Saturday, August 31, 2019

Semolina Kitchen + Bar Medford

I have had Semolina Kitchen + Bar in Medford bookmarked for some time and hearing good things about their Italian I visited for lunch today.


They have metered on-street parking with the infernal parking meters. They also have parking during the week in Tufts lot next to the back fence. Saturdays the whole lot is available. Being my first time here I of course entered at the do not enter entrance.


The inside is rustic and charming. No padding on the seats.


They also have outdoor seating.


This is the aforementioned The Italian (12). "mortadella, finocchiona, hot capocollo, provolone, tomato, onion, pickle, hots, oregano". I asked for it lightly pressed, but that didn't work, it was pressed with a really crispy outside. The bread was really good, and the meats were excellent and it all the right condiments so this made for a very tasty Italian. The first half I did eat as shown, but the second half got the top removed, and I ate it flat. That works much better. Why do sandwiches have to be cut in half in this country? Not impressed by the service, I had to ask for a water refill, my bill took forever to arrive.

Address: 572 Boston Ave, Medford, MA 02155 Phone: (781) 219-3871

Friday, August 30, 2019

The Colosseum Salem NH

I was going to Rockingham Cafe Salem, NH for their Reuben, but they don't make their own corned beef anymore. I went with the daily special of Meatloaf with mashed potatoes and veg. It took over 30 minutes to arrive, and the mash was uncooked crushed potatoes, the meatloaf was so dry and dense that I couldn't cut it. The gravy was from a can. When I left, I noticed that The Colosseum Restaurant was next door and it was highly recommended a few days ago.



Plenty of parking.



They have a big bar with booth seating.



The dining room was a bit spartan, but I guess that goes with the name. I wonder if it gets loud when they are busy. It was not an issue at lunchtime.



You get warm fresh bread that was placed on top of the butter, so you get spreadable butter. Linen napkins and good silverware. I got a spoon with the cutlery and to quote an NYT article: "Spoons are for children, amateurs and people with bad table manners in general".



I ordered the lunch Spaghetti Sausage & Meatball (12), but when it arrived, the meatball was missing, but my cute and friendly waitress quickly brought out a meatball. It turns out that she put in the order as Spaghetti & Sausages. So not only did she save me a dollar, but I also got an extra sausage. The pasta was cooked al dented, and the meat sauce was excellent. The sausages are made in house and had a really pleasant texture. They could have used a bit more seasoning. The meatball was excellent, tender and tasty with a blob of cheese in the middle. I was delighted with my lunch here.

Address: 264 N Broadway # 101, Salem, NH 03079 Phone: (603) 898-1190

Thursday, August 29, 2019

MuLan Waltham

I haven't blogged about MuLan in Waltham for quite some time since I go here frequently. This is my favorite Taiwanese restaurant.


On-street free parking and I never have a problem with finding a spot. Waltham removed all their parking meters.



The inside is nice and bright, and even if they expanded into next door, they still almost fill up for lunch.



Sadly their excellent H&S soup isn't included at lunch anymore. You get pickled cabbage and peanuts. The peanuts are useful for honing your chopstick skills. There is also some ambiguity about the name. The outside sign says MuLan, the menu says Mu Lan or Mulan. 



Lunch Diced Chicken with Hot Sauce (8.95) is one of my favorites and usually is just pleasantly spicy. Today it was infernally hot and almost too spicy for me. If you look at the last picture from a previous visit, you can see that the hot sauce is almost clear. Today it was loaded with seeds. Not sure why but the staff kept on glancing in my direction. The peppers are not that hot but very tasty and I have no clue what they are. They are not jalapenos or long hot peppers. The staff here is incredibly efficient and can turn over a table in no time at all.

Address 835 Main St, Waltham, MA 02451 Phone number (781) 642-8888

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Eleni's Mediterranean Grille Winchester

Eleni's Mediterranean Grille in Winchester took over the space that was home to another Greek restaurant that I visited once.


The place is small, and there are only on-street parking and not a lot of it. There is metered parking on the other side of the rotary.


They have a vertical rotisserie for the gyro meat. No more frozen sliced meats.


Salads are prepackaged.


I went with the Gyro Plate ($13.90). "Served with French fries, hot pita bread, tomato slices, onion and a side of tzatziki". From the online menu. In reality, it was a Greek Salad on the side. Wasn't really on the side. The dressing was thick and white with yoghurt. A greek dressing is supposed to be a Greek vinaigrette, so I have no idea what this was. You have a choice of French Fries or roasted potatoes, so I went with the roasted lemon potatoes. They were lemony but also overcooked. Not sure why the pita was served underneath the food unless it was to prop up the gyro meat. It looks to be a good size heap of meat, but it was served on top of the potatoes and the salad. The meat was tender, but it had been cut up into small bits. It also needed more seasoning. Sprinkling some marjoram on top doesn't really qualify as seasoning. The tzatziki was very good. For $13.90, I didn't expect paper plates and plastic utensils. Considering what I got at Brothers Kouzina for a dollar more, this was expensive. I can't wait until Brothers open in a new location.


