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JANUARY 2008

Praise
The Loft
Route 125, North Andover, MA
(978) 686-0026
www.loftsteakandchophouse.com
My husband and I eat out a lot and the Loft was recommended to us, so we stopped in to have lunch. I had a baked fish casserole with a blue cheese topping. It was made to perfection and the fish was so fresh and had a very mellow flavor. My husband got the sirloin burger and it also was excellent. Both dinners were plentiful and we could not finish it at one sitting. The restaurant has a pleasant atmosphere and the waitress was excellent!!
Mary Ann from Salem, NH

Praise
Windham Restaurant
59 Range Road, Windham, NH
(603) 870-9270
I went to the Windham Restaurant for a Christmas Party. The atmosphere has a homey feeling. I have to say I felt like I was in my own home. The service was magnificent! The pork roast dinner I had was the best ever!
Louise from Lawrence, MA

Zing
Onion Town Grill
175 Water Street, Danvers, MA
(978) 774-3343
We were seated immediately given a menu waited 20 minutes to receive our appetizers that looked like they were from the frozen defrosted section. Then waited another 45 minutes inquiring when our entree would arrive. Told another 15 minutes. Another couple said they arrived before we did and were told the 'kitchen is backed up' the least they could have done is offer more appetizers. We were starving 10 more minutes later and got up and left.
Kathleen from Danvers, MA

Praise
The Depot Steakhouse
1 East Broadway, Derry, NH
(603) 437-4200
www.depot-square.com
Housed in an old train station you are always greeted with a smile; always a great meal and a friendly staff. We enjoy Audrey who always tends to everyone with a smile (place your order and she remembers it without writing it down). Great appetizers (spinach and artichoke dip is the best around) and many entrees to choose from, but their specialty is steak (the Classic Tips served over onions, peppers and mushrooms is my favorite) and it is done to perfection. Delicious sides as well. We never have room for dessert.
Sandi from Danville, NH

Praise
Papa Gino’s
25 Wood Street, Lowell, MA
(978) 458-8600
http://www.papaginos.com
Went to order and girl messed up order a few times and manager came over and took care of us. Thanks management at least someone is trained well and knows customer satisfaction!
Mark from Wilmington, MA

Praise
Muddy River Smokehouse
21 Congress Street, Portsmouth, NH
(603) 430-9582
http://www.muddyriver.com/
I decided to take my family of five into Portsmouth for First Night. I was not expecting anything great as far as service goes. When we walked into Muddy River, I was told there was an hour late, and handed a buzzer that would work while we checked out the ice sculptures, but around 10 minutes later we were 'buzzed' and headed back to the restaurant. The service was terrific, and the kid’s meals came with carrot sticks, a nice healthy alternative that my kids loved. I had the Ribs Sampler. The ribs were done perfectly with a nice BBQ sauce. My wife ordered the country style nachos, and didn't care for them, but to be fair, she was expecting the typical nachos, these had chicken and the yummy BBQ sauce all over it. We finished in time to catch the fireworks downtown over the pond. A great evening for short money!
Jay from Andover, MA

Zing
McCormick & Schmick's
1 Faneuil Hall Market, Boston, MA
(617) 720-5522
http://www.mccormickandschmicks.com
I brought out of town clients and could not have been more disappointed! We were greeted by a pleasant hostess, given a table immediately and were ready to get the drinks and food going. The drinks took a longtime; let's just say the appetizer we ordered came before the drinks. The meal was just average and short on food. I had the special (small bay scallops) which were $10 more then the sea scallops and I received what looked to be an appetizer portion. When I mentioned this to the waitress, she admitted to me that she's heard that a lot. My response was, then why has this not been addressed. She did not have an answer. Needless to say, there are a lot of better places to eat and I will not be going back, nor recommending this to anyone anytime soon.
Rob from Hingham, MA

Praise
The Barking Dog
21 Friend Street, Amesbury, MA
(978) 388-9537
http://www.barkingdoggrill.com/
Awesome food and atmosphere.
Michael from Amesbury, MA

