Real Restaurant Reviews From The Seacoast

Ithaki Mediterranean Cuisine

2011-09-15T13:09:00.003-04:00

25 Hammatt St

Ipswich, Ma

http://www.ithakicuisine.com/

Owner Petros Markopoulos has created a truly delicious and relaxing dining destination in the quaint New England town of Ipswich, Ma with his Greek & Mediterranean restaurant Ithaki. The decor and ambiance of the newly renovated Ithaki restaurant is calming with its soft, cool colors and warm lighting. The dining area is spacious yet gives you a feeling of an intimate dining experience and Ithaki also has a wonderful lounge side with a large bar wrapping around the room and tables scattered within. I happened to dine last at Ithaki on a Thursday evening when there was a jazz performer and it really set a relaxing tone as I dined with friends.

Finding an authentic Greek & Mediterranean restaurant north of Boston, MA is not easy, but I have to say, I no longer have to look elsewhere as Ithaki has it covered.

The Marinated Olives ($7) are delicious, The Bread Spreads ($7 each or a taste of 4 spreads for $15) of Tzatziki, Taramosalata, Tirokafteri & Hummus served with warm pita chips are a wonderful start to a meal here at Ithaki. The Spreads are fresh and full of flavors. I have sampled the weekly special Appetizer offering of Hortopita ($12) which was a light phyllo pocket stuffed with greens and served with sliced grilled Loukaniko and a Feta cream sauce. It was the first time I have had Loukaniko (sausage) and it was porky goodness! I hope to catch it again on Ithaki's weekly specials menu. The Bar Menu at Ithaki has the Short Rib Appetizer ($11) is cooked so perfectly, the rib meat almost melts in your mouth. The Mousakas ($19) served in a large crock boasts the expected rich Mediteranean flavors of cinnamon and herbs blended in with beef, potato, eggplant, zucchini and topped with a Bechamel. Mousakas to me when dining at a Greek restaurant is often a must, but don't let that sway you from trying what clearly is a Ithaki customer favorite, the Clams ($22)-House made Fettuccine piled high in a large bowl with native clams, white wine, garlic and chili flakes. I cannot wait for a cold winter night where I will happily indulge myself with this dish! I finish my meal at Ithaki with Pistachio Baklava ($8)-small, light, delicate rolls of baklava laced with pistachios and served with a side of Pistachio ice cream. A wonderful dessert to finish with any meal offered at Ithaki.

The serving staff at Ithaki upon my visits have been knowledgeable, friendly and prompt and always willing to make recommendations to you of favorite dishes or a wine from the rather extensive and well rounded wine list. I definitely feel that Ithaki is THE BEST Greek & Mediterranean restaurant I have found in a long while and fit for a Foodie. I look forward to bringing more friends to dine with me at Ithaki that haven't tried a truly great Mediterranean meal. I just love it when you find a restaurant that whether you desire to dress up or go casual to you know you are going to have a great time, great food and leave happy and full. It's always exciting!

How's Your Onion- Derry, N.H

2011-08-02T11:33:00.004-04:00

91 West Broadway, Derry NH

http://www.howsyouronion.com/

Marc Damien Hartley is the chef and owner of this unique little restaurant located right on West Broadway in Derry NH. The atmosphere is warm and relaxing, the staff friendly and the food was served promptly upon my visit. How's Your Onion is the kind of restaurant that I can see many visitors becoming regular diners.

I have visited only for breakfast after hearing quite a bit about how good the food was here and I am a sucker for a good breakfast! Open Monday -Thursday 5am-2pm, Friday and Saturday 5am-9pm (Friday and Saturday they are open for dinner) and Sunday 6am-2pm How's Your Onion is a relatively new restaurant and is serving up some really unique and tasty dishes.

I enjoyed the Shirred Baked Egg Nest ($6.99)- 2 eggs, home fries, chopped onion and bacon baked and topped with Parmesan cheese served with a side of toast. It was a nice change from customary breakfast offerings and I really enjoyed the flavors! I tried a side of the Spiked Potatoes (3 for $2.99/6 for $5.79)-Combo of mashed potatoes, bacon, cheese and peppers rolled in beer batter, smothered in BBQ chips, fried & served with a creamy bacon ranch dressing. Big flavors in small packages! My breakfast partner, who is a regular at How's Your Onion, enjoyed the Sandra Special ($5.29)-Eggs cooked in the center of sourdough bread served with corned-beef hash that he had the chef mix spinach and mushrooms into and he loved it! The menu has a large selection of both breakfast and lunch options and I must make a point to visit again soon on a Friday or Saturday night to dine from the dinner menu.

Have you even been to a restaurant and you just feel like it's family cooking for you? That is the vibe I had while enjoying my breakfast at How's Your Onion. It's a restaurant that you just know has a lot of heart in it and that makes a big difference in the food that anyone who visits has the chance to try. How's Your Onion is approaching its 1 year anniversary in September and I hope that it continues to grow in popularity and that Marc along with his staff, continues to cook and serve the guests of How's Your Onion with the uniqueness and love of food that started it all.

Four Restaurant, Portsmouth, N.H.

2011-05-17T11:05:00.005-04:00

http://www.fouronstate.com/

603.319.1547

189 State St

Portsmouth, N.H.

Located on the corner of State St and Penhallow in downtown Portsmouth N.H. is a wonderful little restaurant called Four. Four is French for oven and a well suited name. Open for dinner Monday thru Saturday from 5:30 to close, it is a small yet intimate restaurant that should not be missed! First I will say that if you are planning to visit this hidden jewel, I strongly recommend calling ahead of time and making a reservation. There are a limited number of tables available for seating (about 10 total), a cozy outdoor patio is also available for seating in warmer months as well as a six seat bar area. Co-owner and Chef Simon Lampert prepares some wonderfully, unique dishes using local, fresh ingredients as often as he possibly can. To quote the chef, "Food is the love of my life every single day" and I couldn't agree with him more after an evening of dining at Four and experiencing his talented cooking. On each of my dining experiences the staff has been attentive and friendly and I havent ever felt rushed during my meal. The open window kitchen gives you a view of the wood fired oven and of the talented kitchen staff while they prepare meals.

Four offers 2 menus each evening. One is a unique daily four course Prix Fix tasting menu ($40) and the second is a Steakhouse menu. They bake their own fresh bread in the wood fired oven and serve it with butter and a garlic and olive oil dipping sauce. I have yet to dine from the four course tasting menu but have not been disappointed by what I have enjoyed from the Steakhouse menu. There are several delectable appetizer options to start your meal with and I have enjoyed the Sticky Ribs-Hoisen sauced pork ribs ($9) and will visit again to try the Marrow Bones ($10). Each entree from the Steakhouse menu is served with your choice of 2 side dishes. The 8 oz filet mignon ($29) cooked to your liking is topped with a pat of herbed garlic butter melted in my mouth. I have opted for the house made macaroni and cheese on each of my visits as a side dish after first having it and wishing I could make it at home as well as it is prepared here. On my most recent visit, my other side dish of choice was sauteed patty pan squash. I have also tried their tomato and bacon salad which I was told by my waitress that the bacon is cured in house. It was light and innovative and a perfect accompaniment to any of their entrees. My meal was wonderful and I again was unable to have enough room to try one of their desserts! Two other dishes I must mention here is their 10 oz steak tips soaked in soy honey ($19) that do not disappoint and their amazing, mouth watering bone in 16 oz double pork chop with a maple mustard sauce ($23). Yes, it tastes just as great as you thought it would! Four has created an eco-friendly, calming dining atmosphere that allows the guests to relax and enjoy an excellent meal that definitely has me wanting to go back for more. If you are looking for a unique dining experience I highly recommend calling Four and making a reservation. I know I will be doing so myself again very soon!

5th Annual Portsmouth, NH Cocktail Competition

2011-04-25T11:10:00.003-04:00

SHAKE, RATTLE & POUR!

The much anticipated signature cocktail competition enters its 5th year Sunday June 5th from 4pm-8pm! Multiple downtown restaurants will compete for the title of Best Signature Cocktail of Portsmouth. This years event will feature a cocktail pairing that will highlight both food and drink menus.
What: Complimentary cocktail tasting
When: Sunday June 5th from 4pm-8pm
Where: Multiple downtown Portsmouth restaurants all within walking distance
Why: Spring is the perfect time to explore Portsmouth's burgeoning restaurant scene
Cost: $30 a ticket

The event is a great way to meet new people & try new restaurants as attendees visit each restaurant during the tasting. The even draws a mature crowd of "cocktail hoppers" says event producer Lisa Knight. It's a great networking event and the tickets provide an inexpensive night out on the town. Restaurants that are competing this year include The Dolphin Striker, The River House, Fat Belly's, Rudi's, Hilton Garden Inn, Sake, Sheraton Portsmouth, The Chef's Table and many more! This event is sponsors by Around Town New England Magazine, Horizon Beverage, Southern Wine & Spirits, Taste of the Seacoast Magazine & WXGR 101.5 FM

Tickets in advance are available at http://www.drinkwaterproductions.com/
There are LIMITED DISCOUNT TICKETS now available for only $15 each via http://shop.drinkwaterproductions.com/

11 Water Street- Exeter NH

2011-02-02T14:47:00.004-05:00

www.11WaterStreet.com

Located right in the heart of downtown Exeter there are a few good places to have a nice lunch or dinner or just enjoy drinks out and I think 11 Water Street is one of them. With views of the river, open for lunch at 11:30 and dinner service from 5:30pm to 9:30 Tuesday thru Sunday, this restaurant offers a wide selection of salads, sandwiches, lighter fare entrees and full entrees. The dinning area is street level and has a limited number of tables so reservations on a weekend evening are definitely recommended. I usually opt to go downstairs to the bar area and try to get a table there which is on a first come first serve basis. If you have to wait a bit, usually a server will come over and you can order a drink while you wait for the next available seat to open up. The Lighter Fare menu has large enough portions that sometimes I will still have a take home box with leftovers. My two favorite appetizers here are the Thai Crab Cakes ($10.00) and the bowl of French Onion Soup ($5). For dinner I really enjoy from the Lighter Fare Menu, the Steak Tips ($12.50) served with basmati rice and asparagus year round and as a good meal on a cold winter evening, the braised short ribs with basmati rice instead of garlic mashed red potatoes and seasonal veggie. 11 Water Street also has one heck of a dessert menu to choose from so save a little room if you can to finish your meal on a sweet note!

Poop Cake FOUND

2010-12-21T14:36:00.003-05:00

Thank you to Tom Robinson the owner of the delicious York Lobster and Seafood in York, Maine for coming through with a baker & cake decorator that could make the special birthday cake of a certain someone one he will never forget!

http://www.yorklobsterandseafood.com/

BAKERY "POOP CAKE" REQUEST!!!!

2010-12-10T15:26:00.002-05:00

If anyone KNOWS or IS a baker within the New England area that can make an infamous POOP cake, please comment to this posting or contact me via email ASAP! Odd request for a close friend and I haven't been able to locate someone to handle the job!

SEACOAST RESTAURANT WEEK Nov 4-13

2010-11-04T12:01:00.002-04:00

IT'S THAT DELICIOUS TIME OF YEAR AGAIN FOR THE SEACOAST RESTAURANT WEEK! MORE SEACOAST RESTAURANTS ARE PARTICIPATING THAN ANY YEAR PRIOR, SO MAKE SURE YOU GET OUT THERE AND TRY SOME FLAVORS AT SEACOAST AREA RESTAURANTS YOU HAVEN'T DINED AT YET!
*****Attention deal-seekers! Featuring special 3-course prix fixe menus: lunch $16.95 per person, dinner $29.95 per person (does not include beverages, taxes or gratuity) at participating restaurants throughout Portsmouth and the Seacoast. Restaurant Week Portsmouth is a bi-annual culinary event which spotlights Greater Portsmouth as a culinary and cultural destination. Please go to http://www.portsmouthchamber.org/restaurantweek.cfm for a list of the participating restaurants and view the menus!
Wine & dine, shop & gallery hop, visit the theatre, and make it a getaway. Area hotels and inns offer special rates & packages during the event as well.
*Please note: Restaurants will not accept discount cards or other offers during Restaurant Week. Reservations highly recommended - diners must contact the individual restaurant(s) of their choice.

