Taco bites from Chompers

Pumpkin beer from Smuttynose

Baked potato from Some House Grill

Blueberry Del's lemonade

The Big E Cream Puff

It's been two years since I enjoyed The Big E's cream puff. I scarfed one down as soon as I arrived, and brought two home. New this year is a pumpkin cream puff which is just as yummy as the original. The average price for beer is a rather steep $11 this year, but I managed to find some Smuttynose Pumpkin in the New Hampshire building for $7. I enjoyed my usual baked potato with all of the fixins from the Connecticut building and a blueberry Del's from the Rhode Island building. I also tried some amazing fried balls of deliciousness from the Chomper's food truck, which is based out of Connecticut. They are amazing!

Welcome back to the Big E! I don't know how we survived without it.

Sub shop Jersey Mike's is exploding across Massachusetts. They have already opened a bunch of new locations in recent months and more are on the way. The chain is set to open locations in Plainville, Milford, Saugus, Shrewsbury, Fairhaven and Stoneham. Jersey Mike's is known for their fresh sliced deli meats on fresh baked bread. Their cheese steaks and Italian sub are among my favorites. Eat Up New England is happy to see them expanding. 

UNGROUNDED COFFEE

Jamaica, VT

Ungroundedcoffee.com

Their beverage menu includes pictures of all of their drinks. My favorite is their iced maple maple latte. They also have a Chai latte, Americanos, cappuccino, repressed, hot lattes, iced coffee. There’s also hot chocolate for those cold Vermont days. Ungrounded also sells coffee by the bag. 

Fins up, Boston!

The chain usually drops anchor in year-round sunny spots and tropical vacation destinations. Still, they are giving it a go in Boston. Maybe it will be a nice oasis during one of our many winter snow storms. While new to Boston, Margaritaville is no stranger to New England. There was a location at Mohegan Sun for about decade which closed in 2018.

Fire pit table with a view!

Crispy chicken club with fries

Martingale Wharf 

Martingale Wharf offers beautiful views of the water along with tranquil breezes. Eat outside if you can because you'll be treated to quite the seaside show. We saw some seagulls pecking away at some crabs they plucked right out of the water along with two large tugboats stopped traffic as a bridge opened up for them to pull through.

I enjoyed their Crispy Chicken Club for lunch. The chicken breast is served on a potato roll with bacon, lettuce, tomato and a cherry pepper aioli. The fries at Martingale are so good. Upgrade for the truffle fries. You won't be disappointed. Other entrees include a lobster croissant, grilled salmon, seafood scampi, and fried platters like fish & chips and whole belly clams. Martingale offers several large salads to choose from which look amazing judging from the photos they've posted on Instagram.  Apps include New England clam chowder, vegetable sushi, baked seafood dip, an artisan cheese board and mussels & fries. Martingale Wharf's bar is packed with beer, wine and there a bunch of ocean-inspired cocktails on their drink menu. 

Right now, it would be wise to make reservations even for lunch. There were few tables available when we went on a Thursday afternoon.

I was so happy to return to an Eat Up New England favorite, The Rooster Company, in Newington, Connecticut. I once again enjoyed their half chicken with their AMAZING Parmesan sauce. Just look at that bird. So nice to be back!

Igloos are up at many of the restaurants all over the state including Patriot Place in Foxboro, Massachusetts. They are being used in the freezing winter months to help restaurants increase capacity while still following the Covid-19 protocols. 

Needham, MA

www.panchostaqueria.com

With Covid-19 raging on and dining limits set on restaurants around New England, there's never been a better time to support our local restaurants.

I was driving through Needham, Massachusetts when I noticed Pancho's Taqueria and decided to give it a try. This is the restaurant's second location, originally opening in Dedham in 2016. Pancho's offers authentic Mexican food accompanied by an impressive list of margaritas. They are also open for breakfast, offering breakfast burritos. Choose from one of their specials or customize your own. 

Pancho's offers regular and super-sized burritos for lunch and dinner. I am a big fan of chorizo and was excited to see they have it on their menu. I enjoyed a super-sized chorizo burrito with cheese, salsa and lettuce. I also order a side of chips and cheese. It was all so delicious and kept me comfortably full for a long night shift at work. Other main dishes include nachos, tostadas, salads and tortas.

If you order online, you will get $3 off on your first order AND all of the money goes to Pancho's and not a food delivery app.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Lobster grilled cheese

Lobster tots

Cousins Maine Lobster food truck

Lobster tacos

cousinsmainelobster.com

One of the highlights of this summer has been the Cousins Maine Lobster pulling up at Weston Nurseries in Hopkinton, Massachusetts. The food truck became a national sensation on Shark Tank when its founders partnered with Barbara Corcoran. Now, Cousins Maine Lobster Trucks (and restaurants) can be found in cities around the country.

All of their food is phenomenal. Of course, there are traditional hot and cold lobster rolls. Those classics can be found everywhere, so I ordered some of the more exotic items. The lobster grilled cheese is fantastic. It's stuffed with cheddar and pepper jack cheeses. The lobster tots are also a favorite. The large portion of tots is topped with warm lobster, pico de gallo and a cilantro lime sauce. Cousins' soft lobster tacos are also a delight and are complimented with a cup of their clam chowder or lobster bisque. Cousins also offers a lobster quesadilla, shrimp tacos and a lobster tail and tots. There are kids meals and whoopie pies for dessert.

Check out their website and social media for where their trucks will appear next.

Add Sky Restaurant in Norwood, Massachusetts to the long list of restaurants that has closed permanently because of struggles from the coronavirus. The restaurant was in business for nearly 20 years. It was known for its gigantic Sunday brunch buffet, which always included a chocolate fountain. The owner of Sky also owns 3 Restaurant in Franklin, which has a similar menu. Sky gift cards are also being honored there.

It's been a brutal week for restaurants in and around Boston. The Fours closed its popular location near the TD Garden. LIR on Boylton Street in Boston is closing. Legal Test Kitchen in the Seaport closed after 15 years in business. The Friendly Toast shut down their popular spot in Cambridge. Anna's Taqueria closed down their original location in Brookline after 25 years. In Hopkinton, Carbone's restaurant is closing after 87 years in business. The owners do hope to sell to new owners. And last week, Covid-19 forced Stellina Italian restaurant to close its doors in Watertown after 34 years. 

Needless to say, support your favorite restaurants right now.