Sunday, September 30, 2018

Home Taste Arlington

Home Taste recently opened their second location in Arlington Heights where La Posada previously resided.


It's s small restaurant, and there is only (free) on-street parking so finding a space can be iffy. I did always manage to find parking when I frequented the nearby Szechuan's Dumpling.


The inside is now bright and inviting but loud.


They have a small selection of dishes, and you have a choice of hand-pulled noodles or thin ones. I finally settled on the D9. Chongqing Small Noodle Soup with Minced Meat & Peanuts and Bok Choy ($8.58). Well, the peanuts didn't make it. I went with the hand-pulled noodles, of course. The minced meat was a minuscule serving, and it was too bad since it was delicious. The waitress warned me that it would be spicy, but it was just mildly spicy but very tasty. The hand-pulled noodles were excellent, thin and light and very uniform. I think I like them better than Gene's since they were more delicate and more slippery. They were also seriously long! I'll be back to try more dishes. D3 or D4 are likely candidates.

Address: 1312 Massachusetts Ave, Arlington, MA 02476 Phone: (781) 646-8080

Saturday, September 29, 2018

Peppercorn House Woburn

I last visited the Peppercorn House in Woburn about 18 months ago, and I was pleased with my Bento Box lunch, and I'm going to order the same today to see what it looks like now.



The inside is pleasant, but I managed to hide the sushi bar behind the flowers.



I was ordering from the Japanese lunch menu and was pleasantly surprised that I had a choice of soups. It was a big bowl of H&S soup that had a lot of interesting stuff in it. It certainly was hot but lacked the sour part, but it was really tasty. It's still very thick but not as bad as on my first visit.



I again went with the lunch Bento Box B (13.50) and picked Black Pepper Beef as my main dish. "Fried gyoza, sushi 2pcs, sashimi 3pcs". This time I got rice. The dressing on the salad was different, but it was good. The gyoza was nice and crispy and had a tasty filling. I ordered the beef extra spicy and, as usual, it wasn't. It wasn't even peppery, but there was plenty of tender beef, and the veggies were cooked and still crispy. There was tender asparagus in there, and that made me happy. It had plenty of sauce. The dreaded shrimp showed up in the Nigiri, and it's usually dry. It was dry. The rest of the fish was really good. Despite the lack of heat, I really enjoyed my lunch. Service was very good, but only one other table was occupied.

Address 318 Main Street, Woburn MA 01801 Phone number (781) 933-6699

Friday, September 28, 2018

Maple Street Bistro Danvers

Maple Street Bistro in Danvers is part of Essex Technical High School and staffed by the students. They are open Tuesday-Friday 11:00-12:30 and reservations are required. Call (978) 304 - 4700 Ext. 2120 after 9:00 AM to reserve a table. They take reservations for one. The daily menu is available online. The address now uses Hathorne instead of Danvers.


Easy to get to and plenty of parking. You need to check in with security in the lobby with a valid drivers license.



The inside is sleek and modern and brighter than what the picture shows.



I started with a cup of Olde Essex Creamy Clam Chowder Cup ($2). "Atlantic Clams Simmered in a Sweet Clam Broth with Spring Onions, Steamed Yukon Gold Potatoes, Dairy Cream and Vermont Creamery Butter. Served Piping Hot with Fresh Anadama Bread". I removed the bread that was served mostly in the chowder. The chowder was a bit to thin for my liking, but that might be the Essex part. The clams were excellent, big tender chunks. I managed to eat the chowder despite the spoon being the wrong way.



How can you resist the Nantucket Fisherman's Platter ($7.95)? "Atlantic Haddock, Dayboat Scallops, Gulf Butterflied Shrimp, Lightly Dusted in Our House Crumb, and Crisp Fried. Served with Rosemary Roasted Potatoes, Hand Cut Coleslaw, Tartar Sauce, and Fresh Lemon Wedges". This is the most expensive dish I have had here at $7.95! The big shrimp was cooked perfectly as was the two enormous scallops. The scallops were worth the price alone. Two big pieces of nicely cooked fish that were still flaky but could have been cooked 30 seconds less. The slaw and tartar sauce was perfectly fine. I really liked the thinly sliced potatoes even if they were cold. How good of a deal is this?



But wait, there is more! Dessert is included, and today they had four different desserts. Unfortunately, they were serialized, so when it was my turn, I got carrot cake. The carrot cake was really nice and moist. I would have preferred the earlier pekan pie. Service is always pleasant, but it took a small forever for my fish to arrive.

Address 565 Maple St, Danvers, MA 01923 Phone number (978) 304-4700 Ext. 2120 for reservations.