Gordo's Burritos & Tacos

2010-09-27T12:37:00.004-04:00

64 Freetown Rd

Raymond, NH

Open for lunch & dinner Tuesday thru Sundays, Gordo's is conveniently located right off exit 5 on 101. I had a few people recommend that I go check this little Mexican restaurant out so I finally was able to make it in. I didn't like it. Maybe I am spoiled by the really fresh Mexican burritos and tacos available at Las Olas or Dos Amigos, but rightly so I figure. All of the items on Gordo's menu are priced the same at $6.95. Set up cafeteria style, you order at the counter and get your drinks there too before you pick your seat in the dinning area. when you food is ready, someone from the counter or kitchen will bring it out. the decor is great and I like the idea of the hot sauce bottle shelf, but the food is below average. My tacos were overcooked while my dinning companions burritos were undercooked. The owner was there and she did not seem friendly at all. We had another friend of ours join us since we had to discuss some business things and the owner actually came over and asked how much longer we were going to be there and since the additional member that joined us was sitting at the table with his laptop and NOT ordering, she wanted us to scram, said she had a large party coming in any minute and this didn't look right. wow, we finished our beers and left. I will not return. For a restaurant owner that is struggling and that only had one other table of guests there in addition to us to say something like that was completely rude. I'm going to safely guess that Gordo's just doesn't have what it takes to make it as a successful Mexican restaurant.

Rudi's Portsmouth

2010-07-29T13:43:00.004-04:00

20 High St

Portsmouth, NH

http://www.rudisportsmouth.com/

Open Daily Lunch & Dinner
11:30 a.m. - close (Late Night: Bar/ Lounge)

Rudi's Portsmouth is a tucked away neighborhood gem. The atmosphere inside has an old town feel to it and has a great little piano bar lounge that I often will start a relaxing weekend at with friends and listen to the live music (which they have 5 days a week). The menu features dishes that use local farm ingredients and is varied enough that I'm sure you will be able to find a few that tempt your taste buds. I have 2 favorite dishes at Rudi's Portsmouth, my top choice is the Sesame Encrusted Atlantic Salmon ($25). It has a homemade teriyaki glaze, Napa cabbage salad, pickled cucumber slaw and served on a bed of basmati rice. I think it is one of the best salmon dishes served up in the area. My second favorite dish is the Fresh Lobster Ravioli ($28). It is served with sauteed leeks, roasted grape tomatoes and a fresh basil chiffonade in a white butter truffle butter. I have also indulged a few times and have had the Grilled New Zealand Lamb Rack ($28). Served with a cranberry-mint demi glaze, roasted garlic mashed potatoes and sauteed spinach. I usually request the basmati rice as my starch instead of the mashed potatoes, but either accompanies the lamb very well. Wow, just typing these dishes makes my mouth start to water. Rudi's Portsmouth has strong roots in Portsmouth and is one of the locals favorite restaurants. They have a wonderful Sunday Jazz Brunch menu offered weekly from 11am -3pm. Upon all of my visits here, the service has been courteous and prompt and always helpful with any special food requests or recommendations from the menu. I also want to mention it's one of the few Portsmouth restaurants that actually has their own parking area too which is very convenient. Rudi's Portsmouth is also a FIRA member which if you haven't taken advantage of joining, I would check it out at http://www.localflavor.org/ for more details. If you haven't had the opportunity to visit Rudi's Portsmouth for dinner yet, I invite you to give it a try and just relax and enjoy.

4th Annual Portsmouth, NH Cocktail Competition

2010-05-11T09:32:00.003-04:00

http://www.portsmouthcocktail.com/

The 4th Annual Portsmouth Cocktail Competition is to be held on Sunday, June 6, 2010. Starting at the Portsmouth Gas Light Co. restaurant and wrap-up party at Ri Ra Irish Pub. Tickets cost $30 in advance and $40 at the door. Tickets include cocktail samplings at 9 downtown Portsmouth restaurants, Souvenir Shot Glass, Event Map and entry into the Wrap Up Party with LIVE music by the band FLUSH and LIVE broadcast by WXGR 101.5 FM. New this year, get Poked by Poken Social Business Card! Poke new friends by simply putting your "poken" cards together when you meet someone at the event. Your information is digitally exchanged and stored on the USB device and ready for download to your computer. Participating locations this year include the Portsmouth Gas Light Co., Dolphin Striker, Riverhouse, TJ's, Hilton Garden Inn, Rudi's, The Page, Sake and Ri Ra Irish Pub. This is a really enjoyable event that you can take part in and vote for which restaurant takes home the title of "Best Signature Cocktail of Portsmouth"!

Maxwell's Pub- Ogunquit, Maine

2010-04-27T12:06:00.005-04:00

243 Main St

Located right smack downtown in Ogunquit, ME, Maxwell's has prime real estate for a great restaurant...too bad it isn't one. I wanted to get this up on the blog because I know so many people will be traveling through Ogunquit this summer and I wanted to let you know that if your looking for a good casual restaurant to grab a decent bite, this is NOT where you want to stop. Sure, it's as good as any other bar for a drink and gets quite the crowd on weekend nights for libations, but you can't really mess up a beer. There are several fine establishments around Maxwell's that have good food at good prices that I would recommend you try instead while visiting this quaint little seacoast town.

Bonta- Hampton, N.H.

2010-03-24T14:19:00.003-04:00

http://www.bonta.net/
A beautiful Italian restaurant & bar located at 287 Exeter Road in Hampton, NH, right off Exit 13 on 101 serves up some outstanding regional Italian and Mediterranean dishes. The decor is simple, warm and elegant, with a country Italian feel. Well known for their fresh, flavorful food and their cozy, upscale bar, I have yet to be disappointed in my dining experiences at Bonta.
Off of their Appetizers menu, I have enjoyed their rich Tuscan White Bean soup ($8) and their Mussels Fra Diavolo ($11) which does have a bit of a kick. They offer quite a few dinner selections and also a daily specials menu. I like that with their main pasta dishes, you can have either a full order or opt for a smaller portion at a lower price. The smaller portions of pasta are perfect if you are in the mood for either an appetizer or saving room for one of their desserts or both!
For a main dish, I recommend the Tagliatelle alla Bolognese ($12/$23) that is made with fresh, homemade pasta which always makes a big difference in taste when dining out for an Italian meal. If you aren't in the mood for pasta, I recommend their Tuscan Chicken under a Brick ($25) served with a creamy Gorgonzola risotto, broccoli rabe and a house-made gravy. The chicken is juicy and tender, and consistently cooked perfectly. During my visits at Bonta, the waitstaff has been very friendly, attentive and willing to make menu suggestions if you are having a hard time deciding what to enjoy. It’s also worth mentioning that Bonta has an outstanding wine menu that has been the recipient of the Wine Spectators’ “Award of Excellence” for outstanding wine selections for the last eight years. The staff has been very knowledgeable and helpful with pairing recommendations. I love my vino and it's nice to indulge in one or two wines that I haven't explored. The Mahogany Bar at Bonta is well known with the locals. It's small and comfortable and I have enjoyed the service by bar manager Al who has been at Bonta since it opened. He has a great smile, is always friendly and on top of his game. The Bar menu is quite wonderful and has small plate options, sandwiches and also some great signature Artisan flat breads. From the bar menu, I am a big fan of their Margherita flat bread ($9) that has house made tomato sauce, fresh Mozzarella cheese and basil and also the Chicken Picatta dish ($11) with sauteed chicken, lemons, capers, white wine, stewed tomatoes served over Gemelli pasta.
You don't have to spend a lot of money to enjoy a really nice evening out at Bonta and if at all possible, try to save room for dessert. It's actually one of my favorite dessert menus on the Seacoast.
MANGA! MANGA!

Restaurant Week Portsmouth: March 26th - April 3rd, 2010

2010-03-08T14:09:00.002-05:00

www.PortsmouthChamber.org/Restaurantweek.cfm

It's that time of year again my fellow foodies! The Portsmouth, N.H. Chamber of Commerce proudly puts on this bi-annual culinary event and this time around it has over 30 restaurants participating in it from around the Seacoast! It's nice to see some new additions taking part this year.
Portsmouth Restaurant Week is a great opportunity to dine out at some of the restaurants you either haven't been able to try yet or have been wanting to, but may be out of your budget range. The restaurants will be featuring a 3 course prix fixe dinner menu for $29.95 per person and some of the restaurants also will be featuring a 3 course lunch prix fixe menu for $16.95 per person. The Portsmouth chamber website will have the menus posted as soon as they become available so that you can see which ones where sound the most delicious to you.
I love this event and I think it is especially welcomed in times like today where the economy is "not so hot". Reservations are HIGHLY recommended and there are also many area hotels and inns offering special rates and packages during this event.
I hope you are able to make it to one or two and that you enjoy your time spent here on the Seacoast. See you around town!

Seaglass Restaurant- North Salisbury Beach, MA

2010-01-21T20:31:00.012-05:00

http://www.seaglassoceanside.com/

4 Oceanfront

North Salisbury, MA

Located in the Pavilion at Salisbury Beach, the Sea Glass Restaurant and Lounge seems a bit out of place. The panoramic ocean views are phenomenal. I can't think of another seacoast dining spot that can match them. Large windows on the oceanside of the dining room seem to put you right on top of the waves. The decor is classy contemporary. A large mantled fireplace is the focal point of the dining room. The lounge area features a horseshoe shaped bar that is surrounded by smaller tables and seems to catch a fairly nice little crowd in the evenings. Sea Glass Oceanside offers a well rounded wine list as well. I enjoyed the house Jacob's Creek Cabernet ($5).

Beware, Sea Glass can be pricey, The menu is a la carte, but has a great selection of fresh seafood, farm to table vegetables, and a nice selection of steaks and meat dishes as well. There are a few vegetarian options as well. Even the most finicky of eaters can find something on the menu and Sea Glass is very accommodating in preparing your selection as you would like.

My companion and I could not pass up the Chilled Seafood Platter appetizer (market price $32). It had a selection of lobster meat (half a tail, half a claw), raw oysters(3), raw mussels(3), shrimp( 2), crab meat (a decent serving) and calamari (it does change depending on what the chef has in house that day). It was delicious, but the platter is much larger than the portions served on it which makes it seem like more than it is. I noticed several diners enjoying sharing this appetizer on their tables as well.

The specials' menu does not list prices and when I asked, my waitress said the Executive Chefs, Richard Lambiase and Scott Brandolini do not like to list the prices because they do not want your decision to be based on price. I don't know how I feel about that. Seems a little haughty. They will gladly quote prices if you ask. I always ask. I once was at a restaurant that didn't list the specials pricing and went with a surf and turf. It cost me $75! It wasn't worth it, but that taught me to always ask. My dining companion reminded me to mention the bread basket (you know who you are). The rolls were warm and the accompanying garlic & herb butter was amazing. They change the butter flavor almost weekly. A nice extra I thought. The menu at first seems a bit scattered, but the waitstaff will walk you through it if need be. I chose the fresh catch of Salmon ($17) for my entree and opted to have it grilled topping it with the red onion plum chutney (an additional $2). All fish and steak choices can be prepared grilled, blackened, pan-seared or baked. You can add a sauce to any fish or steak dish for the $2 upcharge. The salmon did not disappoint. I sampled my friend's Icelandic Haddock that had the honey balsamic glaze and that too was very fresh and perfectly cooked. ($18 + $2 for the sauce). An entree comes with choice of 1 side, but the sides are definitely large enough for 2, so you can easily enjoy a starch and a vegetable sharing both. We shared a baked sweet potato and creamed spinach. Post dinner we entertained ourselves by reading the dessert menu, but neither of us had the room, but I will say the selection will make your mouth water a bit, hahahaha.

The service was prompt and very knowledgeable about the menu. We never felt rushed which always enhances my dining experience.
This is an excellent restaurant for a great date, dinner with good friends or a special evening with family when you are looking for a little extra something, the great ocean view, and are willing to pay for it.
They also offer a Sunday Buffet Brunch By The Sea for $25 from 10:30am to 2:00pm. I will definitely return to Sea Glass and try the Sunday Brunch. I want to enjoy the view during the day.

