Restaurant Review
I know this is not a restaurant, but I just have to write about this amazing store and it’s just around the corner from Moxy Restaurant, that I wrote you about yesterday! The salt cellar has three locations we go to. The Portsmouth NH store (7 Commercial Alley) is a must every time we are in Portsmouth. The Salt Cellar has the most amazing variety of finishing salts I have purchased many for myself, as well as many for gifts. I always have the garlic salt on hand but have tried the ghost pepper salt, fleur de sel, onion salt as well as the smoked Chardonnay. I can’t possibly list everything they have, but I think you get the idea. Every time I go in I find something new. I already know what I will be getting next time I am in…any guesses? I am thinking the lemon salt and the lime salt will be great for the summer cooking! So that’s next!
The salt cellar also has a large variety of bath and spa items. Hand cream, Dead Sea soap, Kiwi Mango Scrub, Peach and Honey Scrub to just name a few things. They even have a men’s after shave for your favorite man! Maybe home and kitchen things are on your list? They have salt lamps, salt blocks, salt shot glasses and even a salt swizzle!
The best thing about the salt cellar is that everyone can order from them. Not only do they have three stores, they also have a fantastic website where you can order all of the fun things I have mentioned. If you make a purchase of $75.00 or more you get free shipping. This is one of my favorite places and I think it will be one of yours too!
https://www.salt-cellar.com/our-stores/portsmouth-nh/
Enjoy!
Moxy! I have so much to say about this amazing place. Moxy Restaurant is at 106 Penhollow street in Portsmouth N.H. I have heard some amazing things about this restaurant and we finally made it there a few weeks ago. They are only open at 5 pm nightly. We had reservations (I highly suggest reservations) and were promptly seated as soon as we walked in. Moxy is an award winning modern American Tapas Restaurant, small plates! We loved this as we could try so many menu items, not just one or two. Our waitress suggested we order everything at one time if we knew what we wanted, so we did just that.
The first plate to arrive was the crispy Rhode Island Calamari ($8.00). This was served with scallions, fennel and a pepper relish. The calamari was lightly breaded and fried just right. We devoured this dish, but thankfully our second dish had already arrived!
This is Moxy Bread! ($5.00). This is grilled bread with grated tomato and hickory nut farm goat cheese. This was also good but, we really loved the calamari!
Next up was the Beef Short Ribs Marmalade. This is one of my favorite dishes of the evening! ($9.00) It had so much flavor… the pickled onions gave a big pop of flavor, the short rib was so tender, the crunch of the grilled bread, and I love blue cheese! Put all of it together and it was delicious!
We aren’t done yet! Next up was the Misty Knoll Farms Pan Seared Chicken Thighs ($13.00). This is one of the bigger menu items they offer and was also Jim’s favorite item of the night! The chicken thighs were served with creme fraiche, pickled ginger, cilantro and lettuce to wrap everything in! The chicken was incredibly tender and the pickled ginger was really tasty. When you put it all together in the lettuce is was the perfect bite!
We can’t leave without dessert! Although we were both feeling full we could not resist the Whoopie Pie Sliders! ($8.00). You don’t just get the whoopie pies you also get an amazing silky smooth chocolate dipping sauce! These were just what you would expect…a sweet filling, chocolaty outside and a decadent dipping sauce. Yes, we ate them all!
Although Moxy’s menu is small and focused with so many local farm ingredients there are so many things on the menu that will keep us coming back for more! Fried clams, roasted beef bone marrow, fried chicken sandwich and crispy potatoes are just a few other amazing looking dishes they have!
And don’t forget they are an award winning restaurant with awards from the Boston Globe, Food and Wine and we have to mention 2016 and 2015 James Beard Best Chef Northeast semi finalist! This is a must visit for anyone in or anyone planning to come to the area! They are on Facebook and have a web page that gives you the menu, hours and an easy way to make a reservation! http://moxyrestaurant.com/
Enjoy!
Last week I was talking to my friend Penny as we were making dinner plans then going to a comedy show after. Penny asked me where we should go to eat and since the show was in Rochester, NH I told her about one of our new favorite restaurants, the 110 Grill.
As I was telling her about it, I was going to send her my link to my restaurant review as well as a link to the restaurant itself. But to my surprise I had not done the review! WHAT! How did that happen? I keep a list of everything I do and this one clearly was not on it! So I won’t keep you in suspense any longer, and I have added to the post from our group night out as well! Let’s start by telling you how to find them! They have 7 locations but the one in Rochester is at 136 Market Place Blvd. in the Ridge Shopping Plaza. You can also find them on Facebook and on the web at https://www.110grill.com/rochester/ Here you can find all their menus, times they are open, as well as making reservations!
