In my world, a great dining experience must have three components: company, atmosphere, and food. Recently, stranded for a lonely weekend in the Bay Area, I was hungry for some lunch. I drove around the San Fran airport area and found little that seemed appealing. By chance, I drove past a restaurant that looked like a ship and a sign that said “The Sherman”. Already having driven around for a half hour, I decided this was the place. As I parked in the expansive parking lot, I realized that this place just didn’t look like a ship, it was a ship. As a matter of fact, it is an old steamer that was originally build in 1922 and now is the “The Sherman”.

I entered the ship, and the restaurant looked deserted except for a bachelorette/bridal shower party that was occurring. I asked the receptionist if they were closed for a private party, but she assured me they were now serving lunch. She took me up a glass staircase to the empty second floor, where you have unbelievable views of the San Francisco Bay and the SFO airport.

I took a table by the bow of the boat and settled in to enjoy the view. A helpful wait staff (I was the only lunch customer so I got the royal treatment of three servers), scurried over and delivered warm bread, water, and a asked for a drink order. I stuck with the water and looked through the lunch menu.

The lunch menu only had about 4 appetizers, 2 salads, 2 sandwiches, and a few entrees as choices (fairly light on the options). One appetizer caught my eye, the “Mango Crab Tower”, and when my waiter stopped back I told him I was having that and a soup, salad, sandwich combo: the salad was a Caesar (which I got with extra anchovies), the salad was a tomato-corn bisque, and the sandwich was ham and cheese.

While I waited for the food, I turned and tried to soak up the amazing view. It was a picture perfect, 90 degree day, and the bay was full of sailors. That made me think about the history of the ship I was in: it had been a military transport ship, a cruise ship and a showboat.

The food arrived in short order. The “Mango Crab Tower” was a wonderfully presented dish with an orange-colored mango sauce surrounding a layered tower of mango, avocado, and dungeness crab. Unfortunately, the presentation was the best part. The sauce lacked flavoring, and the tower was bland. This blah theme continued with the ham and cheese sandwich, which was deli ham and cheese on mediocre sourdough bread.  Sadly, the bisque was flavorless, almost not worth mentioning in this review. The Caesar salad, on the other hand, was a delight, consisting of a light dressing with wonderfully crisp romaine lettuce and fresh whole California anchovies.

After the meal I paused to get one last look at the view. This meal did not hit a home run for all three of my elements, but I still think it is worth a visit again when I have a companion. Given the mediocre food experience, you know the atmosphere is just that good.

When a food establishment becomes synonymous with one item, you have to know that they must do something special. And for people in the Mid-Atlantic area that go to Ocean City, Maryland, the name Thrasher’s instantly conjures up the best french fries in the world.

Located right at the inlet part of the boardwalk in Ocean City, Maryland, Thrasher’s has been serving up potatoes deep fried in 100% peanut oil since 1929. And what makes them doubly special is that is the only thing they serve. All you need to do is pick the container size you want. They will sell you a fountain soda to wash it down, but there are no other food items on the menu.

Another thing that you won’t find on the menu is ketchup. They don’t offer any, and all of the places around Thrasher’s have agreed not to give ketchup to people. As a matter of fact, there are signs that specifically mention not to ask for ketchup. Instead of the second most popular condiment in the U.S. (salsa is now #1), people pour malt vinegar and salt on top of the fries. For some in the reading audience this may sound odd, but I am here to tell you that once you eat fries this way, you may never use ketchup again!

As a kid, I remember going to Ocean City and seeing ridiculous lines of people waiting for their turns to order at Thrasher’s. Now there are multiple locations on the seashore, but the original location still draws a long line in the summer. I recently had the joy of taking my children (french fry connoisseurs that they are), and they also found them to be the best. But don’t take our word for it…. you have to taste the fries and smell the ocean air to get the full sensation.

While on vacation in Maryland, we headed up to Delaware to check out the Natural History Museum. The museum was a hit on a chilly rainy day. Leaving the museum was an unpleasant end to the trip, as the miserable weather brought a chill to me. To bring some warmth back, a cup of coffee seemed like a great idea.

