Greek Corner Cambridge

Not sure what I wanted today, so I headed back to Greek Corner Restaurant in Cambridge where I had a decent gyro on a previous visit.

Metered on-street parking only.

This is the SOUVLAKI PLATE (12.95). "Two skewers of marinated lamb or pork, cooked on charcoal". I was never given a choice, but it turned out to be pork. The salad had some sort of very mild dressing. Greek it wasn't. I also got a slab of feta, so it was crumble your own. Choice of side was rice or French Fries. What, no roasted potatoes? Is this really a Greek restaurant? The hand-cut fries were excellent. The pork was seasoned, and it was a good amount, but the pork was very dry. I ended up leaving most of the second skewer.

Even the pork that was pink was dry. How is this possible? It also had the texture of something frozen that had been defrosted too quickly. Stick to the gyro.

Has anyone ever seen a lower speed limit? This was the last picture my Canon S100 took before developing the dreaded lens error. It only lasted about six months. Well, you take your chances when buying used on eBay.

Address: 2366 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02140 Phone: (617) 661-5655

Causeway Gloucester

Google said 36 minutes and my car GPS said 47 minutes to get to the Causeway Restaurant. The winner was Google, it took 34 minutes. I have heard good things about them for many years, so it was finally time for a visit.

It's a small place with parking up front and also more parking in the back.

One bright room and a bar with seating behind me. The chairs have been around for a while. Be aware that the two-top in the middle is directly under the fan and it was quite breezy.

Today's specials board. The octopus was tempting as was the prime rib. The waitress said that the prime ribs were from last night and might be just medium. She actually confirmed this with the chef, and I appreciate that. I was hoping for the pork chops, but not today. They post their specials on FB but not very frequently.

Crabmeat sandwich ($15) with French Fries and Coleslaw. It was a ton of very fresh crabmeat that only had a few shards of shell left. I did expect that from the fresh crab. The slaw was creamy, and the bun was fresh. The fries were overcooked and dry. The service was pleasant, with a multitude of waitresses and bussers. I might be back for the mussels appetizer that comes in a bucket.

Address: 78 Essex Ave, Gloucester, MA 01930 Phone: (978) 281-5256

Giacomo's Melrose

After having a discussion on how the name is pronounced, I went back to Giacomo's Ristorante in Melrose for lunch. You were, of course, right. It's pronounced with a J as in Jack.

And this is the reason I took the backroads to Melrose today.

You get (cold) but very fresh bread. Linen napkins with very cheap cutlery. It doesn't belong in a nice restaurant like this.

Lunch Mussels and Clams (16) in Scampi sauce and Linguini. The clams, all four, had been forced open as had a few of the mussels, and that makes me nervous. The mussels were cooked well and were tender. The sauce was tasty, and the pasta was also cooked well and was al dente. Compare this to what I got at Bacci's where the clams were served properly.

I got here just before noon, and they were still cleaning the place. That should really be done before they open. The website has a few problems. Clicking on the menu tab takes you to nowhere. Visit us section encourages you to drop them a line, but there is no email address supplied. About us takes you to the menu section.

Address: 454 Main St, Melrose, MA 02176 Phone: (781) 620-1191

Fishbones Chelmsford

I have been going to Fishbones of Chelmsford for a long time. The first visit was in the pre-blogging days. Beware of the annoying music on the website.

If you are close enough to see the sign for parking you have missed the parking entrance by about 50 yards. Yes, this was the kind of day we are having today.

The inside is nice and bright. The bar goes all the way around into the second dining room.

I think this is the best seats in the house. You can watch the chefs working and the waitresses squeezing by one another. This is a longtime favorite here, Sesame Yellow Fin Tuna Steak Sandwich ($16) cooked rare. "Sushi grade yellowfin, toasted sesame seeds, brioche roll, pickled ginger, wasabi, seaweed salad, lettuce, tomato, pickle. Choice of two sides". For my sides, I went with their outstandingly good french fries, and cucumber and tomato salad. I have never seen the salad before and it turns out it is only available during the summer. It was a really fresh mix of veggies that were cut into a perfect brunoise. The tuna was cooked as ordered and the quality of the tune was exceptional. It cut like butter and there wasn't a sinew to be found. They have finally removed the "marinated in sesame oil" since dipping the fish in the oil before tossing it on the grill isn't really marinating. Service is always excellent here.

