When we are at the Cape, we rarely go out to eat, but when we do, I always like to try new places. We decided to take the family to Falmouth Raw Bar, located right by the Island Queen. The deck looks out over the harbor and they have a DJ or live music playing most nights. When we went for dinner, there was a live duo playing music from the 90’s – the music was a bit loud, so we opted to sit outside on the deck. It’s a great place for a casual bite or to hang out at the bar and watch “the game” on one of 5 large screen televisions.

I’m all about seafood in the summer, and everything fried, so I had the shrimp plate with fries. Prefer raw bars? They have littlenecks, oysters, peel and eat shrimp, poke ahi tuna, and ceviche. Just looking for some apps while watching the game or waiting for your ferry? They’ve got you covered with mussels, steamers, crab cakes, fried pickles, stuffed quahogs and chicken wings. What can you expect for entrees? Grilled chicken sandwiches , lobster rolls, clam bakes, fried clam rolls and more. We ordered the slider trio, a lobster salad, a chicken salad and a tuna salad sandwich. It was just ok, I think I would stick to the fried food or the raw bar.

Service was on par with summers on the Cape. Don’t feel like dining in? They do take out. Parking is right out front, but during peak times, you will have to park in the nearby lot.

Where’s your favorite place on the Cape to get fried seafood?

Falmouth Raw Bar

56 Scranton Ave., Falmouth, MA

www.falmouthrawbar.com

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Porto is a new Mediterranean restaurant that serves a modern take on seafood. The team behind this new hot spot are Jody Adams, Eric Papachristos and Sean Griffing (they are also the team behind Trade).

I love everything about this place from the moment I walk in, from the artwork on the walls to the summer beach cottage feel, right down to the blue tiles in the entryway.

Leah and I are doing some research for our Toasts and Bowls posts that went up earlier this week. We are lucky enough to run into Jody, who is just popping by, and we chat with her a bit before our meal comes.

The lunch menu is filled with delicious sounding plates: lobster roll, a fried oyster roll, grilled arctic char salad or a roasted half chicken to name a few. We went with the grilled avocado toast, topped with ricotta, red pepper and these addictive honey pistachios. This is a really nice twist on avocado toast, the grilled avocado makes this dish special. Very light and clean, filling – but in a good way.

Next up, we tried the Anson Mills faro verde grain bowl served with eggplant, broccoli, pomegranate and a perfectly cooked soft egg. The eggplant was delicious and while this bowl on paper sounds too healthy for my liking, it was quite tasty.

Service was excellent. They have a great bar – perfect for a glass of wine at the end of the day and some people watching. They also recently opened their patio, so make sure to stop by and check that out when the weather is finally warm for more than 20 minutes! Aren’t you ready for the rain and cold to go away? Is it summer yet?!?

Porto

Ring Road, Boston, MA

www.porto-boston.com

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Don’t be fooled by the outside of Red Heat Tavern. Driving by you might think it’s just another chain restaurant, when in fact, it is anything but. They have two locations, one in Wilmington and one in Bedford, and they are almost a complete scratch kitchen.

Jumbo tater tots? Sign me up! Hand-made, jumbo tater tots stuffed w/ applewood-smoked bacon, smoked Gouda, Provolone & American Grana cheeses, served with smoked tomato ketchup and beer cheese. Just died. ($10.95)

Is your mouth watering yet? If it hasn’t, it will now: Porky Fries One pound of French Fries, house smoked pulled pork, Cheddar Jack cheese, chipotle bbq, applewood-smoked bacon, scallion and smothered with beer cheese ($13.95).

People I know RAVE about their wings. Mesquite Smoked Wings Boneless or Bone-in, mesquite-marinated chicken wings two ways: Buffalo-style w/ smoked blue cheese dressing Sweet Thai-style w/ sriracha aioli ($12.95) ($19.95 double order). Delicious. Worth the drive!

I had the Josper Steak Tips* 3/4 pound of coal-fired tips of beef cut & marinated in-house, garlic & herb Parmesan fries, house made steak sauce ($20.95) (add RHT mushrooms, onions & peppers $1.95). Cooked perfectly, with a great crust on the outside. The fries were thin and had a good crisp, with just the perfect amount of salt.

