Jiang Nan Waltham

Jiang Nan in Waltham started out as The Noodle Hut when they recently opened but have now settled on the current name. It translates to South of the Yangtze and it makes sense since they announce themselves as serving Authentic Southern Chinese & Taiwanese Cuisine. Closed Tuesdays.

They have some off-street parking. Their webpage states that they have been here since 2010, but they just opened. The sign in the window says Opening Soon, and I don't think the waitress got it when I told her that this means that the restaurant isn't open yet,

The inside has been completely redone, and the place now looks really nice. This is from my visit to their predecessor.

Lunch comes with H&S soup only. The soup was pleasant with exciting stuff in the soup. You also get some peanuts to start with, so you can practise your chopstick skills. BTW, very nice chopsticks.

When the waitress told me they use pork belly in their Double Cooked Pork (Spicy) / 回鍋肉 (辣) 9.50, I was sold. It had all the right stuff, and it was a decent-sized portion that was tasty. The veggies were cooked but still crispy. Unfortunately, the thinly sliced pork belly was dry and chewy. Despite that, I'll be back to try some more dishes.

Address: 922 Main St, Waltham, MA 02451Phone: (781) 893-6663

Brothers Peabody

Brother's Restaurant & Deli in Peabody are located just a short walk from the free parking. I had their Kokinisti a while back, and it was excellent, but the potatoes were overcooked. I decided to give them another chance today.

What has changed? They now have a liquor license. If you don't get the free parking, it's only a quarter/hour on the street.

New bar with some dedicated seating.

Todays Kokinisto ($14.94) with double potatoes. The lamb was cooked well, and the sauce was excellent. I usually get two meals out of a serving but not today, so it was a bit skimpy on the protein. Most of the potatoes were cooked well apart from a few like the ones in front that were rock hard on the outside. The rest mashed up nicely to soak up the gravy.

The dining room is pleasant and impeccably clean.

Address: 11 Main St, Peabody, MA 01960 Phone: (978) 717-5578

Bob's Medford

As soon as the Classic Italian sandwich gets discussed, Bob's Italian Foods in Medford is always mentioned. They are takeout only with on-street parking and not a whole lot of it.

This is the Large Deluxe Imported Italian ($11) on braided with everything except tomatoes. The website said "Bob's best. Imported Prosciutto di Parma, Sopressata, Capicola, Mortadella & Provolone". See any Prosciutto? Me neither. See any Sopressata? No? See any Capicola? No? See any Mortadella? Yes, it's there. The provolone was nice and thickly sliced. There were whole peppers in there, and that's new to me. There was seasoning in there, but there were no traditional hots even if something was spicy.

This was meats I got, and there was a good amount of it, even if it was not what was advertised.

Address: 324 Main St, Medford, MA 02155 Phone: (781) 395-0400

Tasty Mo:Mo: Somerville

Tasty Mo:Mo: in Somerville recently moved across the street into a bigger space and I was, of course, curious.

The new place is literally across the street from the old place. Only metered parking unless you fancy a short walk.

Look how nice this is compared to the old location. I missed the pretty owner and also her mother, who used to be behind the counter making momos like there was no tomorrow. You still order and pay at the counter.

Mo:Mo: ($7.48). "Dumplings served steamed or deep fried with a chili and tomato sauce (8 pcs/order). Choice of chicken/pork/beef/vegan". This is from the website, fried dumplings are a dollar more. I went with the pork, and they are excellent, delicious with very thin skin. Unfortunately, most of them had a tear in the skin, so all the juices ended up on the plate. Yes, you get a plate now.

The menu has expanded.

Address 503 Medford St, Somerville, MA 02145 Phone number (617) 764-0222
I believe this is the old address.

Jamaica Jeff's Belmont

Jamaica Jeff's in Belmont opened last week in Belmont center, and I couldn't wait to try it. No website yet but you can find the menu on their FB page. They took over the place where a very mediocre Indian restaurant resided.

Belmont now has metered on-street parking. However, there is free parking in the back when you visit a business. There is also an entrance back there.

The interior is cool and a bit funky. There is a full-sized motorcycle behind me.

What to try? Jerk Chicken, of course. This is the 1/4 Lbs chicken ($5) with Rice and Peas ($4). I ordered all dark, and the waiter said it was all dark. It wasn't. I got a 1/4 breast on the bone and one on the bone thigh. Bonus for being on the bone. The chicken breast was cooked really well, tender and still juicy. For once I didn't mind the white meat. The jerk itself was very flavorful with a gentle lingering heat. You can order all dark. In fact, when I told Jeff about getting white meat, he immediately offered to get me another thigh, but I was fine.

I also tried the 1/4Lbs Jerk Pork ($6). My side order of rice and peas was split between the two plates. The rice was cooked really well and was not mushy. The pork was really tender and tasty. It turns out they use pork shoulder (yeah!). There is only one level of heat, but that might change in the future. Either of the plates would have been enough for lunch for me. Considering that they only have been open since last week, I was delighted with both the food and the service. They need better napkins, but I can live with that.

