Seasonal Openings 2011: Part II

Friday, March 25, TODAY, Nate’s of Front Beach Rockport opens. What’s better than fluffy pancakes and a walk on the beach?

Friday, April 1, Topside Grill opens. The dining room is completely renovated but the martinis have not changed. Opening Day party with music by John Jerome. Then Tuesdays are always Oyster night.

Saturday, April 2, Top Dog of Rockport opens for the eleventh season. A clam roll at a picnic table outside. That is my official start of the season. Or a Bad Dog with Chili Cheese Fries.

Those are the only three I have definitive dates. Last year’s announcements included, The Rudder: April 15, The Cupboard: May 6, Popo’s Gourmet Hot Dogs, Nate’s at Front Beach, Surfside Subs on Thacher Road, and Capt Carlo’s all around April 27 with Lobster Pool of Rockport and Lobsta Land both sometime earlier. So is Lobsta Land year round forever now? Don’t you wish all of these places did that?

Now let me talk to restaurant owners for a moment. Look outside. What do you see? What I see is the 21st century. What that means is when I go to your website or facebook page of your restaurant I should not see: “Fall hours” or “we will be closing for the winter soon” or “we will be opening in May.” What a buzzkill. Spring has sprung. Crank up the anticipation for your restaurant opening. Cast some bread upon the water and you will be repaid. We’re starving for the season to begin. Give us a sign.

Add a comment to this post when your restaurant, sub shop, ice cream parlor will be opening and I will include it in the next seasonal posting. Or even if you are just a patron, if you have heard when a place is opening, help them out and send that date in.

Wachusett Green Monsta IPA at Stone’s Pub

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I wonder if the Red Sox will go after Wachusett Brewing for the obvious play on the Red Sox left field wall or if they got the blessing from the team first.  I doubt they would just let them use the name without getting something in return, unless they got around it by calling it Green “Monsta” instead of “Monster”  Interesting

Cooking Fried Whiting With Sista Felicia Video at The Taste of The Times

Click here to view the video at the Gloucester Times Website

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Deb Clarke just asked me how Felicia seasons her fried whiting.  I answered her on Twitter but not sure if she ever got it.  In any case here you can see exactly how it is done.  Fried Whiting is my very favorite fish to eat.  I could sit down with a pile of salted fried whiting and a couple of cold beers and have an incredible feast.  The pure white flesh of the whiting is the tastiest fish ever.  You eat it like corn on the cob and the meat falls away from the bone easily.   In my opinion the most underutilized species we have today.  It also make an incredible soup.

Here are some pictures from a couple of weeks ago at Felicia’s house-

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$25 for $50 of Food at Duckworth’s Bistrot on Local Ginger Website

Click the picture to register for the deal at the Where/Local Ginger Website

I just bought two!  One for me and one for a gift. The woman from Local Ginger just tweeted that there is only a limited amount of these and it will sell out- click the pic to get it quick@!!!!

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The Mrs and I ate there just last week, wish I would have had this deal then! You can read my comments about the “Duck” here

Here are some pictures from Duckworth’s that I’ve taken over the past couple years-

The Rib Eye-

Duckworth’s Bistrot Salmon Over Risotto-

Ken is a pretty modest guy especially after taking into consideration all of his accomplishments and the critical acclaim he has received.

Here is a little about Ken from the Nightengale Inn website-

Ken Duckworth’s love of eating began while he was a child growing up in Chicago. The only son born to a Cuban mother and American father, he was fortunate to have his maternal Grandparents, Great-Grandparents and aunts all living on the same street as him. During elementary school lunch break he would hurry to his Great-Grandmothers table to find a home cooked lunch waiting for him. Young Ken loved to eat and Mama (Great Grandmother) loved to cook for him. Later the entire family moved to Tampa/Clearwater Florida and Ken continued his love of eating.

Ken’s love of cooking began at the age of 16 when he took his first restaurant job; he has been cooking ever since. At the age of 19, with a deep passion for food, Ken decided to make a career in the restaurant business.

While honing his skills at for five years at Saddlebrook Resort in Tampa, Ken met his future wife Nicole and the two began their culinary journey. From Tampa, Ken and Nicole headed to Saint Simons Island, Georgia where Ken went work at the world- renowned 5 star-five diamond resort The Cloister. Ken began at the Cloister as a lead cook at one of the Cloisters outlets specializing in world cuisine with a southern flair. He went on to become a butcher for the resort; practicing what he considers a lost art. Finally, he helped lead the resort’s Garde Manger in the Main Dining Room.

