August 31st 2017: Takeout from Sushi Miyazawa, Worcester

After work today, I headed to Sushi Miyazawa, a new sushi place in Worcester that just opened up right beside Nancy Chang, which I have been to a few times in the past.

For once this sushi place is actually owned by Japanese, and the Dragon Maki (Eel on "California Maki" (Avocado, Kanikama, Shrimp, and Egg)) and Red Scorpion Maki (Avocado, Crabstick and Spicy Sauce with Shrimp outside)

I got were pretty fresh, although simple.

August 30th 2017: Upscale Mediterranean at Alicante, Mendon

My other half wanted to get dinner for her tonight, and my initial choice was Maison de Manger in Northbridge, but I got there just as they were closing, even though I had arrived a little before the official closing time. No matter how I pleaded, they would not fire back up the grill. In the end, the owner actually compensated me by giving me 10 bucks personally. I think I shall give this place another try in the near future. Desperate to find another place, I settled on Alicante, an upscale Mediterranean restaurant in Mendon,

with awesome views of Nipmuc Pond.

I got the Lombo De Cerdo (Pork Tenderloin Stuffed With Apples, Caramelized Onions, Spinach, Feta Cheese & Dried Cherries, Wrapped With Applewood Smoked Bacon, Roasted Garlic Balsamic Reduction - Garlic Mashed & Vegetables),

which was really delicious, and my other half thought so too, when I finally brought it home. I definitely want to bring her here some day.

August 29th 2017: Quick Bites in Waltham and Malden

We were in the Waltham area this morning, and decided to grab breakfast at the same Starbucks we were at a few weeks ago. We tried to get the Steak and Egg Wrap again, but the menu has since changed to a Steak, Egg and Tomatillo Wrap, which we got of course.

I still liked the flavor of the original one though, this one not having much flavor.

Later in the day, I went to the Malden Public Library, which is only open on weekdays. Nothing much to see inside though.

Finally, I decided to get some dessert from Jay's Pizza and Ice Cream nearby, getting a Maple Walnut Scoop.

Not bad, but nothing special from this place.

August 27th 2017: Lunch at Biryani Pot, Framingham

On our way back home today, we decided to stop for lunch at Biryani Pot, an Indian restaurant in Framingham.

We got the Butter Naan (Traditional Indian bread baked in clay oven with a hint of fresh butter) and Goat Chettinad (Goat dish made with roasted ground exotic spices Peppercorn, star anise and coconut),

and somehow got complimentary dosa as well, possibly for first timers here.

Pretty interesting flavors, going well with the goat meat. We might come back here again to try their Thali special.