They do have seating. There is a four-top with stools around the corner. The place was clean, and the tables were quickly wiped down.

Address: 599 Main St, Winchester, MA 01890 Phone: (781) 729-2889

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Causeway Gloucester

Causeway Restaurant finally posted their lunch specials before lunch today and had the famed Lemon Pepper Porkchops available.


There is parking in front and also in the back.


I took a seat at the bar today. This is how it looked just before noon. At 12:15, they started taking names. On a Tuesday at lunch!


Lemon Pepper Pork Chops ($9). The good news was that the pork chops were seasoned and the mashed potatoes were made from real potatoes. The bad news was that the pork chops were overcooked and dry. The mashed potatoes were so overwhipped that they had turned into glue. The thin asparagus was very good.

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

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Snappy Pattys Medford

My first choice for lunch opens at 12:00, but when I got there shortly after noon, there was no one there. My second choice was a Mexican place in Medford, but they where closed on Saturdays. Who does that? Snappy Pattys in Medford was close by, and I really like their food.



I now know where there is free parking nearby,



Not only did they open a hole into next door and adding 50 seats, they finally have the patio done that they started working on in early '15. This is a nicely shaded space.



I only got the brunch menu while the waitress also handed out the lunch menu. It was only the second shift for my waiter. Crispy Chicken Schnitzel (15). "Sweet Chili Mayo, Lime. American & Iceburg". Their fries are hand-cut and excellent. I got two complete discs of red onions. That's really not edible. The sweet chili mayo was excellent. A schnitzel should have a coating of breadcrumbs and then panfried. This one was battered and then deep-fried. It must have been pounded into shape since the chicken was stringy and hard to cut even with a knife. It was all white meat. Overall it was really tasty despite the stringy chicken. Service was fine.

Address: 454 High St, Medford, MA 02155 Phone: (781) 219-4804

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Cafe Escadrille Burlington

The lunch offerings on this years Dine Out Boston wasn't too impressive in the burbs. The usual suspects had the same menus again, and even Davio's that changes the menus weekly failed to enthral. Cafe Escadrille in Burlington had nothing new on the menu either but have a couple of items that I like, and it's a good value at $20 for a three-course lunch.


Plenty of parking.



The interior is well maintained.



You get very light bread (cold) and butter (even colder). The Soup Du Jour on the Dine Out Boston lunch menu was gazpacho, and that sounded interesting. The soup was delicious and well seasoned and was chockful of finely minced raw veggies.



The second course was Tournedos á la Bordelaise. "Twin Petite Tenderloin Steaks with Artichoke, Spinach, Mashed Potato, Sauce Bordelaise". The tenderloins were ordered rare, and that's how they arrived. The mashed potatoes were helped with two packets of butter and plenty of salt and pepper. Still could have done with more cream. In fact, everything needed salt and pepper. The spinach was cooked perfectly, but the artichokes had one layer of skin left on. The crispy onion strings were a nice addition. After seasoning, this is an enjoyable dish.



I finished with a mini dessert. Chocolate Profiterole With Vanilla Ice-Cream, Chocolate Sauce. This was pleasant. Service was OK. I mentioned to the waitress that the lunch Chirashi wasn't on the menu except for dinner. Her response was "They don't serve Sushi every day". She did understand me since I was pointing at the Chirashi on the dinner menu.

Address 26 Cambridge St, Burlington, MA 01803 Phone number (781) 273-1916

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Mexicali Danvers

Mexicali Cantina Grill in Danvers is part of a small but fast-growing chain, and this is the eight location. They opened in late '18 in a location that was previously home to the British Beer Company.



They have a small patio, and the place now looks really inviting. Plenty of parking.



What used to be a dark dining room is now bright and pleasant.



I took a high top in the bar since I like to sit next to the windows. They did a nice job of decorating the inside.



You get thin and fresh warm chips and salsa. I really like the multicolor chips. The salsa was fresh and very good with a hint of heat. It was also seasoned really well. The salsa is almost a reason to go back. Rolled up silverware but it was a good quality napkin with good quality silverware.



The Chili Verde is my benchmark for a Mexican restaurant, and if they do this well, they are likely to do the rest of the dishes well. Lunch Pork Chile Verde (12). "Chunks of pork loin cooked until tender in a mild green tomatillo sauce of green peppers, onions, cilantro and spices. Served with rice and beans". It was also served with corn or flour tortillas. I went with the corn ones that had been lightly grilled and was super fresh and tasty. They don't make their own tortillas. The refried beans had a good texture but needed more seasoning. The rice was fluffy. The Chili Verde was excellent. Tender pork in a very tasty sauce that was well seasoned and tart from the tomatillos. It was also a very generous lunch serving. I definitely will be back to try more dishes. They do a Taco Tuesday special where you can get selected $1 Tacos in the bar with the purchase of something alcoholic. Service was pleasant, but they weren't exactly busy at lunch.

