I've been wanting to try Lyric and will put it on our list for our next visit, especially now that I know they have lamb burgers!

Strangely enough, the flat iron steak at the OH was not sliced. I thought it would have been. He is trying to "like" lesser cooked meats because this happens so often. I've suggested he not order steak when we are dining out and just cook it the way he likes it at home. He keeps trying though.

Thanks for the great report! Our visit to the Cape was a quick one, arriving just before noon on Sat. and leaving around 10am on Sunday, but we were able to enjoy some good food while we were there. My husband had heard T. Murphy's in the Mall had lamb burgers. I LOVE lamb burgers so we opted to give it a try for lunch on Sat. I was disappointed when I read that lamb burgers were a combination of ground lamb, spinach, feta and olives. As much as I LOVE lamb burgers, I despise olives. I just can't get past it and knew there was little chance of having them mix me up one burger without the olives in it. So, I went with the basic burger which was very good. It had a nice char-broiled taste, cooked the way I like it, but not as juicy as I would have liked. I'm sure that was probably due to a leaner cut of beef. My husband had the corned beef and cabbage and liked it. It wasn't as good as the corned beef and cabbage we had at J. R. Brody's in Falmouth on St. Patty's day, but he said he would order it again. We sat at the bar and, Trisha, the bartender took very good care of us. She was pleasant, efficient and welcoming to everyone who came through the door. I did speak to the manager, Andrew, and asked if I called ahead, would they be able to make me a lamb burger without the olives mixed in. He said he was sure they could do that. Next time!

We had dinner at the Ocean House (the main reason for the trip) on Sat. night. The renovations included new lighting and a new paint job with everything being black and white. It gives the place a updated, clean look. The first thing we noticed though was the bar was a little tacky. We asked Jamie, the bartender, how long ago had it been painted. It was going on day six and he said there was a problem with the paint they used and the "curing" process. Hopefully time will rectify that. I started with the wedge salad, which was excellent. Who knew iceberg lettuce could be so good. They garnish it with crispy friend onions which have a spicy dusting on them. I liked the combination of the cool salad and dressing with the heat of the onions. I had the lamb chop special with a walnut brown butter sauce served on a bed of beet gnocchi accompanied by broccoli rabe. It was delicious and cooked to perfection. My husband didn't make out as well. He ordered the flat iron steak medium-well (I know, but that's how he likes it). When it came out it looked like a shriveled up piece of meat with no sauce or even garnish. Jamie recognized it was lacking something and brought out some demi to add to it. When he cut into it, it was medium-rare. Again, Jamie was on top of it, saw it wasn't cooked as ordered and brought back in for more fire. The second time it came out, it was medium. Still too rare for my husband, but rather than sending it back again, he ate around the edges and saved the rest for our canine companions. I do understand chefs not wanting to cook a good steak medium well or well done, but if that is what the customer wants/likes and he is paying the bill, it should be cooked as ordered. As you can probably tell, my husband is not a foodie. He likes things plain as can be, so he doesn't love the OH menu as much as I do. We do so love the view though and that alone will keep us coming back!

My husband and I are coming from Western MA and will be at the Ocean House on Sat. It's kind of a tradition to dine at the bar with our favorite bartender, Jaime, on "Opening Weekend". Imagine our surprise when we headed there last weekend only to find out they pushed their opening back a week due to a delay in the renovations. There's worst things to do than spend two weekends in a row on the Cape, so we really didn't mind. With the OH closed last Sat., we opted for our 2nd favorite and had a delicious dinner at the Impudent Oyster, so I second that recommendation. I've never been disappointed.

I went about a month ago and was not wowed. I think our waiter was new, not experienced and uncertain of just about anything we asked him. They didn't have Makers Mark and when I asked what they did have in the way of Bourbon, he replied that they had Jack Daniels. Sigh. I had the cassoulet, which was good but a bit salty. It was a bit pricey and did not come with anything. We had to ask for rolls, but I don't think we were charged for them. I'd be tempted to try it again, as perhaps they have worked out some of the kinks. I'd be curious to hear others experiences.

Thanks, RC51Mike, I checked out the link and that looks like the place. Is it still good? Have you been and, if so, would you recommend it?

Thanks for replying, but It wasn't either of those two . . . it was in a more isolated area and further south I believe. You went down between two buildings into the boat storage yard and the restaurant was on the left. I looked on a map and am thinking it was around the Waites Wharf area?

Perhaps 5 years ago, my husband and I had a wonderful dinner at a restaurant recommended by one of the locals. It was in a marina, although I'm not sure it was affiliated with the marina. It was down in the back of the marina's parking lot and had a outdoor deck bar. I think the building was mostly brick. Can anyone help me with the name of this restaurant and let me know if it is still in business?

