The Fireside Grille & Spirits - Middleboro, MA

I met some friends at The Fireside Grille & Spirits in Middleboro a few weeks ago and had a delicious meal (Braised Short Ribs) so my husband and I thought we would give it another try.  We arrived at 7:30 p.m., which is a bit later than we usually eat dinner on a Friday night, and the restaurant was very crowded.  Fortunately they still had a booth available for us so we didn’t have to wait. I was glad of that since I was starving and couldn’t wait to eat.  I had been thinking about their delicious warm bread with honey butter since we made the decision to go to The Fireside Grille so I’m sure that contributed to my hunger.

 

The Fireside Grille is a relatively large restaurant with many different seating areas.  In addition, they have a function room available and a bar that offers entertainment on weekends. We were seated in the main dining room in a booth along the inside wall.  Looking around, there weren’t many other tables or booth’s available so I think we were lucky to get a table right away.

Once we were seated, the waitress arrived to take our drink order. I was even too hunger to order a drink so I just ordered iced water with lemon.  My husband ordered a 7&7 ($5.50) and we looked over the menu while we were waiting for our beverages.

While I was tempted to get the Braised Short Ribs again, I wanted to try something a bit different and went for the Chicken Marsala ($18.99).  There are a few entrees notated with a star on the menu indicating that it is one of their specialties and this was one of them.  The Chicken Marsala is described as sautéed chicken tenders tossed with mushrooms, shallots and prosciutto in a Marsala wine sauce served over spinach and wild mushroom ravioli.

When I ordered my meal, the waitress was able to up-sell me a dinner salad for an additional $3.00.  I originally declined but my hunger took over during that decision!  I ordered my salad with bleu cheese dressing.

There were several entrée salads on the menu including a Buffalo Chicken Salad ($11.99) that my husband chose. This salad had fried buffalo tenders served with applewood smoked bacon, grape tomatoes, cucumbers, Monterey jack and cheddar cheeses, mixed greens and bleu cheese dressing.  My husband decided to substitute Thousand Island dressing for the bleu cheese dressing. In addition to the salad, my husband ordered a side of Sweet Potato Fries for $2.99.

Warm Bread with Honey Butter

Our beverages arrived along with the delicious bread I spoke about.  I immediately cut a slice from the warm loaf and spread some of the whipped honey butter on top.  Delicious!

My husband took a sip of his Long Island Iced Tea!  Nope, that’s not a mistake…he was actually brought the wrong drink!  The mix-up was discovered by the waitress (when another waitress was looking for that drink at the bar) and they were going to exchange his drink for the 7&7 that he ordered. Since he was enjoying the drink he was brought, he told the waitress that he would keep it.  A little while later the waitress brought the 7&7 that was still sitting at the bar.  She said that they were only going to dump the drink so she figured she would give it to him. Since the ice was melting, she also brought him a glass of “rocks” to refresh it with. (I wouldn’t hold this mix-up against them since they charged him only for the 7&7 and brought him the extra drink anyway.)

Dinner Salad with Bleu Cheese Dressing

My dinner salad arrived and it was an average dinner salad, just as I expected but it did come with about three times more dressing that I needed. The salad helped to stave off the hunger pangs until my meal arrived (the bread didn’t hurt, either).

Chicken Marsala

Luckily it did not take very long for our meals to arrive and the plate of Chicken Marsala that was put in front of me looked amazing.  Along with my meal I was brought a side of parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top.  (I think they could make a slight improvement with this and offer freshly grated parmesan instead.)

 



Buffalo Chicken Salad

The Buffalo Chicken Salad was also nicely presented and it was in a rather unique bowl, which added to the presentation.  The side of Sweet Potato Fries was rather small, but I wasn’t expecting much for the price.

The Chicken Marsala had a generous number of chicken tenders and was loaded with mushrooms and Marsala sauce. The batter on the chicken was almost not necessary since the sauce made the chicken a bit soggy.  Regardless, it tasted great.  I would say, though, that my favorite part of my meal was the wild mushroom ravioli’s that were served with it.  There was a nice, earthy flavor to the ravioli.  This, paired with the mushrooms, was outstanding!

I was enjoying my meal so much that I never even tried my husband’s buffalo chicken or his sweet potato fries. Taking his word for it, it was good.

