April 26, 2017 - Pier 6 - Charlestown, Massachusetts

Jo Martin and I are staying on Pier 8 in the Charlestown Marina in Charlestown, Massachusetts. Tonight  we walked down the pier to have dinner at Pier 6.

We started with drinks.  She ordered a Flat Tire beer.  I ordered the House Bloody Mary…

For dinner Jo ordered the Cioppino Fra Diavolo – clams, mussels, cod, shrimp and spicy lobster broth.  Jo asked our waitress if the broth was really spicy.  She told Jo that it wasn't but Jo thought the broth was spicy.  It was served with several crostini.

I ordered the Lobster Roll. I have never eaten a Lobster Roll before today.  It was  4 ounces of  lobster meat mixed with a spicy sauce served hot with drawn butter…all on a bun-type roll…and served with fries.  It was delicious but I thought very pricey for $28.  If the bun has been toasted and if I would have been served drawn butter for dipping…then it would have been worth $28.

Actually we think the waitress forgot to bring the drawn butter.  That would have been worse yet.

Pier 6

1 8^th Street

Charlestown, MA 02129

(617) 337-0054

April 26, 2017 - New American Cafe

Jo Martin and I  ate lunch in the New American inside the Museum of Fine Arts. We spent most of the day viewing some fabulous art pieces from all over the world.  

Jo ordered the Potato  and Spring Onion Soup – with sour cream, bacon and chive oil…and Sea Salted Chips with Garlic  Aioli…I tasted everything..and they were delicious. 

I ordered the Spring Vegetable Tart – eggs, cream, artichokes, spring onions, goat cheese, chive oil, Vincotto, Frisee and Sorrel Salad.  I thought it was delicious.  The presentation was beautifully done.

The prices were a little steep but one expects that inside such a lovely building of art.

Our service was very good.  Our waitress, however, never came back and asked Jo if she would like a re-fill on her coffee.

Dale Chihuly's Lime Green Icicle Tower sits in the New American Cafe.  

New American Café

465  Huntington Avenue

Boston, Massachusetts 02115

(617) 267-9300

April 7, 2017 - Cold Beer and Cheeseburger - Grayhawk Plaza - North Scottsdale, Arizona

I visited with Joshua and Jonah Hayes.  Joshua and I both ordered the Juicy Lucy- cheddar-jack stuffed burger with lettuce, tomato and pickle.  Just excellent…and even though I ordered no pink…it was pink…but it tasted very fresh and that’s what I like in a burger.  Jonah ate the cheeseburger sliders and tater tots off the children’s menu.  Very good.  The presentation was wonderful...those hamburger buns just shine.  The wait staff was very friendly and efficient.  I have no complaints. Plus I have always wanted to try this place…I was surprised that it was a sports bar…one more restaurant off my eating bucket list.

Cold Beer and Cheeseburgers

Grayhawk Plaza

20831 N. Scottsdale Road #117

Scottsdale, Arizona 85255

(480) 513-2747

Hours: Daily -  11:00 a.m. – Close

Happy Hour:  3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.  Monday - Friday

April 1, 2017 - Hash Kitchen - Scottsdale, Arizona

.

Today we went to the Hash Kitchen after my grandson, Jonah's baseball game...Jody Hayes, Jonah Hayes, Jack and Judy Svendsen.  Jody, Judy and I started with the Blood Mary Bar. I chose the Salted Bacon Rim…Bacon Vodka…Peppered Blood Mary Mix…it definitely had a kick to it.  I added Bacon on a skewer …asparagus, cheese…stuffed olives…and a fried ravioli.

For breakfast Jody and I ordered the Bacon Brioche French Toast – served with bourbon syrup..candied pecans…and bacon maple whip.  It was delicious!  Two thick pieces of brioche.  I loved it.

Judy ordered the Crab Roll- crabmeat loaded between thick slices of toasted bread.- served with fries. Judy said that she liked it a lot.

