Lookout Tavern in Oak Bluffs

What was that I was saying about kitschy signs? No problem here, the parking was difficult, the restaurant was packed and we nabbed the last whole lobster in the place. This was the New England seafood we were after and the atmosphere was mom and pop perfection with a bit of blue collar thrown in for a rough around the edges feel. It really was a tavern.

Finding clam chowder on every menu in the state did not deter us from ordering this creamy rendition at the Lookout. It was simple with few items tossed in other than clams, cream and onion. A shake or two of paprika was not even necessary because the flavor was clean and strong with clams and needed nothing more, but the paprika did perk up the color and perhaps that's all it was intended to do.

Not wanting to pout or fight over the last boiled lobster, I ordered a lobster roll and ended up with more lobster than could be comfortably held by the "white bread bun" so common in Massachusetts. The abundance of lobster meat was eaten with a fork until the bun held just the right amount of lobster and mayonnaise for a bite, with lobster and bread in perfect proportion. The chips and pickle were an afterthought and seemed unnecessary as they really could not add taste of the lobster roll, but what could?

"Last one out of the water is...." an amazing seafood dinner. As we walked to our table we over heard another patron ask and then debate about ordering the boiled dinner. Since her waitress was telling her there was only one left, we ordered then and there without a menu. Her indecision was our good fortune.

8 Seaview Ave

Oak Bluffs MA 02568
Phone: (508) 696-9844

Barnacle Bill's Seafood in Buzzard Bay

"What's in a name?", you might ask, concerning dining establishments. For one thing, they may pique our curiosity and get us to walk in the door; for another, they set up for us a sense of "place". Since we were looking for a mom and pop establishment with good home cooked food, on our way back to Boston from Martha's Vineyard, and were looking for lobster, Barnacle Bill's conjured up the image of what we were hoping would suit us. They had lobster rolls, but we elected to get the 1 pound lobster for $14.99 with sides because it looked like a deal.

It was a "deal"...for the restaurant. I knew we were in trouble the minute our order arrived at the table on paper plates and both Styrofoam and aluminum bowls. It was not a small lobster as we had imagined, but lobster pieces with very little tail and no claws, just lots of spongy legs and they were breaded and greasy. Not greasy enough though, as we were served melted butter along with it, in a black plastic bowl. The cole slaw was alright, the onion rings okay, but the fried zucchini was not good either, having been fried in grease that had seen one too many fryings. The star of each plate was a plentiful helping of rice pilaf that seemed like an odd accompaniment, but it helped make the lobster palatable. This is by no means a restaurant I would recommend. It serves as a warning to all who would choose a restaurant based on a kitschy name. It's better to judge by the number of cars in the parking lot, or the smells as you walk in.

Legal Sea Foods

Every time we visit Boston, we make a pilgrimage to Legal Sea Foods. This is where I discovered that Blue fish is not to my liking, as it is too oily for my taste. This is also where I discovered a delightful salad of blackened shrimp over mixed greens that is no longer on the menu, but inspires me to try and recreate it one day. Although it is a chain restaurant, the menu is creative, ever changing, and the seafood always fresh and delicious.

Lobster bisque is a great way to start any meal and we find ourselves (credit goes exclusively to my husband here) making it as a first course for holiday dinners at home. It is delightful to have someone else do the work while we reap the benefit. The crab cake is less time consuming to make, but equally rewarding on the plate and beautifully paired with a spicy mustard sauce and a seasonal salad. the one photographed is the appetizer.

Once again, our appetites got the better of us and these photos were taken just minutes before finishing the lightly fried New England full belly clams with cornbread, an appetizer worthy of any entree, and a special that evening, a seafood ravioli in tomato sauce.

A trio of house made ice creams was a nice ending to the meal. You may select from a group and this was Kona coffee with macadamia nuts, Belgian chocolate and vanilla bean.

http://www.legalseafoods.com/index.cfm?cd=LOCATION&pid=11279&cdid=11833

255 State Street

Boston MA 02109

Phone: 617.742.5300

Fax: 617.523.0512
Sun-Thurs: 11:00am - 10:00pm
Fri-Sat: 11:00am - 11:00pm

Junior's

Perhaps the original was in Brooklyn, but this Junior's was in the belly of Grand Central Station. Who would think to look for food at Grand Central? It was merely a fluke that we even found this outpost of the Junior's branding. It was surprising to me that they had a shop devoted exclusively to bakery items, because I knew of it only as a restaurant. I had no knowledge then that Junior's makes "The best cheesecake in New York" . Having walked by it 3 times already, I just had to break down and buy a piece of cheese cake, to take back to the hotel.

