Boston Restaurant Blog -- September, 2006

Below are blog entries from September, 2006. Use the links in the left column to do a quick search of blog entries, or to see blog entries from other months. And feel free to use the "Comments" links under each blog entry to reply to us; your comments just might end up in our Boston restaurant blog! (Note: This page is part of our restaurant features section.)

SEPTEMBER, 2006

Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Ice Cream and More at Dairy Joy, Weston

Last Sunday, three of us stopped at Dairy Joy in Weston on the way back from a day of apple picking at the Honeypot Hill Orchard in Stow. For those of you who haven't been to Dairy Joy, it is a classic ice cream stand on Route 117 in the heart of Weston. The place is wildly popular with both locals and folks from other parts of the Boston area, and for good reason; the ice cream is excellent, and the burgers, hot dogs, fried clams, and assorted sandwiches are perfect for those lazy summer or fall days.

We just stuck with soft-serve ice cream, as a large group of us had done a picnic at Honeypot, but the smell of the hot dogs and fried clams nearly made me want to have a second lunch. I resisted, though, knowing that I would be back before they close for the season sometime later in the fall.

For those who would like the address for Dairy Joy, here it is: Dairy Joy, 331 North Avenue, Weston, MA 02493; the phone number is (781) 894-7144.

Related Blog Entries: ice cream stands

Posted by MH, Boston's Hidden Restaurants, on September 27, 2006.
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Saturday, September 23, 2006
My Other Restaurant Blog

As some of you may know, the Boston Restaurant Blog is not the only blog that is connected to the Boston's Hidden Restaurants site. And while Boston Restaurant Talk may seem similar to the Boston Restaurant Blog, there are differences. The main difference is that Boston Restaurant Talk is more of a daily, stream of consciousness type of blog with lots of brief entries, while the Boston Restaurant Blog tends to have longer, more detailed entries.

Check out Boston Restaurant Talk when you have a chance. Also, as is the case with the Boston Restaurant Blog, the blog site can be read as a syndicated feed, which allows you to get automatic updates whenever there is a new blog entry. The Wed address for the feed is www.bostonrestaurants.blogspot.com/atom.xml. (To read more about how RSS and Atom feeds work, go to our RSS Feed Information Page.

Related Blog Entries: restaurant blog

Posted by MH, Boston's Hidden Restaurants, on September 23, 2006.
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Monday, September 18, 2006
More Restaurants in the White Mountains of New Hampshire

I know the foliage season isn't quite here yet, but we headed up to Jackson, NH, anyway for the weekend, since it's such a nice spot any time of the year. We headed up on Friday, stopping at the Yankee Smokehouse in West Ossipee on the way. Lunch was excellent at this barbecue joint at the corner of Routes 16 and 25. The chicken cutlet sandwich with BBQ sauce was very tasty, as was the sliced pork sandwich. The sauces at the Yankee Smokehouse might not be of the caliber of, say, the Blue Ribbon BBQ, but it is always a good place to stop on the way to the White Mountains.

After arriving in Jackson and relaxing amidst the cool, clean air and the high mountains, we drove into North Conway to check out Zeb's, a fun country store in the center of town, then headed down to the Muddy Moose, a restaurant and pub near the factory outlets south of town. I wasn't all that impressed by the Muddy Moose; yes, the ski lodge atmosphere and the great beer selection help a bit, but the food was nothing special (decent bison burger, pretty good buffalo enchiladas) and the waitress was not very friendly and messed up our beer order, not even bothering to apologize when it was brought to her attention). We headed back to Jackson after dinner and had a round of beer at a terrific pub that a friend of mine had told me about. The Shannon Door is cozy, friendly, laid-back, and full of outdoors lovers--basically making it the perfect watering hole for me.

The next morning, after having a fine breakfast at the Inn at Ellis River, we drove through Crawford Notch to do some light hiking, then continued up Route 3 north toward the Vermont border and Canada. At Whitefield, a hotbed of great diners and family restaurants, we stopped at perhaps the best of the lot. In fact, Grandma's Kitchen was so good that it will likely be featured on our site soon, so stay tuned.

