contessa1's Profile
WHAT A FIND!!
What a pleasant surprise! 6 of us had dinner at this restaurant @ 50 Maple St., Danvers and each of us was pleased! That's not easy with a group this size. The restaurant is small and intimate. The owners, husband & wife work their tails off. Everything is made from scratch before your eyes. The Arugula salad was beautiful as well as delicious with strawberries, hearts of palm and other goodies. The Caesar was equally good and huge. Mussels were another delicious appetizer. The serving of Prosciutto w/melon is huge! All Apps are large enough for sharing. This was just the beginning! Our entrees were delicious! We ordered, Sea Bass, Lamb Chops, Swordfish, Osso Buco, Pastas with some very different sauces. All were superb!! As were the desserts which we shared. This is a find! I will return and with a larger appetite!
Contessa
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I Pazzi
50 Maple Street, Danvers, MA 01923
Best cupcakes?
The absolutely BEST cupcakes are from The Cupcake Cafe, 297 Rantoul St., Beverly, MA.!! There are more than 40 varieties that are all unbelievable!! I brought some to a party last night and everyone went wild. The Bananas Foster is outstanding as are the Turtle. I love the Lemon Mousse and Tiramisu & Strawberry Shortcake, too. You just never know what she's going to have so give Monica a call to find out what she's baked (978-922-9720) because they sell quickly. When they're gone she's closed. She also makes cupcake-cakes for birthday parties. Really clever.
Enjoy!!
Contessa
BTW....forgot to add......she'll decorate beautifully if you choose. I love the Sunflowers. Gorgeous!
Fresh Pasta Nightmere
Sounds like the dough didn't rest long enough to become elastic. Also, I find that rolling a thicker dough initially then changing the roller setting a couple of times is beneficial to achieving a smoother dough. Before you beat yourself up remember it's dough....it becomes alive and the atmosphere has lots to do with the success.....just as we do! I've been making pasta for over 40 yrs., learned from my grandmother and have had a few failures but many more successes!! So, don't give up.
Contessa
BTW, my grandmother used King Arthur flour which she said was best!
Restaurant Recommendations for Ogunquit, Maine
We had lunch at Oarweed on Perkins Cove. Don't waste your hard-earned $. It was expensive and very disappointing. Service was extremely slow, although the restaurant was nearly empty, and the food was fair. I had the 'out of shell' lobster and rice pilaf. I asked if it was swimming in butter and was told it wasn't. Wrong. Also, the portion could have fit in the palm of my hand. The rice was right out of a box and cold. This was $27.00. Outrageous. Hubby had the Seafood Trio, very small portion of haddock, a scallop and 2 med. stuffed shrimp plus a baked potato that wasn't cooked thoroughly!!
$20.00. A glass of diet coke and an ice tea for $57.00!!! If is was good we wouldn't have a problem.....but it was not good. I did tell the cashier that I thought the food was fair. He did apologize that we didn't like it. Oh, well.....won't return. Don't waste your time....too many other good ones.
Contessa
Place to eat in and around Oqunguit maine
We had lunch at Oarweed on Perkins Cove. Don't waste your hard-earned $. It was expensive and very disappointing. Service was extremely slow, although the restaurant was nearly empty, and the food was fair. I had the 'out of shell' lobster and rice pilaf. I asked if it was swimming in butter and was told it wasn't. Wrong. Also, the portion could have fit in the palm of my hand. The rice was right out of a box and cold. This was $27.00. Outrageous. Hubby had the Seafood Trio, very small portion of haddock, a scallop and 2 med. stuffed shrimp plus a baked potato that wasn't cooked thoroughly!!
$20.00. A glass of diet coke and an ice tea for $57.00!!! If is was good we wouldn't have a problem.....but it was not good. I did tell the cashier that I thought the food was fair. He did apologize that we didn't like it. Oh, well.....won't return. Don't waste your time....too many other good ones.
Contessa
CUPCAKES
If you love Cupcakes you'll LOVE:
The Cupcake Cafe & Bakery, 297 Rantoul St.,
Beverly, MA 01915
(978) 922-9720
Hours: Tue-Fri 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Sat 10-2pm.
Closed Sunday and Monday
It's a store front bakery and the building is white with a white sign so a little difficult to see at first.
She makes 40 different types of cupcakes! Can you believe it? I tried the Lemon Cream,
Boston Creme, Bananas Foster, Chocolate Mousse, Buttercream vanilla, Buttercream chocolate. All were FANTASTIC! (Well, I didn't eat them all we cut them and shared with friends). It was my first time at this place and not my last!! Honestly, the best and moistest cupcakes I've ever had. I highly recommend this place!!
