Jeremy01506's Profile
Worcester for Lunch - must tries
I do Vietnamese occasionally but the Theater Cafe sounds like the kind of places I'm hoping to find, I'll let you know my thoughts after I do.....
Worcester for Lunch - must tries
Somehow I spaced on Weintraub's (and I've not only been there but I'm half-Jewish!), I see knishes for lunch in my future!
Worcester for Lunch - must tries
Didn't realize that the Armsby Abbey was open for lunch, I'll definitely be trying that one, even if I have to go over my allotted hour! I'm not a fan of Bollywood but do hit the buffet at India Cafe every once in a while.
Worcester for Lunch - must tries
To help avoid repeats, here are the good eats I've found so far:
- Ciao Bella: love their Chicken Parm
- Oli's Eatery in W Boylston: so many good things to try, it's become a weekly lunch destination for lunch as I work through their vast menu
- Egg Roll Lady: probably the best crab rangoons and egg rolls in the city, but there is only so much fried food one person can have in one meal (if only she could offer some rice or lo mein!). On the plus side, at the end of one meal she came out and shared a dessert of fried yams with a caramel topping!
- NE Roast Beef: good Roast Beef but I've had better (like All-Star Roast Beef in Auburn), but as a sub shop they are surprisingly good! My current fave is "The State", which is a Chicken Salad (no celery or other fillers) with a couple slices of bacon and cheese on a sub roll...surprisingly good and quite filling!
Worcester for Lunch - must tries
I'm local to Worcester but new to working in Worcester, so lunch in the city is a thing I've been waiting years in my professional career for. What I need from fellow CH'ers is must-try lunch recommendations. I work in the Greendale section so anything in Worcester is fair game, but the suburbs must be within 15 minutes or so (W Boylston and the east side of Shrewsbury are good)...ready? Go!
"Must Read" books for chowhounds?
I keep hoping he will make a sequel to 'Heat' where he focuses on French cuisine....
Cotton Manchester NH--time goes on...and on...
I was able to check out Republican during my trip to Manchester and it was really good! I love the ambience they had there and had a really tasty Chicken & Goat Cheese Panini with handcut fries. I'll definitely go back next time I'm in Manchester!
Metro West - is it really as hopeless as I think?
I've been working in Westborough for a couple of years now and I'm always on the lookout for good eats. Here are my favorites that I typically haunt come lunchtime:
- Sichuan Gourmet (Framingham) - one of the only truly authentic Chinese restaurants around, no buffet but the quality of their food is really really good. I have never liked Kung Bao chicken before and now I can't get enough of theirs!
- Punjabi Grille (Framingham) - great Indian/Pakistani food with a small lunch buffet. It's a small place, maybe 5-6 tables, and their selection isn't huge but the quality of the food is good and it's under $9 for lunch.
- Sapporo Korean BBQ (Westborough) - The best Asian buffet in the area, it's a mix of Korean and Japanese and is a nice change from the usual Chinese staples. They also have a good selection of Korean dishes and Bento boxes you can order (I love their Dol Sot Bibimbap), plus the traditional Korean BBQ at your table during the dinner hours. It is a little pricier for lunch ($12 for the buffet) but well worth it.
- Tacos Acapulco (Shrewsbury) - A hole in the wall Mexican joint, serving cheap and authentic food. Service isn't always good and it's tight seating with the tables they squeezed in, but worth checking out if you want decent Mexican.
Great Sunday Brunch Buffet In the Worcester/Sturbridge MA area?
The Clam Box in Brookfield recently started it's own Sunday Brunch. I haven't been as I find it kind of weird that they can shift from fried fish and burgers/hot dogs to a quality brunch, but I did find one positive review online:
http://activerain.com/blogsview/1982578/brunch-in-brookfield-
Sal's Pizza comes to Sturbridge
FWIW, their website indicates that the Sturbridge location is a 'franchise'.....
Nancy Chang - Worcester- A Treat!
Worcester really has nothing in the Chinese food realm that stands out any more IMO. There are mediocre buffets where you are sure to get 'value', but for real quality I have found that you need to go to MetroWest to find the outstanding stuff (Szechuan Gourmet in Framingham comes to mind). I'm disappointed to hear about Nancy Chang's, but even Chef Sau is not nearly as good as it was years back...and it may still be the best option out there! Every time we order there, I find simple things like their Spring Rolls to be drowning in oil to the point that they're almost inedible.
At this point, if I want quality Asian cuisine I lean towards Thai food. Restaurants like Thai House in East Brookfield and Thai Place in Sturbridge easily trump the buffet mentality that most Chinese restaurants have shifted to in order to survive.
Did I mention that the horrific Buffet place in the Big Y plaza in Spencer has changed owners and has a new name (and hints of a Japanese style)? Of course they're still buffet though.....
Cotton Manchester NH--time goes on...and on...
I was thinking menu suggestions but I'm ALWAYs open to restaurant suggestions in Manchester. My Turkey Schnitzel was 'good' but not 'great', I really like the atmosphere there but the food is only 'almost' to the level I want it to be. We'll see next time I'm up there if I feel inclined to re-visit.
Cotton Manchester NH--time goes on...and on...