Zing
Bison County Grill
275 Moody Street, Waltham, MA
(781) 642-9720
The service was terrible and the food very average. I would recommend the green beans however.
Judy from Waltham, MA

Praise
Stripers Grille
175 Bridge Street, Salisbury, MA
(978) 499-0400
My daughter and I had lunch recently at Stripers. The pasta dishes are yummy and the salad bar fantastic! The service was good and the waitress and hostess congenial. I would go again.
Nell from Newburyport, MA

Praise
Scola’s
Route 113, Dracut, MA
(978) 970-3838
Portions were large. Service was prompt. Atmosphere was cozy. Fish was fresh, hot and delicious. Dessert was decadent.
Laurie fro Methuen, MA

Praise
Pier 18 Seafood Express
Route 58, South Carver, MA
(508) 866-8111
Pier 18 Seafood and Grille East Bridgewater, previously critiqued by you, has opened express seafood with the same wonderful fish in Carver stop in.
Judith from Rockland, MA

Zing
The Mockingbird
Route 18, East Bridgewater, MA
(508) 378-4911
We went for dinner on Sunday night. There were four of us. We stood at the hostess station and were completely ignored. The hostess came by us several times and never acknowledged our presence. I thought I had my invisible suit on. Several waitresses also came by. At this point, my son wanted to leave. We should have! Finally got seated and waited another 15 minutes for our order to be taken. My soup was cold and salads were just ok. Stale bread. Everything was just mediocre.
Shirley from South Weymouth, MA

Praise
Fuji Sushi
Route 1, Peabody, MA
(978) 535-1182
The fish is always top grade and extremely fresh. The savory tuna sushi melts in your mouth and the Lisa Maki, covered in rainbow tobiko has an addictive zesty pop! But, don't let the name fool you! Fuji sushi offers a variety of other Japanese dishes. The chicken teriyaki is superb, especially when ordered spicy! The value is just as amazing as the food! Fuji Sushi is the best spot for a lunch you won't soon forget!
Leanne from Peabody, MA

Praise
Haverhill House of pizza
249 Lincoln Avenue, Haverhill, MA
(978) 373-6300
The best subs in town and they’re packed with meat. They also have meals and calzones which are also great.
Katherine from Haverhill, MA

Praise
Kingston 1686 House
127 Main Street, Kingston, NH
(603) 642-3637
The restaurant is a quaint old house, romantically decorated, fireplace, dim lighting and they recently added a harpist. If this doesn’t win you over the food will, their house specialty is the rack of lamb, it is tender, juicy, comes with caramelized onions and a vegetable. My wife ordered the special which was Lobster Thermidor, it was absolutely delicious. We ended the evening with fresh perked Yuban coffee and warm Pecan Pie with Vanilla ice cream and Chocolate Rum Mousse. My wife and I absolutely love The Kingston 1686 House, it is sure thing.
Charles from Chester, NH

Praise
Beijing Restaurant
Route 125, North Andover, MA
(978) 689-9500
Beijing was beautifully remodeled in the past year and now features numerous Japanese grilles where they playfully cook in your presence. They also have a traditional Chinese menu and a great sushi menu. We've sampled all the menus and the food is always great, the ingredients always fresh. We dine here 2-3 times a month. So if you haven't been there lately, it's time to give it a try.
Linda from Andover, MA

Praise
Rick's Cafe and Grill
143 Main Street, Kingston, NH
(603) 642-3833
http://www.ricksgrille.com/
OK, it doesn’t look like the type of place that would serve anything other than your average pub food, but when you see the menu... Wow! Alligator? Kangaroo? Ostrich? Uh... Rocky Mountain Oysters? (Yes, they also feature menu items that would appeal to the less adventurous!) We had the Pan-Seared Alligator and Lobster hors d'oeuvres, which was fantastic. For dinner, we had the Pan-Seared Ostrich Tournedos, which were absolutely exquisite; and the Braised Lamb Shanks, which were fantastic. We ate at the bar, which was warm and friendly, although they also have a dining room with a fireplace.
Carla from Haverhill, MA