Contessa
The Century House Restaurant
Just wanted to give an applause for the Century House Restaurant in Latham, NY. We'd stayed at the hotel several times but hadn't dined at the restaurant. It was WONDERFUL!!
The menu is varied but our favorites are the 'comfort foods' ie: chicken pot pie to die for etc.
Excellent food and superb service. A hidden treasure.
Contessa
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Century House Restaurant
997 New Loudon Road, Latham, NY 12110
Best Restaurants in Saratoga Springs
I've been to Chianti's every time I visit and it's never been a ho hum moment. Wonderful service, great menu and fare. We've told many about it who also have had positive experiences. I hope you have the same.
Contessa
Freds Franks opening soon :-)
Thanks for the link. Great idea! He's right on target with Pearl Brand....they're absolutely the best. I wonder if they have chicken or turkey dogs. I'd be all over those.
Contessa
Your recs for best fried...
I love fried oysters!! The best I've had are at Seawitch on Rte. 1 N, Peabody. It's not a fancy place....has a seafood market next door....but the fr.oysters are fantastic!
For fried clams I love The Causeway, Rte.133 E, Gloucester. Unbelievably large portions and wonderful clams. Also Farnhams in Essex.
Good Luck!
Contessa
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Seawitch Restaurant
203 Newbury St, Peabody, MA 01960
ARTICHOKES, WAKEFIELD,MA.
ARTICHOKES, WAKEFIELD,MA.
Not a complete Zing but some negatives.....
I'd read about this restaurant for months and finally had the opportunity to dine. Well it's just OK. Nothing special. They've created the illusion that it's outstanding but it really isn't. For beginners......hubby ordered the warm salad WITHOUT tomatoes....he dispises them. The salad arrived with DOUBLE the amount of tomatoes!! Sent back, it arrived without tomatoes. The dressing was unremarkable. #1 negative. Bread on table with oil was AWFUL! It's light and fluffy. No character at all. #2 negative. Good bread is good indicator of things to come.....trust me! Hubby order a diet coke. When it arrived he commented that it was very sweet. Yup.....NOT diet. #3 negative. Ok, not a biggie but if he was diabetic it would have been. I had the Artichoke Margarita which was fine but it was loaded with hard artichoke leaves which I had to pull out of my mouth so I wouldn't choke. Not a pleasant experience to be doing in public. #4 negative. Our entrees were good. Hubby had the Pork Chop w/vinegar peppers/potatoes which he enjoyed. I had the Chicken Fungi w/tomato cream sauce which was good and plentiful. Ok, so this worked in their favor. Then dessert. Hubby ordered the Orange Sorbet....got Lemon Sorbet. Again, no biggie but #5 negative. I had an Espresso Martini which was very good! Then when we got the check I noticed we were charged for the 2nd diet coke he ordered but didn't receive. Again, not a biggie but #6 negative. The service wasn't great either. She seemed to disappear quite often. My knife fell on the floor and she never returned with a clean one. Never refilled our water glasses, either. While this may not be important to most we're talking nearly $100.00 for dinner with 6 negatives. For that amount we really shouldn't have had any negatives. It wasn't a horrible experience but not the most positive we've had in ages. Give me Cafe Jags in Wakefield for 1/2 the price and double the quality or L'Andana Grill in Burlington, same price triple the quality anytime. The hostess, Kathleen, and I had a long chat while we were waiting. She's a great representive of the restaurant. She was very professional and informative. Also, I heard they're opening downstairs as a bar in the not too distant future. Good for them because the bar is crowded and waiting is uncomfortable.
Contessa
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L'Andana
86 Cambridge Street, Burlington, MA 01803
Cafe Jags
33 Tuttle St, Wakefield, MA 01880
CAFE JAG......Wakefield, MA
AWESOME!! Small & intimate, excellent cuisine! Hubby had the Seafood Chowder as a starter and absolutely loved it. We also shared the Calamari which is like Nonna used to make! I had the Grilled Seafood Platter and was concerned that it could be dry. Anything but. It was moist and flavorful. It consisted of Lobster tail, Shrimp, Scallops and delicious Mussels all served over rice pilaf which was delicious! The side vegetable of 'mixed medley' had me thinking of the frozen 'california blend' but it was anything but. It was freshly grilled zucchini, broccoli, asparagus.....absolutely delicious. Hubby had the Baked Stuffed Haddock which he loved. Served with a large baked potato and his choice of butternut squash.