We never made it to Canada, but drove past dramatic northern landscapes in towns such as Groveton and Stark, eventually heading back to Jackson by way of Gorham and Pinkham Notch. After sitting by the river for awhile in Jackson, we headed down to North Conway to have dinner at the Stonehurst Manor, a stunning restaurant and hotel on a hill overlooking the Mount Washington Valley. To say that the Stonehurst Manor was a great experience would be an understatement. Everything about the place, from the elegant atmosphere to the outstanding food (the meat loaf and prime rib au jus were both delicious) to the excellent waitstaff, made it a special dining experience.

Sunday morning rolled around and it was time to return home. We had another excellent breakfast at the Inn at Ellis River, then wandered through the White Mountains, eventually ending up in the Lakes Region. We had lunch here, at a funky place called Bobby's Girl Diner in New Hampton, just west of Meredith. This diner is housed in the last of the Worcester Diners, and has charm like you can only imagine. The interior is all turquoise and pink, and cheesy murals and pictures adorn the walls. And each table has a really bad joke book that nevertheless allows for many laughs while waiting for the food. Speaking of food, our meals were typically good diner entrees, as the flame-broiled burger and the crispy chicken tenders were decent enough to keep us filled up and happy all the way back to Boston.

Related Blog Entries: New Hampshire restaurants

Posted by MH, Boston's Hidden Restaurants, on September 18, 2006.
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Thursday, September 14, 2006
50's Diner, Dedham, MA: Good, But...

We drove over to Dedham last Sunday to try the 50's Diner, which is just off Route 128 by the movie theater. The 50's Diner is a fun place, with lots of bright colors (mostly pink), funky decor, and old-fashioned booths along the side of the restaurant. We ordered breakfast there, hoping to get a good meal in before settling down to watch the Patriots game.

The food was mostly good, except for the homemade corned beef hash, which was lukewarm and filled with onions. The french toast was outstanding, however, and the home fries and eggs were satisfying. And the coffee was excellent, which was a bit surprising, considering how diners often serve coffee that is a bit too strong and harsh for my liking.

By now you might be sensing one of those "and yets" coming. Well, here it is: The service was absolutely terrible. I don't mind gruff waitresses (especially in a diner, where it seems to be the norm) as long as they are efficient, but we waited at least 20 minutes from the time we finished our meal to the time we were able to flag another waitress down to tell her that we were ready for the check. We weren't actually going to the Pats game in nearby Foxboro, but if we had been, I would have been pretty upset about possible missing the first part of the game.

Needless to say, I wasn't all that happy anyway; I may give the 50's Diner another chance one of these days, since the food WAS good, but it remains to be seen for now.

Related Blog Entries: Dedham restaurants, diners

Posted by MH, Boston's Hidden Restaurants, on September 14, 2006.
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Monday, September 11, 2006
September 11

The tears came back last night. They never really did leave, much as the memories of the 9/11 attack have never left me. Perhaps it was the extraordinary documentary on CBS last night that did it. Or maybe it was all the news coverage of the anniversary over the weekend. Or possibly it was just my memories of visiting the site in December 2001 that came back so vividly over the past few days. But as with most people in this country and around the world, I am still greatly shaken by the attack, and probably always will be.

photo of the World Trade Center Site, December, 2001 People will look back at 9/11/2001 from many different angles: Some will focus on the pure evil or the terrorists; others may think about the sheer bravery of the firefighters, police officers, ironworkers, and all the others who helped save lives, and recover the bodies of victims to help families achieve closure. I know that I will be thinking of the heroes of that day, in particular, the members of the New York City Fire Department. As one person implied in the documentary last night, the terrorists started the day trying to end lives; the firefighters spent the rest of the day trying to save them. Not much more needs to be said...

Posted by MH, Boston's Hidden Restaurants, on September 11, 2006.
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Saturday, September 9, 2006
Kimball Farm, Carlisle: Still the Best Ice Cream Around Boston

A group of us went to Kimball Farm Ice Cream in Carlisle, MA, yesterday, after a hike to Walden Pond in Concord. This is becoming a tradition for some of us, as we had done a similar hike a couple of years ago, followed by a run to Kimball Farms.

The ice cream at Kimball's was once again out of this world, as everyone was satisfied with what they got. My black raspberry ice cream was truly outstanding; rich, creamy, and full of flavor. We stuck around for awhile, hanging out at the picnic tables and enjoying the mild weather.

Some say that nearby Bedford Farms has the best ice cream in the Boston area, but for my money, Kimball's is the place to go!