Praise
Mr. Chefs
490 Washington Street, Stoughton, MA
(781) 341-8838
This wonderful Chinese/Japanese restaurant has only been open for a little more than 6 months but they're already building a loyal customer base. The motif is upscale, nice lighting, wood floors with Tucson wall colors. The seating is somewhat limited but well worth the short weight on weekend nights. The food not only tastes great, in looks like art, served on heavy white ceramic platters, allowing the food to provide the vibrant colors.
Mr. Chef's owners really make you feel comfortable. They are young, energetic and care about their customers as much as the quality of their food. Some of my favorite dishes include, Sesame Fried Tofu, Chicken with Pine Nuts and lettuce wraps, Peking Duck and Mango Duo. The sushi and sashimi are of excellent quality, cut in front of you at the Sushi Bar.
Joanne from Stoughton, MA

Zing
Pinkerton Tavern
13 Manchester Avenue, Derry, NH
(603) 425-6665
http://www.pinkertontavern.com
A very special dinner with a relative was planned at this well liked restaurant. First appetizer selected, chicken tenders, was not available that evening. The cornbread apple cranberry stuffed chicken breast was a mushy bread slice on top of a grilled breast with two small apple cubes. The brownie in the brownie sundae was hard and only a teaspoon full of ice cream served on the side. Service by our waitress was excellent as we were the only couple dining there!
Dede from Hampstead, NH

Praise
Inaka Japanese Restaurant
160 Winthrop Avenue, Lawrence, MA
(978) 794-9806
I have been eating at Inaka for about 5 years. I eat there two times a week and have yet to have a single sushi dish that tasted anything less than fresh. They have generous portions and the most creative sushi specials. The atmosphere is calming, clean and the owners and staff are friendly. I would highly recommend Inaka as they have the best sushi north of Boston and are located on the Lawrence/North Andover line.
Lynda from Methuen, MA

Praise
Maddies Bagel
240 North Broadway, Salem, NH
(603) 894-0094
This has to be the best breakfast and best lunch menu around. When you walk in you instantly get that warm homey feeling from the decor. The waitress are always friendly. What I love about this place they have fresh fruit instead of that jar fruit. The wraps are out of this world.
Kim from Methuen, MA

Praise
China Blossom
Route 125, North Andover, MA
(978) 682-2242
http://www.chinablossom.com
The dinner buffet is outstanding and consistent. Their variety of fresh seafood is a meal in itself. The waitstaff are friendly and very accommodating especially for large groups. The sushi selection is meticulously displayed and most important fresh as is all their other scrumptious offerings. On a scale of 1-10 I'd give it a 15!
Georgie from Methuen, MA

Praise
Burton’s Grill
Route 114, North Andover, MA
(978) 688-5600
http://www.burtonsgrill.com
The service was outstanding. The salad was crisp, fresh and the scallops were outstanding. Our server (Lindsay) was the best we have had in a longtime: friendly, courteous and most important quick to take care of any request we had. One of the best dining out evening that my wife and I have had in a longtime.
Arthur from North Reading, MA

Praise
Thai Thai
609 South Union Street, Lawrence, MA
(978) 683-5076
I was hesitant to try this place located near the railroad tracks because from the outside it did not look too pleasing. My wife convinced me to try it. I became hooked on this restaurant after the first visit. This is gourmet Thai cuisine and the service is fabulous. They have only been open for a few months, and I have tried everything on their menu.
Jim from Salem, NH

Praise
99 restaurant
Route 28, Salem, NH
(603) 893-5596
http://www.99restaurants.com/
My wife and I found that the food was wonderful and that Ernie, the manager, took the time out to make sure that the food was cooked and presented to us the way that it should be. Also, Sara our waitress could not have been more courteous.
Ed from Haverhill, MA