Riccardi's Italian Restaurant - New Bedford, MA

It was a cold and rainy evening and I really wanted some warm comfort food to get the chill out of my body.  We don’t often go out for Italian but I thought that some pasta would do the trick.  The closest Italian restaurant was Riccardi’s in New Bedford.  I haven’t been to Riccardi’s in several years so we thought we would give it a try. 

Pizza Pager

We arrived at 6:25 p.m. and were told that there was a 20-25 minute wait.  Since we decided we would wait, we were given a “slice of pizza” pager and exited the main dining room to go to the take out/café area to wait.  The take out area had two booths, two small tables and counter seating for four.  This area seemed to be a good place for casual dining or for having a quick lunch.  The décor was designed to mimic an Italian café with tile floors and yellow walls that were painted to look like stucco with areas of exposed brick.  While we were waiting, lots of people came in and out picking up their take-out orders.  The distinct smell of pizza coming from the kitchen was making me very hungry and I couldn’t wait for our “pizza” to start buzzing so we could be seating in the dining room.

Our “pizza” went off at 6:45 p.m. and we were brought to our table in the main dining room. It was much warmer in this area of the restaurant, mainly due to the fireplace that was in the center.  The dining room at Riccardi’s was relatively small with only about 12 booths and six tables available for seating.  The décor was a bit outdated with several artificial hanging plants hanging from the ceiling and a carpet that was a bit dirty and dingy.  The overall atmosphere was very rustic with knotty pine cathedral ceilings and exposed wooden beams. Regardless, the restaurant was crowded so I was expecting the food to be good.

I was a bit disappointed that they don’t have a full bar and only offer beer and wine for alcoholic beverage selections.  Since I don’t drink beer or wine, I ordered a glass of iced water. My husband ordered a Sam’s Seasonal Summer Ale ($2.95).


The menu was filled with traditional Italian dinners, pizzas and sandwiches.  Since I was having difficulty deciding what to order, I decided to choose one of the “Italian Feasts”.  The Naples Feast included lasagna with linguini pesto, a homemade meatball and a dinner salad for only $9.95.  This seemed like a great value and would allow me to try a variety of different items. 

My husband chose the Chicken Parmigiana ($11.95), which was baked with two cheeses and tomato sauce. His meal was served with soup (minestrone was the only choice) or salad and choice of pasta.  He chose the salad and spaghetti for his pasta.  For the salad, the only dressing choice given was Italian but they did bring some extra oil and vinegar on the side.



Dinner Salad

When our salads arrived, the waitress also brought a basket of warm wheat bread with butter.  Before we even finished our salads, our meals arrived.



Naples Feast
 

While I had three different items in my “feast”, the serving sizes were small enough, making it just the right size for a meal.  The linguine pesto was smothered in olives, mushrooms and roasted red peppers.  Luckily this was served in its own dish because there was lots of olive oil that seeped to the bottom of the dish.  The lasagna was tasty, but there wasn’t anything “special” about it.  The red sauce was the same sauce that was on my meatball and the same sauce that was on both of my husband’s plates. 

Chicken Parmigiana

The Chicken Parmigiana that my husband ordered was covered with cheese and baked in that same tomato sauce.  A spoonful of the sauce and a few sprigs of parsley garnished the dish.  His spaghetti was served in a separate dish on the side.  The portion size was just enough and my husband finished his entire meal.

Overall, I would say that our meal at Riccardi’s was reasonably good and reasonably priced.  There was a large selection of basic Italian dishes to choose from and the dishes that I was able to try in my “feast” provided me with the Italian comfort food experience that I was looking for.  Since I didn’t have an alcoholic beverage, our total bill was relatively low at $26.56 including tax.  Riccardi’s gave us a decent meal for a decent price.

The Galley Grille - Westport, MA

It’s that time of year again – when we attend the annual Freetown fundraising event (Comedy Show) at White's of Westport.  The event begins at 7:00 p.m. so we did not have a lot of time to have dinner beforehand.  We were trying to find somewhere different to eat so we drove down Route 6 in Dartmouth, heading toward Westport.  There were a few Chinese Restaurants along the way, we drove past Trio’s, but it appeared to be very crowded, and before you knew it, we were already at White's.  We knew there was a public restaurant located there and since we were strapped for time, we decided we would give it a try.  The restaurant is The Galley Grille. 

There were a few parties ahead of us but we were told the wait would only be about 20 minutes.  Since it would take us longer than that to find an alternate location, we decided we would wait.  It was 6:00 when we arrived at The Galley Grille and, if all went well, we would still be able to make the beginning of the comedy show.

