Friday, September 29, 2017

CRAFT BEERS AND LOCAL FOOD AT VERMONT'S PROHIBITION PIG

Friday, September 29, 2017
Prohibition Pig brews their own beer. Their selection changes with the seasons.
Skillet of Fries
One of the many beers on tap.
Cheeseburger with onions and bacon.
Prohibition Pig
prohibitionpig.com

Prohibition Pig in Waterbury, Vermont gets busy. So busy, that Eat Up New England didn't get to sit down without an hour wait until our third visit. This brewery and restaurant was worth the wait.

Prohibition Pig takes pride in brewing much of the beer it sells. The selection changes with the season. Right now for the fall, there's their Jack Be Little pumpkin beer made with house roasted pumpkins. How good does that sound? They also have their own Oktoberfest, along with some ales, a double IPA and a vanilla bean porter. Customers can choose from half and full servings.

Not only do they have amazing beer, Prohibition Pig also offers fresh food from local farmers. For lunch, there are salads, sandwiches and burgers. Sides include a skillet of fries, cheddar grits, maple baked beans and macaroni salad. There are more options for dinner including a hush puppies appetizer, craft mac & cheese and large plates of chicken, BBQ pork and beef brisket. 

Wednesday, September 27, 2017

THE BIG E: A NEW ENGLAND FALL TRADITION

Wednesday, September 27, 2017
Pierogies stuffed with cheese and keilbasa
Draft beer from the Vermont Statehouse
Vermont's Cold Hollow Cider Mill
Vegetable Tempura
Del's Lemonade in the Rhode Island Statehouse
Turkey Legs - A Big E Favorite!
Lobster Roll from the Maine Statehouse
"Blueberry Pie" from the New England Craft Beer Pub
Baked potato from the Connecticut Statehouse
THE BIG E
www.thebige.com
The end of summer is more tolerable for New Englanders every September because we have The Big E! The annual festival in West Springfield, Massachusetts attracts countless vendors and visitors every year. There's a live camel show. There are HUGE pumpkins, gourds that are more than one-thousand pounds. There are carnival rides and endless things for sale. If you're patient enough, you can even see some baby chicks hatch. The main attraction for Eat Up New England and so many others is, of course, THE FOOD.

If you like fried food, you're in lucky, because EVERYTHING is fried at The Big E. There are fried Oreos, fried vegetables, fried jelly beans, and even fried butter! I enjoyed some of the vegetable tempura from one of the vendors. We got a mountain of mixed veggies and ranch dipping sauce for under $10.

The New England statehouse replicas are one of my favorite parts of The Big E. They are models of each state's original statehouse and inside there are foods and items for sale from each state. Eat Up New England started off at the Rhode Island Statehouse, where I sipped on some cold Del's Lemonade. I enjoyed some craft beer in Vermont, a lobster roll in Maine and an incredibly satisfying baked potato at the Connecticut Statehouse.

There are so many drinks, alcoholic and non, at The Big E. The wonderful thing is, you can carry your beer or cocktail around all over the fair.  The New England Craft Beer Pub is one of my favorites, selling New England beers like Shipyard Pumpkinhead (with a cinnamon rim) and Vermont's Woodchuck Fall Cider. I LOVED their Blueberry Pie concoction of Sea Dog Blue Paw, pie syrup and a caramel cinnamon sugar rim.

Sunday, September 17, 2017

EARLS OPENS IN BOSTON'S PRUDENTIAL CENTER

Sunday, September 17, 2017
Entrance inside of the Pru
Swordfish Tacos
Avocado Super Toast and Green Dragon Roll
New York Style Cheesecake
Downstairs Bar
Upstairs Dining Area
Some of the many refreshing cocktails at Earls
Earls Kitchen + Bar
Boston, MA
www.earls.ca/locations/prudential-center

Earls Kitchen + Bar has opened its newest location at the Prudential Center in Boston. This spacious restaurant based in Canada prides itself on diverse flavors from near and far.

Eat Up New England stopped by on a very busy Saturday night and was lucky to score a table on the first floor by the bar. The service was exceptional, with our waiter going above and beyond to make sure we were happy. Their drink menu is very impressive, with beers from near and far. I enjoyed a massive glass of Clown Shoes from Ipswich, Massachusetts. Our server encouraged us to sample the beer and wines before we choose one and we were happy to take him up on his offer.