Recommended Places to Visit: Beverly

Recreation

Paddleboarding
Paddleboard New England
47 Water Street

Golf

Beverly Golf and Tennis Club
134 McKay Street

Parks
Lynch Park
55 Ober Street

Colgate Park
End of Colgate Road

Sheehy Park
McKay Street near Sturtevant Street

Innocenti Park
4 Margin Street


Arts Performances
Larcom Theater
13 Wallis Street


Water Bodies
Shoe Pond
Balch Street and McKay Street


Beaches
Rice Beach
End of Ober Street

Obear Park
End of Linvingstone Avenue

Independence Park
35 Lothrop Street

Dane Street Beach/Lyons Park
93 Lothrop Street

Brackenbury Beach
End of Brackenbury Lane

Gillis Park
Porter Street and Webber Avenue

Endicott Beach (private)
416 Hale Street

Mingo Beach
385 Hale Street

West Beach
110 West Street

Hiking
Recommended:
Headlands Park
Leech Street and Marion Avenue

Green's Hill
End of Woodland Avenue

Bass River Walkway
Elliott Street near McKay Street

Norwood Pond
Elnew Avenue and Norge Road

Phillips Preserve
801 Cabot Street

Long Hill
572 Essex Street

Tried:
Beverly Commons Conservation Area
End of Greenwood Avenue

Museums
Historical Society
117 Cabot Street

Harbors
Beverly Pier
Water Street and Essex Street

Architecture

Monuments

Hospital Point Light
End of Bayview Avenue

Memorial
Abbott Street and Endicott Street

Town Common
~32 Essex Street

Sally Milligan Park
Cross Lane near Birch Woods Drive

Places of Worship

First Baptist Church
221 Cabot Street

First Parish Unitarian Universalist
225 Cabot Street

St. Mary, Star of the Sea Church
253 Cabot Street

First Church of Christ, Scientist
19 Hale Street

St. Peter's Episcopal Church
4 Ocean Street

First Assembly of God
3 Doloff Avenue

Immanuel Congregational Church

140 Bridge Street

St. Margaret Church
672 Hale Street

St. John's Episcopal Church
705 Hale Street

Beverly Seventh Day Adventist Church
140 Bridge Street

North Shore Community Baptist Church
9 Hart Street

Dane Street Church
10 Dane Street

Memorial United Methodist Church
2 Dane Street

Church in the Cove
167 Hale Street

Second Congregational Church
35 Conant Street

Cornerstone Church
135 Standley Street

Schools
McKeown Elementary School
70 Balch Street

Montserrat College of Art
23 Essex Street

Beverly High School
100 Sohier Road

Endicott College
376 Hale Street

Glen Urquhart School
74 Hart Street

Town Facilities
Public Library
32 Essex Street

Municipal Airport
46 Lp Henderson Road

Post Office
161 Rantoul Street

Beverly Depot
10 Park Street

Commercial Buildings
Beverly Cooperative Bank
254 Cabot Street

Historical Buildings
Odd Fellows' Hall
188-194 Cabot Street

The Gar Hall
8 Dane Street

Landmark Senior Living
3 Essex Street

Bass River Lodge 141
10 Charnock Street

Restaurants

Highly Recommended:
Western
Wild Horse Cafe
392 Cabot Street
Recommended Dishes:
Spring Chicken
Linguini Scampi
Lamb Lollis
Vegetable Crepe


Vegetarian

Organic Garden Cafe
294 Cabot Street
Recommended Dishes:
Quesadilla
OG Sliders
Chuck Berry Smoothie
Nut Butter "Squash" Ravioli
Pure Pad Thai
The Sampler
Onion Rings
Coconut in the Husk

Tried:

Vietnamese
Calibasil
55 Dodge Street
Recommended Dishes:
Pho
Mango Lychee Iced Tea


Thai
Siam Delight
128 Cabot Street
Recommended Dishes:
Thai Wonton Soup
Duck Panang Curry

Breakfast
Omelette Headquarters
342 Rantoul Street
Recommended Dishes:
Hot Chocolate
Meat Lovers Omelette

Depot Diner
23 Enon Street
Recommended Dishes:
Hot Chocolate
Chicago Omelette

Japanese
Kame
250 Cabot Street
Recommended Dishes:
Sushi Bento
Kushi Katsu
Beef Negima

Western
The American BBQ
950 Cummings Center Suite #96X
Recommended Dishes:
Apple Crisp
Bread Pudding with Praline Sauce
3 BBQ Meats
Lime Rickey

August 26th 2017: Exploring Gordon College, Wenham

While my other half was shopping at the Northshore Mall in Peabody, I decided to venture out for a bit, visiting a few places in Beverly

Beverly High School

Innocenti Park

before heading to the Gordon College campus in Wenham.

After exploring the college, it was time to head back to the mall, where we got the new Horchata Almond Milk Frappucino from the Starbucks there.

For once, I really liked the drink, because it wasn't bitter at all. Not a bad day of exploring in a short period of time.