I can't say enough about this wonderful restaurant except.......shhhhhhhhhh.....don't tell anyone!!
Contessa
LANDANA, BURLINGTON, MA.
We dined there last night with friends and it was AWESOME! From the decor to the food was fantastic! The bread on the table was even fantastic! Our waitress, Olivia, was attentive and knowledgeable, plus had a great personality!
We shared some apps of Fonduta w/soprosetta & calamari! Both were great!! Very unusual. I had a pizza w/Quatro Fungi & Broccoli rabe that I truly enjoyed! Hubby had sirloin which was great! My friend had the Ziti Bolognese which she loved. Her husband had the Chicken Milanese w/pomodoro sauce and Parm shavings on the side. The cutlet was huge and delicious. A truly wonderful evening!!
Contessa
How do you add turkey meatballs to a soup?
Having made soup a zillion times, it sounds like you've got the concept down to a science. I like to brown mine a bit then toss in the soup. But, I've also put them in raw when the soup is lightly boiling, then simmer. They'll cook. Then I've tossed in small pasta ie: pastina/orzo/arcini di pepe. I prefer smaller pasta but it's a matter of preference. Egg noodles don't need cooking very long so they'll do well cooking directly in the soup. Hmmmm.....I'm thinking a nice pot of soup sounds mighty good this weekend with snow predicted!
Good Luck!
Contessa
Cape Ann MA ~ best non-clam restaurants
I love Lobsterland.....not just lobster, anymore. Some great fare! If you haven't been there lately, I'd suggest giving it a try.
Latitude43 is over-rated/overpriced in my opinion. I like Cala's in Manchester, but small portions for bigger prices. Same for Duckworth's but great fare.
We love Sugar Magnolia's on Main St. Gloucester. Fantastic breakfasts!
Zabalione's in Ipswich is excellent! Eddie's in Bruni's Marketplace (rte.133) is great, too. But, don't miss the pizza @ Riverview in Ipswich. Worth the wait!!
There are more but my mind is drooling.......
Contessa
Roadtrip up towards Quechee, VT for leaf peeping
We had a condo in Quechee spent quite a bit time in the area. Yes, I'd recommend the Farmers Diner (formerly Farina's). They only use local organic foods. Excellent breakfast. Firestones is casual, great big pizza oven but delicious fare. It's a fav. Also Simon Pearce, which is wonderful but overpriced (IMHO) But, really love The Prince and Pauper in Woodstock. It's on Elm St.. Great food, terrific ambiance and the Prixe Fix is a good value. Fantastic duck.......Applecider Onion Soup...yummy! Very creative and fantastic! Woodstock is a classy little town not to be missed.
Contessa
Best fried clams in New England
NO place on Earth like the Causeway on Rte. 133 E,Gloucester!! NO way!! The portions are gigantic and they are fresh and fantastic!! The fried shrimp are awesome as are the mussels. Everything is great!! It's a BYOB, Mom & Pop kind of place with a liquor store next door. Nothing fancy but it will be memorable. I probably shouldn't be telling anyone because I won't be able to get in. No rez. There's a bench outside to wait but not much else.
Contessa
market basket strength/weakness?
I used to shop @ Shaw's & Stop & Shop. A new M.B. opened in our area (Danvers) and I thought I'd give it a try and am very happy I did. The prices are considerably less that both those markets. I like the seafood, too. Good prices and quality products.
The only negative is that they're always stacking the shelves as we shop. Sometimes it's difficult to maneuver the aisles due to this inconvenience. I've heard this complaint from other shoppers, too.
Contessa
Prepping for a dinner party
Gazpacho tastes so much better the next day. After a day of melding flavors you'll have a better handle on the seasonings. It may need a bit more salt or pepper. Add a little hot sauce to jazz it up. I serve mine in martini glasses with a dollop of sour cream and chives. They look great!
The pork roast is fine stuffed and refrigerated the day before. The only time I wouldn't do that is if there are eggs in the stuffing. Take it out of the fridge 1/2 hr. prior to cooking. 350 oven. Cooking time depends on size. Use a meat thermometer. When cooked take out of oven and let it rest 15 min. Serve w/hot sauce drizzled and some on the side.
I always start my potatoes in the micro then put them in the oven w/meat. That way they're sure to be cooked inside then the skin crisps in the oven. I rub butter or olive oil over them prior.
Cobblers are great to serve because they can be prepared in advance and baked while your having your main course. Prepare the topping separately and top just before putting in oven.