Address: 34 Central Square, Chelmsford, MA 01824 Phone: (978) 250-0101

Crack'd Andover

Crack'd Kitchen & Coffe in Andover is located just off Rte 93 before the 495 junction. Not sure if I get the name.

They have parking in a covered garage just around the corner. The seating is by the windows or outside.

You order at the register and then hang around until they call your name. There are a few tables in the back.

I saw this place recommended on IG and thought it was worth a visit. I ordered the DEANO ‘THE BUTCHER’ ($9.95). "Steak Burger, Cage-Free Egg, Cheddar, Tomato, Iceberg, BAM Sauce, Brioche". Also a side of Hash Browns ($1.50). The bun was good, but the BAM sauce was very sweet. The egg was so overcooked that it started to become rubbery. The burger was not overcooked since it was almost pink in the middle but boy, was it dry and had chewy bits. This was pretty bad, maybe the breakfast sandwiches are the way to go. The hash browns turned out to be one slab of unremarkable hash browns.

Address: 319 Lowell St, Andover, MA 01810 Phone: (978) 775-1775

Mario's Lexington

The last time I went to Mario's Italian Restaurant in Lexington, a nearby table had an enormous Chicken Parm that I needed to try.

They are right in downtown Lexington, and it's just a short walk from the free parking.

The inside is nice and impeccably clean.

This is NOT what the other table had. From the lunch menu Chicken Parmigiana (7.99). "Served with Spaghetti or Shells". I picked the spaghetti with meat sauce. What I got was baked chicken fingers in an excellent sauce with plenty of melted cheese. Everything tastes like chicken, right? Not this. This had no chicken taste at all. The best part of this dish was the spaghetti with meat sauce.

Address: 1733 Massachusetts Ave, Lexington, MA 02420 Phone: (781) 861-1182

Sichuan Garden II Woburn

It's hard to find a place without a wait on Fathers Day, but Sichuan Garden II in Woburn obliged.

They have private parking and open at 11:30 on weekdays and 12:00 on weekends.

For the first time on all my years going here, I got seated in a different dining room.

The sad news is the special Chinese menu is no more. It's started as a secret menu that you had to ask for and then morphed into something that was handed out. "The dishes moved into the regular menu". No, they did not. Actually, the ChongQing Hot Dry Chicken ($16.95) did. It was spicy but not overly so. When using dry chile peppers that are not broken open, they add nothing, apart from color, to the dish. The crispy chicken was tender and of course it was dark meat. Rice was extra. My waitress was actually nice and spoke English.

Senmonorom Restaurant Lowell

Google maps were red all over apart from Rte 3 so off to Senmonorom Restaurant I went. If you find a website, let me know. I have had this Cambodian restaurant bookmarked for a while. Not sure why Google calls this place Sen Monorom?  

Even with the GPS, the restaurant was hard to find, It's set back from the road in a small plaza with no sign at the entrance. Plenty of parking.

The interior was bright, and the carpet was clean. The walls and ceiling need some work.

Everyone was raving about the Mekathung special ($8.95). I had to ask the waitress what it was since it was not on the menu. It turns out to be Chow Fun noodles. The special means that it has beef, chicken, seafood and fish cake. The sliced green veggie was raw but nicely crunchy, The noodles were all underneath, and it looked like a lump of noodles, but surprisingly they didn't stick together. So often you get noodles that are just a big lump gummed together. It was plenty of sauce, and I like that. Everything was cooked well. The dish was on the sweet side, so I had to ask for salt, and that helped. Also helping was the pickled jalapenos that had a very light pickle and most of the heat had been removed. When I saw this portion (medium btw), I thought leftovers, but I finished the whole thing. Service was pleasant, and everyone spoke English.

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

Anchor Pub & Grille Beverly

It's still early in the summer so that you can head north at lunchtime. Last weeks Nantucket Pie reminded me of the seafood pie at Anchor Pub & Grille in Beverly that seems to be on the specials menu every Thursday and Friday. They post their daily specials on their FB page.

All the animals on the balcony have escaped! There is parking outside and also across the street. They are just about a half hour away from me.

It's a small dining room and an even smaller kitchen. They warn you on the menu that it might take some time to get your food, but I have never waited long.