Despite the enjoyable meal and setting I'm not sure that Sea Glass will be able to carry based on location. Although this area of Salisbury Beach is improving, it still has a long way to go to before it reaches upscale. It's a work in progress. It would be nice to see Sea Glass last though because it was a truly enjoyable dining experience.

Sea Glass is open Sunday thru Thursday, 11am-10pm and Friday & Saturday, 11:30am to 11:00pm.

Mission Oak Grill- Newburyport, MA

2010-01-04T11:02:00.004-05:00

26 Green St

http://www.missionoakgrill.com/

Let me ask you this, when you are craving a perfectly grilled, juicy steak, where do you go? Do you know of a steakhouse on the Seacoast that hasn't let you down? I do. It's Mission Oak Grill in Newburyport, MA. Located up from the harbor a bit on Green St, Mission Oak Grill is my favorite Seacoast steakhouse. It's in an old church space which formally was the Kiwi Grill. It's open 7 nights a week and serves up hand cut meats that are perfectly grilled time and time again. As soon as you walk through the inner set of large wooden doors here, you will feel you have come to the right restaurant for your meal. The decor is simple, but exactly what I seek in a steakhouse atmosphere with its rich leather seating and dark woods. There is a long bar area to the side of the main dining that is always busy and they serve up a great bar menu that is half off - Sunday thru Friday from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM. The dinner menu covers you from Kansas City Sirloin (to die for at $28) to Alder planked Salmon ($23). I even indulge from time to time in their Bistro Cheeseburger ($12) which is 12 ounces of what a burger SHOULD be and often isn't. Another highlight for me with this restaurant is that they use a lot of local ingredients which I always like to see happening on menus. Time and time again, the service here at Mission Oak Grill has been top notch. I have not had any bad or disappointing dining experiences ever and I have been enjoying this restaurant for a few years now. This is where I often will take friends for special occasions or guests that are in town for a visit because I know how impressed and satisfied they will be with their meals. Thurs-Sun the restaurant is really bustling for dinner so reservations are highly recommended. The extensive international wine list is very impressive (and you know I am a huge wine fan) and the waitstaff is trained and prepared to answer any questions you might have about their wines and pairing options. They use to offer a really nice 3 course prix fixe menu that included a glass of wine, Mondays-Wednesdays I think it was that was an amazing bargain at around $29 and I was sad to see that they don't have that anymore, but would love to see them bring it back.

Upstairs from the main dining room, they do offer the Mission Oak Room for private functions and are often hosting comedy nights and special musical acts.

If you crave a great steak and a truly enjoyable dining experience, make your next stop here.

You can't teach taste and you can't teach style and Mission Oak Grill has both.

180 Restaurant & Bar-N. Hampton, NH

2009-12-26T11:24:00.004-05:00

Specializing in Wood Fired Pizzas, 180 Restaurant & Bar has potential to be a really good pizza restaurant. It has taken over the location on Lafayette Rd (Rt. 1) that was formally Rosario's. They completely renovated the space and with limited seating (42) and a small bar area (seats 11) makes this establishment quite cozy. They installed a few big screen TVs also which makes watching a game while dining entertaining. Owned by 2 friends, Graham Pellerin and Brendon MacMahan of Kingston, N.H. and opened in May 2009 they are serving up some really good wood fired pizzas at a good prices (smalls average $11 and the large pizzas $15). It's nice that one of the owners if not both are working and I have always had decent service when I have gone for dinner or lunch although I don't think I have had the same waitress twice. I enjoy the Rockingham pizza which has bacon, goat cheese, caramelized onions and mushrooms. The Italian Sausage pizza is good too. I wasn't that impressed with the Chicken Parmesan dinner ($13.95) or with their other claim to fame which is the wood fired chicken wings ($10.95) that are topped with caramelized onions and served with points of flat bread. The presentation of the wood fired wings plate is appetizing, but they weren't evenly cooked and many of them were dry. The marinade I believe is prepared by Brendon's mom and although it does have some nice flavor to it, there just is something missing. The points of flat bread they are served with are dry crisps and the plate can do without them. Maybe thicker cuts of garlic toast would work better. There are a few sandwich options on the menu averaging around $7.95 each. I'm not a big sandwich fan when dining out and I have tried the chicken Parmesan and meatball sub, but again, they were both a little dry. Not enough flavorful sauce or cheese to really enjoy.

They offer a specials menu that they print out on a small piece of paper with even smaller print and nothing that has yet to knock my socks off. I do love a good wood fired pizza, but I wonder if 180's got that extra something to make it as a restaurant here on the Seacoast. They don't seem to be bringing their "A game". I hope that they are able to get it together and go that extra mile now in the beginning in order to survive. I think they need to have that fire in their bellies to make it happen like the one that is cooking up their pizzas.

Pierogies Plus, Inc. McKees Rocks, PA-online orders

2009-12-07T10:10:00.004-05:00

http://www.pierogiesplus.com/

My parents grew up in Pittsburgh, PA. My fathers family is Slovic. My Grandma and my Uncle still live there and I have fond memories of helping to prepare and eating a variety of Eastern European foods that were made by my grandmother or my aunt or from my grandparents neighbors and brought over while we visited. I remember one of my favorite ethnic foods when visiting in Pittsburgh with my family were homemade Pierogies, made by the senior woman at a local church. They are a Polish traditional food, crescent-shaped, tender dumplings filled with a variety of fillings and very hard to find made the traditional way here in New England. Sure you can buy frozen ones at almost any grocery store sold by Mrs. T's, but although they are good, they still are not what homemade, traditional ones taste like. Believe me, I have looked for them, for years. I even recently found a family in Bedford, NH that sells them, but they were not what I remembered so my search has continued and recently brought me to the website of Pierogies Plus. I noticed too that Bobby Flay has had them on his Food Nation show so thought that was nice that they have been recognized nationally (although I have disagreed with Bobby Flay on a few restaurant recommendations and my father and I have had that discussion with him in person-that's another story though).

Pierogies Plus, Inc. opened in June, 1991 and is owned by Helene Mannarino who emigrated to the United States from Poland in 1974. Their foods are prepared in the eastern European tradition by eastern Europeans. The staff comes from Poland, Belarus, Russia and Ukraine. Many of them have been preparing these recipes for over 40 years! It's no wonder they are known for having the most authentic pierogies around. Seems like a wonderful little family-like business environment. Each pierogie is made by hand with (according to them) TLC. They just started shipping their pierogies again since they don't do that in the warmer months so I thought I would give them a shot and ordered 2 of the traditional pierogie flavors that I know well and love, the potato and cheese stuffed pierogies and the sauerkraut stuffed pierogies. You can order them by the dozen via their website and the traditional flavors are $10.95 a dozen and the specialty ones are $11.95 a dozen. They also have sampler packages too. I stick to what I know I like, but my grandfather and my dad always enjoyed the Lekvor pierogies (prune butter) and my mom favors the cottage cheese stuffed pierogies. We also call these little pillows of goody goodness, BELLY BUSTERS, ha ha ha. Have some and you will understand why.

I placed my order of 2 dozen potato and cheese and 1 dozen sauerkraut. I received a nice little email notice a few days later from the owner, Helen Mannarino letting me know my order had been filled and was on its way and to God Bless. I waited patiently for them to arrive via FedEx ground. They arrive ready to cook and are very easy to prepare. I always either boil them and then toss them with melted butter and onion or skip the boiling and saute them in melted butter and onion. When they arrived, I boiled them first for 3 to 5 mins and topped them with the sauteed onions and melted butter that I had cooked up. I'm not going to lie, I was nervous about having them. I have been let down a few times over the years by trying different pierogie makers and companies. I served them up to my parents and we sat down at dinner and took our first bites. Immediately, we were delighted! They were exactly how I remember they were having them as a child when visiting my Grandma and Grandpa in Pittsburgh, PA. DELICIOUS!!!!! I don't even think my parents and I spoke much while we had dinner that night, that is how much we were enjoying these pierogies! I was glad I ordered extra in case they were exactly what I was searching for because now I have more to share with friends! I recently introduced pierogies to my friend Heather and her family and her kids love them. They buy Mrs. T's because they are inexpensive and readily available, but I definitely will be passing Heather along the Pierogies Plus, Inc. website so that she can order some online and share with her family the taste what real, homemade pierogies are meant to taste like.

I have never blogged about ordering food online until now, but I wanted to share this with all of you in case you have ever had pierogies before and were also searching for them or if you would be so inclined to give them a try. Pierogies Plus, Inc. makes several varieties some of which sound great and perhaps eventually I will get around to trying, but if you have never had them before and you are curious, I highly recommend that you start with an order of the potato and cheese stuffed pierogies and see if you too fall in love with these wonderful little pillows of deliciousness from Pierogies Plus, Inc.

Restaurant Week-Portsmouth

2009-11-02T14:32:00.001-05:00

November 8th-15th 2009
www.restaurantweekportsmouth.com

It's back and it's great! Take advantage of it!
Featuring special 3-course prix fixe menus: lunch $16.95 per person, dinner $29.95 per person (does not include beverages, taxes or gratuity) at participating restaurants throughout Portsmouth and the Seacoast. Restaurant Week Portsmouth is a bi-annual culinary event which spotlights Greater Portsmouth as a culinary and cultural destination. Wine & dine, shop & gallery hop, visit the theatre, and make it a getaway. Area hotels and inns offer special rates & packages during the event.
*Please note: Restaurants will not accept discount cards or other offers during Restaurant Week. Reservations highly recommended - diners must contact the individual restaurant(s) of their choice.

Ron's Landing, Hampton, N.H.

2009-10-15T18:35:00.004-04:00

379 Ocean Blvd

Hampton, N.H.

http://www.ronslanding.com/

Open year round, Wednesday through Sundays from 4pm to close, Ron's Landing has some nice ocean front dining options. If you're going for a relaxed setting for dinner along Route 1A with ocean views, the menu options here at Ron's Landing are a good bang for your buck. Honestly, I have never had dinner here in the downstairs dinning room or the upstairs dinning area along the windows that overlook the North Beach, but I have been many times to have dinner in the upstairs lounge. I enjoy that in addition to the regular dinner menu options, if you get a table in the lounge, they also have a GREAT selection on their pub menu. Ron's also has a lighter fare menu with excellent meal choices on it. The prices are lower and the portions are still large and that is what I think a lot of us are looking for these days, good food at good prices and the pub menu and lighter fare menu at Ron's Landing provides that. There is live entertainment on Friday and Sunday evenings in the lounge. Usually it's a one or two man band that squishes into the corner of the bar area, but the music is good and the bar is often filled with locals. The have an extensive wine list, but I often just opt for the house Cabernet which is Sycamore Lane and only $5.95 a glass. The food has been consistently good (with one exception of a mishap my father had with a fried haddock sandwich and a piece of metal that broke off the fryer basket, but that was taken care of). The service however on occasion has been less than desirable. The bartenders work the tables in the lounge for the most part and are friendly and on top of things which makes for a a nice and relaxing evening. It can get pretty busy in the lounge, so you might have to wait a bit to score a high table or a few seats at the bar, but it's worth the short wait. I sometimes order for dinner off of the appetizer menu, the Sea Scallops wrapped in bacon served with sweet pepper soy dipping sauce $(11.95). It's that sweet pepper soy dipping sauce that separates these treats from the sea from ones I have had at other restaurants. The sauce brings a new taste that is well matched to the scallops. Off of the pub menu, I like the Bistro Burger ($9.95) which is an 8 oz Angus sirloin burger served with fries and a pickle, the Chicken Parmesan ($12.95) is worth every penny. You get a large, juicy chicken cutlet that is pan fried and topped with marinara, Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese and served on a mound of Cavatappi pasta. I don't think I have ever been able to finish the whole portion, but a few of my guy friends sure can. The last two dishes I wanted to mention are on the Lighter Fare menu and they are the Toasted Almond Salmon ($15.95) served with Hoisin glaze, over a Frangelico cream with sliced apple and toasted almonds, accompanied by house blended rice (but I hate that the rice is in a mold shape, it just doesn't look right served like that). Lastly, my favorite dish here at Ron's Landing is the Chicken Fontinella ($13.95), a sautéed chicken breast with prosciutto, sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts and spinach, tossed with fresh egg fettuccine, finished with fontina cheese and a balsamic reduction. I love, love, love this dish (picture shown). Each time I have had it, it has been cooked perfectly and the fresh egg fettuccine is very good.