My sister and brother-in-law from Houston, TX are coming up for a visit over Mother's Day weekend. They asked me for some recommendation for dining out on Mother's Day. I've listed all the Chowhound favorites in the area, but am wondering about Gala at The Orchard's in Williamstown. Has anyone been recently? Any thoughts?

I don't eat a lot of red meat, but every once in a while I get a craving for a good burger! We use to have a townhouse in Queensbury, NY and the burger at West Mountain Ski area always satisfied that craving. Trying to avoid an hour and a half ride to get a burger, I went in search of a good burger here in town. This past Saturday, I finally found it! Port Smitt's Restaurant on Peck's Road in Pittsfied has a casual sports pub atmosphere and serve up a terrific char-broiled burger! The spicy sausage and bay scallop soup was also delicious. My husband's Grilled Chicken salad had plenty of chicken and was very large, but would have been better with more mixed greens and less iceburg. The drinks were reasonably priced and they had the playoff games on the 3-4 TVs in the bar area. We'll be supporting this new establishment in the future and hope other's will give it a try!

Port Smitt's Lakeway Restaurant
370 Peck's Road
Pittsfield, MA 01201
413-236-5727
http://portsmittsrestaurant.com

I'm not sure what they have in the way of breakfast food, but we used to love and stop at the Store at Five Corners, just south of Williamstown at the intersection of Rte. 7 and Rte 43. They've got many gourmet food items, a super deli and a patio to dine outside if the weather is nice. Even if you have breakfast somewhere in southern Berkshire County, it's worth a stop to pick up a picnic for lunch!

The new location for Mezze is on Rte. 7, just south of Williamstown, not Rte. 2. I haven't been yet, so thank you for the review.

Does anyone know what is going on with the Dragon on Rte. 20 in Pittsfield, MA? I drove by there and the "Openning Soon" sign that has been up for almost two years was taken down and there's a new "formal" sign up that says Dragon (in small letters) Steakhouse (in large letters). I don't understand when they had such a popular following of their Vietnamese food, why they would give that up to do a Steakhouse?

We draw 2.5'. We've had lunch on the patio at Terra Mar and enjoyed it very much. We'll look into the Blue Oar and the Back Porch. Thank you all for the recs. Any recs on LI Sound that you might be able to go by boat?

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Back Porch Restaurant
142 Ferry Rd, Old Saybrook, CT

Blue Oar
16 Snyder Rd, Haddam, CT 06438

My husband and I are planning a boating trip down the CT River to Long Island Sound. We are probably going to launch in the Essex area. Any recommendations for lunch or dinner that we can go to by boat? We know about the Dock N' Dine in Old Saybrook, but are looking for other options as well. Thanks.

My husband and I went there last night for cocktails and decided to stay at the bar for dinner. The bartender was attentive, but when my husband asked for a second drink, on his way to make it, the bartender stopped to chat with another couple. The conversation got lengthy, maybe 5 min., causing quite a delay in my husband getting his drink.

The atmosphere is very nice and much quieter than it's predecessor, Bobby Hudpucker's. I wished they had put placemats down on the bar once we said we were going to dine there. We had to ask for salt & pepper, which was "stolen" after we ate our salads for another couple dining at the bar. I had to ask later, when additional food was delivered for "our very own set of salt & pepper shakers".

The salads were good, but served on a flat-ish plate and mouded up to the point where it was very difficult to keep it all on the plate while eating it. We ordered the soup of the day, a hearty Prime Rib & Vegetable with a "touch" of horseradish. Soup only comes by the bowl, so we spit the very large bowl and really enjoyed it. The flavor was superb and it was loaded with little cubes of Prime Rib. We should have stopped there.

I ordered the Coquilles St. Jacques and my husband order the Steak Au Poivre. There was a choice of sides, rice or potatoes, and it came with the vegetable of the day. My husband ordered his steak well done (I know, I know) and it came out medium rare. I begged him to send it back, but he wouldn't. Instead, he ate around the more well done edges. The sauce was very tasty though.

My Coquilles had a melted cheese crust that was difficult to break through and underneath was a quite thick, dry, layer of Panko bread crumbs. I had a hard time finding the scallops and kept getting forks full of bread crumbs and cheese sauce. The sauce was flavorless and I was overall very disappointed.

When the bartender asked how everything was, I told him my husband's steak was not well done, but rather medium rare, but he didn't want to send it back. His response was "Well it's hard to keep burning and burning a good steak". Excuse me??? If they weren't going to cook the steak the way it was ordred, tell us up front. I'm very capable of cooking a good steak well done and still have it tender and juicy. I was disgusted with his response, although he did later apologize that the steak wasn't done to his liking.

