A Warm Welcome at Chez Nous Bistro Lee, MA.

Located at 150 Main Street in Lee, MA. Chez Nous Bistro (with us or as I would translate it at our place) offers a warm and welcoming place to break your fast. We were staying across the street at the Chambery Inn and I always love to be able to walk out to dinner, this bistro was perfect, close and a very appealing menu.

I did make reservations for six o'clock just to be on the safe side but it was a Wednesday evening and it was quiet when we arrived. By the time we left, the restaurant was much fuller.

We were given some crusty rolls and butter with olives to hold us over while we chose drinks and our meals. Al had a Jameson's and ginger age and I just had water. Al left the choices to me so I opted for a shared appetizer, the cheese plate. You choose three cheese, we had a gruyere, a  gouda and the Fourme D'Ambert which was a soft blue cheese. It was served with nuts, dried fruit conserve and toast. A true delight and Al surprised me by loving the blue cheese.

I decided that the salad sounded too good to pass up, endive, orange, radish pickle, walnuts honey and orange vinaigrette, I also saw and tasted grape tomatoes and radicchio. It was delicious. For my meal, I chose the full rack of lamb and Al chose the full bistro steak. You have the option of getting a smaller half order.

My lamb was cooked perfectly medium well and was well seasoned and tender. I asked for and received mint jelly. It was served with crispy chickpea Panisse frites, fennel confit and olive jus. I loved the lamb, liked the confit but was unimpressed with the frites, I could have opted for potatoes of some sort and actually wished I had but I enjoyed my meal enormously.

I was too full for dessert but Al opted for the chocolate torte. It was awesome, intensely chocolate and everything he could have wanted. I had a cappuccino which was the perfect ending for my meal.

Coming in from the cold, we certainly felt warmly welcomed both figuratively and physically. I high recommend Chez Nous Bistro if you happen to be in the Lee/Lennox area.

Return visit: Lunch at Haven Cafe Lennox, MA

We arrived in Lennox at about 12:30 and we were peckish. We planned to visit Ventford but we really need some food first. We located Ventford and then went driving into downtown Lennox to find someplace to eat. It isn't as easy as you might think. But finally, I told Al to turn into this one little street. I realized after we turned in that we had eaten breakfast at Haven Cafe when we visited the Mount. I remembered the food being good so we found a parking spot and headed in. 

After you go in the door, there is a table where the daily special, soup etc are listed on a small blackboard and the menus are there so you can make a decision before you get in line to place your order. While you wait, the bakery items are looking at you and calling your name. At least they always call mine. I bought a couple of cookies to take away with us. 

I decided to have a Reuben and Al had a steak quesadilla which was a special. I had hot apple cider and Al had water. We went to find a table and we had a number that they use to identify you and they will deliver the food to your table. 

I got quite a shock when I saw my Reuben, it was open-faced, not at all what I expected but it was delicious. Al really enjoyed his steak quesadilla as well.

I really like this restaurant, I wish they took orders at the tables instead of placing your order at the counter but the quality, quantity, and taste of the food have been excellent both times we dined here. 

The Lobster Pot Dublin Ireland

We have stayed in Ballsbridge four times on visits to Dublin but this is the first time we have really walked into the commercial area where the Lobster Pot is located. What a delightful surprise the whole area is. Makes me wonder why we have never walked this way before. We saw the restaurant on our first foray into the area and put it on the list of things we might want to revisit. How could seafood loving Americans resist? We couldn't.


When we arrived for dinner without a reservation, we had no idea what a bad idea that was. We were lucky enough to secure a table but only I suspect because we arrived rather earlier than most Dubliners dine. It was packed by the time we left.



The building gives no idea what a lovely restaurant this is. It is on what we call the second floor and the Irish call the first floor. Its decor is formal with white table clothes and well-dressed waiters. The food is priced accordingly. We were a little shocked, it was our own fault, we hadn't checked the prices but let me say upfront that it was worth every penny. From 6-7:30 p.m. they offer an early bird set menu. We did go with the two courses but changed to the three courses when the dessert trolley was rolled out.





The menu is French inspired seafood. I ordered the cod with Mornay sauce. The vegetables and potatoes are served family style. I started with the seafood chowder and wonderful bread and butter. The cod was yummy and I loved the veggies. Irene had the salmon. I am not sure what Pete had and Janet got the onion soup. All the food was beautifully presented and delicious. Our waiters were very attentive and we never wanted for anything.