Driving on the Kennett Pike, neither my fiance or I were familiar with the area, so we searched roadside malls for a coffee shop. Luckily, we saw PureBread Deli. Entering the deli, I noticed a large menu posted above a counter that contained a variety of baked goods. All looked quite delicious.

Having eaten lunch only 3 hours earlier, there was no need to sample their Best-in-Show (signature sandwiches) or a bagel creation, such as the Doberman. With two of the four kids with us, I did need to bring a treat for them.

Viewing the bakery case, a fudgy chocolate brownie seemed to be the best bet. The brownies were enormous; each brownie was equal to two servings. The children said that they were delicious!

As for the adults, I ordered a large coffee for each of us. At the coffee counter, there were more than a dozen coffees from which to choose. I got butter pecan for me and vanilla nut for my dear. Both of us decided that the coffees were deliciously flavored.

Beyond enjoying the tastes of our snack and drinks, I also enjoyed the prices. For 1 huge brownie and 2 large coffees, I paid only 5 dollars. Yep, you read that correctly, $5.00!

Unfortunately, today was our last day on vacation. I am eager to return to this area - not only for a vacation but to try more of PureBread’s menu.

I live in the Bay Area so I avoid a lot of the tourist trap areas and restaurants, especially Pier 39 in San Francisco. However, my mom doesn’t live here, and she absolutely adores going to Pier 39. Last weekend was her birthday, and she came to see us. When we asked her where she wanted to go for her birthday she naturally said, “The wharf.” So we went to Pier 39, and we had her birthday lunch at The Bubba Gump Shrimp Company.

Bubba Gump’s is a restaurant based off the movie Forrest Gump. Outside the building there is a bench, like the one from the film, where they sometimes have a Forrest impersonator sit there and converse with the patrons. Inside the restaurant is filled with paraphernalia from the movie, as well as the movie playing continuously on the various televisions positioned throughout the restaurant.

The menu boasts dishes based off some of your favorite characters from the movie, and it specializes in Creole cuisine. They have something for everyone. Half my family hates seafood while the other half loves it, and we were able to find something to eat that we enjoyed. They also supply a children’s menu that had a good selection.

We got there right when they opened at 11:00 am, and we were seated right away. The host and hostesses were very friendly. They have something truly revolutionary — license plates. Your table comes equipped with two, one that reads, “Run Forrest, Run” and the other, “Stop Forrest, Stop.” The beauty of these signs is if you need anything, you flip it to stop and anyone that works there HAS TO STOP to see what you need. We never had to wait for soda refills, extra napkins, or more sauce.

A Caution: While the food is great and the service exceptional, it is, in fact, a tourist attraction, and by the time we left, the place was packed with a line out the door.

My family enjoys taking the occasional Sunday to enjoy a brunch buffet. There are several factors involved in choosing the ideal brunch: variety, atmosphere, quality, and cost. What makes a brunch worth its cost?

In Nashua, NH, Michael Timothy’s Urban Bistro can quickly reduce the weight of your wallet at $21.00 for adults. (Luckily, if you plan to attend with a young family, kids under 12 get in for $9.00.) Also, you won’t be able to find every breakfast dish you can imagine. Nevertheless, the two others factors pull their weight. Of all of the brunches I have attended, I feel that Michael Timothy’s has the best quality food and atmosphere. Each dish is prepared well enough so that while you savor each bite, you forget about the slightly small selection. The desserts are flawless and presented in small portions so I can always taste more than one. Every Sunday, this restaurant provides live jazz, which complements the delicious meal.

Also in Nashua, you might want to try the Speaker’s Corner Restaurant at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. The vast selection of breakfast/lunch foods makes this brunch buffet worth the cost ($16.95 for adults). Even with all of the choices, the quality of the food does not suffer. Visit the chef’s signature carving station, or have an omelet made to order. Both options are excellent.