I left there sad and disappointed. I was really hoping it would be good, as it is close to where I live, and downtown really needs some decent draws. We understand that the first couple of months for a new restaurant can be difficult while they work out the kinks, so we will give this place one more try in a month or two, if they make it that long.

The "Grand Openning" is today, July 30th. There was an article in the Berkshire Eagle yesterday, but not a lot of details about the food/menu. I'm hoping to check it out sometime next week and will post afterwards.

Halpin's is a great place to watch the game, have a beer and play a game of pool. They've also got Keno (big draw for my fiance). My friends and I went there last night for a bite and some pool. The service was good and they were accomodating, setting up a large table and being patient while we filtered in, visited and chatted before sitting down. The food is mediocre . . . would recommend the salads, wraps, burgers (usually overcooked though) and nahcos. I didn't care for their pizza or wings. I really hope this place makes it as it is right around the corner from me and there aren't many places to play pool these days.

One of the most popular "on the lake" restaurants is the Algonquin in Bolton Landing. You can't beat the view overlooking Lake George and the docks where the local boaters pull up to grab a bite to eat or a cocktail, but the food is definitely lacking. Sandwiches and burgers for lunch are ok, but the dinners are not great and way too expensive! Stop by there for a cocktail and some entertainment (novice boaters attempting to dock . . . thank goodness for the dock "boys").

We had a few delicious meals at the Blue Water Manor, about 6 miles North of Lake George on Rte. 9. It isn't an elegant dining room, but wonderful views overlooking the lake with an upper deck and an open air covered lower deck. If the get the same chef back this year, I would recommend it for either dinner or lunch.

Let us know how you make out.

I think you might be thinking of the Grist Mill in Warrensburg (few exits up the Northway from Lake George). It is definitely one of my favorite restaurants. It isn't on the lake though. It sits right on top of the Schroon River and has a screened in porch you can dine in and listen to the water rush by. Upper dining room is quieter but still has wonderful views of the river. I've never been disappointed in a meal there.

My mother's 86th birthday is coming up and my brother, sisters and I, who live scattered about New England are trying to find a restaurant to take her to celebrate her birthday. We've got one coming in from the Boston area, one from Burlington, VT, one from central MA and two from Berkshire (South) County. We would like this to be a special celebration, but Mom's not one for "over the top" gourmet. She recently suffered a stroke and is wheelchair bound, so we need some place that is wheelchair accessible. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

We like the Log Jam (http://www.logjamrestaurant.com/) in Lake George, not far from Exit 20 near the outlet malls and Rte. 149. If your travel north on Rte. 149, the previously mentioned Cherry Tomato is up around 3-4 miles on your right (at intersection of Rte.149 & Bay Road). The Montcalm just off of Exit 20 has been there forever, has all the "standards" plus some interesting dishes. Good food and excellent service. I couldn't find a website for them, but here's their menu: http://www.menumart.com/montcalm/index.htm. If you end up travelling up the Northway, north of Lake George, I highly recommend Brunetto's. It's just off Exit 23 in Warrensburg, NY. You need to make reservations well in advance but we've never been disappointed - food and service was wonderful. No website and may not be in the local phone book (518-623-1041), but here's some reviews:
http://www.merchantcircle.com/business/Brunettos.Restaurant.And.Lodging.518-623-1041. Their mussels are excellent and a "best buy" at $8.00 for a 1/2 order (huge bowl). I also second the recommendation of the Grist Mill (yes, that's the name). It's right on Schroon River with nice views. No website that I could find, but here is the menu: http://www.menumart.com/gristmill/. The Algonquin in Bolton Landing has an outdoor deck and is right on the lake. It's a favorite among the boaters for an afternoon drink so you can watch the boats come and go. Lunch is ok, but dinner is over-priced for the quality of food you get. Enjoy!

I'll second the recommendation for the Brazilian Grill in Hyannis. It's wonderful! We mistakenly decided to give the Brazilian restaurant in Falmouth a try last year and I would definitely stay away from that one. We sat there for 45 min. without any food being brought around. The kids had already finished eating before the adults were offered any food, other than the salad bar. We ended up walking out after paying for the kids food and the price of the "salad bar only" and got pizza on our way home. A completely different experience than the wonderful one we had in Hyannis.

Thanks for the suggestions. We've been to the Chart House and I have an e-mail into them to see if they have docks for patrons. We're docking in Barnstable Harbor, so maybe a boat ride and a return to the dock for lunch would work. I'll check out the Aqua Grille and Sesuit Cafe as well. Everyone's help is very much appreciated!

My fiance and I will be visiting Cape Cod early next week. We'll be bringing our 22' boat and would like to treat our hosts to lunch by boat if possible. We're not yet ready to venture along the southshore yet, but anywhere from Buzzard's Bay up the canal as far east as Dennis on the bay side. Any recs?