Recommended Places to Visit: Wenham

Recreation

Water Bodies

Wenham Lake
52 Cedar Street

Longham Reservoir
19 Dodges Row

Beaches
Pleasant Pond
End of Pleasant Street


Museums
Wenham Museum
132 Main Street


Hiking
Recommended:
Grand Wenham Canal
End of Old Town Way

Tried:
Cedar Pond
Cherry Street near Old Town Way

Architecture

Monuments

War Memorial
Monument Street and Main Street

Memorial
Main Street and Arbor Street

Places of Worship

First Church in Wenham
1 Arbor Street

Schools
Buker School
5 School Street

Gordon College
255 Grapevine Road

Historical Buildings
Old Wenham Church
8 Dodges Row

Restaurants

Highly Recommended:
Breakfast
Wenham Tea House
4 Monument Street
Recommended Dishes:
Bramble Liege Waffle

August 25th 2017: Pies and Paninis in Worcester

After work, I decided to go check out 2 places in Worcester. First, Marty's Pub, an Irish dive bar 225 Canterbury Street which serves food made by Roasted Peppers Pizza next door.

I got the Italiano Foccacia Panini (Prosciutto, genoa and cooked salami, pepperoni, provolone and olive oil),

which was not bad, but nothing special.

Next, I went to Table Talk Pies, which has a retail store at 153 Green Street. Apparently they sell small pies at just 50 cents a pop, and I even got 3 Baked Wild Berry Orchard Pies for a buck.

Pretty good. I'll be back to try their other flavors.

August 24th 2017: Driving Around Northeastern RI After Work

After work today, I started out with a hike at the Meadow Brook Woods in Mendon. The path I took from 94 Park Street to get views of Inman Pond, which was essentially the Inman Pond Loop, is shown below in pink.

The views of the pond itself were far and few between though, as the path was mostly a distance away from the shore.

Not worth the hike, in my opinion.

From here, it was on to North Smithfield RI,

Pratt Pond, 165 Old Great Road

Lighthouse Christian Church

Masjid al Islam

then Lincoln RI,

Manville Memorial Park

St. James Church

Manville Park, 11 Park Way

Schoolhouse Apartments, 6 Almeida Drive

and finally Cumberland RI,

Cumberland Hill School

Sneech Pond, 76 Nate Whipple Highway

where I visited the Manville Dam Park at 1 Manville Hill Road,

with nice views of the Manville Dam.

At this point, it was too dark already, so I decided to head to Smithfield RI for dinner at Terrazza, a pretty upscale, somewhat Mediterranean restaurant.

I got the Terrazza Shrimp (Toasted garlic, jalapeños, Meyer lemon butter sauce) for appetizers,

the shrimp being big, fresh and tasty with the rich tangy sauce.

For my main course, I got the Grilled Lamb Chops (Marinated New Zealand lamb chops, creamy Meyer lemon and mint risotto, lamb jus).

The mint flavored rice tasted a little weird at first, but eventually it became enjoyable, blending well with all the other flavors in the dish, the lamb being cooked perfectly.

Finally, for dessert, I got the Tiramisu,

which though it was the least outstanding dish of the meal, it definitely was a good ending to a day of driving around Northeastern RI after work.

August 21st 2017: African Food from Elder Paintsil's Restaurant, Worcester

Today, I decided to get some African food from Elder Paintsil's Restaurant, a cafeteria style place in Worcester, getting the Peanut Butter Soup,

which was flavorful, spicy and with chunks of beef in it. A delightful meal, though in a sketchy part of town.

August 20th 2017: Breakfast at Several Places in Dorchester, Boston

We were in the Dorchester area of Boston, and started our morning of eating at Coco Leaf, getting the Che Okinawa (purple sweet potato, coconut milk,  mocha,  taro, panda jelly)

And the Hello Vietnam! Crepe (cha lua, black forest ham, pate, pickled carrots, Thai Basil and sriracha mayo).

The yams were a little undercooked, but I still liked the drink overall. The crepe was pretty tasty as well, although it still did not beat the Banh Mi Thit Nuong we got from Banh Mi Ba Le soon after, along with a Banh Gai, which I have not had before.

We also had a Lemon Cream Bun

from the newly opened Ba Le Bakery across the street at 1035 Dorchester Avenue, which is also affiliated with the sandwich place we were just at.

Just alright though, nothing special.

A good day for Vietnamese food, to say the least.