Takumi - Japanese Buffet

In South Nashua, there are two big Teppanyaki places slugging it out for Japanese culinary dominance: Takumi and Tokyo Steakhouse.

Takumi is the upstart among the two, only having started up a few years ago. If you ever walk into the two restaurants, you can see the difference in decor, as well as the food.

When you head to this outpost of Nippon just across the way from Funworld between Exit 1 and Exit 2, there's a sense that the restaurant is intended for bigger and better things than where it is.

Words such as stylish and chic don't adequately describe its decorating, and the food on the buffet pictured here, was worth the $10.95 given the fact that it also included salad, miso soup, and a chicken entree you'd normally get on the grill for around the same price.

Takumi merits another review of one of their specific dishes in the future from my experience on this trip.

Meal: Takumi Express Buffet with Chicken

Price: $10.95

Speed of Service: 1 minute to be seated (buffet), appetizers and entree came out within 5 to 15 minutes.

Time of Day: 11:30 AM, Weekday

Thon Khao

It's somewhat amazing to me that I haven't reviewed Thon Khao before now.

Driving down Amherst Street, it's easy to miss in the maze of strip malls and U-turns. Right across from Building 19, this restaurant is one of Southern New Hampshire's culinary treasures, and you're doing yourself a misservice if you don't go there at least once if you live in the Nashua area.

Today's meal there was Larb, just as I had a week or two ago down the street at Changmai. But as you can see from the camera phone shots both here and on the Changmai Larb, the Larb at Thon Khao is much more flavorful and textured. It's also about two bucks cheaper.

It's also spicier, but not so spicy that it can't be eaten by most people unless coriander and lime is too piquant for you.

The service is excellent, and there are plenty of other good choices that I will be heading back there to share with you in the future.

Meal: Larb
Price: $8.95
Time of Day: 11:30 AM
Speed of Service: 10 minutes (sit down)

The Puritan

Very few things in Manchester are more quintessentially Manchester than The Puritan Restaurant.

I went here with a friend, but generally it's visited by families and the elderly looking for a traditional New England meal, and that's generally what you're going to get here, so I decided to try one of the more traditional offerings on the menu in the broiled chicken tenders.

I had gotten the regular chicken tenders before and enjoyed them, unlike most chicken tenders, The Puritan's tenders are not crispy and barely breaded. For the most part, the non-breaded broiled tenders tasted similiar, but I have to admit there were a few pieces that were inedible to me.

That's the dilemma for me on judging this dish. The first few bites were great, the last few bites were awful: the bites were gamy and gristle filled to the point where they were difficult to swallow. The "special sauce", a terriyaki-ish reduction that actually drew me to my order intially, was positive, as was the side of French Fries, which was more than enough, but for the $11.95 price tag, I was not satisfied in the least given the quality of the chicken I was given.

I've had plenty of good meals from here, so i'll try the Puritan again in the future, but I can't recommend the broiled chicken tenders after this encounter.

Meal: Broiled Chicken Tenders

Price: $11.95

Speed of Service: 15 minutes (sit down)

Time of Day: 12:30 PM, weekend

Cider Mill Country Store

I drove by here a few times and saw a roadsign sign at the Cider Mill Country Store on 101 near the Amherst/Bedford line for "$4.99 Angus and Fries" at this place and I figured driving by this time, i'd try it out.

Angus beef comes from a particular breed of cattle from Scotland and it's generally more tender than regular beef. A few years ago, Burger King and McDonalds started offering Angus Burgers as a more premium alternative to their normal fare, but usually the meals that include their Angus offerings hover around $6-$8.

With a drink, the Angus Burger with fries at the Cider Mill is comparable in price to the fast food joints, and the staff was just about as friendly as the fast food chains, when I arrived there was only one person manning the register and the grill. I suppose then, one would ask, is why anyone would eat this Angus versus the fast food Anguses?

In the end, it's an Apples and Oranges thing. This burger was satisfying, and the Apple Mill is a mini-grocery store and also technically a historical site (Horace Greeley, the guy who coined the phrase "Go West, Young Man", was born near here), so looking at it that way, it's certainly a change of pace from the drive-thru window.

But is it better? I'll leave that up to you. Chances are you'll like what you're eating as you decide though.