Jack ordered Corned Beef Benedict – corned bef..pan fried potato cake…topped with poached eggs and hollandaise. There wasn't a morsel left on Jack's plate.  I think he liked his choice.

Jonah, our baseball star, ordered his usual Grilled Cheese.

The service was excellent.  The only down side was the restaurant was packed and the noise level was very loud...so loud we couldn't even visit.  

I will be returning to this restaurant.  There are a few more things that I would like to try on the menu.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

December 8, 2018...my grandson Judson joined  us  - Joshua, Jody  and  Jonah Hayes;  Jack and  Judy Svendsen for breakfast after Jonah's early morning soccer game at the Hash Kitchen on Frnak Lloyd Wright Blvd. for breakfast.  

I did in fact return many times...and tried lots of different items on the menu.

...but this one must be written about because it was so unique.   I tried their Avocado Toast.  OMG!  Two huge pieces of brioche…covered with an avocado spread of mashed avocados…and that was the last that one saw of the avocado…then braised pork…covered with a fried egg…covered with two stripes of thick bacon…and then heaped with crispy strips and curls of fried onions.  I could only eat one of mine…what a huge meal.  I wish that they had offered a half portion.  It was served on a board with a thin piece of what looked like what butcher paper but not thick as butcher paper.   When one tried to cut the piece of  “toast” it slipped all over the board.  I wished it had just been served on a plate for ease of eating.  I just hate to get exhausted from trying to eat my meal.  But nothing really detracted from the meal.  This was the first time that I tried avocado toast.  I have a feeling that nothing going forward will ever come close to this.

Hash Kitchen

14832 N. Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd.

Scottsdale, Arizona 85260

(480) 361-5228

Hours:  Daily 7:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m

March 24, 2017 - Spinato’s Pizzeria - Phoenix, Arizona

My niece and her son, Zach Hammler are in the Valley of the Sun to play in a soccer tournament.

This evening several of the family were at his second soccer game of the season.  After we all decided to go out for dinner.  We chose Spinato's Pizzeria.  There were 10 of us – Kristin and Zach Hammler, Anita and Issac Naughton, Jeanne and Willie Stecher, Tom and Carolyn Patrick and Willie’s sister LaVerne Bourdeau.

We ordered three pizzas for the group – all with thin crusts:

            Get Meaty – Italian sausage, Italian beef,  pepperoni, smoked Canadian bacon and mozzarella;     The Spicy Italian – meatball, pepperoni, red onions, mozzarella;            The Combo – Italia sausage, mushroom, mixed green and red sweet bell pepper, mozzarella.

I tried pieces form all three pizzas.  All were delicious.  The red sauce had a sweet taste to it…no tomato paste at all.  My guess is that they use fresh sweet tomatoes and basil.   I can hardly wait for my next trip to Spinato's Pizzeria.

Spinato’s Pizzeria

1614 E. Bell

Phoenix, Arizona 85022

(602 867-1010

Hours:  Monday – Thursday 11:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.

             Friday – Saturday 11:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.

             Sunday 12:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

March 17, 2017 - Bisbee Breakfast Club - Bisbee, Arizona

I am out with Carol and Mike Thompson, Carol’s cousin Carol Jones for a long weekend.  We are camping at the Tombstone RV Park.  This morning we drove to Bisbee for a visit but first we had to stop for breakfast at the Bisbee Breakfast Club.

Carol Thompson ordered the Buttermilk Hotcakes – two large, fluffy cakes served with butter and syrup.   She asked if they came with blueberries…no…but they would add them.  Then she remarked that maybe two pancakes were too much for her to eat…and the waitress asked her if she only wanted one.  She did…she was happy about the whole thing.

Carol Jones ordered the Wingdinger – Hash browns with melted cheddar, jack cheese, two eggs and spicy sausage gravy wit toast.  Was she ever surprised to see biscuits and gravy on her plate when they served her.   She didn’t realize that it was going to include biscuits and gravy.