In Merrimack, your wallet will suffer a bit less at The Common Man ($13.99). Though service isn’t a huge part of a brunch with a buffet table setting, it definitely is a weakness I came across here. I found myself waiting on a glass of orange juice that I passed twice on my way to the buffet. As the hallways are a bit cramped, it becomes dangerous to pass a server or another diner with a full plate. Other than that, the quantity and quality is good enough to satisfy your stomach for a day (or even a little more than that).

Combining average dishes and helter-skelter service is usually a recipe for disaster.  Unfortunately,  The Way We Cook was just that compilation.

On a Friday night, we (my beautiful fiancee and I) visited The Way We Cook for what was to be a special evening out. The restaurant was recommended, so we had to give it a try. Unfortunately, we were left greatly disappointed.

The establishment is on the north end of Manchester in a part of town that progress has mostly forgotten. They had ample parking in the back of their restaurant so we parked the Mini there and walked around to the front. The decor was simple but pleasant. There were a lot of open tables so we were able to get a table right away. The greeter (who wound up being our waiter as well) allowed us to choose our table, which was a nice touch. We chose a table in the back that seemed to have some distance and privacy. Unfortunately, from that point on the dining experience went downhill.

The waiter (we will leave out his name to protect his incompetence) seemed to be running around like Super Mario getting chased in Donkey Kong, and his friendliness quickly was lost within his franticness. Hot bread was delivered, which was adequate but nothing special. We each ordered a special martini off the menu. Since the drinks took almost 15 minutes to deliver and one of them was wrong, I won’t bother to describe them except to say they were lackluster and average. When we ordered the drinks, we also ordered an appetizer, Saganaki. Unfortunately, our nutty waiter forgot and returned 20 minutes later to ask us again if we wanted an appetizer!! So, we ordered the Saganaki again.

This was a gooey, baked cheese Greek concoction with an olive oil basting. It was served with crunchy bruschetta slices. It was by far the best part of the meal, and that should tell you how things go downhill from there.

For the main meals, we ordered ravioli filled with spinach and portabello mushrooms, which came with a large meatball and a seafood dish made with shrimp and lobster tortellini-type pasta. I will just stop with the description at this point because both meals were below average (although the spinach ravioli were decent) and don’t deserve a description. Let us just say that I could not figure out what the stuffing was on the seafood pasta, and while the meatball was HUGE (think softball size) it was without flavor.

There are better choices for someone looking for a nice place to eat in Manchester… pass on The Way We Cook.

The story on most Chinese food is that it is quickly prepared, simply presented, and tastes about the same no matter where you have it. This sounds like a recipe for fast food, and in most cases Chinese food is just a specialized form of that. Only on rare occasions do you run into a Chinese restaurant that takes things and makes them a little more special. Luckily for residents of southern New Hampshire you, have a choice that is a cut above in Chen Yang Li in Bedford.

Last night, my darling bride-to-be and I were accompanied by our closest couple-friends for dinner at Chen Yang Li. Being a Saturday night we were hoping that there was not a long wait, and we were lucky enough to be able to be seated right away.  Joe, our server, was prompt with the water as we were seated in the simple, yet attractive, dining room. The ladies perused the drink menu and, after some debate, decided on a coconut-rum-pineapple concoction called the Love Potion, while OT (Old Tom) settled on a Mai Tai.

While the drinks were being prepared, we finalized our meal selections. The menu offerings are one of the things that instantly separates Chen Yang Li from other Chinese restaurants. Appetizers like Frog Legs and Hong Kong Mussels can be paired with Abalone with Chicken or Yang’s Four Shell Soups . The main courses are a great mix of Japanese and Chinese staples along with unique items like Strawberry Chicken or Tangerine Beef.

The dinner selections we chose were:

• Unagi Don
• Mango Chicken
• Teriyaki Stir-Fried Chicken
• Teriyaki Stir-Fried Shrimp

The drinks arrived promptly and were solidly prepared and tasty. While we were having lively conversation our main courses arrived with little delay. Using radishes and carrots, the heaping portions were expertly garnished with ornamental flowers and decorations — an excellent touch to accent the food. I ate the Unagi Don and found the smoked eel well prepared. I was also able to sample the Mango Chicken, which I thought was a flavorful offering. The fried rice that was ordered as the accompaniment had a little bit of a stale taste to it. It lacked the quality that we found with the rest of the meal. Our entire group was happy with the selections and there were a great deal of leftovers that could be savored the next day.