Meal: Angus Burger with Fries

Price: $4.99

Speed of Service: 10 Minutes(over the counter)

Time of Day: 1:00 PM, Weekday

Chili's -- Amherst Street, Nashua

I somehow feel dirty reviewing a national chain like Chili's. Nobody goes to Chili's because of what a reviewer says, they go there because they want a place to eat with a bunch of crap on the wall and familiar yet enticing food that makes it feel homesy.

"Real" restaurant reviewers are probably heading to the Cheateau Swanky talking about the Fois Gras and Chardonnay, not that I wouldn't mind eating that, but normally all I can afford is local eateries that also don't get enough attention.

Still, might as well mention Chili's. Plenty of people do eat there, and you deserve to know what you're getting if you go, and hopefully I can help.

The specimen you see pictured here is the Shiner Bock BBQ Burger. Complete with some story on the menu about some small town in Texas where they make the BBQ sauce for it, the picture for the burger itself on the "specials menu" was the size of a frisbee and had enough adjectives to fill a novella. And yet, it did not have the price, at least not directly, they had a price for it in the main menu.

I decided to try it to see if it was worth the hype, and I have to admit it was not bad. Then again, Chili's has probably test marketed this burger to the point where it probably couldn't have been bad or they would have pulled it from their menu. There's a reason that there are plenty of Chili chains across the U.S

Again, the service was decent, but not so good that is was unexpectedly good. You go to a medium paced, medium priced folksy chain restaurant like Chili's to disarm your expectations. The price of the burger was a little high, but not so high that those expectations were rearmed again. If they charged $6.99 for this burger, i'd be saying it was excellent, and if they charged $10.99 i'd be saying it was horrible.

In the end, I can't say anything bad about this trip or this burger. If you get it, you'll probably like it if you're a premium burger fan, but there are far better options than Chili's in the Nashua area if you're looking for more than just a standard meal.

Meal: Shiner Bock BBQ Burger

Price: $8.29

Time of Day: 12:30 PM, weekend

Speed of Service: 15 minutes (sit down)

Shorty's

Ok, if you have ever had Tex-Mex in the Merrimack Valley of Southern New Hampshire, you've probably had it at Shorty's at least once.

There's a story about the history of Shorty's you can see for yourself on their website, but it involves Shorty opening a Tex-Mex themed restaurant in Litchfield, New Hampshire for some reason, quite possible the last place you'd find a Tex-Mex restaurant.

Today the restaurant in Litchfield, as well as the excellently decored Bedford venue, are gone, but there are still locations in Nashua and Manchester, as well as probably a few others i'm not going to look at because I went to the one in Nashua for this meal and that's what we'll be talking about here.

I what has become my standard at Shorty's, the Memphis "Love Me Tenders" with a side of River City Beans. I had forgotten to take the picture above before I cut them up because they're a more "wet" buffalo tenders as opposed to the "dry" buffalo tenders you might find at a place like Main Crust Co. that you can pick up with your hands without getting alot of sauce all over them.

The choice between wet and dry buffalo wings/tenders is one of preference, but even though there's enough sauce to classify the Memphis Tenders at Shorty's as "wet", the meal I had this day had much less sauce than they usually give.

They also gave alot less meat, but I told the server this and she was able to get me a few extra tenders free of cost. That in itself would endear any Shorty's in the heart of any patron, but the food itself is superlative, you will probably not find better Tex-Mex in New England, and if it is out there, I want to know about it because it must be pretty damn good.

Meal: Memphis Love Me Tenders and River City Beans

Price: $11.48

Time of Meal: Noonish, Weekday

Speed of Service: 20 minutes (sit down)

Main Crust Co.

In my second review in the Monadnock Region, today we look at the Main Crust Co. in Marlborough, just outside of Keene on Rte. 101.



Just before you hit downtown Marlborough heading towards Keene, this mainly Pizza-centric and cleanly styled eatery seems more to fit in the college town down the road than sharing a plaza with a gas station, a used book log cabin and a hot dog truck.

Then again, looks aren't everything, and even if you're not a college student, this is not a bad place to eat.

I had the Buffalo Tenders, pictured here, and I wasn't disappointed in the quality, but I would have happily paid a dollar more if I could have gotten another two. Main Crust serves a dry Buffalo Tender, but it still has enough flavor to let you know that it's not a regular tender.

