Shadi's North Andover

Shadi’s Restaurant and Lounge in North Andover is located in a strip mall on Rte 125 and is easy to miss. I had an exciting dish on my last visit.

Plenty of parking. They have a small seating area outside.

The inside is nice and bright with some hightops in the bar. The service from the bartender is very good, plenty of water refills.

The starting dish was, of course, Hommos (7.50). "Chick-peas mashed to a paste, avored with tahini, lemon juice and garlic". This is a cut and paste from the online menu. The hummus was very smooth and really tasty, and it comes with a neverending supply of very fresh pita bread. The pita bread was of the very thin variety.

This was followed by Lubee (12.99). The menu said "Green Beans & Lamb Casserole Fresh green beans cooked with cubes of lamb and tomato sauce. Served on rice pilaf". It comes with a side, and I have heard good thing about their French Fries so FF it was. The rice pilaf was tasty, and the casserole had a delicious tomato sauce and lamb that was so tender I could cut it with a fork. The hand-cut french fries were excellent and cooked perfectly. I have seen foodies complain that fries like these aren't crispy enough. If you want to eat previously frozen fries, go ahead and miss out on this treat. This restaurant continues to impress me, and I'll be back for their Kafta.

I stopped by Boston Chowda Co to pick up some chili, and they had Haddock Chowder on special, so I got a cup of that as well. This wasn't chowder with some fish added, it was fish with some chowder added.

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

Brothers Kouzina Peabody

It's now official that Brothers Kouzina in Peabody will close at the end of June and it looks like it will really happen this time. Hopefully, they will find a new location soon, and preferably it will not be on Rte 1.

Plenty of parking.

It was time to try the lunch Gyro in Pita (9.99) again. "Served in a warm pita with diced tomatoes, onions and tzatziki sauce with French fries". I asked for the tzatziki on the side since I'm not too fond of yogurt. Their version is excellent. The Gyro wasn't your everyday version, loaded with salad, tomatoes, onions and French fries with a few slices of previously frozen meat thrown in. This was loaded with meat fresh off the rotisserie with a few diced tomatoes and onions in there. The pork is juicy and tender but not a lean cut. The pita is fresh and fluffy. It turns out you can sub any side for the FF including their excellent roasted potatoes. The fries are good, but the potatoes are delicious and cooked perfectly. The service is excellent, and whatever I ask for, the reply is always "sure, no problem".

If you are taking the jug handle from Rte 1 north to Rte 128 south be aware that the rightmost lane of Rte 1 south has a green light the same time you have a green light.

CocoRay's Lawrence

I have had CocoRay's Borinquen Taqueria in Lawrence bookmarked for quite some time, but a Groupon+ for 20% off finally made me go.

For some reason, I had imaged that they were located in some heavy industrial area, but they are in a small strip mall close to Rte 28. They have onsite parking.

Not much seating. You order at the counter and get your food that is mostly cooked to order. The menu is divided into Puerto Rican dishes and Mexican. Did you know that Borinquen means Puerto Rico?

I ordered one Gringas (Flour Tortilla) ($3.12) with Chorizo. "Grilled tortilla with cheese, cilantro, onion". It wasn't grilled but browned on a flat top. Neither the onions or the cilantro made it. It was cheesy with a good amount of (mild) chorizo. It was a bit greasy, but I really don't mind. I also ordered one Empanada with beef ($1.04) and one with cheese ($1.04). All of this comes to just over $5 with tax. The beef empanada was very good with a crisp and very light shell that had some seasoned ground beef inside. The cheese one, on the other hand

was, shall we say, a bit light on the cheese. The Puerto Rican dishes seemed very popular.

Address: 197 Parker St, Lawrence, MA 01843 Phone: (978) 688-2626

Bobby & Jack's Tewksbury

I was going north today for some BBQ, but a quick look at Google traffic quickly squashed that idea. Instead, I went to Bobby & Jack's Memphis Barbecue in Tewksbury since they now open at noon on weekends.

They are in what used to be an Indian restaurant that I looked into once and never returned. Plenty of parking.

The pleasant dining area.

They have a humongous bar, and I grabbed a hightop here. Plenty of TV's to catch a game.

