IronStomach's Profile
First Visit to Hilton Head
Hello, fellow Hounds! I will be visiting Hilton Head for the first time and would welcome some pointers as to where to chow down. I have examined various posts and gathered that Il Carpaccio and Roast Fish & Corn Bread are worthy nominees.
I have also long heard of Sweatman's BBQ in Holly Hill, SC. Is it worth the drive from Hilton Head?
Any pointers will be greatly appreciated. Thank You!
Carnivore Corner: Looking for great Boston butcher shopping
...and don't forget Costco has PRIME beef packed in the blue (versus white) styrofoam trays. Their prices are hard to beat and the meat is delicious...
Great Italian Sandwiches!
I happen to be in Randolph, MA yesterday afternoon and was hungry for lunch. I thought Caffe Bella does lunch but I was wrong, they don't open until 5:00pm! So I looked down the same plaza and saw this deli called A Touch of Italy. I went in, browsed their menu board and ordered a Poor Boy: Generous portion of just-right Roast Beef with Bacon, topped by finely Shredded Lettuce and Tomato, with sprinkles of sesame seeds to add interest. I also ordered a Mario: Capicola with generous chunks of Tomato and Mozzarella, with a hint of Basil. Both were topped with a light vinegar that made the tastes pop! I didn't mind that Caffe Bella was not opened for lunch, not at all. A great lunch!
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A Touch of Italy
31 Warren St, Randolph, MA 02368
Looking for a good crab leg buffet
Crab Leg buffets are seldom good. In order to make money on a potentially bottomess pit of Crab Leg consumption, most restaurants offer only the frozen variety, which is really not worth eating. Still, if that's what you want, try the Ark Restaurant & Catering (6255 Stirling Road, Davie, FL 954-584-3075). They have many other things besides Crab Claws, which I never eat. Instead, I go for their Roast Prime Rib au Jus.
When it does come to Stone Crab Claws, I prefer to buy from the seafood stores, ask that the claws be cracked (at no extra charge), buy a container of their special Mustard Sauce, and take them home to enjoy. Here are two establishments that sell fresh, fresh, fresh Stone Crab Claws in season, which is from October 15th to May 15th each year:
The Fish Peddler, 7794 NW 44th Street, Sunrise, FL 33351 Tel: 954-741-1933
Captain Jim Hanson's, 12950 West Dixie Highway, North Miami, FL 33161 Tel: 305-892-2812
Once you have tasted FRESH Stone Crab Claws, you will never touch a frozen one again...
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Ark Restaurant & Catering
6255 Stirling Rd, Davie, FL 33314
August trip through New England...looking for suggestions.
Have you gone on your trip yet? If not, don't miss Au Pied de Cochon in Montreal. The food is fresh and delicious. They offer almost everything that has to do with a pig, including Roasted Pig's Head for 2. Their Duck in a Can is a classic, and they serve up many, many variations of foie gras. Stay away from the pricy ingredients and you can have a delicious meal at a reasonable price. Ah, but you are in Montreal, live a little...
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Au Pied de Cochon
536 Avenue Duluth Est, Montreal, QC H2L 1A9, CA
Kamloops or Kelowna?
Will be in the Kamloops - Okanagan region for one overnight, and my friends have recommended a restaurant in each place for me to try. One is Felix on Fourth in Kamloops and the other is RauDZ in Kelowna. Fellow Houndz, which one should I choose ???
Lunch between Halifax & Digby
Thank you very much, quof !!
I will let you know how I make out after my trip.
Great Seafood!
It's been awhile since my family and I have dined at the Village Fish. We used to go frequently when they were in Brookline, and since their move to Needham, the drive has been a regretful deterrent. We finally decided to go back there again last night, and WOW, the good memories of the Brookline days just came flooding back!
The large Fried Calamari was perhaps the Best in Boston. The coating was light and non-greasy, the flesh still juicy, tender, and sweet tasting. I doubt Fried Calamari can get any better than that. These were accompanied by Cherrystones on the half-shell, which were naturally sweet and very fresh,
For dinner, my wife and I each ordered Monk Fish Marsala, we asked that the 2 separate plain pasta that comes with each dinner be combined in a skillet, and a White Clam Sauce, with fresh chunks of clams, be added onto it for an additional charge. My wife and I have been eating this combination of dinners for years and years at the Village Fish, and it has always been great. Our future daughter-in-law ordered the Linguine in White Clam Sauce, which is again one of the standards at the Village Fish. What my son had, though, simply blew us all away!