Neither of us could finish our meals so we wrapped up our leftovers to bring home. The waitress that we had was very attentive and even asked my husband if he wanted some additional salad dressing to take home with his leftovers. 

Our total bill was $45.45 with tax and we were asked by our waitress if we were a member of their Loyalty Program.  We weren’t, so she explained the program to us.  Basically, you receive a rewards card pre-loaded with $5.00 on it and receive rewards for every dollar spent (100 points earns an additional $5.00), with additional rewards ($10.00) loaded on your birthday.  I love receiving rewards (and getting discounts on meals) so of course I accepted the card.  I just needed to register the card on-line and I was good to go!  (The rewards card is also good at Barrett’s Alehouse which means we’ll need to head there sometime soon).  Once I registered my card I saw the $5.00 rewards and the 45 points earned during this visit. 

Overall, we had a great evening and great meal at The Fireside Grille.

 

Captain's Place - Acushnet, MA

We were heading out to dinner a bit earlier than usual and arrived at Captain’s Place (162 South Main Street, Acushnet) around 5:30 p.m. We have been to this restaurant before and have oftentimes had to wait for a table.  We were pleased that there were several tables available when we arrived and we were seated immediately.  We apparently timed it just right because the tables filled up quickly and 20 minutes later, the restaurant was full, with a wait at the door.

A full restaurant usually means that the food is good and, having been to Captain’s Place before, we were expecting a decent meal. 

 

When the waitress arrived, I ordered a Malibu and Diet Coke, my husband ordered a 7&7 and we looked over the menu and the décor of the restaurant.

 

Captain’s Place was completely decked out for Christmas with garland draped over everything possible. Every wall hanging was wrapped in Christmas paper and some were ornamented with a big red bow!  There were silver glittery ornaments hanging from the ceiling and more than two dozen holiday ornaments hanging above the bar.  While it is the Holiday season, they may have gone a bit far with the decorations!  Decorations aside, the décor in this relatively small restaurant is simple with a half wall separating the bar and the dining area.  One wall has a couple of fish tanks with tables right beside them making for a unique view while you’re dining.



There were several specials written on the board, most of which I had no idea what they could possibly be.  Among the specials were Polvo à Lagaruro ($17.95) and Arroz dePolvao c/Camarao ($13.95). (A Google search told me that the Polvo à Lagareiro is octopus cooked with potatoes and drizzled with olive oil and garlic and the Arroz dePolvao c/Camarao is Octopus Rice with Prawns.)

Since I cannot read Portuguese, I am glad that the menu is written in English and each item is complete with a description of the dish.  After looking over the menu and the specials, I decided to order the Captain’s Casserole ($16.99) and my husband decided on the Cacoila Plate ($9.99).



Captain's Casserole

The Captain’s Casserole was a pan filled with shrimp, scallops, swordfish, linguica, littlenecks and red bliss potatoes cooked in a Portuguese broth.  The Cacoila plate was marinated pork served with a choice of two sides.  My husband chose fries and rice as his sides.  Other options for sides were Portuguese round fries, boiled potatoes or mixed vegetables.



We were brought a basked of bread that included both hard and soft Portuguese rolls but the table did not have bread plates.  The crumbs from the hard rolls left a bit of a mess on the paper placemats!

The moment our meals arrived at our table, I could not help but smell a strong fish odor from my dish.  While I know that swordfish can have a strong smell, something told me that this was a bit too strong.  I spooned out the three large pieces of swordfish from the pan and placed them on my plate to inspect.  One of the three pieces looked okay but the other two pieces were very fatty and did not smell or appear fresh (I tossed those into the bowl that was brought for my clamshells).  This was a major disappointment to me since the fish had been sitting in the broth with the rest of my seafood. I feared that the rest of my meal would be ruined. I spooned some of the other items from the pan and luckily, everything else was good. 



Cacoila Plate

My husband’s cacoila was not disappointing.  There was probably a half-pound of marinated pork on his plate, with equal amounts of rice and fries, sitting atop a rustic stoneware plate.  I took a bite of this pork and it tasted as good as it looked.

When the waitress arrived to take our plates and wrap them for leftovers, my husband made a comment to her about my swordfish.  He told her that the fish did not appear to be fresh and had an “off” odor.  We merely received an apology.

While I was somewhat disappointed with my meal this week, I will give Captain’s Place another chance because we have been there in the past and this is the first time we have had a less than great meal.  The total bill for the evening was a reasonable $44.07 with tax.