Here is Jeff himself entertaining a nearby table, and me, with stories. He was a "diplomat", well he was with the CIA in places where I wouldn't want to visit, even with a military escort. Get him to talk, and he's full of stories. Nice guy and I wish him well with this venture. I'll be back for sure. Another good thing is that they run you CC at the table.

Address: 61 Leonard St, Belmont, MA 02478 Phone: (617) 484-5333

Amigo’s Peabody

Amigo’s Mexican Kitchen and Tequila Bar in Peabody are located in the Northshore Mall and opened very recently.

If you look at the mall, they are located to the right of The Bancroft. I, of course, went left and had to circle the whole mall. There is also a lot of construction going on in this corner. Somehow I didn't expect them to this big.

Big bar with nice hightop at the windows and a dining room in the back. There is also a dining room to my left at the entrance.

You get (cold) but fresh chips and salsa. The salsa was fantastic, delicious with a bit of heat. You get the dreaded rolled up silverware, but the napkin was of a decent size, and the cutlery was OK.

It's Taco Tuesday so all Tacos was half price and that includes the dinner Tacos as well. I picked the CARNITAS TACOS ($12.95) with rice and beans. "Slow-cooked, tender and juicy pork served with melted cheese, pico de gallo and guacamole". The menu said two tacos, I got three, but I'm not complaining. I notice in the make your own lunch that there was an option of Mexican rice or green poblano, so I went with the poblano. The rice was stone cold but was quickly fixed, and I got a replacement bowl of piping hot rice. The rice was green but needed more poblanos. The refried beans were OK, maybe a tad too much cheese. I would have liked to see a bigger container. The melted cheese didn't make it, but the pork was tender and tasty. The corn tortillas were a bit dry. A few hiccups, nothing serious and they just opened, so I was happy with my lunch. The service was very good.

Address: 210 Andover St, Peabody, MA 01960 Phone: (978) 532-0008

Sichuan Gourmet Burlington

I have many favorites at Sichuan Gourmet in Burlington, and today it was time for one of them. I have been going to Sichuan Gourmet since they only had the one location in Billerica. They now have five locations.

Plenty of parking.

The inside is nice and of course impeccably clean. I try to get here early because they usually get wicked busy.

The dish is the Fish Filets & Napa Cabbage w. Spicy Chili Sauce ($16.95) and I have now had this dish in all its variants. Yes, that's a pile of garlic on top of a heap of chili! Look at the amount of fish that you get. Excellently cooked fish, moist and flaky and it's a fiercely hot dish, but you can still taste the fish. I also really like the napa cabbage that's underneath. White rice is $1.50, and you get a big bowl.

Address 91 Middlesex Turnpike, Burlington, MA 01803 Phone number (781) 221-7288

Gaslight Lynnfield

Gaslight Kitchen & Bar in Lynnfield is located in the Market Street complex.

This was the kind of day we are having today. I was going for lunch, but they only do brunch on the weekend.

The inside is very nice with a good bistro feeling to it.

I picked the Steak Tips ($18.95) with sunny side eggs and home fries. I ordered the tips rare, and they were cooked from medium to medium-well. They were also dry. The potatoes were seasoned nicely and were really tasty, but they were also mushy. The eggs looked nice, but the yolk was cooked almost all the way through. I also ordered a side of Smoked Ham ($4.25) that was good but not very smokey. The service was OK. Thanks to Nift I got $20 off.

Address 1100, Market Street, Lynnfield, MA 01940 Phone number (781) 334-3433

SugarCane Peabody

I had a pleasant lunch at Sugarcane in Peabody on my first visit. I have no idea how they want the name written.

The visit was even more pleasant after I found out that they have private parking on the side of the building. They are now closed on Mondays.

The inside is pleasant, and I got a nice window booth.

I decided to start with Fresh Summer Roll (3). "Lettuce, basil, vermicelli, shrimp& pork, served with peanut dipping sauce". It looked good, right?

Here's the reality. Two half shrimps that were dry and a few slivers of pork. 98% was vermicelli and lettuce. The peanut sauce was good.

Grilled Seasoned Pork Chop (8.50). "Pork chop marinated in flavorful spices grilled to perfection, garnished with a salad". The very very thin pork chop was cooked well and was really tasty. The Nuoc Cham was OK. Service was friendly.

Address 106 Main St, Peabody, MA 01960 Phone number (978) 532-7800

New Brothers Danvers

I have missed the Kokinisto since Brothers Kouzina closed. Today I headed out to New Brothers Restaurant & Deli in Danvers for their Kokinisto. Their website and takeout menu state that they are not affiliated with any other Brothers or Deli.

I have to go and try their lunch specials one day. Plenty of parking behind the building and there is also an entrance back there.

Yes, it's cafeteria-style, but the line moves quickly. The interior is impeccably clean and really well maintained.

