Saturday, February 04, 2017

BEER BREWED IN HOUSE AND EXCELLENT BAR FOOD AT TRINITY BREWHOUSE IN PROVIDENCE

Saturday, February 04, 2017
Trinity Brewhouse is a legendary brew pub restaurant in the heart of Providence, Rhode Island. Since 1995, their brewmasters have been making beer in house and they have won countless awards to back up just how fresh and how good their beer is. 

The beers on top change every night, but last night I was excited to try their Black Hops. This double black IPA is an interesting concoction that looks like a stout. It's also 8.8% alcohol and is just $6 a pint. Other beers include a Russian Imperial Stout called Darkness and their signature Kolsch beer, with a pale golden color and light body. Trinity also sells big old growlers of beer to take home.

 Trinity offers a traditional bar food menu to go along with their beers. Start off with Trinity nachos, chips & salsa, chili or chicken wings. For dinner, I would highly recommend one of their burgers. Choose from 6 or 10 ounce and top it with whatever you want. I enjoyed a 10 ounce with Vermont cheddar cheese, bacon and stout caramelized onions. It was perfectly cooked and served with a pile of their homemade fries. Other entrees include a New England clam roast, steak tips, fish & chips, lobster mac & cheese, pulled pork BBQ, jerk chicken and 12-inch rustic pizzas. Trinity even has a vegan ravioli for our vegan/vegetarian friends.

Trinity Brewhouse was an excellent dining experience from start to finish. Check them out online and social media for a look at what beers they have on tap before you visit.

 www.trinitybrewhouse.com
@TrinityBrew

Saturday, January 28, 2017

EAT UP IN NYC: CHICK'NCONE

Saturday, January 28, 2017
Chicken and waffles have been a southern staple for a long time. Fortunately for us New Englanders, chicken and waffles have popped up on menus close to home. NOW, there's a new twist on this food favorite... and it's one you'll still have to travel for.

 Chick'nCone has been delighting New Yorkers for a few years. This food truck serves crispy, hand breaded chicken IN WAFFLE CONES! Choose from ranch, BBQ and Cinna Maple sauces. They make the chicken right in front of you in minutes. These crispy cones are the perfect tasty snack or quick meal. You don't even need a fork!

 Eat Up New England found Chick'nCone at the Winter Village at Bryant Park in December 2016. The pop up location is gone now, but check them out on social media to see where they will be cluckin' and truckin' next.

 www.chickncone.com
@ChicknCone

Thursday, January 26, 2017

ITALIAN FAVORITES AT BRELUNDI RISTORANTE IN WALTHAM

Thursday, January 26, 2017
There's a cozy new spot for all of the Italian staples in Waltham, Massachusetts. Step inside the Brelundi Ristorante.

 As soon as you walk in, you're transported to Italy because there's a a showcase of Italian pasteries and gelato. Have a sample of gelato, but be sure to save room for dinner. Their dining room features photos of watches, a nod to Waltham's deep history of watch making.

 Dinner starts out with warm bread and cheesy, crispy bread sticks. Those bread sticks are so good that my wife and I got a second round! In true Italian fashion, they are served with a bottle of olive oil for dipping. Appetizers include grilled octopus, caprese, and a salt roasted beet salad, but we had to try their arancini. They have meat, ham & cheese and spinach arancini and they are served in a little skillet with plenty of sauce. These rice balls were the perfect way to start our meal. 

For dinner, there are pizzas and calzones. Choose from one of their many options or make your own Italian concoction. Just like in Italy, their menu has a Primi section, all of the pastas, and a Secondi section, all of the meats. Pastas include carbonara, meat lasagna, primavera, ravioli with chicken, penne with chicken and broccoli.  I enjoyed the carbonara. It's made with bucatini pasta, which is like a thick spaghetti. Meat entrees include seared salmon, pork marsala, bistecca, grilled chicken, chicken saltimbocca and steak tips. They also serve an eggplant parm and plenty of salads for vegetarians.

