January 20th 2016: French Cuisine at Garde de la Mer, Providence RI

Dinner tonight was at Garde de la Mer, an upscale French place in Providence RI.

It started out pretty well enough, with teapots for our hot water

and pretty fluffy bread for starters.

We got the Rabbit & Parsnip Stew (Autumn vegetables, lamb bacon, vanilla oil)

and the Calamari (Pickled peppers, smoked tomato, squid ink, fine herbs) for appetizers.

The rabbit was scrumptious with the crisp parsnip skin and sweet soup. The squid ink was a little tasteless, but the smoked tomatoes were a burst of flavor in the mouth, simply a joy to savor.

We got the Pan Roasted Pollock (Maitake mushroom whole grain cake, radicchio, maple corn cream) for the main dish.

The maple cream was simply awesome, but the radicchio was way too bitter to be good for the dish. Overall though, still pretty good.

The Lemon Lime Pavlova (Orange-white chocolate custard, macadamia nuts, grapefruit fromage blanc ice cream, fresh herbs)

was a little more artsy than we expected, but still good, although the ice cream was too bitter, again not going well with the rest of the dish, which was still good overall.

Overall, a pretty good meal here though. After the meal, we decided to head to the roof to check out Rooftop at Providence G, a pretty hip rooftop bar,

Sadly, it was not open tonight. Perhaps we will come back here some day.

January 19th 2016: Dinner at Siena, Smithfield RI

Dinner tonight was at Siena, an upscale restaurant with interesting decor in Smithfield RI.

We decided not to go with the restaurant week menu, opting instead to just get the Pasta e Fagioli, Bianco (Cannellini beans in a silky white sauce with prosciutto stock, fresh basil, garlic, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and ditalini pasta) soup,

the Calamari All’ Aceto Balsamico (Fried calamari rings tossed with hot cherry pepper, diced tomatoes and a balsamic vinegar reduction) appetizer

and the Branzino (Pan-seared Chilean sea bass fillet finished with ocean scallops and a creamy scallion sauce) main course.

The soup was delicious but filling. The calamari was not bad, but not as good as yesterday. The fish was fresh and perfected by the sauce, along with the strips of fried carrots which were to die for.

Dessert was excellent too, in the form of Lemon Crème Brûlée (Traditional crème brûlée baked with a lemon curd and zest. Finished with caramelized sugar. Served chilled with raspberry sauce).

Overall, much more worth it than doing the restaurant week menu.

January 18th 2016: Seafood at Providence Oyster Bar, Providence

Stopping by the Natick Mall today, I happened to pass by the Lolli and Pops, a really nice candy shop here, and I could not resist getting a box of truffles, consisting of the Strawberry Love Bug Truffle (extra bittersweet dark chocolate ganache, natural strawberry, chocolate hearts), Pink Champagne Heart Truffle (Ivory Chocolate Ganache, champagne reduction, raspberry, candied raspberry), Hot Lips Truffle (spicy dark chocolate ganache, ginger, honey, French Espelette Chilli pepper, dark chocolate shell), Strawberry Balsamic (caramel, strawberries, aged balsamic vinegar), Ivory Toffee Mouse (milk chocolate toffee ganache, hazelnuts, white  chocolate), Blackberry (organic blackberry jam, dark chocolate ganache), Milk Chocolate Bunny (milk chocolate ganache, almonds, milk chocolate), PB and J (peanut butter, milk chocolate, fresh raspberry puree) and Milk Chocolate Lab (milk chocolate ganache, pumpkin seeds, milk chocolate).

Really nice and creative stuff.

Next, I went to Isla Restaurant and Lounge, a Mexican place in Framingham with interesting table decor.

I got the Tacos de Pescado, Camaron and Lengua (Tacos Fish, Shrimp and Beef Tongue).

The shrimp and fish were not bad, though the tongue was a little tough, but overall nothing special.

After work, dinner was at the Providence Oyster Bar, a pretty nice seafood place in Providence.

We got 6 Oysters on the Half Shell for appetizers.

Can't go wrong there.

Next up, the Wasabi Ginger Calamari (Pickled cucumber, pickled ginger, wasabi aioli).

Amazing combination of ingredients perfected with fresh and crisp calamari. Definitely one of the best I have had to date.

The Cod Loin Bianco (Roma tomatoes, roasted garlic, sautéed spinach, Champagne broth) was pretty tasty as well.

The only disappointment of the night was the Tiramisu,

which had way too much alcohol taste in it.

January 17th 2016: Taiwanese Brunch at Sousaku Bistro, Malden

This morning, we decided to check out the new restaurant in Malden, Sousaku Bistro.

we were expecting a Japanese menu, but apparently they serve Taiwanese food with a twist for lunch on the weekends.

With that, we got the Sweetened Soybean Milk, which came in a small old Chinese bucket.

Interesting touch, although the milk wasn't sweet enough for me. The Fried Twisted Doughnut that we ordered to go with it

was okay, though not as good as from Chung Shin Yuan in Newton.

The Preserved Duck Egg with Tofu was not bad,

though a little on the salty side.

The Taiwanese Seafood Sandwich was a really interesting concept,

the soupy filling being placed inside a holed out piece of bread that has been toasted with some sort of crumb coating. Delicious.

The Taiwanese Omelette Wrapped in Corn

was excellent as well.

Very creative stuff from this place. Will definitely be back to try out the dinner fare next time.