The selection was mind boggling. Besides the regular cheese cake, they had raspberry swirl, pineapple, strawberry, chocolate swirl, and one that had a mountain of chocolate frosting on it. Most interesting and unusual were the hybrid cake / cheese cakes. The devil's food cake and plain cheese cake combination, with chocolate buttercream frosting and shaved chocolate, still sends shivers up my spine when I look at this photo. The carrot cake / cheese cake combo with buttercream frosting only makes my knees weak. Then I saw the red velvet and carrot cakes and almost walked away in frustration. How could one choose?

My inner struggle between buying what I really wanted vs. buying the least of all the evils lurking behind the counters, came to an abrupt halt as I walked out of the shop. During a momentary panic of  indecision I bolted, but then I turned. Standing before me was the only case I had yet to memorize. I rushed back in, before I could change my mind again, and ordered the smallest item in the shop for myself and a slice of the raspberry swirl cheese cake for my husband. With purchase in hand, I rushed back to the hotel and along the way, purchased a carton of milk.

  

The Tuscan brand milk was better than I've had in a long time, so I recommend it. I decided the red velvet bunt cake with only enough cream cheese frosting to fill the void, was probably my healthiest bet, but who really knows? About the cheese cake; I wish I had a Junior's in my neighborhood.

Junior's Website

Retail Bakery Grand Central Station Main Concourse near track 36 New York NY (212) 692-9800 Monday-Saturday 6am-10pm EST Sunday 8am-8pm EST

The Old Mill

Every time we travel to Massachusetts we make time to drive to Westminster and dine at The Old Mill. It's become a habit at this point, but not necessarily for the food. Originally we went there and ordered their boiled lobster dinner, but that has been off the menu for many years now. Perhaps we go back for the tranquility offered by the lovely, country setting and the mill pond complete with ducks; or the very rustic feel of the interior and the basic "meat and potatoes", all American, New England style menu that hearkens back to a simpler time. Memories of the pecan sticky buns, available from their bakery for take out, would be reason enough. We've packed those back to California a time or two.

Sometimes, when a restaurant has a standard menu with few variations like nightly specials, you risk being disappointed. That's what happened for me with the corn fritters, a staple at The Old Mill. I fell in love with them my very first time and keep a wonderful memory of them that did not match the reality of the same dish on this particular visit. They used to be made with corn batter studded with fresh corn kernels that created not only a wonderful contrast in textures, but added a fresh sweetness each time you'd bite into a kernel. That is no longer the case, although they're still served piping hot with maple syrup, and that is a treat in itself. The New England clam chowder is still rich, thick and creamy.

No, the photo of the prime rib is not distorted, it is actually that thick. Generous portions are the hall mark of this type of restaurant. Doesn't that half of a roasted duck look enormous? The stuffing underneath helps, but suffered in taste and the charred leg bone is a good indication of how well cooked it was. If I clicked my heels twice I wonder if I could get back to another century and find the same menu.


http://www.1761oldmill.com/

69 State Road East
Westminster Massachusetts 01473

The Green Table in NYC

Located inside food central, Chelsea Market in lower Manhattan, The Green Table was a small tasting room set up by the Cleaver Company to allow it's potential catering clients to taste samples of organic items prepared by and available from their facility. They ultimately decided to use it as a minuscule restaurant with perhaps 6 or so tables to serve the throngs of people walking through or working at Chelsea Market. A good use of space in my opinion. They also have a take out window for prepared meals.

I was fortunate to be visiting Chelsea Market after the lunch rush because I had no trouble getting a table, green or otherwise. Each item on the menu looked enticing and was described by not only ingredients, but by where the ingredients came from, mostly organic farms and dairies close to the city.

