Saturday, May 31, 2014

A TASTE OF ITALIAN IN WALTHAM

JOE Saturday, May 31, 2014
It was a beautiful day for the Italian Festa in Waltham, MA today. There were several food trucks and Italian restaurants on hand to sample from. I started off with some cheesy arancini from Charcoal Guido's. For lunch, I had a bowl of penne bolognese from Ristorante Marcellino in Waltham. Two very tasty dishes from two very good restaurants. I also enjoyed some fresh-squeezed lemonade and homemade cannolis. It's finally starting to feel like summer! ,

DELICIOUS DISH: SCALLOPS WITH RISOTTO AT SEASONS 52

JOE Saturday, May 31, 2014
Check out this delicious dish from Seasons 52 in Chestnut Hill (Newton), MA. This is their caramelized grilled sea scallops dinner. The scallops are served on a bed of lemon risotto with peas and asparagus. This dish was flying out of their kitchen last night and I'd certainly recommend it. Like all of their meals, this one is under 450 calories. Check out Eat Up New England's archives for much more on Seasons 52. , , ,

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

COOL OFF AT ALDO'S ON BLOCK ISLAND

JOE Wednesday, May 28, 2014
There is no shortage of ice cream on Block Island, but one place we kept going back to was Aldo's. This dine in/take out restaurant is part bakery/part ice cream shop. When you walk in, you'll find all of their baked goods on the right. They have croissants, several kinds of cheesecake, cookies, pastries and donuts. I would highly recommend one of their vanilla-frosted donuts with sprinkles. It was so soft and tasted like it just came out of the oven. You can also pick up a smoothie and hot or iced coffee at Aldos. If the weather is warm enough, you'll find them selling frozen Dell's Lemonade, otherwise they do sell Dell's by the bottle.  

At the back of the house, are two huge showcases full of ice cream. Aldo's makes all of their ice cream and there are a bunch of flavors to choose from. They also have a full showcase of gelato. Two big scoops will run you about $4.00. Make sure to find Aldo's coupon in the Block Island Guide to save 15% off of your order. ,

WOULD YOU TRY A KRISPY KREME CHEESEBURGER

JOE Wednesday, May 28, 2014
If you don't care about your health at all, why not try this Krispy Kreme cheeseburger? A restaurant in San Diego called Chicken Charlie's is debuting this burger at the San Diego County Fair from June 7 to July 16. You can get two patties nestled in between two Krispy Kreme donuts. If you'd like to go straight to the E.R., go for the triple cheeseburger option. I love cheeseburgers. I love Krispy Kreme donuts. Those super-sweet donuts with hamburger meat just doesn't sound appetizing to me. ,

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

SIZZLIN' SUMMER SPOTS: DEAD EYE DICK'S ON BLOCK ISLAND

JOE Tuesday, May 27, 2014
Memorial Day marks the unofficial start of summer, which means it's time for Eat Up New England to kick up another season of Sizzlin' Summer Spots! These are restaurants near the beach where you can kick back, have a drink or two and relax the night away. This year, let's start off on Block Island, with a wonderful place called Dead Eye Dick's.

This seafood hot spot is right on the ocean in New Harbor. There's tons of seating inside and on their covered back porch, but it's not too early to grab a spot outside on their deck. I enjoyed lunch here on Memorial Day and it was warm enough to sit outside.

 First up, drinks. Dead Eye Dick's has a full bar offering beer and cocktails. My girlfriend and I enjoyed the "Sun-Kissed Lemonade" with Stoli strawberry. It was the perfect beach drink. For lunch, I loved their hot lobster roll with big pieces of lobster meat. It's served with just enough hot butter for dunking. You can get fries, cheese fries or a salad for a side. We loved the cheesy fries made with Vermont cheddar. There are also plenty of vegetarian options here including a veggie ciabatta sandwich. Eating all of this delicious food outside by the ocean with cool summer breezes was just perfect.

Other lunch options include a swordfish reuben, fish tacos, po' boys and a lobster avocado BLT. You can start off your meal with Rhode Island or New England clam chowder or lobster bisque. Other apps include steamed mussels, crab cakes, salt & pepper calamari and a trio of wings. They also have raw bar options. Dead Eye Dick's is also open for dinner. Their dinner menu looks unbelievable. Dinners include salmon, shrimp & grits, New England lobster bake and surf & turf.  There's a lobster truffle fettuccine on their dinner menu that I'm dying to try the next time. Dead Eye Dick's is the perfect Sizzlin Summer Spot! We'll be back....

 Contact www.deadeyedicksbi.com , ,

Monday, May 26, 2014

YOU'VE GOT TO TRY DEL'S SHANDY

JOE Monday, May 26, 2014
Like Del's Lemonade? Like beer? Just in time for the summer, Narragansett is introducing its Del's Shandy. This flavorful and refreshing beer is already getting a ton of buzz. It's only been on store shelves since May 12th and the demand is huge. You can buy a six-pack of 16-ounce tallboys or, if you're lucky, find it at one of your favorite restaurants. On Block Island over Memorial Day weekend, I discovered Del's Shandy at Poor People's Pub and had another can at Finn's. It's not even officially summer yet, but I'm already declaring Del's Shandy my favorite beer of the summer. ,

Thursday, May 22, 2014

AU BON PAIN IN DEDHAM, MA ABRUPTLY CLOSES

JOE Thursday, May 22, 2014
With a coupon in my hand, I showed up at the Au Bon Pain in Legacy Place in Dedham, MA today only to find that it had abruptly closed. Not cool. This was always a good place for a salad or a sweet treat. Not sure why they closed this location, but I sure wish they didn't. ,

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

ONE TASTY MEAL AT NEWPORT'S ONE BELLEVUE

JOE Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Traditional clam chowder
Pork tacos
The Naughty Monkey
You can find some of the best restaurants inside of hotels. Take One Bellevue located in Newport, Rhode Island. It's a fine restaurant at the Hotel Viking breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. They also have tea time from 2-4pm every day, too.

