May 30th 2016: Lunch at Shaanxi Gourmet, Natick

We had lunch today at Shaanxi Gourmet in Natick, which we visited a while back.

This time, we got the Plum Hawthorn Juice,

the Braised Beef Brisket

and the Sweet and Sour Pork Filet.

The drink wasn't what we were expecting in terms of taste, but it was not bad actually. The beef was delicious, but the pork was a little disgusting in taste, with us having to dip the pork in the sauce for the beef to make it palatable. Overall, this place is worth coming back for the authentic Chinese stuff, but not the Americanized dishes.

May 29th 2016: Lunch at Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza, Northborough

We had lunch today at Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza, a new bar restaurant in Northborough. This place sounds exactly like Angela's Coal Fired Pizza in Saugus which we went to recently, with similar stuff on the menu as well, although Anthony's is much more established, making us all wonder if Angela's was the result of a former disgruntled employee or an ex-wife.

For food, we got the Anthony's Original Coal Fired Roasted Chicken Wings (Served with Caramelized Onions & Focaccia bread),

the Pork Ribs with Vinegar Peppers (Roasted in Coal Oven with Garlic, Rosemary, Spicy Vinegar Peppers and White Wine)

and the Meatballs with Ricotta Cheese (Large Meatballs slowly cooked in Tomato Sauce).

The wings were exactly like those we had at Angela's though less sour and better as a result. The ribs were surprisingly good, while the meatballs were just so-so. Overall, like Angela's not our cup of tea.

May 28th 2016: Breakfast in Northborough, Lunch in Quincy, Dinner in Wrentham

We had brunch this morning at C'est La Vie Bistro in Northborough.

This time, we got the Zinnekens Wafel (from belgium),

the Duck Hash Browns,

the Gougeres (baked cheese puffs, with pear, fig jam, prosciutto)

and the Steak and Eggs (marinated and grilled flank steak, 2 eggs as you like and homefries).

The waffle had an interesting but delicious texture,as were the cheese puffs, the duck was a little fatty but sinful, while the steak and eggs were cooked just right. Yet another amazing meal here. Definitely the best breakfast place in the area.

Later in the day, we had lunch at Little Duck Thai Restaurant in Quincy, a Thai cafe which literally had little ducks all over the restaurant.

For food, we got the Thai Iced Coffee,

the Steamed Mussel (mussels steamed in hot pot with lemongrass, basil, pepper and onion served with spicy garlic sauce),

the Crispy Pad Thai with Shrimp and Chicken (stir fried crispy egg noodles with egg, bean sprouts, scallions and ground peanut)

and the Crispy Duck Basil (battered duck topped with sweet spicy sauce and pepper, onion and crispy basil).

The coffee was sweet, but not enough to cover the bitterness I dislike,The noodles tasted a little burnt at times, although there was flavor infused into the otherwise dry noodles. The duck was only crispy because of the batter, but nothing special otherwise. Only the mussels were really large and fresh, being the best mussels I have had to date. Overall though, an average meal not worth coming back for.

Dinner was at the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store in Wrentham. I came here more than half a decade ago, although I remember almost nothing of it.

This time, they have an interesting but simple board game on the table that we spent half the time trying to solve, and actually eventually did.

For food, we got the Country Fried Shrimp Platter (A half-pound of buttermilk-breaded shrimp served with cocktail sauce and hushpuppies) and the Chicken N Rice (chicken tenderloins are simmered in a hearty chicken mushroom gravy and are served on top of brown rice pilaf) with Fried Apples, Cole Slaw, Breaded Fried Okra, Cheese Grits, Hashbrown Casserole.

The shrimp was a little on the salty side, and the chicken was a little dry. Of the sides. only the apples, coleslaw and hashbrowns were any good. Definitely not coming back again, even decades later. It was a pretty cheap meal though.

May 27th 2016: Ice Cream at Meola's Wayside Ice Cream, West Boylston

After work today, I went to Meola's Wayside Ice Cream in West Boylston for some ice cream before heading home, getting the Monster Mash (vanilla ice cream with oreos, m&ms, malted milk balls and caramel swirl) flavor.

Not too bad actually.

May 24th 2016: Froyo from Tutti Frutti, Auburn

We had some froyo from Tutti Frutti in Auburn tonight, getting the Pineapple Sorbet, Original, Caramel Iced Coffee and Taro flavors.

Pretty good except for the taro flavor, in my opinion.

May 23rd 2016: Tea Break at Starbuck's, Westborough

We had tea at the Starbuck's located within Target in Westborough, getting a Banana Nut Loaf

and a Cheese Danish.

Nothing special, and I wasn't a fan of the banana nut.

May 22nd 2016: Lunch at Sichuan Taste, Malden

We checked out the newest Chinese restaurant in Malden, Sichuan Taste. Pretty nice decor to say the least, and really interesting stuff on the menu.