We saved just enough room for dessert. They have a blood orange gelato on special right now, which was sooo good.

 Brelundi Ristorante is open for all three meals. They have an extensive breakfast menu with breakfast pizzas, sandwiches, frittate, omelets and breakfast arancini. 

 www.brelundi.com

Monday, January 16, 2017

DELICIOUS DISH: LOBSTER MAC & CHEESE AT TUSCAN BRICK OVEN BISTRO IN MAINE

Monday, January 16, 2017
Sure, it's the dead of winter here in New England, but it's still a good time to enjoy some lobster. This delightful lobster ale mac & cheese can be found at Tuscan Brick Oven Bistro in Freeport, Maine. The hearty dish is packed with fresh lobster meat and topped with cracker crumbs. Instead of the traditional elbow macaroni or penne, they use trumpet pasta, which is made in house. Be sure to save some bread for dipping up all of the leftover cheese sauce. It's made of red ale, gouda, fontina, parmigiana reggiano, pancetta and truffle oil. This lobster mac is the perfect hearty dish to fill you up on a cold winter night.

 www.tuscanbrickovenbistro.com

Friday, January 13, 2017

SOUTHERN IN SOMERVILLE AT THE SOUTHERN KIN COOKHOUSE

Friday, January 13, 2017
Chicken & waffles
Pimento cheese fritters
Farmhouse buttermilk biscuits
Southern Food is one of my favorites, but I just don't eat it often enough. That's why I was excited to check out Southern Kin Cookhouse in Assembly Square in Somerville.

The Cookhouse offers an impressive selection of whiskey and cocktails. I sipped on a couple of "Southern Prides" throughout the meal. This drink is made of Henry McKenna bourbon, allspice, apple cordial and lemon.  

We started things off with some of their mouth-watering apps. Their pimento cheese fritters are amazing, as are their buttermilk biscuits. The biscuits are served with jam and an incredible honey butter. Other apps include fried okra, crab soup, "Redneck Nachos" with spiced pork rinds and cheddar grits and the "Hog 'n Hooch Biscuit," a pork belly with fried green tomatoes.

Deciding on an entree was tough. The Cookhouse's menu is packed with all of the classics including shrimp 'n grits, bourbon brined chicken, Kansas City ribs and "Mississippi Spotted Cat," which is a buttermilk fried catfish. I settled upon one of my favorites, the chicken 'n waffles. It was so tasty and filling.

Good luck saving room for dessert, but they do have several pies included key lime, mud pie, buttermilk pie and Georgia's Peach Crumble Pie. You can also top of your slice with some of Bart's Homemade ice cream, which is made in Greenfield. Flavors include malted vanilla, maple cream, sea salt caramel swirl and mud pie.

If you're a fan of southern food, you've got to check out Southern Kin Cookhouse. The meal was perfect from start to finish. 

www.southernkincookhouse.com

Monday, January 02, 2017

FINAGLE A BAGEL BAKERY & CAFE AND TEST KITCHEN IS NOW OPEN IN NEWTON

Monday, January 02, 2017
Finagle A Bagel has opened an all new test kitchen concept in the Auburndale section of Newton, Massachusetts. This cafe just opened in November and is right next door to Finagle A Bagel's corporate headquarters.

The test kitchen has a spacious dining room overlooking a huge kitchen where the bagels are made. You'll have a front row seat to watch the bagel-making process as you eat breakfast or lunch. The bagels made here are shipped out to local stores and other Finagle A Bagel shops. The test kitchen also has Finagle's signature buzz saw which is used to slice their bagels in half. 

What makes this test kitchen different from its retail shops is customers will find sandwiches and sweets that aren't available anywhere else. Right now, they have a chicken piccata bagel sandwich as a special. The test kitchen is also offering bagel press sandwiches right now. I enjoyed their "Traditional" press sandwich with ham, crispy bacon, egg and cheddar cheese. One of the workers recommended it on an Asiago bagel and I'm glad I listened to her!