The hostess appeared to be very disorganized and seemed to be challenged with trying to get everyone seated in an appropriate amount of time. There were a few parties that had reservations, which seemed to confuse the hostess even more.  Considering the chaos, we were seated within about 15 minutes.

Side Salad

While we were waiting for a table we had already glanced over the menu so we could order our meals as soon as we were seated.  When the waitress arrived we ordered our drinks and meals right away. For drinks, I ordered a Malibu Rum & Diet Coke ($7.00) and my husband ordered a Sam’s Seasonal (bottle) for $5.00. For meals, I ordered Bourbon-Glazed Beef Tips, grilled and loaded with sautéed peppers and onions for $14.99 and my husband ordered a Buffalo Chicken Salad, with mixed field greens, topped with hot or mild buffalo chicken, red onions, crumbled blue cheese dressing and croutons for $9.99.  In addition to my meal, I ordered a side salad for $2.99.

The décor at The Galley Grille is very old and dated, with an overabundance of nautical decorations. The dated look made the restaurant appear to be a bit dingy as well.  Based on my impression at the door as well as my impression of the interior, I was not expecting much from my meal.

Bourbon-Glazed Beef Tips

Upon receiving my meal, my first impressions were accurate.  The food was not very impressive. I took a few bites of my beef tips but could not finish eating them.  The bourbon glaze was much too sweet and somewhat reminded me of a Chinese sweet sauce. This was completely not what I expected based on the description.   There was some “basic” rice pilaf on my plate, which is what I chose as my side dish, and a heaping portion of baby carrots (which I wouldn’t eat and would have asked to omit had I known the vegetable was carrots).  Overall, I was very disappointed in my meal.



Buffalo Chicken Salad

Moving on to my husband’s salad, there was nothing special about it. There were several pieces of breaded chicken glazed with buffalo sauce sitting atop a rather basic mixed green salad with some crumbled blue cheese added to it. Two sides of blue cheese dressing completed the presentation.  Although the description mentioned croutons, those were not included.

My husband had a few bites of my beef tips and did not dislike them as much as I did. At least they would not be a complete waste. He finished the tips and ate a few of my carrots.  I opted to have a second dinner roll dipped in oil to fill me up.

Considering our waitress was not very attentive, we managed to eat our meals, pay our bill ($41.93 including tax), and make it to the Comedy show just in time for it to begin.  After this bad experience I will not be visiting The Galley Grille again.

Waterfront Grille - New Bedford, MA

We were heading back to Your Theatre, Inc. on Rivet Street in New Bedford and wanted to go back to Fernando’s Grille and Bar but luckily I called ahead only to find out that they would not have any available seating until 7:30 p.m.  Since we were going to see a play at 8:00, this would not have allowed us enough time for dinner.  We needed a Plan B and since we were heading in the direction of downtown New Bedford, we called ahead to see if WaterfrontGrille, located at 33 Homers Wharf, had a wait.  It was approximately 6:15 and we were told that there wasn’t a wait so we decided to check it out.

When we arrived, there was a hostess located just inside the doorway and there was a long hallway toward the dining area.  We were quickly seated next to a window overlooking New Bedford harbor. 
 

View when we arrived

 
The view was wonderful, with fishing vessels docked on the pier and the sun just beginning to set in the distance over the water.  I was hoping that the meal would be as good as the view.

The waitress arrived immediately to take our drink order.  I decided I would only be having water but my husband ordered a 7&7 ($5.50). While waiting for our drinks, I looked around the dining room and noticed that the restaurant was relatively large.  There were a few separate rooms available for seating along with a small bar in the main dining room where we were located.  In addition, there was a sushi bar that was set off to the side of the dining room but appeared to be vacant and closed during our visit.  Considering it was a Friday night and the restaurant was large, there were not a lot of guests dining when we arrived.  There were only two other tables being served a third party was seated at the bar enjoying cocktails. 

Ginger Orange Glazed Scallops

After reviewing the menu I decided on the Ginger Orange Glazed Scallops ($18) which came with a choice of two sides.  The list of available sides was extensive and consisted of French Fries, Sauteed Kale, Steamed Broccoli, Saffron Risotto, Sweet Potato Fries, Coconut Rice, Steamed Spinach, Brown Rice, Mashed Potatoes, Cole Slaw, Baked Sweet Potato, Baked Potato, Roasted Carrots and Wasabi Mashed Potatoes.  I chose the Sauteed Kale and Coconut Rice. I thought that these sides would make a nice accompaniment to my pan seared scallops as this dish was described as scallops cooked in an orange ginger sauce and garnished with scallions.  As a last-minute addition I decided to order a side salad ($4) with blue cheese dressing.