 

The Back Nine Pub - Lakeville, MA

I’m not sure why we have never thought to go to The BackNine Pub before but we finally decided to give it a try.  The Back Nine is located at 17 Heritage Hill Drive, Lakeville in the clubhouse of its 18-hole public golf course and is open year-round (except on Monday’s).  As we were driving to The Back Nine I had no idea what to expect but thought it was likely just burgers and sandwiches.  After reviewing the menu, I was pleasantly surprised and happy to be wrong!

The menu had a varying selection of items ranging from appetizers and salads to seafood and steaks.  Of course there was the typical selection of burgers and pizza as well but overall, the menu was chock full with six pages of items to choose from.

 

Shortly after we were seated, our waitress, Amy, came to our table to take our drink order.  I ordered my usual Malibu and Diet Coke ($8.50 for a tall set-up), my husband ordered a 16 ounce Sam’s Seasonal (winter) draft beer ($4.00), and my son, who I had just picked up from college earlier in the day and had decided to join us for dinner, ordered a lemonade ($2.50).



Bleu Buffalo Flatbread Pizza
 

Around the table, the decisions were difficult.  With some many choices, it was hard to decide. My son admitted that he was not very hungry and was looking for something that would be good for leftovers so he decided to order a Bleu Buffalo Flatbread Pizza ($12.99), which had alfredo sauce, cheese, buffalo chicken and crumbled bleu cheese on top.



Buffalo Chicken Wrap

Apparently it was a night for buffalo chicken because my husband ordered a Buffalo Chicken Wrap.  This wrap was made with buffalo chicken, bleu cheese dressing, lettuce and tomato and came with a side of French fries and a pickle for $8.99.  He substituted sweet potato fries for the regular fries for an additional $1.00.



Grilled Pub Filet

I was in the mood for beef and was torn between the Steak Tip Scampi ($14.99), the Steak and Cheese Quesadilla ($8.49) and the Grilled Pub Filet ($15.49).  While they all sounded delicious, the Pub Filet won with its savory garlic butter and thinly cut, crispy onion rings. I was able to pick from two side dishes and chose French fries and onion rings.  Other options were cole slaw, rice pilaf, sweet potato fries, baked potato, sautéed vegetable medley, or a loaded baked potato for an additional $.99.

It did not take very long for our food to arrive and we all enjoyed what we had ordered.  My steak was done just as I had ordered (medium) and it was delicious with the garlic butter on top.  The crispy onions rings on top of my filet were admittedly better than the side of regular onion rings that I chose but both were good. 

My son ate about half of his pizza and, as he was planning to do, boxed the rest to take home for a mid-night snack!

Overall, my experience at The Back Nine Pub was pleasant and we collectively decided that we would go back again.  This place could definitely turn into a regular “go to spot” when we are looking to stay local and have a decent meal.  The atmosphere is casual, with lots of TV’s available for viewing throughout the restaurant and bar area.  Even though it has a bar in the center of the dining area, it was not too loud, which is what I also liked about it.  There was nothing fancy about The Back NinePub but there was nothing bad about it, either.

Fathoms Bar and Grille - Fairhaven, MA

My husband had wanted to try Fathoms Bar and Grille, a restaurant located at 225 Pope’s Island Way, just off the Fairhaven Bridge and overlooking New Bedford Harbor, which we drove past a few days earlier when out doing some Christmas shopping.  Since we found ourselves in that general area again, we decided that tonight would be the perfect night to give it a try.  We arrived at Fathoms just before 6:45 p.m. and I immediately noted how loud it was inside.  When we gave the hostess our name we peeked around the restaurant and specifically asked if there was additional seating in a back room where it would be a bit quieter.  She told us that there would be a 15-20 minute wait if we wanted seating in the back.  Given the noise level in the restaurant, we opted to wait so we could enjoy some dinnertime conversation.

While we were waiting for our table, I looked around the restaurant and noticed that a large, rectangular bar occupied most of the space in the restaurant.  The bar was definitely a showpiece with a beautiful glass top painted with blue and orange streaks and illuminated with blue lighting. The dark blue painted walls, copper pressed tin ceiling and walnut furnishings completed the nautical décor at Fathom’s.