While the meal was not worthy of five stars, it was a well presented, plentiful, and tasty offering — an above average Chinese restaurant and well worth a visit. We will be returning to try some more of the unique menu.

I recently enjoyed the experience of eating at The Well, one of the two restaurants that make up the Phoenix House and Well. It is the “downstairs” restaurant, while The Phoenix Room is the “upstairs” restaurant. Of the two, the Room is geared to be a fine dining experience.

After a day of skiing on the slopes of Sunday River, my stomach was rumbling for some substance. I had heard about a special offer available at The Well: all-you-can-eat pasta for just $5. Having never been there before, I was expecting some mediocre pasta. After all, the cost was only five dollars! I was in for a surprise.

The offer involved two different types of pastas and four different types of sauces. I also received a sizable, well-made Caesar salad. For the pasta, I started off with Penne Alfredo. I must admit that the service took longer than I thought should be necessary for a plate of pasta. Luckily enough, The Well offers a gaming room to spend time in, and also some live music. Unfortunately, there was no live music being played while I was dining, so I cannot comment on that subject.

I eventually received my dish, and proceeded to devour it. I moved on, ordering a Linguini Vodka Fra Diavolo. Although I had come looking for quantity rather than quality, I was pleasantly surprised by both dishes. Though the Bolognese and Pesto variations were quite tempting, I had had my share for the evening. In addition to having a great selection of foods, that come at acceptable prices, there is an extensive selection of beverages, wines, and beers that is sure to please anyone.

The Phoenix House and Well is located just off the slopes of Sunday River Ski Resort, a few miles from Bethel, Maine. It offers an unmatched view of the mountain. I look forward to my next time dining there. Perhaps I will give The Phoenix Room a try.

On our path of merging families, there are many introductions to be made. Unfortunately, scheduling can be difficult when all of the adults have children. This past Friday night both location and time allowed everyone to meet for dinner. Seeing that there would be 7 adults and 7 children, a family-style restaurant was the perfect fit. Friendly Farm Restaurant met that need.

Located in Upperco, Maryland, this restaurant looks exactly like its name. Sitting on a large parcel of land, the restaurant is surrounded by a pond and sloping hills.

As you enter the restaurant, you immediately see a board displaying dinner choices and a booth at which you place your order. The choice for your meal is easy, yet difficult. The easy part is the option of side dishes – you get everything! All side dishes are served family-style and are refilled as often as requested. The difficult part is choosing the meat, which ranges from beef to chicken to pork to seafood. Deciding that we wanted to sample different tastes, my boyfriend and I chose two entrees to split, two 5 ounce crab cakes and fried chicken.

When all 14 diners had arrived and placed their orders, we were brought to our table. Already situated on our table were dishes of apple butter, cottage cheese, pickles, cole slaw, peach slices, and pickled beets. Given the assortment of foods, all diners found a tempting appetizer with which to start their dining experiences.

Our pleasant server Linda was attentive from the start. Within a moment of us being seated, she promptly took our drink orders. After bringing a first round of soft drinks, she returned with baskets filled with hot dinner rolls and sugar biscuits. Having heard of this restaurant for quite some time, I was eager to try the oft-mentioned sugar biscuits. They did not disappoint, as they had a crunchy outside and a light, tender inside. Additionally, the biscuits had a coating of coarse-grained sugar to give them a mouth-watering sweetness.

While we devoured the biscuits and rolls, there was much enjoyable conversation among the children and adults. Time passed quickly and before we knew it, dinner had arrived. In the flip of the coin, I was served the crab cakes, while my boyfriend was served the fried chicken. The crab cakes were excellent. Served broiled, they were hot and made almost entirely of crab, a definite bonus. Without breading, one could taste the sweet flavor of crab. While stated as a 5 ounce crab cake, it seemed much larger.