We hadn't planned to have dessert but one look at the dessert trolly and we were goners. They had a Pavlova which I am quite addicted to and I had to have it. It was every bit as good as it looked.

We left with a smile on our faces and stuffed tummies. We enjoyed the walk back to the hotel to help us digest all the goodness we had just eaten. If you stay at my favorite hotel in Dublin Pembroke Townhouse it is an easy walk to the Lobster Pot, and trust me, you will want to walk down and give them a try. You even get to walk by the American Embassy on your way.

And just in case you are curious, they do serve fresh lobster.

My First Attempt at Chocolate Crinkles

Chocolate Crinkles are a relatively simple chocolate cookie that is dipped in confectionary sugar before it is baked. I volunteered to bake for our cookie walk and I asked my friend Kathy to make the Snickerdoodles that I have made in previous years since I know she likes to make them. I needed to find another cookie that was easy to make but also would likely be at least semi-popular. 

Of course, I decided I wanted to make them with cocoa powder and butter which meant I had quite the time finding a recipe to match my ingredients. I ended up using one that is similar to one I found on the Internet. 

I wanted to make a large batch so I doubled the recipe. 

2 sticks of softened salted butter
5 medium eggs
3 1/3 cup white flour
1 cup cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon of salt
3 tsp baking powder
2 1/2 cups of sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Cream the butter. eggs, sugar, and vanilla. I mixed the dry ingredients and after the wet ingredients are creamed I started adding the flour mixture slowly.  

Since I was not ready to bake the cookies, I scraped the dough, which is quite stiff, into a large ziplock bag and placed it in the fridge. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes. I found that with my oven, I had to leave the cookies in for between 15-17 minutes. I use parchment paper on my stone cookie sheets. They are very chocolatey so if you are looking for a chocolate fix, Chocolate Crinkles are the perfect cookie to satisfy it.  

Easy and Delicious Teriyaki Oven Country Style Ribs

I have to admit that when it comes to cooking I am an opportunist. Last week when I was grocery shopping, I found a large package of country ribs at the IGA that was on sale and had been reduced $3. For less than $6 I could have about 10 country ribs, I just couldn't resist. 

I debated doing them in the slow cooker but opted for the oven since I didn't want to do them with barbecue sauce but rather with bread crumbs and Teriyaki sauce. 

I set the oven at 375 and pre-heated it. I use a cookie sheet to cook my ribs. I lightly coat the pan with olive oil. I poured about a cup of breadcrumbs onto a plate and then coated the ribs on both sides and lined them up on the pan. I then sprinkled them with Chicago steak seasoning. 

The ribs need to cook for about an hour. At the 45 minute point take your teriyaki sauce and use a pastry brush to apply it to the ribs. I turn them over to coat both sides.  Do this several times over the next 15 minutes. 

The country ribs that I used this time were so thick that I decided to cook them for a full hour before starting to put the teriyaki sauce. 

I love country ribs this way, that little bit of sweetness is such a good addition to the breadcrumbs. Serve with applesauce and potatoes and veg of your choice. We like mashed potatoes and corn but during the summer I was using local tomatoes with a little balsamic vinegar.  

Alfred said that these ribs are the best thing since sliced bread which from a man whose usual response is that the food is edible is very high praise. 

Restaurant Review: Fowler House Cafe Quincy Mass

After our day touring the Adams sites we were ready to get some grub. We walked down the street past the United First Parish Church looking for something to interest us. It was warm, we were tired, and frankly, nothing looked that great. (sorry restaurant owners in that area). Fine, we thought, we will just find something on the way to the hotel. Now I have to admit when I get hungry I am not a pretty sight and I was getting peckish in the extreme. Luckily for us, we spotted the Fowler House Café about a mile after we left the parking lot. 

We found a parking spot across the street and ran over. There is seating in both the bar area and the dining room. It’s hard to tell what to expect from the outside, we almost expected a neighborhood bar. We were half right, this is definitely a neighborhood place but it is a family restaurant to be sure. 

The menu has lots of choices from appetizers, the "drunken mussels" sounded great to me, to soups and chili. They have individual pizza from as simple a plain cheese to as exotic as eggplant and roasted red pepper. Lots of salad choices, burgers, and sandwiches. I, however, was warm and tired and I wanted something frosty cold. Nope, not a beer, a Pina Colada, and a beauty it was. Just what I needed to perk me up.