We shared some small plates for dinner, including the vegetarian-friendly Green Dragon Roll and some Avocado Super Toast. Both dishes were excellent and I loved the large size of the sushi roll. I also ordered their Blacked Swordfish Tacos. They are made with a roasted jalepeno crema, which proved to be way to hot for my taste, but our server was happy to bring me an option that was far less caliente. Earls menu is also made up of steaks, burgers (including a local Fenway Burger), salads and main plates like BBQ chicken, salmon and fish & chips. 

Earls dessert menu includes New York style cheesecake, which I can never pass up. This favorful and filling slice of heaven is served with strawberries.  

Earls serves brunch on the weekend and offers a happy hour weekday afternoons and nights.  This is their second Boston-area locations. There's also an Earls at Assembly Square in Somerville.

Saturday, August 26, 2017

BRUNCH AT GASLIGHT IN BOSTON

Saturday, August 26, 2017
Julia Child's raspberry shortbread
Omelette Lyonaisse
Entrance and outdoor patio
Gaslight
www.gaslight560.com 

Summer is winding down, but at restaurants like Gaslight in Boston's South End, customers can still find plenty of sunshine and cool breezes. Eat Up New England was lucky enough to enjoy Saturday brunch on their outdoor patio. The spacious stone patio is dotted with tables and umbrellas. There are string lights above. Geraniums and petunias provide added summer ambiance. It is the perfect setting for the perfect French-inspired meal.

 Gaslight's prix fixe brunch is the best deal in town at just $11.95 per person. The meal starts off with TWO drinks. Choose your juice: orange or grapefruit. Choose your caffeine: coffee or tea. Then, my favorite, Julia Child's spiced shortbread with raspberry jam. It's a fantastic sweet treat before the main course arrives. There are usually four options, including omelets, scrambled eggs and vanilla French toast. The French toast is FANTASTIC, but this visit I ordered the Omelette Lyonaisse, which is filled with caramelized onions, gruyere cheese and potatoes.

Gaslight serves brunch on Saturdays and Sundays all year. Eat Up New England highly recommends getting a meal or two in on that patio before the cold weather moves in.

Tuesday, August 22, 2017

WELCOME BACK SWEET TOMATOES!

Tuesday, August 22, 2017
Open again
Sweet Tomatoes in West Newton, Massachusetts is finally back open. The popular pizza place has been closed for 18 months after a car crashed through their building and killed two people. 

 Eat Up New England enjoyed a couple of their HUGE slices for lunch today. It was very busy. I also overheard a few people congratulating the owners on their re-opening.

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

NEW FOODS AND FAN FAVORITES COMING TO THIS YEAR'S BIG E

Wednesday, August 16, 2017
The Big E
September 15-October 1, 2017
www.thebige.com

This Big E is less than one month away. The annual fair in West Springfield, Massachusetts will feature all sorts of new foods to try, along with fair favorites.

A Belgian Waffle Sandwich will be served by Amy's Sweet Treats for the first time this year. It will be made of two thin waffles with Neapolitan hard ice in between them. Also new, Porky's will be serving up at BBQ Brisket Sundae. Hofbrau's Joe's will be serving up a Burger Bomb, a burger topped with cheese, bacon, onions and sauerkraut before being wrapped in pastry dough and deep fried! The West Springfield Lions Club with be offering their Flatliner Burger, two layers of cheeseburger and chili. topped with fries, cheese sauce and bacon. For dessert, Deep Fried Holy Cannoli will be on the menu at Coffee Break. 

 The foods fairgoers know and love will be making a return. Marion's Fried Dough will be making Deep Fried Oreos. The Donut Family will have their Cinnamon Caramel Apple Mini Donuts. Poutine Gourmet will be serving plenty of poutine. Moolicious will be making their Blueberry Pierogi Sundaes.

Stop by on September 15 to see V-One Vodka make the world's largest Cosmo. The drink will be made in front of the crowd and smaller portions will be sold for $10 with proceeds going to the Cancer House of Hope in West Springfield. There will also be a Sam Adams Brew Garden with pub food and salads, while the New England Craft Beer Pub will have lobster mac 'n cheese, beef stew, popovers and a fair favorite called Beer-Amisu.