 I recently stopped by during Newport's restaurant week and enjoyed the above three-course lunch for just $16! I started off with a yummy bowl of clam chowder. It wasn't too hot. It wasn't too cold. Just right. They gave their clam chowder a kick with small pieces of applewood smoked bacon.They also serve butternut squash soup, chili and french onion soup. Other apps include grilled octopus, Rhode Island stuffed quahogs and vegetable risotto.

 For lunch, I really liked the tacos. You can choose from pork or fluke tacos. I loved the pork tacos, which were complimented nicely with guac and cole slaw. Since One Bellevue is in Newport, you can bet on lots of seafood entrees. Among their offerings: sea scallops, cod, tuna, salmon and poached Newport lobster.

 For dessert, I ordered One Bellevue's signature dessert, The Naughty Monkey. It's a crepe filled with nutella and topped with caramelized bananas, chocolate chip ice cream, chocolate ganache and some whipped cream. This sinful treat couldn't have been a better way to end our dinner. Save room for the Naughy Money at One Bellevue. You'll be glad you did!

Friday, May 16, 2014

ANGER OVER SHAKE SHACK'S NEW FRENCH FRIES

JOE Friday, May 16, 2014
Out with the old: crinkle-cut fries are being replaced
President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden were chowing down today at a Shake Shack in Washington, D.C. But I wonder if they noticed a difference in the French fries?

 The mega popular burger joint is changing its fries, according to the Boston Globe. The wickedly good (but frozen) crinkle-cut fries are being replaced with hand-cut fries. You know, those thin fries with the potato skins still on them that you can get at so many other restaurants. Shake Shack claims the new fries are fresher, but many people are jumping on Twitter to complain. I haven't tried the new fries, but as a huge fan of their crinkle-cut fries, I'm not so sure about this change. To be continued...

Saturday, May 10, 2014

AUTHENTIC ITALIAN AT MAMMA LUISA'S IN NEWPORT

JOE Saturday, May 10, 2014
Tagliatelle al Pesce
Caprese al Pesto
Newport, Rhode Island isn't all about lobster and clam bakes. You can find one of the best Italian restaurants around in Newport, Mamma Luisa Ristorante Italiano.

 Start off your meal with a basket of their warm Italian bread. It's so good. Go for a bellini or some wine to drink. Apps include a mixed greens salad, goat cheese salad, cheese plate, antipasto and brushette. I can highly recommend their "Caprese al Pesto." The tomatoes and mozzarella couldn't be any fresher. It's all topped off with pesto sauce, basil and olives.

For dinner, Mamma Luisa's menu is filled with all of the Italian favorites. Pastas include bolognese, carbonara and gnocchi. The "tagliatelle al pesce" is to die for. It comes with a hearty portion of egg ribbon pasta, topped off with plump shrimp and sea scallops. It's amazing. This dish is even served on a fish-shaped plate. Not in the mood for pasta? You can also enjoy veal, baked pork tenderloin, sirloin steak and seared tuna steak. By the way, the owner's wife is a vegetarian, so there are also a bunch of vegetarian meals on the menu including butternut squash ravioli and egg pasta with a vegetable bolognese sauce.

I can't rave about Mamma Luisa Ristorante Italiano enough. You'll definitely want to make a reservation the next time you're in Newport.

Contact: www.mammaluisa.com

, ,

Sunday, May 04, 2014

CELEBRATING CINCO DE MAYO IN BOSTON

JOE Sunday, May 04, 2014
It's Cinco de Mayo weekend. The weather is improving, so some friends and I spent Saturday night by the water in Boston. Our restaurant of choice: Temazcal. We shared a couple of baskets of tortilla chips and their crazy good guac. The house margaritas were flowing all night. For dinner, I loved the cheesy chorizo enchiladas. The food, the atmosphere and the dining right by the water at Temazcal makes this place so special. And how nice it was to eat OUTSIDE after the long winter we had. 

BTW, I've written more extensively about Temazcal before. Check out Eat Up New England's archives for more. , ,

Thursday, May 01, 2014

IT'S CINCO DE MAYO YEAR ROUND AT ACAPULCOS!

JOE Thursday, May 01, 2014
Blue Moonlight Margarita
Street Tacos
Cinco de Mayo is almost here and Acapulcos is one fun place to celebrate this weekend. They have a huge menu of Mexican favorites including quesadillas, tacos, salads, fajitas, burritos and enchiladas. Every meal starts off with a bottomless basket of FREE tortilla chips and salsa. You can't beat that! It's a Mexican restaurant, so you've got to try one of their margaritas. I enjoyed the "Blue Moonlight" the other night. It's made with Cuervo Gold tequila, triple sec and blue curacao. I went for the "street tacos" with chicken, onions and cheese for dinner. Really good and love that they came with rice and beans. Acapulcos also offers many vegetarian dishes. If you possibly have room for dessert, options include deep fried ice cream, flan and an apple burrito. Last weekend, the Cinco de Mayo signs were already up at their Needham location, so you can bet the margaritas fill be flowing this weekend! Ole!

 Locations: Amesbury, Beverly,  Framingham, Franklin, Milford, Needham, Norwood, Quincy, Sudbury, West Yarmouth, MA
Enfield & Stratford, CT

Contact: www.acapulcos.net ,
Subscribe to: Posts ( Atom )