After waiting for 25 minutes, we were brought to our table.  While we were walking to the back of the restaurant where we were to be seated, I noticed that high top tables and large circular booths were available for dining on the outer perimeter of the restaurant. The back dining area where we were seated was not much more than a small alcove with only six tables and it was not much quieter than the main bar area. It did, however, allow conversation at a more reasonable level.

Upon being seated, we ordered drinks (Malibu & Diet Coke for me and a Long Island Iced Tea for my husband, $6 and $8 respectively) and began to review the menu as well as the long list of specials being offered.

The meals all seemed reasonably priced with a 16 ounce prime rib being offered for $19.50, lobster ravioli for $15.00, baked New Bedford scrod for $13.00, and a selection of pizza ranging in price from $5.50 to $7.00.  There were many seafood entrees on the menu and both my husband and I felt that, given the nature of the restaurant, we should order seafood. 



I started my meal with a cup of Lobster Bisque for $5.00 and ordered the Scallop and Scrod Casserole ($12.00) for my entrée.  My husband ordered a Stuffed Quahog ($3.00) and English Fish & Chips ($10.00).



Lobster Bisque

I was looking forward to trying the Lobster Bisque because it was described as “diced lobster meat simmered in a rich sherry cream” but once it arrived and I took my first bite I was very disappointed. The only way I can describe the taste is to reference it to the imitation cheese inside of pre-packaged cheese and crackers.  I was expecting creamy tasting bisque – not cheesy tasting bisque.  I searched around my bowl and could not locate a single morsel of lobster, either.  My husband tasted the bisque and completely agreed with my opinion.  At least my husband’s quahog was reasonably good (although it was exactly like the Whaler’s quahogs that you can buy at the grocery store).



Stuffed Quahog

While we were waiting for our entrees to arrive, I could not help but over hear the conversation at the table behind us. There was a woman that had barely touched her meal (she had ordered Crab Meat Stuffed Shrimp) and when the waitress asked her about it, she said that she didn’t like the meal at all. The waitress offered to replace the meal with a different entrée but the woman did not want a replacement (perhaps because the other three people that she was dining with had already completed their meals).  At the time, I thought it was odd that someone would just send an entire meal back and not ask for a replacement…until my own meal arrived.

Scallop and Scrod Casserole

The presentation of my meal was nice, with fresh sea scallops and native scrod, topped with garlic compound and seasoned bread crumbs, in a casserole dish and oven-baked red bliss potatoes and asparagus (the asparagus had an up-charge of $3 but the only other choices for a vegetable were coleslaw and butternut squash, neither of which I enjoy) added to my plate on the side.  However, the taste of my meal was not very good at all.  The seafood was fresh but the preparation needed improvement. The seasoned bread crumbs tasted like dry seasoned bread crumbs out of a can with no additional preparation involved.  I pushed all of the topping to the side and ate the three scallops and small piece of fish that was in my casserole dish.  I also ate only a few bites of my oven-baked potatoes and about half of my asparagus since these sides were not great, either. 



English Fish & Chips

My husband’s fish and chips included one large piece of fish on top of a plate of French fries and served with coleslaw.  I ate a few of his (seemingly once frozen) French fries and had a bite of his fish. His meal was better than mine and in fact, the most enjoyable part of my meal was the few fries that I ate from his plate (and the two drinks that I had throughout the evening).

Part of the reason that I could barely finish the side dishes on my plate was because of the conversation I was now hearing from the table beside us (not the table behind us with the bad-tasting shrimp, but the table beside us with the bad-tasting butter).  There was a woman at the table that had ordered surf and turf and asked for a dish of melted butter on the side (to dip her steak into). She had a few bites of her steak and was insisting to her friends that it tasted like gorgonzola cheese.  After a few bites, she finally figured out that it was the butter that was off-tasting.  She smelled the butter and commented to the waitress that it was rancid!  Luckily she had not poured the butter over the steak and she was able to salvage her meal when a new dish of butter was brought to her.  Between the woman who returned the shrimp, the awful tasting bread crumbs on my seafood and the rancid butter at the table beside us, I was not very interested in finishing up my food.

At Fathoms, the drinks were good and the waitress, Aubrey,  was friendly but I can’t say that I will be back there again for a meal since the food was far from delicious. We paid our bill, which totaled $55.31 including tax, left a tip for the waitress and left, admiring the impressive bar on our way out. 