The test kitchen is kind of off of the beaten path in Newton. It's tucked in on Rowe Street. Put it in MapQuest and you'll find it. Give them some business. You'll be glad you did!

www.finagleabagel.com

Saturday, December 31, 2016

EAT UP NEW ENGLAND'S BEST OF 2016!

Saturday, December 31, 2016
It's New Year's Eve, so there's no better time to look back at Eat Up New England's favorite foods of 2016. These are all dishes that I tried for the first time in 2016. Thank you all for reading my blog. I look forward to bringing you even more of New England's best foods, drinks and restaurants in 2017! - Joe
BEST APPETIZER: Poutine at Whetstone Station in Brattleboro, VT
BEST OPENING: Eataly Boston
BEST STEAK: Hanger Steak at Red Bird in Waltham, MA
BEST FOOD TRUCK MEAL: Waffle cone filled with chicken at Chick'nCone in NYC
BEST SANDWICH: Ham, cheddar, apples and honey mustard at Zoey's Deli in Manchester, VT
BEST PASTA: Pasta with truffles at Treva in West Hartford, CT
BEST HOT DOG: Doogie's in Newington, CT
BEST PIZZA: Potato & bacon pizza at Jack's Abby in Framingham, MA
 BEST BAGEL: SPoT! in Norwood, MA
BEST SALAD: Chopped salad at Branch Line in Watertown, MA


Tuesday, December 20, 2016

STEP INSIDE THE LIFE-SIZED GINGERBREAD HOUSE AT MOHEGAN SUN

Tuesday, December 20, 2016
A Christmas tradition continues at Mohegan Sun. The casino's life-sized gingerbread house is back up for the holiday season. Mohegan Sun's pastry chefs put this together with the help of some elementary school kids. All of them sign their names on the bricks. It's made out of 3,000 gingerbread bricks, 4,000 gingerbread shingles and 2,500 pounds of icing. Step inside and you'll see a Christmas tree with gingerbread ornaments and a coxy faux fireplace.

Saturday, December 17, 2016

EAT UP IN NYC: SCHNIPPERS

Saturday, December 17, 2016
Walking around New York City at Christmastime can make you hungry. At the end of a busy day, we wound up at Schnippers for a hearty meal. Schnippers has several locations in the city, but this one it's impossible to miss. It's on the ground level of the New York Times headquarters.

Schnippers reminds me on a modern take on a 50's diner. They have burgers, mac and cheese, salads, tons of sandwiches and milkshakes. For Christmas, they are offering a candy cane milkshake. It's chuck full of candy cane pieces and topped with red, green and white sprinkles and whipped cream. For dinner, I LOVED their Classic Burger, topped with cheese, applewood bacon, caramelized onions, arugula and Schnipper sauce. 

 www.schnippers.com

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

EAT UP IN NYC: SINFONIA DI PASTE AT BECCO

Tuesday, December 13, 2016
Eat Up New England is just back from its annual Christmas trip to New York City. It wouldn't be a trip to NYC without a stop to EUNE Favorite Becco. As always, I ordered their Sinfonia di Paste. Everyday, they offer three of their homemade pastas and they'll keep filling your plate until you're full! This time, there was penne with shrimp, spaghetti with shrimp and cocoa ravioli filled with pumpkin.

Wednesday, December 07, 2016

VERMONT BEER TOUR: SWITCHBACK ALE

Wednesday, December 07, 2016
Ask any Vermonter and they'll tell you that BEER is one of their finest exports. There are countless breweries in the Green Mountain State and recently Eat Up New England checked out a few of them.