The Seafood Pie ($11.95) with two sides is excellent. I picked the Baked Potato and Garlic Roasted Potatoes. The pie has scallops (small), shrimp, fish and chunks of lobster. Minimal toppings and there is butter involved. The reason for potatoes with potatoes is that the last times I have had the roasted potatoes, they have been undercooked. This time they were perfect, apart from having the skin left on. Service here is always service with a smile. Be aware that all veggies are from cans and the mashed comes out of a box. Apart from that, the food is excellent and their clam roll has more clams than most platters have. All the servings are very generous. Cash only with an ATM onsite.

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

Otto Lynnfield

Starting this month to celebrate 10 years and 10 towns in both Massachusetts and Maine OTTO is offering extra special Pie of the Month—the “Lobster Masher.” A decadent mash-up (pun intended) of OTTO’s iconic Mashed Potato, Bacon and Scallion “Masher” pie. The “Lobster Masher” will be decadently garnished with fresh Maine lobster meat and comes with a cup of warm drawn butter! WHAT?! OTTO will lose money on this pizza, but it's a Thank You and they don't care!

I visited OTTO at their Lynnfield location in the Market Street complex. They have some outside seating. Yes, this was the kind of day we had, and it only got wetter and wetter. Did you know that ALL of OTTO’s pizza dough, for all locations, is made daily from scratch at an OTTO space in Lynn by a father and his sons?

The inside is nice and bright with some seating. There also counter seating at the windows.

Here is the large Lobster Masher ($22.75). This is only a dollar more than a large regular masher. It comes with drawn butter. I already like the Masher, and the lobster just made it so much better. I was amazed at how generous they were with the lobster. The lobster was perfectly cooked.

A closeup of a slice from my pizza. The individual slices ($3.75) are way bigger than this.

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

Krispy Krunchy Chicken Woburn

Krispy Krunchy Chicken is the biggest fast-food chain that you have never heard off. They have more locations than Chick-fil-A (2,200 versus 2,100). They serve spicy Louisiana style fried chicken but doesn't have as many outlets as that other chain (2700). Krispy Krunchy Chicken in Woburn opened a little while ago in North Woburn.

On street parking only and there isn't a lot of spaces. No comfortable inside seating.

Two pieces all dark (5.29) and a small mashed with gravy (2.99). The chicken is two dollars cheaper at the Stoneham location. Their mashed comes with gravy on the side and is about twice the size of this one for a dollar less. The good news is that the chicken was excellent, tender and juicy and really well seasoned with an extra crispy exterior. The unseasoned mashed potatoes lacked texture, and it was also utterly devoid of any potato taste. Not sure what box this comes out of. The gravy was vile with a really odd unpleasant taste. The chicken was very good.

Address: 902 Main St, Woburn, MA 01801 Phone: (781) 281-2047

Sizzling Kitchen Lowell

I saw a picture on IG from Sizzling Kitchen in Lowell, and they promptly went on my must-try list. I headed up today on a beautiful Sunday. They don't have a website, but a menu can be found on their FB page. They now have a Website.

They are not far from the end of the Lowell Connector. There is parking on the side of the building. Otherwise, there is metered on-street parking.

The inside was nice and bright with nice booths next to the windows and to my right. The chef/owner are sitting at the back left. My nattily dressed waiter can be seen in the back. Well, he was well dressed from the front. In the back, his pants were on their way down.

Splurge time! I started with the Creamy Mussels (10) that are available after 3PM and all day weekends. "1 1/2 lb. Blue Mussels steamed with olive oil, fresh garlic, white wine and basil". I think the basil has been replaced with scallions. The mussels were plump and juicy and cooked perfectly. The creamy part was new to me, but I really liked it. This could have been enough for a light lunch.

Next was the Sizzling Spicy Dry Chicken (12). "Bite size pieces of crispy fried chicken tossed with garlic, dried chili sauce, fresh jalapenos, and sliced green onions". No extra charge for brown rice. I recently found out that I really like brown rice. The rice was cooked well. There were also chunks of onions, bell peppers and thinly sliced onions. The chicken was excellent, crispy and still juicy. The waiter thought it was white meat, but the chef later confirmed it was dark meat. This was super tasty dish and not too spicy. The jalapenos had been cooked down, so they were more fruity than hot. There are some seriously good things happening in the kitchen. The menu is a mix of Korean, Thai, Vietnamese and Italian. A nearby table ordered the Spring Rolls and they were huge. Everyone was super friendly, and the service was excellent. I really enjoyed my Sunday lunch.

