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Your New England Restaurant Blog -- September 2007 New England dining reviews

Sammy's Deli, Burlington, MA

Posted 9/28/07

59 Winn Street,
Burlington, MA
Tel.: (781) 272-5955

Sammy's Deli is not a restaurant, but a convenience store with one great deli in the back (and a small dining area

to the left of the store, sort of like the Stewart's chain in New York State). Sammy's makes out-of-this world, fresh, oversized sandwiches, has a soup bar, and calzones. I used to eat at Sammy's when working in Burlington in the 1980s. Much to my delight, they were still around, bigger and better than ever on the way back from a Maine vacation. We shared a stuffed chicken Caesar salad wrap -- of the same quality and quantity Sammy's has produced over the past 40 years. Like other sandwiches I've had in the past, the chicken Caesar wrap was probably the best I've ever tasted. Mini-Review by EH

Flo's Hot Dogs, Kittery Trading Post, Kittery, Maine

301 State Rd. (at the Kittery Trading Post), Kittery, Maine

Posted 9/24/07

Flo's has been famous on the southern Maine seacoast for it steamed hot dogs since 1959. Based in Cape Neddick, Maine, Flo's has branched out offering its specialty to those in need of this all-American staple. We found Flo's, however, in Kittery, Maine, at the Kittery Trading Post, to be somewhat overrated. The Velveeta-like cheese on the Cheese Dog was inedible to me. The plain hot dogs, while tasty, can be found elsewhere in bigger quantities and with better taste. That's not to say that Flo's is not worth going to, however. It's just not as good as some of the media makes it out to be. Mini-Review by EH

Sun & Surf, York Beach, Maine

1 Ocean Ave., York Beach, Maine. Tel.(207) 363-2961.

Posted 9/24/07

The quality of food here has never been an issue, it's the service. Last time we ate here for breakfast, we waited 15 minutes, had a waiter get our drinks who wasn't our waiter, and then proceeded to wait 10 more minutes for our assigned waiter. When I informed the hostess of our long wait, she asked in a cavalier way, "Who is your waiter?" How would I know, we never saw him! How about, "I'm sorry, I'll find your waiter." The food, as always, turned out to be fine -- a fresh fruit cup, omelette with peppers, onion and home fries on the side. We've also had great dinners here, including haddock, lobster, clam chowder, and Maine blueberry pie for dessert. Additionally, the views are spectacular with indoor and seasonal outdoor dining overlooking Long Sands Beach on the Atlantic Ocean. The problem is, as in so many restaurants, disinterested, lackadaisical and inconsistent service. It's hard to eat at a restaurant that isn't running efficiently on all cylinders. After all, you're paying for the overall experience. Mini-Review by EH

Bristol Square Cafe, Walpole, MA

Posted 9/20/07

1428 Main St., # 10 Walpole, MA. Tel. 508-668-4342

The Bristol Square Cafe is a spacious restaurant overlooking a pond in South Walpole. It's a breakfast and lunch place with booths, tables and a counter with stools -- sort of life an oversized diner. The food is fresh and sometimes innovative. Last time, I had a terrific tuna melt with bacon and in past times pancakes loaded with chocolate chips, omelettes stuffed to the gills with cheddar cheese and onions, fresh turkey with stuffing and cranberry sauce and tender steak tips. Service is efficient and usually friendly, the dining room and kitchen clean, and the large selection of foods that should please the whole family.. Bristol Square Cafe is the kind of place every town should have, given the way they serve up great food each and every day. Mini-Review by EH

Horse and Carriage, Norfolk, MA

210 Dedham St. (Route 1A), Norfolk, MA. Tel. (508) 384-2274.

Posted 9/18/07

The Horse and Carriage is a cozy little restaurant featuring comfy booths and a large fieldstone fireplace in the main dining room. We've never had a bad meal and sometimes have had an exceptional one. Last time there, I had a fantastic, and abundant, chicken ambrosia with fresh red peppers and sauteed with white wine and lemon. The Horse and Carriages makes a delicious eggplant parm, Italian-style pizza, and offers an incredible French onion soup. Service is dependable and friendly. The Horse and Carriage is one of those restaurants that just feels right from the excellent food to the informal but attractive dining areas. Mini-Review by EH

The Riverwalk Restaurant, Mystic CT

14 Holmes Street, Mystic, CT (Schooner Wharf). Tel. 860 536-5220

Posted 9/14/07

It's hard to come up with better tasting broiled scallops, fresh homemade bread, clam chowder, and, believe it or not, Pad Thai, than at this popular, populist Mystic restaurant. Spacious and modern looking within a redone former factory building, the RiverWalk surely ranks up there with Mystic's finest restaurants. Certain parts of the restaurant also offer peaks of the Mystic River from Schooner's Wharf. The RiverWalk bills itself as creative and traditional cuisine using fresh, local ingredients." The RiverWalk truly delivers on those words. Mini-Review by EH

Inn on the Blues, York Beach, ME

7 Ocean Ave. York Beach, ME, Tel. (207) 351-3221

Posted 9/8/07

You'll get the blues from the music, but not the food at this appealing seaside bar/restaurant across from Short Sands Beach. Well-known for its blues entertainment, Inn on the Blues turns out some truly delicious dinners well above the norm for a place of this genre. They also have a wait staff with interesting, kind personalities, thus adding to the overall fun, harmonious and tasty experience Recommended dishes: Clam chowder, pesto salmon, chicken salad sandwich, lobster roll, hearty chili, bay scallops. Mini-Review by EH

Champlin's, Galilee, Narragansett, RI

256 Great Island Rd, Galilee, Narragansett. Tel. (401) 783-3152

Posted 9/6/07

The location couldn't be better at this oversized seafood shack (and fish market) with indoor and outdoor dining overlooking the ocean waters in the fishing village of Galilee. Our sampling of a tuna roll and lobster bisque didn't quite cut it as the former was dry and the latter unsubstantial. The views are so good and the crowds so consistent, however, that we plan to come back to try a lobster dinner or lobster roll. We look forward to a better meal next time out. Mini-Review by EH

Guido's Italian Family Restaurant, Walpole, MA

Posted 9/4/07

Kids love Guido's for the pizza, pasta, homemade bread, chicken fingers, friendly service and rotating dessert display with carrot cake, canolis, chocolate cake and oversized chocolate chip cookies. The adults might like Guido's even better for the exact same reasons. The pasta is always fresh, the waitresses are not and the prices are quite reasonable. We love the small, informal dining atmosphere and the lack of pretension that seems to be permeating too many Italian restaurants in the guise of gourmet, bistro-promoted food. Guido's doesn't label itself; they just concentrate on giving the customer what they want. A second location in nearby Norfolk (218 Dedham St.) is every bit as good as the original with a bit more atmosphere and dining space. Mini-Review by EH