For those who want the address for Kimball Farms (and remember, they close in a few weeks for the season!), here it is: Kimball Farm Ice Cream, 343 Bedford Road, (Route 225), Carlisle, MA 01741; the phone number is (978) 369-1910.

Related Blog Entries: ice cream stands

Posted by MH, Boston's Hidden Restaurants, on September 9, 2006.
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Tuesday, September 5, 2006
A New Section on Sandwiches in Boston and New England

I realize that this section is long overdue, but we finally have a listing of lesser-known restaurants that have good sandwiches in the Boston and New England area. This page is a part of our "Search By Cuisine" section; if you want to see it, go to the sandwiches page on our site.

So far, we have three listings of places on our Sandwiches page. If you have any favorite sandwich shops or restaurants, by the way, let us know what they are by posting them on our Viewers' Favorite Restaurants page.

Related Blog Entries: sandwich shops

Posted by MH, Boston's Hidden Restaurants, on September 5, 2006.
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Friday, September 1, 2006
Weekend Eats at Several Cape Cod Restaurants

I finally made it to Cape Cod last weekend, and it was a great time as always. From wandering around Fort Hill in Eastham to buying lots of things at Tobey Farm in Dennis to photographing the sunset over Wellfleet Harbor, the cape was great from start to finish. And, of course, we did go to some excellent restaurants, too.

We started the trip by winding along the beautiful Route 6A through Sandwich, Barnstable, Yarmouth, and Dennis, where we stopped for lunch at Grumpy's, a terrific breakfast and lunch spot that is big with the locals. We have just reviewed Grumpy's, so click the link to read about it in more detail!

After having split pea soup, macaroni and cheese, and a pastrami sandwich at Grumpy's, we wandered down to Chatham to hit the Chatham Candy Manor, which is one of my favorite candy and fudge shops in New England. The Chatham Candy Manor is a classic place, with well-worn floors, glass displays filled with all kinds of sweets, and friendly people behind the counters. I stocked up on lots of fudge, then we headed to the old whaling village of Yarmouth Port to check into our inn. Then it was back up Route 6A toward the outer cape, with a stop in Brewster for ice cream at Kate's Seafood, which is another place that is popular with the locals. Kate's has some of the best ice cream on Cape Cod (though I still like Four Seas in Centerville better). From what I hear, they also have great seafood dishes, but we were not quite ready for dinner--maybe next time. The clam fritters did look good, though!

We continued on Route 6A to Orleans, then took Route 6 to Eastham, where we stopped at First Encounter Beach. One of the few beaches in Massachusetts that faces west, it would have been an ideal place to watch the sun set, but it was much too early, so we continued to Wellfleet, which may be my favorite town on the cape. Wellfleet has the feel of an outpost, as it is off the main road and sits snug on a scenic harbor. We walked all over town, took pictures of the setting sun from a wooden bridge overlooking the water, then went to the Duck Creeke Tavern for dinner. You will soon read more about the Duck Creeke Tavern, as it will be featured on Boston's Hidden Restaurants in a few weeks, but for now, all I need to say is, I had perhaps my best meal of 2006 there. We were still thinking about the meal as we drove around Truro afterwards before heading back to Yarmouth Port for the night.

On Sunday morning, we had a light breakfast at the place in which we were staying, then took a trip to beautiful Fort Hill in Eastham. Then we headed back along Route 6A, stopping in Sandwich for a satisfying lunch at the rustic tavern within the Daniel Webster Inn. I have been to the Daniel Webster Inn (or should I say, the Dan'l Webster Inn, which I believe is the correct spelling) several times, but this might have been my best meal there. We ordered the buffalo burger and the bacon and sweet potato pizza, both of which were fantastic. Now bacon and sweet potato may seem to be a strange combination, but it somehow worked, perhaps because it was a flatbread pizza.

Sadly, this was the end of our Cape Cod trip, as we only had the one night there. We finished our last meal of the trip while soaking in the historic atmosphere of the wonderful Daniel Webster Inn, then we headed over the bridge and back to Boston. I'm already thinking about my next trip to the cape; hopefully the Duck Creeke Tavern will be a part of it!

Related Blog Entries: Cape Cod restaurants

Posted by MH, Boston's Hidden Restaurants, on September 1, 2006.
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