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New lounge to open in Lowell

2010-03-09T02:52:00Z

You asked for it, someone's doing it. A 30-something apps and ambiance lounge is slatted to open on Market Street, where Simba and Dark Intentions once stood, in Downtown Lowell. Savanna Palace boasts gourmet dishes, a two-tiered stage and multiple bars for a mature crowd. Work crews have been demoing the space all winter long and I for one say bring it on. I'm not sure what the 411 is behind the operation, but it's a promising second wind and in "this economy" we'll take it. Perhaps before Savanna comes to town the long-awaited jazz club The Back Page, next to the Blue Taleh, will kick out the jams in Kearney Square. When that happens, coupled with the new re-tooled Mickeys-turned-martini bar on Central Street (anyone know when this is opening?) spring time will be the right time for making whoopee. Who's ready?

Fish n' chips for the soul

2010-03-03T19:05:00Z

You don't have to wait til St Patrick's day to tuck into a basket of fried cod and French fries. In fact, with the glorious mayhem around March 17, you are better off going on a fish n' chips safari right now. Nothing ruins a Gaelic grub session quite like an off-key version of the Clancy Brothers rattling through your head and green beer sloshing at your toes. My favorite fish n' chips experience was not in Kilkenny, Killarney, or any other "Kil" town, but at the always festive Peddlers Daughter in Nashua, N.H. I can taste it now — golden fried white fish and tasty chips served with homemade ketchup. Yes, I buried the lede. The ketchup accompanying this piping hot duo (served in a newspaper I might add) is so tangy, so fresh, one wonders why more resto pubs don't take this additional step. Ketchup that actually tastes like ripe tomatoes blows tartar sauce off the bar. Not sure tartar is traditionally served with this dish anyhow. An ample dose of malt vinegar adds to the all-important moisture quotient of this feed, but you don't always see it. A sign of a real Irish pub is one that carries an array of malts. Another good chipper is in Ayer (yes that's in Massachusetts, over the Shirley line) at JP O'Hanlons. I also suspect (and I don't know why) great fish n' chips can be caught in Rhode Island and Gloucester. I could use some recommendations to improve my list. Where do you go to get your fish n' chips on?

Great Plates still feels good

2010-02-23T22:08:00Z

We are three days into Great Plates and I am raring to go. I tweeted about the hot chocolate that Centro is featuring for its dessert course yesterday and yapped about La Boniche's menu on WCAP's "Dining with Deano," but forgot to protect my base. Sorry fellow foodies. Without further ado here is the rundown on GP. It's a two week eating spree offering a prixe fixe menu for lunch and dinner starting at $7 and cruising on up to $33. No big surprises this year: Cobblestones, Caffe Paradiso, Ricardos, Centro, Olympia, La Boniche, Athenian Corner, Mambo Grill are all back for more. Where's the Old Court? There is some new blood this year: Mama Lia's, Dharma Buns and Ole. Big ups for Lowell Beer Works for making the scene. The big questions (someone posited last night ) is the deafening absence of some fave DTL joints: Blue Taleh, Cavaleiros and Estogo. Where are you guys? Too costly I presume. But really it can't be more than a $150 to toss your name into the ring. Would be nice if some ethnic restos opted in. The long-forgotten Oasis or the still new to the game Tabocas. I'm thinking Viet Thai and Pho Da Lat would be nice additions too. One wonders if these establishments were even approached. Not complaining, just saying! Check out the menus here and plan your attack. Return and give us a review too. We love that kinda stuff.

Why Moonstones Shines

2010-02-19T22:30:00Z

Let me count the ways. First there's the new chef. I say "new" even though Enx has been on the scene at the Chelmsford hot spot since the fall, because the talented man in white just busted out his first menu. And what a beauty it is. First off, pork bellies. Normally I wouldn't go near something that sounds (and let's face it looks) like a slab of bacon got into a fight with a deep fryer. But in the capable hands of this hot Hawaiian, who learned his tricks from Roy Yamaguchi, the pig is pure pleasure.

And you can always hit the gym tomorrow. I did after a foray with this trendy tapas, and actually lost a pound. What? But it's not just the pulled pork center and pineapple look of this appetizer that got me into a tropical mood. It was the avocado risotto. Creamy, green, delicious. Also, it must be said, this man does something with a tomato that shouldn't be legal. I found out later he marinates the fruit in fish sauce, ginger, garlic and onion. So simple. Gives the dish a bountiful burst of sunshine.