Mike Thompson ordered the Corned Beef Hash – house made and was served with two eggs.  He gave me a bite of it.  It was delicious but we just couldn’t identify what the taste was that made  it so good.

I ordered D’s Potato Cakes – house recipe potato cakes, grilled to golden brown…served with sour cream and applesauce, bacon, two eggs and a biscuit.  I ordered the bacon crispy…and it was served perfectly.  I thought my potato cakes were absolutely delicious.  They were a mixture of grated potatoes, onions, including the green tops…but I don’t know if it was all held together with an egg, sour cream…or milk.   Whatever it was delicious.  I should have asked.

I asked that my two eggs be scrambled…when my plate arrived there were way more than two eggs.  My biscuit was huge…hot out of the oven…buttered top…and I loved this…served with four pats of butter.

The staff was wonderful and efficient. 

Carol Thompson used the necessary…her only comment was “only one toilet”.

This restaurant is located in the Lowell area…sits along the rim of the Lavendar Pit.

Bisbee Breakfast Club

75 Erie Street

Bisbee, Arizona 85603

(520) 432-5885

 Hours:  Daily 7:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.    

March 12, 2017 - Alessia’s Ristorante Italino - Mesa, Arizona

On our way home from the baseball game in Goodyear, we decided to stop for dinner.  We chose Alessia's Ristorante Italino.

We started off with a basket of crispy hot bread with balsamic vinegar and olive oil….this is always my favorite part of the whole meal at any Italian restaurant or home.

Willie chose the Pollo Erve – chicken breast sautéed with garlic, basil, rosemary, sage and onion red sauce.  I can’t remember his pasta choice.  I did try his sauce dunked in a piece of bread.  It was very good…light not heavy because I am sure that they made it using fresh tomatoes. I thought there was also a lemon or citrus taste to the sauce.

I ordered the Bolognese – ground beef, carrots, celery, onions in a creamy tomato sauce with parmesan over penne.  It was very good but I have eaten better Bolognese.  I love Bolognese.

Jeanne ordered the Mussels starter – a “big” plate of mussels.  They looked marvelous.

Big kudos from me because after we were served the waiter came around with the garter and topped everyone’s dish with freshly grated parmesan.  That always earns big points with me.  In fact I rarely return to an Italian restaurant that doesn’t do that very thing.

Jeanne and I split a dessert – Spumoni Bomba – spumoni ice cream all covered with dark chocolate and drizzled with white chocolate.  I was disappointed because it was a layer of pistachio ice with a layer of chocolate on top of it and a layer of strawberry on the bottom.  I wanted spumoni ice cream..even a small dish of it would have been wonderful.  The presentation though was great.  It was a hug ball – a big ice cream truffle.

I smiled to myself as we were about to leave.  A new couple was seated.  She asked about lasagna which they didn’t serve.  Girl after my heart.  I am from peasant Italian stock.  There isn’t anything quite as good as lasagna served piping hot with lots of meat and cheeses.

This, however, was a much more refined Italian restaurant.  I appreciated its loveliness…cloth table cloths…proper place settings…and of course all the delicious fresh ingredients that were used in the food.

The welcome in the menu:

“Alessia's Ristorante Italiano opened their doors in June of 2004.  Owners Jonathan and ShariCarr have created the best authentic Italian restaurant in the east valley of Mesa, Arizona.  Unlike most other Italian restaurants, Alessia's features dishes made from scratch every time you order with a focus on freshness featuring recipes from central to northern Italy.  Alessia's has created a wonderful neighborhood family italian restaurant which is great for dining any day of the week.  If you're looking for something other than the turn and burn establishments of today, the Carr family invites you to come try our wonderful food and enjoy our casual atmosphere!”

Alessia’s Ristorante Italino

5251 E. Brown Road

Mesa, Arizona 85202

(480) 396-2888

Hours:  Tuesday – Saturday 3:00 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

              Sunday 5:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.

              Monday- Closed