New England Travel and Vacation Gazette and Other Wicked Good Content

Hart's Turkey Farm roast turkey dinner. Photo credit: Hart's Turkey Farm Hart's Turkey Farm should be called Hearts Turkey Farm because the Meredith, N.H., restaurant has plenty of it. This is one of those old school restaurants that makes you feel good all over. Simplicity is the catalyst: serve great turkey dinners in big portions, be good at creating all other meals, always prioritize customer service and have customers dine in an atmosphere that feels warm, inviting and traditional without a hint of trendiness. While the name says "turkey," people I have known through the years have experienced an equal love affair with the whipped potatoes, gravies, fresh vegetables chowders, soups, homemade pies and its own ice cream.  The older generations love telling friends and family about Hart's, and I suspect the younger generations will have stories to tell, also, as they get older. It's heartwarming to find a restaurant that seems to please all ages le...

New England has its share of outstanding diners, and the ones that constantly make the "best of lists" almost always deserve landing on the media's dining out dean's list. Diners like The Maine Diner in Wells, Maine, Red Arrow Diner in Manchester, N.H., the Agawam Diner in Rowley, Mass., and Modern Diner in Pawtucket, R.I., get lots of press, but what about those other diners that inexplicably tend to fly under the radar? Often, in their own unique ways, those diners are every bit as good as the more popular ones. Here are four of my favorites... Patriots Diner (photo by Eric) Patriots Diner, Woonsocket, R.I. This neon and chrome beauty located just outside downtown Woonsocket gets high marks from us for a dedication to home-cooked meals, a big menu that has something for everyone, huge portions, and convenience for being open 24/7. Whether breakfast platters, three egg omelets, French Toast, pancakes, waffles, soups, burgers, triple decker club sandwich...

Woodman's Seafood Restaurant in Essex, Mass., is a household name in New England, and with good reason: its founder Lawrence "Chubby" Woodman invented the fried clam here more than 100 years ago. Today, Woodman's is a thriving  local and tourist favorite that also specializes in lobster, lobster rolls, New England clam chowder and other seafood, but it is the fried clam that impresses me most. Yes, New England offers many great seafood shacks for fried clams, but for some reason Woodman's seems a notch above the elite destinations. They just know what they are doing, and the heaping portions further help the matter. I think Zagat sums Woodman's up best:  "A cult classic—right up there with baseball and apple pie, this Essex icon is an enduring American cult favorite." Forbes FYI also acknowledged Woodman's as having "the best seafood in America." I'm quite sure both media outlets factored in the fried clam when speaking so hig...

The Phantom Gourmet has a terrific presentation on a most unusual food experience: dining at the top of Newburyport Lighthouse in Newburyport, Mass. Greeted outside by a waitress, guests then climb the 55 stairs through the hatch to the 8X8 sq. ft. glass enclosed dining room that yields incredible panoramic views of the Merrimack River Valley, Atlantic Ocean and Downtown Newburyport. Visitors get to choose their high-end, gourmet meal from several local restaurants that service the Newburyport Lighthouse. It's not cheap and you have to reserve several months in advance, but neither comes as a surprise -- where else can one dine in such a setting? Yankee Magazine summed up the Lighthouse dining experience very nicely: "If you're romantically inclined, it doesn't get much better than this...the dining room at the top of the lighthouse is a glass-encased love nest...that feels like the top of the world."   The Lighthouse Preservation Society original...

Sullivan's comfort foods. Photo credit: MassVacation.com The Boston Herald is reporting that the legendary Sullivan's food stand at Castle Island in South Boston, Mass., is looking to expand into Hingham, Mass. Sullivan's, which has been in business since 1951, is in talks with the Hingham Bathing Beach Trustees about possibly opening a second seasonal location at Hingham Bathing Beach that would offer "the same food and affordable prices as in Southie," according to the article. Brendan Sullivan hope that if all goes well, he'd like to open Sullivan's in Hingham by the end of next summer, although hinted that "might be pushing it." While the original Sullivan's is known for its rock bottom prices on tasty hot dogs and hamburgers, Sullivan's goes well beyond that dynamic duo with other good-value-for-the-money comfort foods including lobster roll, fried clam strips, clam chowder, fish sandwich, egg and cheese sandwich, fries and ...

