Stopped into TJ's on a whim yesterday, kicking myself that I hadn't read this thread in a while.

Nays: Chicken wonton soup bowl (frozen): I so wanted to love this--there's a version at BJ's that I love--but this has a lot of cilantro in it, which I can't stand. Still, a fairly flavorful broth and lots of great big veggies. Liked the wontons themselves a lot too.

Canadian bread: We usually buy Nissan or Country Kitchen brand at the regular grocery store, and I thought this would be fine. My daughter proclaimed it unedible at breakfast when I made her two slices of toast. I haven't tried it, but it doesn't sit well with my 5-year-old who's well versed in white, processed bread.

Mini-bagels and plain (block) cream cheese: both fine. Bear in mind that I had been planning to stop by a grocery store on the way home and had to get some staples. The TJ's cream cheese is on par or better tasting than Philadelphia.

I also picked up a lot of fresh veggies: sliced baby bellas, sugar snap peas, baby carrots, bag of romaine. All are fine if not outstanding. I did love that I could get products fresher than I can usually select from at at or near the price.

Glad to see all of the positive reviews. I work down the street from Raagini but hadn't tried it yet based on some initial negative Yelp reviews. I miss going to the India Palace in Nashua for their lunch buffet with my former co-workers, and have been hoping for something similar near my new job. Sounds like this fits the bill--hope to check it out next week.

Thanks, southie_chick. I had seen the trailer there sporadically when driving past, but haven't for a while. I'd forgotten about them until I saw a sign that they were going to be there at the Harley-Davidson place for an upcoming event. Just curious how their chow is--a shame their trailer was never open when I used to see it!

I hear you! Maybe I'm remembering the ribs incorrectly, and they were beef and not St. Louis pork. I definitely prefer pork. We did like the brisket, my husband's favorite BBQ meat. I like the pulled pork too, but I like my own better (it sounds conceited, but it's one of the few dishes I make rather well). I'd love to see them offer a BBQ chicken also. I hope they get enough business that they can expand their offerings. Like I said, it's not the best, but a quick and convenient BBQ fix when we don't feel like cooking.
Has anyone tried the BBQ trailer sometimes parked at the Harley Davidson place on the Continental Blvd/101A intersection? I think it's Gaby's--I had posted asking about it a while back.

I don't think it rates as "best of BBQ" but we don't travel down to Mass or elsewhere often, so it's an easy trip if we want a BBQ fix. It's decent for what it is (I don't care for the ribs, though nicely smoked, they have less meat than the baby back style I prefer) and we always like to support a local business, and there's nowhere else in the immediate area who offers this type of chow. (And I mean between Milford and Nashua--we tend to go to Phil's on a weekend night when we're feeling lazy and don't feel like traveling far or cooking.)

Phil's has a BBQ platter deal that we get a few times a season: brisket, ribs (St. Louis), pulled pork, cornbread, beans, and coleslaw. I think it's $40-$50--plenty of food for 3 of us plus leftovers.

Added it to my recipe bookmarks--looks delicious. I'm not a great bread baker, but going to give it a shot one of these weekends. Thanks!

I'm a big diner fan; and we frequent the local diners quite a bit, usually on Sunday mornings (pre-post-church crowd to beat the rush). I'm a sucker for eggs benedict but the quality varies depending on the chef's skill. I can't cook a poached egg properly to save my life, but I expect a runny yolk and solid whites when I'm eating out.
I also like a local diner's "Arrow omlette", with green peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, and ham, topped with a "golden cheese sauce". With a side of toast and hash browns, it doesn't get much better.
Chalk this one up as another CH thread that's making me hungry. Seems they almost all do.

Oh my word, I have GOT to find a recipe for that bread (or better yet, somewhere locally that serves it). It sounded good to start with, but "spread with a sweet-ish cheese concoction and then baked and topped with sesame seeds" put it right over the top. I want some NOW!

A few years ago, I reached into the oven to check on something, completely unconcerned with the distance between the inside top of the oven and my forearm. Ouch.

About 2 weeks later, I did the exact same thing. Once burned, twice shy? Not me! Still have faint scars; they look like horizontal track marks.

Thanks to you both. Dave B, about a minute after I posted, I thought, "Why don't I just send her (my former co-worker) an email? That was dumb." I decided to leave the post up anyway in case anyone had an idea or had tried the dish. It's always the simple answers that escape me...

Qianning, thanks for that link and the name of the dish! I can't remember how the eggplant was sliced, and I think there was less broth, but really, my memory is failing--and that looks delicious in any case. I'll report back after I get the answer.

Thanks again, both!