Homemade wontons have replaced the bread sticks (and peanuts) at this former Ground Round on Route 110. Carb purists may scream anathema, but we found the alt-take on bread and butter quite refreshing. They arrive warm, slightly salty, not too greasy, with a tangy, slightly kicky aioli sauce. Are we still in Chelmsford? Another new and exciting addition to the Moonstones menu is a sizzling ahi sashimi, which creates a stir (and a smell) when torched. I like a little sizzle on the menu, gives a restaurant a pulse. Didn't luxuriate with a cocktail, although I'm craving one now, because it was mid-day. But the uber cool lounge-y bar screams for something shaken, stirred and strong. There's a new creative cocktail every month. Bop in now for a Skittles over easy.

Happy Fat Tuesday

2010-02-16T15:02:00Z

Check the calendar all ye pagans, today's the day to pig out. I used my Mardi Gras license all weekend to do just that on The Cape (thanks Napi's) and I suspect you did too. However if you practice Lent (or even if you don't), you'll want to get your last licks in today. Soooo where is the best place to go hog wild? I'm looking for some tips, but I'll start us off by pointing you in the delicious direction of Five Bites Cupcakes.

I'm always on the hunt for new bakeries and cupcake shops. And while it seems Lowell will never get its own cupcakery, I look to my hometown of Wellesley for inspiration. I had Five Bite Cupcakes for my birthday recently and (even though they are transfat free)

they were a delightful diversion to childhood. Opened in December, this sinful shop specializes in red velvet, carrot, double chocolate and something called the sno-cone. They also make gluten-free cupcakes on Thursdays and Fridays.

While you are in the land of the Lexus, you may as well detour into The Gelato Cafe for a macchiato to wash it down and a pint of blue vanilla to go. Relax you have the rest of winter to fast. Where are you getting your hog on today?

Blond on Blond

2010-02-11T14:11:00Z

Ferns in Carlisle opened a beer and wine shop in November — when this dry town made the sensible choice to reverse the curse. Since then the annex to the Vermont-ish country store has been suburban Boston's best kept secret. No more! Find your way to this friendly spot for deliciously obscure ales like Pretty Things out of Cambridge, stellar wines and champagnes (lots of high-end stuff) and the random beer you had on that ski trip to Maine that you never thought you'd locks lips with again. Yup, they've got it. Perhaps THE BEST thing about the newly fermented Ferns is their Saturday tastings. This weekend owner Larry Bearfield (I think he should change his name to Beerfield for the time being) and his knowledgeable staff sample a trio of blond ales from Belgium — Hoegaarden Biere Blanche, Leffe Beer and the always smooth character Stella Artois from 4 to 7 p.m. This free tasting is not about tanking up on booze (although a mid-day weekend buzz never killed anyone) it's a great chance to cull some libation ed and get to know the connoisseurs in your midst. Plus Carlisle is so idyllic this time of year. Any other tastings out there?

Soup Bowl recap: Winners, losers and those who judge

2010-02-08T21:53:00Z

I finally emerged from my soup coma. You feel me? If you were at last weekend's Soup Bowl Competition at Lowell Winterfest you do. There were some great soups — Mambo Grill, Cobblestones, Egg Roll Cafe, Centro and Ricardos, take a bow. But only one winner. I was a judge this year and found it harder than getting out of Lowell at 5 p.m. on a Monday to select a single soup for culinary excellence. Ahhh, but someone had to do it.

Like a wine tasting, several entries got the shaft immediately. Not naming names here, but it was easy to eliminate. Congrats to Lowell High School Hospitality Academy and their gorgeous scallop, corn, sweet potato chowder with applewood smoked bacon! Co-Judges Augusto Gabriel and Garrett and Nicole Thurston, all of Lowell, made this resto responsibility fun. I even snuck in my pocket cam to capture the painstaking process that goes into picking Lowell's top soups in low-def. See video here

The high school's cooking program, under the expert tutelage of Kevin McGuire, was the big winner. You may remember McGuire as the former chef of Ricardos, the trattoria that nabbed third place for its Italian Divorce Soup (people's choice). A big day for Kev overall. But it was Cobblestone's creamy, buttery and briney clam chowder that Joe public named the bomb. Well deserved, or as the English would say "rightly so."