All and all, I can't complain, but Main Crust Co. has alot of untapped potential that wasn't completely fulfilled when I visited.


Meal: Buffalo Chicken Tenders


Price: $5.99

Time of Day: Weekday 2:00 PM

Speed of Service: 10 minutes (Counter Service

The Most Amazing Way to Cook Rice EVER

I love rice. I do not, however, like to cook rice. In fact, my husband even mentioned my inability to cook rice in our wedding vows. I'm not kidding. Today, while searching once again for the best ratio of rice to water I came across this: http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Perfect-Brown-Rice

Just go there. Read & Enjoy! (FYI: I've only tried this with brown rice... but judging by the comments, I think many types would work. Mmmm.

East China

I once went to a Chinese joint in Indianapolis that actually had the same layout to its take out menu as East China, actually hold on, I think I can find it. Ah, There we go.

The take out menu may have changed, but like the place I went to in Indianapolis that time and Wok Wok, it's counter service and is fairly casual, but the General Tso croquettes are closer to those found at Yen Yen over in Peterborough than Wok Wok.

However, even though it's less important in over the counter service places, the service and price was also poor. I couldn't even eat the chicken and the sauce was salty enough to kill small insects, so the Crab Rangoons and Rice probably made this meal worth $3.00, or about half of its actual price, which jumps during dinner.

I can think of no conceivable reason to eat here other than the fact that you'd want some kind of Chinese food prior to watching a movie over at Cinemagic on Exit 11.


Meal: #3. General Tso's Chicken Lunch Special

Price: $5. 95

Speed of Service: 10 Minutes (Counter Service)

Time of Day: Weekday, 12 PM

Potato Chickpea Masala

Adapted from epicurious.com recipe for For masala filling in recipe "Rava Dosas with Potato Chickpea Masala".

I think the masala is great alone, or on rice.

(http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Rava-Dosas-with-Potato-Chickpea-Masala-356035)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds potatoes
• 1/3 cup dried grated coconut (I used sweetened, but the original recipe calls for unsweetened)
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 1 (3-inch) fresh jalapeño, coarsely chopped, including seeds (I used jarred since I didn't have fresh and they worked great)
• 1 (2 1/2-inch) piece peeled ginger, coarsely chopped (this is ESSENTIAL and delicious)
• 3 garlic cloves, smashed
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 3/4 cups water, divided
• 1 large onion, chopped (about 3 cups)
• 1 (15-to 19-ounces) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro (I used frozen cilantro cubes from Trader Joes)
• 
  

Peel and chop potatoes. Soak in cold water. Toast coconut in a skillet over medium heat until they get golden and crispy. It took mine about 4 minutes to get perfectly golden. Transfer to a small bowl. Toast cumin seeds the same way for about a minute. (Remember to stir frequently.)

Purée jalapeño, ginger, and garlic in a blender with curry powder, cinnamon, turmeric, oil, 1/4 cup water, and 1 teaspoon salt until smooth. I ended up adding more curry powder and more ginger. The purée tastes amazing and smells amazing and is just generally a pretty cool thing. There's something about Puréed sauces that amazes me.

Cook Purée over medium-high heat in a wok for a minute or two. Add onion until tender. Drain potatoes and add them to the mixture. Add cumin seeds. Cook about ten minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add chickpeas and remaining 1 1/2 cups water (you can change this depending on how think the sauce is) and then simmer another 20 to 40 minutes. (The original recipe suggests 20... I did mine 40 and it turned out great.)

Stir in cilantro and toasted coconut at last minute.

Mmmm!

Whippersnappers

Venturing out to Londonderry for the first time in my Cook and Book career to what was once an old haunt.

I can't remember the first time I went to Whippersnappers, a bar and grill a few hundred feet away from the Derry line in Londonderry at a plaza off Exit 3 of I-93.

What I do remember though it was at night with a few friends and I ordered the Nitro Nuggets, pictured to the right.

This trip was on a weekend day rather than a night, but the Nitro Nuggets were still good.