Maine Oyster Festival in York Cancelled for 2009

2009-09-27T09:50:00.003-04:00

For those seacoast supporters who were wondering if it was or wasn't going to happen this year, I'm sorry to say we are going without the Oyster Fest this year. I'm quoting below what was posted on the York Lobster and Seafood BLOG:
"The decision has been made to cancel this year's Oyster Fest. While we all had a great time during the first 2 years, this year has seen hard times for Maine Oyster Growers. With all the rain we had this spring, the harvest in Maine was shut down for almost two months. The economic impact this had on the local growers was significant. We felt it would be an added stress on these growers to donate quantities of oysters to the event this year. "
For my fellow oyster lovers, we will just have to get out there and support all our hot spots that are serving up the local farms oysters and enjoy what we can while we can!

La Chiquita Mexican Restaurant & Cantina-Salisbury, MA

2009-09-15T20:53:00.008-04:00

188 Lafayett Rd (Route 1)

Salisbury, MA

http://www.lachiquitas.com/

I think I have driven by La Chiquita Restaurant & Cantina at least fifty times in the past year and a half it has been located on Rt 1 in Salisbury, MA. Never would I have known about this diamond in the rough if not for a tip from a friend to give it a try.

Family owned and operated, Ricardo (O.K, Richard) will welcome you as a part of his family and bring the true, traditional, authentic flavors of Mexico. Sure, the building is nothing special and the decor is far from fancy, but take my word for it friends, the Mexican food served up here daily will blow you away. Open 7 days a week, serving a FULL menu until 1am (yup, 1am), you just have to give it a try. The Cantina offers you over 200 different types of Tequila (see picture of Ricardo in front of the Tequila wall) and they don't mess around with their Margarita mix here either. It's made right in house in the traditional Mexico style. I had the opportunity to attend one of Ricardo's Tequila 101 dinners which are now being offered every Monday night at 7pm. For only $29.95, you can learn all about Tequila, sample 3 different types hand picked by Ricardo, have dinner AND enjoy a house margarita with your choice of one of the three Tequilas you sampled. I learned about the 5 points of Tequila, why some leave me with huge headaches the next day and why some do not.

The food is amazing. The flavors bold and fresh. Everything is house made from the chips and salsa served up at 3 different heat levels, to the tortillas and the cactus salad. As part of my dinner, I chose the El Indio dinner combination plate ($12.99 on the menu). It included a huge side cactus salad (a cold pear cactus salad with fresh tomato, onion, cilantro, lime juice) and a chicken tamale. One bite of my tamale and I knew immediately I will be a new regular here. It was better than the tamale I enjoyed while visiting my friend Amy in San Diego who took me to a farmers market. I don't think there wasn't a clean plate in my group at the end of our meal. Two fellow diners had the Zapatas combination plate ($11.99) and they both inhaled the chile relleno (a battered cheese stuffed poblano pepper) that came along side a beef or chicken burrito. Another diner in the group went for the La Suiza ($10.99) which has 3 enchiladas, one chicken, one cheese and one beef served up with green and red sauce. All the combination plates are served with rice and beans. At the end of the Tequila 101 lesson and meal, we enjoyed our margaritas and it was seriously one of the best margaritas I have ever had.

In addition to the Monday night Tequila 101 dinners there is different entertainment nightly including Latin dance lessons on Tuesdays. If you go and have to drag a friend or two that aren't big fans of Mexican food, don't worry, they also have nightly American dinner specials and the Wednesday night all you can eat BBQ for only $10.00 is hard to beat. He even will host this by request for a larger group or gathering on the weekends if you call and ask him to. There is also a 2000 square foot patio off the back that is great in the summer. You can even play KENO while you dine if you want to. I have a friend Kristin that I think is a closet junky for that game. All football season you can watch the Patriots games and every time the Pats score a touchdown, they serve everyone a Mystery Margarita shot. What is it you ask? Well, any tequila bottles that have 2 ounces or less at the end of the night Ricardo pours into one large container, mixes it up with the house margarita mix and you have the next days Mystery Margarita (color and taste changes daily and it is on the Margarita menu for $7.50). All the Margaritas are 16 oz servings too and you don't see that often around these parts with the short pours. Every Thursday night during the month of October, Ricardo is running the Rocky Horror picture show at 10pm and in January there will be Mexican cooking classes offered. The next time you want authentic, good, homemade Mexican food, make the trip to Salisbury, MA and tell Ricardo your friend the Seacoast blogger sent you.

Anneke Jans- Kittery, Maine

2009-08-30T14:47:00.008-04:00

60 Wallingford Square- http://www.annekejans.net/

Open all week from 5pm to close.

Downtown Kittery is often missed. Most people who travel into the area, scoot right up to the outlets and never really find themselves in the small, quaint heart of downtown Kittery. That's a shame really since perfectly placed on the corner, there is a wonderful little restaurant very well known to the locals called Anneke Jans. Owned by Donna Ryan and Andy Livingston this bistro style joint fills up fast and rightly so. Chef Charles Cicero offers ups some wonderfully creative dishes on the menu that change often and are full of flavor. The decor is simple with dark color schemes that give off a very seacoast New England vibe. The bar and dinning areas of the restaurant are both small so I highly suggest reservations or be prepared to wait a while for a seat.

I enjoy starting off my my meal with a glass of wine from their large and well rounded wine list while I eagerly wait for a dozen or so of the raw oysters (the last time I visited, it was the little Pemaquids) served with Bloody Mary & Preserved Lemon Mignonette (love, love, love the Preserved Lemon Mignonette!).

I will share with you my top 3 dishes here although it's a tough decision to blog only 3 and they will surely change as the menu does! The Seared Duck Breast with a blueberry glaze served with wild rice pancake and grilled asparagus for $27. the duck is moist, the glaze enhances the rich fatty flavor of the duck and the wild rice pancake I think is a nice change to have for a starch. The Roasted Half Chicken served with polenta and a mushroom ragoût for $19 is well worth it and delicious! I know, most will tell you when you dine out, don't be boring and get chicken, but this bird at Anneke Jans is worth being the "boring one". My favorite dish here hands down, so far is the sunflower seed encrusted Sea Scallops with a sunchoke puree, edamame cipollini and a light lemon cream for $27. The last time I dined here, I agreed to spilt my scallop dish with one of my dinning companions who had the sirloin strip and although the sirloin was very good, I was sad for having to agreed with the meal trade. ha ha ha.

Whether you find yourself around Kittery for the shopping or just by chance your cruising around the coastline, I definitely think that you should venture into Anneke Jans and see for yourself what the happy, full gathering of the locals is all about.

Fat Belly's- 2 Bow St., Portsmouth NH

2009-07-30T18:51:00.003-04:00

Fat Belly's has made this one very easy for me to add to my reviews. Don't waste your time or money here unless you are just having a few beers. Move right on down the road to the plethora of other, better restaurants that Portsmouth has to offer.

The Tavern at River's Edge- Exeter, NH

2009-04-25T14:34:00.006-04:00

Located below street level at 163 Water St. in downtown Exeter, The Tavern at River's Edge has a great menu to offer you in a casual dining setting. I have been a regular diner for a number of years and often opt to sit in the bar area where you can order off their lighter fare menu or their full dinner menu. I also like that a glass of their house Cabernet (Sycamore Lane) is only $5 a glass. I have yet to have a disappointing meal here and have almost always enjoyed the service. I'm a big fan of their Tavern Wings which are deep fried, then baked and you can have them finished either with spicy hot barbecue or sesame soy sauce ($9). I also like the blackened haddock sandwich- a decent sized pan seared creole filet of haddock topped with optional red pepper mayonnaise and french fries ($8). It's served on a big soft bulky roll and can really hit the spot. Their hamburger is average, but I have yet to find one that isn't on the Seacoast. Off of their full dinner menu, they really have a nice variety of meal options to choose from. When I in the mood for a little more than the lighter fare options, there are two dishes here that I usually go back and forth on. The Chicken Frangelico is a large serving of nut encrusted breast of chicken pan seared topped with a Frangelico cream sauce and finished with long grain wild rice and roasted vegetables ($18). I really like the Frangelico cream sauce (but who wouldn't?) and I find for the price, the portion is well worth it. My other favorite here is the Vegetable Lasagna. You can order a smaller portion of this delish dish for $12 or you can get the full diner portion for $16. I like to find restaurants that offer you the small meal options since I enjoy an appetizer before dinner I rarely can enjoy a large dinner out. The lasagna has roasted eggplant, hot house tomatoes, button mushrooms, onions and spinach layered with mozzarella and ricotta cheese with a smoked tomato cream. Here again (like the Chicken Frangelico), the sauce really makes the dish special and different.It has a very rich flavor that really takes the lasagna to a higher level than one that you would have just with regular tomato sauce. I also must mention that on the weekends they serve up one heck of a piece of prime rib! The chef here does change a few items every couple of months which is always nice, but he knows well enough to keep a few of the popular "staples" on the menu. The bar area is small, but the restaurant dining room is much larger. I really like the location of this place too, it's like by walking downstairs, below street level, you're a part of some secret or something. I don't know that might sound silly, but I think it's an Exeter town secret worth sharing.

Ron Jillian's- Hampton, N.H.

2009-03-09T16:23:00.006-04:00

Ron Jillian's is a small, well known, casual Italian restaurant located along Route 1 in Hampton, N.H.. There is limited seating as well as limited parking so if you are heading in on a weekend evening, be prepared to wait. Half the restaurant is a small bar area that fills quickly with the locals. The food here is flavorful and the service for the most part is friendly and helpful. There is nothing fancy about the decor and when it's busy it can get really loud, which to me is always a good sign of people dining out and enjoying themselves.

****Update 11.9.09- I don't know what has been going on at RJs the past 6 months or so, but I have seen a decline in the quality of food served as well as the odds on getting good service. A new chef perhaps? I am curious to see if this downward slide continues or if they get their act together. I recently had the Lobster Mac n Cheese and it just wasn't as good as it was. Very disappointing.******

We started our meal with an order of the Bianco Sauteed Mussels ($9.95). They are a heaping mound of fresh PEI Mussels sauteed in garlic, white wine and herbs. I really enjoy them, but I think they can pull back a bit on the garlic. I was paranoid the rest of the evening with my killer garlic breath! For dinner we enjoyed their Eggplant Parmigiana ($13.95) and their Chicken Parmigiana ($14.95). The portions here are no joke! You will almost always have enough leftovers for another meal and you will see many people leaving the restaurant with their little bag or two of leftovers. Each entree here comes with your choice of soup or salad and these days, not having that a la carte is very much appreciated. Ron Jillian's offers a good selection of daily specials and menu options that expend beyond Italian and their brick oven pizzas. On this visit, they had a broiled haddock special that looked delicious. My absolute favorite meal here is served as a special on Sundays (although I did luck out once and they had it on a week night!) and it's their Lobster Macaroni and Cheese ($18.95). I love this dish. You get a huge portion of this rich, cheesy special that has big pieces of fresh lobster meat throughout. They don't skimp on the lobster meat at all! I say give Ron Jillian's a try and if you can manage, make it there on a Sunday for the Lobster Mac n Cheese.