Dinner tonight was back in Shrewsbury at Jimmy's Tavern and Grill, where apparently kids eat free on Sundays. Naturally, there were many families with kids in the restaurant today. We got the Lobster Pie and Petit Filet Mignon this time around.

Not bad as always.

Recommended Places to Visit: Wakefield

Recreation

Water Bodies
Crystal Lake
Broadway Street near Lake Street


Parks

Hall Park
North Avenue and Lakeside Avenue

Gertrude Spaulding Park
Lowell Street and Quannapowitt Parkway

Wakefield Lower Common
Lake Avenue and Salem Street


Architecture

Monuments

Artichoke Monument
317 Main Street

Clock
357 Main Street

Wakefield Upper Common
Main Street and Salem Street

Places of Worship

Most Sacred Sacrament Church
8 Grove Street

Greenwood Union Church
4 Oak Street

St. Joseph's Church
173 Albion Street

First Parish Congregational Church
1 Church Street

Emmanuel Episcopal Church
5 Bryant Street

First Baptist Church
8 Lafayette Street

Unitarian Universalist Church
326 Main Street

Wakefield Lynnfield United Methodist Church
273 Vernon Street

St. Florence Church
47 Butler Avenue

St. Parascheva Romanian Orthodox Church
171 Water Street

Town Facilities
Lucius Beebe Memorial Library
345 Main Street

Post Office
321 Main Street

Town Hall
1 Lafayette Street

Fire Department
1 Union Street

Housing Authority
26 Crescent Street

Americal Civic Center
467 Main Street

Broadway Treatment and Pumping Facility
108 Broadway Street

Commercial Buildings
Four Points by Sheraton Wakefield
1 Audubon Road


Historical Buildings
Odd Fellows Building
Main Street and Avon Street

Restaurants

Highly Recommended:
Indian
Maya Indian Bar and Grill
33 Tuttle Street
Recommended Dishes:
Maya Scallop
Rice Kheer
Mango Lassi
Peshawar Kulcha
Goat Tikka Masala
Fish Saag

Shrimp Lagan

Italian

Porto Bello Ristorante
979 Main Street
Recommended Dishes:
Costata Fiorentino
Lobster Bisque
Camarao A Casa
Limoncello Cake


Tried:
Breakfast
Blue Moon Grill
397 Main Street
Recommended Dishes:

Hot Chocolate
Morning Glory
Pineapple Coconut Bliss Pancakes
Irish Stuffed Potato Skins
Crabmeat Eggs Benedict 

Japanese
Sakura Organic
397 Main Street
Recommended Dishes:
Sushi Pizza
Ramen Noodle Soup

Western
Billy's Famous Roast Beef and Seafood
1291 Main Street
Recommended Dishes:
Fried S'mores
Junior Beef Sandwich


Dessert
Cravings
389 Main Street
Recommended Dishes:
Pineapple Soft Serve

Italian
Greenwood House of Pizza
979 Main Street
Recommended Dishes:
Chicken BBQ Delight
Grilled Pastrami Hot Sub

Slice, Pizza and More
587 Lowell Street

Recommended Dishes:
Rabe White Bean Pizza

Massimo Ristorante

19 Centre Street
Recommended Dishes:
Tiramisu
Chicken and Shrimp Al Tartufo 

January 16th 2016: Food on the Way to Malden

We happened upon the H-Mart in Burlington today, and decided to stop there for lunch, getting the Spicy Ramen from San Soo Kap San Sushi,

the Bibim Chewy Noodles from Woojeon Restaurant

and the Cheesecake from Tous les Jours.

The ramen was a little too spicy, but the cold korean noodles were pretty tasty. The cheesecake was way too powdery for my liking though.

Passing through the town of Wakefield,

The Savings Bank, 357 Main Street

we grabbed some froyo at the Zinga! location in Saugus.

Not bad, but too few topping options in my opinion.

January 15th 2016: More Meals in Providence RI

We had dinner tonight at Red Fin and Crudo, a hip tapas place in downtown Providence RI.

We got the Conch Ceviche (Yuzu Marinated Conch, Charred Corn, Tri Color Pepper Slaw, Leche de Tigre, Cilantro),

the Gambas Y Tamales Ajillo (Head on Prawns I Pork Rillette I Piquillo Peppers I Truffle Vinagrette),

the Salchichan Merguez (Moroccan Lamb Sausage, Pork Belly + Bean Cassoulet, Chermoula Sauce)

the Empanadas de Longonista (Lobster Empanadas, Baby Frisee, Piquillo Peppers, Terragon Crema)

and the Merlot + Blackberry Sorbetto (Sorbetto, Berries).

The conch was not bad, being more tender than what we had yesterday, The tamales did not go well with the shrimp though, the lobster empanadas were nothing special, the sauce tasting a little weird, and I did not like the alcohol in the ice cream as well. The only thing that was absolutely delicious was the sausage, but it was not enough to save the day, as we were not even full.

As a result, we decided to head next door to Ken's Ramen, a small ramen place which had quite a few people waiting in line. Thankfully, we were willing to share tables, and got to our table much earlier. We got the Pork Bun

and the Ken's Paitan Ramen (Ken’s whole chicken paitan broth with custom thin white noodles cooked al-dente, with Beansprouts, Kikurage Mushrooms, Onions, Scallions and Nori (Premium Dried Seaweed)).

The bun was not too bad, mainly because of the sauce, but the ramen was a little on the salty side. Not sure what the hype about this place is about.

Overall, a pretty disappointing night for eating in Providence.