Sunday, August 13, 2017

BIG BEER SELECTION & COMFORT FOOD MENU AT THE BREWERS COALITION

Sunday, August 13, 2017
California Club
Many of their draft beers are served in mason jars.
Beer bottles line the wall.
Brewers Coalition
brewerscoalition.com
Newton, MA

Brewers Coalition in Newton, Massachusetts describes itself as a "neighborhood restaurant and bar with a focus on craft beer." This is a restaurant for beer lovers. They always have so many varieties on tap, like Narragansett's Del's Shandy, Eat Up New England's favorite summer shandy. If you can't decide on what to drink, go for their Brewers Beer Browser, with 5-ounce pours of any four draft beers you'd like. They also list their current draft beer selection on their website.

 Their menu goes along nicely with their beers. I often make a meal out of their sliders, three mini burgers with a pile of their homemade fries. I also enjoy their California Club, which is stuffed with chicken, bacon, avocado and tomatoes. Appetizers include nachos, calamari, chicken quesadilla, wings and edamame. Brewers Coalition has many meal-sized salads like their Coalition Stuffed Wedge and Roast Chicken & Apple Salad. They also offers many "Specialties," which tend to change throughout the year. For summer, they have dishes like fish & chips, baby back ribs, mac & cheese, penne ala vodka and a black & bleu sirloin. One year, they featured a tasty turkey & stuffing wrap around Thanksgiving.

Brewers Coalition cooks up Sunday brunch most of the year, except during the summer.  Check out their other two restaurants, John Brewers Tavern in Malden and Waltham, Mass.

Tuesday, August 08, 2017

EAT UP NEW ENGLAND FINALLY TRIES SONIC

Tuesday, August 08, 2017
The many options at Sonic's drive-thru.
#4 Combo Meal
Sonic in Peabody, Mass

Sonic
www.sonicdrivein.com
Locations: Stoughton, Somerset and Smithfield, RI

 Sonic has been slowly expanding in New England for a few years. Eat Up New England has always wanted to try out this national chain and FINALLY got to. I went though the drive-thru of their Peabody, Massachusetts location. The lunch line went fast on a quiet summer Monday. Customers can also eat inside or outside in their cars, where carhops will deliver the fast food on roller skates.

I ordered the #4 combo meal: a Bacon Cheeseburger Toaster with tots and a small lemonade. The burger was sinfully good, stuffed with lettuce, BBQ sauce, a large onion ring, cheese, bacon, and pickles. The tots were crispy on the outside, yet soft and flavorful on the inside.

So, besides the tots, what puts Sonic on the map? They have a massive selection of drinks.  There are several frozen lemonades and limeades. They have slushes in every flavor imaginable. Sonic also has candy slushes, like a Green Apple Jolly Rancher with Hard Candy. Many of these drinks are half off during happy hour. They also have a bunch for hot dogs on their menu like their Chili Cheese Coney, Chicago Dog and Cheesy Bacon Pretzel Dog. Yes, you can even get a corn dog. For dessert, there are milkshakes, waffle ice cream cones and a bunch of candy bar concretes.

Monday, August 07, 2017

KICKING OFF "DINE OUT BOSTON" AT STREGA IN THE NORTH END

Monday, August 07, 2017
Course 1: Calamari
Course 2: Fettuccini Carbonara
Course 3: Tiramisu
Strega on Hanover Street
Strega
www.stregaristorante.com

Dine Out Boston is in full swing, and there is no better place to kick off restaurant week than in the North End. Strega is offering a three-course lunch menu for just $20. 

We had the best table in the house. Up front, with the window open on a beautiful summer day. It was only made better by this fine food and a parade that just happened to be passing by.

The meal started with their delicious olive bread, olive oil and olives. For course one, I enjoyed their light and fresh calamari, which is served with plenty of warm sauce. I really enjoyed their fettuccini carbonara for my main course. The pasta was homemade and the sauce was perfectly creamy. For dessert, I choose the cold and refreshing tiramisu over a cannoli.

Dine Out Boston is going from August 6-11 and 13-18.  Log on to DineOutBoston.com to check out menus from restaurants in Boston and the 'burbs.

Friday, August 04, 2017

OREO COOKIE MONSTER AT MARYLOU'S

Friday, August 04, 2017
Oreo Cookie Monster
Marylou's Coffee
www.marylous.com

 Marylou's Coffee is one of Eat Up New England's favorite local chains. It's known for their unique flavored coffees like Banana Split, Butterfinger, Chocolate Mint Cookie, Strawberry Shortcake, to name just a few. Eat Up New England's favorite non-caffeinated drink is their Oreo Cookie Monster. I often order it at their Sagamore Beach location before spending the day at the beach. It's so cool, refreshing and amazingly tasty.

