Restaurant Review
My friend Rosalie and I were so excited to take our husbands out to this new restaurant that Rosalie had heard so much about, The Atlantic Grill is located at 5 Pioneer rd, in Rye, NH. As you might suspect it serves mostly seafood, but also has some great choices for you land lovers! It also offers a variety of healthy and gluten free options!!
We arrived at about 5:30 pm and were seated outside in the patio area. It was a beautiful evening so we were already very happy. Just as soon as we were seated we had menus and a basket of warm rolls with butter at the table!
We were all hungry and ready for some appetizers. We had a tough time deciding, so we simply ordered three appetizers for all of us to share! Jim (Mr. MCYM) loves oysters so that was his selection. He ordered 1/2 dozen ($14.00) that came with two sauces and four different types of oysters! He was the only one that had the oysters and he loved them.
We also ordered lettuce wraps. These were not your average lettuce wraps. These were filled with seared rare tuna, with a sweet chili soy sauce, peanuts and wonton crisps on bibb lettuce. ($11.00). This was my favorite appetizer and one I would order again The tuna was seared beautifully, the sauce was sweet with a little spice and and had lots of crunch! Delicious!
Next appetizer was smoked salmon served with smoked creme fraiche, pickles and everything bagel chips. ($8.00). This was also very good. I enjoyed the creme fraiche, but I was not sure about the pickles! We all really liked the everything bagel chips too!
I have to tell you a quick story. While we were finishing up and licking the appetizer plates clean, we saw the table diagonally across from us getting their appetizer. It was a beautiful, large seafood tower filled with the most incredible looking fresh seafood. As the server was putting it on the table the entire tower dumped all over the people sitting at the table! We were all shocked and staring in disbelief for a moment. The wait staff began scurrying around apologizing and cleaning things up! Yikes! Come to find out it was this server’s very first night working!! We all felt so bad for the poor kid as he served us our appetizers and he did a great job. We are all still wondering if he is still working there. We all hope so! Okay on to the entree’s!
I had a Caesar salad ($9.00) but I also added grilled shrimp to it. The salad was very good and just what you would expect. The dressing was a lemon garlic Caesar dressing that was very good and complimented the grilled shrimp perfectly !
Rosalie had the Cobb salad ($13.00), I have to say it was picture perfect when it arrived to the table. This salad had grilled chicken, avacado, local blue cheese, baby spinach, chopped egg, and smoked bacon. Not only delicious… but beautiful.
Rosalie also ordered a side of crab cakes! I tasted the crab cakes. And did I mention we share really well? Yup, we do! The crab cakes were exactly what you want, lots of crab with minimal filler and this was just that!
Jim (Mr. MCYM) had the shrimp scampi. ($22.00). He really enjoyed this dish and felt the garlic shrimp were cooked perfectly. This is served with Terra Cotta pasta, our favorite local fresh pasta company so that too is a great bonus!
Last but not least was Randy’s dinner. Randy is not a seafood lover so he went for the Durol Pork ($17.00). We had a lot of food but Randy’s pork was just amazing. When it came to the table the smell was mouth watering. The pork shoulder is roasted for 24 hours and is served with a smoked sweet pepper glaze, with a side of Maine potatoes! I tried a small piece of the pork with the sauce and it was fall apart goodness!!
You don’t think we are done yet, do you ? No way! Two desserts to share were next! We ordered the Banana’s Foster ($9.00) that came with vanilla ice cream, Myers rum and a generous sprinkle of cinnamon! Oh and four spoons! We also had the bittersweet chocolate cake with vanilla bean sauce ($7.00). Both desserts were very good, the chocolate cake was just like a large piece of fudge! Dense, rich and amazing! At one point during dessert all four spoons were combining the desserts! A spoonful of the Banana’s Foster and ice cream with a scoop of cake! Don’t judge, it was the perfect way to end the evening! Then we rolled out of the restaurant ready to go back another day!
This was an excellent restaurant that we will go back to, over and over. Not one bad thing or one disappointment. Only a bit of sadness for the poor server that had a very rough night!
Enjoy!
Let’s talk Dover Dines restaurant week! I had hoped to put something together BEFORE Dover Dines week but life just got in the way. Things here have just been too busy so I will give you all the highlight’s! Dover Dines was held this year from June 19-28, held each year in June. This year there were 15 restaurants participating, I will list the restaurants at the end of the post. You can go to any of the participating restaurants and get a three course meal . For breakfast and lunch it is $9.95 per person and for dinner it is $19.95. Can’t beat those prices! The large selection of places to go and food to eat, is definitely a win win!!
Jim, Robby and I went to Patty B’s for lunch on the very last day of Dover Dines. I told you how busy we have been right? Well, we love Patty B’s for any day of the week, but thought it would be fun to check out the menu they were serving up for Dover Dines. I will also mention that all participating restaurants had a limited menu selection for this special week, but with that being said, you will not be disappointed!
Jim and I both picked items from the DD menu where Robby chose from the regular menu and had the steak and cheese sub! 