When I worked on Amherst St., my coworkers and I would often go to the Jasmine Place on W. Pearl St (closed and now Thousand Crane II). My Chinese-speaking coworker would always order us an eggplant and pork dish that wasn't on the menu. It arrived in a large clay pot with minced (ground?) pork on the bottom (and did not include tofu). I can't describe it in much more detail, but it had a flavor I still crave. I've Googled and looked at other restaurants and recipes, and really don't know what this is called or if I can find it anywhere else locally. Anyone have any thoughts?

If you mean Sunset Hill House, I would not recommend it. I was at a wedding there 3 weeks ago and I was really displeased with the lack of staff attention. During the wedding, the microphone kept coming out, and there was no one--no one!--from the staff there to handle it, or even just standing by keeping an eye on things. A member of the bridal party kept jiggling the cord to get it to work again; there was no one on staff standing by to make sure things went smoothly. The food was nothing remarkable, either, and tasted very much like "we can make a million of these quickly" which, of course, it was.

On our last visit to Riverhouse, on a busy Sunday morning, we were somewhat annoyed to see a table with a "reserved" sign on it, while groups of people stood around waiting and no other empty seats were available. Waitresses walked past and ignored all of us standing around awkwardly. I don't know, it just rubbed me the wrong way, and come to think of it, we haven't been back since. Not to say we won't return, but I'd just love to know who was so special that they got a reserved table, as this isn't anything I've ever seen there before. And please, when it's that busy, start a list and take names!

Interesting. I've only been to the Meat House in Bedford once or twice, so I really have no basis for comparison. We've always liked Bare Bonz's marinated chicken breasts and steak tips. I'm really curious how the prices compare.

I've been to Bare Bonz several times, and used to go to their old location in Pennichuck Square too. It's always either empty or nearly so--I've often wondered how they could stay afloat. Drove past it today and a radio station was doing a live broadcast, and I assume they're trying to bring in new business now that Meat House is right down the street. I wouldn't be surprised if they closed up unless there's a serious increase in foot traffic. I'd be interested to do a side-by-side comparison of some products and prices of the two. Guess I need to go buy some meat!

Thank you, I appreciate the tip, especially as I'm the type to keep dried herbs far past when I should, then wonder why they add no flavor. These are strands, not powdered, but being imported from wherever and shipped out from NJ, it's a good reminder--I shouldn't count on these having a long shelf life.

Excellent link, thank you! I have to admit I'm no expert on the flavor saffron imparts. Looking forward to trying it in something baked.

I have to agree. Riverhouse was full today, so we opted for Cafe on the Oval (just down the street), which we'd never been to. Service was very good; they took names and told you how long the wait was, and they were right on with their estimate. I saw the owner/manager (?) constantly walking around, evaluating which tables were free, communicating with waitstaff. Very nice.
I had the omelette special, with asparagus, mushrooms, sausage, and cheese, and it was really good. "Tasty" is the best way I can describe it--every bite was savory which I think is an indication of proper seasoning in the kitchen. Just nice. DH got steak and eggs, and DD got a plate of eggs, sausage, potatoes, and toast, which was fine. The only quibble I have is that the waitress didn't return while we were eating to inquire, and I was hoping she would because we really needed more napkins.

But after we left, hubby and I looked at each other and had the same thing to say: good, but not like the Riverhouse. It's just special. The farm-to-table thing works, and works well. We find that we sometimes don't know what we're going to get after ordering, but it's always good and fresh. Case in point: on one visit, my DH ordered the chili burger, only to find out 10 minutes later they no longer make chili. Onion strings and cheese, yes, the other items on the described burger? Yes, says the waitress. It arrives with onion slices instead. Fine, still a very good burger. On a different visit, I ordered a side of fresh fruit for DD. "I'm sorry, we're out of fruit," says the waitress. "Do you have anything like fruit?" I ask as DH starts laughing. But really, I'm thinking, orange slices you use for garnish? Anything else, because I don't want to pass up my 4 year old wanting healthy food. Nope. Ok. Our order arrives.. with a bowl of fresh fruit. So to sum up, we feel like we never know if we're going to get exactly what we ordered, but it's always excellent. We'll be hitting RIverhouse again next weekend, I'm sure.

I'm not the type to try to bilk a store out of something, so what made this nicer was how unexpected it was. Deppity, it was a normal-size spice jar with the little envelope. Not sure how long this will last, but as I said, I don't often need it. McCormick apparently thinks you don't need to know where it came from, only stating "imported", so it could be imported from Kansas for all I know.

