Monday, September 29, 2014

IT'S NATIONAL COFFEE DAY! DID YOU GET YOUR FREE COFFEE?

Monday, September 29, 2014
It's National Coffee Day! Today, Dunkin Donuts is hooking all of its customers up with a FREE medium dark roast. It's the perfect excuse to celebrate #NationalCoffeeDay!

Saturday, September 27, 2014

THE BACON TRUCK VISITS WATERTOWN

Saturday, September 27, 2014
Every fall, I check out the Faire in the Square in Watertown. MA. It's a fun even with music, food and vendors from the community. Today, I was excited to see multiple food trucks at the event including one of my favorites, The Bacon Truck. Equally thrilling, there was no outrageously long line. I got my food in about 10 minutes. This time, I ordered their turkey & avocado sandwich with a side of their bacon hash. Their bacon is so crisp and flavorful and it's the star of all of their dishes.

Thursday, September 25, 2014

ON THE ROAD: FANTASTIC ITALIAN FOOD AT BECCO IN NYC

Thursday, September 25, 2014
Watch any episode of Lidia Bastianich's cooking shows and your mouth will be watering for one of her Italian dishes. That's why I was so excited to dine at one of her restaurants during a recent trip to New York City. 

 You can find Becco in Hell's Kitchen. The food here is simply unforgettable. Each meal begins with a basket of bread. There are thin and crispy bread sticks. There's Italian bread with that's soft with a crunchy crust. Be sure to order some ricotta with it. It's served nice and cold with a drizzle of honey. So good!

 Becco is known for their Sinfonia di Paste. Every day, their chef prepares three different pastas of his choice. For $22.95, you get antipasto or a Caesar salad with UNLIMITED pasta! The waiters come out with huge skillets of pasta and fill your plate. We had mushroom ravioli, spaghetti with red sauce and fusilli bolognese. I can't even begin to tell you how delicious this was! Homemade pasta. Cooked to perfection. The flavors were amazing and the servers just keep filling your plates. I had two rounds and was stuffed after that. 

 They have a huge wine menu, cocktails, beers. There are many fish and meat entrees. There are several classic desserts like ricotta cheesecake. If you go, go for the Sinfonia di Paste. It was one of the best meals I've ever had.

 www.becco-nyc.com

Sunday, September 21, 2014

(Closed) BRUNCH AT ROX DINER

Sunday, September 21, 2014
It's been a little while since I've been out for Sunday brunch, so I was happy to go to the Rox Diner in Newton, Massachusetts this morning to start the day off right. I enjoyed this mushroom, Swiss and asparagus omelet with a couple of cups of coffee. You can't go wrong at Rox, just be warned you may have a wait because this place is popular especially for Sunday brunch.

UPDATE: This restaurant has closed for good.

Sunday, September 07, 2014

A FOOD LOVER'S DREAM COME TRUE AT SAN DIEGO'S PETCO PARK

Sunday, September 07, 2014
Let's head out to San Diego, home of the Padres. Some friends recently invited my girlfriend and I to a game at Petco Park. We enjoyed front row seats at the Lexus Home Plate Club. There was endless food and drinks. This is a look at the cheese section at their indoor buffet/restaurant.
Several chefs were working the buffet, preparing savory dishes like this duck confit gnocchi. It was so good!
I filled my plate at the buffet. Underneath all of that cheese is a tuna nicoise salad.
I had a few margaritas that night. This is white sangria I ordered for my girlfriend.
The indoor buffet closed after the second inning, but there was still tons of food to eat at a second buffet. This one had some really good pulled pork sliders, hot dogs, sausages, and salad.
This was my favorite part of the second buffet - a make your own nachos station. They also had a make your own sangria station.
Somehow, we still had room for dessert. They had ice cream, cakes, pastries, bowls of candy, bags of popcorn, Cracker Jack and so much more. I filled a plate with milk and white chocolate-covered strawberries. What a treat! A huge thanks to our friends Ellie and Steve for inviting us to this unforgettable night at Petco Park.

Thursday, September 04, 2014

EAT UP NE FAVORITE: ROBERT'S MAINE GRILL

Thursday, September 04, 2014
Veggie pizza
Half dessert - Blueberry crumble a la mode and whoopie pie w/ milk
Robert's Maine Grill is one of those restaurants you can tell is going to be good just by looking at it. There's a replica of a lighthouse built right into the place! The inside is warm and inviting with two floors for customers to spread out. You can even sit outside during the hot summer months. But it's their perfect food that has customers like me coming back over and over again.

 From lobster to warm blueberry crumble, Robert's specializes in all of the foods that Maine is known for. Every meal begins with crackers and spread. It's so good. They have a raw bar packed with shrimp, oysters and clams that's as fresh as can be. Apps include lobster sliders on a buttermilk biscuit, Maine crab cakes, mussels, chicken tenders, friend Maine cheese. There are soups like New England clam chowder and haddock & leek chowder. How about a lobster cobb salad?

