Gene's Chinese Flatbread Cafe Woburn

Gene's Chinese Flatbread Cafe in Woburn now takes credit cards and has online ordering. $.99 surcharge for ordering online. They have signed up with all the commercial delivery services, but I would suggest you order direct and pick up yourself. The delivery companies take a hefty fee from the restaurants.

This is the #4 HAND-PULLED NOODLES 油泼扯面 (6.52). "Freshly hand - pulled noodles, seasoned with minced garlic, crushed cayenne peppers, chopped scallion, and cilantro" with the noodles ordered extra spicy. The extra spicy worked. I wonder what happened to the big blob of garlic that used to be on top? You now have the option to order this with meat (+2.50) and I had to ask what the meat was. It's pork and I went with that. I didn't expect to get this huge amount of meat that was really tasty. You can also add two lamb skewers (+3). This was my first exposure to hand-pulled noodles when they were located in Chelmsford in the middle of nowhere, and it's still a cracking dish. The good thing about having this dish as takeout is that you can now cut up the Esherish noodles into manageable bites.

Having stuffed myself silly and then a bit more, this is enough for another meal. I love this place.

Address: 466 Main St, Woburn, MA 01801 Phone: (781) 938-6888

Sammy's Deli Burlington

Sammy's Deli in Burlington is almost in Woburn. I have enjoyed their seasonal lobster rolls since last year, but never blogged about it. If I was smart, I would have blogged about this in the spring.

They have private parking off the busy Winn Street.

Yup, it's a deli. Their soups are excellent, normally they have a lot of different soups, but currently, there are only three available. No self-serve, and that makes sense. The indoor seating behind the cashier is open again.

The Friday Lobster Roll ($15.95) is a really good deal. "Big pieces of lobster meat with little bits of celery & a little bit of mayo on a roll". They say, and that is true. The lobster meat is previously frozen, but you would never guess it. None of that watery and mushy meat. This is an excellent lobster roll with 5 oz of quality lobster meat, claw and knuckle. I actually add more mayo. I asked for mayo on the roll and got mayo on one side only. What's up with that? I think next week is the last Friday this will be available. Check their website, where all the daily specials are listed. Signing up for the Groupon+ deal, you get 20% off on the first visit, and 10% for the following. Groupon+ are now only valid for a month, so you have to resubscribe.

Address: 59 Winn St, Burlington, MA 01803 Phone: (781) 272-5955

Casa Blanca Wilmington

Casa Blanca in Wilmington opened recently and is open for dining-in and takeout. "Join us for dinner, lunch or takeout". However, they don't have a lunch menu or any Taco Tuesday deals.

Plenty of parking. This used to be a Chili's that will not be missed.

The inside is pretty much the same, with some Mexican touches added. There is a really big bar on the left.

Takeout Pork Chile Verde (14.95). "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". I like to do takeout since you get chips and salsa included that you can snack on whenever you feel like. This dish is my benchmark for Mexican restaurants, and I have had some good versions. If they don't have Chile Verde on the menu, are they really Mexican? Choice of corn or flour tortillas that were nicely heated up. The rice was good, the beans were fine as was the salad in the middle. The pork was tender, and the sauce was tasty but could have been more tart. There were diced red onions and cilantro on top, and I'm not sure how I feel about that. Not a bad version and they are really close to me. I had the Nachos Supreme the other week, and it was a ginormous serving with plenty of chorizo. The chips were OK, but the salsa container leaked.

Address: 207 Main St, Wilmington, MA 01887 Phone: (978) 447-1299

The Wardhurst Peabody

The Wardhurst Restaurant & Bar in Peabody is open for dine-in, dine-out and takeout.

They have been serving outside for quite a while, but are now doing dine-in as well.

You get two sides with your meal. House salad with greek dressing was fresh and tasty.

Drumstick Monday ($12.99) was just announced. "Four extra-large drumsticks fried to perfection". Probably should have gone with fries, but they don't reheat well. The real mashed potatoes do. The "extra large" gets misused a lot, but not here. The drummies were gigantic! They were also cooked perfectly and had a really good crispy batter that was actually seasoned. They are, of course, cooked to order. Here's a link to the specials section. The service in the bar was excellent and friendly.

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

Skewers2GO Woburn

Skewer's Wood Grill has been in business in Tewksbury for over 20 years but decided to relocate to Woburn and focus on catering and takeout. They are now in business as Skewers2GO. 

No sign outside yet, so the F in the address is important. You can order from their website or Doordash. I suggest that you order from their website and pick up yourself. The delivery company charges the business a hefty fee. Today and tomorrow they have BOGO offer for a Souvlaki Box ($11.50) served with Greek fries, Greek salad, your choice of sauce and pita bread. Offer is only valid for ordering from their website.