Things turned geeky in the inner circle when the male judges got into fisticuffs over the nuances between bisque and chowder (something to do with cream), but that's what we are here for. As I made my rounds in the Masonic Temple Saturday I was struck by the many great establishment turning out stellar soups. So what if hospitals and institutions are encroaching on this event? As Augusto pointed out soup is supposed to be medicinal. Let the healing begin. What was your favorite weekend remedy?

Do the banh mi

2010-01-28T23:13:00Z

There are two kinds of foodies -- those who eat anything at anytime and the ones who pretend to be into "all kinds of stuff" but secretly draw the line at squid ink. Peeshaw. Childsplay. I met with the hardest core of the bunch yesterday, Y Sok Woodward. The chef/owner of Rebel Caterers in Lowell took me to Hong Cuc on Dutton Street for "The Sandwich." This Vietnamese classic called banh mi is made with four different kinds of meat (headcheese among them). Let's clear this up right now, I don't know what's in this mystery meat (actually I think it's pig's ears) and I don't want to know. And you shouldn't either if you want to get behind this sandwich.
I love the way the flavors and textures coagulate. The crunchy French roll is the closest thing to a baguette I've found in the 978. See those vegetables in the middle? They've been pickled to zesty perfection. Pork, chicken, ham and headcheese (there it is again) are layered on top of a pate and mayo spread -- a genius combo. Cilantro is thrown in for good measure and thank God for that. The herb brings a clean flavor to this ethnic creation. You'll feel like Anthony Bourdain eating the banh mi on the streets of Vietnam. Just don't scrutinize the ingredients and you'll love it. Can you do that? By the way it's a mere $2.50. You've got nothing to lose.

Punk rock winemaker on the loose

2010-01-25T03:22:00Z

I've met my share of bitches, but never a so-called "zin bitch." And never one that looked like Chris Tietje. The bald, inked winemaker of Four Vines in Paso Robles, California turns grapes into righteous juice as Sid Vicious screams about anarchy. Hey, somebody's got to do it. He describes most of his biker-inspired wines as "majorly freaky." Have you ever tried a freaky wine? I did today at the Four Vines table at the Boston Wine Expo and by freaky he means full-bodied and hard as sin. This chef-turned wine maker, who spent summers frying fish in Ogunquit, brings an alternative energy to this labor-intensive craft. With a steely off-beat spirit, he makes wine fun again. The Four Vines Freakshow line (including Heretic made with 100 percent petite syrah pictured above) is a series of headbangers that are bold, powerful and will never be relagated to opening act status. If you ever see these guys at a wine festival ask to see what's under the table. With his private stock he will salute you. Before heading back to the Central Coast, where some of California's best juice is being made today (see Peachy Canyon and Justin ) Tietje visits the Spirited Gourmet Wednesday from 5 to 7 in Winchester. Stop by to try some ass-kicking wine and learn from a guy who won't be wearing a crewneck sweater and smelling of Old Spice.

Got a hot date?

2010-01-21T20:54:00Z

Tonight is date-night at the urbane Summer Winter in suburban Burlington. Relax singletons, you don't have to be coupled or a smug married to dig this deal. The buzzy bistro inside the Marriott throws down a three-course themed meal for $35 every Friday of 2010. Augmented with veggies and herbs from their greenhouse, it's our favorite deal of the moment. Tonight's theme is Southern Lovin'. Black-eyed pea soup, smoked ham and hush puppies get things going. Choose between spicy fried chicken (I'm liking this), country mashed potatoes, pickled watermelon rind with mustard barbecue sauce or blackened steelhead trout with collard greens and creamy grits. Hot Damn! Dessert means cherry-pecan cobble and peach ice cream. You can fit it in. If you eat too much, or get caught up in amore, you can always get a room.

Any other good dining deals out there? It's restaurant week somewhere.

Need a boost?