I started with the THREE MEAT CHILI ($6) for 8 oz. Served with cornbread. I remembered to ask for a corner of the cornbread since that's the best part. It made no difference here since it was pale all over. It was warm. The chili was very thin and needed a ton of salt to come alive. It tasted of chili but completely lacked heat. Of the three types of meat, there was 90% chicken.

From the Between Some Bread section, I picked the BRISKET ($12). "With pickled red onions & pickle chips". "Sandwiches are served overflowin' on a fresh baked pretzel roll with your choice of one side & pickle chips". The pickled red onions were very tart. The pickle chips were nothing special. Much to my surprise, I really liked the pretzel roll that was soft with a bit of chew left. The brisket was tender and moist, so they got that right. It had some smoke flavor and also a smoke ring. What should have been a nice bark was in places overcooked and rock hard and not edible. Of the five BBQ sauces available, I tried the Carolina Gold that was mustardly with a hint of vinegar. The Black Jack "Hotter than Hot" and no heat at all. For my side, I picked the SOUTHERN FRIED CABBAGE. "With bacon & onion deliciousness!". I have never heard about this, so I had to try it. See any bacon? Me neither. What I got was something that looked like steamed cabbage that completely lacked texture. It was seasoned with plenty of black pepper. Out of curiosity, I googled this, and some really appetizing dishes showed up. Service was pleasant. The website has some of the worst fonts I have ever seen for the headings.

Address: 1777 Main St, Tewksbury, MA 01876 Phone: (978) 455-8184

Cafe Escadrille Burlington

I had a hankering for Sushi today, so I headed out to Cafe Escadrille in Burlington. Not the first place you think about when thinking about sushi, but they do sushi for lunch Wed-Sat.

It's an impressible building with a big parking lot.

The inside has been well maintained, and they also have a small patio.

This is the lunch Chirashi ($13.95). The bowl was significantly smaller than the bowl on my last visit, and there was also less fish. The pickled veggies were nowhere to be seen. Included were some very lightly seared tuna and both tender octopus and squid. Everything was really fresh. The sushi rice was at the right temperature and even correctly seasoned. Service is always good here.

Nick & Andy's Danvers

Nick & Andy's Breakfast & Lunch in Danvers opened earlier this year in a small plaza just off Rte 1.

Plenty of parking but I have no idea how I got here. The exit is in the back.

The inside is nice and bright. No stupid rolled up silverware here. See how much nicer this looks? It wasn't that busy, but it was loud, very loud.

The word has gone out about the HASH STACK (9.95). "Hash browns topped with bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, gravy, and cheese. Served with toast". It doesn't photograph well due to the gravy but it tastes way better than it looks. Much to my delight, the gravy turned out to be an excellent sausage gravy. That was the only presence of sausage. The scrambled eggs were cooked nicely and weren't overcooked and rubbery. This was a really tasty dish. No scali bread so I went with light rye that I have had with Reubens and much to my surprise I found that I really liked it. Look at those generous and fresh slices in the background. They were also properly toasted and buttered to the edges with real butter. Service was pleasant but did I mention that the place is loud? I was impressed with the quality of the food and the cooking, so I'll be back for the eggs and corned beef hash.

Address: 110 Newbury St, Danvers, MA 01923 Phone: (978) 304-1017

Szechuan's Dumpling Arlington

I haven't been to Szechuan's Dumpling in Arlington for a few years. I did have a reasonably pleasant lunch on my last visit. After the new owners took over, there wasn't anything really exciting on the lunch menu. I think I got spoiled by the previous lunch menu that had really exciting dishes on it. They finally have the lunch menu available on their website, but only if you download the menu. It also puzzles me why a place named Szechuan's Dumpling doesn't have a Szechuan Dumpling on the menu.

They are located in Arlington Heights with free on-street parking. There isn't a lot of parking.

Nothing has changed inside. There were three customers when I arrived, and that was it until I left. I really don't like to eat in an empty restaurant.

They get a point for defaulting to chopsticks. At least now it looks like they are expecting Chinese customers. Lunch is "Served with House Daily Soup and White Rice". The "house daily soup" is either H&S or Wonton. A daily soup is supposed to change daily. The H&S soup was neither. It was thin and watery with no flavor.