Fresh Pita bread, and I got to try three sauces/dips. The tzatziki held no surprise, and the hummus was very tasty. The interesting one was the Tirokafteri (spicy feta spread) that I really liked.

My box (special). The Souvlaki Box comes with two skewers like the chicken in front, and the Skewer Box ($13.95) also comes with two skewers, but they include veggies like the one in the back. It also has more choices of proteins. The salad was fresh with a really nice dressing on the side. I like the spicy pepper that you can see sticking up in the back. The chicken skewer was chicken with nice grill marks. The lamb skewer was still pink in the middle, and the pork one was also cooked really well without being dried out. The fries were soft, and I really like them that way. Nothing worse than overcooked and dry fries. The food was piping hot when I got home, but I live 5 minutes away. I must say that this is a really nice addition to Woburn's food scene. Like them on FB to be informed about the weekly specials.

Address: 150 New Boston Street #F Woburn, MA Phone: 781 281 2355

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

Taipei Gourmet Lexington

Taipei Gourmet in Lexington is one of my favorite restaurants. They are now open for both dine-in and outside dining.

A big tent was set up in the parking area, but it decided to go for a walkabout on the windy day we just had. There are still tables on the patio.

I was delighted when I found out that they do Curry Chicken even if it's not on the menu. This is a favorite dish of mine, and it should no be confused with Chicken Curry that is a completely different dish. This is the lunch version, and it was excellent and very tasty. Their H&S soup is also excellent. The regular waitress is now back in action.

Address 211 Mass Ave, Lexington, MA 02420 Phone number (781) 541-6999

The Treasury Burlington

The Treasury - Indian and Greek Kitchen in Burlington opened at the worst time, just before the pandemic started. They closed quickly and then reopened for takeout, and now they are open for dining in.

They are in the Wayside Commons, so there is plenty of parking.

They have a very nice patio with big umbrellas.

A very nice and elegant dining room. There is another room behind the bar that will become a Greek dining room later. Both cuisines will be available in both dining rooms.

On the lunch menu, they have a "COMBO MEAL ($14). Pick any two lunch curries (1/2 portions), served with naan or rice and salad". I really like this idea since you can try two dishes. To the left is the DELHI BUTTER CHICKEN. "Shredded pieces of Tandoori Chicken cooked in a creamy tomato sauce". The chicken was in chunks, but they were tender and not dry. The sauce was excellent, creamy, well seasoned with a hint of heat. This was a really well executed dish. To the right is the DAAL MAKHANI. "Slow cooked black lentils avored with fresh ginger". This is an old favorite of mine, and again, it was delicious. The Garlic Naan was exactly the way I like it, thin and almost crispy with plenty of garlic and butter. They did ask if I like butter on the naan. The salad was also very good, and really tasty and I don't even like beets. I also got some basmati rice, that was light and fluffy with every grain separated.

And now something from the greek side. Roasted Lamb Gyro served with greek fries or salad. The thin-cut fries with greek seasoning and feta were cooked really well. The gyro was really good with super fresh pita, and tender lamb, with just a little bit tzatziki sauce. Again, this is the way I like a gyro. One yogurt-based sauce and one "greek caesar" that was really good. I'm impressed with the food, and I eat a lot of Indian food. The service was friendly, and one waiter recognized me from another Indian restaurant in Lexington.

Address: 4A Wayside Rd, Burlington, MA 01803 Phone: (781) 202-8000

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

Professor's Market Reading

Professor's Market in Reading has been open since '17, and I have never heard about them until they started to show up on Instagram. I stopped by last week to check them out and found that they cook their corned beef inhouse and are using brisket.

Free on-street parking and they also have spaces on Green Street. They have a couple of tables outside.

No surprises inside and of course no seating.

House Reuben ($8.50). Served with cheese, pickle and mustard. What, no sauerkraut or Thousand Island dressing? They were happy to add some Thousand Island dressing, but since I forgot to ask about extra dressing, it was a bit sparse. The bread had been warmed up, but it wasn't griddled at all. The cheese was melted. The corned beef was tasty, but not fall apart tender and it was also sliced very thinly. Not really a success.

Address: 505 Main St, Reading, MA 01867 Phone: (781) 779-1794

Tasty Dumplings Lowell

Tasty Dumplings in Lowell opened about a month ago, and I have heard only good things about them, so it was time for a visit. No website, but the menu can be found on their FB page. On a Sunday of course, to avoid the city tax.

There is only metered on-street parking. Nowhere on the pay station are any rates displayed. I know that if you use a CC, they hit you with a two-hour charge.

They have a nice outdoor seating area with properly distanced tables.