Address: 602 Merrimack St, Lowell, MA 01854 Phone: 978-221-5705

Jocelyn's Salem, NH

I have only read good things about Jocelyn's Restaurant & Martini Lounge in Salem, NH, so I decided to take a quick ride there for lunch today.

Plenty of private parking.

The restaurant was reserved for a wedding today, but they served lunch in the lounge. It was light and pleasant and looked to have been recently renovated.

I quickly got some pita bread with butter. Not sure why they wrapped the pita in a napkin since it was stone cold. The butter was at room temp. Nice linen napkins and decent cutlery.

"All lunches served with pita bread, vegetables & choice of rice pilaf, baked potato, garlic mashed potato, or hand cut french fries". Grilled Kafta (12). "2 skewers of ground lamb & beef with parsley, onions & seasonings". The hand-cut fries were excellent. The kafta was hot and well seasoned, but the vegetables were barely lukewarm but had been seasoned. The service was pleasant. I was happy when I saw that there was a free hummus for a Yelp check-in, but it turned out that it was only when ordering two lunches or entrees.

Address: 355 S Broadway, Salem, NH 03079 Phone: (603) 870-0045

Swanton Street Diner Winchester

Swanton Street Diner in Winchester has been here forever. Parking can be scarce, but I scored a spot just outside. I recently discovered that there is a parking lot behind the building. This isn't really a diner with breakfast all day, but they serve breakfast, lunch and dinner from separate menus. Breakfast is served until 2:00.

There is an artisanal bakery across the street.

This is the dining nook by the windows. The windows could do with a good cleaning.

For my lunch, I went with the Nantucket Pie ($15.99). "Broiled lobster meat, shrimp, scallops and scrod, served with rice pilaf & vegetable". In addition to the seafood mentioned above, I also got a couple rings of squid. For my sides, I picked mashed potatoes and slaw but was then informed that it only comes with one side. As you can see, I also got a second side of steamed veggies. The mashed potatoes were real mashed with lumps. Without asking, I got soft butter, and the mashed potatoes really needed it as well as plenty of salt. The veggies were steamed nicely and not overcooked. The pie itself was fine, real scallops that had the side muscle left on. Everything was cooked really perfectly. The lobster was all claw meat. The shrimp did have the tails removed, that is soo stupid when they don't remove them. The service was fine. I personally don't like to get the check before I finish my meal. They have a Groupon+ for 20% off.

Address: 72 Swanton St, Winchester, MA 01890 Phone: (781) 721-9666

Namaste Stoneham

Armed with a 30% off Groupon+ it was time for a second visit to Namaste in Stoneham. I like the Groupon+ since there is nothing to show, you just get the refund back on you CC.

They now have their own sign up. On my last visit, it still said Taj. Plenty of parking.

The inside is bright and clean. The buffet has shrunk. The Sushi boats have finally been removed.

I was going to try the Momos since it's an Indian and Nepalese restaurant. The momos are on a separate menu that took a while to locate. I ordered five chicken momos (5.00) and was surprised when eight momos arrived. This is more than five I said, and the waiter just nodded his head. The momos were delicious, as was the dipping sauce. Very thin wrapper and seasoned chicken. When I got the check, I was charged for eight despite pointing them out on the menu when I ordered. The eight-piece version is on the other side of the menu under entrees. My check was corrected, but instead of getting five as leftovers, I got two.

I ordered the Lamb Vindaloo (10.00). "Lamb pieces marinated in vinegar and spices, with potatoes in a spicy tomato and onion sauce". I ordered it hot, and it was. I had just a hint of vinegar but was very tasty, and the lamb was tender. Not a bad version at all even if it was a lot of potatoes. The rice was fluffy and aromatic. Their online menu doesn't seem to have the correct prices, and the formatting is way off. Don't they realize that the website is what customers see first? I have emailed them several times. I'll stick to Rang and Royal India Bistro that are both cheaper and give you extras.

Address: 58 Montvale Ave, Stoneham, MA 02180 Phone: (781) 438-9688