The first time we went was for a late lunch and it was just Jim and I and we started off with the Bistro Wings ($12.00). These wings are fried with your choice of House Made Maple BBQ sauce or Buffalo sauce. We chose the Maple BBQ sauce and let me tell you, the maple really comes through making this a very sweet BBQ sauce. We really enjoyed these wings and would certainly order them again!
For our main course Jim ordered the Chicken Pesto Penne. Are you all shocked it’s not a burger?? Although the 110 Grill does have a few different kinds of burgers ,Jim opted for the pasta dish! Doesn’t this Pesto Penne dish look delicious? Jim loved it. He really enjoyed the fresh flavors from the tomatoes and the artichokes. This dish has pan seared chicken medallions and roasted tomatoes. Along with these are artichokes and Penne tossed in pesto sauce. Also, those beautiful reggiano shavings on top! What’s not to,love with all of that!
For my main course I had the Goat Cheese and Steak Tip Salad. ($18.00). There is a lot going on with this salad! The perfectly grilled marinated bourbon steak tips are so tender and full of flavor. But the salad part of the dish was just filled with so many tastes and textures. The salad alone would make a perfect light lunch on a summer day. This salad has a candied walnut crusted goat cheese patty topped with arugula, caramelized onions, mixed berries with a drizzle of amber honey and balsamic reduction! If that does not get your mouth watering I don’t know what will! Delicious!
Because we could not get enough of this place we ordered a Peanut Butter Casacde to share for dessert ($7.00).
If you love peanut butter and chocolate, this is for you! This dessert was delicious from the top to the bottom! The peanut butter cascade has layers of fudge brownie, peanut butter ice cream, House Made hot fudge and because that’s not enough it’s finished off with Reese’s chunks! Oh my goodness…so good! So that sums up the first visit but let’s talk about the second visit!
This time we went with a group (6 adults total). We had 5:45 dinner reservations. Let me just say if you are going for dinner, I highly recommend reservations. You can call or do it right from their website. Super simple! On the two occasions we have been they were very busy. You can even do call ahead seating if you forget to make a reservation.
We all started out with a beverage and a couple of appetizer’s. They do have a full bar service and I will say for as busy as they were we had our drinks and appetizer’s pretty quick. The last time we were in, we kept hearing about the amazing Asian calamari so I’m going to start there. Everyone at the table likes calamari so we ordered two servings for the table. ($13.00 per order). I can see why this dish is so popular. The calamari was fried perfectly and served with cherry peppers and finished with a sweet chili sauce. The chili sauce did not overpower the dish thus making the golden fried calamari the star of the plate with a sweet and a little spicy note from the sauce. This was a winner. Everyone at the table agreed these were very good!
We also ordered the BBQ Chicken Nachos. I did not get a picture as we all dove in as soon as it hit the table. I don’t typically like southwest type nachos with beans and corn, but I really enjoyed these. ($13.00). These nachos had layers of red and yellow corn tortilla chips, diced chicken with their maple BBQ sauce really bringing in that sweet flavor to the dish. Lots of cheddar cheese, ranch dressing, black beans, corn and last but not least banana peppers! I personally love the addition of banana peppers. Great dish overall, but would say if you don’t want that sweet BBQ sauce you may not enjoy it. We all enjoyed it, but everyone made note of the sweetness.
Next up! Jim’s main course was the fish and chips….I know…not a burger!! Can you believe it?! This dish is very straight forward and exactly what you would expect. ($14.00). It’s a northern Atlantic cod in seasoned flour, served with french fries, tarter sauce and coleslaw. Jim enjoyed the dish, but it was not his favorite. Although it may not have been his favorite the dish, it was gone in no time!
My main course was the Turkey Burger!($13.00) You did not think one of us could eat here twice and not get a burger did you? Although I don’t typically order burgers this one sounded really good and is similar to one that I make in the summer. Overall this was very good with a lot going on! I also added a side Caesar for an additional $4.00. This is a pan seared turkey burger served on a focaccia bun, I loved the bun! That will make it to my table this summer for sure! The burger is topped with goat cheese, cranberry aioli, caramelized onions and sliced apples. Is your mouth watering yet? Overall this was really tasty. I did find the burger itself slightly dry. But with everything else going on with the burger it makes up for being a tad dry as you get so much flavor from all of the other components in the dish! Very good overall. I would order it again! Now the side Caesar salad. This was elevated with the house made croutons and the shaved reggiano, really good and not over dressed with dressing. 110 Grill really takes salad up a notch!