From the lunch menu, I picked Chili Chicken (8.95). She asked if I liked spicy and I confirmed that I do. The food arrived 10 seconds after the soup. The chicken was tender, and the cabbage was a bit crunchy, so no complains there. The dish had a hint of heat. It really should have been called chicken with cabbage. The rice was fine. Service was indifferent, I got my water refilled but no "how was the food?" and no comments on my untouched soup.

Address: 1360 Massachusetts Ave, Arlington, MA 02476 Phone: (781) 648-8882

Papagayo Somerville

Papagayo is really located in Assembly Row in Somerville. I find it easiest to take Rte 16 to get here.

They are located next to the river with a humongous Legal Seafood on the corner. I like Assembly Row a lot better now when you get 3 hours of free parking in the parking garages,

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

Nice window seats. A few more customers abled in while I was there.

You get (cold) chips and a very nice salsa that had a little bit of a kick. The chips were stale. Linen napkins and good silverware.

I picked the Enchiladas ($11.95). "Two White Corn Tortillas Stuffed with Chicken Tinga or Muchaka Meat Topped with Salsa Rojo. Served with Mexican Rice, Refried Beans, Cheese, Lettuce, and Pico De Gallo". I got one of each. This time the chicken was terrible, completely tasteless. The beef was tasty, even if it was very stringy. The rice was completely cold. Not even lukewarm. The refried beans were very good and nicely seasoned. When served like this you end up eating salad, pico de gallo with the refried beans. Service was good. They have a Groupon+ deal available for 20% off.

Address: 331 Great River Rd, Somerville, MA 02145 Phone: (617) 996-6100

Paddy's Public House West Newton

Paddy's Public House in West Newton got written up, and the place sounded interesting so on this gray and rainy Sunday I headed over there.

There is metered street parking as you can see. There is also a metered lot across the street. Blue Ribbon BBQ is just around the corner, and I could smell the BBQ.

It's a public house, so a big bar is in order. There are also several high tops in the bar. The hostess was very nice a took me around until I settled on a table.

The very nice dining room. The downstairs was refurbished about a year and a half ago, so everything was in tip-top shape. The booths looked to be very tight for four people. 

I was curious about their 2 for $12 deal. BTW, they do serve lunch every day. To the left we have Chili, and that's all the menu said. You have the option of extra onions and extra jalapenos that I of course said yes to. There was plenty of gooey cheese on top. Underneath was ground beef and also beef in a SPICY chili. The jalapeno slices were quartered. This was a very enjoyable chili, and I'll be happy to have this again. To the right are the SHEPHERD'S PIE. "seasoned ground sirloin, vegetables, sautéed onion, whipped potato and demi glace". Since it uses beef, it's really a Cottage Pie. The sauteed onions were an excellent addition. The veggies were not overcooked and still had texture. The mashed potatoes were light and fluffy but needed salt. The filling was tasty, and the demi-glace was excellent. This was two good sized dishes that were both well executed. The silverware was good. The service was friendly.

Address: 95 Elm St, West Newton, MA 02465 Phone: (617) 965-6444

Jose's Torta Mexicana Arlington

Jose's Torta Mexicana in Arlington is currently in a soft opening state with a reduced menu. The big menu board has been taken down. Website at Jose's Torta Mexicana. 

This is the soft opening menu.

This used to be Bagels by Us. There is free street parking on Mass Ave and also on Mill street. There were spots available today at lunchtime even with a flower sale going on across the street.

There is seating inside but not a lot. You order at the counter, and there is (warm) water available.

The drink and sides menu is still up.

I went for the Three Tacos deal ($7.99) "with your choice of filling, topped with lettuce, tomatoes and shredded cheese". Make it a Plate "with rice, beans and chips for $1.50". The shredded cheese didn't make it. For my fillings, I went with the Al Pastor (left), Carnitas and Pork Chorizo. You have a choice of hard, corn or flour tortillas. My corn tortilla tacos were double wrapped as they should be. All the tacos were OK, could use more seasoning. The carnitas taco had a very generous filling. The chips were fresh, and the rice was light and fluffy. The refried beans were bland and lacked texture and were also on the runny side. I did give them feedback, and nothing was really a big deal since they are in the soft opening stage. The tortas are $10+ but a nearby table had one and it was really substantial.