Monday, July 31, 2017

CLOVER TO CLOSE DOWN ITS FOOD TRUCKS TO FOCUS ON ITS RESTAURANTS

Monday, July 31, 2017
Inside its Boston location near Dana-Farber
Chickpea fritter sandwich
Clover Food Labs is taking all of its food truck off of the road so they can focus on their brick-and-mortar restaurants. On its Website, Clover's CEO, Ayr, Muir writes that it has mixed emotions about this. Clover started out as a food truck. They were a staple at SOWA Market and could always be seen at busy spots around the city. The good news: we can still enjoy all of Clover's fast food vegetarian menu at its restaurants. I'll have one chickpea fritter sandwich, please.

Friday, July 21, 2017

CAPE COD COOKING FOR EVERYONE AT THE ROCK HARBOR GRILL

Friday, July 21, 2017
Chourico Crusted Baked Cod
Rock Harbor Grill
Rock Harbor Grill
Orleans, MA
rockharborgrill.net

The Rock Harbor Grill in Orleans, Massachusetts has a menu that's sure to please everyone. On a busy Saturday night, this place was buzzing with families and couples out on summer dates. 

Rock Harbor Grill has a refreshing summer drinks menu with drinks like Nantucket Lemonade and an Italian Sunset. Appetizers include Mexican street corn, house fried potato chips, and smoked haddock chowder. There are also shareables like lobster mac & cheese, PEI mussels, spinach & artichoke dip and crispy fried clam bellies.

For dinner, I really enjoyed their chourico crusted baked cod. It's served in a hot skillet, with potatoes, veggies and corm on the cob. The sausage in the bake on the cod complimented the fish very well.

Other main courses include a daily fish catch, lobster roll, scallop platter and fish & chips. They have plenty of entrees for vegetarians and meat lovers like a pork chop, steak tips and portabella burger. Red Sox fans may want to try their Fenway Park grilled sausage sub. Rock Harbor Grill is also known for their wood-fired pizzas, from BBQ chicken and wild mushroom to lamb merguez sausage and Mediterranean.

Monday, July 17, 2017

NACHO MAMMA'S IN BRISTOL, RI IS NO JOKE!

Monday, July 17, 2017
Mamma's Sangria
Chorizo quesadilla
Inside Nacho Mamma's
Nacho Mamma's
www.nachomammasbristolri.com

Its name sounds like a Yo Mama joke, but when it comes to food, there's nothing laughable about Nacho Mamma's in Bristol Rhode, Island. Since 2010, Nacho Mamma's has brought Mexican flavor to this picturesque ocean-side town that is known for its seafood.

Sweet plantains, yuca sticks, chips & salsa and their Famous Wings are just some of their appetizers. Nacho Mamma's also serves heaping portions of nachos topped off with chili, chicken, pork, ground beef, flank steak or grilled shrimp. They also have BBQ Pork Nachos, which are topped with cheese, scallions, red onion, black olives, jalepenos and drizzled with avocado ranch. 

Entrees include Mexican favorites like burritos, chimichangas, enchiladas, tacos and quesadillas. I LOVED Nacho Mamma's chorizo quesadilla. The flavor of the meat was so good and this sucker was stuffed full of cheese. It was so big and filling that I took half of the meal home.

Signature meals include a Portuguese Burrito (flank steak, fries, cheese, rice, two eggs, Portuguese hot pepper & sour cream) and a Fried Chicken Quesadilla (fried, chicken, bacon, cheese and BBQ-Ranch drizzle). Nacho Mamma's also serves up salads, fried yuca bowls, burgers and even a taco pizza. This is also the home of "The Big Burrito Challenge," where they dare customers to eat a 5-pound burrito in just 30 minutes.

Nacho Mamma's has its liquor license! In the spring and summer, they serve up a wonderfully refreshing sangria. Don't let that red Solo cup fool you. This drink is all class.