Let's get this out of the way before all those New Year's resolutions take place: sometimes, you've got to have a great burger with fries. Whether it's the trendy celebrity burger joints or the local restaurant, pub or even dive, diners have more options than ever to find a great hamburger. My personal preference is to find the local place that serves a quality burger -- not only to please the taste buds but to support independently-owned businesses. The Catman Cafe in Mansfield, Mass., is one of those places. Initially, the Catman seems like a bit of a dive with a rather drab dark look, but that first impression quickly changes with very friendly service and a community chatter amongst townies that lends authenticity. Specializing in bar food, the Catman makes one amazing, huge cheeseburger cooked to perfection with bacon, mushrooms and cheese as well as a heaping pile of tasty fries on the side. Keep this place in mind when shopping at Mansfield Crossing and t...

The Deluxe Family of Fine Diners is reporting that it has recently opened a third diner, the Deluxe Depot Diner at a former H.H. Richardson designed train station from 1885 in downtown Framingham, Mass. Retaining many of the trademark H.H. Richardson architectural styles along with a "post modern Victorian whimsy" for ambiance, this extensively restored National Historic Site property seats 220, is open seven days a week, serves breakfast all day, lunch, and then dinner after 4 p.m., The restaurant also features a full bar. The diner's opening is great news for Metrowest residents, as this suburban Boston region could use a few more good diners and will clearly be the beneficiary of a proven entity as the menu is similar to the Deluxe Town Diner in Watertown and Deluxe Station Diner in Newton. Those two diners are absolutely fantastic, the latter also located in a train station of the past and the former housed in a classic dining car with all its stainless ste...

If you love warm New England traditions, the Wenham Tea House in Wenham, Mass., might just be your cup of tea. As one of the oldest tea houses in the United States dating back to 1912, the charming decor and ambiance along with some old-fashioned hospitality remains true to its original form -- albeit with a twist of 21st century servings on the side. This cozy North Shore tea house still specializes in a wonderful afternoon tea but also offers breakfast, lunch, a Friday night dinner, Sunday brunch, bakery, gift shop and take-out service. It's a great place to go as part of a day trip or as part of a vacation near Salem , Rockport , Gloucester , Newburyport and Ipswich, but also as a destination for group parties. They also have a children's tea. Some of the lunch items include sandwiches, soups and salads, mac and cheese, lobster bisque, chicken pot pie,  roasted turkey dinner, homemade crab cakes while Friday dinner currently includes duck breast, tenderloin of beef...

Wright's Farm Restaurant in Harrisville, R.I., seats 1,200 people, employs more than 180 locals and serves approximately 14,000 lbs. of chicken to about 12,000 visitors each week. It's amazing they can fit all that into Rhode Island, the smallest state in the country. The 45,000 sq. ft. restaurant with six dining rooms specializes in family-style chicken dinners that include all-you-can eat chicken, rolls, salad with tasty Wright's Farm salad dressing, crispy fries and pasta shells with homemade marinara sauce. Everything is delicious and plentiful, but the real star of the show is the moist, fall-off-the-bone chicken -- slow-cooked, baked in whole, and then cut up when served. The deal is amazing: $12.75 for adults, $7.25 for kids 10 and under, at this writing.  You can also order steak, although that is not an all-you-can-eat item and not quite up to par with the chicken, although very good. Dessert includes traditional vanilla and chocolate ice cream roll and ice cre...

