I feel like Santa. Running around giving out restaurant gift certificates for the great food writing my Eat Your Words contest has conjured up. Nice work fellow foodies. The results are in tomorrow's Sun, but many juicy bits of writing fell on the cutting room floor. So w/o further rambling here are the essays in their raw, real form. Also thanks to the participating restaurants Ricardos Trattoria, Belles Bistro and The Deven’s Grill.

First place
It started out innocently enough, a special treat every now and then to reward ourselves after a long day, a place to bring our friends, a place to get our parents to bring us … and pay. But then our infrequent visits became frequent. Our once-a-month stop-ins became weekly must-do’s. And now — a year and a half after those infamous first tastes — my boyfriend and I are admittedly addicted to Sakura Japanese Cuisine in Chelmsford.
It’s not the small-scale charm that keeps bringing us back. It’s not the quiet, relaxed atmosphere or the private, wood-lined booths. It’s not the sushi bar, visible from almost every point in the restaurant and impeccably well-kept, if not impossibly mouth-watering. It’s not even the unremitting kindness of Alan, the owner of this magical nook, who treats everybody like regulars and can be caught at any point doling out free after-dinner treats. It’s the miso soup. And that’s only the beginning.
When we were fresh faces at Sakura, we’d start our meals with one hot bowl of this delicious, salty stew, preparing our palates for the exotic mix of flavors and textures to come. Now, my boyfriend will have two bowls to start and one to finish. I try to be more modest, but occasionally give into the end-of-the-meal miso indulgence.
We always take a quart to go. It is that good. This is no burger joint. This is an escape from the ordinary, providing a vacation for your taste buds and nutrients for your body in many, many delicious bites. One nibble of the smooth salmon sashimi leaves you feeling clean, nourished and ready for more. Dip into the spicy tuna roll and, it’s an entirely different meal, a zesty awakening, still fueling the same satisfaction. The shrimp tempura will satisfy any left-over cravings for something battered and juicy; so might the fried ice cream, if you can muster the room for it! With an array of menu choices, we’ve barely made a dent in the sushi-possibilities of Sakura; but at the rate we’re going, I have no doubt that we will one day try them all and continue to go back for more. And all while recruiting other hopeless addicts along the way!
Andrea Paquin, Dracut
Comment: This is solid food writing that does what it should: Makes me hungry. I better watch my back, Ms. Paquin can spin a tasty yarn. Nice job.

Second Place
Lumiere Chef’s Tasting Menu $60 ($85 with wine pairing) First course: Stonington Maine Peekytoe crab cake heirloom tomato gazpacho and lime rémoulade. Louis Bouillot, “Perle de Vigne,” Brut, Bourgogne NV. Second course: seared sea scallops, Verrill Farm carrots, marcona almonds, golden raisins, capers, hard cider, reduction and almond oil. Chalone, Monterey County, Chardonnay, CA 2005. Third course: Lucki 7 Farms pork chop pear-candied ginger compote, Macomber turnip purée and hot sour jus, J.F. Mérieau, Le Bois Jacou, Gamay, Loire 2006. Cheese course: Jasper Hill Farm’s Bartlett blue apricot compote, peppered pistachio parsley salad. Château Bel Air, St. Croix du Mont 2003. Dessert: caramelized apple tart sour cream sorbet cider caramel. Bonny Doon Vin de Glacière Muscat 2003. OMG!!
As I entered Lumiere my whole body was over taken by the sensual and cosy atmosphere of this restaurant. Single candles adorned the tables with an after-glow shadow on the walls. My body pulsated and there was a blissful heart-stopping joy that aroused my insatiable palate.
Tonight was the night for true eating pleasure.
The food was prepared with smoothing soft hands and delicate touches. The courses tasted heavenly and paired lusciously with great wine. I was in sinful Zen. As the dessert was brought out to the table my mouth gasped and I let out a delightful “WOW!” even before the first bite. Soon it was all gone and alas a fond memory. I shall return to tease my taste buds back into temptation and, hell be dammed, I know it will worth it once again.
Anthony Horton, Billerica
Comment: The writing didn’t blow me away, the passion did. Love that Anthony let out an audible “wow” in this posh spot. Wish more people felt comfortable doing that. Anthony’s passion, not prose, leapt off the page here.