We got the Mala Spicy Pot (with pork tongue, eggplant, rice cakes) and Braised Pig's Trotters,

along with the Mango, Vanilla Ice Cream, Durian, Coconut Milk, Grapefruit, Sago Dessert.

Really good and spicy food, and dessert to boot. We are definitely coming back again to try other stuff on the menu.

May 20th 2016: Asian Food in Beverly and Maynard

We had lunch today at Kame, a small Japanese restaurant in Beverly.

We got the Sushi Bento, Beef Negima (sliced sirloin and scallions, rolled and grilled with teriyaki)

and Kushi Katsu (cubed filet of pork deep fried in breadcrumb batter, served with special sweet and sour fruit sauce for dipping).

The pork was really dry and bland, with the sauce not being able to save it, while the sushi was not very fresh either. Only the beef was somewhat okay, but nothing special. Not coming back again for sure.

We also stopped by the Panera Bread in Danvers for a bit, getting a Wild Blueberry Scone, a Cheese Pastry and a Passion Fruit White Hibiscus Iced Tea. The scone was not bad, but the rest were just so-so/

For dinner, we had Korean at Little Pusan Restaurant in the town of Maynard.

 We got the Suntofu Chigae (uncured tofu, pork and vegetables in hot and spicy soup served with side of rice)

and the Bulgogi (marinated beef, vegetables, served with rice).

The stew was pretty bland, while the beef was really dry as well. The side dishes were nothing to speak off either.

Not a great day for eating Asian at all.

May 19th 2016: Lunch with Family at Thai Place, Shrewsbury

We had lunch today at Thai Place in Shrewsbury, where I have been to many times before. This time, we got the Tod Mun (Fried fish cake, spiced with Thai curry and kaffir lime leaves),

the Beef Basil Leaves (Onions, mushrooms, zucchini, green peppers & scallions)

and the Thai Hot Pot (Shrimp, squid, scallops, mussels with fresh vegetables in a hot and sour spicy broth with lemongrass and basil leaves).

The fish cakes were pretty good, although the basil in the beef was a little overpowering. The soup was delicious though, and in a big portion.

A Good meal with the family.

May 18th 2016: Mediterranean Lunch from Aladdin Restaurant, Worcester

I grabbed lunch from Aladdin Restaurant, a Mediterranean hole in the wall in Worcester, getting a Falafel and a Beef Shawarma Sandwich.

Nothing special, really.

May 17th 2016: Lunch in Shrewsbury, Dinner in Braintree

We had takeout from Panera Bread in Shrewsbury for lunch today, getting the Thai Garden Chicken Wonton Broth Bowl (Ginger-chicken wontons, fresh broccoli, spinach, napa cabbage blend, roasted mushroom and onion blend and low-fat Thai chili vinaigrette with cilantro and sesame seeds in hen broth)

and the Spicy Thai Salad with Chicken (Chicken raised without antibiotics, romaine, roasted cashew pieces, fire-roasted edamame, red pepper and carrot blend, cilantro and wonton strips tossed with low-fat Thai chili vinaigrette and drizzled with peanut sauce).

The soup was pretty bland, although the salad was not bad. Just don't add too much sauce or it will get too intense.

For dinner, it was at Sintra, a modern upscale Mediterranean restaurant in Braintree, although there was almost nothing Mediterranean on the menu except for the Hummus starters, which was pretty good to start off with.

For food, we got the Crispy Crab and Cod Cakes (Local Greens, House Roasted Peppers & Preserved Lemon Aioli),

which were excellent because of the flavorful peppers and aioli,

the Cannelloni (Braised Beef Short Rib, Broccolini, Portobello, tomato sauce & Shaved Grana Padano)

which were amazing due to the intricate balance of textures and flavors in the dish,

and finally the Warm Chocolate Cake (with Crème Anglaise Coffee Ice Cream) for dessert.

Another great restaurant we have found using Yelp.

May 16th 2016: Takeout from Happy House, Worcester

I had takeout from Happy House, a Chinese place in Worcester today, getting the General Tso's Chicken, Pork Fried Rice and Beef Teriyaki.

Nothing special, as always.

May 15th 2016: Breakfast in Malden, Dinner in Medford

We had breakfast this morning at Lunch Box Diner, a really divey diner in Malden.

Our water had particles floating around in it, and a thin layer of oil as well, so we went thirsty.

For food, we got the Sammy Scola Sandwich (3 scrambled eggs, homefries, american cheese stuffed into braided roll)

and the Dutch Apple Pancake.

Really horrid experience here, and we felt ill after. Never coming back here again.

For dinner, I checked out Real Gusto, a new Italian place in Medford which didn't look like much from the outside, but I was like wow once I entered into a totally different world.

For food, I got the Crochette (Lightly fried potatoes,pecorino,mozzarella),

the Pasta al Pesto (Muddled fresh basil,pine nuts,parmigiano,evoo)

and finally the Profiterol (Puff pastries, chocolate cream topped with white chocolate) for dessert.

A really wonderful dining experience to say the least.