I always prefer a bowl of chili to contain ample amounts of beef, but the People's Pint in Greenfield, Mass., changed that mindset instantly. This well-known Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts brewery and restaurant spices up the traditional chili approach by forgoing the beef and instead offering a smoked chicken chili. The taste is absolutely incredible with a perfect mix of applewood smoked chicken, organic red kidney beans,  onions, peppers, tomatoes and  Farmer Brown Ale      (and chips on the side). Ask your server to have the chef add some bubbling, browned jack cheese on top, and the result is pure chili magic. I have never tasted any chili this good! A generously served bowl comes in at $7.25 (jack cheese is $2 extra) -- certainly worth the price for this meal that you probably won't find anywhere else -- or that good. The People's Pint is located at 24 Federal St., Greenfield MA. Tel. (413) 773-0333.  Related article: Visiting dow...

by Eric H. Just got word from the Mad Raven Pub and Restaurant in Waltham, Mass., that it will be opening a second restaurant called the Raven's Nest at the former Paddock Pub in downtown Walpole, Mass. The Raven's Nest could be open as early as late April 2010, and will feature a menu similar to the Mad Raven Pub and Restaurant. The Mad Raven specializes in delicious Irish-American cuisine, including Shepherds pie, fish n' chips and Irish chicken curry. The Mad Raven also offers more than 15 different drafts. The Mad Raven Pub and Restaurant is located at 841 Main St., Waltham, and the Raven's Nest will be located at 998 Main St. in Walpole.

by Eric H. VisitingNewEngland.com gives a hearty welcome to Ginjo, a new restaurant in Walpole, Mass., with hibachi (including great, "fiery" shows being put on by the chefs), sushi bar, dining rooms, a lounge, take-out and delivery services. The restaurant features a comfortable but beautifully sleek, spacious look, thus belying its plain strip mall location just outside downtown Walpole on Route 1A. Formerly the Blue Orchid Chinese restaurant, the prideful ownership of that restaurant remains intact (and with the original Blue Orchid still in operation in neighboring Westwood, Mass.). Our first visit included sampling a delicious buckwheat Soba noodles with beef, shrimp and assorted vegetables. Judging from this introductory, incredibly fresh dish, we look forward to visiting this new Japanese restaurant again and again. More reports on Ginjo to come! Ginjo Restaurant 889 Main Street Walpole, MA 02081 Tel. 508-660-2888

Photo, courtesy of The Grog Restaurant, Newburyport, Mass. Just got word from Laura at The Grog Restaurant at 13 Middle St., in Newburyport, Mass., that the second annual Chili Con-Carnival Cook-off will take place Saturday, October 17th, 2009, 12 noon to 3 p.m., under the tent of the Grog's parking lot. Live music, raffles and, of course, great chili will benefit Our Neighbor's Table in Amesbury, The Pettengill House in Salisbury and Community Services of Newburyport. Participating restaurants include Amesbury Sports Park, Carry Out Cafe, David's Tavern, Giuseppe's Fresh Pasta & Fine Food. Chef Howie's Hobo Cafe, The Korner Kitchen, Michael's Harborside,The Port Tavern, The Purple Onion, The Rockfish, Stella's of Middle Street, Ten Center Street, The Thirsty Whale ...and more to come! In addition to the official judging, those attending the cook-off will have a chance to vote for their favorite chili. Admission is $10 for adults, children under 12 free...

Article and photo (1761 Old Mill restaurant, Westminster, MA) by Eric H. Our readers at VisitingNewEngland.com had more of a hunger for an enhanced dining reviews pages, so we recently upgraded with a more navigation-friendly restaurant section called the Local Yokel New England Dining Guide . We think you'll like the new look with a featured restaurant (currently Don's Diner, of Plainville, MA) near the top of the page, all the personal restaurant review links intact and a nice variety of restaurant and food-related ads on the right -- including one of our favorite restaurants, Vello's, of Westwood, MA. We hope you find this updated page appetizing, and try one of the restaurants mentioned -- places that make New England so special in regards to its dining.