On weekends, they sometimes put this item on the chalk board, yes, the chalk board, it's not on the printed menu, Lobster Scampi is the name of the dish and it arrived at our table on an oval platter, with large chunks of Lobster and a mess of Shrimp over a bed of linguine. The Scampi, true to its name, was garlicky, with just a hint of lemon. My son was in heaven, and he did share a few Shrimps and several chunks of Lobster with us. Yummmmm...
So, if you Hounds are around Needham on a weekend, go to the Village Fish and see if the Lobster Scampi is on the chalk board, you will be glad you did !!!
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Village Fish
970 Great Plain Ave, Needham, MA 02492
Lunch between Halifax & Digby
I will be taking the Bay Ferry from Saint John to Digby in June, then going to Halifax. I would much appreciate pointers to places where I can have a decent lunch either in Digby, in Halifax, or somewhere in between the 2 cities.
BTW, I have already booked dinner at Fid Resto while in Halifax, more suggestions will be most welcomed. Thanks!
BBQ in Ft. Lauderdale
Deep Down South has moved. They are now on 31st Ave, that's the street off of the Exxon station, about 200 yds down from W Sunrise Blvd. Address is:
1231 NW 31st Ave, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33311-5027
Phone: 954-687-7417
Was there about a week ago, had their Ribs, Fried Shrimp, and Conch Fritters to go (There is just the trailer which you cannot get into, and a parking lot. No seating except in your car). All were very good.
Also tried Bar-B-Q Jack's in Oakland Park, had their Ribs Dinner with sides of Mac n' Cheese and Collard Greens, and a Sweet Tea. Excellent meal.
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Deep Down South Barbecue
3101 W Sunrise Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Lunch around Waltham, in a Convertible?
OK! Domenic's on Main Street in Waltham. Yes, they are an institution, and I like their Caprese Panini a lot. Sometimes I even find Pasta Frittata there! Definitely will have to go there again soon.
Now, about this overlook on Prospect Hill, that's the one where you go up next to the one-time ski slope on Totten Pond Road, right? It used to be a Nike site and the views up there of Waltham are quite remarkable. I haven't gone there in like 20 years, but I think if the road is still there, the views will remain just as spectacular as I have remembered it. This brings back memories...
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Main Street Cafe
182 Main St, Marlborough, MA 01752
Paninis
561 Shirley St, Winthrop, MA 02152
Lunch around Waltham, in a Convertible?
Will try Dom's on my own some other time. I needed to stay around Waltham due to time comittments. That's Dom's Sausage in Malden, correct? Yes, their menu sure sounds interesting...
Lunch around Waltham, in a Convertible?
Did go to Dairy Joy for lunch today in a '69 MGB Roadster. It was a near perfect day for eating out, as out in the fresh air, and the MG just added to the trip that much more. My friend is looking to buy an MGB and I just wanted to give him a taste of what it is like driving on those twisty 2-lane blacktops on a sunny Spring day.
We both had the Small Fried Clams at Dairy Joy which is pretty much the consensus here on the Greater Boston Board that that is what they do best. I am happy to report that the clams did not disappoint, and were indeed fresh and sweet, and not greasy when eaten right there on the benches in Weston. They can give the best of the North Shore a run for their money as far as Fried Clams are concerned.
The benchmark for Fried Clams is IMHO the Clam Box in Ipswich. When you are lucky enough to catch them just finishing a fresh batch and that's what they use to fill your order, those are the best Fried Clams in the world. Several times though, I think my order was filled with lukewarm clams that had been done a little while ago, and those were greasy and the crust is no longer crispy. Those had been disappointments. So, even traveling all that way to Ipswich does not guarantee a perfect Fried Clam experience. It pays to be lucky...
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Clam Box
789 Quincy Shore Dr, Quincy, MA 02170
Dairy Joy
331 North Ave, Weston, MA 02493
Lunch around Waltham, in a Convertible?
Trying to maximize on this unusually warm stretch of weather in April, will be meeting a friend for lunch in a convertible on Thursday, 4/8. Any good suggestions for lunch around Waltham/128?
I was going to Dairy Joy in Weston for some Fried Clams, and that is so old school; but on a (hopefully) sunny day, eating outside can be just the ticket.
