This is going to be an interesting restaurant review with some ups and some downs. If I have a really bad restaurant experience I typically will not write a review but will go back to the restaurant a second time and hope that it was just one bad experience. Firefly American Bistro & Bar at 22 Concord street in Manchester, NH. has a ton of great things going for them! So let’s start with something good shall we?

Just walking up to the restaurant we felt it had a great vibe, along with a great outside seating area. We chose to sit inside as the warm humid weather was getting the best of me! As soon as we walked in we were promptly seated in a great corner round booth across from the bar. Our waitress was quick to take our drink and appetizer order. Both Jim and I were very hungry and ready for a good dinner, so this was a great start. We ordered their GoGo Bread for two to start (for 2 it was $8.00 for 4 it would be $10.00). GoGo Bread is warm thin slices of garlic bread with a warm Gorgonzola fondue. Jim and both dove right into this and loved every bite! This was lick the bowl clean delicious. We devoured that dish in just moments! We both agreed next time we might have to order enough for 4! Our drinks also arrived at the same time.  Jim had a Corona and I had their version of a rum punch. Both excellent, BUT, we did start to notice small fruit flies, and if you have any experience with fruit flies they are small and ridiculous to try and remove! I made a very quick note to only order bottled drinks next time, if there is a next time.

For our main course Jim had the Bourbon Street Fettuccine ($22.00). This includes blackened shrimp, crawfish, andouille sausage with tomatoes and green onions in a spicy Cajun cream sauce.  Jim’s dish transported me back to the south where we lived for a year while Jim was in flight school. This was spicy with plenty of sausage and seafood! You don’t find a lot of crawfish in our area so this dish was a great reminder of good ole southern cookin’ and we loved it!  Jim also ordered some garlic bread to soften the heat and mop up some of that delicious sauce! This was a fabulous dish!

I ordered the baked stuffed haddock with lobster stuffing ($25.00) in a cream sauce. I don’t cook a lot of fish so I do tend to order it out quite often and how can anyone resist lobster stuffing with a side of jasmine rice and asparagus? It was hitting all the perfect notes for me! When the dish arrived it looked and smelled fabulous. First bite confirmed it was indeed excellent, I would say one of the best stuffed haddock meals I have ever had. A few bites in and take one look at that lobster meat…they don’t mess around with seafood!

Another bite and my opinion turned very quickly. I bit into a fish bone. Ugh, so very thankful I did not swallow it. I put it on the side of my plate and I was done with my dinner. The waitress did come over to check on us and I did explain that I found a fish bone. This is yet another downfall to the story. our waitress told her manager, we were comped a drink and told that they were sorry I found a shell in my dinner. This was no SHELL, this was in fact a fish bone that could have caused significant damage. Insult to injury. We asked for our check paid the bill and that was the end.

Had our experience been a little different this is a place Jim and I would go to on a regular basis.  This is a little more upscale than your average bar food, no nacho’s or fried chicken fingers here, but still has many familiar choices. Some appetizers choices you will find are crab cakes, calamari or short rib taquitos! Soups and salads are also on the menu but with a twist like maybe a spinach salad with fried goat cheese.  If you have never had fried goat cheese…it is delicious and highly recommended!

Other entree’s you will find are steak, roasted duck or how about braised lamb? If Pad Thai is your thing, they have that too. Lots of fabulous choices. They are open for lunch and dinner along with brunch and dinner on Sunday’s. Visit their website for hours and menu selections!

Are you wondering if we will go back? As of today, not anytime soon, but if we did go back I am not ordering seafood and will order a bottled drink!

Firefly American Bistro & Bar is voted one of the top restaurants in Manchester. I think I am going to search a little further for now.  Check out their website:  http://fireflynh.com/

UPDATE….