I had no trouble selecting blue corn pancakes served over a vegetable ragu. For very healthy food, this tasted better than I had imagined and lighter than I had expected. Cleaver company has a good thing going and I'm glad I went. Since Buon Italia, a purveyor of imported Italian food and condiments, is located in the same building, I'm certain I will dine here again.

http://www.cleaverco.com/

212) 741-9174
75 9th Ave

New York, NY 10011

Ferrara's

If someone were to invite me to an "institution" for a pastry, I probably wouldn't accept the invitation, unless it were Ferrara's. It's been anchoring the block for so many years, this Italian pastry shop has become an institution, but it's all sweetness and light. Its humble origins started in 1892 as a caffe where patrons could find a good cup of espresso and a place to play Neapolitan card games. Enrico Caruso had been a regular patron. It survived the Great Depression by baking several times a day to to avoid waste and became known for the freshest pastry in town.

Ferrara's has earned a wonderful reputation for producing Sicilian specialties like cannoli, sfogliatella (the "leafy pastry" with layers of paper thin pastry filled with ricotta cheese and candied fruits that are sometimes thought to look like clam shells) and cassata (the sponge cake with cannoli filling and marzipan "frosting"). This 5th generation family run business is owned by Italian Americans originally from a small town in Campania. They also have a fine reputation for torrone, the almond and nougat candy, as well as biscotti and panettone. You can find almost any Italian specialty dessert imaginable here at Ferrara's.

Although a bit cramped for space, and the pace a bit hectic, you can settle into the shop at a small marble table and relax with a cup of cappucino and a cannoli. Even though the neighborhood is less and less Italian these days, you will always find a slice of Italy at Ferrara's.

http://www.ferraracafe.com/

195 Grand Street

New York NY 10013-3717

Phone: (866) 920-4476

Ristorante Bacco

Ristorante Bacco is my favorite San Francisco Italian Restaurant. I can think of none better on the basis of consistently well prepared offerings that are seasonal and exactly what your expectations had primed you for, authentic Italian cuisine. The service is personal and efficient, a difficult balancing act for many other restaurants, but not with Bacco's warm and gracious Italian staff. The setting is intimate and walking through the velvet curtains at the door really sets up the romantic mood. It also serves to keep the room warm.

This is the kind of restaurant and type of menu that begs for more than 2 courses. I easily give in to this impulse every time I order a dinner at Bacco. My partner in crime for this meal was willing to go for four courses, if we split the pasta selection. I was a willing accomplice. We started out with a burrata salad with arugula and tomatoes. As you can see by the photo to the right, I once again failed to take the photograph until my antipasti plate was almost finished. Each cured meat was perfectly moist and not too salty.

The pasta course would have been perfect had it not been for the fact that the vegetable supplier delivered the wrong potato and the gnocchi was not light as a feather, the way they are normally prepared at Bacco. The consistency of perfect gnocchi at this restaurant is quite an accomplishment, no matter what the recipe. These particular gnocchi were heavy and gummy. Even the creamy truffle sauce couldn't redeem them.

Had this not been served at a restaurant the excels in making this dish, I would have said nothing. I vote with my patronage when it comes to restaurants. But when the waiter asked how every thing was, I felt compelled to speak up. He thanked me for saying something, even if it was not positive. Five minutes later the owner came by our table. I explained that I loved his restaurant and because of that I had to let him know that the dish he makes so perfectly was "off" tonight. That's when the potato story was told, a very reasonable explanation. He even comped the dish.

While my dining companion ordered the flank steak in a balsamic sauce I went for the lamb, since Bacco never fails to cook it perfectly medium rare. Simple pan juices were delicious, but that balsamic sauce looked very appealing too. Roasted potatoes and steamed broccoli worked for both plates.

The desserts were not only beautiful but generous in size and not cloyingly sweet. The chocolate torta sat in a bath of perhaps zabaglione (sorry, I didn't taste it) and the apple tart was drizzled in caramel sauce. It was a very creative execution of an old standard. A square of puff pastry had the middle cut out and replaced with apple slices to create a cup for the vanilla ice cream; simple, yet impressive.

http://www.baccosf.com/

(415) 282-4969

737 Diamond St

San Francisco CA