Anything newer available? Any suggestions?
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Dairy Joy
331 North Ave, Weston, MA 02493
Atlanta Dim-Sum
Couldn't get time to do Dim-Sum, but was taken by my Korean colleagues to China Inn (5470 Peachtree Industrial Blvd, Chamblee) for dinner. China Inn is opened by a Chinese Korean and they specialize in Korean-style Chinese food. This was surprisingly good, particularly a version of the Chicken Wing in Sticky Spicy Sauce. We also had Seafood Medley (various vegetables with Squid, scallops, shrimp, and fish), Cantonese Style Lobster with Ginger and Sacllions. All were very good.
4 nights in Atlanta, some help with where to eat? We've got some in mind...
I was at Star Provisions the other day and had their Grilled Gruyere with Shaved Asparagus, Butter Leeks, and Tarragon on Multigrain Bread. The sandwich fillings were delicious, but the bread itself was a bit too thick. The result was an overly browned crust while the cheese was barely warm. I did ask whether the sandwich can be made in the panini style, and the answer was "No." If the bread were just a bit thinner, oiled a bit more, and pressed, the sandwich would have been killer.
I took home a Chicken Pot Pie, a Savory Tart (Onion and Gruyere), and some Mexican Wedding Cookies. The pastry crust on the Chicken Pot Pie was the perfect complement to the creamy filling, the carrots still had some bite to them and were sweet and fresh. The Savory Tart filling was smokey with hints of bacon, a perfect match to the crispy crust. The Mexican Wedding Cookies were crumbly and filled with nuts crushed to the right size. The home crowd were smacking their lips with every bite!
While the sandwich I ate there was somewhat of a disappointment for all the promise of what it could have been, I did find a very interesting drink to wash it down. It was Fentimans Mandarin and Seville Orange Jigger, a fermented drink with carbonated water, mandarin orange juice, sugar, ginger, natural Seville orange flavour (yes, it's made in the UK), speedwell and juniper extract. Phew, that was a mouthful; but the result was a complex drink much like craft beer, you have to sip it to get all the complexity. The ginger note was a perfect complement to my sandwich.
All in all, an outing well worth the time. I hope they will invest in some panini presses before my next visit to Atlanta.
Atlanta Dim-Sum
Thanks for the reply. I have been to Royal China for dinners and banquets on previous visits and thought that their food is very good. I have never had Dim Sum there, though, perhaps I should try it on this visit.
Atlanta Dim-Sum
Forgot to mention...Anywhere in Greater Atlanta area would be OK, I am willing to drive 30 miles in search of good Dim Sum. An emphasis on the Duluth-Suwanee area would be most appreciated !!!
Atlanta Dim-Sum
Am in Atlanta for a week, and wondering what is the lay-of-the-land as far as Dim Sum goes. In my home city of Boston, my Dim Sum favorite is Hei la Moon, which had supplanted the traditional China Pearl. I have been to Yank Sing in San Francisco, and several very nice places in Toronto. I am hoping that Atlanta Dim Sum has risen to those levels. Any advise would be most welcomed.
Dunkin' Donuts Oven
Thank you, Professor Salt! I had almost given up on this. The TurboChef oven sounds interesting, but at its price point, $7899.99 at Yale Electric:
http://www.yaleappliance.com/product.php?which=TurboChef_TDO30SS-240|8962
suddenly, a world of professional combination speed ovens are available for one's selection.
Dunkin' Donuts Oven
Here's a link to an article announcing the "Oven-Toasted Menu" :
http://www.qsrmagazine.com/articles/news/story.phtml?id=6132
For a quick glimpse of the oven, here is a DD ad on youTube :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqeZu26Y2oM&NR=1
Lunch near Assembly Sq Mall?
Here's the link to Kelly's Roast Beef on Route 16:
http://www.chow.com/places/23974
Lunch near Assembly Sq Mall?
You might try Kelly's Roast Beef on Route 16 (Revere Beach Parkway). Great Roast Beef Sandwiches on a roll, and awesome fried clams, fried in oil that is trans-fats free!
Dunkin' Donuts Oven
Dunkin' Donuts recently introduced its "Oven-Toasted Menu." Anyone knows what brand of oven is installed in their 3,500 stores? And is it available on the consumer market? Many thanks for any info you can provide!
