was excellent! The romaine was cut with precision, the dressing was delicious, and the croutons were super light. I even got a separate fork for my salad, don't see that too often.

Lunch Mussels and Calamari ($14). "Sautéed mussels and calamari in a marinara or scampi sauce over linguini". I went with the Scampi. The mussels were excellent, plump and tasty. The calamari was cooked well and look at all the tentacles I got. Rings only=probably frozen. The pasta was also cooked well, but the dish was very light on the scampi part. I spoke to the chef as I was leaving and I could have gotten more since there was still sauce left in the pan. He said that people complain if there is too much sauce. Well, you can't please everyone, and it was no big deal. Service was delightful, and it was service with a smile. A nearby table had the mussel app, and that looked to be a meal on its own. They currently have a Groupon+ available. Trying to get back on Rte495 south was an adventure in itself.

Address: 220 Sutton St, North Andover, MA 01845
Phone: (978) 258-0658

Khao Hom Billerica

On this overcast and coldish Friday, I headed out to Khao Hom Thai & Pho in Billerica for some more delish Thai food.

I have never even heard about a Kimchi Curry ($11.50), so I had to order that. "Baby bok choy, mushroom, onion, broccoli, cabbage, chili paste". I ordered it with beef ($8.50), but when the bill arrived it was with the dinner price. There was no indication on the menu that this was only available as a dinner. Not happy about that. The curry was thin but very tasty, and it was unlike any curry I have had before. It resembles a jungle curry that also lacks coconut milk. Interesting dish.

Clam Shack Salem

I had an excellent Crab Roll on my previous visit to Clam Shack in Salem. No website but a current menu can be found on their FB page.

The Salem Willows Park is famous (infamous?) for the Chop Suey sandwich, beloved by many, never tried it myself. Will I? Probably not.

For you in the know, you know what was here before, but it was rebuilt from the foundation up. You order from the first windows and pick up around the corner.

They only have outdoor seating. It started out as a beautiful day, but when I got there, it was overcast and windy. Bad planning by me.

This is the Haddock Bits Basket ($12.95). Seeing the amount of fish I got, a roll would probably have been sufficient. The fish was fried really well, still moist and flaky on the inside. Both the fish and the batter was unseasoned. The fries were slightly undercooked, but that's better than overcooked. The tartar sauce was fantastic, really tasty. I brought my own water, not paying the enormous markup on the water. A customer before me ordered the scallop roll, and it looked really delicious and loaded with scallops. Same price as my dish.

Address 167 Fort Avenue, Salem, MA 01970
Phone number (978) 741-2526

Hakata Waltham

Shin Hakata Ramen in Waltham recently opened their third location, having outlets in Quincy and Back Bay.

There is only on-street parking, but it's free. I forgot to ask about parking behind the building. Goodwins is next door, and I know they have parking in the back.

It's a fairly big room with a sushi bar. The tables are spaced away from each other. It wasn't that busy at lunch today, but it was LOUD in there.

I went with the Spicy Tonkotsu Ramen ($13.95). "Hakata pork broth with spicy sauce". Two thin slices of pork belly that were very tender and flavorful. Extra Chashu was $2.50. You also got some bamboo shoots and bean sprouts. There was also an abundance of green onions. The noodles were very good, cooked perfectly. The broth was very flavorful and actually spicy. It could have been a bit porkier. Service was delightful. The manager was walking around and checking in on the tables. It was good, but a bit on the expensive side. They also do Donburi (rice bowls including Chirasha) and Tempura.

Address: 895 Main St, Waltham, MA 02451
Phone: (781) 899-0126

El Rincon de Moody's Waltham

It's Taco Tuesday so today I headed out to the latest addition to the growing Moody's empire, El Rincón De Moody's in Waltham.

I wasn't sure if this was the place since there is no name on the outside. I managed to find an end space to park in so I wouldn't get boxed in.

It's smallish inside, but nice and bright.

I went with the Taco Combo Plate ($11.95). "Choice of 2 Tacos, Rice, and Beans".  For my tacos, I picked the Barbacoa "Slow Cooked Wagyu Beef, Spicy Morita Sauce, Radish, Lime, Cilantro" and the Al Pastor "Berkshire Pork, Pineapple, Orange, Pickled Fresno, Cilantro". Both were excellent with very flavorful proteins. The barbacoa was actually spicy. They currently have eight different taco's to choose from.

You get a very generous portion of both the rice and the beans. The rice was OK, but the beans were fantastic. They call them baked beans on the menu, but they have nothing to do with the sickly sweet Boston Baked Beans. This is proper BBQ Beans, and did I say that they were excellent? Looking at the price for this, the Platters might be a better deal since you get two sides with them.

Help your self-help corner that includes a waiter.

Address: 456 Moody St, Waltham, MA 02453
Phone: (781) 693-9191

Horseshoe Grille North Reading

On my first visit to Horseshoe Grille in North Reading, I got a $5 discount card, and I was going to use it today for lunch.

When I got there about 11:45, the parking lot was almost empty, but it quickly filled up. They also have both patio and outdoor seating.

Different view today. I must say that the inside is very comfortable.

I decided to try something different today and ordered the SALMON BURGER (14). "Freshly ground hand cut salmon, dijon mustard, lemon, evoo, panko crumbs grilled, brioche bun lettuce tomato, remoulade sauce". You get linen napkins, what you don't get is water refills. I asked for the burger rare, and it was moist when it arrived. It also had a good sear on the outside. The salmon was very finely ground, so it didn't have much texture, but it was tasty. The fries were previously frozen but cooked really well. The manager stopped by to say hello, nice, and I mentioned that they could improve the fries by going with hand cut fries. He said that they had tried that, but it didn't work out.

Address 226 Main St, North Reading, MA 01864
Phone number (978) 664-3591

Wang's Table Haverhill

I haven't been in this part of NE since I used to play in a Saturday pool tournament in Bradford. Today I went to Wang's Table in Haverhill for lunch.

They are located in the restaurant district of Haverhill. I saw Pay Here signs all over the place, and wasn't too happy about that. Then I actually read a sign and realized it was two-hour free parking until 3. I did see people pay. Wang's have some nice outside seating.

It's not a very big place, but it was bright and clean. Sushi bar behind the hostess.

The dining room/bar. They have an enormous selection of single malt whisky, Japanese and Taiwanese whisky, Bourbon and Tequila. Check out the drinks menu on their website.

Here I could ignore the rolled up silverware since you get chopsticks by default. Lunch includes soup, and I went with the H&S. I sort of liked it, it wasn't bad but different. I'm still making up my mind about it, but I will have it again.

I started with an order of Duck Spring Roll (2) (7.50). "Sliced Peking duck, scallion wrapped with shanghai skin in plum sauce". The green parts of the scallions was a bit though. The plum sauce was on the side. Apart from that, it was pretty good, crispy and the duck was tender.

This is the lunch Chirashi (14.95). "Assorted fish over rice". The rice was correctly seasoned and at the right temperature. The fish was fresh, wished the slices were a bit more substantial, but it was a good assortment of fish. Not to happy about two pieces of fake crab. I really like the Tobiko, it seasons the rice. They have White Tuna on the menu, but it correctly identified as Escolar. White Tuna alone cannot be used on a menu after August16, 2016. Mainly because white tuna isn't white.

Address: 46 Washington St, Haverhill, MA 01830 

Phone: (978) 372-0089