Sunday, January 03, 2016

FRANK PEPE OPENS IN CHESTNUT HILL

Sunday, January 03, 2016
Frank Pepe opened its first Massachusetts location in Chestnut Hill in December and people are flocking to it to try their famous thin crust pizza. Eat Up NE stopped by last night and couldn't get anywhere near the door. They were so busy that they stopped taking take out orders. 

Friday, December 25, 2015

PEANUT BUTTER ON A BURGER

Friday, December 25, 2015
Just about anything can be used to top a burger these days, even peanut butter! This is "Tim's Awesome Burger" from Eat Up New England Favorite Whetstone Station in Brattleboro, Vermont. Believe it or not, the peanut butter is the perfect complement to this burger, which is also topped with Vermont cheddar cheese and crisp bacon. Just don't add any ketchup or mustard to it. Eat Up NE recommends their Station Fries with Parmesan and chive oil as the perfect side to this peanut buttery burger.

Monday, December 21, 2015

BURGERS, WAFFLE FRIES & SHAKES AT GRIDDLER'S IN BOSTON

Monday, December 21, 2015
Eat Up New England is always up for a good burger. I recently checked out the Griddler's on Boston Common for lunch. The first thing that caught my eye was the ambiance. I loved the logo and colorful decor inside the restaurant.

 The menu is packed with tasty fast food favorites. There are burgers, hot dogs, chicken strips and grilled cheese. They also have a veggie burger and an egg sandwich on the menu. Get your sandwich anyway you want it with all kinds of add-ons like jalapenos, caramelized onions, roasted peppers and sauteed mushrooms. The sides are rockin' with waffle fries, beef chili, fried pickles (Grillo's pickles!), tots and onion strings to choose from. For dessert, there are several flavors of ice cream to choose from, shakes, several ice cream sandwiches and even chocolate-covered bacon!

 Right now, Griddler's has two Boston locations: Boston Common and Beacon Hill.

 griddlersburgers.com
Update: This restaurant closed in 2019.

HOLIDAY SPICE MARTINI AT THE BBC

Monday, December 21, 2015
Christmas cocktails are my favorite! I just enjoyed this Holiday Spice Martini at the British Beer Company in Falmouth, Massachusetts. It's made with spiced rum, banana liqour, Creme de Cocoa and Rum Chata. It's $9.50. There's also a Snickers Martini on the menu now for the same price. Sounds tempting. Drink up New England!

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

ANOTHER GLORIOUS MEAL AT BECCO IN NYC

Wednesday, December 16, 2015
My obsession with Becco in the New York City's Theater District continues. Lidia Bastianich's cozy Italian spot has become a must-stop for me every time I'm in the city. I always get the three pasta special. It comes with a Caesar salad or antipasto. For the first time, I tried the antipasto and was wowed with the swordfish and octopus I was served. I had never tried octopus before. It's quite chewy! The three pastas are different every visit. This time, it was penne Bolognese, five-cheese fusilli and their amazing homemade spaghetti with tomato sauce. The pasta is unlimited, so I always go for seconds!

Tuesday, December 15, 2015

'TIS THE SEASON FOR GINGERBREAD MARTINI

Tuesday, December 15, 2015
It wouldn't be the Christmas season without a gingerbread martini. Not Your Average Joe's serves up this chilly delight every December. The rim of the glass is lined with crushed gingerbread cookies. NYAJ even has the recipe for the martini on their website: NYAJ Gingerbread Martini

Monday, December 14, 2015

ITALIAN HIGH ABOVE FIFTH AVENUE AT BAITA: EATALY NYC'S POP-UP RESTAURANT

Monday, December 14, 2015
After a long day of running around New York City, it's great to find a cozy restaurant to relax and have a drink or two. Eataly's new pop-up restaurant, Baita, is the perfect place to unwind. Baita is the word for a small ski lodge in the Italian Alps. After taking an elevator to the 14th floor of Eataly, you'll feel like you're in a far away land!

Baita has a full bar and a long list of bottled and draft beers. They even have the elusive Anchor Brewing's merry Christmas Happy New Year beer, although they were out the night Eat Up NE visited. There are several cold cocktails on the menu, along with warm cocktails to heat diners up on those cold winter nights.

We ordered the Sciatt to start. This is beer battered and fried piave cheese. It was delicious. For dinner, I loved the Caserecce con Ragu di Funghi aka pasta with mushroom sauce. The pasta was so tender and the mushrooms were as fresh as can be. There are plenty of hearty meat dishes on the menu including pork sausage with lentils, veal, beer-braised pork and chicken with spinach, apples and shallots.

