Eat Up New England is sampling as many lobster rolls and lobster dishes as possible this summer as part of its Lobster Tour 2015. This weekend, I found the most delicious lobster roll yet on Cape Cod Lobster Tours in Sesuit Harbor.
This cruise is the perfect way to kick off the summer with its breath-taking views of the Cape and its beaches. There is a fully stocked bar, where I ordered the refreshing margarita you see above. Not only do you get an amazing cruise, you'll also get a full meal. Check out that lobster roll! It was so fresh with huge chunks of lobster meat. I've been craving another one ever since!
Cape Cod is known for all of its fresh seafood. You'll find it at La Scala in Dennis, but you'll also discover many classic Italian dishes.
Every meal at La Scala begins with small fresh-baked bread. It's served warm and the butter just melts right onto it. (We may have asked for seconds!) All of their entrees come with the fresh salad you see above, with just enough Italian dressing. They also have a full bar with national beers and local beers like Cape Cod Red on tap.
Seafood entrees included baked cod and baked scallops. Italian entrees include chicken, eggplant and veal parm, chicken & eggplant, along with a bunch of pasta options like sausage, broccoli & pasta and seafood FraDiavlo. I ordered the ravioli and meatballs. The meatballs were EXCELLENT. Seasoned perfectly. La Scala offers some yummy specials, too. This past weekend, there was a very tempting manicotti and meatballs special on the menu. If you have room for dessert, try one of their homemade canolli.
La Scala is open for dinner only Tuesday through Sunday.
The new Jake 'N Joes in Waltham, Massachusetts is open just in time for the summer. This is a great spot for a cold beer and bar food. I enjoyed lunch outside on their large patio. It has a large couches, plenty of seating and a fire pit for customers to sit around. Inside, there are countless large TV's to watch sports on and a huge bar with a very large selection of drinks. The menu at Jake 'N Joes is gigantic. It's hard to settle on one thing. There are burgers, salads, sandwiches, wraps, pizza, pasta and fish dishes. I enjoyed their sliders app as a meal with a chopped salad and a Sea Dog Bluepaw blueberry beer. It was all very tasty and filling. Jake 'N Joes also has daily combo lunch specials on their menu. Check out their newest location this summer and ask for a table outside! www.jakenjoes.com
Bars
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Massachusetts
The company that owns Pizzeria Regina has filed for bankruptcy. They've filed to get out of several long term contracts they had with local malls, according to the Boston Globe. No one's going to these locations, so they needed a way to close them down. As of Wednesday, the Pizzeria Reginas at the Pheasant Lane Mall in Nashua, NH, Mall of New Hampshire in Manchester, Arsenal Mall in Watertown, MA and the Emerald Square Mall in North Attleboro have all shut down. All other Pizzaeria Regina locations - including their flagship restaurant in the North End - will remain open.
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New Hampshire
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Pizza
It's hard to believe, but this weekend is already Memorial Day Weekend. It's the unofficial start of summer 2015. It's time to start up Eat Up New England's Sizzlin' Summer Spots. These are restaurants that offer the perfect feel of summer. They have ice cream windows or the perfect view of the ocean or a menu packed with local seafood. Welcome, summer 2015!
The first Sizzlin' Summer Spot of 2015 is The Wagon Wheel Restaurant in Gill, Massachusetts. (I've blogged about their food before, check the Eat Up NE archives.) This restaurant makes all of its ice cream. Step right up to their ice cream window to order some. I enjoyed a cone of their mint chocolate chip with sprinkles. There are a bunch of picnic tables to sit down and enjoy your summer treat. You can even play a quick round of cornhole on their lawn. wagonwheelgill.com
Ice Cream
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Massachusetts
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Sizzlin Summer Spots
Bender's Burritos in Stowe, Vermont is the place to go for fresh and tasty tacos, burritos and quesadillas. Their traditional burritos can be filled with grilled chicken, pulled pork, ground beef, cod, tilapia or even shrimp. Choose from more than 70 ingredients to fill it with. They also have specialty burritos like buffalo chicken, surf & turf and cheese steak. Bender's has so many tacos on the menu and you can order them a la carte, so I enjoyed three tacos. "The American " was my favorite. It's made with ground beef, pico de gallo, lettuce, sour cream and cheese. I also enjoyed a pulled pork soft taco and a beef soft taco. There are also roasted veggie and sweet potato & black bean tacos for vegetarians. Bender's has several local beers on tap, but I was delighted to see cans of Heady Topper on the menu. Heady Topper is one of the best tasting beers around and it's made in Vermont at The Alchemist. A can costs around $8, but once you try it, you'll be hooked.
