Who presses the best lunch out there? I've noticed an inordinate ammount of these grilled sandwiches lately. They're infesting like ants. Opps bad food analogy. Can you tell I've been out in the garden? Seems everyone and their barista is making paninis in Greater Lowell. These toasted Italian/cheese meals that ryhme w/ martini are the new grinder. They do em up at Cafe Aiello, Brew'd, Olive That and More, and where else...? Bad Dawgs. Not yet. But Im sure a panini hot dog is in the works. So it got me thinking, who prepares the best panini around? The last one I had was at Cafe Madrid over the winter, a cubano feed, and it was superb. What's your fav?

Finally the weather's nice. Today's a great day for lunch out. Not hunched over your computer. That game is so last February. I'm heading to Manhattan on Pearl in downtown Nashua. I hear this five-year old tapas joint has been rebuffed to keep up w/ the new restaurants opening in Lowell's sister city to the north. Shrimp w/ lime and some such tapas is what Im after. Also they have some great-sounding new drinks, watermellon and passion fruit infusions, which I'll have to go back to try.
Is anyone down w/ drinks at lunch? Big in the '80s, ive noticed a return to the mid-day, mid-week liquids. Several martinis were being downed last wed. around 2 p at Paradiso. I might do a white wine, but sucking down a tini is a sure way to check out for the rest of the afternoon. Now that it's spring and lunch is back, where's the best place in Greater Low to go when you don't feel like brownbagging it?

Dining alone doesn't have to be an exercise in humiliation. Yet, even those w/ the healthiest of egos can find sitting by one's lonesome at a restaurant at night, intimidating, awkward, lonely. Yet the time will come when you feel like a nice meal out and no one's around. Suck it up, you can handle it.
Places like The Village Grille make it easy. I discovered this tucked-away spot last week in Central Square, Chelmsford. And while I've haven't dined alone too much, this place struck me as a great solo hang. Tables on the first and second floor are tucked around nooks, there is a serviceable wine list that will not win too many awards, but glasses of red and white ($6) will get the blood flowing. The menu is perfectly boilerplate w/ a few flashes of brilliance. The ham and chix puff pastries, served on a creamy spinach sauce are as gourmet as this no-frills gets. It's an app that eats like a meal. Cuban and pasta dishes are fun and inexpensive. Come w/ a book and don't worry, no one will give you the snooty eye. This is not a place to see and be seen. Any tips on places where eating on your own doesn't feel like a sentence?

The unofficial mayor of Market Street was spotted on a pub crawl today. Seems most people in Lowell took today off and the pubs are jumpin'. Good day to stay low if you don't want green foodcoloring spilled over you. But let's face it, it's a great day to be irish in Lowell. Cheers!

It began w/ such promise. Sushi 101 taught by uber chef Stan Frankenthaler, Le Creuset, OXO kitch gear, wine and cheese came next. Seems this Nashua gourmet emporium was just what we malled-out Nomasonh’s needed. But then ... they moved to ... Hudson. Hardly the bastion of cool shops, this was a cry for help/ As noted on this blog in Dec., the cramped space was a harbinger of bad things to come for the Impressive Chef. Now this: "Due to the very challenging economic conditions, NH Kitchen Shoppe will be closing on March 30th," the press release reads. But things are worse than that. I just dropped a dime on the shop and a woman who answered the phone said they will be shuttered in two weeks. Bad news, but silver lining: 20 percent off all goods. We're talking stonewall kitch. kitsch, scharfen berger chocolates, spices, you know the rub. If you can get to hudson, Route 3A, it would be worth the trip. Classes scheduled in march (I happen to be in for knife sharpening ) are still on! Is anyone else saddened by this? Economic drops are eating the gourmet gems in our midst.

I found myself in the Burlington Mall over the weekend and things have changed here for the better. Remember when this mall was joe average? Trying to compete w/ the so-called Natick Collection (ugh) down south, the B-Mall has gone gourmet. And I'm not talking about food options. I'm talking about the low-pressure, post-modern, intimate, personalized shopping rearing its pretty head. First we went to Ruehl, made to look like an indie Greenwich Village shop that got lost and ended up in the burbs. The clothes are for a generation before me, but the exterior — wrought iron fence, brick, windows — pulls you in like the aroma of fresh-brewed coffee. Once inside couches, low-lights, a bistro/ bar area and six shopping rooms are ripe for exploration. The friendly staff hang at the entrance to welcome you like hip bellhops. Is this a boutique hotel, or a t-shirt/jean bodega? Next we hit Cole Haan, and although I really was starting to fade, gourmet guy wanted to try on shoes. Just as I'm about to pass out a kind sales person asks would we like some bottled water?Unheard of. Next thing you know we are lounging on a plush couch drinking petite bottles of Fuji and trying on eight pairs of kicks. Upon check out, salesperson disappeared into a back "kitchen" and the transaction was complete. If this is the new shopping, we have no reservations

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.

The word on the street is crepes are the new dogs. Better for you (w/in reason) easier to carry (no messy mustard) and so international. Yes, spring is crepe season and there's lots to try on Market Street. Brew'd Awakening just unrolled its creperie to replace waffles, good move. There are sweet ones, with chocolate, honey and banana and those that double as meals such as ham and Swiss cheese. But the one that caught my eye is pear, spinach, blue cheese, walnut and raspberry vinagrette — a portable salad in an edible container. Made with a vegan batter (so hip) this is a meal/snack you can feel good about. $5.75 each. 61 Market St. This just in ... at the Burlington Mall yest. I noticed new food court entry, Appleseed. They do crepes. Has anyone been?

Three cheers for Wolfgang Puck who decided not to carry
foie gras in his 14 restaurants this week. Right on Puck. For all you gourmands out there who don’t know what you’re eating, let me clear this up: it is a fat liver. To achieve the so-called delicacy, a goose or duck is force fed and restrained from working it off all for your delectation. I haven’t seen foie gras on local menus, but if I did I would not oblidge. My only experience of this gelatinous gray loaf was on my 31 b-day at No. 9 Park. I still remember how my heart tightened that night when I was trying to get to sleep. Anyone have a foie gras forray they'd like to share?

Smoked ales and porters, brewed with smoked malt and grains, have traveled from the old-world beer halls of Germany to the anything-goes micro breweries of America.
With deep mahogany hues and a rich, round taste, smoked ales are a smooth customer. West Coast brewers like Rouge in Oregon and Stone in California are starting to bottle smoked porters to add a twist to traditional dark beers.
"The days of loyalty to Budweiser are gone. There is so much going on with beer these days that brewers are trying to come up with the up-and-coming thing," said Rich Daly, head beer guy for Andover Liquors.
And thank God for that. If you haven't perused the beer section at Andover Liquors, you don't know ale. Even if beer isn' t your bag, their 300-plus selection is like a museum of beers. Obscure breweries from Vt, and Cail, Col., w/ cool labels are refreshing to see and try. Let' s put some pressure on the wine-loving owners to hold a beer tasting once in a while! Andover Liquor is on Main Street in the Market Basket Plaza.