2010-01-21T02:37:00Z

I am not a late-night partier. I have never been to a rave. But if I did, I'd tuck a few sleeves of EBoost into my pack before slapping on the Day-glow. I love discovering a new food product with verve. Coffee, as good as it is, was created so long ago (ditto wine, beer and pick-your-stimulant) it's low on wow power. So when I stumbled across this all-natural energy lifter yesterday I was ready. Looks hip and the orange packaging is cheerful. But its brilliance really shines when water comes into play. Frothing up into a creamsicle martini in two seconds, this Tang on steroids is hard to put down. A few sips in you feel as perky as Reese Witherspoon in Election. In a few hours you've accomplished so much, curious question will arise ... Why did I wave off that second cup of coffee? Why was I up all night? And why is this "lifestyle enhancer" targeted to jet-setters, drummers and system analysts? Green tea extract, potassium, zinc and enough Vitamin C to quell a Floridian are the main ingredients. So you see, it's all safe, all good and worth every nickel. I ordered up a slew online and have since discovered that some bloggers (DailyMakeover.com) equate EBoost to crack. I don't know about that, but this is one product worth throwing your Monavie (and maybe even your Grey Goose) away forever.

Coffeehouses in Lowell: A Five-Second History

2010-01-19T15:52:00Z

In 1920, there were 28 coffee shops in Lowell. And we think competition today is stiff. Toiling in the mills for 14 hours at a stretch, Greek immigrants needed a place to refuel that felt like home. See these guys? They are drinking java on Market Street in the Acre, where many of the city's earliest coffeehouses thrived. Looks like the now-defunct Olive that and More.

Minerva, Messinia, Smyrna, and Arcadia were the names of these seminal cafés. According to the Lowell Hellenic Heritage Association, a typical cafe had "plenty of tables and chairs, and served a great deal of Turkish coffee and baklava." Sounds good to me.

Here's how one patron, whose identity slipped through the cracks of history, described it: "In the barren rooms of tables and chairs with basil plants lining the window sills and calendars of pretty women and pictures of grizzled Greek patriots on the wall, the men sipped Turkish coffee, read Greek newspapers, smoked the many‑tu nargile, played cards, and talked for hours. For amusement, the customers might dance, sing village songs, and listen to a bouzouki, or mandolin."

So you see it's no different from the coffeehouses of today, minus the marijuana smoking (no wonder these blokes look so stoic). WiFi has replaced much conversation, but open mics and music still fill the air. To wit: The Space has an open mic on Jan. 29 and Brew'd Awakening kicks out the jams Thursday. Do your part to keep this cultural facet of the city's history alive and visit a local cafe today.

We suggest The Coffee Mill for flavors like sticky bun and the best-prices around — $1.05 for a short. Across town by the University, the EggRoll Cafe serves Illy Coffee. Worth the trip.

Haitian Relief hits home

2010-01-18T20:00:00Z

I've always liked Burtons Grill. Now I know why. They've got the mind of a well-oiled chain and the heart of a family franchise. Tonight all three locations (North Andover, Boston and Hingham) will donate 15 percent of the day's proceeds to Bill Clinton's Haitian relief fund.

Regardless of what you think of Slick Willy, at least his fund is not fake. I can't think of a better reason to schlep outside on a classic January day, a Monday no less. Think thick, juicy burgers and helping out a decimated population in one fell swoop. On Sunday La Boniche in Lowell does its part to spread the hope. The uptown French bistro goes tropical with an Afro-Cuban/Caribbean buffet, live music and education from 3 to 5 p.m. For $20, or $30 (per deuce) you can splurge and imbibe with pride. Any other restaurants following in George Clooney's footsteps this week?

Dining Scene in Andover Picks Up

2010-01-17T15:52:00Z

It wasn't too long ago that this tweedy New England town, home of Phillips Academy (enter stuffy cough here) resembled a restaurant wasteland. The cupcake shop, Serene, The Andover Inn and charming French bistro Cassis pulled out in a puff. Over the summer, Starbucks and the Andover Gift Shop looked like the only viable businesses on Main Street. Fast forward to early 2010 and things have perked up like a grande macchiato. In March, Casa Blanca (the Mexican hotspot with locales in Billerica and No. Andover) will move into Serene's second floor hideaway. Yella, a Lebanese bistro, has opened in Cassis' space in romantic Post Office Square. The Andover Inn has new owners and is under repair and Mawby's, the gourmet grocer on Barnard Street, is now La Rosa, an Italian bakery/takeout spot. So you see closings are not always a reason to throw a pity party. These eclectic options are sure to put a positive spin on this quaint downtown that we here in Lowell are lucky to call our neighbor. I will be reviewing these spots over the next few weeks, if you beat me to it, submit your's below.