Saturday, July 15, 2017

CELEBRATE NATIONAL ICE CREAM DAY WITH THESE DEALS

Saturday, July 15, 2017
#NationalIceCreamDay
This Sunday, July 16, is National Ice Cream Day. Many restaurants are celebrating with deals:

Carvel: Buy 1, Get one FREE cup or cone of any size
Friendly's: Get a Friend-Z for $2.99
Good Humor: Ice cream truck will be at Franklin Park Zoo in Boston. free Firecracker Jr. popsicles Sunday from 10-Noon. Zoo animals will get ice treats on Sunday.
J.P. Lick's: Giving out one free medium sundae every day in July. Info HERE.
Kringle Candle (Bernardston, MA): Free small cones from 11am-3pm; free vanilla cone candle when you spend $75 or $100
McDonald's: FREE vanilla cones to anyone who downloads their app
PetSmart: Get a FREE doggie ice cream sundae
Pizzi Farm (Waltham, MA):  donut ice cream cones, blueberry cobbler mason jar sundaes & an antique car show on Sunday


Friday, July 07, 2017

SUMMER IS IN SEASON AT SYCAMORE

Friday, July 07, 2017
Green Garlic Frito Twists
Local Strawberry & Snap Pea Salad
Atlantic Fish Cakes
Sycamore
sycamorenewton.com

Sycamore is one of those buzzed about restaurants that Eat Up New England has been meaning to try and FINALLY got a chance to. We were able to reserve one last table on a busy summer Saturday night and sat down for a delicious and seasonally inspired meal.

Dinner begins with their fresh, homemade bread and salted butter. It is wonderful, and they are more than happy to bring you seconds and thirds. Up next, we ordered the Green Garlic Frito Twists from their "snack" section on the menu. These homemade twists are inspired by the Fritos twists in grocery stores, but so much better. They're made with just enough spice. We also enjoyed their Local Strawberry & Snap Pea Salad. This delightfully fresh summer salad was complimented by French feta, Thai basil and pistachios. Fantastic. 

I enjoyed their Atlantic Fish Cakes for dinner. They were fresh and surprisingly filling. My wife ordered their Caramelized Onion Pierogis. They were served in a mushroom cream with an English pea salsa verde. You don't often see pierogis on menus, so I was happy to try one. They were excellent. A creative and delicious vegetarian option.

 Sycamore also has some very tempting summery mixed drinks on their menu, along with wines and beers. 

Sycamore is open for dinner only. Their menu is always changing, so give them a call or visit online to see what's cooking before you visit.

Monday, June 26, 2017

CELEBRATING THE DESSERTS AT WELLFLEET HOT-SPOT MOBY DICK'S

Monday, June 26, 2017
Strawberry Shortcake
Key Lime Pie: Moby's signature dessert
Moby Dick's
Wellfleet, Massachusetts
mobydicksrestaurant.com 

Since I was a child vacationing on the Cape, Moby Dick's was always the first place to stop. It's where I learned to enjoy seafood. Moby's is also famous for their desserts. Particularly, their key lime pie. The pie itself is cool and refreshing. The homemade graham cracker crust is amazing. It's no wonder why their key lime pie is their signature dessert. 

 Eat Up New England also recommends Moby's strawberry shortcake. The whipped cream is homemade and they don't skimp on the strawberries. Moby Dick's dessert menu also has several ice creams, Moby Madness (aka a huge hot fudge sundae) and homemade blueberry crisp. Not to mention, frappes, a root beer float and an ice cold lemonade freeze. The freeze is a blend of lemonade and lemon sorbet. It will cool you off on the hottest of days.

Friday, June 23, 2017

ALL OF THE ITALIAN CLASSICS AT VITO'S RESTAURANT

Friday, June 23, 2017

Vito's Restaurant
Wethersfield, CT
vitosct.com

Heaping portions. Generous glasses of wine. A menu full of signature Italian dishes. Welcome to Vito's Restaurant in Wethersfield, Connecticut.

One of my favorite things about Vito's is the basket of bread at the beginning of each meal. Garlic bread sticks and knots. Customers don't go thirsty. Vito's offers a long list of wines, beer and cocktails. I enjoyed two of their red wine sangria's.

 Vito's has specialized in family-style Italian dining since 1978. Their dinner menu is separated by chicken, pasta, veal, eggplant and seafood entrees. Many of them are served with a garden salad AND a side of pasta! See what I mean by family style? Guests often get enough food to bring home and they wouldn't have it any other way. With dishes like fettuccini carbonara, sausage & peppers, lobster ravioli, shrimp & scallops romano filling the menu, it was challenging to figure out what to eat. I settled on a classic: meat lasagna. It was meaty, cheesy and filling, everything a lasagna should be.

 There are also several grinders, paninis and pizzas on their menu. They even have Chicago-style stuffed pizzas, which look amazingly tempting. Choose from meat, vegetable or a meat/veggie combo.

This Wethersfield location is the original Vito's restaurant, but they also have locations in Hartford and Windsor.
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