The country buffet at the Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, Vermont is legendary. For just $20 (including tax), you get unlimited trips to their hot and cold buffet. There's a table full of pastries, including homemade croissants, muffins and bread. You can make your own bowl of cereal and granola. Fill your plate with fresh fruits like strawberries, melon, blueberries and pineapple. Hot items include pancakes, sausage, eggs and bacon. Not only is the food delicious, you can enjoy it with the best view of the mountains in all of Vermont.
This choco taco is on the menu now at Cook in Newton. It's filled with vanilla and chocolate ice cream. Not only is it delicious, but buying it helps support breast cancer research. It's all part of Boston Bakes For Breast Cancer. Right now, restaurants in the Boston area are selling sweet treats like the choco taco and donating all of the proceeds to fight breast cancer. 80% of the money goes to Dana Farber and 20% goes to Bakes For Breast Cancer. The event goes through tomorrow, so bring your mom out for a Mother's Day treat and help end breast cancer once and for all. Check out their website www.bakesforbreastcancer.org for participating restaurants. There are also some Rhode Island restaurants involved.
Desserts
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Massachusetts
Stowe, Vermont is known for its breath-taking mountain views, skiing, fresh air and its fantastic local restaurants. So much of the food that you'll find in Stowe (and really much of Vermont) is local and farm to table. The Green Goddess Cafe is one place you'll find these healthy ingredients. This cafe has a huge menu for breakfast and lunch. You'll find homemade muffins, pastries, pancakes, eggs and toast, scrambles and breakfast sandwiches among their breakfast offerings. There's also a full menu of raw juices and smoothies.
We went for lunch, so we were able to order one of their huge salad, which the Green Goddess Cafe is known for. All of their salads are served in large wooden bowls. There's plenty to share.You can choose from one of their salads off the menu, or make you're own. You can actually fill out of sheet with whatever ingredients you want! We also ordered a grilled cheese with cheddar, avocado, goat cheese and spinach. The buttery bread was the perfect compliment to this perfect sandwich.There are a bunch of other sandwiches on their menu, along with soups, wraps and paninis.
I had one of the best meals in Stowe at Green Goddess Cafe, so be sure to check them out!
On Tuesday, it was 80 degrees out in Boston. It was the perfect time to continue Eat Up New England's Lobster Tour 2015! I stopped at Solas in the Back Bay for my next lobster roll. This Irish pub has all of the traditional Irish dishes, along with some tasty bar food. Apps include nachos, their amazing house made potato chips with dipping sauce (TRY THESE!), potato & cheese dumplings, sliders, quesadillas and egg rolls. There's a Guinness onion soup on the menu, but I went for a pint of my favorite beer instead. The main menu includes a bunch of burgers, a homemade veggie burgers, chicken pot pie, mac-n-cheese, shepherd's pie and beef stew.
The hot summery weather was the perfect excuse to try their lobster roll. A large portion of cold lobster salad was served on top of some lettuce and a buttery roll. It's served with a huge portion of homemade fries. There were enough fries for two people. Who knew you could find such a delicious lobster roll at an Irish pub?!
I've spotted the Cookie Monstah food truck all over Boston and today, I finally got to try one of their ice cream sandwiches. You can pick whatever kind of cookie you want, like chocolate chip, peanut butter, sprinkles and red velvet. Then, fill it with your favorite ice cream. I enjoyed "The Classic" with chocolate chip cookies and vanilla ice cream. Mmmm. You can catch the Cookie Monstah's trucks all over the city and at Sowa Sundays. thecookiemonstah.com
Boston
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Food Trucks
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Ice Cream
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Massachusetts
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