And the one last dish I am going to tell you about are the Sesame Sriracha Steak Tips,($15.00). A number of adults in the group ordered this and really liked them. I did sneak a taste from my friend penny and I really enjoyed them. Lots of flavor and super tender! I did not get a picture as at this point of the night, we were all diving into the food and getting ready to head to a comedy show. Let’s face it, it’s slightly awkward asking your friends for a picture of their dinner! Most of my friends expect it but it does not change that funny feeling! Oh well, back to the steak tips! The marinated steak tips are served over jasmine rice, pickled cucumber, carrots, red onions and peppers finished with a Sriracha aioli. Lots of yummy flavors in this dish! You won’t be sad eating this any day of the week!
I hope you take some time to visit 110 Grill at any of their locations! Check them out!
Enjoy!
This week is full of my favorite things and this restaurant is no different! Sonny’s Tavern is located at 328 Central Ave. in Dover, NH. You can also find them on Facebook and also online. Trust me you are going to want to check them out!
Sonny’s is open 6 days a week for dinner and open on Sunday for brunch. We went for dinner and started with an appetizer of jalapeño hush puppies with a whipped maple butter. ($5.00) Sounds pretty good right? A New England style starter for sure. Well, we can tell you Jim and I really enjoyed these, crispy on the outside and soft and full of flavor on the inside. As you dip them into the perfect maple butter that melts slightly with the warm hush puppy, wow…wonderful! As Jim and I enjoyed these we were looking at the people and talking about the vibe that Sonny’s has. Sonny’s is very rustic with a solid group of customers. It seemed everyone knew one another as they came in. We really enjoyed that friendly atmosphere. We also appreciated that as soon as you were seated you had a menu and a jar of cold water at your table.
Sonny’s menu is small and well thought out. It also has various seasonal specials, but one of the things both Jim and I loved most is that you can get a side of salad greens instead of fries with your burger so Jim loves that! So speaking of burgers, you know that’s one of Jim’s favorite things to order, and of course had to try it here at Sonny’s Tavern! Jim had Sonny’s Signature Burger that is made of all natural grass fed beef, cured tomatoes, Benton’s bacon, bibb lettuce, gruyere cheese and pickled red onion aioli! ($14.00). Sounds good right? Well, it was just as good as it sounds and cooked to Jim’s liking, I didn’t even have to ask him how it was as it was gone in no time!
I had one of the specials of the night. I had the fish
tacos with a pineapple, mango salsa with a spicy aioli. This dish came with two tacos and full of great flavor and texture. The light battered crisp fish with sweet fresh salsa with a small punch of heat with the aioli! This was a delicious dinner that they are considering keeping on the menu, I am hoping they do as that was a terrific fish taco!
Let me tell you a little more about the menu, I have told you it is small and rustic but it really has so many things that you will recognize and some dishes that are different or with a twist! One of the appetizer selections is deviled eggs. We have all had those but not the way they make them. They have a rotating selection that they offer and must be a big hit as we saw a number of customers ordering them. Or maybe you would like a fried brussel sprout taco? They have those too.
You can also build your own burger or order their surf and turf. Let me tell you about the surf and turf as it sounds amazing! You get a pomegranate BBQ hanger steak with pineapple glazed shrimp, toasted grits and collard greens! That dish alone will bring me back to Sonny’s!
I mentioned they have Sunday Brunch, you need to check out that menu too! It’s a small menu with some great choices. You can get your tropical French toast or a breakfast burrito, but how about chorizo and grits with two placed eggs? Or maybe a Croque Monsieur/Madame? Or if your looking for something even heartier maybe steak and eggs, but if you want something light they have options there too, granola and yogurt would be a great choice. We can’t talk about brunch without mentioning Sonny’s own “Build your Own” Bloody Mary along with the usual coffee, tea and juice!
As you can see Sonny’s Tavern has a lot to offer at a reasonable price with a great rustic vibe! Go ahead and give Sonny’s Tavern a try and a Facebook like to see some of what’s going on there!
http://www.sonnystaverndover.com/index.html
Enjoy!
Over the holidays, I was planning a family Christmas party that included an overnight at a hotel in North Conway, New Hampshire. I needed to find a fabulous restaurant for us all to enjoy an early dinner before going to the hotel for some family fun. This proved to be a little difficult as many restaurants in the area do not take reservations and with the group of 20 people that included various kids raging from infant to late teens I really wanted to make sure the restaurant could accommodate that large group. A few friends recommended Moat Mountain along with a couple of my nieces who had been there and really enjoyed it. I called them and spoke with their manager who was absolutely incredible. Although Moat Mountain also does not take reservations they were more than accommodating and said not to worry they would take good care of us!
Before I tell you about the food and service I want to make sure you know where to find Moat Mountain Smokehouse and Brewery. They are at 3378 White mountain Highway (Rt. 16) in North Conway, NH. They also have a website, and are on Facebook and Twitter so be sure to give them a little love and maybe a Facebook “like”! Their menu is extensive along with the beer they brew so be sure to check out their website and look at their menu. They also have a small inn that is on the second floor of the restaurant! Only five rooms that are cozy, modern and with king size beds. If you are in the area shopping, skiing or other fabulous things that North Conway offers, this would be a great place to stay!