Not Your Average Joe's - Dartmouth, MA

I received my annual members-only birthday gift from NotYour Average Joe’s so we decided to use my gift this week. To become a member, simply sign up for their e-mail club (either in the restaurant or on-line) and you will automatically receive a birthday email that you can print and bring to the restaurant.  The email entitles you to any entrée AND dessert of your choice for your birthday.  There are two things that I love about this gift.  First, it is truly for the birthday guests’ meal – not the lower priced meal.  Second, they allow you three weeks to use it so you are not limited to this free meal just on your special day. 

I know that Not Your Average Joe’s is typically very busy on a Friday night and the wait time can be in excess of an hour. I also know that you can make reservations (which I forgot to do) or call ahead to put your name on the list.  We called the restaurant at 5:40 p.m.knowing that we planned to arrive at approximately 6:30. p.m.  I was told the wait was 45 minutes to an hour.  This was going to work out perfectly! 

We arrived at 6:30 p.m. as planned and were told it would just be a few minutes before we were seated.  Unfortunately, we still waited an additional 45 minutes for our table.  While we were being seated, the hostess apologized for our long wait and handed us menus.  Immediately after we were seated, our server, Amanda-Lyn, arrived with a basket of their “famous” bread and poured olive oil into a plate of parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper. While mixing the oil with the cheese, she asked us if we knew what we wanted for drinks.  Since I was having a “birthday dinner” I thought I would review the specialty drinks for something a bit more special so she gave us a few extra minutes to review the drink menu. 

Before Amanda-Lyn left our table, the manager walked over and apologized for our long wait. He said that we should never have waited that long (I assumed because we had called ahead and were given an estimated time).  I hadn’t minded the wait but he then proceeded to offer us a free appetizer for our troubles.  Of course!  I told him that I would love a free appetizer and I was also celebrating a birthday and had my email for a free entrée and free dessert!  The manager made a couple of suggestions for an appetizer and we quickly decided on the Buffalo-Caribbean Chicken Tenders ($8.99).  I wasn’t sure what to expect but when I read the menu it said that the chicken tenders are hand-breaded and tossed with their addictive mango-buffalo barbeque sauce, served with pineapple-jalapeno salsa and blue cheese dip.  Sounds delicious so I think we made a great choice.

Pineapple Painkiller

After reviewing the cocktails on the menu, one particular drink sparked my interest.  A Pineapple Painkiller ($7.99)!  I have been feeling a bit under the weather with a cold coming on so I thought anything with painkiller in the description was bound to help.  This drink had house-infused pineapple-jalapeno tequila, muddled pineapple, freshly squeezed OJ and cream of coconut, sprinkled with nutmeg.  Sounded too intriguing to pass up so that’s what I decided on.  Amanda-Lyn said that it was her favorite drink and warned me about the jalapeno before confirming my choice. My husband ordered a Long Island Iced Tea ($6.99) because he knew that they were good here.

 


Buffalo-Caribbean Chicken Tenders

Our Buffalo-Caribbean Chicken Tenders arrived before we even placed our meal order and I was happy with our choice.  These tenders were seasoned with just the right blend of sweet and spicy.  I thought these were better than the more traditional buffalo chicken tenders that are usually served at restaurants and could see why it was described as “addictive” sauce.  We placed our meal order and then we easily finished off this dish while enjoying some bread dipped in the cheesy olive oil.

 

Short Rib Stroganoff

I typically order the Balsamic Glazed Salmon ($17.99) when I eat at Not Your Average Joe’s but I really wanted to try something new.  After reviewing all of the entrees, I decided that I would order the Short Rib Stroganoff (as long as they could prepare it without the glazed carrots) for $16.99.  Perhaps I went for this choice because it sounded like a fabulous comfort food – just what I needed to help me feel better from my cold (that and, of course, my Pineapple Painkiller)! The Short Rib Stroganoff was described as Joe’s take on a European tradition with short ribs braised in red wine, served over fettuccine with sugar snap peas, caramelized pearl onions, roasted mushrooms, glazed carrots and a dollop of sour cream-horseradish sauce.  Before I ordered it I asked if it could be prepared without the carrots.  She told me that all dishes were made to order so they could add or omit any ingredients.  I also told her that I was unsure about ordering it because I typically go for the salmon.  My final decision was made when she told me that she would exchange the stroganoff for the salmon if I didn’t like it.  It was like “food insurance” – how could I go wrong?