The waitress wondered if I wanted to order something else, and there were plenty of good offerings on the menu, so I may head back the next time i'm out that way, but the Nitro Nuggets hit the spot for their price, although I do wish the portion was slightly larger.

The main problem with Whippersnappers isn't the food, it's that it is meant to be visited at night, that's when it's basically a club with a restaurant menu. At Noon on a weekend, it's fairly dank. If you don't mind that, then you're good to go, but if ambiance is important, wait until happy hour or head somewhere else.

Meal: Nitro Nuggets

Price: $7.99

Speed of Service: 20 minutes

Time of Day: Weekend, 12 PM

The best (and easiest) spinanch artichoke dip ever

Adapted from "The New Blueberry Hill Cookbook".

Until about a year ago making my own spinach artichoke dip had never crossed my mind. This recipe has made it my go-to bring-an-appetizer party dish. I just made it this morning for a political event my mother is attending.

Ingredients
-2 cans artichokes (just plain, in water)
-Mayonnaise (Before I married an Eastern-European guy, I stayed away from this stuff, but it is surprisingly versatile.)
-Fresh Parmesan cheese
-A handful or two of spinach
-Sliced almonds

Preheat over to 350 F (Funny story: The the other day my DH got a recipe from his mom (who is European) and when cooking it he  INSISTED the potatoes be cooked at 175 degrees. I tried to explain to him that 175 is not hot at all but he didn't listen. Turns out, he meant 175 Celsius... which is about 347 in Fahrenheit. Oopsie.)

Take your artichokes, mayonnaise (to taste, really... I'd say a few tablespoons), cheese and spinach and put it in a food processor. Blend until creamy. Taste it. Add more mayonnaise. Add more cheese. Blend. Taste again. Continue to do this until you are satisfied.

Bake for about 30 minutes or until hot in a glass baking dish. Sprinkle with more cheese and almonds. Serve with french bread, chips or crackers. So easy! So good!

Frank's Place

Frank's Place is less of a restaurant than it is a Butcher Shop and mini-grocery store with a part time delicatessen attached.

Pictured to the right is their Eggplant Parm sub, which is only available from 11 AM to 3 PM (the rest of the time their grill is shut down), and I have to say it was sad to hear that given that I, and alot of other Merrimack High grads from the 1990s and later made Frank's a frequent hot spot.

Like many of my reviews, I cannot say the Eggplant Parm is either good or bad, it just is, and is a decent choice if you are in the area during that lunch window and are looking for an Eggplant Parm, but it's nothing to write home about. The real draw to this place is the marinated steak tips, which you have to cook yourself, so maybe Elena would be better at writing on that than me.

It's only unfortunate that those halcyon days of my youth are now only limited to such a small time frame due to our current economy. Then again, maybe this was always the case and I just didn't notice the time on the clock when I ate there since I don't recall the grill ever being closed while the place was open, but time is a funny thing like that I suppose.

Time of Day: 11:15 AM/Weekday

Speed of Service: 5 Minutes (Deli Counter Service)

Price: $5.75

Meal: Eggplant Parm Sandwich

Chiangmai

Ok, I decided i'd give Poppa Joe's another try, but I got there at 4:55 and they close at 5 PM. Don't ask me how that works, but it's their business. Strike two for them.




So, still hungry and in the Souhegan Valley, I figured on heading to Chiangmai down on 101A in Amherst. It's conveniently located, their hours are wierd too, but they were open, and I was hungry. And since I caught them on the beginning of their dinner hours during a weekend, the place was empty.



As General Tso's has become the barometer for all non-old school Chinese places, Larb Gai is a good barometer for Thai restaurants. If you've never had it before, Larb Gai is basically a garden salad with some shallots, cilantro, chilies and lime covered in shredded chicken. It's so popular in Southeast Asia that it is the national dish of Laos.



The Larb Gai here is good, but overpriced. You can get superior Larb Gai for a lower price down the street aways at Thon Kao (i'll write a review on them soon, i'm surprised I haven't yet). What you're paying for at Chiangmai is the ambience, which again, is nice enough, but isn't downtown Manhattan or anything.


I can't say I was disappointed with the meal, but I know that given the market this restaurant is in, they should be aiming for a higher standard.