I found their meatloaf to be far to reminiscent of Salisbury Steak from my high school days. I love the ambience and will be returning next month to try something else, if it doesn't WOW me it'll probably be my last visit.
Any suggestions?
A Caribbean Affair: Manchester, NH
Oh wow! I'll be up in Manchester next month and I'll make sure to try it out, their menu looks awesome!
Best Donuts in MA
Apple Cider Donuts from Atkins Farms in Amherst, MA:
http://www.seriouseats.com/2008/10/apple-cider-doughnuts-donuts-from-atkins-farm-amherst-massachusetts.html
Five Guys Nashua opening Oct. 12!!!
There is also another one opening in Worcester (Lincoln Plaza) in December.
The Castle in Leicester, MA - Has anyone been?
I've never been, but it was always the place you were supposed to take your 'date' if you wanted to impress (supposedly the menu given to the ladies doesn't have PRICES on it...how lame). Based on that, I've found many other romantic restaurants in the area that have fantastic food (Vienna, Rovezzi's, Baba's just to name a few!).
But I do like the jazz they offer, especially since they are one of the few (only?) to do so!
Venison in Worcester
Misty View Farm in New Braintree on Rt 67 has farm-raised Venison (and goats) which are available for purchase in a variety of forms (ground, chuck, stew, etc):
http://www.mistyriverview.com/directions.htm
Food Near Holland MA?
If you hadn't heard, Hyland/Pioneer Brewing is in the process of opening a Brewpub right on Main Street (Rt 20). Also, you can pick up their beer at Yankee Spirits in 22oz bottles, as well as just buying them on premises. Julio's in Westborough may also carry their fine beer, I'll have to check next time I stop by.
Spencer, MA?
First glance and it looks really cool, I'm sure I'll be spending some time going through the site! Thanks for sharing!
Spencer, MA?
I second the Chef Sau recommendation, although they haven't been as good as in years past.
Kaboodle is a decent restaurant/pizza place, although they are more restaurant (sit-down with waiter). The owner does a decent job of coming up with decent meals, a few weeks ago I had a "Curry Haddock" dish over pasta that was surprisingly good! Some of their Apps are obviously pre-frozen (and probably purchased) but I like the effort that the owner puts in to the dishes. They have a beer/wine license too.
If you travel WEST down Route 9 into East Brookfield (about 7 minutes), there is a brand new Thai restaurant called "Thai House" that just opened a few weeks ago that is FANTASTIC! They have been packed pretty much every night (including Mondays), and when I tried them I found them to be better than ALL the local Thai joints (Worcester, Sturbridge, etc). I need to try them again...and again to be sure of how good they are, but I am very happy to have a good quality place in an area where Asian food is not that great (I live in town). As of last week they were still working on their liquor license.
And while we're in East Brookfield, if you travel another 2 minutes west there is E.B. Flatt's that does the typical diner breakfast/lunch, but then changes hats on Thurs-Sat for some really good eats. It's pricier and the portions could be bigger, but the food is really well done and comparable to some of the nicer places in Sturbridge. They also have a beer/wine license.
Hope this helps!!!
Sushi in Westboro
And not so quick:
Sapporo in Westborough has sushi, although I can't say I've had it (their Korean/Japanese buffet is just to tempting!).
Ethnic lunch in Worcester?
Besides the previously mentioned places, there is also a Domincan/Puerto Rican place on Main Street next to Clark (and Saigon Restaurant).
But if you're looking for ethnic/Worcester food, I would strongly suggest Vietnamese as that seems to have become the dominant ethnic cuisine with 6+ restaurants in the city. My favorites are Anh Thu (on Park Ave) and Pho Dakao (also on Park Ave).
Don't limit yourself to what's immediately by the WAM, there's too much good food in the city!
Good Korean Food in the Worcester Area
Worcester has "New York Korean Restaurant" on Cambridge Street (www.nykoreanrestaurant.com). It's pretty good, a hole-in-the-wall kind of place, their rice bowls are large and tasty!
Westborough has "Sapporo Korean BBQ & Sushi Restaurant (http://www.sapporobbq.com/). This one has a Korean/Japanese lunch buffet that is really good, although I haven't had the chance to order off the menu yet. Not strictly Korean but definitely leaning that way, and having sushi is never a bad thing IMO.
I've never been to the "Westboro Korean Restaurant" (didn't know it existed) but now that I know about it I'm sure I'll be checking it out!
Hampton Beach eats next week?
Le Bec Rouge (http://www.labecrouge.com/) has pretty good food like burgers, chicken, and steaks, plus their upper deck is a great way to relax with a drink and/or food (as long as you don't mind a guy on guitar while you eat).
I would also suggest Ocean Wok (http://www.oceanwok.com/) for some decent Chinese food, over by the bridge. It's WAY better than the place on the strip, and well worth the longer walk!
Let us know what places you try and any thoughts on them? I'm hoping to hit HB in August with my girls, so we'd love to know about any good eats and any new joints!
What's the deal with BYOB in new england?
If you're a beer "snob" like I am, it's a great way to enjoy craft beers like Dogfish Head with dinner without being forced to select from a small list, plus it's a LOT cheaper (although there is usually a minimal corking fee).