Las Olas Taqueria

2009-02-16T14:30:00.007-05:00

30 Portsmouth Ave.
Exeter, N.H.

I have become quite a fan of Las Olas Taqueria's "Clean Wave of Eating". Opened by Matt Burke in January 2008, this little joint has fresh Mexican food with a great taste and quite the local following. The restaurant is set up cafeteria style and your meal items are made to order right in front of you as you slide down the line. The service has been consistently fast, neat and friendly. The decor is vibrant and gives you a bit of a tropical feeling. It's a place that you might expect to come across in South Beach, FL, but is a welcomed surprise in Exeter, N.H.. All the ingredients according to Matt are prepared fresh daily and he tries to incorporate local meats into the menu where possible. It's opened daily for lunch and dinner and the prices are right for families to feel good about going and not breaking the bank. If you are in the Exeter area, it's definitely worth checking out. I find the portions to be more than enough and my favorite dish is their Vegetarian Burrito with black beans ($5.90). They also serve up salads, tacos, quesadillas, bowl meals and have specials posted on a regular basis. Sometimes I will treat myself to an order of their fried plantains which are often available as a side dish. I wish I could find these more readily available on the Seacoast, they are one of my favorite treats! The food is simple and fresh, making it very easy to be consistently a good restaurant to visit for lunch or dinner. Just look for the Palm Tree sign at the end of 108 and I hope that you enjoy this little Mexican oasis as much as my friends and I do.

Wentworth Hotel-Bubbles & Jazz Sunday Brunch

2009-01-19T13:03:00.019-05:00

The Sunday Brunch at the Wentworth Marriott Hotel in Newcastle, N.H. is THE BEST available on the Seacoast. It will set you back about $40 per person, but it is sooooo worth it. They have a jazz duo that plays each afternoon while the brunch is served from 10am to 2pm. The price of the Brunch includes all you can drink Mimosa's and/or Champagne. The buffet spread includes breakfast pastries, rolls, a cold plate station which has salad options, shrimp and oysters on the half shell, soup, an omelet/egg station, several hot lunch entree selections as well as breakfast choices that include meats and sometimes stuffed french toast or banana fritters, a carving station (usually 2 choices), Chef Jon is usually manning the hot interactive cooking station and always has something really delicious for you to try (from Lobster Raviolis to Mahi-Mahi with a pineapple chutney)! I can't leave out the dessert table which always has tasty little treats to choose from (I'm a huge fan of the chocolate covered strawberries which seem to be a staple thank goodness!) and the portions are small almost bite size on most so you don't feel bad trying a couple different sweets!

I have been attending the Sunday Brunch at the Wentworth for a number of years and although I have checked out alternatives to compare it to, there just hasn't been anything that has beat this one. I have been to several that are menu Brunches, but I think those those lack the luster that a well put together buffet brunch offers. I have also attended the Wentworth for a number of holiday brunches over the years (instead of cooking at home with a small family) and they go all out with the decorations and the food selections. The staff is attentive and very friendly, the spacious ball room is always beautifully decorated and the jazz music sets the tone for a leisure afternoon well spent in the company of friends and or family. Since this best brunch on the N.H. Seacoast is at a hotel, I like that you can feel relaxed enough to either dress up a little or go casual and comfortable. If you feel you need to take a nice walk after your brunch, feel free to walk the grounds of the hotel. There is a nice walkway that goes around the front side of the property as well as the docks that you can stroll in season while checking out the yachts that are in.

I have never been disappointed in the service or the wonderful selection of food that tempts me at the Wentworth Brunch and if you plan on making a reservation to check it out yourself, make sure you say hello to Chef Jon for me!

ZAMPA- Epping, NH

2009-01-07T17:32:00.003-05:00

www.Zampa.com
The interesting thing about Zampa I think is you don't really expect it. Not where it is, or what it looks like from the outside. When I first dined at Zampa a few years back, it was like I discovered something that only a few people in the know knew about. The menu does change (although it keeps a few staple dishes) and is created by chef and owner Julie Di Tursi and the Sous Chef, Alex Thomas. They try to use mostly local products and organically fed and sustainably raised meats, fish and dairy. I have dined here for several years and I have only been disappointed once in my experiences and it just so happened to be this latest visit to Zampa that was the disappointment. It happens, you can't win them all right?
We sat at one of the high tables next to the bar for dinner. I ordered a glass of Vina Los Robles Pinot Nior ( I know, ME ordered RED wine, unheard of!). The bar at Zampa is cute and seats only 6. Most that take a seat at it are waiting for a table. The restaurant is small and cozy. It is decorated simply with red walls, green trim and the tables are sparse and have tiled tabletops.
Instead of serving a bread basket, here at Zampa they serve a stash of bread sticks with a chipolte aioli. It's a nice change of pace I think. The food here is all cooked to order so before you go, know that you shouldn't be in a rush. I started off with The Roasted Beet Salad ($7.95) which is baby greens, roasted beets, grilled onion, blue cheese, toasted hazelnuts and has a sweet ginger vinaigrette. the salad is BIG so worth the almost $8 i think. The toasted hazelnuts was a nice change too from candied pecans which most restaurants serve. My dining partner ordered the Lavender Honey Spare Ribs ($8.95). These baby back pork ribs with a rosemary-lavender honey glaze are really tasty. Another good appetizer is their Arancina ($7.95). Tonight I ventured off of the menu and went with a Special dish, the Salmon Wellington ($19.95). It was a large serving of Atlantic Salmon with dill and mushrooms wrapped in a puff pastry served with mashed potatoes and a creamed cabbage. It was...Eh. My expectation was high and not met. It was a little too fishy tasting and I thought the salmon could have been wrapped with some more flavor than what it had. I was a little bummed. It seriously was the first time I have been to Zampa and was disappointed. My date had their homemade veggie burger ($8.95) and although it is small (so don't go thinking a regular burger, think more of a slightly large slider), I order it from time to time because I really like the flavor. Its a homemade patty of roasted mushrooms, seasonal veggies and is served with a scallion aioli. Other current menu selections that I can say I have had and enjoyed are their Eggplant Parmesan ($16.95), homemade Fettuccine & meatballs (15.95) and teh Half Roasted Chicken ($18.95).
Our server Sarah was a little off this time, but maybe it was because she assumed a slow night and it became quite busy, quite fast.
Since Zampa is a small restaurant, I highly recommend you call for reservations Thurs, Fri and Sat nights. You should be fine walking in earlier in the week. Although, this last visit was "ho-hum" I won't give up on Zampa and I invite you to try it for yourself and see what you think.

Black Trumpet Bistro

2008-12-23T11:44:00.005-05:00

http://www.blacktrumpetbistro.com/

29 Ceres St.

Portsmouth, NH

Owned since March 2007 by Chef Evan Mellett and his wife Denise, the Black Trumpet is a hidden gem on Ceres St. in Portsmouth.

Taking advantage of available seating in the upstairs wine bar, I was excited about dining at the Black Trumpet. We were greeted immediately and our waitress promptly arrived at our table with our menus and the extensive wine list. Shocker, I ordered a glass of Cabernet and my friend Kristin enjoyed a glass of pinot grigio while we read over the menu. I decided to mix it up a bit tonight and started off with an order of their Stuffed Grape Leaves with pomegranate youhurt ($6). Kristin decided she was going to go for that too. We really enjoyed these flavorful little dishes! The pomegranate youhurt served with them was a unique and different flavor combination, but really enjoyable. Very creative and full of flavor. Next, I went with the Chef’s Meze Plate: a daily assortment of three little dishes in one ($13). Tonight's meze plate consisted of veal saltimbocca, a bamboo rice encrusted sea scallop and a puree of white beans, with garlic and ginger. I thought the large sea scallop was perfectly prepared, the veal saltimbocca was also perfectly cooked and had a wonderful richness to it. I wasn't a big fan of the white bean puree though. It was bland (even though you could definitely taste the ginger) and lacked that extra zing. We finished off our food adventure at the Black Trumpet with their Cheese plate of: Pont l’Évêque – France – Pasteurized cow’s milk, ripe and fragrant, supple and creamy. Paired with Meyer lemon pomegranate syrup. ($11) it was accompanied with sliced crostinis. I am a huge cheese fan (cheese, wine and chocolate, anytime, anywhere!) and love to have the opportunity to try new cheeses while dining out. I like how theirs is served on a slate cheese board with the cheese name written across it in chalk. This was for me the perfect way to finish our meal. Although we glanced at the dessert menu and it all sounded great, we were full and ready to head back out for some more Christmas shopping in downtown. I will have to remember to save room next visit for some dessert. Here is where I need to mention my friend Kristin's love of the fresh Artisan Breads that the Black Trumpet serves. She also wants me to say that they are not stingy with serving it and even giving you more when you finish the first batch. The butter was blended with black sesame seeds and herbs and had a really nice rich flavor to it. Kristin was a crazy person eating the bread, but she didn't care and made mention she will go back just for more! ha ha ha! Our waitress was friendly and really knew the menu well, the overall service with everyone making sure your water glasses stayed full and you were being taken care of was great. It's nice to be able to get out somewhere and really enjoy the food, the atmosphere and the service. The restaurant location has a great feel of history to it and is decorated simply with warm colors and low lighting. I think the wine bar is great to go with friends and the seating in the dining room downstairs screams GREAT DATE place! I strongly recommend you call for reservations since seating is limited. We were winging it and lucked out with getting a table in the wine bar quickly when we arrived. Everything is made in house and they strive to use local, fresh ingredients.

I would like to note that the Black Trumpet is currently offering a Stimulus Package Sunday-Thursday nights. For only $19 you will have an opportunity to enjoy a 3 course meal consisting of a soup or salad, a light entree or open faced sandwich and a dessert. The menu will change often so I definitely think you should give it a try at such a great price!

Pimentos-Exeter, NH

2008-12-11T10:38:00.005-05:00

Last night I was out and about the Exeter area with a friend of mine. We were done work for the day and wanted to shoot downtown for a drink or two. We went to the downstairs lounge at Pimentos at 69 Water St. I like the lounge here. It has a nice feel to it and the drinks are average in price. We got a high table top and decided we were going to share a lite bite while chatting and catching up with each other. Our waitress suggested the stuffed dumplings. She said that they use to have pumpkin ones that were delicious and now had new ones on the menu that were artichoke and baby spinach stuffed dumplings with a goat cheese sauce. I figured we would give it a whirl. I drank my glass of house Cabernet and my friend drank a glass of Blue Moon (bottle, not on draft). OK, let me ask you this, picture in your mind what you think DUMPLINGS should look like....you see them? OK, our waitress brings this plate over of 4 very small, very flat ravioli looking things that are covered in the goat cheese sauce. First thing out of my friends mouth was "those are NOT dumplings!" I was puzzled myself, but we each tried one. They weren't anything to write home about, that was for sure. The goat cheese sauce was very bland and didn't really have that goat cheese bite you often taste when it's a sauce. Four tiny, thin raviolis for $9.00....WHAT? Are you serious? The regular dinner menu at Pimentos has some nice sounding dishes on it, but I think they are overpriced. Exeter didn't need a wanna be fine dining restaurant, they need some place reasonably priced with good food to keep the people coming back. The upstairs dining room was empty and including us there were 5 others in the downstairs lounge. Our waitress came over to clear our plates and asked us what we thought of the dumplings and I told her I didn't think they were much like dumplings at all and that they had no real flavor to them. She still stuck with her story that the pumpkin ones were really good, but that maybe she shouldn't be recommending these new artichoke and baby spinach ones. A few minutes later when she brought the check, she said "I stuck my finger in your sauce on the plate when I took it and I agree, the sauce was really bland." That was interesting. We finished our drinks, paid and left. I will go back to Pimentos downstairs lounge again, but only to have drinks. I will pass on the lite bites next time. I think maybe they are overshooting here with the menu. Guess time will tell how business does for this new joint.
UPDATE OF PIMENTOS-3.14.09- I'm done with this place. I have been back 3 times since I wrote up the review and last night was the last attempt to see what others like about this restaurant. As soon as my friend and I sat down (downstairs at one of the high tables in the lounge area), the waitress came over to let us know that they are out of ALL chicken dishes and sandwiches, the haddock sandwich and the steak tips. I asked her how is that possible for a Friday night? She said they were busy Thursday night and didn't get any of those items back in for the weekend. I ordered Malbec and for dinner had the steak baguette (the waitress recommended this) that came with their pomme frites. The meat was fatty and the pomme frites were really oily. I didn't finish my meal because I was full....of disappointment once again! My friend was hungry and liked the hamburger she ordered. I asked about desserts, but was informed the kitchen was closing so if I wanted something I should decide quick (it was almost 10), I passed. When I was brought my 2ND glass of wine, it was full of cork pieces. I drink a lot of wine (don't take that the wrong way, ha ha ha) and I wasn't going to drink this glass. I asked nicely for a new glass of Malbec and watched our waitress bring it over to the bartender. The bartender looked at it and then looked at me with one of those looks like tells you she really doesn't care about the cork in your wine and was bothered that she had to repour. When the waitress returned with it, she asked if she could bring us our check because she wanted to go home for the night and that the bartender would pick up our table. We cashed her out and although we were there for about another 45mins, no one ever came back to our table to check on us or ask if we wanted anything else. I guess because the bartender was busy hanging out at the bar serving one of the owners, a few other workers off the clock and a couple of friends. Bye Pimentos, good luck.