Time of Day: 5:15 PM/Weekend

Speed of Service: 15 Minutes (Sit Down)

Price: $10.95

Meal: Larb Gai

Union Street Grill

I was over in Milford the other day and figured i'd get an early lunch at Poppa Joe's Humble Kitchen, considering I had written a story on them a few weeks earlier.



But, even though the sign on the door said they open at 11 AM, the grill is not on until noon. So, instead of an early lunch I figured on taking a late breakfast, and when it comes to breakfast in Milford, the Union Street Grill just off the Oval is what came first to my mind.


Nothing too fancy here, but the place was packed when I stepped in there, and for good reason. Two pieces of toast, scrambled eggs, home fries and a cup of coffee for around five bucks. Solid taste, reasonable price, no complaints here.


Even better than the food, the server gave full change when I asked for it rather than deducting the price of the meal from the change and giving me the remainder. It was pleasing to have a waitress that apparently did believe that I indeed could count both the amount of money needed to pay the meal as well as give a 20% tip.


The closest thing to an Achilles Heel was the parking space, or the lack thereof, but it wasn't an issue for me that day, and it shouldn't be if you're willing to walk a few hundred feet. The Oval has parking issues by New Hampshire standards, which only means that it's still far better than the rest of the country.

Time of Day: 11:15 AM/Weekend

Speed of Service: 5 Minutes (Sit Down)

Price: $5.65

Meal: 2 Scrambled Eggs, Toast, Home Fries and Coffee

China Star

When most outsiders think of Salem, New Hampshire, they think of Rockingham Park or the Rockingham Mall. But when mapmakers are looking for a place to put "Salem" onto their maps, they slap it directly onto the corner of Main and Broadway.

Within walking distance of there is this charming little old school Chinese joint called China Star. I had the number 12 lunch special, Crab Rangoons and Chicken Fingers with Fried Rice, and two things struck me about this place as I ate this meal (pictured below)


The first thing that struck me was that Benjamin Franklin apparently had come back to life to eat here that day (as seen above), and the second thing is that this is probably where he made the adage "A penny saved is a penny earned."

The meal was ok, but not stellar. However, the price was fantastic considering that it was filling and is about half the price of many other Chinese restaurant lunch meals you will find in Southern New Hampshire, and the average lunch special was only a dollar more than this one.

So, if you're at the mall and looking for some cheap townie food instead of the food court fare, follow me and Ben Franklin over to China Star.

Time of Day: 1:00 PM/Weekday

Speed of Service: Around 5 or 10 Minutes (Counter)

Price: $5.25 (75 cents more for dinner)

Meal: Chicken Fingers and Crab Rangoon Lunch Special

Five Guys Burgers and Fries - Nashua

As in the case of Chipotle, I was unsure if I should review Five Guys Burgers and Fries.

The chances are high that you've probably heard of it by now. After all, it's President Obama's favorite burger joint.

Still, if you haven't, I figured I should tell you that it is an experience that transcends words, due in large part to its simplicity.

In addition to their complimentary peanuts, they ultimately only serve four items: burgers, hot dogs, fries and drinks. The fries come in two varieties (regular and cajun) and are put in a paper bag with enough grease to lubricate your car engine.

The burgers come in two varieties, "small" (one pattie) and "regular" (two patties), and are hand shaped, so they are not as standardized as the bigger more established chains. They also have an array of toppings you can request on your burger free of charge that I won't go into, but you can see for yourself here on their website.

Otherwise, that's it, and that's their genius. It's like looking back in time to the birth of fast food, eating a slice of Americana before it got all complicated. Five Guys is just plain good food. I don't know what else to say.

As for the location, it's right on Amherst Street (convenient) next to the "other" jughandle (not convenient), but I really doubt that if you're heading towards Downtown Nashua and you get the munchies that you wouldn't mind driving a quarter of a mile and pulling a Nashua style U-Turn down past Pep Boys to come back and eat here.

In fact, I may go up to the Manchester Five Guys and "review" their location if only for an excuse to eat another one of their burgers. The only reason I could think of for someone not to eat here if one is in their area is if they are allergic to peanut dust, as the restaurants are covered in the stuff.

Fuzzie's Deli and Ice Cream

Fuzzie's Deli and Ice Cream has gone through so many names over the years that I wasn't able to find their current name online after I left there last night. If you've ever driven down Nashua Street, you've probably seen the red house they're in now, it's just past the library heading east.