I was ready for some serious eating. I ordered the Seafood baked trio, a combination of scrod, scallops, and stuffed shrimp cooked in a casserole, lightly buttered, and seasoned. Al chose the shrooms and tips. Both of our orders came with a basic green salad to start. It was a very basic green salad with iceberg lettuce, onion, tomato, croutons, and one piece of cucumber. It was however huge.

My fish dish was delicious, I had it served with butternut squash as my side.  Al’s plate was loaded with perfectly cooked tips and shrooms and butternut squash. So much food, unfortunately, we had no room for dessert.

We were seated in a very comfortable and private booth. Around us, there were families, children, and seniors. A little bit of everything. There was a lot of bang for your buck here and most people were taking away doggy bags.

Service was friendly and efficient. I would eat at the Fowler House Cafe again if I was in the neighborhood.

Maguires Cafe on the Hill of Tara Ireland

By the time we got to the Hill of Tara, it was after 2 p.m. and to say we were getting peckish is an understatement. I wanted to grab a bite at the Battle of the Boyne visitor center but Gerry recommended waiting and going to McGuires. It didn't occur to me that maybe he has an arrangement with them to bring his passengers there to eat, but I suspect it is so. When we saw it we understood why.  It is very attractive and our greeting was warm.

We got menus and our drinks quite quickly but we were allowed to wait too long to place our orders. Gerry ended up going to the counter and telling them to come over. I ordered the vegetable soup of the day which was sweet potato and parsnip, a tuna and sweetcorn wrap, and tea. We invited Gerry to join us for lunch and he also ordered tea so they served us tea for two.

Irene also ordered the soup and a ham and cheese panini to share with Pete and Janet ordered the ham and cheese panini. Jerry ordered the BLT on a bagel. I wonder if he knew something?

The soup was delicious, really, really good and it came with nice grainy bread. The wrap was just okay as was the ham and cheese panini. Pete ordered an Irish coffee with Jameson and it came as a cup of coffee and a shot of Jameson on the side. He was quite surprised.

I ordered the rhubarb crumble to go and also took my half wrap which I had not finished with me. I figured it would make a nice dinner later. I was wrong. The wrap didn't travel very well and it desperately needed more mayo and the rhubarb crumble was terrible. The crumble and crust were disgusting and I ended up eating the rhubarb out of it as best as possible. I love rhubarb crumble and I was so disappointed, I should have ordered the Pavlova.

Maybe it was just what I ordered, the soup was so good and it was all downhill from there. The staff at McGuires Cafe was lovely and friendly so it is hard to give them a bad review but I recommend steering clear of the tuna and the crumble and maybe going with the BLT bagel lol.  I am thinking they cater to bus tours and are what you would expect of such an establishment. 

Horse and Hounds Restaurant and Pub Ocala, Fl.

I have been passing the Horse and Hounds Restaurant on a regular basis for the last 5 years and I have always wanted to stop. We finally did this year and not once but twice. It seems that there is a connection to my favorite restaurant the Crazy Cucumber and some of my favorite dishes are available here as well.

#HORSEANDHOUNDOCALA

The menu is very much English country pub combined with an upscale Florida bistro. They have a prime rib special on Monday's 2 for $25, taco special on Tuesday, Shrimp Fetta Pasta Bake on Wednesdays and a 6 oz 3-course sirloin special on Thursdays. Drinks specials are also offered as well as a popular happy hour.






You can dine outdoors on the porch, in the bar or in the dining room. All very rustic and English with horse prints. I found it to be quite warm and welcoming right from the moment we entered the door.

#HORSEANDHOUNDOCALA

On our first visit, it was a Monday and we both got the prime rib. I am not usually the prime rib type, but I wanted Al to have the prime rib so I got an end cut. Very delicious.











On our second visit, we met our niece Jaclyn here for lunch. She is the manager of the bank in the same parking lot. Jaclyn had the fish sandwich, I had the fish tacos and Al had the shepherd's pie. Al the food was delicious and we had such a nice lunch.

This is now one of my favorite restaurants in Ocala and I am looking forward to bringing some of my friends and family for a delicious meal when they come to visit

The Farm Table Bernardston, Mass.