I don’t typical Change my opinion of a place but after spending 40 minutes of wait time when we were told 15…. not good…….I will stand by  saying the food is good…….but after the last service we had..not sure we will be back, actually, we will NOT BE BACK.
I know a number of my friends and family members have found this gem! The Tuckaway Tavern and Butchery is located at 58 Route 27 in Raymond NH. (Phone 603-244-2431).  If you have not found your way to the Tavern, you are missing out! They are open 7 days a week and have won many awards for their steak and burgers, including awards from the Phantom Gourmet!  Jim and I went over on an early Friday afternoon and they were already busy! The decor is a country farmhouse type of look and  a very relaxed type of atmosphere that both Jim and I liked. We were seated right away, greeted by our waitress with menu’s and drinks that followed right away!

Let’s talk about that menu! It’s a pretty big menu with lots of salads and salad toppers such as chicken, popcorn chicken, shrimp, steak and salmon to just name a few! Every category has plenty to choose from with the steaks and burgers being the most popular. We did not order them, but I can see why they are so sought after…can you just picture the two pigs and a cow burger, pulled BBQ pork, bacon and cheddar..WOW!  But if that’s not your thing maybe the big and sloppy burger is…a sloppy joe burger with beer cheese fondue…whaaaaaat? Sounds crazy good!!

The side dishes… seafood and of course the amazingsteaks have the same amazing variety. Some of the side dishes include coleslaw, chickpea salad, fries, onion rings and how about some mac and cheese?!

Steaks!  I don’t have to say much more about them. The awards they have won do all the talking, but just in case you are wondering they have lots of steaks, steak tips, bison tips and various marinades! But let’s not forget those baby back ribs and chicken pot pie or maybe a seafood pot pie is your thing? You can get all of that!

Are you wondering what we ordered yet? I was not very hungry at the time we were there, so I had the Bangin Shrimp from the appetizer menu ($9.00). This is gulf shrimp fried with a slightly spicy, but sweet sauce. This was really delicious and perfectly fried! I would order this any day of the week!

Jim had a bowl of lobster chowder that I also had a few tastes of and we both agreed it was excellent…full, rich flavor with plenty of lobster and potatoes. I know I will be ordering my own bowl next time! ($6.50).

Jim also ordered the seafood salad ($15.00). This was a large bowl filled with warm mussels, gulf shrimp, balsamic vinaigrette, spinach, onion and tomatoes topped with feta cheese. Jim really liked this, although there was a lot of broth with this dish… great to soak up with some crusty bread!  Needless to say we had an excellent lunch and look forward to many more lunch and dinners!  We did not order dessert as we were full and would be traveling that afternoon.  If you’re still hungry they have coffee and donuts or a couple of delicious sounding sundae’s.  They have a hot fudge sundae but how about a s’more sundae!

No matter what you order you will be completely satisfied, but if you want to take some home that’s easy too! They have the butchery right there where you can take home many of the steaks, burgers, chicken and sausages to cook or grill at your house! They have a huge array for food, frozen food, rubs and marinades to take home.   I know I will be bringing a cooler with me next time so I can have all that delicious food at home! Be sure to checkout their website and like them on Facebook!  http://www.thetuckaway.com/menus/

Enjoy!

If you have been shopping at the Kittery, Maine outlets you have probably driven by Bob’s Clam Hut. Hopefully you stopped in for a bite to eat but if you haven’t you are really missing out! Let’s face it shopping and good food…nothing better!

Bob’s Clam Hut is open year round everyday from 11 am – 8:30 pm and they are located at 315 US Route 1 in Kittery, Maine. Bob’s has been open since 1956 and they serve traditional Maine fried seafood. They have their clams delivered fresh each day and make many of their own sauces! Bob’s has been featured on Food Network Diners, Drive-in’s and Dives with Guy Fieri and has won several awards including one from Forbes magazine for being one of the “most favorite restaurants in the U.S”!

This is my favorite time of year to visit the Kittery outlets and restaurants as its a little early for all of the tourists that visit our area. So, after doing some shopping I was ready for some delicious food and Bob’s Clam Hut was it! I arrived at Bob’s right at 11 am and I am glad I did as it filled up quick with shoppers and businessmen all looking for some great seafood. Clearly the locals all know! It got crowded so fast that they even have a parking attendant helping to get everyone in and out.