Read Heat Tavern

300 Lowell Street, Wilmington, MA

http://redheattavern.com

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Saloniki had been on my list of places to try since it opened. The lines this summer were out the door and down the block! So I waited until recently to check it out. I’m kicking myself that I waited so long because just check out what I had been missing out on. The restaurant is owned by Jody Adams, Eric Papachristos and Jonathan Mendez. Born in Boston, Papachristos spent the first 9 years of his life in Thessaloniki, Greece, or as the locals call it, Saloniki. Mendez and Papachristos are old friends, and he would accompany Eric and his brother on their annual summer trips back to visit their family in Greece. And you know Jody from her restaurants Rialto and Trade.

So on a nice day you can grab a seat outside on the patio, otherwise there is ample seating inside. High top tables and long family style tables define the space here. Make sure to check out the amazing photos of Thessaloniki by Jody’s husband. Pictured above is the salad with pomegranate glazed eggplant ($8). Leafy lettuce is topped with red wine vinaigrette, onions, tomatoes, olives and feta cheese. You can add a pita for just a dollar more.

My favorite was “the Herc” ($9). Honey glazed pork shoulder with spicy whipped feta and “Greek fries”, which are basically like adding French fries to your sandwich! (Whhhhaaattt?!?!) While the fillings are delicious, and I could eat them for days, the pitas really make the whole experience over the top. You can watch them pump out pitas onto the flat top grill as your order your food.

And after any meal, I always need a little something sweet, so I tried the baklava crisps ($4) with pistachios, walnuts, honey and sesame. A nice lighter alternative to the traditional baklava! Did I mention that everyone behind the counter is super friendly? Couldn’t have asked for a better experience and can’t wait to go back for more!

Saloniki 

4 Kilmarnock Street, Boston, MA

http://www.salonikigreek.com

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I had never been to Assembly Row until just recently. Leah, Kim and I decided to meet up for lunch at Southern Kin Cookhouse, a new restaurant featuring, you guessed it, good southern cuisine. We were there when they opened, so you can just see how far behind I am with posting this summer! Everyone was new, so service was attentive, to say the least. I think I took one sip of my water before someone was there to refill it.

So you can’t have southern food without trying their biscuits. The buttermilk biscuits come with honey butter and seasonal jam ($7). Let me let you in on a little secret: they have a biscuit lady…kind of like a Christmas elf, she comes in early in the morning to make the biscuits (and the pie)…. I’m currently trying to figure out how I can meet said biscuit lady.

Normally I’d steer clear of deviled eggs…but Souther Kin Cookhouse’s version are cayenne and truffle stuffed, topped with trout pearls, pickled shallot and Benton’s country ham ($9). The creole mustard gives it that extra kick (not like it needed it!). The presentation alone says, these aren’t your Aunt Sally’s deviled eggs.

The fried okra is lightly battered in cornmeal and dusted with a little pink peppercorn ($8), served with a black pepper parmesan buttermilk dressing.

I love the presentation of the small plates here, the mismatched dishes are so in right now. The pimento cheese fritters ($7) are house made pimento cheese with smoked tomato jalapeño marmalade and green onion sauce. Simple food, executed extremely well.

It was a toss up between the chicken sandwich (I’ll be back for you!) and the Dixon burger. I went with the burger because…well….pork belly. So the burger is topped with bbq glazed pork belly, pepper jack cheese, lettuce and a fried egg. Perfection. The potato wedges were perfect (cause you know that most places get them to the table and they’re soggy in the middle).

Leah had the chicken n’ waffles ($21), southern fried chicken over cheddar chive waffle, with fresno pepper-maple syrup (it has a kick) and Louisiana honey hot pepper sauce. I gained 10 lbs just looking at this photo again!

While I was stuffed, I felt obligated, for research purposes of course, to try their pie. I mean, they have a pie lady, and I’d probably be offending her if I didn’t at least TRY a slice. And it was a pretty hard choice, they have so many delicious flavors. You can get a slice for $7 or the whole pie for $36. Add a scoop of Bart’s homemade ice cream (they’re from Greenfield, MA) for $3, and yes, it’s worth it. Ice cream comes in: malted vanilla, maple cream, sea salt caramel swirl and mud pie. Pie flavors are: buttermilk, mud pie, peach crumble pie, key lime pie, coconut cream pie and brown butter bourbon pecan pie. We tried the brown butter bourbon pecan pie (say that 3 times fast) that was topped with chocolate ganache sauce and had it a la mode with the malted vanilla ice cream. I almost stabbed Leah and Kim with my fork because it was so delicious…

When we were there in June the patio hadn’t opened as of yet, but they were supposed to open it up shortly thereafter. I assume that it’s open now!