I have a memory of this being an Asian grocery store from when I used to frequent South East Asia next door. Boy, I miss that buffet! The inside is nice and bright, and I took a seat at the counter overlooking the outside patio.

Steamed Pork and Crab Meat Soup Dumplings ($10.99). They were good sized and filled with a really tasty mix. Black vinegar and ginger on the side. There are two ways of eating these. 1. Plop the whole thing into your mouth, and get 3rd-degree burns. 2. Put the dumpling in the spoon and carefully nibble one corner open and slurp up the soup. Then add some ginger vinegar and enjoy the rest of the dumpling. All dumplings are made to order.

Spicy Mini Hot Pot ($8.99). "Clear Sweet Potato Vermicelli with Cabbages, Bok Choy, Tofu, and Rice Cakes Slides in Beef Broth". I had to ask what a slides were? Turns out they meant sliced. Of the four options, I picked fish. I ordered it hot, and the waitress said that it would be really spicy. I have heard that before and normally you get something with a little heat. Not here! Good grief, this was seriously spicy. I would call this very spicy, and normally it takes a couple of visits until you get something seriously spicy. They also have a "very spicy" option on the many, but I will not try it. The cabbage was still crunchy and added texture. The fish was cooked perfectly, and it was nothing mini about this serving. The broth was really mala with Sichuan Peppercorns floating around. Did I mention that it was spicy? I'll be back for this again. The service was pleasant. What a nice addition to Lowell.

Address: 351 Market St, Lowell, MA 01852 Phone: 978-455-2147

Boston Hot Dog Company Salem

Boston Hot Dog Company in Salem has been in business for over 15 years.

Only metered on-street parking.

Currently only a few seats available. The food is made to order, and they make all sides/toppings in-house.

Chefs special, Mac & Cheese with Pico de Gallo with added short rib was excellent. Creamy M&C with very tasty short ribs. REUBEN DOG. "Corned beef, swiss cheese, sauerkraut, russian dressing, caraway oil". The caraway oil is used instead of butter to toast the roll. The roll was fresh and nicely toasted. The sauerkraut was nice and tart, and the corned beef was made of brisket that they cook in-house. How good is that? This was a very enjoyable dog that I could have again.

CHICAGO DOG. "All beef dog with mustard, relish, onion, tomato, pickle, sport pepper, poppy seed bun". This has all the ingredients of a real Chicago dog. The bun was excellent, tasty, and super fresh.

Cookies! Oatmeal Raisin, Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Peanut Butter. I'm not a fan of oatmeal but this one was excellent. All were freshly baked.

Address: 60 Washington St, Salem, MA 01970 Phone: (978) 744-4168

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

Herradura Vieja Chelmsford

Herradura Vieja in Chelmsford opened about two years ago in the restaurant row strip mall. I have never seen them until recently, but I'm not often in this area. There are some interesting restaurants around here. Nobo (takeout only), Fishbones (no lunch menu), Sichuan Palace (I have Sichuan Gourmet closer), Rosco's (no online menu), Yoong Tong hidden in the square, Madras Grill (was not a fan of the cold dishes on the buffet). 

Plenty of parking.

The inside is very nice, and I got a window booth. There is another dining section to my left and a big bar in the middle.

You get warm fresh chips and an excellent salsa that packed a bit of heat. You also get the dreaded rolled up silverware that leaves you with an unusable wrinkled napkin.

When I used to visit La Carreta in Nashua, they had one dish on the lunch menu that I really liked. When I saw the same dish on Herradura Vieja's lunch menu, I had to pay them a visit. Chori Pollo ($12.25). "Grilled chicken smothered with Mexican sausage and cheese dip, served with rice & beans". The default for lunch is refried beans. They were a bit dense and needed some salt, but I did enjoy them. The rice was light and fluff. The Chori Pollo was excellent, well seasoned, and really tasty. This is a keeper. It was a generous serving.

They have a number of Lunch Combos ($9.95) that looked good. I decided to also order the Lunch Special #4 ($9.95). "Chile relleno, taco, rice & beans". The black beans were cooked nicely but lacked seasoning. There are several ways this dish can go wrong, Labeling it Chile Rellenos, and only serve a single chile. Having too thick batter. Not properly remove the seeds. This place did everything right, not a single seed present, and a very thin batter. You think all of this should be the default, but so many places fail miserably on this. The green tomatillo sauce was excellent, tart, and really tasty. I also got lucky and got a spicy chile. The taco with shredded chicken was OK, the chicken was moist but lacked seasoning. Adding some of the excellent salsa helped a lot. The service was very pleasant, and I'll be back when I have a craving for a Chile Relleno. No Taco Tuesday specials, but who need them with food this good.

Address: 7 Summer St, Chelmsford, MA 01824 Phone: (978) 455-3954