Baked Lamb, Greek Kokinisto ($14.95) with two sides. Double Roasted Potatoes with extra gravy, please. The potatoes could have been more lemony, but the lamb was tender. 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. I can see from the bone that it is actual lamb.

I asked if they used brisket in the Reuben and the answer was: We only use corned beef. It seems to be a common thing to associate corned beef with round.

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

Margaritas Waltham

This is almost a yearly tradition now to have the Taco Gigante at Margaritas at their Waltham location. I stay away from their Lexington Location.

I again forgot to ask them why they changed the color of the sign. They have parking behind the building.

I do like the high top in the bar.

The chips are now light and fresh, too bad it was mostly crumbled pieces. The salsa is also good.

So what is the Taco Gigante? The Taco Gigante ($12.99) is a mammoth, 12-inch, 2-pound Taco filled to the brim with lettuce, refried beans, rice, ground beef, chicken, carnitas, cheese, salsa fresca, bacon, queso, hacienda sauce, picante sauce, crema and pickled jalapeños. It's served in a shell made from the same thing as you get your taco salad in. The first time I had this, the meats were separated, starting with the ground beef, then the chicken and finished with the carnitas. This version had all the meats mixed up. I like it better the other way, but then I'm an engineer. There was only one strip of bacon, and it was flabby. There was shredded chicken, but there was also big chunks of unseasoned chicken. It is still very good and big enough for two meals for me. Finish it, and you get free tacos for a year.

Address: 211 Moody St, Waltham, MA 02453 Phone: (781) 893-9990

Pho Dalat Chelmsford

Pho Dalat in Chelmsford is the third member, and newest, of this very local chain. Pho Dalat now has three locations within a 10-mile radius. After I wrote about my excellent soup at Senmonorom Restaurant, it was suggested that I try one here.

They have parking, but it's a nightmare trying to get back on Rte 3 southbound. Nobody, except me, follows the marked lanes.

The inside is nice and bright, but they should actually move the tables when cleaning the floors.

The suggested soup was the Hot, Sweet & Sour Soup ($13.95) aka Canh Chua. "With a choice of farm raised catfish, salmon, shrimp and chicken breast with chunks of pineapple, fresh tomatoes and celery and basil in an aromatic spicy broth. Served with steamed rice on the side". Well, the tomatoes didn't make it. I did ask the waiter what the thinly sliced vegetables were and his answer was "I don't know, probably something from Asia", and that was it. The broth was excellent, aromatic and well seasoned with a little bit of kick. The amount of well-cooked catfish was a bit sparse. The service was terrible, no checkup, no water refill and I had to flag down a waitress to get my bill, since my waiter had, again, retreated to the kitchen.

Address: 131 Drumhill Road Chelmsford MA 01824 Phone: 978-710-7636

Bobby C's Melrose

Bobby C's Ristorante in Melrose is so far from the center that it's almost in Malden. I was going to the North Shore today, but traffic dictated otherwise.

There is on-street parking and also parking behind the restaurant, Be sure to pay attention as to where you park, the parking rules are strictly enforced. The opening hours on their welcome page are incorrect. No lunch service on Mondays or Tuesdays.

The inside is nice and bright. I really like this place, all the food I have had has been well prepared, and the lunch prices are great.

Linen napkins and decent silverware. Super fresh bread with delicious dipping oil.

From the lunch menu, I picked the Baked Haddock ($11.99). "Topped with house crumbs, served with roasted potato and broccoli". If I had paid attention, I would have swapped the broccoli for extra potatoes. Even if the potatoes have the skin left on, they are excellent and really well seasoned. The fish was cooked well, but I wish the crumbs had been more aggressively seasoned. Service is always pleasant here.

Address 20 Main St, Melrose, MA 02176 Phone number (781) 662-5472

The Wardhurst Peabody

The Wardhurst Restaurant & Bar in Peabody was recommended for a great Reuben, but it turns out to be round and not the preferred brisket. They have fixed daily specials and also daily specials.

They have plenty of private parking.

I was not sure what to expect inside, but it was bright and clean. This place must have been renovated not long ago. The bar seating goes all the way around.

The very nice dining room and there is also another dining room to my left. I got a comfortable booth.

The fresh rolls were piping hot, and you get real butter. Linen napkins with very cheap cutlery.

You get two sides, but I only got one since my mains had mashed on top. The Black Bean soup was excellent, well seasoned and chockful of ham, bacon and other tasty stuff.

Shepard’s Pie ($14.99). "Simmered beef with corn. Topped with mashed and brown gravy". Technical this is a Cottage Pie since it uses ground beef. The gravy was more orange than brown. This was a hefty serving that was piping hot. The unseasoned mash was made from potatoes. The beef was also completely unseasoned, but there was plenty of gravy underneath the mash. The service was pleasant. I might be back for a lunch special or a daily special.

Address: 31 Lynnfield St, Peabody, MA 01960 Phone: (978) 531-9730