Third Place
“Eat your words” If that’s on the menu at Joe Fish in North Andover you can believe it will be a mouth-watering experience you won’t soon forget.
My story starts four years ago, back to dating after being married for 25 years. Nervous and excited at the same time. My date was in the same situation — dating after 25 years. Joe Fish was a first for both.
So the night begins with a very nice smiling hostess, as you look around it’s an inviting atmosphere, lots to catch your eye.
We started with an array of oysters from all over the world (neither one of us had ever had oysters before), followed by garlic mussel appetizer, totally awesome.” The oysters were fresh with a snappy cocktail, horseradish sauce and a splash of lemon and down they went. The mussels dripping in broth of garlic, scallions, and tomato. The best is the only way to describe them. Second drink, a house special martini. Special is the word. Smooth, light and just fruity enough. Now the main course I enjoyed the shrimp scampi. My date had the tuna special. (we shared) The scampi was just the perfect blend of garlic, scallion broth and other tasty ingredients. So fresh, you could almost hear the shrimp boat. Not the tuna, myself never having tuna steak before I was very excited to try it especially when I say it was superb. When I say it was comparable to the best filet mignon you have ever tasted its just the truth in fact my mouth is watering just thinking about it. With no room for desert, that was the perfect excuse to return in the future. Which we have many times since and we have yet to get the desert. And yes my date 4 years ago is still the man and our favorite place you got it Joe Fish. The food however is only part of the overall experience. The service makes this restaurant a complete most enjoyable dining delight. Leaving you looking forward to the next visit. Guess what! We highly recommend Joe Fish Enjoy! Sincerely Barbie Steve
Barbara Hamilton
Tewksbury
Can’t you just feel the emotion in this one? This is a love story. Amore.

The idea of Lowell Restaurant Week is no longer a flash in the pan. Looks like a week of discount dining is actually going to happen come August in the Merrimack Valley. LRW is partnering w/ Boston Restaurant Week to ride the already established wave.
I’ve been tapped to help get things rolling by surveying the cherished readers of this blog. We are making a list and checking it twice. Trying to find out what restaurants would be nice. Note, they can’t be smallish diners or hidden feedbags in the proverbial wall. They have to lean upper scale to meet the $33.08 and $22.08 prix-fixe diner/lunch criteria. Capice?
So think of the area, from Haverhill to Lawrence, Billerica to Burlington. What are the best 25 restaurants in our midst?

This time of year I feel like a naughty diabetic on holiday. Anything laced w/ sugar dances through my head. On custard, on cupcakes on donuts on blintzes! On a diet? That’s what January is for. Granted I don't want to scarf down a plate of snowflake sugar cookies in a solid sitting, I just want to look at them. Perusing the Dean & Deluca catalog last night was better than watching Dirt. Towers of delicately arranged candied fruits, exotic nuts and apricots rise like pyramids of pleasure. Turn the page and a kiddie's mirage of iced snowmen call out “eat me, you know I’m good.” Bells on bobtail ring when you come face to face w/ a three-layer, imported German chocolate dream cake or a buttery breakfast stolen. So Grinchly good.
Check out this cute bunch to the left. Too precious to eat, right? And you may not want to dunk them in your coffee w/ 16 going for $60. I’m no mathematician, but that’s close to $4 a pop. Save your mullah and indulge w/your eyes. Also on my holiday reading list, Harry David, Stonewall Kitchen and Chefs. Has anyone ordered Christmas cookies, cakes or breads via catalog w/ success?

I was saddened to drive by Baskets, Baubles and Beans last night to see it had pulled out of Westford. This gourmet outlet on Route 110 had been offering wine, cheese, coffee (what else is there?) for six years in a town where Market Basket is the main food outlet. You'd think they would have survived. They even had cooking classes. A harbinger of an economy on life support, BBB has reverted to its Lunenburg flagship store. So next time you pay a visit to the Plastics Museum swing on in. I've long wanted to see a similar shop open in downtown Lowell, guess we'll have to wait until the second coming of Christ. Who would take a stab at this now? If it doens't work in this upperscaled town. Anyone know why they folded? There are not many coffee options in that area either. Westfordites I want to hear from you.