Thursday, September 27, 2018

Liberty Bell Melrose

Liberty Bell in Melrose is widely regarded as having outstanding seafood. My goto for fried Calamari is Turner's just up the street, but since this place has got rave reviews, I figured I give them a chance.



Fried Calamari Plate ($13). I didn't see the tartar sauce on the plate, so I asked for it. The fries were overcooked and greasy. The onion rings were OK. There was a lot of calamari, and most of it was cooked well. I found that the batter on the tentacles was a bit too hard. The tartar sauce was excellent and so was the slaw. Didn't try the red sauce. I'll stick with Turner's. Full-service restaurant, lighter batter and superior onion rings for the same price at lunch.

Address: 886 Main St, Melrose, MA 02176 Phone: (781) 662-6900

Tuesday, September 25, 2018

New Brothers Danvers

New Brothers Restaurant & Deli in Danvers is located in downtown and have plenty of parking behind the restaurant, and there's an entrance back there as well.



It's a cafeteria style restaurant. There was a line at 12:15.



It was time to try their Baked Lamb, Greek Kokinisto ($14.95). I'm eating my way through the different Brother to see who has the best Kokinisto. Here with extra roasted potatoes. The lamb was tender, and the sauce was a bit tomatoey. The roast potatoes could have been more lemony. The taste of lamb was again absent. I think they breed the animals so lean now that they have bred the taste out of the meat. It was plenty of meat, but when I went to get some more liquid with my leftovers, he put another piece of lamb in my box. Easily three meals.

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

Monday, September 24, 2018

Cibo Wakefield

Cibo Cafe & Bistro in Wakefield has been on my radar for quite a while, and today it was time for a lunch visit. Cibo means food in Italian.



They are located way out on Main Street. There are a few parking spots behind the building, and there is also free on-street parking. They have outside seating, and there is more to the left. Well, it couldn't be to the right since that is a Post Office.



A big menu on the wall with everything from coffee to small plates. You order and pay, get a number and the food is quickly brought out to you.



The inviting and comfortable dining room.



The grilled cheeses are entirely customizable. They start at $5.99, and the premium add-ons start at 50¢ and tops out at $2 for the grilled chicken. I went with Sourdough with Smoked Gouda (+1) and Crispy Bacon (+1.50). The online prices must be wrong since this doesn't add up to what my bill was. The grilled cheese was perfectly grilled with a nicely melted cheese. The bread was super fresh, and there was plenty of thinly sliced bacon. I'm not a sandwich person, but I really enjoyed this. Of course you get chips since you have to have deep fried potatoes with your lunch.



I also got what must be the worlds smallest pickle.

Address: 1179 Main St, Wakefield, MA 01880 Phone: (781) 246-8855

Sunday, September 23, 2018

Pikaichi Medford

What's better than Brunch on a Sunday? Ramen of course, and especially if it comes from the delightful Pikaichi in Medford.



The right side is the waiting room for when you end up on the waiting list. There is free on-street parking but not in abundance.



This time I went for the Spicy Miso Ramen ($8.99). "Homemade Spicy Miso flavored Ramen made from chicken, pork & vegetable broth. Served with custom made noodles, topped with tender sliced pork, shrimp hot oil, chili strings and scallions". The ramen arrives quickly and is piping hot. Noodles cooked perfectly, and the broth is so well seasoned. This is just delicious and not a drop was left. Notice the fancy chopsticks. On Sundays they only serve lunch.



I'm glad to see that they take allergies seriously.

Address: 123 Boston Ave, Medford, MA 02155 Phone: (781) 777-2555

Saturday, September 22, 2018

Not Your Average Joe's Burlington

Not Your Average Joe's in Burlington started their Octoberfest in mid-October, and it runs until October 7. They had some interesting dishes on the special menu.


They are located in the nearby Wayside Commons in Burlington. Plenty of parking. They also have outside seating on the patio. A couple got seated there and quickly relocated inside. There is still no signs of life where Bonefish Grill resided.



Big bar with high tops and booths at the windows.



I really like that they have a number of separate dining areas. The manager is also walking around and checking in on the customers.



You get Foccacia bread with dipping oil. The dipping oil was 90% parmesan. Of the three pieces of bread, one was edible, the other two was seriously stale.



I picked the PORK SCHNITZEL (20). "Heritage pork chop pounded thin, breaded and pan-seared with a creamy mustard sauce, braised red cabbage and spätzle noodles". There was no sign of the mustard sauce, so I asked for it on the side and quickly got a pot. It was cold, and that surprised me a bit. This was an enormous schnitzel on the bone that was crispy, thick and tender and cooked really well. Of course, putting the noodles and sauce on top of the schnitzel doesn't really preserve the crispiness. Both the cabbage and the noodles were really good. Overall it was a really good meal and it bought back memories of Germany.
Update. Having had my leftovers with warmed up sauce, the cold sauce was wrong.