I saved enough room for dessert. Baita's Tiramisu Classico is as good as it gets. It's ice cold and creamy. There's also coffee, cappuccino and Eataly's famous hot chocolate on the menu.

Baita will be in business through March. Be sure to make reservations if you go on a Friday or Saturday night, otherwise the wait can be over an hour.

Tuesday, December 08, 2015

GINGERBREAD HOUSE MADE OF REAL GINGERBREAD AT MOHEGAN SUN

Tuesday, December 08, 2015
Mohegan Sun's halls are decked for Christmas. The highlight of their display is this life-sized gingerbread house. It was designed by Executive Pastry Chef Lynn Mansel and her culinary team. The 24-foot house is made of 6,525 real gingerbread bricks, which are stuck together with real frosting. Four seven-foot soldiers made of Rice Krispie Treats and chocolate guard its entrances. Step inside to discover a Christmas tree decorated with gingerbread ornaments and a fireplace made of gingerbread.

Friday, December 04, 2015

SEASON'S EATINGS: TREAT YOURSELF TO A PEPPERMINT CRUNCH SHAKE

Friday, December 04, 2015
So many of us run to Starbucks for Peppermint Mochas and Gingerbread Lattes this time of the year, but don't count out this Christmasy shake. It's the Peppermint Crunch Shake at Smashburger. This sinful drink is made vanilla ice cream, crushed peppermint candies and topped with whipped cream. Loosen up your belt and try one this Christmas season! They will be around until January 4th.  

(Closed)VERMONT COMFORT FOOD AT THE BRYANT HOUSE RESTAURANT

Friday, December 04, 2015
UPDATE: The restaurant has closed permanently.

Every time I do some shopping at the Vermont Country Store in Weston, I'm sure to have lunch at the Bryant House Restaurant. The menu features comfort food classics that always warm diners up during the cold winter months.

I always order their chicken pot pie. A tasty flaky crust sits atop a mix of large, white chicken meat, carrot, peas, corn and pearl onions. It's also served with a side of tangy cranberry sauce. Also on their menu, "The Vermonter's Grilled Cheese" made with three artisan cheeses, fish & chips, ham & cheese sandwich, "Yankee Pot Roast," "Vermont Cheddar Mac & Cheese" and a veggie burger that gets an A+ from my vegetarian fiancée. There are also several salads and soups to choose from.

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

THANKSGIVING COMES EARLY AT LONGFELLOW'S WAYSIDE INN

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Longfellow's Wayside Inn in Sudbury, Massachusetts is one of those places that families have been enjoying for generations. The Inn is an historic landmark, having first opened in the the 1700's! It's menu is full of New England favorites and traditional comfort foods.
Eat Up NE stopped by for lunch on a cold fall day. The oven roasted breast of turkey was the perfect hearty dish. It comes with cornbread sausage stuffing, potato and cranberry sauce. They also serve a Thanksgiving panini, which is similar. Other entrees include lobster mac & cheese, chicken pie, steak, scallops, scrod, lobster pie and pot roast. There are also several salads and sandwiches, including the Nantucket Lunchbox, which includes a lobster slider, calm chowder and chips.

The Inn is open for lunch and dinner daily, with breakfast on the weekend.

www.wayside.org

AN EPIC PRESENTATION OF LOBSTER MAC & CHEESE IN HILTON HEAD

Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Chances are, you've never seen lobster mac & cheese presented like this! I recently enjoyed this dish at a restaurant called Frankie Bones in Hilton Head, South Carolina. How cool is that presentation?! Not only did it look amazing, it tasted wonderful, with lots of chunks of fresh lobster meat.

Monday, November 23, 2015

FARMERS TABLE CAFE IN GRANTHAM, NEW HAMPSHIRE

Monday, November 23, 2015

Driving from Massachusetts to Burlington, Vermont can make you hungry. That's how Eat Up NE recently discovered Farmer's Table Café in Grantham, New Hampshire. It has great reviews online and is right off the highway. 

This place is as cozy as it gets inside. There's a roaring fireplace by the bar, along with large wooden tables and a big wood-fired brick oven for their homemade pizzas. There pizzas are big enough for two people. Choose from pesto chicken, buffalo, portabella & onions or make your own pie. Their menu is full of classic sandwiches like a Tom Turkey Club, tuna salad, BLT, chicken apple wrap and veggie wrap. I enjoyed their ham & cheddar deluxe, which is stuffed with grilled pears and Dijon mustard. There are also several salads on the menu, along with pasta, mac & cheese, burgers and ribs. 