There Will Be Wine

2010-01-13T22:28:00Z

Bored with your book group? Have the tired tastings at your neighborhood vin haus got you down?
Hit refresh tomorrow night at the Wine Society's monthly book club and wine tasting. Swirl and sip as you sniff out the juicy narrative in George Taber's To Cork or Not to Cork: Tradition, Romance, Science and the Battle for the Wine Bottle. The former Time Magazine scribe dissects the best wine closures and spills a few trade secrets in this lively read. But (and this is the best part), instead of discussing the literary nuances over brownies and burnt coffee, you're quaffing back tasty vintages with your friends and neighbors. Haven't read the book? Stop by anyway. We won't tell. Each month the society selects a new wine-forward read. Thursday 6:30- 8 p.m. Wine Society, Pond View Place, Tyngsboro. $25.

Any wino worth her sulphites knows that the biggest wine event of the winter descends next weekend. Boston Wine Expo, Jan. 23- 24, turns the Seaport World Trade Center into grape zero, as hundreds (nay thousands) of wine makers, connoisseurs and happy people with purple lips fan out across this hangar-like space to fist-bump Bacchus.

This year's celeb guests Kevin Zraly (Windows on the World Wine School and Gary Vaynerchuck (Wine Library TV) will keep you highly entertained. See ya in the Grand Cru Lounge!

If you can't make that, you have one more chance. The Granite State keeps the oenophilia flowing at the end of the month with Winter Wine Spectacular. That's in ManchVegas baby!

Some reservations

2010-01-11T00:17:00Z

The culinary bad boy of food TV took a bite out of his contemporaries at the Lowell Memorial Auditorium Saturday night. Anthony Bourdain, the edgy host of No Reservations used Guy Fieri, who performed on the same stage in November, as his first target.
"You're 45 years-old, take the douche bag shades off the back of your head," he deadpanned as the crowd ate up the vitriol and asked for more.

The chef-turned-heroin-addict-turned-Travel Channel-star did show some love for Ina Garten and Mario Batali. He hates the Iron Chef, loves Gordon Ramsay (no surprise there) and singled out the British version of Kitchen Nightmares as a reality fave. He also stuck up for Bobby Flay, or showed pity for the most picked-on celeb. chef saying: "I'd hate to be him."

This stand-up show felt like a meeting of the Bourdain fan club. As a marginal No Reservations watcher, I wonder why this guy has blown up. Sure he had a funny bit taking on fast food giants "The Colonel, the King and the Clown," but that's low-hanging fruit. His travel tips — street food in foreign countries yes, concierge recommendations no — had some merit. Although one of my favorite lunch experiences ever came from a concierge assist at the Affinia Hotel in Chicago.

What really bothered me was his off-the-cuff answer to this question from the audience:

"How do you pick your locations?"

AB: "The crew sits around drinking and someone will say 'I saw Apocalypse Now last night. Dude we should go to Vietnam.'"

I felt it disrespected us, or maybe it's because I've never sat in on a meeting like that and I want to!
But really does he have to make his success seem like such a fluke? I'm sure he's worked hard to get where he is and it would've been nice if he shared that with us. He is a contradiction too. "The only thing I don't like about the show is that I'm on it." Right.

Left Bank Makes Right Move

2010-01-09T23:32:00Z

Executive Chef Alex Facio at the Left Bank is a quiet force who creates dishes that belong in Boston, not Tyngsboro. But let's rejoice that this dining destination sparkles on the Merrimack for our delectation. The French Laundry (Napa Valley) and George's (San Diego) veteran learned his skills from the creme de la creme. But it was his Mexican heritage that taught him the true meaning of spice. "Growing up, the men didn't cook, women owned the kitchen. But that's were I liked to be," he said.

Facio's steak salad is zesty, clean and anchored with a superb cut of beef that transports you to a place you never knew you left. A place where beef tastes like grass, sun and wind tap-dancing over a friendly flame. This "light" lunch was augmented with taut and nicely salted fingerling potatoes and a bed of greens, avocados and tomatoes in an invigorating dressing. Great Hill Blue Cheese was the ideal garnish. Thank you Vermont.