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

Friday, September 21, 2018

Cafe Escadrille Burlington

I had a hankering for Sushi today and thought about the AYCE at Maki Maki, but even if my last visit wasn't bad I'm not too thrilled with them. I then thought about Sakura in Winchester, but there the ratio of rice to fish are really out of whack. Next was Toraya in Arlington, but the fish in their Chirashi is getting smaller by the day. I then remembered the Chirashi at Cafe Escadrille in Burlington that I was impressed by. It's a bit strange eating Sushi in this bastion of blue hairs.



Quality table setting and the place is impeccably clean and really well maintained. You get a warmish roll with butter that is actually spreadable.



Here is the lunch Chirashi ($13.95). They do sushi for lunch Wed-Sat. It wasn't as diversified as on my last visit, but there was plenty of really fresh fish. Included was also some very lightly seared tuna. The sushi rice was at the correct temperature and even correctly seasoned. There was an abundance of pickled stuff on top of the rice, and it added a nice crunchiness. The portion was so big I didn't finish all the rice. I quickly removed the parsley, not sure what was doing here. I was really pleased with my lunch today.

Thursday, September 20, 2018

Sichuan Gourmet Burlington

I went back to Sichuan Gourmet in Burlington that is one of my standby's. It was kind of slow today, they didn't start the waitlist until 12:30.



I was a bit surprised the first time I ordered this dish and got a noodle soup! When I had the Zha Jiang Noodle w. Pork & Spicy Sauce ($9.50) in their Billerica location, I got Bok Choi, but here it was served with spinach. It was also way less spicy. The noodles were cooked perfectly, but the broth was very bland. The pork had a hint of spice and was tasty.

Tuesday, September 18, 2018

Red Heat Tavern Wilmington

Today is National Cheeseburger Day, and Red Heat Tavern in Wilmington had a very attractive deal for today. They are expanding and will soon have five locations.


Today's deal was a The Classic (7.95 normally 12.95). "American cheese, lettuce, tomato on a toasted bun". I traded the tomato for red onions. I also swapped the fries for their Tarter Tots (+95¢). My rare burger was medium well on the thin side, and medium on the thick side. The unseasoned burger was juicy and could have done with some more lettuce. Their Tarter Tots are fantastic, creamy, cheesy with bacon bits.


The place was packed, and it wasn't due to the cheeseburger my waitress said. Service was nice.

Address: 300 Lowell St, Wilmington, MA 01887 Phone: (978) 447-5669

Monday, September 17, 2018

Mooyah Billerica

Mooyah in Billerica has gotten very mixed reviews with complaints about long waits for the food, cold fries, and indifferent service, so I was a bit apprehensive about my visit today.



They are located in a shopping center anchored by a Market Basket. Next door is 7 Nana Japanese Steakhouse that does an AYCE Sushi for $17.95 at lunch.



No surprises on the inside. You order ta the register and pick up your order when it's ready. Are they doing a Five guys thing by leaving the potatoes out?



I went with the Double Diablo ($10.69). "Fresh, Never-Frozen Certified Angus Beef®, Pepper Jack Cheese, Bacon, Jalapeños, Cholula®, Mayo, Potato Bun". I also got an order of Personal Fries ($3.09). "Fresh Hand-Cut Idaho Potatoes (In House, Every Day) Cooked in Trans-Fat Free Oil (No Cholesterol)". The patties are 4oz and were cooked really well. Crispy on the outside and surprisingly juicy on the inside and they actually tasted of beef. The bacon was plentiful, crisp and meaty. The potato bun was soft and light. I was surprised at how good this burger was. I thought it was expensive at that price, but somehow I didn't mind. The fries were outstanding. Cooked twice and perfectly fried and they were actually salted before being served. The whole meal was very satisfactory. Not sure what the complaints were about, I got my food pretty quickly, the fries were hot, and the service was friendly.



Trying to show how juicy the burger was. I have had burgers at fancier places that couldn't match this.
Tomorrow is National Cheeseburger Day, so another burger review is coming.

Address: 199 Boston Rd #8, North Billerica, MA 01862 Phone: (978) 667-9500

Sunday, September 16, 2018

Legal C Bar Lynnfield

I have heard good things about the White Clam Pizza at Legal C Bar in Lynnfield, and I was in a mood for pizza today.


They are the first thing you see when you arrive at the Market Street Complex.


The inside is modern and sleek with a big bar and an open kitchen in the back.


White Clam Pizza (11.95) with pancetta and arugula. The crust was nice and thin, and I really like that. The pizza was tasty but tasted mostly of pancetta and cheese, and there is nothing wrong with that. Oh, it was a clam pizza? The service is very friendly.