 Robert's is open for lunch and dinner. Order a steamed Maine lobster or lobster BLT or lobster roll or mussels and lobster over linguine or lobster mac'n'cheese (dinner only.) They'll even hook you up with a tableside clambake for two with lobsters, steamers, mussels and corn on the cob.  I loved the baked haddock with veggies and rice. Light and healthy. They also offer fried seafood. Their menu features several sandwiches and burgers for land lovers. Don't worry, they also have plenty of beer and wine.

 You MUST save room dessert at Robert's. You'll notice their homemade pies as soon as you walk in and they are sooo good! The best thing about their dessert menu is that you can order a full or half size. We ordered half a blueberry crumble a la mode and half a whoopie pie with milk. These sweet treats were the perfect way to end a perfect meal. Robert's also has lime coconut cheesecake, raspberry pie a la mode, a brownie sundae and triple chocolate cake.

Before you leave, be sure to have a seat and take in the salt marsh to the left of the restaurant. 

www.robertsmainegrill.com

Wednesday, September 03, 2014

DUNKIN DONUTS AND CHIK-FIL-A OPENINGS BRING OUT FOOD FANS

Wednesday, September 03, 2014
Time to make the donuts.

We all love our Dunkin Donuts here on the East Coast. Now, the West Coast is getting a chance to experience Coolattas and Munchkins. Yesterday, the first Dunkin Donuts opened its doors in Southern California. More than 300 coffee and donut cravers spend more than 24 hours waiting for the donut shop to open up in Santa Monica. Dunks is starting a major expansion in California with about 100 stores slated to open.

Back on the East Coast, Chick-Fil-A fans are lining up in Warwick, Rhode Island. The store will open up at 6 a.m. on Thursday. People are camping out because the first 100 customers inside will get free meals at Chick-Fil-A for a year.

Tuesday, September 02, 2014

WELCOMING FALL FOODS ON THE WEST COAST

Tuesday, September 02, 2014
It's always hard to let go of the summer. When should we start drinking pumpkin beer? When do you have that first cider donut? This year, I kicked fall food season on the west coast.

Fall is one of my favorite seasons because EVERYTHING is pumpkin-flavored and, God, do I love pumpkin! My first pumpkin food of the season is the pumpkin waffle you see above. I devoured this breakfast with a fall twist at Cafe 222 in San Diego. It was so light and fluffy, with plenty of pumpkin taste. The butter even had a little blueberry in it.

Check out that cupcake! You're looking at a pumpkin cupcake with cream cheese frosting. It's from the famed Sprinkles in Las Vegas. All of their cupcakes are crazy good and this one was no exception!

Sure, the end of the summer is sad, but all of the fall foods that are on the way should be enough to make us all smile. 

BTW, I haven't had any pumpkin beer YET, but I can picture myself pouring some Shipyard Pumpkinhead in the near future. Yes, with a cinnamon rim!

Monday, August 25, 2014

WOULD YOU TRY A PIZZA WITH A PRETZEL CRUST?

Monday, August 25, 2014
Remember when pizza with cheese-stuffed crust was all of the rage? Its time for the next big thing. Little Caeser's is rolling out a pizza with a pretzel crust. It will be available starting September 1 for 8 weeks. Of course, if it sells well, it will be back. All of the chains are experimenting with pretzels. There's the pretzel burger bun at Wendy's and don't forget the pretzel hit dog bun at Sonic. Would you try the pretzel pizza?

Thursday, August 21, 2014

DELICIOUS DISH: THE PEFECT HAWAIIAN PIZZA

Thursday, August 21, 2014
Hawaiian pizza is my favorite kind of pizza, but it can be tough to find the perfect Hawaiian. Sometimes there's not enough pineapple or not enough ham. But at Irene's Family Restaurant in Norwich, CT, you'll find a Hawaiian with the perfect ratio of ham and pineapple. They pile it on with plenty of cheese.

www.irenesfamilyrestaurant.com

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

FRESH PRODUCE AT THE HAYMARKET SQUARE FARMER'S MARKET

Tuesday, August 19, 2014
If you've ever been near Faneuil Hall on a Saturday, chances are you've seen this gigantic farmer's market. Bostonians have shopped here for two centuries. You'll find every kind of fruit and vegetable here and the prices couldn't be any lower. How about two pints of blueberries for $1? Maybe pineapples that are 2 for $1? Of course, like anywhere else, you'll want to thoroughly inspect your produce before buying it. I got 4 ears for corn for $1 over the weekend and they were as fresh as can be. The farmer's market happens every Friday and Saturday from dawn to around 6 pm.

Sunday, August 17, 2014

EAT UP NE FAVORITE: MIKE'S PASTRY

Sunday, August 17, 2014
It's impossible for me to take a trip to the North End in Boston without stopping at Mike's Pastry. This Italian bakery is LEGENDARY on Hanover Street and once you order anything on their menu, you'll know why. 