My husband apparently wasn’t very hungry because he only ordered the entrée sized Waldorf Salad ($11.99). This salad had shredded chicken, granny smith apples, Craisins, red grapes, caramelized pecans, smoked mozzarella and romaine, with creamy sherry vinaigrette. 

I ordered a second Pineapple Painkiller and a couple of glasses of water while we were waiting for our meals to arrive.  Even though the wait to be seated is long, the food comes out of the kitchen very quickly.  As soon as my stroganoff was placed in front of me I knew it would be delicious.  The beef was so tender and flavorful and the snap peas were sweet and crisp.  After my first bite I was glad that I didn’t get the salmon.  My husband had a few bites of my beef and agreed with how good it was.  He commented about his salad only to note that it was just a typical salad – nothing special about it.  With my delicious meal in front of me, I wasn’t even tempted to take a bite of his salad so I can’t comment first hand. 

I finished my meal and while I didn’t think I could eat another bite, we decided to go ahead an order my free dessert (although Amanda-Lyn did say we could take it to go).  I narrowed my choice to the Hot Apple Cinnamon Sticks ($6.50) or the Crème Brulee Cheesecake ($6.99) and then left it to my husband to decide (since I knew he would be splitting it with me).  He chose the cheesecake. This, as they described it, was a blend of the most popular desserts – creamy cheesecake with a caramel drizzle, fresh whipped cream and raspberries.  The cheesecake arrived with a lighted birthday candle to make my night special.  I made a wish, blew out my candle, and dug right in.  Heaven on a plate – need I say more?

The total bill for the evening would have been $72.69 including tax but with my free birthday entrée and dessert, along with the free appetizer that we were offered for waiting so long, the bill was reduced to $37.41 (we then tipped on the full price).

The service and food were great at Not Your Average Joe’s – making it worth the long wait.  Anyone planning to visit this restaurant should definitely make a reservation or use the call ahead seating option unless you want to wait for more than an hour to be seated.  Don’t forget to sign up for their e-mail club, too!  What’s not to love about a free entrée and free dessert for your birthday? 

 

Fernando's Grille & Bar - New Bedford, MA

The last time we went to see a production at Your Theatre,Inc., which is located on Rivet Street in New Bedford, we drove past Fernando’s Grille and Bar (418 Rivet Street) and was impressed by the outside alone.  I had never heard of this restaurant and it looked to be a fancy place so we made a note that we would visit at some point to give it a try.  This week, we were heading back to Your Theatre, Inc. for another production and this gave us the perfect opportunity to dine at Fernando’s.

We arrived at 6:30 p.m. and we were greeted by a hostess at the main entrance. She offered to seat us at a high table in the bar area. When we told her we would prefer to wait for seating in the dining area, she advised that it was a 45 minute wait.  The high table in the bar it is!

As soon as we were seated, a basket of rolls was brought to our table along with a bowl of olive oil seasoned with parsley and crushed red peppers. There were also a few small containers of butter, if we preferred that instead.

In addition to the wine menu and food menu, we were also given a list of specials for the evening. Appetizer specials included Bruschetta, Caprese Salad and Tomato Basil Soup. Dinner specials included Swordfish, Stuffed Haddock, Salmon, Lobster Ravioli, Roasted Duckling and Veal Chops.  Before I had an opportunity to review the actual menu, the waitress arrived to take our drink order.  I had my typical Malibu and Diet Coke ($5.50) and my husband ordered a Long Island Iced Tea ($9.00).

While waiting for our drinks to arrive, we finished reviewing the menu.  There were several choices that looked delicious, making it difficult to decide. I was torn between the Stuffed Haddock special ($17.95), the Lobster Ravioli special ($18.95) and the Grilled Atlantic Salmon ($18.95) from the main menu.  I decided to choose the Stuffed Haddock, filled with seafood stuffing finished with lobster champagne saffron sauce. I think it was the description of the sauce that helped me make my choice. 

My husband finally gave in to a craving he had been having for a few weeks and ordered Chicken Parmigiana ($13.95) for his entrée.  The menu described this dish as a lightly breaded chicken breast with fresh basil tomato sauce, reggiano parmesan and aged mozzarella cheese.