Their offerings have changed as well into a melange of ice cream, deli fare and seafood. Not all in one dish mind you, although maybe one day they could try offering that as a gimmick.

I was only looking for a snack, so I ordered the crab roll and a cup of "cake batter" flavored Ice Cream.

The crab roll wasn't bad. Served on a toasted buttered roll with plenty of celery, I can't say whether the crab was freshly caught given Milford's geography makes it likely that the only crabs you could catch in this town would be the ones you shouldn't speak about in a family friendly blog like this, but I cannot complain about the taste.

The $6.95 price might have been a little steep given the size (pictured below, it's in a hot dog roll), but prices are generally higher for seafood, so I guess that needs to be taken into account.

The ice cream was a better deal for a regular sized bowl at $3.25. The "cake dough" flavor was a mix between your standard cookie dough and hot fudge, and the regular was probably about 4 to 6 ounces. Not too shabby.

I'd go here again, but I wouldn't go out of my way for it. Fortunately, you do not have to go far out of your way if you are in Milford to see this place.

Georgio's

As a kid, one summer I worked for the Friendly's at Pennichuck Square in South Merrimack. The rest of the staff proudly proclaimed that they were the worst Friendly's on the Eastern Seaboard, and as you would expect out of the worst Friendly's on the Eastern Seaboard, their corporate office closed the store down.

The restaurant that took their physical location though, Giorgio's, is not likely to follow the same fate any time soon.

Georgio's is a semi-formal Italian bar and grill that for lunch provides food worth far more than its price. Pictured to the side is the Buffalo Chicken Salad, slices of Buffalo Chicken mixed with grated cheese and pepper, mixed greens, shaved onions and blue cheese dressing.

The wait staff was courteous, the food was fairly good, and the portion was average but met the task.


And like any true Italian restaurant, they opened up the meal with bread and olive oil, pictured to the left. They also added a pesto, which was a nice touch.

If there was any issue I could find, it was that the final price for the meal was $8.67 including tax, and I gave a $20 but the waitress didn't give me back the 33 cents, assuming it was part of the tip. It probably would have been, but it bugged me a little that she did assume that. Never the less, that wasn't enough to stop me from giving her a 20% tip (including the few cents she already took of course). The rest of the meal was worth it.

Georgio's also has a sister restaurant next to the Shaw's in Milford, it's the place that looks like an Olive Garden.

Meal: Buffalo Chicken Salad lunch special

Price: $7.95 pre-tax

Speed of Service: 25 minutes (sit down)

Time of Day: Noon, Weekday

Mikata

Nashua has three Teppanyaki Japanese restaurants.

Two of them, Tokyo Steakhouse and Takumi, are located virtually across the street from each other and are bitter enemies in terms of their approaches to their culinary genre.

Tokyo Steakhouse is decades hold and more traditional than its cross street rival, with more Americanized ingredients and a less styled decor, while Takumi has a posh koi pond in its lobby and a more Japanese feel to its meals and its interior design.

Mikata is somewhere between the two, except for geographically, as it is about as far northwest you can get in Nashua while still being in Nashua (you can see Merrimack out the window, which is just across Pennichuck River, also viewable from Mikata's dining room)

There is next to no lunch rush as Teppanyaki is slightly more formal, so I went in there and the place was empty, but the genre and location makes it inappropriate to take anything away from that in this case.

Likewise, the entire Teppanyaki as expensive meme also falls apart to a degree at lunch, as the Hibachi Chicken, their cheapest Teppanyaki dish, is less than $10 at lunch, comparable to high end fast food meals.

I decided to get that as well as some fried rice and a Shrimp Tempura Roll. This drove up the price from a comparable to fast food level to a more common level for medium paced sit down restaurants, but if that's what you're looking for, it shouldn't be an issue.

They didn't offer to cook the food at the table though, i've been to these types of places so many times that i've become jaded to the cooks flipping vegetables into their hats and making volcanoes out of onions, but if that's your sort of thing, it's better to go in a group (I saw a couple of businessmen get the table treatment while I was leaving) or perhaps at dinner, when it is likely busier.