Side Salad



My husband ordered Baked Scrod with seasoned crumbs and herb butter for $16.  For sides, he chose Sweet Potato Fries and Cole Slaw.

Baked Scrod

After placing our order the waitress brought us a basket of warm rolls with cinnamon butter. There were two different varieties, French and herb, to choose from and both were delicious, especially with the cinnamon butter. 

As soon as I was finished with my salad, our meals arrived.  At first glance, the meals were attractively plated and looked like they would be delicious.  My plate had seven large scallops, a perfectly portioned serving of coconut rice and a heaping pile of sautéed kale.  While the scallops and rice looked delicious, the kale, on the other hand, was very off-putting.  I was expecting a nice sautéed kale but this side was more charcoaled than sautéed.  The edges of the kale were burnt, both in flavor and appearance.  I took no more than two bites but it was not very pleasant.  I ate the scallops and rice, both which were delicious but left the kale on my plate. 

View when we left

My husband enjoyed his baked scrod but commented that the serving size was rather small.  The scrod was baked in a small bowl and may have appeared larger if it was in a different vessel when served. 

Overall the meal was okay.  The seafood was fresh and the view was beautiful. Aside from the side order of kale, the food was decent.  We will likely not rush back to the Waterfront Grille but I wouldn’t cross it completely off my list of restaurant to dine at.  The total bill, including tax was $46.55.



Jade Garden - New Bedford, MA

When we head out for Chinese food we expect to get the typical Chinese menu choices.  That is exactly what you get at Jade Garden in New Bedford (1309 Phillips Road).  My husband had been in the mood for Chinese food and though we have a few choices in the area, we have been to Jade Garden before and find it to be one of the better options.

Bahama Mama

After a long week of work I was looking for a good drink and the drinks from a Chinese menu never seem to fail me.  Normally I would order a Mai Tai but tonight I opted for a Bahama Mama ($4.95).  My husband ordered his typical Long Island Iced Tea ($5.15) but noted that he has had better drinks before.  Perhaps he should have stuck with one of the typical Chinese drink specials!



General Tso's Chicken

We both decided that we would choose a combination plate and my husband was able to make his decision quickly. He ordered a #23 – General Tso’s Chicken with Crab Rangoons ($7.95).  (All of the combination plates also come with Fried Rice.)  What I was really in the mood for was Pork LoMein and Sweet & Sour Shrimp but unfortunately they didn’t have a combination plate with those two choices.  I explained to the waitress what I wanted and she figured out a creative way to accommodate my request.  At her suggestion, I ordered the LoMein combination plate, which came with Chicken Fingers.  I substituted the Chicken Fingers for Fried Shrimp and she was going to bring me a side of Sweet & Sour Sauce.  I love when a waitress is able (and willing) to accommodate a special request to make a customer happy! 

My "custom" Combo Plate

After just a couple sips of my Bahama Mama, our food arrived.  The food was just as expected, with three heaping servings of each item piled on a divided plate.  I asked for some hot mustard (for my Fried Rice) and saw that there was already duck sauce on the table (for my husband’s Crab Rangoons).  Nothing classy here – just plastic ketchup and mustard bottles for the mustard and duck sauce. 

Looking around, there really wasn’t anything classy about the restaurant at all. Jade Garden had typical Chinese décor with lots of booths and tables to accommodate the guests. There is a small bar at the front of the restaurant with seating for eight and a small counter to accommodate the take-out customers.  For a Friday night, the restaurant was not extremely busy but I did notice that there were a lot of take-out orders being served.

Overall, this was a typical Chinese restaurant experience.  We had some strong drinks and some decent food, with enough to wrap up and take home for a meal the next day.  We received our bill ($33.22) along with two fortune cookies and were on our way in only 47 minutes.

My fortune: “Doors will be opening for you in many areas of your life”.

Buster's Sport Bar & Grille - Dartmouth, MA

Although I don’t typically consider going to a sports bar for our Friday night out, we enjoyed our dinner at Buster’s.  Buster’s is located 227 State Road in Dartmouth and seems to be the place to go if you want to catch some sports or even if you just want to enjoy a good meal.