With the demise of Chandler's in Deerfield, we needed to find somewhere else to stop for lunch on our route to and from Vermont. A Google search brought up The Farm Table at Kringle Candle. A check of their menu convinced me that this was a restaurant we needed to try. Given the fact it was Columbus Day, I was surprised to be able to get a reservation but I did. Not that the restaurant wasn't busy, it was but we were just lucky with our timing.

The Farm Table is only a mile or so off of I-91 and they have a large parking lot behind the building. We were given a small table along the wall with large wingback chairs, very comfortable. The overall atmosphere was lovely, the chandeliers are made from empty wine bottles and there are sleigh bells flanking the windows. I can imagine a roaring fire in the fireplace during the winter, The overall feel was warm and the dress is casual but maybe leaning toward business casual.

We arrived at 12:45 with service closing at 2:30 p.m. Given it was October, the soup of the day was butternut bisque and the sandwich was a pork schnitzel on a hoagie roll.  I decided to try both specials and also ordered the roasted olives as a starter. Al ordered the mac and cheese with fries taking the place of the normal salad side.

The soup was perhaps the best butternut squash soup I have ever had, So simple, so creamy and so delicious, just perfect. I didn't get my order of olives however and I ended up asking for them after I ate half of my hoagie.  The pork was okay, I wasn't impressed. It was a large piece but I would have preferred it to be thinner and not quite so well done. I didn't care for the taste of the pork but that is just me. 

The olives were the biggest disappointment. They were supposed to be flavored with lemon, chili, and garlic, I could taste none of those flavors, they were just salty. They were served in a cast iron pan with no implements to eat them and since they were roasted and hot, fingers seemed an odd choice. The fries that were served with the hoagie were very good.

Al's mac and cheese was excellent and a generous portion served in a small cast-iron skillet. I got a cappuccino and Al a ginger ale which they were good about refilling. 

Now I bet you are thinking I won't be returning here but you are so wrong. We ordered the blueberry crumble for dessert. Oh my, I don't even know where to begin except to say it is gluten-free!! It is served with vanilla ice cream and usually, in these cases, Al eats the ice cream and leaves me the crumble. To say we had dueling spoons scooping up these phenomenal blueberries would be an understatement. I can't praise this dessert enough, I would go back there tomorrow just for the dessert and the soup. 

Lunch with tip was north of $80, not inexpensive but I see the potential of many delicious meals here. I would just perhaps not order the daily special again and stick with their known favorites. I feel confident recommending The Farm Table. 

If you feel like shopping, there is shopping on both sides of the street here at Kringle Candle. 

Harvest Moon Cafe Pittsford, VT.

We drove by this restaurant several times before deciding that we just had to go there for dinner. Dora and Fran had tried it for brunch but never for dinner. I decided to stop in one afternoon for a cappuccino and ended up getting some pastry as well. First, let me warn you, you need reservations for dinner, especially on the weekend. It is a small restaurant with a very loyal following.

I checked out their website and had a pretty good idea before I got there what I wanted to order. lol Of course, the seasonal specials always throw us off and we often don't end up ordering what we thought we would order.

On our latest visit when making our reservations we preordered the popovers. Trust me, if you like popovers, you do want to order one of these, available only Friday and Saturday and they must be preordered.

The menu has lots of choices, they make a slow-cooked sauce and serve it on a variety of pasta and protein options. Fran is a big fan of their chicken parm and he compares all their other dishes to that one which he considers perfection. When he is considering something else he will ask our French waiter is it better than the chicken parm and only if it is a definitive yes will he order something else. This time it was a porterhouse stuffed pork chop and he ordered it.

I love the chicken lemon basil which I have to say is divine. I have tried the fish but I come back to the chicken. It is a large portion that I know will feed me for at least one other meal and this last time, two meals. It chicken is lightly breaded and cooked crispy on the outside and juicy inside. It is served with a choice of starch, dauphinoise potatoes are what is on the plate and cold pickled yellow beets.

Al has become a fan of the steak and mushroom medley but this last time they had a special that was a filet done in the same style and he had that, it was cooked to rare perfection. The picture is the steak, not the filet.

I always start with their salad because it is delicious and the dressing is a real winner. By the time I eat my popover, I am lucky if I can handle even a couple bites of my meal let alone any of their out of this world desserts.

I can't imagine going to Vermont and not stopping at Harvest Moon Cafe, it has become our favorite restaurant in the area and maybe even our all-time favorite place to eat.