Meal: Hibachi Chicken with Fried Rice and a Shrimp Tempura Roll

Price: $16.95

Time of Day: Lunch

Speed of Service: 10 Minutes for appetizer 15 minutes for main course (Sit Down)

Chipotle- Burritos

At first I was unsure if I should go to a chain restaurant. After all, those hoighty toighty restaurant critics don't go to Wendy's to see if the burgers presented in squares as advertised or in slightly less appetizing polygons. Then again, this ain't a hoighty toighty blog, and Chipotle isn't your average restaurant chain.

With hundreds of locations across the country, the chain has recieved enough notoriety to recieve a mention on South Park in case you missed it. But even though Cartman finds blood in his underwear after ending at Chipotle, you're not going to find anything other than a flavorful Mexican fast food feast.

For this review, I went to the Chipotle in South Nashua a few times, and each time it was packed despite varying times of day and week. Their fare is simple: six kinds of dishes :burritos, burrito bowls, fajita burritos, crispy tacos, soft tacos and salad, and five types of meats you can put inside: steak, chicken, barbacoa (shredded beef), carnitas (braised pork) and none of the above (the vegetarian option).

If you're a tree hugging hipster, all the animals are humanely treated and the decor is a stainless steel/south of the border neuveau chic, so you'll feel cool for eating there, but if you're an All-American chowhound, the burritos are about the size of a professional wrestler's bicep, so there's that.

No matter what choice you go with burrito-wise, you will be happy, but I strongly suggest the chicken and adding in the guacamole, that dollop of dead avacados is worth the extra $1.50.

Meal: Burritos!

Price: Just above $10 with guacamole and a drink

Time of Day: Various

Speed of Service: Various, although it's quick once you get through the line. It's about a minute per person in line give or take.

Javanaise - La Mexicaine

A little while ago I reviewed the title sandwich of La Javanaise, a local panini bistro on Amherst Street in Nashua. While my opinion was not entirely positive, it was positive enough to go back and try another sandwich there that I can heartily recommend to anyone.

The "La Mexicaine" sandwich is basically a Javanaise, except with Grilled Chicken, Pepper Jack Cheese, Cilantro, Spinach, and Chipotle Sauce. , and let me tell you that it hits the spot.





Unlike the Javanaise, the chicken here is not deli meat, which seems to be this place's Achilles Heel.

The sauce and cheese add a piquant kick and the spinach is a far superior vegetable addition in comparison to lettuce to add texture and flavor.

This is an excellent sandwich. It's certainly a premium sandwich, you'll pay far more than what you would at the McDonald's about five minutes down the way (excluding their new Angus meals, which can be just as expensive), but chances are you will be far more satisfied here and you will only probably have to wait another few minutes to get your food.






Meal: La Mexcaine Grilled Wrap



Price: $6.95



Time Of Day: Lunch-ish



Speed of Service: 5 Minutes (counter service)

Wok Wok

When I first drove by Wok Wok, an indescript American-Chinese joint nestled into the Shaw's Plaza in Milford, I thought that the owners had used the Chinese Restaurant Name Generator before starting their business, but it was broken that day.

Don't let the name fool you though, this place is good.

Today's review is on the common staple of all Post-Polynesian casual Chinese-American restaurants: General Tso's Chicken. It's a general rule if a Post-Polynesian can do General Tso's (Polynesian places can do Pu Pu Platters, but not the 2nd generation of Chinese-American dishes like General Tso's), then it's good, and Wok Wok nails their General Tso's.

The croquettes are solid and moist, the sauce is flavorful and easily dippable onto other side dishes, and Wok Wok provides a choice of appetizers with the General Tso's special along with Fried Rice so you'll have plenty to dip that sauce in, and the price is reasonable compared to other Chinese joints in the area.

If I had anything bad to say about this place it's that they seem to use MSG and the time I went there to eat the pictured meal above, almost nobody was there, although that just might be a sign of the transient nature of the shopping plaza the place is located in rather than the quality of their food.

If you're heading down 101A to the Oval and need some greasy, fast goodness: Wok Wok is a good choice in my book.

Meal: Number 3 Combo Platter with Crab Rangoons



Price: $8.55



Time Of Day: 6:00 PM



Speed Of Service: 10 Minutes (Counter Service)