When we arrived I noticed that there were two separate entrances – one for the dining room and one for the lounge (bar).  Although the entrances basically lead to the same place, I found this a great solution for knowing where the patrons wanted to sit.  We walked in through the dining room door and were greeted by a hostess who was able to seat us right away.  While walking to our booth, I noticed that there was also a sunroom and thought this would be a great place to eat during the warmer months.  The décor was typical “sports bar” décor with lots of televisions, booths, brick walls, and bar seating.  The bar was a bit separated from the rest of the dining area so it made the dining room atmosphere pleasant and not too loud.

Swedish Fish Martini



Buster’s had a very long list of beers on tap and a specialty drink menu filled with lots of delicious choices.  My husband ordered a Long Island Iced Tea ($8.00) and I decided to be a bit more daring and ordered a Swedish Fish Martini ($7.50) from the specialty menu.  This was a great choice – in fact I ordered a second one before the night was over.



French Dip Sandwich

I reviewed the menu and noted that there were also some specials available including a Lobster Roll, a Fried Clam Plate (made with fresh, whole belly clams), and Surf & Turf made with Sirloin Steak and Shrimp prepared in Mozambique Sauce served on a sizzling platter.  I also noticed that they had a French Dip Sandwich available on Friday’s and Saturday’s for $8.49.  The menu describes this as slow roasted prime rib dusted with seasoning, sliced thin topped with caramelized onions, melted Swiss cheese, served on a crusty French bread with Cajun fries. Although it’s not something I would typically order, it sounded great.   I ordered the sandwich with Regular French Fries (instead of Cajun Fries) and added a side salad for $2.99.

 


Monterey Chicken

My husband ordered the Monterey Chicken ($8.49).  His chicken was a boneless breast of chicken topped with BBQ sauce, diced tomato, cheese and Applewood smoked bacon, served with mashed potatoes and seasonal veggies. He substituted his mashed potatoes for Sweet Potato Fries and was told that a Squash Medley was the seasonal veggies.



Both of our meals arrived within a reasonable amount of time and both were great.  Even though I didn’t set out to go to a sports bar, I’m glad we decided to give it a try.  We will be visiting Buster’s again.  Total bill including tax was $51.31 which was very reasonable for two meals and three drinks!

You can find the complete menu for Buster’s on Menu Joy or you can like them on Facebook to find out about their specials.

 

Inner Bay Cafe and Grille - New Bedford, MA

We have never had to wait for a table when arriving at the Inner Bay (1339 Cove Road, New Bedford) and tonight was no exception.  We arrived just after 6:30 p.m. and were seated immediately at a table in a secluded corner of the main dining area.  The main dining room is not very large but has comfortable seating with five booths along the windows and approximately ten tables in the center of the room.  The table settings are elegant with blue linen table cloths underneath glass tops and white linen napkins sitting inside the water glasses. 

Once seated, we were brought a basket of bread and had our water glasses filled by the busboy. Our waitress arrived soon after to take our drink orders and to tell us the specials that were being offered for the evening.  There was a long list of specials including Paelha a Valencia (saffron rice with lobster, shrimp, scallops, littlenecks, mussels, chicken, pork and cacoila) for $22, Codfish with “Broa” for $16, Peppercorn Encrusted Tuna for $16, Fried or Grilled Seabass for $16, Picanha for $16, and Tuna, Monkfish or Steak Kabobs for $17.  I seriously considered ordering the Paelha but had been thinking of the Bife a Acoriano since we had decided to go to the Inner Bay.  I stuck with my original plan and ordered the Bife (10 ounce seared ribeye steak simmered in a spicy gravy with red hot peppers and a fried egg).  I have had this entrée at Inner Bay before and consider it a value at only $13. 

 

My husband ordered Baked Stuffed Scrod (also reasonably priced at $14).  This entrée is described as a Fresh New England Cod fillet over stuffing, baked and topped with choice of Creole or Newburg sauce.  He chose the Creole sauce, which is a blend of onions, peppers, garlic and tomatoes with Creole seasoning.



Dinner Salad

Both entrees were served with a choice of soup or salad.  I chose the Kale Soup and my husband chose a salad with French dressing. The soup and salad arrived relatively quickly. I took my first bite of the soup and although it had a nice flavor, it was not very hot. 



Kale Soup

After finishing our soup and salad, I walked over to the seafood display that was in the dining room. I asked the waitress about this and she said that it was all very fresh seafood that they would use to prepare the meals.  It was all sitting on ice presented with a large squid draped over the entire presentation.  Personally, I thought it looked a bit creepy, with the squids eyes staring at me!  My first thought was that I was glad to have ordered a beef dish.