Southern Kin Cookhouse

Assembly Row – 500 Assembly Row, Somerville, MA

www.southernkincookhouse.com

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There are a lot of new restaurants moving into Fenway. If you’re looking for some place to go before the game that might ot as crowded as those right next to the park, try the newly opened Waxy’s in Brookline, right at St. Mary’s T stop. This modern Irish bar has a great outdoor patio, perfect for when the weather heats up!

What makes this bar different than others? The food. Waxy’s tries to use local ingredients and vendors as much as they can! Their craft cocktails change with the seasons, keeping in mind what is fresh.

They have tons of inside seating, complete with semi private rooms.

While we were served charcuterie at the opening party, they have plenty of other things on the menu: from drunken mussels to scotch eggs to pulled pork to flatbreads to fish and chips.

The wings were a big hit – house specialty wings tossed with a sea salt and caramel glaze. Personally, I am looking forward to going back an trying some of the flatbreads. The “avoca” with cremini, shitake, portabello and yellow oyster mushrooms, goat cheese, kale and honey drizzle sounds amazing as well as the “emyvale” which is pulled pork, fennel seeds, braised fennel and mascarpone cheese. At $9 a flatbread, these are a great deal!

We had a chance to hang out with Bar Director James O’Brien, who talked to us about the bar and the cocktail menu.

Did you know that Waxy’s is smartphone friendly, the bar is equipped with 18 electrical outlets and USB ports!

There were 3 signature cocktails for the evening, above is the “shake, rattle and rum” wich is Three Olives Elvis vodka, Real McCoy 5 year rum, pineapple, ginger and Angostura bitters.

The “note to self” is Hennessy Black, Carpano Antica, Pussers 15, Averna, and Peychaud’s bitters.

Looking for a more fruity cocktail, try the  fruitations cranberry, made with Absolut Elyx, fruitations pure cranberry, lime and organic soda. Not a cocktail kind of person, don’t worry, theyhave 40 beers on tap that will rotate throughout the year.

Disclaimer: I was invited to the opening party of Waxy’s. My food and beverages were provided complimentary. All opinions are my own.

Waxy’s Modern Irish Bar and Kitchen

1032 Beacon Street, Brookline, MA

www.waxys.com/locations/brookline/

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We were invited to The Quarry in Hingham to spend the evening learning about bourbon from Beverage Manager David Danforth. Executive Chef Greg Jordan provided light bites to pair with each drink.

While it was a bit too cool this evening, we are looking forward to warmer weather when they open the patio – check out the great view.

The dining room is open and bright, taking full advantage of the beautiful scenery outside.

People rave about the burger in the main dining room, so I know what I’ll be ordering when I come back. Other delicious option on the main dining room menu include a center cut choice filet mignon, a chive and honey brick chicken, a gnocchi bolognese and a pan roasted swordfish.

We sampled 5 bourbons. We started off with a house made bourbon punch made with passion fruit and citrus. It was slightly sweet and at the same time savory with hints of peach, orange and apple bitters.

Our first drink was the High West American Prairies Bourbon served with cheese gougeres. High West is made from three whiskeys, Seagrams and two other undisclosed distilleries. It is aged in new American oak barrels for at least 2 years. It is a smooth whiskey that is light and has lots of character, making it a great starter whiskey. High West demands to be the star of the show and would be great when making a Manhattan or an old fashioned.

Next up was the Redemption High Rye Bourbon served with these delicious biscuits topped with country ham and whole grain mustard. The picked red onion was house made giving this bite the right amount of fat and saltiness. Redemption is a rye, with notes of cinnamon and nutmeg (making it a little spicy). It has a complex character and the alcohol comes through a little more. You are really able to feel the flavor in your throat. It combines the sweetness or bourbon with the spiciness and dryness of a rye mash.