In 1998 Ken’s desire to work in a city with a great restaurant reputation and Nicole’s New England roots led the couple to Boston. There Jacky Robert took Ken on as sous chef at nationally acclaimed Maison Robert. At Maison Robert Ken built on his knowledge of French Classics and learned the nuances of working in a family run business. Ann, Lucien, and Andree Robert sent Ken to Paris to work at Le Relais De Auteuil, a two star Michelin restaurant.

In 2000, the Robert family gave Ken the opportunity to head up the kitchen as Executive Chef, where Ken truly came into his own. While running the two kitchens at Maison Robert, Ken developed menus according to the seasons, learned the business side of running a restaurant and developed an understanding of balance. The bittersweet closing of Maison Robert in 2004 led Ken and Nicole to a small restaurant with a rich history in the beautiful port city of Gloucester, Massachusetts.

In October of 2004 Ken and Nicole opened Duckworth’s Bistrot. Duckworth’s Bistrot quickly caught the attention of local and national diners. In 2005 Duckworth’s Bistrot earned a rating of three stars (excellent) from Alison Arnett of The Boston Globe and Best of the New in The Boston Globe Magazine. In 2006 Duckworth’s Bistrot received a Best of Boston, Best Restaurant North award from Boston Magazine. Duckworth’s Bistrot is Zagat rated and has been mentioned in Yankee Magazine as well as Food and Wine magazine.

Duckworth’s Bistrot Gets Highest Zagat Rating In The Entire Boston and Surrounding Area Restaurants

Spanish Sweetbread At Gloria’s Inside Brown’s Mall

I tried some and it was great on it’s own but Gloria says that many people eat it with their coffee. Now I can’t wait to have another one with a cup ‘o Joe.

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Restaurant News- Catch 22 Seaside Bistro Info

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OK, this is what you need to know-

They are shooting for an April 1st opening.

It is owned by the same company that owns Espresso in East Gloucester but it will be operated as a stand alone restaurant under that company umbrella.

If you, like me had thoughts that this space was going to look like a dungeon inside let me tell you now that people are going to be blown away by the complete upscale renovation inside.   I obviously can’t speak to the food because it isn’t opened but they pulled out all the stops on the decor.  Money obviously was not an issue.

I was scratching my head when I heard that there was going to be another seafood restaurant in that area thinking that there was already a ton of restaurants in that area of Main/Rogers Street and that average just won’t cut it but let me tell you if the food and service are on par with the interior renovation they just may have a shot.

It takes balls to open a restaurant in the thick of at least a dozen great restaurants within a quarter of a mile radius.  They must feel good about their prospects in our beloved City.  They will be representing at Taste of Cape Ann Sponsored by the Gloucester Daily Times at Cruiseport Wednesday March 23rd.  I’ll be interested to talk to the chef and get their perspective on what they will be bringing to The Gloucester Table.

For more info about the Taste of Cape Ann Event at Cruiseport click here

Dog Bar Restaurant Grand Re-opening This Weekend!

Dog Bar Restaurant Grand Re-opening this weekend with New Menu. Thursday – Millie Manning Band, Friday – Pete Lindberg, Joe Cardoza and Jake Pardee, Saturday – Justin Tocco and Rockin Rewind. Please come down and see our renovated listening room and try a complementary bowl of Monk Fish Chowder.

Click the picture for the DogBar website

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St Joseph’s Feast At Sista Felicia’s

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Zeppole Ready For The Ricotta

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Grace Frying Up the Haddock

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Breaded Red Peppers

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Michelle Ladles on Some St Joseph’s Pasta

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Mangia!

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Chantey Night Has Been Moved To Tuesdays At Cape Ann Brewing

 

Janet Young writes-

Hi, Joey—
An update for your readers:  Chantey Night, an open Tuesday night sing featuring members of Three Sheets to the Wind, Knockabout, and other music groups from the North Shore and the Boston area, has moved from the now-closed Cameron’s to the Cape Ann Brewing Company.   The singing begins at 8:30 every Tuesday night.
Thank you,
Janet Young

For all the schooner heads this is quite a thing to see.  If you have someone coming into town and want to hear and see something very different it can be pretty cool. 

Be warned though- don’t go planning a meeting or meet-up where you think you’re going to be able to carry on a conversation while they are singing.  Best to plan it for a different night at Cape Ann Brewing.