On Friday night I dined with friends at Abe and Louie’s on Bolyston Street. The steak was great as was the service, swordfish and sautéed spinach. Being the holidays there were many martinis, dessert, more drinks. In the end our table of five was shelling out $100 each to cover this escalating tab. Around 11:15 p.m., when the well-dressed and well paid crowd thinned, we saw a mouse scamper across the floor. Eek! A large building was being constructed across the street so to calm ourselves down we blamed the vermin on the infrastructure shakeup. It reminded me of a few months back when I saw a mouse darting under tables at an outdoor cafe on Newbury Street. I know where there is food, there are mice, but these vermin are more bothersome when they appear at an overpriced downtown venue. I expect them out back around a restaurant’s dumpster, but across the dining room floor? I'd still go back. Would you?

Dark days, cold nights. After you hit the gym, it’s time to uncork a bottle of red. One thing I love, more than drinking wine itself, is wine shopping. But in Lowell we’re sunk. Conlon’s? Phul-lese. I’ll drink Yellowtail at an art opening if I must, but I’m so over those cutsy, cheap Australian shirazes. I’ve found a great wine shop in Roslindale, Solera. I could go on and on, but probably few of you will travel there. If you find yourself rocketing through Rozzie, stop in. The Irish guy that runs the inviting space will tell you a great joke as he sells you a nice madiera. Every sat afternoon they have tastings w/ an eleborate spread. Chelmsford has two good ones, Drum Hill Liquors and Harringtons. I’ve had success at each of these places, but where’s the intimacy? I want to talk to the wine guy and have him tell me what the weather was like the day this wine was bottled. Andover Liquors is great, but again almost too big. The Groton Market is ideal. Easy to navigate and bargains — two for $12-$16 — abound. Plus the guy who runs it gotz smarts. Acton Colonial Liquors Shop always has a wine tasting going (nice). Has anyone been to the new Wine Society in Tyngs.? Looking for new places to wine.

What's the deal with service in Lowell restaurants? A co-worker tells this tale from a distasteful lunch trip recently at a top restaurant on Merrimack Street.
Server comes to table and, without taking drink orders, goes clumsily into the specials rundown. When her dining mate ordered a classic cocktail kir royal (drops of creme de cassis in white wine) she received a glass of the creamy black current-flavored liquor. Ick. She tells said server the right way to make it. Red flag. They had to ask for bread three times and this leisurely lunch turned sour when the waitress plopped down the bill before asking for coffee! Talk about a buzzkill. The result: a poor tip. I've heard several restaurateurs in Lowell tell me it's impossible to find good people to hire. I've heard this in Westford too. But I propose the problem lies in the training, or lack thereof. Treat us like we are out for a good time and have some green in our pockets to spread around. A little nuance goes a long, and can make the difference between a lousy lunch and an hour of bliss.
Low tipping will not help this any. I'm not suggesting we award shoddy service, but if you can' t make decent $$, news spreads fast in the restaurant industry, skilled servers will not be beating down your door. My pet peeve is when waitrons spray down the next table while your still eating. It may be sanitary, but catching a whiff of Pledge as you dig into artichoke tortilini is none too appetizing. Can you top that?

We hear that Boston Beer Works will soon have the steel barrels humming again at the Brewery Exchange on Cabot Street. A partnership with this well-known name in locally crafted micro-brews would be great for the area. Beer has not been brewed at the site since new owners took over a year ago. We skied over there during the Blizzard of 2007 and all that was left of the old regime was Concord Grape Ale — a summer brew. Not exactly what you crave when it’s snowing sideways, the roads are closed and it is in fact December. If you’ve ever gone to Fenway Park you’ve probably stepped into the Boston Beer Works at the foot of Yawkey Way. From the Buckeye Oatmeal stout to the Bullfinch Bitter, these guys are true alchemists. They do great things with raspberry and blueberries ales too, we are talking berries chilling in the bottom that you can eat if you drink your pint like a good soldier. Hop heads, I know you’re out there, would this not truly rock?