Let's start off at Switchback Ale in Burlington. Its Tap Room features a rotating selection of Switchback beers. I enjoyed this flight of four for only $5. You can't beat that price!  Once you sit down at their bar, you can choose beers from their tasting menu. When EUNE was there, Switchback was sampling Switchback Ale, Marzen Fest Bier, Bohemi, Extra Pale Ale, Connector Ipa and Berliner Weisse. The Connector IPA was my favorite sample because it has a tropical citrus taste to it.

Brewery tours are on Saturdays and there is plenty of Switchback swag for sale in their store to the left of the bar.

Check out switchbackvt.com for The Tap Room's current list of beers.

Friday, December 02, 2016

TASTY & HEALTHY SLICES AT HILLSIDE ORGANIC PIZZA COMPANY

Friday, December 02, 2016
The mission of Hillside Organic Pizza in Bernardston, Massachusetts is to make food using healthy, local ingredients. Everything is handmade with natural and organic ingredients.

Hillside's menu features pizzas, salads and wraps. I enjoyed two massive slices, one with olives and mushrooms, the other with BBQ chicken. They were so tasty and filling. It felt good to eat local and natural food. 

Hot wraps on the menu include the DJ Turkey with turkey, spinach, melted cheese, honey dijon and onion. There's the Ba-Da-Bing BBQ chicken, spinach, melted cheese and tomato. For salads, there's a traditional garden, a chicken curry, tuna and Feelin' feta, a Greek-inspired salad with feta and kalamata olives.

Hillside Organic Pizza has two other locations in Hadley and South Deerfield, Massachusetts. Their pizza are also sold frozen at many grocery stores in western Mass. They also pride themselves on helping the community by hosting fundraisers. As of this posting, Hillside has helped raise nearly $400,000!

hillsidepizza.com

EATALY BOSTON IS NOW OPEN!

Friday, December 02, 2016
The sparkling new Eataly has finally opened in Boston's Prudential Center. Doors opened to the public at 4pm yesterday. As you can see, the lines were long. I waited for about a half hour before I squeezed inside. Of course, it was well worth the wait. Step inside now with eat Up New England for a look at what Boston and beyond are buzzing about!
Once inside, I ate waaaay too much, but enjoyed every bit of their authentic Italian food. Eataly bakes all of their bread everyday. You can sample it in their bread section. They also make plenty of pizza and focaccia. This is a slice of fall-inspired apple focaccia that I enjoyed.
For dinner, I loved this calabrese sandwich with salami, cheese and amazingly fresh bread. I washed it all down with a Peroni, which, of course, Eataly has plenty of on tap.
Eataly has a cannoli cart where the desserts are made right before your eyes! This is their "classic" cannoli with candied orange.
Celebrity chefs Mario Batali, Lidia and Joe Bastianich are partners with Eataly's owner Oscar Farinetti. Their pastas, sauces, books and other products are for sale at Eataly.
Customers can watch Eataly's crew make fresh pastas. Bring some home or choose from one of their many boxed pastas.
Have you ever seen so much cheese? They have every kind imaginable and they'll cut it fresh.
More cheese! Eataly also has a butcher, fish monger, a salad bar, gelateria, olive oil & vinegar sectrion, pastry shop and cafe. Their hot chocolate is incredible. It's so chocolatey and topped with the most delicious whipped cream. I also love their tiramisu.
Fresh herbs and vegetables. They also have a wide selection of fruit.
Eataly's outdoor entrance off of Boylston Street. Inside, Eataly has several sit down restaurants, including Il Pesce. Their seafood-inspired menu is the work of famed local restaurateur Barbara Lynch. There's also a wine bar which was packed on opening night.
The indoor entrance to Eataly. It's where the old Pru food court used to be. They've signed a 15 years lease for this space.
The best part of the grand opening was meeting chef, TV host, author and restaurant owner Lidia Bastianich. My wife and I bumped into her. My wife said, "Lidia is that you? I didn't expect to see you here!" She said, "I'm working." She took the time to talk with us on a very busy opening night and posed for several pictures with us. It's something we'll never forget.
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