The Green Monkey for Restaurant Week

2008-11-11T20:05:00.009-05:00

86 Pleasant St

Portsmouth, NH
http://www.thegreenmonkey.net/

Of course you knew I would be all over Portsmouth Restaurant week. Who in their right mind wouldn't be with the state of the economy? Tonight I dined at The Green Monkey to enjoy their fine food and libations. Owner Deb Weeks was working the floor and was excited to already be enjoying what was going to be another booked evening for the restaurant. That's a great sign of others being out and enjoying this week of special treats. Owned by partners Phelps Dieck and Deb Weeks, The Green Monkey will be celebrating its 5Th year anniversary on the 22ND of this month. Deb and Phelps also take care of their baby across the street, Brazo (another gem of mine). The restaurant has a clean, sleek modern feel to it and there was a good buzz of tables conversing which is always a good sign of happy guests. The bar is small but was consistently busy with a youthful crowd. Although my eyes wandered over their delicious menu, I wanted to make sure that tonight I took advantage of their participation in Restaurant Week and ordered off of the Prixe Fix 3 course menu for the bargain price of $29.95. I started my evening by with a Thai Mango Fizz ($10) served with their signature tail hanging monkey, I enjoyed this sweeter martini. My dining companion had a Dirty Swedish Girl ($10) which is their pour of a dirty martini and a good one at that. My first course choice was a salad served deconstructed and consisted of a slow roasted mixed beet salad, a generous cut of walnut crusted goat cheese, fresh greens and served with a thyme & Meyer lemon vinaigrette. I know its just a salad, but I haven't enjoyed one as much as I did this one in a very long time. meals were served with a basket of warm, crusty, sour dough bread accompanied by a garlic infused butter. My dining companion chose the 2ND first course option of an acorn squash and apple bisque topped with toasted seeds and cardamom cream. The bisque was smooth and very tasty. The cardamom cream I thought was a nice touch. My second course pick was the Chicken Trio with stir fried vegetable lo mein, marinated breast dressed with a 5 spice jus, crispy soy line drumstick and 2 chicken and leek dumplings. The trio was very good and I especially loved the dumplings, but left most of the lo mein on the plate as it was too salty to enjoy. The other option for your entree off of the prixe fix was the House made Fettuccine with grilled eggplant caponnata and shaved NH tomme cheese. My dining companion really enjoyed. I sampled some of it myself and thought it was really good too. Nothing really beats house made pasta! OK, ready for the dessert options? I chose the pumpkin spice creme brulee with maple sugar cookies over the cherry and cognac bread pudding and I definitely think I picked the winner. The brulee was perfect and was so rich I was sad that I couldn't finish it, but glad that someone else at the table did for me. Our waitress Betsy was great. She was prompt and friendly and always came to the table with a smile. What really made the evening enjoyable was the warm hospitality that Deb Weeks provided. When you are welcomed into a restaurant as Deb welcomes you, you know you will be back again and again. Thank you Deb, chef Patrick, Phelps and the rest of The Green Monkey staff, keep up the good work. I will be seeing you again soon for those pumpkin seed encrusted scallops!

Portsmouth Restaurant Week-Nov 10th-16th

2008-11-10T09:18:00.002-05:00

Take a bite out of Portsmouth's Restaurant Week, it's a great opportunity to visit some of the best restaurants that Portsmouth has to offer at great prices!
Nov. 10-16, Participating Restaurants include: Agavé Mexican Bistro Dos, Black Trumpet Bistro, Blue Mermaid Island Grill, Brazo, The Carriage House, The Dolphin Striker, The Dunaway Restaurant at Strawbery Banke, The Green Monkey, Harbor's Edge at the Sheraton Harborside, Jumpin' Jay's Fish Café, The Library Restaurant, Pesce Blue, The Portsmouth Brewery, Portsmouth Gas Light Co., Radici, Ristorante Massimo, Rudi's Portsmouth and The Wellington Room.
Restaurant Week Portsmouth will feature three-course prix fixe menus for $16.95 per person for lunch and $29.95 per person for dinner (does not include beverages, taxes or gratuity). Reservations are strongly recommended.
To book reservations, diners must contact the individual restaurant(s) of their choice. On Saturday, Nov. 15 participating restaurants will only accept Restaurant Week reservations for parties seated prior to 6:30 p.m.

Details: Visit www.restaurantweekportsmouth.com or call the Greater Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce at 610-5510

Harbors Edge, Sheraton Harborside, Portsmouth, NH

2008-10-27T19:16:00.002-04:00

http://www.sheratonportsmouth.com/dining.cfm

I have to say, I was very disappointed in my dinner at the Harbors Edge at the Sheraton. I was surprised too since I have spent a holiday meal there, Easter last year matter of fact and really enjoyed it. My dining companion ordered the Chicken Scallopine ($20) which came with the title of "a house favorite" and was Panko crusted sauteed chicken cutlets, olive oil, garlic, mushrooms, fresh mozzarella,
Lemon basil butter sauce, grilled asparagus and creamy wild mushroom risotto. The chicken really lacked any flavor and although the asparagus was good (how can you really screw up asparagus though?) the risotto was way too thick and unenjoyable. I ordered the Pan Roasted Salmon ($24) with warm tomato shallot compote, white truffle oil, creamy wild mushroom risotto and grilled asparagus. I had to agree with my dining companion on the risotto here, I don't know whether the cook just had an off night with the risotto or just wasn't in the mood to care. You know good risotto when you have it. The salmon was average in taste and was a small portion size for price. We skipped apps and after both of us having disappointing entrees, we skipped the desserts too. The dining at dusk menu is good bang for your buck(served 5pm-630pm) and available if you seat upstairs in the lounge ($13.99). I would think twice about eating a meal downstairs in the main dining room though.

Flatbread Company- Portsmouth location

2008-09-29T10:22:00.003-04:00

http://www.flatbreadcompany.com/

Flatbread Company originally started in 1998 with the Amesbury, MA mills location. Now they have locations in Portland, ME, North Conway, NH, Canton, CT, Bedford, MA and Paia, HI. If you have yet to set foot inside any of their locations, add it to your list of must try pizzas. When you first enter a Flatbread Company restaurant, you can't help but be drawn in my the huge wood grilled fire that is surrounded by an open kitchen so you can watch your pizza not only be prepared, but also cooked. The atmosphere of the 3 locations I have visited have all been warm and welcoming and visiting a Flatbread Co to me always feels like a treat. This visit to the Portsmouth NH location right down 138 Congress St I took someone who had never heard of or been to one before. As soon as we walked in, he knew he was in for something special. He said he thought we were just going out to a run of the mill pizza joint. O contrar! We got a cozy little table for two right by the kitchen and the wood fired oven. We were waited on by Grant who was very friendly and prompt with anything we needed. We each started our meal with a glass of Rex Goliath Cabernet ($7) and we split the house Organic Salad with Heart Song Farms goat cheese ($7.50). It has organic mesculin and sweet leaf lettuces tossed with organic celery and carrots, tossed sesame seeds, arame seaweed and a homemade berry vinaigrette. For our pizza, we shared a large homemade Sausage pizza with sauce ($18 and more than enough for two people to share). It has nitrate free, maple fennel sausage, sun dried tomatoes, caramelized organic (I don't think i need to keep typing organic, you get it by now, the have only organic products) onions, mushrooms, whole milk mozzarella and grana padano cheese (a sharper parm taste) baked on bread dough that is topped with their wood fired cauldron tomato sauce. If we hadn't of shared the salad, we easily could have polished off that whole pizza, but we brought a few slices home. I knew my dining partner enjoyed the meal when he sat there and said he wished he had his sweatpants on. HA HA HA! We passed on dessert, but they have a killer (HUGE) homemade brownie sundae with Annabelle's vanilla ice cream ($6.25) or their homemade gingerbread with Annabelle's pumpkin ice cream. YUM. The stated purpose of the Flatbread Co. is to create a restaurant that is authentic, truthful and real. I think they have accomplished that. Enjoy!

Loaf & Ladle-Exeter, NH location

2008-09-26T17:50:00.005-04:00

I find it very fitting to write a review of my favorite soup and sandwich spot on the seacoast on a day when it hasn't stopped raining since I woke up. The loaf and ladle right downtown on Water St. in Exeter is a great lunch OR dinner spot that sits right on the river. Upon arrival you figure out the restaurant is set up cafeteria style so you have to get in line. Your orders are taken while you move along the line and after paying, it's a seat yourself setup. On a rainy afternoon like today, the line was a bit long, but worth it. While waiting in line to get your tray and silverware and to place your order, you can read the sandwich board which will also lists the special dish of the day (today it was Shepard's pie) and the quiche of the day (cauliflower and onion today). Then there is the list of soups made for the day which always include one or two vegan soups too. The last board to make a decision from is the bread board. I love the bread served with the soup at Loaf and Ladle. If you order a cup of soup you get one slice of bread and 2 slices with a bowl of soup. The slices are cut by hand while your in line and they are HUGE. Most of the time I don't even bother with a sandwich or even a half a sandwich if I am getting a bowl of soup with 2 slices of their bread. My favorite bread on the board this time of the year is their winter wheat. Is soft and dips quite well with any of their soups. In the summer they make some delicious batches of different cold fruit soups(strawberry, blueberry, etc.) and also a good gazpacho and a mean beef chili. Today I indulged in a bowl of their Fish Chowder. It was seasoned well and had good sized pieces of fish, potato and bacon in it. The chowder wasn't overwhelmingly think either which is a nice change from most recipes I have had on the Seacoast. They also have a surprisingly large variety of fresh baked pies at very reasonable prices too. You can also buy loafs of the different breads to take home that were made for the day. A raisin and carrot bread caught my eye today. Good service is hit or miss, but I have lucked out lately with friendly staff taking orders from the line. I recommend the Exeter Loaf & Ladle location over the newly opened Portsmouth location. I don't like how the owner tried to upscale a soup and sandwich restaurant. I think she should have kept it cafeteria style like Exeter. I also wonder if she has ever done a soup cookbook. I would be interested in making some of those soups at home. It's a big part of the appeal. It's what works and has been working for over 3 decades. What's that saying, "If it ain't broke....."

The Portsmouth Brewery

2008-09-15T10:27:00.008-04:00

http://www.portsmouthbrewery.com/ Portsmouth, N.H.