Want to dine in style while boosting your portfolio? Book a table in the wealth corner at Feng Shui in Chelmsford tonight. As fresh tuna w/ hot wasabi slides off yer chopstix, think of how much $$$ you are making. This fun play on the ancient Chinese wisdom of placement has settled into Route 110, steps from the Lowell line, just in time to sate our nuance-deprived souls.
We went after a pretty tacky x-mas party and nothing could have been more welcoming. From the earth-toned, wood entrance to the well-placed booths to the water fountain (which I did not see as much as feel) this Japanese/Chinese fusion spot has chi to spare. The former monolith that housed Mama’s and Ciros, was packed at 930p on a recent Sat. A v. good sign for this area. Sushi wrapped in cucumbers on a bamboo leaf was easy on the eye as the palate. The service was attentive too. Lunch time = killer buffet. Health conscious eaters who like a bit of ambiance w/ their sushi no longer have to wait. fengshui2.com

This sign says it all. I implore you blog readers if you like meat at all, even a passing interest, try the cuban sandwich at Cafe Madrid in Chelms. This is not something I would normally eat, double meat? def. a guy order. But after seeing said sand. pile high
w/ savory slow-roasted pork, slices of smoky ham and subtle Swiss sealed w/ grilled ciabatta bread set my tastebuds aquiver. So I took a bite, and felt immediately perked. Where have you been all my life cuban sandwich? Cuba, you may be awash in political strife, but your national sand. is something to hold up high. I had a half for dins. and that held me.
Open 3 1/2 mo, this little noshspot, tucked away off Route 110 in Alpine Ln., has freshly prepared salads w/ tangy dressing, strong lattes and a mini wine shop too. Fireplace and comfy couches makes Cafe Mad. GG’s fav. hop from DT.cafemadridchelmsford.com

Thai/Japanese rest. Blue Taleh on Merrimack St. is set to open in two weeks. While optimistic, owner Pon Ramirez is keeping her fingers crossed they make that date. We are meeting thurs. for a menu rundown, which will be posted here. Sushi skeptics can rest easy, Pon’s hired an "expert" sushi chef from a Boylston St. eatery and she stressed his talent. Pon comes from a long line of Asian chefs, her aunt owned the Bangkok Cuisine in Bos. and another relative runs the Bangna Garden in Kingston. While we have no info on these rests, such strong lineage bodes well. Also the location of BT, the eastern corner of 15 Kearney Sq., is ideal for modern fusion. The slanted bld. comes to a point where the rest. resides giving it the illusion of a flatiron. This cool architectural nuance was lost on the bldg. when it housed the Sun's classified dept. With new windows and a door facing the canal, BT catches your eye. This will be the closest restaurant to the LMA and MRT and we predict will be a slam dunk. Great addition to the DTL dining scene. Like I said, full report tomorrow w/ inside pix, so come on back!

We cooked a goose for Christmas Eve and the results were ho-hum. After weeks of dreaming of the large bird from A Christmas Carol, hanging in the window as big as Tiny Tim, arriving at our doorstep, the catalogue-ordered bird turned out to be much ado about nada. After paying 100 smacks for the free range, pampered fowl from Dean and Deluca, visions of the best x-mas feed flapped through our heads. Vegetarians you can click to another page now.

Alas I have no pix, I was too busy up to my eyeballs in sage, onion and goose fat to locate a cam. We stuffed the cavity w/ bread, onions, sage, carrots, etc. and gently tucked the bird into the oven for three hours — while basting constantly — until golden brown. It looked, as one would suspect, like a large duck. The bony arms (wings?) folded breastside where a bit off-putting. When it came time to carving the beast, where was the meat? It yielded several sizable slivers, but nothing like the abundance of turkey or chicken. And the color was dark, texture like a tough roastbeef. Not too oily, but by no means a delicacy. What saved the day was the sides: braised cabbage (tangy and Russian) homemade applesauce (a great counterpoint) sliced parsnip sautéed in goose fat (delish), garlic mashed and mixed greens salad.

Relatives considered this a gourmet, wintry treat and all seemed pleased. But when I asked who wanted seconds a laudable "No" rang through the loft. And several goose pieces where still on the plates (some hidden under applesauce) when the dishes were cleared. I don't regret our festive fowl foray, but wonder has anyone fared better w/ goose?