Sounds like a wonderful dinner party! Good luck. Buono Appetito!!
Contessa
LA STANZA DIVA/Woburn,MA
We went there the other night. 10 people. We sat way in back in the Mardi Gras room. If you haven't been there it's a must try! It's eclectic. The decor is hodge-podge-flea market. Hysterical! The food was very good. The portions are huge. It's Italian plus exotic ie: kangaroo/alligator/other odd stuff. Never tried the
'exotic'. The service was a tad sketchy. Don't know if it was the size of the group, which weren't demanding, or an 'off' night for the waitress. But, it wasn't horrible.
It's a BYOB but charge $2.00 corking fee per bottle.
Contessa
North End Bummer
You guys are cracking me up!! Muscles Marinara. ;-)
You'd think if you go to a restaurant in the North End it would be somewhat decent. It's too bad that there are so many changes there. There was a time when there were too many great restaurants! Sounds like that's a bygone era.
Has anyone been to Massimino's? We've never been disappointed there and it's been consistant over the years. We're Italian-Americans and I tend to know my way around the kitchen pretty good so when we dine out for Italian it better be good. Massimino's fits the bill in the No. End for us!
Contessa
TOSCANA'S PEABODY,MA
The other night my husband and I dined at this restaurant. The entire experience was horrible. It really began when we arrived and the hostess kept walking by us without recognition. Then we were seated by the kitchen door. That should have been a sign of things to come. We arrived @ 6pm. We put in our order immediately. My husband order Pasta Bolognese and I ordered Pasta Siena and we ordered Fried Calamari as an appetizer. The Calamari arrived at 6:30pm. 1/2 hour for Calamari? Then 15 min. later our salads arrived.At 7:15 our dinners arrived. We're talking two pasta dishes, nothing elaborate and it took 1 hour and 15 minutes? The only table that was being attended to with great speed was a large corner round table which looked like restaurant employees. A blonde hostess (?) was sitting with them and occasionally got up to seat some people. And with an attitude, I might add. Other than that there were some tables full but not all. So, it wasn't crunch-time, it was a normal seating. The service couldn't have been slower if they tried. The food was nothing special. While my husband enjoyed his pasta mine was not edible. I tasted it but it was nothing like the Pasta Siena I've had in the past. It tasted like 1 cup of sugar had accidently fallen into the dish. The waitress said it was the Madeira. I've been cooking for 48 years and have used Madeira in quite a few dishes, so I'm quite familiar with the flavor. It's distinct. This was a cream sherry and not at all appealing in this particular dish. The waitress did take the meal off our bill, which I didn't expect and appreciate but I'm so disappointed in our dining experience I needed to let you know. We dine out 2-3 times a week. In fact, we've been dining in that restaurant when there were previous owners, and have been since Toscana's was born. We've noticed a change in the service since our last visit 3 months ago. The service was horrible on our last visit, but thought we'd give it a chance, once again. I'm not planning on returning.
Contessa
FIRESIDES,METHUEN,MA
WONDERFUL! We read about this restaurant online and thought we'd try it. We're so happy we did! It's not much to look at, a pubby ambiance, but the experience was great! Our waitress, Angela, was a font of information. She guided us thru the extensive, comfort food, selections! This is strictly a comfort food restaurant. Not a bad thing! We had Crabstuffed mushrooms and Fried Mozzarella sticks for apps. The mushrooms were heavenly and delicious! The Mozzarella sticks were not the frozen variety that taste like rubber sticks, they were soft and oozing. Yummy!! For entrees, hubby had, at Angela's suggestion, the Fried Clams! AWESOME! Better than we've gotten in Gloucester. I had Fish n'chips which I never order but was recommended, also. It was fantastic! The desserts are limited but all homemade. Hubby had Bread Pudding which he raved about and I had Grapenut pudding, also delicious. We haven't had desserts like this is ages. It was an all around comfort food night. Wonderful. We will make the drive from Peabody. Angela alone is worth the trip!!
Contessa
lunch around Salem NH
Last night we dined at Burton's Grill on Rte.114 in Andover. It's consistantly excellent. Our waitress, Erika, was great! We started w/fried calamari.....excellent, light and delicious. My hubby had the Haddock Imperial, stuffed with crabmeat. Awesome! I had the lobster & shrimp over linguine. 4 huge lobster claws and 6 extra large shrimp. Yummy!! So, wonderful!! And a must try is the Snow Pear Martini. OMG!! So delicious!! Even the subtle music is fab. An overall FANTASTIC dinner. 5 stars for sure!!