Bife a Acoriano

After receiving our entrees, I was not disappointed.  The Bife a Acoriano was as delicious as I remembered it.  The sauce had just the right amount of spice and it was loaded with fresh pieces of garlic, which I love.  My meal was served with rice, fries, and steamed vegetables. 



Baked Stuffed Scrod

The Baked Stuffed Scrod that my husband ordered was also delicious. The scrod was on top of boiled potatoes but he did not have any additional sides with his meal.  Since I would never be able to eat all of the food that I was given, I shared my sides with him.  While both meals were delicious in taste, again, they were not exceptionally hot. 

Fresh Seafood Display (draped with a squid)

 


Aside from the temperature of the meals, there are no complaints from me about the Inner Bay Café and Grille.  We have been there before and we will definitely be going there again (and hopefully won’t have a large squid staring at us).

 

The total bill, which included our drinks, was a reasonable $41 including tax. 

The Candleworks Restaurant - New Bedford, MA

The Candleworks Restaurant, located at 72 North Water Street in New Bedford, will occasionally post coupons on their website and for January, the coupon is “purchase one entrée and receive one entrée free”.  (I found about this coupon from one of their Facebook posts.)  The Candleworks can be a bit on the pricey side so we don’t often dine there unless we have a coupon or a special occasion (it is known to be very romantic).

 

When we arrived we could hear live piano music playing in the dining room and when asked about our preference for seating (in the dining room with the high-back chairs or in the sun-room) we opted for the dining room so we could enjoy the piano music.  The restaurant was not very crowded so we did not have to wait to be seated.

The table was adorned with cranberry and white linens and an oil-lamp votive was included to add ambiance. The high-back chairs, although appearing to be a bit worn, were very comfortable and made it easy to relax and enjoy the atmosphere.  The dining area where we were seated featured rustic stone walls and exposed beams and there was a rather large bar set to one side of the room. 

Our waiter arrived almost immediately after we were seated, poured water into our glasses, and took our drink order.  After reviewing the menu, there were a few entrees that my husband was considering (the Filet Mignon for $24 or the Baked Scrod for $17) but I immediately decided on the Cast Iron Bleu Sirloin for $25.  Since my husband’s entrée was going to be free with the coupon, he splurged and ordered the Filet Mignon, which was described as a 10-ounce char-grilled tenderloin with roasted garlic and béarnaise sauce.  The Cast Iron Bleu Sirloin that I ordered was a described as a 14-ounce cast iron seared sirloin roasted with red onion and bleu cheese. Each entrée included a side salad and we chose our dressings as bleu cheese and French.

We were brought a basket of sliced bread with dipping oil to enjoy until our salads arrived and when our salads did arrive, as a nice touch, the waiter offered fresh ground pepper.



Cast Iron Bleu Sirloin

When the waiter brought us our entrees, I immediately thought that there was no way my sirloin was 14 ounces – perhaps it was seven or eight at most.  I also looked at the green beans that were on my plate thinking that they didn’t even have a touch of butter or oil for flavoring.  While I am all about healthy, the green beans, while fresh, were very bland and could have used at least a bit of seasoning for flavor.  The roasted red bliss potatoes looked to be the highlight of the plate.

Filet Mignon

I cut into my steak, while small, was expecting it to be outstanding and was somewhat disappointed.  There wasn’t anything spectacular about this $25 sirloin and I recall thinking I could get a better steak for much less money at a different restaurant.  I thought my husband’s Filet Mignon must at least be delicious so I tried a bite, dipping it into the béarnaise sauce that was on the side (not on top as I would have expected).  His filet was okay (again, nothing outstanding) but I did not enjoy the sauce at all.  While béarnaise sauce can sometimes be made with a touch of lemon, all I could taste in this sauce was lemon and it did not make a pleasant accompaniment to the filet. 

Given the ambiance of the restaurant and the higher price of the meals, I was disappointed with both entrees.  I was glad that I had the coupon and was not paying full price.

 

When the waiter arrived with our check I gave him the coupon and he deducted the price of my husband’s entrée.  The total bill, including a second drink (at the odd price of $6.31 each) for me and excluding the $24 filet, came to $47.01 including tax.  We tipped our very attentive waiter on the full amount of the bill prior to the discount.  In addition, we added a few dollars into the jar sitting on top of the piano for the pianist that was providing entertainment for the evening.

Based on this experience at The Candleworks Restaurant I will not be returning anytime soon and if I did return, I would be sure to find a coupon since I did not feel that the meal was worth the price on the menu.