I really liked this. I have seen people grab handfuls of napkins that then goes into the bin.

Address: 793 Massachusetts Avenue, Arlington, MA, 02476
Phone:?

Cracker Barrel Tewksbury

The Southern Fried Chicken used to be a Saturday special at Cracker Barrel in Tewksbury but are now on the regular menu. I'm not really a fan of them but decided to give them another try for lunch today.

They are located just off Rte 495. The rain had stopped, at least temporarily. They have a big parking lot, but they also get very busy.

Southern Fried Chicken ($10.79). "Four generous pieces of chicken, hand-breaded with our signature seasoning, perfectly crispy on the outside, perfectly juicy on the inside. Served with honey for drizzling, two country sides, and homemade Buttermilk Biscuits or Corn Muffins". For my sides, I picked the Mac & Cheese and Hashbrown Casserole. Not sure what cheese there was in the M&C but I'm not a fan. I ordered the hashbrown casserole because I have never heard of such a thing, It was actually very good despite being barely lukewarm. The honey was missing and no signs of the promised biscuits. The chicken was crispy, and the two drumsticks were cooked nicely. Unfortunately, instead of getting a thigh and a breast, I got two overcooked breasts. The breading was very good and seasoned really well to the point of being peppery. Obviously not a fan of the service with all the missing items, but she did check in from time to time. I'm also not a fan of having to wait in line to pay my bill. I'll give them another try for their Friday Fish Fry.

Address 1795 Andover St, Tewksbury, MA 01876 Phone number (978) 858-3717

Shiki Brookline

Shiki in Brookline is a Japenese restaurant that I only found out about via Nift.

Parking? Good luck with that but I found a spot reasonably close. As you can see, they are located downstairs.

Despite being downstairs, the place was cozy and bright.

The place setting was very nice. A fresh salad with a nice dressing (on top as usual) was fresh. The miso soup was actually pretty good.

I picked the Chirashi ($18) from the lunch menu. The rice was delicious and seasoned properly. The fish was fresh, but I think this was the most minuscule Chirashi I have ever had. Thankfully Nift picked up $15 of the bill. Service was amicable.

Address: 9 Babcock St, Brookline, MA 02445 Phone: 617-738-0200

Masala Somerville

I have heard good rumblings about the lunch buffet at Masala in Somerville, so this is the destination for this weeks Indian Monday.

They are in Teele Square so that's convenient for me. Only on-street metered parking and the city tax is $1/Hour.

The inside was very nice and bright from the big windows. It was also impeccably clean.

The buffet ($12.95) was quite large as was the condiment section. There was also a selection of fresh fruit.

This was the first surprise! They have momo's on the buffet and even an appropriate dipping sauce.

Fresh garlic naan arrives promptly. The soup was Mulligatawny and it was delicious. Of course I had to start with the Momo's that had a light wrapper and a tasty filling. I also found an avocado salad in the condiment section that had large chunks of avocado.

The second surprise was that they had trays that looked like something that could be found in a roadside dhabas in Punjab. I really like that you now can keep all the food separate. Starting at top left we have a shrimp curry that was tasty. Look at the size of the shrimp! Next is Chicken Malai Kabab. Tender and moist chicken. The Saag Paneer was seasoned really well. Left bottom is shared by the Aloo Simi (potatoes and string beans) that had some heat and Cabbage that was also spicy and well seasoned. Rayo Ko Saag (leafy mustard green sauteed in garlic; Nepalese style) share the space with Kukhura Ko Masu (chicken cooked in Nepali style with Himalayan herb). Both of these was really excellent and really well seasoned.

The second trip added mixed veggies (top middle) and an excellent rendition of Dal Makhani. The Dal Makhani is a favorite of mine and this one was very good, thick and well seasoned. Bottom right is some sort of potato salad that was a bit too tart for me. The service was very friendly. As far as Indian buffets go, this is my new favorite despite having to pay for parking. The yelp check-in for 10% off doesn't apply to the buffet

Address: 1127 Broadway, Somerville, MA 02144 Phone: (617) 718-0703