DISCLAIMER

The statements made on this website are the personal opinions of Laura and Diane. If we feel that a restaurant visit is not up to par, please remember it is our opinion. If you disagree with us, feel free to write us at info@newenglandbites.com.

Monday, July 11, 2011

Mike's Restaurant

390 Huttleston Ave.
Route 6
Fairhaven, MA 02719
(508) 996-9810

When given the choice to select a MenuJoy gift certificate we chose Mike's, an old favorite in Fairhaven. I've been going to Mike's since early in my marriage, and I've been married almost 37 years. It was good then and it's still terrific now.


We pulled into the parking lot at 1:40 p.m. and were surprised to find it quite busy. There seemed to be a lot of tourists about, enjoying the local sites while on their way to the Cape. As we entered we noticed that some redecorating had been done since our last visit. The place looked bright, fresh and perked up. It was very attractive.


We were immediately seated and approached by our waitress Nicole who gave us menus and took our drink order – two Diet Cokes. As we perused the large menu I was reminded again that Mike's fries nothing. There are no French fries or fried fish and chips. I think this is one of the few places I've been to that didn't serve fries, but I guess Mike's wants to keep us healthy. On this trip I noticed something else – no hamburgers. Although many sandwich choices are offered, there wasn't a burger in sight or on the menu. I was surprised, but not to fear, Mike's menu is extensive.

Appetizers include shrimp cocktail, clams casino and king crab legs. They have soups and salads. You can get pasta many ways and delicious Italian dishes like lobster ravioli, veal parmesan and lasagna. There are several beef and chicken dishes including prime rib, filet mignon and blue cheese sirloin. Seafood dishes are numerous and include swordfish, shrimp, scallops and several preparations of lobster. If you can't decide, get one of their many surf 'n turfs and have the best of both worlds. Mike's is also renowned for being a great pizza place. You can concoct your own or try one of their specialties such as Mike's Original, veggie lovers, New England clam boil or Philly cheese steak. Just want a quick bite? Get one of Mike's eight inch subs. They have meatball, Italian sausage, linguica and many more. There's even a kids’ menu, lunch specials, desserts, and everything is available for take-out. Click onto their website above for all their menu options. They are numerous.

Nicole returned with our Diet Cokes and took our order. Laura decided to get the Mike's Original “Special” pizza. It consisted of linguica (a spicy Portuguese sausage), pepperoni, onions, peppers and mushrooms. She added black olives for an extra 99 cents. Laura's had this pizza before and absolutely loved it. I decided on the meatball sub which can be served closed or open-faced and smothered in meat sauce. I chose closed. My sub would be accompanied by a small bag of Lay’s potato chips (remember, no fries).


It didn't take long for our food to arrive and you could tell it was freshly made and nicely hot. We dug right in. Laura's pizza was as great as she remembered. A thin crust “bar pie”, she likes it so much that it's hard getting her to try anything else.


My meatball sandwich was also terrific. The sub roll was soft and fresh, the meatballs were large and very meaty and the sauce was thick and robust. I loved this sandwich because it was so tasty. I would get it again in a minute. I even liked the little bag of fresh Lay's chips. This was a great lunch.

It took a few minutes because it had gotten so busy, but Nicole finally appeared with the bill. Our total came to:

2 Diet Cokes – $3.90
Mike’s Special pizza – 8.99
Black olives – .99
Meatball sub – 4.99
Subtotal - $18.87
Tax – $1.32
TOTAL = $20.19

We left $24 for Nicole, which included a 20% tip. Since we had a $10 certificate from MenuJoy.com, we only paid $14. Oh happy day!

We love Mike's. The restaurant is pleasant, the service is good and the food is always delicious. Plus the prices aren't bad at all, as you'll see in our summary. We even checked out the ladies' room before we left and found it pretty and clean. Our one complaint is that the booths are pushed very close together and can be a little tight and a bit uncomfortable. But hey, maybe that's just us, lol! Go to Mike's. I'm sure it will become one of your favorite places as it is ours.

Mike’s Restaurant is open from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday (fall and winter until 9 p.m.), 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday (fall and winter until 10:30 p.m.), and 12-10 p.m. Sunday and holidays (fall and winter until 9 p.m.).

Check out our friends at MenuJoy.com for great area restaurants.

PS - We had a celebrity sighting!  Does anyone remember Tony, Danny's "talking" finger from the film The Shining?  Well, apparently the "little boy who lives in Danny's mouth" is now hanging out with some woman in a booth at Mike's.

REDRUM!

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Bon Voyage, Ugly American!

The Ugly American restaurant in Fall River is packing its bags and moving to Providence.  To honor them, I indulged in a box of fried pickles with ranch dressing ($4).  They were juicy, tangy and amazing!


Click here to read the online article from The Herald News.