Address: 220 Market St, Lynnfield, MA 01940 Phone: (781) 406-2500

Saturday, September 15, 2018

Takara Wayland

I had an excellent lunch at Takara in Wayland on my previous visit. I noticed then that they have a lunch Chirashi for $11.95 and I was really curious what you would get for that price and today it was time to find out.


They are located in a newish open-air shopping center with plenty of parking. The easiest way to find the restaurant is to hang a right at the traffic light after The Local.


The inside is nice and bright.


The included miso soup was better on my first visit.


And here is the aforementioned Chirashi. The Tamago was dry, and the rice was on the cold side, but it was nicely seasoned. The fish on top is black sea bass. The green things underneath the salmon were zucchini sliced paper thin. All the fish was fresh, and this wasn't a bad deal at all. Service is delightful.

Address 15 Elissa Ave, Wayland, MA 01778 Phone number (508) 358-6688

Wednesday, September 12, 2018

Tavern in the Square Burlington

Tavern in the Square is one chain where it's worth signing up for their rewards program. Again they loaded my card with a $10 off, so I headed back to their Burlington location. They also managed to cook a burger precisely as ordered on my last visit.


This is a big place, and it didn't remain this empty for long. The bar is doing a brisk business at lunch.



I went with the Fish +Chips ($17). "Chip crusted haddock filet, house fries, slaw, malt tartar". This is restaurant stupidity at it's worst. If you try to cut into this super crusty fish, you will smash the fries underneath and how are supposed to salt your fries? In the meantime, the wet slaw will soak into the bottom layer of the fries. STUPID! I asked for another plate and put the fries on one side and the fish on the other and left the slaw on the first plate. Civilized. The fries are really good apart from the soggy ones. The fish had a super crispy coating but could have been cooking a bit less. It was still flaky but not moist. The slaw was also delicious. The tartar sauce was excellent. Now you get a bottle of (warm) water on the table. No ice, so I had to ask for that. Service is always pleasant here


Tuesday, September 11, 2018

Buffalo Wild Wings Burlington

I haven't been back to Buffalo Wild Wings in Burlington for a really long time, but it was time to go back since it half priced traditional wings on Tuesdays. It's a chain but they have some really delicious sauces and rubs, and the wings are even better half priced.



They have a big private parking lot.



My first five was with the CARIBBEAN JERK. "An excellently exotic sauce: red peppers you love: island spices you crave". This is really my favorite since the jerk sauce is really tasty and complex without being deadly spicy. You know that you can order flats only and extra crispy?



The next batch was the Chipotle BBQ. "A blend of fire-roasted chipotle pepper and BBQ flavors." This sounds spicier than it actually is, but it's really flavorful. Most of the rub was in the bottom.



The traditionally Buffalo Sauce is just called Mild, Medium or Hot. Today I went with hot, and it has a nice level of heat. They were seriously hot, eat these last. I have tried the Mango Habanero Sauce, and that one is to hot for me to eat comfortably. Service is always very pleasantly here, and the manager is checking up on the tables to make sure everything is OK. All of this for a whopping $8.65 and that includes carrots, celery and blue cheese dip.

Sunday, September 9, 2018

Gaetano's Stoneham

Gaetano's in Stoneham changed hands earlier this year when the old owners decided to retire. The new owners will retain the old menu. They introduced brunch service on the weekends in early August, and I was invited to try it out. When I suggested to my waitress, who has worked there for 28 years, that they should change it from Breakfast to Brunch on the website, she said that in Stoneham people believe that brunch means it is a buffet. Go figure, so Breakfast it is.



They are located on Main Street and there is only on-street parking, but it's free.



They have a nice patio, too bad it dropped into the low 60's today.


The interior was pleasant and bright with a big bar. I was surprised at how busy they were. They do brunch from 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM on the weekend.



This is the lower dining room where they hold a lot of functions.


It's brunch, so a Spicy Bloody Mary was in order.


I'm not too excited about Mimosas, but if you are, they certainly have one for every taste. In addition to the regular brunch menu, they also serve some items from the lunch menu and pizza. I have heard really good things about their pizza.



Crab Cake Benedict (14.95). "Two poached eggs with Old Bay hollandaise sauce & home fries". Add avocado (+2.50). The eggs had a nice runny yolk, and the crab cakes were the real deal with real crab. The home fries were OK, could have done with some seasoning. The muffin was light, and the sauce was tasty.


An order of Coconut-Crusted French Toast (12.50) also landed on my table. "Topped with strawberries, bananas And rum caramel sauce". This was delicious and very light.

I was invited as a media guest, but all opinions are my own.

Address: 271 Main St, Stoneham, MA 02180 Phone: (781) 279-0100