This picture is an old ski gondola that they have in front of the restaurant! When you first walk in they have some fun signs hanging up at the entrance. A very cool feature in the restaurant is just in front of the hostess stand in the waiting area. There is a clear piece of glass on the floor that allows you to look at the actual brewing area and people working there to give you some great tasting craft beer!
Ok, ready to hear about the food? I’m ready to tell you and you are going to love it! I’m going to start with what seemed to be the most popular and most loved dish a number of people in our group ordered, the ultimate slider combo. This dish was $20.99 and worth every penny! This dish came with three different kinds of sliders. You get two of each kind… the traditional beef slider, crab cake slider and BBQ pork slider with chipotle aioli. That’s not all, you also get a mound, yes mound of Cajun fries that are absolutely delicious! I did not order this dish but the reviews from family members said it was amazing. Adam (my niece Becky’s boyfriend) particularly enjoyed the crab cake slider and he was nice enough to share his fries with me. They were perfectly spiced and crisp when it comes to flavored fries and these fries are at the top of my list!
Another crazy popular dish with my family was the BBQ Burger for $11.99. This burger is cooked to your desired doneness and finished with cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato and thinly sliced red onion and Austin BBQ sauce! Every burger that came to the table was juicy and cooked to perfection for each individual! The burgers also came with a choice of hand cut fries or spicy Cajun fries. Also served with a homemade sour dill pickle spear!
Up next I’m going to tell you what I ordered! I had a house salad ($7.99) with a grilled lemon oregano marinated chicken breast ($4.99). I had this with the house made blue cheese molasses peppercorn dressing. I should add all of the dressings they offer are house made! My salad was fresh and crisp, just as you would want but the chicken, oh the chicken, absolutely juicy and full of flavor. This is the best grilled chicken I have ever had. I shared a bite with Adam and he also agreed it was tender and delicious with lots of flavor!
The last dish I am going to share with you is the soft Bavarian pretzel they serve as an appetizer, the pretzel is served with beer cheese made with their own Matilda’s Red Rage Ale! ($8.99) I have to apologize for the picture! It was crazy getting pictures with so many people and dishes but I do want to be sure to share it as the pretzel and dip were gone in an instantl…absolutely perfect! The beer cheese sauce was rich, smooth and full of flavor.
There is still so much more I want to tell you so I’m going to give you a few more highlights. I should also mention they work with many local farms to source the freshest ingredients!
Ok, so a few more menu items I thought were definitely worth mentioning starting with the appetizer’s. How does New England style hush puppies sound? These are served with New Hampshire maple syrup. I will be trying those next time or maybe you want to be a bit healthier and have this house made flatbread and hummus, but Jim was liking the look of the pot stickers!
There are just so many great choices throughout this menu! Lots of nacho and quesadillas and wood fired pizza to choose from. A number of the pizzas caught my eye, the BLT pizza looked like something I would enjoy! This was a cheese and marinara pizza that is cooked and then topped with crisp romaine, bacon, tomato and mayo mixed together and put on top of the pizza after being baked! Some other pizzas include a spicy black bean pizza, a Thai pizza and a BBQ chicken pizza!
A few other main entrees that I know would be fabulous is their grilled steak, sesame yellow fin tuna, ribs, chicken, brisket or maybe a hearty slice of BBQ meatloaf?! They also have many side dishes that you would recognize and enjoy and some with a twist…how about yam fries? Or would you expect black beans and Spanish rice?! The choices are endless and delicious!
I did mention this is a brewery and how we could see them brewing through a piece of glass in the floor right? Well there was plenty of beer flowing at our tables! Everyone was enjoying various ales from light pale ales to brown ales and wheat beers! They even have a blueberry ale, now that’s a New England beer for sure! They have a number of beers they keep daily but also have some great seasonal beers that are on the menu during various seasons. Some the the seasonal beers include a Belgian golden ale, Oktoberfest lager as well as an imperial stout to just name a few.
Needless to say not only is the food selection fabulous, but the large selection of beer will keep everyone happy. They also have a full bar if beer isn’t your thing!
Our experience at Moat Mountain Smokehouse and Brewery was fabulous start to finish! I can’t end this post without telling you about the fabulous servers we had! With a group of twenty from infant to adults the food was all served at the same time and no one ever had an empty glass…all done with a positive attitude and smile! One of the best overall dining experiences to date! Thanks Moat Mountain! To all my local friends take some time to check out Moat Mountain you will LOVE it!
Enjoy!
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