Having lunch or dinner or just drinks at the Portsmouth Brewery is so much a part of my regular routine, it's about time I add it into the blog. It has such a well rounded menu, anyone will find something they would like. I have become a huge fan of executive chef Rob Martin who keeps the menu at the Brewery fresh and I look forward to seeing what tasty dishes he adds to the small plates and the entrees that change every few months on the Brewer's Table section of the menu. Secretly have my fingers crossed that the next Brewer's Table menu repeats last winter's Pumpkin Gnocchi. My most recent visit to the Portsmouth Brewery was for dinner. For a change of scenery, my dining companion and I decided to sit downstairs at Jimmy Lapanzas bar. I had a glass of Cabernet (just the house, I love my red wines) and my friend had a glass of the newly tapped golden German ale, Kolsch that was recommended for him to try by our bartender/server Melissa. It is fermented at a slightly cooler temperature than the other Brewery ales and then it is cold age it. It's a light, fruity version of a German style beer, but still has that clean, crisp finish that you would expect. For an appetizer, we shared the Crab Rangoon Dip $7.95 which is served with fried won tons. If you like Crab Rangoon, you will love this dish! Its made with real crab and is a very rich appetizer, that's good to the last bite! If you run out of won tons, no worries, they will bring you more! For my entree I ordered the Frenched Pork Chop $17.95, a dish from the Brewer's Table section of the menu. A 9oz. naturally raised bone-in pork chop, grilled to temp, served with mashed cumin roasted plantains, whole roasted figs and a demi glaze reduction with fresh sorrel. It was fantastic! It was cooked medium and it melted in my mouth. I also really enjoyed the creative side dish of the mashed plantains(I am a big fan of plantains although I can't ever cook them as well at home). Chef Rob Martin again completely satisfied my hunger and will keep me coming back for more. The service by our bartender Melissa was great too. She really knows the menu well and can give you some great suggestions for both drinks and food. It's a real treat to go out to eat and not only find a place with great food, but also great service. When I asked Melissa what her signature cocktail to make is, she says to ask her for a Hot & Dirty Martini! I will definitely be back for one of those in the near future!

2008 Maine Oyster Fest

2008-09-14T14:10:00.005-04:00

A wicked good shucking time

Have you heard about this? Last year was the first year it was put on and sponsored by York Lobster & Seafood. Part of the proceeds raised go to the York Fishermen's Association to help them repair docks and other fishing equipment. Its a great evening of food, cash bar, fun and oysters that takes place at the Union Bluff Meeting House in York. There will be a competition again this year that all guests can vote on for the best signature oyster dish as well as an oyster shucking and the oyster luge competition! Prizes are awarded to the top winning restaurants/chefs. The guest judges for this year are Rowan Jacobsen, Rachael Forrest, Jean Kerr and Fiona Robinson. The list of restaurants for this year already is looking delicious! The live music was great last year and I am sure all who attend will again enjoy the food, music and atmosphere this year while supporting a good local organization. Last year also included a pig roast and a silent auction, so I am hoping to see those two key parts again this year as well. Tickets are only $45.00 per person and well worth it! You can get yours today by visiting http://www.maineoysterfest.com/ . I hope you can get your tickets before they sell out!

The Rusty Hammer

2008-09-12T13:18:00.006-04:00

Portsmouth, N.H.
I was in the mood for a good burger the other night and since I have heard so much about the WIMPYS (burgers) that The Rusty Hammer serves up, I figured, what the heck, why not give it a try! I sat with my dining companion in the bar area at one of their high tables so he could watch the NASCAR interviews that were on one of the TVs. The specials board showed that they Crab Pearls (which I had heard where good), but when our waitress came out, she said they didn't have any more of those and hadn't for a couple of days (since they were closed Sun/Mon I guess). We split a side (appetizer) order of Red Hook beer battered shrimp $7.95. Although these little morsels were quite tasty, there were only 9 little ones in the serving so at almost $1.00 each, soooooooooo not worth it. I had a Wimpy with cheddar cheese and mushrooms with a side of seasoned waffle fries. It was good, but nothing to rave about. My dining companion ordered a steak which was exactly what I thought it was going to be, a BAD idea. It came out cooked medium to temp, but was tough and he didn't think anything special. Of course not, it's the Rusty Hammer. The waitress wasn't that friendly from the get go and never returned to our table (she kept hanging out up by the front door, I don't know, looking for love perhaps?) until I asked for the check. I think your best bet with the Rusty Hammer is skip the food and go right for the drinks in the bar. They do run some good Beer Bucket specials right now thanks to the Red Sox.

The Barn Tavern

2008-09-02T12:03:00.008-04:00

Dover, NH

http://www.thebarntavern.com/

I caught The Barn Tavern on one of their last Lunch serving afternoons (at least for a while they said due to the economy). Although I find the atmosphere of this restaurant very charming and really enjoy their deck that looks over the river, the food leaves too much to be desired. I started off with 3 of their Bacon Wrapped Sea Scallops that are tossed in a butter, brown sugar and maple glaze ($2.25 each). For being Sea Scallops, they were more like the size of a hunky bay scallop and the presentation of the plate wasn't very appealing. My dining companion ordered the soup special of the day which was a Pineapple Gazpacho (he is a Gazpacho FREAK). It didn't have the look or texture of a Gazpacho at all. Looked more like a cold tomato soup with big chunks of vegetables and pineapple in it. I could tell just by the look on his face when the dish was placed in front of him, he was disappointed. The French Onion Crock looked good though that my other dining companion had and was priced fair at $5.50. She didn't think it was anything special though and she really enjoys her French Onion soup. For my lunch, the waitress (who was very pleasant) suggested the steak tips or a salad, but I went for the chicken pot pie. It wasn't good. It wasn't very hot and looked more like a bowl of chicken stew than anything remotely resembling a pot pie. Oh well, maybe it was an off day for the chef, or maybe The Barn Tavern is better at dinner than they are at lunch. What ever the case may be, I think the next time I am in the Dover area, I will look somewhere else to have lunch.

Wild Willy's Burgers York, ME

2008-08-21T13:03:00.006-04:00

http://www.wildwillysburgers.com/

Although the burgers here are really good, I don't recommend you visiting the original location of Wild Willy's in York, Maine. The burger toppings are not fresh, the salsa on their "La Bamba" burger tasted like a cheap store bought kind, the ranch dressing on the "Santa Fe" could stand improvement and the cost of their Frontier draft root beer by the cup is a rip off. The other locations in Mass and NH are franchised out, so they might have something better to offer. The staff (including the founders son who managers this location) are NOT friendly at all and I don't think in the entire 2+ hours we were there did I see a smile come across any of their faces. It's too bad, the concept is great, but if you don't have that all important ingredient of a friendly, outgoing staff, you just aren't going to be as good as you could be. The summer brings tons of tourists into this location and my guess is they do a killer business especially since it is CASH ONLY. It's seasonal and shuts down right around when then snow really starts to fly. The small location has a fun atmosphere, but when it is busy, you are pushed and pulled while you wait for your meal and it just isn't comfortable. They keep the menu simple with burgers and fresh cut fries as their top sellers. I wish it was better, but it isn't.

Hagan's Grill- Hampton, NH

2008-08-14T12:13:00.005-04:00

6 HIGH ST, HAMPTON, NH

(603) 926-5668

http://www.hagansgrill.com/

Located in the heart of downtown Hampton is a gem of a restaurant. Hagan's Grill originally opened in the summer of 2005 and was purchased by Bob and Dora Hand in Spring of 2006. The seating is limited so if you plan on visiting, I highly recommend you call ahead and make a reservation or hope to score a seat at the bar while you wait for a table. Known for its eclectic American/Asian cuisine, Hagan's Grill is a favorite of the locals and the summer beach bums. The ingredients are fresh and meal ideas simple. You will find some great nightly specials ranging from pasta to fish to a pizza made on their own wood grill. I kicked off my dinner with a Key Lime Martini ($9) and for an appetizer, I tried the pita nachos ($10) which are a nice change of pace and very flavorful. For dinner I had a penne pasta special ($16) that had ground pork in a tomato leek cream sauce with a blend of cheese that was excellent! I switched half way through with one of my dinning partners who was having the famous Fish Burrito ($15). The executive chef, Kurt Holzweiss has been cooking things up in the kitchen for the past 2 1/2 years and has grown quite a following with the locals. I hear they have a local following for the baked mac and cheese ($9) which I plan on trying at my next visit. The atmosphere is contemporary in design, but the dress and vibe are casual and fun. It can get noisy in there, which is a clear sign of a good restaurant where people go and enjoy themselves. I was happy to see the addition of lighter fare options (which I don't recall seeing over the winter). My only gripe with my most recent dining experience at Hagan's Grill would be the service wasn't as good as I would expect it to be. I was seated at a high table in the bar area and at first the bartender who was our server was fine, but as soon as the bar got busy, we were ignored and ended up having to hunt her down to pay the bill and to get a box for the leftovers. Guess you can't win them all. I still say if you haven't checked this little hot spot out, the food is definitely worth a visit.

THe Old Salt, Rt. 1, Hampton NH

2008-08-08T17:29:00.005-04:00

http://www.theoldsaltnh.com/

As a request by my friend Kristin (a Hampton local), I need to include in this BLOG the local staple on the seacoast of The Old Salt at Lammes Inn in Hampton NH. Originally a hot spot right on the beach in Hampton, the Old Salt burned down and the owners purchased the Lammes Inn and moved their restaurant to the current Rt. 1 location. They are very well known for their down home Sunday brunch complete with chocolate fountain (kids and adults alike love it!)! The food isn't anything to knock your socks off, but it is consistently good. I do have a soft spot for their Fish and Chips and on occasion can be found in their lounge (which reminds me of a bomb shelter and I am not alone in this thought) sharing some appetizers and drinking $4.00 Margaritas on Thursdays or $5 Martinis on Wednesday nights. The atmosphere is good year round. The main dining area has a huge stone fireplace that lights up in the Fall and burns clear through the Winter making it very cozy even during the off season.

Telly's Restaurant and Pizzeria-Epping NH

2008-08-05T14:58:00.003-04:00

For those of you that didn't know, Telly's had a bad fire a few years back and it was destroyed. They rebuilt the restaurant and made it bigger and better this time around. I'm actually really glad they didn't give up. Sometimes, when we get knocked down, we have to pick ourselves up and keep going. This review takes place on last Saturday evening at 5:15pm. Yes, it was early for dinner, but I was out with my parents who often like to beat the crowds out at restaurants on the weekends. This did not happen. Although we were able to slip right into a booth, there was only one other table available, it was a full house on the tables and at the bar. This is a great sign of a restaurant in times like these with the economy being not so hot. They offer reasonably priced menu choices so families are plentiful here on the weekends. Telly's is first and foremost known for their brick oven pizza which I find refreshing and reasonably priced. You can easily share and be full by having a small pizza for two people if you order a side salad too. On this night, I was pleasantly surprised to find Orange Roughy on the Specials menu. I have been keeping an eye out for this fish on menus all over the seacoast lately since I have never tried it, but have heard great things. The Orange Roughy ($17.95) was served topped with a lemon butter cream sauce on a bed of jasmine rice and a side of asparagus. The lemon butter cream sauce was just enough so as to not take away from the fish, but to accompany it. The jasmine rice was perfect for this light white fish and it was prepared in coconut milk with salt, pepper and butter. I am very pleasantly surprised with this talented chef at Telly's and they have me wanting more. I opted for a glass of one of my favorite red wines (that's right, RED with FISH) which was a glass of Black Opal Shiraz ($5.75). The dessert was split between my parents and myself and is a house specialty. It is a HUGE piece of Bread Puddin' ($4.99) that is a delicate, moist croissant concoction laced with cinnamon'd bites of apple and raisins (this is exactly how they describe it, why mess with perfection I say!). If again you found yourself wandering out of the downtown Portsmouth area, take a hop, skip and a jump down 101 and try Telly's. I think you will enjoy it!

Agave Mexican Bistro, Portsmouth, NH

2008-07-24T18:34:00.003-04:00

I was suspicious of this restaurant going in since I think the last thing that Portsmouth needed downtown was yet ANOTHER Mexican restaurant (never mind the fact that they went in right next to good old DOS AMIGOS). I have visited the new location of Agave (for those of you that didn't know, it has an original location in Newburyport, MA) on two occasions since it opened its doors and I don't see myself returning. The skinny on this place is that it is an overpriced, gussied up Mexican restaurant. I find the menu boring and the drinks expensive. I was disappointed in the gazpacho which was over pureed and under flavored and the super quick service of the meals for my table left me wondering just how fresh could the entrees really be if they are being sent out of the kitchen that fast. It will take a while I think for the newness to wear off, but I don't see the longevity of an upscale Mexican bistro like Agave for Portsmouth. In such a small, hip town , foodies want new places to come in and "wow us". Give us something new, exciting, fresh. Give us something to really sink our teeth into! The only upside I find with Agave is that my friend Max who bartends there can make you a mean margarita. If it is Mexican flavor you are seeking, try Poco's Bow Street Cantina down the street. I heart their empanadas appetizer and their Peanut-Ginger Chicken and Shrimp Saute, both priced right and full of flavor. If you are south of town, check out Las Olas in Exeter for a one big, tasty burrito.