Fontana Family St Joseph Novena 2011- Must Watch Videos

I think you will really enjoy watching the videos that I’ll be putting out each day this week from the first five houses along the route of the Novena Crawl.  From the walking up the staircase and listening to the warm greetings in the Fontana house all the way through the fifth house at the Orlandos you hear of special traditions spoken from the mouths of the women who have been celebrating for generations.  Again I wish I could have made it to all 11 houses but my little ones were up way past their bed time.  I’m sure Manny will be releasing some fantastic footage from the remaining houses as well.

We start off at the first house on Sefatia’s Novena Crawl through the City at The Fontana House.  Tomorrow look for The Scola Novena, followed by the Russo, Ferrrante and Orlando Houses. One a day til we are out of footage.  Thank you to all the families for welcoming us into your homes and sharing this wonderful tradition.

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Making Empenadas At Gloria’s Video

One of the things I love most about eating at Gloria’s is Gloria herself and the pride she takes in her cooking.

Whenever I ask her what tomorrow’s “Spanish Special” is going to be she gets this incredible smile and enthusiasm on her face when she describes what she will be making the next day.  I don’t even bother looking at the regular menu because the daily “Spanish specials” are always ridiculously good.

Fort Square Café Pics From J Souza

Hey there.
We’re  big fans of the Fort Cafe and we thought we’d share a peek at some recent offerrings. Check out the stuffed French toast with ice cream -AMAZING -and the incredible assortment of baked goods in addition to all the delicious daily breakfast and lunch offerings.
Heidi is a cook/baker, extraordinaire and Rusty, Tony, Ellen and Krista complete the entertaining Fort Cafe team that makes for not only a delicious meal but a cozy environment with great company and conversation.
Check it out, right next to the Chamber of Commerce Building. It’s dangerously delicious…..

Fort Cafe - French toast-blueberry stuffed

Fort Cafe- Pastries

Wowza is all I can say!

Blue Shutters Inn Food & Wine Tasting — March 19 and May 7

From The Blue Shutters Inn Blog

Food & Wine Tasting Updates — March 19 and May 7


Check out the update below for details on our next Food & Wine Tasting, on March 19. If you can’t make it this weekend, you’ll have another chance later this spring — and we wanted to let folks know that there’s been a date change for this next event. We’re moving this second tasting to Saturday May 7 — it had been scheduled for April 30, but there were too many conflicts. We’ll still go with our Cinco de Mayo theme, featuring a selection of red and white wines and food items from Chile, Argentina and other countries south of the border. That’s also Mother’s Day weekend, and we thought this be a great way to show Mom how much you care. Think about it — bring her along so she can wake up Mother’s Day morning to the beauty of Good Harbor Beach, after tasting great food and wine the afternoon/evening before. There will be time to enjoy walks on the beach, and we’ll also have menus and recommendations for those interested in dining at one of Cape Ann’s many restaurants – and a guide to some of our favorite spots for drinks, shopping and entertainment.
For both of these events — around Saturday March 19 and Saturday May 7 — you can make it a weekend getaway and get a special Blue Shutters discount: book a room Saturday and get Friday night at half-price.
Call us for more details…and to reserve a room and a spot for one of these food and wine tasting events.

Lake Tung Ting Shrimp at Midori iPhone Photo From William Fonvielle

People have been raving about Midori.  Don’t judge this place by the location as if it were “just another Chinese food joint”  We’ve had a couple of fantastic meals there. 

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Cape Ann Youth Lacrosse Night Fundraiser At Jalapeno’s Wednesday – March 16

 

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Cape Ann Youth Lacrosse Night Fundraiser

At Jalapeno’s

Main St. Gloucester

Wednesday – March 16

4:30 – 10:00

10% of all purchases will go directly to

CAYL

Eat in –Take out

$10 for $20 Worth of Comfort Fare and Thirst Quenchers at The Farm Bar & Grille

So Far we have used Groupons from Lat 43, Hale Street Tavern, and a couple for Jalepenos.  We bought some for Bisuteki and Zoots Dry Cleaners.  If these joints want to give stuff away for half price and I go there anyway I ‘m gonna partake.  Money in our pocket baby!

Click below for the deal.

$10 for $20 Worth of Comfort Fare and Thirst Quenchers at The Farm Bar & Grille

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The best Nachos anywhere and killer pulled pork sandwiches-

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Beat Down At The Farm Bar and Grille Video The Farm Is Rabbit Approved-