Jim started his three course with the white bean chili that he enjoyed. I had a garden salad that was a great way to start.
One of my favorite things is a spicy sausage sub with peppers and onions. That is what I ordered and it comes with a marinara sauce and melted cheese on the top! Yup! Nothing wrong with that, it was spicy and delicious!
Jim got the chicken parm sub. He enjoyed it so much I barely had time to snap a 
picture! Needless to say it was very tasty!
For our third course Jim got the mini chocolate chip cannoli and I had the kahlua cake. Both were absolutely delicious! We love Patty B’s, and we were not surprised at how good the food was. This was only a small sample of what Dover had to offer during Dover’s restaurant week!
Here are just a few of the choices you could choose from the restaurants. Sliders, pizza, soups, salads, chowder, macaroni and cheese, brownie sundae, jerk braised spare ribs, cinnamon rolls, cannoli’s, garlic knots, stuffed French toast, summer chicken salad, buffalo chicken Rangoon, banger melt, grilled haddock and turkey tips! This was just a small glimpse of what was available ! Now to this year’s participating restaurants.
Thompson’s Tavern, 7th Settlement, Blue Latitudes, Ciara’s Irish Pub, Central Wave, Christopher’s Third Street Grill, Harvey’s Bakery and Coffee shop, Cinco de Mayo, Kelly’s Row, Kendall Pond Pizza, Lafesta Brick and Brew, Orchard Street Chop Shop, Patty B’s Food and Wine, Dover Brick House, and the Thirsty Moose.
So if you did not get a chance to enjoy some of the restaurants this year, put it on your calendar for next year!
Enjoy!
On June 26-28 Phantom Gourmet held their annual BBQ AND COUNTRY FESTIVAL at the Rochester N.H. Fairgrounds and what an event it was! If you did not have the chance to go, I highly recommend going next year! Not only did they have plenty of amazing food, they had some fun stuff for the kids too!
For the kids they had kiddieland with fair type rides and slides. Pig racing was enjoyed by all along with live music, for the adults, cold beer and let’s not forget the mechanical bull! On Saturday they also had a Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog eating championship and fireworks in the evening!
Although we were not really there for that stuff, we were all about the food! Well…a cold beer on a hot afternoon was not a bad thing either! They had four BBQ competitors that travel the country showing off their amazing BBQ ribs and more! We sampled three of the four teams and I can honestly say even though I had a favorite they were all incredible. There was not one bad dish!!
We started off with the local favorite Firefly’s out of Marlboro, Massachusetts. We were both really hungry when we arrived so at Firefly’s we ordered a BBQ bowl and, oh my, let me tell you, that was amazing! The bowl was made up of four layers The bottom was mac and cheese, next was pulled pork, then baked beans and last on top was the coleslaw! It was outstanding!! I actually recreated this “bowl” using my favorite recipes. I had a lot of friends that day!! Next time we are in MA you can bet we will be stopping at Firefly’s!
Next stop on the BBQ trail was the Aussom Aussie BBQ. This was MY favorite. I loved the sweet and heat components that the Aussies served up. They use a spicy seasoning, then sweeten it up with the sauces. All of their sauces are fruit based (some sauces are hot too!) they use apple, orange, pineapple and raspberries in the various sauces they serve up! I went with a combination plate of ribs and shrimp …on the barbie! (The shrimp was grilled on sugar cane skewers, absolutely yummy) Where else would you want to get shrimp served up with that oh so adorable Aussie accent they have! The shrimp is seasoned and grilled, the ribs are seasoned grilled and then you pick the sauce, I went with the raspberry sauce and it was all hands down , slap yo Momma DELICIOUS!! So good!! We loved those Aussies!
We were not done just yet! Next up was Chicago BBQ. This was Jim’s favorite in the rib category. Although I found this to be very good I thought the ribs were just a little too fatty for me. Don’t get me wrong they are not bad ribs they were excellent, but I am sticking to 
my Aussie boys!!
Johnson’s BBQ was the only competitor that we did not try and it was not because we did not want to. Trust me we tried packing in all the BBQ we possibly could, but alas it just was not so.
A couple things I had learned about Johnson’s is that they have won many competitions as well as many awards for their sauce. They have been awarded best “mild” sauce in America for five years in a row! They also have a thermodore sauce that is so hot you have to be over 21 and sign a waiver just to try it!! Now that’s HOT!! Not for me, I will stick with the mild sauce!!
That was all for the competitive teams, but there were also several, other smaller vendors selling BBQ, cupcakes and hot sauces! Lots to see and do. We are ready to go for next year!! If you get a chance to go it is full of great food and entertainment!
Enjoy!