Bob’s has a fairly big menu with everything you would expect from a Maine seafood place! Soups, sandwiches, rolls, fried baskets, dinner combination plates and salads topped with fried seafood. Some of the customer favorites include New England clam chowder, lobster stew and of course the fried clams. But don’t worry if you have a non seafood lover with you they have plenty of other things to choose from including hamburgers, hot dogs, grilled cheese and fried mozzarella sticks!

I ordered the baby fried shrimp basket for $17.95. This comes with fries and coleslaw. It was a warm day so I also had a bottle of cold water, but they have tea and soda to pick from as well. The baskets are a smaller portion than the dinner plates. The dinner plates also include a roll. I have loved baby fried shrimp for as long as I can remember, but this is really one of the best shrimp I have had. They have a very light crispy batter and are cooked just right! Their house made tartar sauce is just the right thing to go with the shrimp.  The fries also cooked to my perfection and well seasoned. I can’t leave the coleslaw out as that was light and refreshing complimenting my entire lunch. The portion size is large. There was no way I was finishing that basket, but thankfully they have to go containers!  I should also mention the outside seating is perfect for a spring or summer day. The tables and benches were well kept and very clean. They also have indoor seating for those cold winter days so no matter what time of year you go to Kittery stop by Bob’s Clam Hut for some fresh fried Maine seafood!

Enjoy!

Spring is here and Summer is just around the corner! This is a great time to think about a visit to Applecrest Farm and Bistro! Applecrest farm is located at 133 Exeter Rd (Rt. 88) in Hampton Falls, NH. They are open daily from 8 am to 6 pm. But check out their website as they have a lot going on!  http://www.applecrest.com/
My friends Rosalie, Gail and myself all went to lunch at the bistro and it was fresh and fantastic! Talk about farm to table! They source all of their products as locally as possible and boy does it show!

I have to jump right into this post and tell you about the apple and roasted beet salad that Gail had to start us off.  ($8.00). It arrived at the table and we were all silent for a moment taking in how gorgeous this salad was! It really was one of the most beautifully plated dishes I have ever seen! Just gorgeous and can I tell you it was delicious too. This salad had roasted beets, apples along with mixed greens and an incredible creamy goat cheese along with pistachios and mint. Rosalie and I were like hungry vultures looking at Gail’s salad! Lucky for us, Gail did not mind sharing! There were three very happy women sitting at that table! What a way to start the lunch!

For Gail’s main course, she ordered the classic flatbread ($14.00). The flatbread was perfectly cooked with crushed tomatoes, mozzarella and fresh basil! Another very mouthwatering dish!

Rosalie had the Turkey Panini ($9.00) with house made fries. The panini was on a ciabatta roll with turkey, pesto, arugula and sharp cheddar cheese. You know that Rosalie is a frequent dining companion and we share. Today was no different, I can attest, the panini was full of great flavor, the fresh Pesto and the peppery arugula combined with the turkey and cheese made a great lunch! But before I forget she had fries on the side! Those were super yummy too. They were thin and crispy and seasoned with plenty of salt and pepper! I love a good dose of pepper on crispy fries. So yes, her lunch was mighty tasty!

Are you wondering what I had? Well, before we ordered, Gail mentioned how delicious and juicy the burgers were…well, with that already in my head, I just had to give it a try. I had the grass fed burger ($14.00) with sharp cheddar cheese, lettuce and pickles with an herb aioli. Gail was right! This burger was exactly what a burger should be! Juicy with lots of great flavor.  I really enjoyed the herb aioli with it! I also ordered the cabbage and apple slaw with walnuts for a side. The cabbage apple slaw was slightly disappointing. I did not find it to have much flavor. I shared this with Rosalie and Gail, and we all felt the same. It was not a bad side dish, but we felt the flavors were just not there. Next time I’m sticking with those tasty fries and beet salad! We all wanted to skip dessert to start shopping in the market! The market is just filled with so many delicious and local flavors, not to mention everything they grow on the farm!

One of my very favorite things in the world is apple cider donuts and they make them here and they are so freakin good! I tried to behave and only bought six! Thankfully for my waistline, our son Robby loves them as much as I do so when I got home and was not in the kitchen, Robby found them and ate four of them! I really am trying to be thankful Robby ate them but now I am left dreaming for more and planning another trip to get some for ME!