Address: 29 Andover St Danvers, MA 01923 Phone: (978) 304-1860

Saturday, August 17, 2019

Iron Town Diner Saugus

I had an eggcellent egg and hash at Iron Town Diner on my first visit. The waitress assured me that they used brisket in their Reuben and even double-checked with the kitchen.



When I got there and saw all the people waiting for a table, I realized that going on a Saturday wasn't my brightest idea. This picture was taken when I was leaving. It's really convoluted to get in and out of the parking lot.



Every table was taken except one seat at the counter. The counter has an uneven number of seats, so if you are a single diner, there is a good chance to get a seat.



Reuben ($10.99). This is actually brisket even if it looks like round. This is due to how they cook the brisket. You can see some fat on some slices and that would not happen if it was round. The brisket was really tasty and very tender. It was also a generous serving. I swapped the dark rye for light rye that was toasted nicely. I got extra dressing that was very good. The Reuben could have done with more sauerkraut. I picked spicy fries as my side. They were seasoned but not very spicy, and they were also overcooked. Did I say that the brisket was excellent? 

Address: 325 Main St, Saugus, MA 01906 Phone: (781) 558-2070

Wednesday, August 14, 2019

Dumpling Daughter Weston

Time for another visit to the excellent Dumpling Daughter in Weston. It's run by Nadia Liu Spellman who is the daughter of Sally Ling of the long-gone Sally Ling's restaurant on the waterfront. No wonder the dumpling here is excellent. She recently opened a second location in Kendal Square.


They are located in the same plaza as a supermarket so parking can be tight.


The inside is nice and bright. You order ta the counter, pick up your number, and the food is delivered to your table when ready. Guess who 23 is?


Braised Beef Beijing Noodle Soup ($13). "Beef shank, pickled mustard greens, homemade noodles, scallions, cilantro in beef broth". The beef shank was excellent, tender and really flavorful. Look at that dark and savory broth, it doesn't get much better than this. It was as good this time as the last time. I tried to use the spoon and chopstick but gave up after about twenty minutes. The noodles were just too slippery. I usually stay away from this dish since it often has very icky bits of beef but not here. All the dishes I have tried here has been excellent.

Address 37 Center St, Weston, MA 02493 Phone number (781) 216-8989

Tuesday, August 13, 2019

Mi Mexico Lindo Methuen

Mi Mexico Lindo in Methuen has been here for about 15 years, and I have never heard about them. They even have reasonably priced lunch specials.



This is 5 Pleasant Street, but where is the restaurant? You are better off going to the end of the street, hang a left and then quickly another left into the parking lot behind the building.



You will then end up where the entrance is located. There is a big parking lot here.



The inside is your typical Mexican restaurant. No windows but it was nice and well lit inside.



You get good chips with a so-so salsa. Rolled up silverware of course.



On Taco Tuesday they do 99¢ beef tacos, and I had to try one. The ground beef lacked texture, but it was a good amount of ground beef and plenty of fresh lettuce and cheese. In fact, the extra lettuce and cheese turned into a small salad.



The online menu said Chile Verde (9.99). From the takeout menu "Pork loin braised in a green sauce of special fresh Mexican "tomatillos" green peppers, onions and spices. Served with tortillas". The sauce had absolutely no acidity, and it was more of pork in a sauce with some poblano strips. There was some nice guacamole in the middle. The pork was tender, and the sauce was pleasant, but it was far from a Chile Verde. The rice was fluffy and the refried beans were OK. It was also a very generous portion. I'll be back to try some more dishes. The service was friendly. Afterwards, you can always stop at Nevins Farm and say hello to all the animals.

Address: 5 Pleasant St, Methuen, MA 01844 Phone: (978) 682-2271

Sunday, August 11, 2019

Acitrón Arlington

I have been to Acitrón Cocina Mexicana in Arlington a number of times and been pleased with their food. They now do lunch/brunch Sat-Sun.


I rarely go to Arlington after they installed the parking meters. Waltham removed all of theirs.


Did you know that Punjab started here? I miss my lunches there. I usually sit up near the windows, and it wasn't until recently I found out that they have a patio. Can you see the door?


The patio was way bigger than what I expected.


What used to be ho-hum chips and salsa have no turned in to excellent thin chips with a really well seasoned and tasty salsa. I kept on eating chips and salsa.


MOLE POBLANO (14.95). "Shredded chicken cooked with a legendary blend of spices, chilies, nuts and Mexican chocolate made into a rich and flavorful mole sauce, in the traditional Puebla style". It might look like a small portion, but it wasn't. The chicken was tender, and the mole was exceptionally good. A hint of cocoa and a bit of heat made this mole very interesting. The rice was seasoned well as were the beans. I also got three warm corn tortillas that I used to make tacos. The waitress promptly asked if I wanted more tortillas. This place has some seriously delicious food. The service was excellent.

Address 473 Massachusetts Avenue, Arlington, MA 02474 Phone number (781) 777-2839