This Cali. chef snuck into the Stonehedge Inn months ago and has been changing up the traditional menu when the whim strikes. Gotta respect that. If you haven't checked out Left Bank in 2010, what are you waiting for? Sunday Brunch is going on right now. They've trimmed the stations in lieu of plated entrées. I'm all for a little restraint in the a.m.

Cold Nights, Hot Jazz

2010-01-07T15:04:00Z

It was sax in the city at the Blue Taleh last night. It's been two years, but it still blows my mind that this happening sushi/martini bar in Kearney Square used to be The Sun classified department. Owners Steve and Pon Ramirez deserve an award for best feng shui redesign. They even got the cooties out.

If you live downtown (or even if you don't) and haven't checked out BT's Wednesday night jazz extravaganza, you're cheating yourself out of a hep time. Order sushi at the curved bar with dropped blue lights, enjoy a cocktail or two, and start snapping your fingers to jazz standards performed by a scattered cast of patrons. A surprisingly solid raft of singers stepped up to the mic to belt out standards like "The A Train" and "The Nearness of You." There wasn't an audible chopstick in the house as the singers transported the room from Lowell to Harlem. The only thing missing was a thick layer of smoke (and candles on the bar). Band leader and drummer Stanley Swann, keyboardist Daniel Webster and a great sax player, whose name I didn't catch, provided a steady backdrop for this urbane reverie.

On the 12th Night of Christmas, the mood was loose. Donna Miceli, enjoying a few cosmos with Anna Jabar-Omoyeni, chef/owner of La Boniche, danced the night away with a stream of men who took turns spinning the dancing queen around the room. The feeling was so upbeat, I didn't even notice the change in my favorite dish — the volcano. Guess when the original sushi chef left, so did the deftness of this entrée. The towering heap of crab and slaw with sushi rolls nesting inside needs more time under the torch to maintain the crispy, smoky flavor it used to possess. This volcano hardly erupted, the only off-note of the night.

And speaking of jazz, the Back Page, a new jazz bar that will be opened by Steve Ramirez's brother Robert will swing to life any month now. I was told end of Feb. That's along the canal, right next to the Taleh.

Great Plates comes back to DTL next month, Feb, 21 to March 6th. This is the discount dining deal that perked up the winter of '09. Details to come.

Another sign o' the times

2010-01-05T19:45:00Z

I just walked by a very closed Olive That and More on Market Street in Downtown Lowell and five minutes later an alert follower told me they closed last week for good. Could it be the Dharma factor? I don't want to spread any rumors, and I haven't had a chance to verify this, but it sure seems like a scary start to the new year. Owner Tracy had purchased the deli from husband Matt last year and was just starting to make a go of it. Anyone know more? Thanks Downtown Diva.

Why chef-owned restaurants rule

2010-01-04T16:07:00Z

In ManchVegas (localspeak for Lowell's sister city up north) on New Year's Eve we slipped into Z Food and Drink on Elm Street without reservations. Obstructed somehow in plain view, this little bistro was just what the moment called for. The apps, small plates, tapas (is there anew name for this undying trend in 2010?) are not an afterthought in Tom Puskarich's kitchen.

Steak carpaccio, towers of juicy beef slivers, layered with tangy horseradish cream, caramelized onions and micro-greens on a homemade crostini was a nourishing start to the last day of the year. Four descent sized bites seemed luxurious compared with the rapidly shrinking plates of late. The smoked seafood chowder, made to order, was as creamy and pleasing as Maine's finest. Because we had an evening of dancing ahead, we opted for one more app, the Asian nachos. Crisp won tons flecked with (skimpy) chicken, jack cheese and wasabi sour cream, was perked up by a dose of chili paste the kitchen brought us upon request in lieu of Tabasco. I could have skipped this weighty dish and will next time.

What warmed the amber ambiance of the room was Puskarich's presence. Dressed in his chef coat he went table to table thanking patrons for coming out. Classy. A former chef for The Catered Affair in Boston, he opened this "seriously fun food" establishment in 2007 and closes this month to expand into the next storefront. When Z re-emerges in February it will double its size and boast a large bar. Heartening news in these weary times for restaurants outside major urban hubs.