Back to the market! They have so many amazing products and produce to choose from! When in season, they have 40 variety of apples people! Yes 40!  They also have peaches, nectarines, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, corn, pumpkins and other seasonal veggies!!

I told you about the apple cider donuts, but they also have hand pressed apple cider, local honey, jams, maple syrup and cheese! I honestly can’t begin to tell you everything this farm has to offer. Local dairy, cheese, meats and seafood not to mention a large variety of pies and pastries!

That’s not all!! They have a creamery too! Local ice cream! Yes, please! This is on the same property and open in the Spring and Summer from 11 am to 9 pm. 7 days a week. They also have “pick your own” when in season, farm shares and gift packs! Check out the website for more info, they have a huge variety!

Another one of my favorite places is just down the road a couple short miles! Churchill’s Garden Center is located at 12 Hampton Rd. in Exeter, NH. This is one of my favorite garden centers and always make a stop in when I am in the area!

Churchill’s is open daily from 9-5 and has a huge variety of annuals, perennials, home accents, plant and flower containers, house plants and outdoor living!  I find Churchill’s to be a little on the expensive side but even if I don’t purchase anything, I get terrific ideas! Stopping by in the spring is great; all of the beautiful colors, accents and combinations are so exciting to see!

Although our kids are older they also offer a great kids club where the kids can make various crafts. Check out their website for the calendar of events! http://www.churchillsgardens.com/
These are two more of my favorite places. If you are in the area or looking for a road trip check these places out.  I know you will enjoy them as much as my friends and I do!

Enjoy!

I know many of you have been to the BRGR Bar in Portsmouth N.H. at 34 Portwalk Place. For those of you that have not, I highly recommend getting there! Jim and I went on a Wednesday afternoon for lunch and as most of you know by now, you know Jim’s love for a good burger! Not only do they have an amazing selection of burgers but they are also known for the adult milk shakes! Is an adult milkshake a cocktail or a dessert?!  Either way they are fantastic!  So let’s start with the burgers. They have a great selection for you to choose from or you can build your own burger. We figured since they are the BRGR Bar they know best, so we both ordered one of their choices. I had the OO-Mommy Burger for $13.50 and Jim had the Brazen Brazen Burger also $13.50. Both of these burgers were very tasty!

My OO-Mommy Burger had gorganzola, bacon jam and crispy fried onion rings. This burger was HUGE! The waitress recommended taking off two of the onion rings.  I followed her advice and I’m glad I did! This burger was huge and so full of flavor. The onion rings were huge, crispy and added such a great crunch to the burger.  The bacon jam gave the salty sweet flavor and I love gorgonzola and putting that all together on a juicy burger..I now know how this burger got its name! This burger was really good and I would have that again anytime and I’m not really the burger person in the family! The burger’s also come with a little bucket of house fries.  Those were also very tasty! Crispy and golden and salted just right!

Jim’s Brazen Burger had braised short ribs, spicy ketchup, tomato, a fried egg and cheddar cheese. Jim devoured this burger I am amazed I even got a picture! I swear, I took the first picture, took one bite of my burger, and looked over and his burger was gone! I don’t think I have to say too much more when a plate disappears that fast it says it all!  Remember I mentioned the adult milkshakes? Well we could not possibly go here and not try them! I had the Apple Pie Ala Mode ($10.00) This was made with house infused apple cinnamon bourbon and it was really tasty! It definitely had an apple pie flavor going on!  Jim had the root beer float made with spiced rum and root beer liquer,($10.00) Jim’s was much stronger tasting than mine, but also very good!

Neither one of us had a problem drinking those, very tasty!  They serve more than just burgers here . They have some great looking appetizers.  The person next to us ordered the Buffalo Brussels Sprouts with a warm gorgonzola dip and it looked AMAZING! I will be ordering those next time! They have so much yummy food to pick from.  How about some dirty fries or chicken wings.  Maybe you want a pork belly wedge salad? No matter what you get there it is no doubt it will be excellent! I can’t wait to make a trip back!

Enjoy!