HillJ, I used it in paella which came out well flavor-wise, but nothing like "real" paella (due to my own inexperience; need more practice getting that crust on the rice!). It ended up with consistency of homemade chicken fried rice. Next time I'll use the saffron will probably be in pancit, where I've previously substituted with paprika for color. I'm open to any suggested recipes featuring saffron...

And yes, it was at a Stop & Shop in NH. The store I frequent is always pretty empty, so I don't think any other customers were able to benefit from overhearing the situation. Though I was sorely tempted to send my sister in later to pick some up.

Not sure where to post this, hope the general thread is ok.

I haven't ever bought saffron before, as I don't usually cook recipes that require it or they have a cheaper substitute, but I want to try making paella tonight. So I'm at the local grocery and see saffron marked $5.79. I know how expensive it usually is, so I grabbed it. I'm thinking, hey, it's just McCormick's brand, maybe that's why it's cheap. After I check out, I peruse the bill and see that I was charged $19.99. I went to the courtesy booth and explained to the pair of employees (when did everyone get so much younger than me??) that it wasn't what was marked. One employee accompanies me back to the spice aisle. The rest followed like this:

Me (pointing to where the saffron is): See, it says $5.79. Oh, (looking closer) the tag on the shelf says rosemary. (the saffron was stocked in the wrong place)

Employee 1: Yes, hmm. Ok.

We go back to the courtesy booth. I'm fully assuming that she's going to tell the guy that it was in the wrong place and that it costs $19.99.

Employee 1: It's $5.79.
Employee 2: Really? For saffron?
Employee 1: Yep. Why, is it usually expensive?
Employee 2: Yeah, it's like... a lot.
Me: Which is why I grabbed it when I thought it was $5.79.
Employee 2: Well, you're getting it for free today.
Me: I'd pay $5.79 for it.....
Employee 1 drawls: Nope, all the saffron is right there where it says $5.79, so we have to give it to you for free.

Then they handed me a $20 bill and I promptly walked out... without the saffron. (The employee ran out with it before I got to the car.)

So, this is such a small thing, but I'm pretty much over the moon that I got it for free. Now to tackle paella!

It appears that Euro Deli, the German grocery store in Amherst, has closed. A 'for rent' sign is on the property. Anyone know the story?
Although I found their products wildly overpriced, I always stopped in at Christmastime to stock up on things for my family that used to live near Berlin (and the deli meats were incredible). Sorry to see them close.

That's a huge disappointment. Seems to be a plethora of breakfast/lunch places in the area; do we really need another? I see nothing Turkish on the lunch menu.

I haven't been to a TJ's in over a year, and went today. Thanks to this thread, I had a ton of things on my list--garlic marinated mushrooms, low fat cheese puffs, the best of the frozen entrees, peanut butter with sea salt, carmelized onion dip, pita chips, the list goes on. I haven't tried anything yet, though preschool daughter loves the freeze dried strawberries (couldn't find mandarin oranges) and cheese puffs. Just wanted to say thank you to all who posted, as it really helped me focus my shopping today. Much appreciated!

OC, can you provide any more info about Valconti's Red Gravy? I live next to Hollis and have never heard of it. What stores have you seen it in? Would love to try this.

Thank you for posting this; I might have to head to the MB near me tomorrow and pick up a couple of steamed lobsters. Been too long since I indulged!

Saw this BBQ truck in the Harley parking lot on Continental Blvd a few weeks ago, and looks like they're set up there for a while. Closed when I drive by on weekdays 5-6PM, think the hours are lunchtime only (not sure about weekends). Has anyone been yet?

I haven't gotten a pizza at Milano's in a while, will have to check it out again. I think one of the things I like about Big A's pizza is the price on those three days. I know MIlford House of Pizza has the same deal, but I really like the thin crust. For $6.99, it's ideal when I don't feel like cooking. Going to have to try their Italian subs too.

I just got pad thai the one time I went and it was fine--a safe choice and they didn't do anything remarkable with it, good or bad. I do recall that the service was fairly indifferent, as if they didn't particularly care that I was there, but that there were a fair number of people coming in for takeout orders. They have crazy noodles on their menu, which makes me think of my favorite hot and crazy noodles at Thon Khao in Nashua, but Sweet Basil's includes eggs and broccoli, which just isn't the same (may be more or less authentic, I have no idea, I just know how much I like the one at Thon Khao). I may give Sweet Basil another try to see how it goes; thanks for the input!

I can't wait to go, having had an excellent bulgogi bento box at the prior location. If only more people in my office were inclined to go out to lunch! Everyone brings theirs, and lately I haven't had time to get away to grab something. I'll definitely report back when I check out Rega and other places in the area thanks to these other great suggestions.