Goodbye, Ugly American!  We're sorry to see you go, but thanks for the delicious memories!  We wish you lots of luck in Providence.

Laura and Diane
New England Bites

Friday, July 1, 2011

Mattapoisett Chowder House and Tavern

79 Fairhaven Road
Route 6
Mattapoisett, MA 02739
(508) 758-2333
(508) 758-4782

June 25, 2011

It was the first weekend of summer and the weather was beautiful. On days like this, Mom and I like to hit up the local clam shacks for some delicious fried seafood, and a clam shack is what we expected when we received a gift certificate to Mattapoisett Chowder House and Tavern from MenuJoy.com. However, what we discovered was a beautiful restaurant complete with a full service fish market inside and pizza place at the same address! We pulled into the spacious parking lot at 3:35 p.m.


Once inside the nautically-themed restaurant, we were greeted by a hostess who took us to our table and left us with large menus to peruse. Our waitress – Alex – soon appeared to take our drink order. We chose two Diet Pepsis which arrived with lemons. Mom already knew what she was going to get before we even walked in the door, but I was still on the fence. Finally, I decided on the clam strip plate which came with fries and cole slaw, while Mom ordered the medium fish and chips English style. Her meal also came with cole slaw. We also ordered a half dozen clam cakes for an appetizer. To start, Alex brought over a plate of corn and pistachio breads which were moist and warm enough that the butter we spread on top melted on its own. The flavor on both breads was strong and tasty. This was a great start to a fabulous lunch!


The clam cakes arrived quickly and had a dry coating which Mom and I would much rather have over a greasy ball of batter. The insides were soft and had a perfect mixture of clams and nicely cooked dough. I doused mine with malt vinegar while Mom just ate them plain. They came with a side of tartar sauce which was tangy, but I prefer malt vinegar any day.


The dining room had a good mixture of both tables and booths. A fireplace was located toward the back of the restaurant where we had been sitting, and handmade sailboats sat atop the wall that divided the row of dining room booths and the bar area. Everything was blue and white, and the vibe was very much that of a typical New England seafood restaurant. Mom and I felt right at home as we waited for our meals, and we hadn’t been waiting long before they appeared. Both plates of food were large and looked amazing.


Before I get into the meals, let me talk about the cole slaw. It was FANTASTIC. I’m not a fan of mayonnaise, but cole slaw is one of those dishes that you can’t make without it (think chicken and tuna salads). The cole slaw at Mattapoisett Chowder House, however, uses a red wine vinaigrette base along with a pepper seasoning. It was so delicious that it needed a mention all on its own.

My clam strip plate had been an excellent choice. The strips were tender and meaty while the batter was dry, which is how I like it. The fries were also good and may have been twice baked as they had a crispy golden shell with a nice crunch to it.


Mom’s plate of fish and chips was one of those attractive meals that someone else gets that makes you wish you would have gotten it yourself. There were two large pieces of English-style fish, which means that the crust is a little crispier than normal. The batter was indeed thin and crisp like a freshly baked cookie, while the fish inside was white, buttery and flaky. Mom also enjoyed her fries, but moved her pieces of fish elsewhere on the plate so that the fries trapped underneath would not get soggy from the heat. She gave her cole slaw to me, and I was completely fine with that.


The prices at Mattapoisett Chowder House are really great for the amount of food you get. Both Mom and I were pleasantly surprised when we received the bill. The total came to:

2 Diet Pepsis – $3.58 (1.79 each)
6 Clam Cakes – 4.29
Medium English-style fish and chips – 9.99
Clam strips – 9.59
Subtotal – $27.45
Tax – 1.72
TOTAL = $29.17

Since we had our $10 MenuJoy gift card, we were under $20 before tip. We left $35 for Alex which included a 20% tip – which had already been calculated for us at the bottom of the bill. It gave us different options for tipping, which we love! I don’t have to bust out the calculator or – Heaven forbid – attempt to do math after I’ve entered a food coma. Before leaving the restaurant, Mom and I checked out the ladies’ room. It was cute and clean.

Mattapoisett Chowder House also has some fishless options like wood fired pizza, steak and chicken, but the main attraction by far is the seafood. They have everything from lobster and salmon to stuffed quahogs and a raw bar. Click the link above to check out their full menu. I’m currently looking at it now to decide what I want on my next visit. They have a large function room where you can plan your next bash!

Mom and I can’t wait to go back to Mattapoisett Chowder House and Tavern. Going to a clam shack is lots of fun, but when the long lines and annoying crowds of sweaty children and miserable parents get to be too much, cool off by stopping inside MCH for a lovely sit-down seafood meal.

Mattapoisett Chowder House and Tavern is open from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 12-9 p.m. on Sunday.

Visit our friends at MenuJoy.com for local restaurant menus.