Contessa
Malden Americanized Chinese delivery
I been reading the great reviews about Fu Loon and today decided to try it for lunch. Being a lover of Chinese and other Asian cuisines, I was excited to try this restaurant. I must say it was the worst Chinese food I've ever eaten. Upon being seated the hostess said, 'buffet'. I told her we wanted a menu and she replied that the buffet was very good. It appeared that she didn't want us to order off the menu, perhaps there was a kitchen shortage. So, we took her advice and tried the buffet. From the soups, yuck (we couldn't eat them), thru the dessert. The food was cold and greasy. There are a lot of choices but I couldn't find anything I could finish. We left without finishing one dish. Happily.
Contessa
What happened to Naked Fish in Lynnfield?
Not surprised. I drive by it often and never saw many cars. They were overpriced and overrated, in my opinion. They started out gangbusters and went downhill, quickly. What's lacking on Rte. 1 is a finer restaurant. The only one is the Hardcover, which is always good but it's the same ole.
But, in this economy it probably isn't a good time to open a new restaurant, anyway.
Contessa
Mirabelle's Bakery & Cafe, Burlington,Vt.
Last week was my grandson's birthday. He's at University of Vermont, in Burlington, VT. I wanted to send him a cake but opted to call Mirabelle's Bakery & Cafe on Main St. to see what could be done. They do have a courier service for $15.00 which I almost considered, but ,he's in a dorm and it might have gotten complicated so I decided to have them bake a cake and have him pick it up. They were awesome! When I told the young lady on the phone that he was at the Univ. she offered to include plates & utensils at no charge! That's a great service. He picked up the cake and called me to tell me how delicious it was and how nice they were at the bakery! I'll use them every time and suggest them. A wonderful place to go just for coffee and dessert, too! Check them our @ www.mirabellescafe.com.
Contessa
Sarasota restaurants
Forgot to mention another good one! The Island Grill on University. It's in the Mall w/Home Depot/Bell's outlet. Don't be fooled, this isn't a Mall restaurant. It's a classy restaurant with delicious food. A beautiful ambiance. I'd noticed a change in the prices, too, LOWER!! Who'd heard of lowering the prices?? The specials are always great, but the regular menu is fantastic! We dine there every time we visit.
Contessa
Sarasota restaurants
I think Columbia is overrated......as well as overpriced. Try Main St., which is around the corner. Lots of great restaurants. I highly recommend Divino's Ristorante! I wrote a review here. We were there Sun. night and the service (Janine is great!) and food is fantastic!! Small, non-pretentious and freshly cooked. You'll be happy you went! Buono Appetito!!
Contessa
Sarasota, fl area
We dined at 2 really good restaurants, last week. The Polo Bar & Grille @ Lakewood Ranch, Bradenton and Divino's Italian Ristorante, Sarasota. The Polo has a more eclectic menu. I had the Maple Scallops which were fantastic. Other dinners included Bacon-wrapped Meatloaf, Snapper & Eggplant Parm (a different take) and all were great. Desserts were fabulous, including the sorbet which is made while you wait. We had raspberry! Fresh and delicious. Will return. Only drawback was the paper overlay on the tablecloths. Definitely didn't belong in this elegant grille. I'll send them a note about that, for sure!
Divino's Ristorante, Main St., Sarasota (near St. Armand's). 4 Thumbs up!! Service by Janine was great! The Frito Misto appetizer was delicious! An array of fried calamari (as light as angel's wings), eggplant and zucchini. A wonderful combination served w/marinara, delicious. I had the Pescatore (mussels, baby clams, calamari, shrimp & grouper) in a deliciously light sauce served over fresh linguini!! Huge and delicioso!! Hubby had lasagna, homemade pasta and delicious. Friend had Pasta Fagioli which was more like a minestrone, but he nearly licked the bowl. He also had the freshly made spinach/ricotta ravioli. We were too full for dessert. We met Giovanni Divino who hails from Argigento, Sicily!!
He sure knows his way around the kitchen!! The prices are moderate but the service and treatment are way up there. We will return!!
All of this was a contrast to the Chart House on Longboat Key which was fair. The service was the best part. Overpriced and overrated. Most likely our last visit to that restaurant. Too many wonderful restaurants to waste time here. I sure wish they'd get their act together with the salad bar, too. The plates are in the middle so the line ties up near the stairs to the back dining room as well as in front of the kitchen. I don't know who designed that area but the'd better go back to the drawing room. Well, probably won't see the change, if any.
Contessa