From cupcakes to cookies, they have every kind of baked good and sweet you can image. They even have several flavors of gelato.There are so many different kinds of cannolis. It's tough to pick one, so bring a bunch home. My favorite is their choclate chip cannoli. The shell is the perfect texture and the filling is off of the charts! Perfection. I also can't seem to leave Mike's Pastry without a bag of their champage cookies - you know, the Italian cookies with sprinkles around the edges. And did I mention their strawberry cheesecake? Out of this world.

 Mike's is always packed with locals and tourists, but don't let the line intimidate you. Us locals know how to quickly make your way to the front and even if you don't, you'll be in and out in no time. No trip to the North End is complete without a visit to Mike's.

www.mikespastry.com

Saturday, August 16, 2014

ON THE ROAD: GIORDANO'S PIZZA IN CHICAGO

Saturday, August 16, 2014
Chicago is known for its deep dish pizza and Giordano's is one of my favorite places to get one in the Windy City. Girodano's is known for their stuffed pizza. It's layers of cheese, sauce and toppings. Kind of a like a lasagna. Plus, it's topped with sauce instead of cheese.

An individual 6" pizza should fill you up. I can highly recommend their sausage pizza, but you can get it with any toppings you'd like. Giordano's also has $10 lunch specials where you can have a 6" pizza with a drink and a side like garlic fries, soup or salad. Also on their menu are thin crust pizzas, sandwiches and pasta. If you have room for dessert, they have Italian favorites like tiramisu, mini cannoli and s'mores pizza.

 Giordano's has many locations all over Chicago, You can even get one of their pizza delivered to your home online! If you go, let me stress again, get a pizza! It's been raved about in the New York Times, Chicago Tribune and was voted best pizza in 2014 in Chicago Magazine's Readers' Choice.

 www.giordanos.com

Thursday, August 14, 2014

YUMMY BURGERS & HOT DOGS AT GOLDBURGERS

Thursday, August 14, 2014
Honey BBQ Burger
A big, juicy burger is one of my favorite comfort foods and Goldburgers in Newington, Connecticut is serious about making making tasty burgers of all sizes. 

There are so many unique burgers on their menu. There's the pizza burger, 2 beef patties with sauce and mozzarella cheese.  How about the "Southern" burger? It comes with BBQ sauce, coleslaw, cheddar cheese and potato chips. There's also the "Mac Patty" with one beef patty, one mac & cheese patty, jalapenos and mac and cheese. How good does that sound?  If you want to get cdrazy, order the "3x4" with 4 beef patties cheese and bacon. I played it safe and ordered the "Honey BBQ Bacon Burger." It's two beef patties on a sesame seed bun with American cheese, Honey BBQ sauce, bacon and grilled onions. So very good!

 You can make your own hamburger just the way you want it. They also have sliders for $1.99/each or $7.89 for a 4-pack. They also have sausage, chicken and veggie burger, along with breakfast sandwiches and burritos. You can't be a burger joint without some hot dogs on the menu. Goldburgers has a bunch including the "Coney Dog" with chili, onion, nacho cheese & mustard. Or try the "PBR" with pickles, bacon, ranch dressing, grilled onions and pepper jack cheese. 

 You can't have a burger or hot dog without a side. I'd highly recommend getting a "1/2 & 1/2." That's two half-sized portions of their sides. We enjoyed their waffle fries and sweet potato fries. Goldburgers also has onion rings, regular fries and cheese fries. 

Goldburgers is a nice family restaurant with big portions. Check them out the next time you have a craving for a burger and fries.

www.goldburgers.com

Monday, August 11, 2014

SIZZLIN' SUMMER SPOTS: KIMBALL FARM

Monday, August 11, 2014
Ice cream. Seafood. Mini golf. Bumper cars. All of these things make summer so good and you can find all of it and more at Kimball Farm in Westford, Massachusetts.

 The main attraction at Kimball Farm is its ice cream. I've never seen a place with so many ice cream windows. They need them because the crowds are huge in the summer. This is one of those places that is super generous with its ice cream. A small is the size of a large at other ice cream shops. I couldn't finish my small cookie dough. Kimball Farm has all of your favorite flavors and more. It's August and they already have my fall favorite, pumpkin ice cream! They'll also pack a pint for you to bring home.

 Kimball Farm is the perfect place for a day trip for families. They have a large country store/gift shop, petting zoo, an arcade, bumper cars and a wicked fun 36-hole mini golf. We did a round of mini golf and this is one of the most beautiful and challenging courses in New England. It has huge waterfalls and is beautifully landscaped.

 Visitors can also grab a meal at Kimball Farm. Inside, there's a little sandwich shop that serves coffee, pastries and salads. Outside, you'll find their grill which serves all kinds of seafood including lobsters, clam strips and scallops. They also have a pulled pork sandwich, veggie burger, chicken fingers, burgers and hot dogs. I enjoyed some corn on the cob along with a grilled cheese and tomato which comes with chips and a huge hunk of watermelon. The line for the grill can be long during peak times, but it goes fast.

 www.kimballfarm.com

Kimball Farm has other locations in Lancaster and Carlisle, MA and Jaffrey, NH.
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