Coming Soon, The Best Brunch on the Seacoast.

2008-07-13T21:13:00.004-04:00

(for those of you that can't wait until I get the write up finished, it's at The Wentworth By The Sea in New Castle. Any brunch that offers all you can drink mimosas (or just champagne) included in their price gets my vote...and all my friends votes too.

Saunders at Rye Harbor

2008-07-13T21:03:00.002-04:00

www.SaundersatRyeHarbor.com

I'm not going to take up too much space here writing about Saunders. I just wanted to make sure I wrote something about it since I am tired of being disappointed by restaurants that have such great potential. Saunders at Rye Harbor has this great location right on the water in Rye, one of the few restaurants that do north of Hampton beach, but it's just so dirty and the food....I can only think of one word, BLECK! I am fairly certain that the carpeting in there is older than me and I don't think this spot has had a "face lift" in my lifetime. It's as if the owner decided to order everything they possibly could frozen, fry it in butter or oil and sell it to the public at fine dining prices. Its gross, do not go there. Even if you are lured by the Reggae music on their deck on Sundays, which will cost you a ridiculous $10.00 to get pass the unfriendly, rude hostesses that hang around the deck wishing they were 21 already. Saunders gets a big VETO and a wish that they would sell it and let someone come in that has a clue on what to do with a jewel of a location.

The Holy Grail, Epping N.H.

2008-07-05T12:01:00.005-04:00

http://www.theholygrailpub.com/

On a quest for great food? Try The Holy Grail food & spirits that just opened at 64 Main St. in Epping, N.H. I hit this British/American fared restaurant yesterday and loved it! The owners, David and Maureen Kennedy purchased and renovated the old St. Josephs Church (built in 1895) into this fabulous soon to be "hot" dining spot. There is a large bar/pub area right when you walk into the main dining area with 20 beers on draft, 20 bottled to choose from and 2 casks as well as a full liquor selections. There is a seating area in the back of the first floor has great views of the stained glass windows and there is more dining in the "Choir Loft" that over looks the pub below. This is the second restaurant I have been to on the Seacoast that is in a converted church and I love the concept. For started, I went with the Black & Tan Onion Rings ($8.95) which are indeed battered with Guinness and good to the last ring! For my entree, I went with the Irish classic of Corned Beef and Cabbage ($12.95). You are served a heaping pile of corned beef, cabbage, boiled potatoes and carrots. The corned beef was lean and delicious. I opted for regular mustard, but they do serve the meal with Colman's mustard on the side. My dining partner let me try their Shepherd's pie ($10.95) which is another classic Irish dish of ground beef in gravy with seasonings and mashed potatoes on top (some places make it with corn too, but not here) and it was served with a side of green beans. The seasonings with the ground beef and gravy is what really makes this dish taste great. You get a great portion size too for a great great price. The entrees were served with grilled buns and I enjoyed a 20 oz glass of draft English Cider ($5.25) which went great with my meal. Our waitress, Kaitlyn, was very prompt and very friendly. Other menu items include, Guinness Marinated Sirloin Tip, House Made Irish Bangers, Scotch Eggs and Wilshire Cured Ribs to name a few. Can't decide on which draft beer to have? Ask your server for a sample or two to try first! Dining here feels like you have been taken across the Atlantic and you are actually eating in a small Irish Village restaurant. Well Done Kennedys! I look forward to my next visit with you!

931 Ocean - Hampton Beach, N.H.

2008-07-05T11:44:00.006-04:00

Don't bother stopping at 931 Ocean, just keep on driving down or up Route 1A and you will surely find better food at better prices. I have visited 931 on 4 occasions and I have to tell you, this last visit, was indeed my LAST visit. I was stuck with the same not very friendly waitress, but figured maybe the last time I had her she was just having a bad day. Not the case. The food is WAY over priced and the quality just isn't there in it to make it worth top dollar. The location is good (not great since the North Beach wall blocks your view of the ocean) and so are the martinis, but that about covers its goodness. This visit, I started with the red seafood chowder and I was so disappointed. It wasn't even presented well and had those tiny little shrimp in it that you know came out of a can. I actually kept having to pull shell bits out and when the waitress came to clear the bowl (which wasn't even halfway touched) I told her about the shells and she said, "Well, at least you know it's real right?" and walked away. Can you believe that was your answer? Good help is sooooo hard to find. It's a missing key ingredient in many restaurants these days it seems. For my entree I ordered the grilled salmon with mango salsa($24) and found it to be way too salty. I have also had the beef short ribs($20) here and found them to be too fatty and smothered in a flavor lacking hoisin sauce. I do like the way they prepare their sticky chicken wing appetizer($7) by cooking them up in a sweet, tangy soy sauce, but you can find better ones in other restaurants on the seacoast where your whole meal will be enjoyable. I recommend the soy sauced sticky wings at The Tavern at Rivers Edge in downtown Exeter. Enough bad mouthing for one post I think, don't you? Take my advice and pass on 931 Ocean. Try the upstairs lounge at Rons Landing on 1A. They have a great lighter fare bar menu and you can actually see the ocean from the bar while enjoying your meal.

Joyce's Kitchen- Joyce back in action in Newmarket

2008-06-29T12:05:00.004-04:00

Although it was very unfortunate to see Joyce have to close Joyce's Kitchen in downtown Newmarket this year, I have great news! Joyce is back in action! She is now serving Breakfast on Saturdays and Sundays from 6am to 11am at the Rockingham Country Club at 200 Exeter Road. Although they have a limited menu there now as this weekend is only their 4th weekend serving up sunshine there, I am sure that once the word is out, they will be rocking and rolling with more of their menu items we remember from her kitchen. It's good to have you cooking in the kitchen for us again Joyce!

MOJO'S BBQ-Portsmouth & N.Hampton, NH

2008-06-10T22:02:00.007-04:00

Maurice Buckley (MO) and Aaron Jones are very familiar faces
here around the Seacoast of NH. They finally took a giant leap together and opened Mojo's BBQ. Maurice says his father is the
person that taught him everything he knows about the BBQ

business and it all started when he was 10. Lucky us!

I think a the key ingredient that Mojo's has that many seacoast restaurants are lacking is good customer service. When I visit them, I always feel welcomed and they make me feel that my

business is appreciated. The secret here is the sauce. It's sweeter than it is spicy and

it is finger licking good! I always tend to lean towards sweet or tangy sauce vs. spicy when it comes to BBQ and they have it covered here! The sauce is called Big Moe's Arkansawce and is rightly named after Maurices dad. Mo has been selling it for about 7 years and it is available in retailers around the seacoast and of course at the two Mojo locations. I recently visited Mo at their new N.Hampton location on Rt. 1 and was glad to see them already growing. They took over a small space that use to be a catering company so the seating is limited to a few tables on the porch outside, but of course you can always order some great tasting ribs to go! I would recommend the chicken wings, the BBQ chicken and the the pulled pork sandwich. The side dishes range from mac and cheese to greens and all filled with southern flavors. The only side I am not a big fan of is the baked beans which I find to be a little too soupy (sorry fellas). Although Mojo's isn't a smoke house BBQ joint, its well worth the visit when your up for some good food at reasonable prices!

Lattitudes at Wentworth By The Sea

2008-06-05T17:03:00.016-04:00

Enjoy a light-hearted take on the region's culinary bounty in the comfortable atmosphere of this marina-side restaurant. At the bar near the fireplace, by the tall windows or out on the teak deck, the bistro style menu features local ingredients prepared with flair and presented with full attention to detail. This is one of my favorite if not my favorite seasonal restaurant on the Seacoast of NH. It opens around Memorial Day weekend and finishes up its season around Labor Day weekend. I truly look forward to seeing what's new on the menu as well as enjoying the comfort of the menu gems that are standard. Sitting up on the 2nd floor deck this past Memorial Day with friends, I began my meal with the Tasting of Grilled Stone Fruit small plate. It is new to the menu this year and was excellent. There was a peach half, a nectarine half and a plum half each with crumbled Great Hill Blue Cheese and a smear of pine nut puree. For my main course, I indulged in what is my first Lobster (LOBSTAH if you are a true New Englander) Roll ($19) of the summer season. I opted for the double side of the fresh made Apple Cabbage Slow over french fries and enjoyed every bite! They don't hold back on over stuffing the bun which is served open face. I recommend a few dishes that are always available which are the Bite Size Angus Burgers (3 for $10) off of the small plates menu and then the Ocean Breeze salad with either the Lobster Salad ($18) or the always delicious Toasted Almond Chicken Salad ($12). One more special dish I would like to mention is the very well known Latitudes "Raw Bar" which is a tower of chilled, poached Maine lobster, jumbo shrimp, Oysters, Alaskan King Crab Legs with a side of Tomato Horseradish Sauce. This delectable dish has plenty on it to share and runs at market price. I foresee a wonder season yet again along the water at Latitudes. Cheers!

Zorvino Vineyards Wine Dinners

2008-05-29T09:12:00.008-04:00

Zorvino Vineyards
Main St.
Sandown, NH
http://www.Zorvino.com/

I recently attended Zorvino Vineyards first Price Buster wine dinner of 2008 with some friends on the eve of May 23rd. The dinner was held in their function hall facility which is very impressive and has the look and feel inside of a mountain lodge. The Price Buster dinner we attended was their Spring Fling dinner and the cost for the meal and wine pairing was only $25.00 each so we figured why not give it a whirl! We arrived about 15 minutes early for the 6:30pm dinner start time and enjoyed drinks from the bar at reasonable prices and munched on some fruit, veggies, cheese and crackers while all the guests arrived. The hall filled up with about 50 plus guest and our host was Zorvinos wine guru (Director) Tom Zack. The meal was four courses and each was wonderful! We started off with a Mussel & Leek Soup which was paired with a 2007 Eco Domani Collezioni Pinot Grigio. This soup was delish! It was a puree of roasted leeks, potatoes and had steamed mussels in it. This was followed by a Cool Strawberry & Black Pepper Flatbread paired with a 2007 Zorvnio Fragole Z (which totally has a fresh strawberry taste to it). The Flatbread was a mini pita and although it was a little too tough to cut with your knife, my table dug right in and ate it like a slice of pizza! This was followed by the main course of a Spicy Cornish Game Hen with wild long grain rice and sauteed Fiddleheads paired with a 2005 Gloria Ferrer Carneros Chardonnay. The Hen was cooked perfectly and although it can be a little messy for formal dining, it was very flavorful and good choice for an entree. The meal was finished with a Fire Roasted Bartlett Pear with brown sugar & honey marscapone cheese paired with the 2008 Zorvino Razzberry Delight. I think all had a great time and with the prices of gas and the cost of just about EVERYTHING on the rise, it was nice to see the people out enjoying a meal and a great price! I highly recommend you keep your eye out for Zorvinos Wine Dinners and Events, they were worth every penny and then some!

Brothers North Restaurant-CLOSED 12/24/09

2008-05-28T13:28:00.016-04:00

Brothers North

845 Lafayette Rd.

Hampton, NH

Brothers North is a Greek and American food restaurant set up cafeteria style. Ever been to a Morrisons? well, this place isn't nearly as good, but runs on the same idea. You pick up your tray and silverware on one end and slide on down the line picking out what you would like to eat. Although the staff was for the most part friendly, it isn't enough of a good thing to get me to go back in. I was there for dinner and the portions are HUGE, but they are definitely cutting quality here for quantity. I had the Kotopita (chicken pie in Fillo dough) and I pulled out at least 4 good sized pieces of bones and so did one of my dining partners. The Kotopita was really dry too. The side order of Dolmades (stuffed grape leaves) was good, but the meat inside of them with the rice was undercooked. It also took them 20 mins to bring out my side order without an apology for lateness. I found the other diners there were more into the American food plates vs. the Greek, but I don't see Brothers North packing them in. They just started serving breakfast which could be a good fit for them in the area but with some really good diners around I doubt it. I say, if its good Greek food you are seeking, seek it elsewhere.