When our husbands are away, my friend Rosalie and I get together for a day of fun and this day could not have been a more beautiful day to spend in Portsmouth NH. We started our morning off with brunch at Michelle’s on Market Square. If you have never been to Michelle’s it is open for Brunch Friday through Sunday 9:00 am to 2:00 pm and open for dinner Wednesday through Saturday from 5:00 pm to close. Closed Monday and Tuesday. Michelle’s is a family owned and operated restaurant that is a mix of French country and Mediterranean cuisine. When you walk into Michelle’s you walk right into the open kitchen area, I loved that! We could see and talk to the owner and chefs! We sat upstairs in the bar area by a window overlooking the hustle and bustle of Portsmouth! It did not take Rosalie and I long to know exactly what we wanted. Although the brunch menu had some of the typical brunch items they had some with a twist too! I had the Lobster benedict ($15.00) and Rosalie had the seafood crepes.($20.00)
The lobster benedict is your typical Benedict with a toasted English muffin, poached eggs, hollandaise sauce with huge pieces of lobster. This was served with pan roasted fingerling potatoes. I can’t believe I am saying this, as I have had my share of Lobster over the years but this was hands down the best lobster I have ever had. The lobster was so tender, juicy and full of flavor. My dish was seasoned perfectly, eggs poached just right! This dish alone will bring me back time and time again!
Rosalie enjoyed her seafood crepes as much as I loved my lobster Benedict !
Her crepes were filled with lobster, scallops and shrimp. The crepes were finished with a wild mushroom sherry sauce. Rosalie and I are good friends and we share all our food, so needless to say this day was no different and her seafood crepes were incredible. Lots of seafood and the sauce…..oh, the sauce…so good!! That sauce brought that dish together and gave the dish a nice sweetness. We were thrilled with our brunch experience and I am sure you will be too.
I took a little time to look over the dinner menu and they have some great looking menu items! For their appetizers they had soups, salads, a cheese board made with seasonal produce, and another item that caught my attention was the steak tartar. The steak tartar is minced filet, seasoned with red onion, capers, Dijon, worcestershire, parsley, Manchego cheese and served with a raw egg yolk and a warm baguette! How good does that sound?
On to the small plate section, they have a burger with bacon and cheese, four cheese Mac and cheese, and also have poutine! My son loves poutine so this is right up his ally! Their poutine is served with pulled pork, cheese curd and a Demi glacé . Another menu item on the small plate section is a salmon BLT! I really liked the sound of this! Salmon with tomatoes, fresh artisan greens with lemon herb aioli served on a croissant! YUM!
On to the Entrees! They have house made pasta, roasted half chicken and a seafood Provencal that I know my husband Jim would love! The seafood Provencal has lobster, shrimp, scallops and mussels tossed with fresh Bucatini pasta in white wine, lemon butter and parsley sauce. Everything looked and sounded delicious. Although we went for brunch, you can see I already have some favorites on the dinner menu and we will be going back for those. You can find Michelle’s on Market Square at 10 Market Square in Portsmouth N.H. After our brunch we went to the Portsmouth farmers market! More about that next week!
Enjoy!
A couple weeks ago my friend Rosalie and I took a day trip to Plum Island, MA and Newbury MA. We could not have had a more beautiful day to explore Parker River National Wildlife Refuge on Plum Island! The wildlife refuge was just gorgeous, there are a number of walking trails that bring you throughout the park area. We walked about three miles and we probably would have gone longer but some of the trails and beach area were blocked off for nesting birds.
After our walk in the warm sun we took a ride over to Bob’s Lobster Hut at 49 Plum 
Island Turnpike in Newbury, MA for some lunch. This place overlooks the marsh area. Rosalie and I both ordered the fish taco’s and they were so big. Not only HUGE but really, really good. The only thing I might change just a bit, and this is a very small criticism, is that I would have liked a little hot sauce or some kind of spicy component to the dish! But that is to my liking. Oh..and the fries that came with it, O-M-G! Tons of fries, hot, crispy and so good! I also bought home some frozen lobster mac and cheese that they sell! I did not take a picture but let me tell you that lobster mac and cheese will keep me going there! Absolutely delicious and filled with tons of large pieces of lobster meat! Bob’s has lots to choose from and I have no doubt anything you pick will be tasty! Did I mention the view? It is terrific, they have several picnic tables outside overlooking the marsh area! Absolutely gorgeous!
Our day was not over yet! Our next stop was Tender Crop Farm at 108 High Road in Newbury, MA. 
All of my Dover, NH friends know that Tender Crop farm has recently opened up a store in Dover, but the Massachusetts location is the original store! There are certainly many similarities to both locations. But the first thing I found different was the animal barn filled with many farm animals in the barn as well as many other animals roaming in the large field. They had lots of chickens roaming about, buffalo, turkeys, goats and pigs to just name a few! As you walk up to the store they have a large garden area filled with a lot of beautiful plants of many different varieties! When you walk through the door it is very similar to the Dover location it has everything you would expect, fresh fruit and veggies, a deli area, fresh breads and pastries. BUT they have an upstairs that is filled with massive amounts of dried flowers and dried flower arraignments that are just beautiful !!
What a fantastic store! If you find yourself in the Newbury or Plum Island area, I hope you take some time to check out some of these fantastic locations you will not be disappointed!
Enjoy!
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