After eating half of a crab cake, my boyfriend and I switched plates, giving me the opportunity to taste the fried chicken. The chicken was crunchy without being greasy on the outside and moist on the inside. For this entrée choice, four pieces (wing, drumstick, thigh, and breast) are served. Again with so much food to sample, I was able to consume only a portion of the breast.

Reading about all of these delicious foods, someone might assume that this is the entire meal. However, there were more dishes to sample: French fries, green beans, and corn. Again, all of these dishes were able to be replenished if requested. Linda checked on our party in regular increments, making sure that dishes and glasses were satisfactorily full.

As dinner dishes emptied and stomachs were filled, Linda took coffee orders from the adults. Adeptly clearing the table and delivering coffees, she shared the evening’s ice cream choices. Within minutes of the placement of ice cream orders, Linda returned with dishes for all. Though everyone was full, room was made to savor the ending to this delicious meal and allow for more conversation before our evening needed to end. Friendly Farm had provided a wonderful place to dine and make new friends.

A final note to this review: you have seen some of the finer points of Friendly Farm. There are helpful waitstaff, generous portions, and tasty foods. However, there is one other exceptional part to dining here, the price. The starters of cottage cheese and more, soft drinks, side dishes, coffees, and desserts are included in the price of each entrée. With meals ranging from $14.95 to $31.95 (and lower prices on the kids’ menu) for everything from appetizer to dessert, you could not ask for a more affordable, or delicious, dining experience.

While in California recently, my boyfriend and I decided to have Thai food for dinner. Searching the Internet, we found Thaiphoon, located in Palo Alto.

We arrived at 6:30 on a Sunday night and were seated immediately. We were greeted by our waiter and provided with dinner and drink menus. After perusing the fairly diversified martini list we made our choices. My boyfriend, having chosen his drink more quickly than I, found an appetizer that would please both of us.

Within minutes of placing our drink and appetizer orders, our martinis appeared. My boyfriend had ordered a coconut martini, which came with a rim coated in sweetened coconut flakes. Unlike many coconut drinks that are heavy with coconut milk, this drink was light with a hint of sweetness. My drink was a blueberry martini, which was garnished with a lemon slice. This drink was light and had a delightful blueberry taste.

Having enjoyed a few sips of our drinks, our appetizer of chicken satay arrived. At this point, we ordered our main dishes and dug into the chicken. The four skewers of chicken lay atop a cucumber salad. The chicken was warm and tender and had a slightly sweet taste from the coconut milk in the marinade. The peanut curry dipping sauce balanced the flavors of the marinade.

For our entrees we ordered two dishes to share. The first dish was stir fried mango chicken, which was listed as a mild dish. As explained on the menu, this entrée was “chicken sautéed with fresh mango, cashew nuts, bell pepper, onions, and water chestnut.” These ingredients had a nice combination of flavors. My boyfriend and I disagreed about one ingredient, though. I thought the mango had a metallic taste, but he thought it tasted fine. Absent the mango, both of us agreed that it was a tasty entrée.

Our second dish was Mongolian beef, which was rated with a spice level of medium. This dish had slightly more heat, as it contained pan-fried beef, leeks, onion, and chili peppers. While this dish did not have a range of flavors like the chicken, it was delicious in its own way. Served with crispy rice noodles, it provided a pleasant variety of crunchiness and tenderness.

It must be noted that the waitstaff at Thaiphoon were very attentive. Both my boyfriend and I drink large amounts of water when we dine. In fact, we have had waitstaff that have offered to leave pitchers of water to make their jobs easier. At this restaurant, a staff member frequently checked on our glasses and kindly refilled them. The waitstaff also were attentive to our dining needs while not being overbearing, which can be a difficult balance to achieve.

Our dining experience at this Palo Alto restaurant was very good. If you are in the Bay Area and are looking for some delicious Thai food, Thaiphoon should be the destination of your choice.