Remember the great foodie emporium, the Impressive Chef, off the Danny Web in Nashua? It was big and beautiful w/ high ceilings and filled w/ the latest kitchen accouterments. For a few great months they sold wine and cheese. And the kitch. classroom in the back was huge, sleek and looked like a nice place to bone up on knife skills. A few mo. back it moved to Hudson and the place is now cramped and frankly nowhere near as impressive. I dashed in over the weekend for last-min x-mas shopping and instead of feeling giddy by the sight of herbed oils, pepper shakers and cutting boards, claustrophobia set in. Pots on top of pans, basters, roasters, coffee makers stacked cheek by jowl. There was a kitchen in the back where classes take place, but again the size is halved. While the products are still top-knotch, Cusinart, Le Cruesset, the cumulative effect is not the same. Too bad a place that started w/such hopes has gone generic.

It means ocean in Thai, and it sure is a sea change from the old Sun classified dept. I stepped into the Blue Taleh at 15 Kearney Sq. today and instantly forgot this was the same space I faithfully trudged through the last seven years. The pumpkin spiced and sassy green walls were instantly cheering on this gray/sleetfilled day. The curved bar w/ drop lights that will serve as martini/sushi central immediately catches your eye. When it opens in three weeks, sushi cases will reside on the far side, where raw fish will be rolled into seaweed and stacked into outrageous-sounding dishes like the volcano. Not the overwrought volcano roll that's exploded onto every sushi menu, this dish, owner Pon Ramirez tells me, is a sight to behold.
"A mountain of cooked scallops and slightly spicy tuna, stacked into a colorful presentation," is how she describes this edible Etna.
Presentation is the crux of the latest restaurant to reawaken downtown Lowell. But "whatever you do, I want fresh fish!" is what Pon's stressing to her two sushi chefs. Good. That's the best we can ask for in a sushi place. Bento boxes will be at-the-ready for office workers and Middlesex College students/faculty for lunch. With late night nigri offered till 1 a.m., and martinis stirred by a talented mixologist named Matt, how can this place go wrong? Pon, a Thai native, says duck will be her signature dish — sweet and sour and spicy. "Authentic Thai," is how her husband Steven, describes the fare.
This pleasing space that would be at home in a hipper hood, like, say Inman Square, will be a dynamic addition. I for one can't wait till mid-Jan. when the Blue Taleh breaks. Now we have two sushi options w/in a block of each other? Is this Lowell.

After a walk in the woods of Groton over the weekend hunger pangs led us to the Stagecoach Inn in the town’s center. umm. We must have been really hungry. It’s not that the food was lousy, it wasn’t. It was perfectly adequate. (How can you mess up apps, salad and fish and chips?) OK you can, but that’s not the point I’m making here. This 1600th century inn w/ wooden beams, a brick fireplace and all the charm of a North Country retreat could be so much more. It should be so much more.

Even though a sign out front said “Yes We Are Open,” we had to walk through the dinning room and holler to find a soul. Then we waited in library-like silence until menus, drinks and finally food was produced. Come on? Ambiance is half, maybe even more than half of why we choose to eat out. Most places serve up the same kind of grub we can put together at home, but we don’t want to. We want a break from our same-old kitchens. We want to feel comforted, stylish, ego-stroked. Give us a little ambiance for the love of it. It’s not hard.

With all the extra space the silence introduced in our conversation, we counted the ways. Light the fire (they ran out of kindling) light some candles (this was eventually done) play some music (it was deathly quiet) turn on a TV ( I don’t normally consider network news ambiance, but anything besides the hum of refrigeration would have helped), and lastly chat us up! The woman running the front lacked any sort of people skills, timidly requesting our order and then scurrying away. Funny you don’t really miss personality until it's gone. The stagecoach inn is a great structure and located right on Main Street in this New England gem of a town, it could be a legendary institution where town pols flock for lunch and a daytripper magnet on weekends. Instead the oldest inn in the country squeaks by. On the way home we spotted Gibbet Hill, lit up and lively in the distance on Route 40, now that looked inviting.