Farmer's Table is also open for breakfast and offers a large menu with seasonal ingredients from New Hampshire and Vermont.

www.farmerstablecafe.com

Saturday, November 21, 2015

DRINK UP NEW ENGLAND! WINES AND MORE IN MANSFIELD, MA

Saturday, November 21, 2015
Eat Up New England just stumbled into this package store on steroids in Mansfield, Massachusetts. Wines & More is GIGANTIC. They have every brand of alcoholic beverage that's out there, both local and domestic. Customers can also make their own six packs with their large selection of bottled beers.   
The gift basket section is perfect for Christmas presents.
Check out their Beer Cave. Inside, are cases of ice cold beer. Be careful of the bear guarding the door.
Wines & More sells all the local brands like Jack's Abby out of Framingham, Massachusetts.
Champagne anyone?
They even sell huge bottles of one of Eat Up New England's favorite Christmas beers from Anchor Brewing.
Wines & More is located at Mansfield Crossing. They also have a selection of cheeses, crackers, dips and candies to complement their wine.

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

HOMEMADE DONUTS AT THE DOUGHNUT DILEMMA IN VERMONT

Wednesday, November 18, 2015
The toughest thing about visiting The Doughnut Dilemma in Burlington,Vermont is having to choose which donut to eat. All of their donuts are handmade in house with local ingredients. There are classic donuts like chocolate, jelly and blueberry. They also have some pretty cool concoctions like banana bread, s'mores, and even a Rice Krispie Treat donut. I played it safe and enjoyed one of my favorite donuts, maple frosted. They also have several vegan and gluten-free donuts, along with fritters, coffees and espresso. 

www.thedoughnutdilemma.com

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

AMAZING MAC & CHEESE AT BOSTON'S PARISH CAFE

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

It's been rainy and cold this week. When the weather gets bad, Eat Up New England goes for some comfort food to warm up. Today, my friend Gail introduced me to the Parish Cafe in Boston's South End. 

Parish has a long list of beers on tap. We tried to order a Shipyard Pumpkinhead, but they've already moved on to Shipyard GingerBreadHead, a Christmas season beer that's packed with a tasty gingerbread cookie flavor. It's my new favorite! 

 Apps include an egg quesadilla, hummus platter and a meatball. Gail steered us to their "Bowl-O-Rings," deep-fried onion rings with their homemade chipotle aioli sauce. We ordered the half portion and it was plenty for two. The chipotle aioli sauce is killer and makes these an app worth order again and again.

Parish has many unique sandwiches on their menu, created by their chefs and other local chefs. Pictured above is the Bond Herb Roasted Chicken Salad. Check out those fried onions on top. Joanne Chang of Flour Bakery has a BLT on the menu called the Flout BLT that's served on Texas toast. There are also a couple of vegetarian sandwiches and salads on the menu.

 I ordered a half portion of their mac & cheese. It was one of the most delicious mac & cheeses I've ever had. It's buttery. The Ritz crumb topping was on point. The secret seems to be their sauce, made of Romano and Montery jack cheeses and just enough diced white onions. Amazing. They also have a bolognese on the menu, which I'm looking forward to trying.

 Parish Cafe has two locations in Boston. This one in the South End on Mass Ave. Their other restaurant is on Boylston Street.

 http://parishcafe.com

Tuesday, November 03, 2015

A RELAXED, LOCAL VIBE AT THE FARMSTEAD TABLE IN NEWTON

Tuesday, November 03, 2015
Eat Up New England just discovered a wonderful place for brunch in Newton, Massachusetts called the Farmstead Table. This cozy restaurant specializes in fresh and local foods. Their menu is always changing depending on the season.

Farmstead offers lunch and dinner daily with brunch on Sundays. Right now, brunch meals include blintzes, quiche, French toast, a beef burger, huevos rancheros and a grilled chicken salad. I ordered the breakfast tacos - two soft open-faced tacos with chorizo, avocado and cheese. They are served with some healthy mixed greens. Drinks include French press coffee, juices, a bunch of teas and several cocktails. I enjoyed their organic peppermint tea.

Farmstead's lunch and dinner menu look very tempting. Right now, there's grilled swordfish on the menu, one of my favorites!

Farmstead Table is located in bust Newton Centre. PS, If you're not sure what to do this Thanksgiving, Farmstead will take the pressure off and make a Thanksgiving meal with all of the fixins for you.

@farmsteadtable
Subscribe to: Posts ( Atom )