Next, not pictured, was the Old Forester 1870 Original Batch served with some smoked nuts. The nuts were smoked for 30 minutes and the chips (in the smoker) were soaked in the same bourbon to reinforce the flavor from the bourbon we drank. The bourbon is made in copper pot stills and has a flavor profile that is a blend of citrus fruits: orange, grapefruit and blood orange.

We followed this up with some delicious cashews. The cashews were mixed with the trimmings from The Quarry’s house made bacon and if that wasn’t enough, there is candied bacon added as well! This was served with the Hillrock Estate Solera Aged whiskey. Hill Rock is the only distillery in the US and is located in the Hudson Valley. Solera is a stack of barrels where a small portion of whiskey is taken out and new whiskey is added. The average age is about 20 years. This has a softer, richer, molasses, chocolate covered cherry flavor – it was nutty with an earthy quality to it.

One of the coolest drinks we sampled was the orphan barrel forged oak 15 year old bourbon. It is a single barrel whiskey with notes of brown sugar and molasses. The Orphan Barrel Whiskey Company was started to share barrel of rare whiskey that were lost and forgotten in the back of rickhouses and distilleries. Every bottle is hang bottled in Tullahoma, TN. Foraged Oak was found while foraging the historic Stizel-Weller rickhouses. It spent 15 years in a charred American white oak barrel giving it the flavors of cedar, maple and vanilla bean, cocoa and black pepper.

This whiskey was paired with English Stilton cheese, blood orange marmalade and sour dough croutons. So delicious! Thanks to Chef Greg Jordan for the delicious bites and David Danforth for the lesson in bourbon!

The Quarry

415 Whiting St. Hingham, MA

http://www.quarryhingham.com

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Parkside has a nice assortment of sandwiches and lighter options if you’re just planning on stopping in for coffee and dessert. (Their desserts rotate daily!)

I  had the housemade egg salad ($8) on toasted wheat bread with lettuce and tomato. The egg salad was good, it wasn’t overpowered with mayo and had celery and onions mixed in. We didn’t get the handcut fries this time, but you definitely should if you decide to stop in! The breakfast here is delicious, I especially like the classic that comes with two eggs, any style, with toast and your choice of meat.  You order at the counter and the servers will bring you your food as it is made. Nice to have another option for lunch on Main Street. Breakfast will run between $7-$9 and sandwiches or salads can run between $7 and $12 (the exception being the options with lobster).

Parkside Market

281 Main Street, Falmouth, MA

http://parksidemarket.com/

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I was in the area and decided to stop by. The place has changed since the last time I was here, the company was bought in 2014 by Sean Christie and Chris Twyman.

Bent’s was originally known for its hardtack crackers and they are one of the last producers of them in the country. Bent’s supplied these water and flour crackers to the Union Army during the Civil War.

Sandwiches here are amazing. While the “Wildcat club” is very popular (oven roasted turkey, ham, muenster cheese, bacon, honey mustard, mayo, lettuce and tomato and toasted sourdough), I love the Winter Valley, which is hot corned beef, melted provolone and Russian dressing on toasted rye bread. While it wasn’t exactly how I remembered it, it was still pretty darn good.

We also tried out the cranberry walnut chicken salad in a wrap that was quite tasty. If you’re planning on heading in at peak lunch hour, I suggest calling in your order.

While Bent’s was know for their bags of broken cookies, the cookies these days are made in smaller batches, thus less bags of broken cookies – you may find one for sale on occasion.

Bent’s Cookie Factory

7 Pleasant Street, Milton, MA

http://www.bentscookiefactory.com/

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Dianne and I met over at Stephanie’s on Newbury a while back. It was a great chance for us to catch up since it had been such a long time. The restaurant has gotten a facelift since I was last here, how ever many years ago. The color palette has changed to gray with splashes of accent colors of red and orange. There are tons of new textures here as well, trying to modernize the space. The restaurant was crowded with people on business lunches, tourists, and moms with their kids. I had the Cobb salad ($20) that was grilled chicken, corn, tomatoes, egg, cheese, red onion, bacon, avocado and romaine lettuce, tossed with blue cheese dressing in a crispy flour tortilla shell. The presentation was lovely. I would have liked to have seen the chicken cut into a little smaller pieces, but the salad was full of all the things I love!

Stephanie’s on Newbury

190 Newbury Street, Boston, MA

Click here for their website.

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