Our drinks arrived, we placed our orders, and we had an opportunity to take a look around the restaurant.  Our seating did not allow us to get a complete view of the dining area but we did have a great view of the bar, which spanned the entire length of the back room. Red backlighting created a nice ambiance and showcased a beautiful display of wine bottles on each side of the bar. The liquor bottles were also illuminated with lighting that changed color and showcased the frosted bottles. Looking up, I noticed the ceiling was ornamented in terra cotta colored stamped tin designed with angel harps, wreaths, and other ornamental designs. The ceiling was a perfect complement to the dark walls that were painted in grays, greens and purples. Natural hardwood flooring that was throughout the restaurant completed the look.

Noticing the time was 7:15 p.m., I started to worry if we would make it to the 8:00 p.m. show that we planned to attend.  Almost on cue, the waitress stopped by to tell us that our meals would be next out of the kitchen.  True to her word, our meals arrived less than five minutes later. 

Chicken Parmigiana

My husband’s Chicken Parmigiana looked so delicious that I immediately reached over and had a bite of the linguini pasta that was on his plate.  I did, however, wait patiently for him to cut into his chicken before I asked for a bite of that. It tasted as good as it looked. The chicken breast was lightly breaded and perfectly cooked with a thin layer of melted cheese on top.

My meal also looked delicious and was served with red bliss mashed potatoes and roasted butternut squash.  Although I was not given a choice of sides, I will say that the mashed potatoes were very good and had a hint of parmigiana cheese that added to the flavor.  I took a bite of my butternut squash before giving it to my husband. While I’m not typically a fan of squash, I have to admit that the maple and cinnamon on this roasted squash made it taste more like a dessert than a vegetable. 



Stuffed Haddock

The star of my meal was of course the Stuffed Haddock.  The haddock was fresh and flaky and was covered in a delicious, creamy sauce that was as good as it was described. The seafood stuffing had a bit of spiciness, which I liked, but couldn’t figure out where the spice was coming from.

We finished our meals and promptly paid when our check arrived (it was now 7:40 p.m. – only 20 minutes until show time)! The total cost for the evening, including tax, and another drink for my husband, was $58.21. Fernando’s looks fancy on the outside but they offer reasonable priced, delicious meals with a great atmosphere. Both my husband and I agreed that we would have no problem dining there again!

Spicy Lime - New Bedford, MA

My brother had been talking about his love of Thai food and wanted to introduce me to a “hole in the wall” Thai restaurant in New Bedford that he had discovered. About a month ago we made plans to visit the Spicy Lime together and the date finally came.  We headed off to 522 Pleasant Street, found parking on a nearby side street, and walked to the restaurant.

Lime Ricky

The Spicy Lime is nothing more than a store front in downtown New Bedford with no more than a dozen tables to seat guests. Given the small space, the décor was bright and welcoming with grey and white walls ornamented with appropriately themed murals.  The tables where nicely set with glass tops and white linens to give a crisp, fresh look to the space.

Although the seating was limited, there was a table for four available when we arrived. In addition to our menus, we were given a beer and wine list to review.  Instead of ordering beer or wine, we all opted for non-alcoholic beverages. My brother and I both ordered the Ice Ginger Tea ($2.50), my brother’s spouse ordered a Hot Ginger Tea ($2.15) and my husband ordered a Lime Ricky ($2.95).  The Ice Ginger Tea was fabulous with a refreshing hint of fresh ginger that hit the back of your throat when you were drinking it. I didn’t try the hot tea, but did have a sip of my husband’s Lime Ricky, which was served in some very festive plastic stemware.  I was expecting it to taste very sweet but instead it had a pleasant lime taste and was also quite refreshing.

Since my brother and his spouse had already been to the Spicy Lime, they were familiar with the menu. My brother also knew that there would be specials posted on a blackboard at the entrance so he walked over to take a look. The two specials for the evening were Mango Duck and Pumpkin Curry (with chicken, pork, tofu or vegetables).

In addition to reviewing the entrees on the menu, we also reviewed the appetizers and decided to order a couple of appetizers for us to share.  We wanted to order Chicken sa-te ($6.50) and Fried Crispy Spring Rolls ($5.50) but they were out of the Spring Rolls so we made a quick, alternate decision, and chose the Fried Gyoza (pronounced gyaw-zah) for $5.50.

All of the Curry, Stir Fry, Noodle and Fried Rice entrees were served with your choice of chicken, pork, tofu or vegetables for a total cost of $10.95, with shrimp or beef for $11.95, or with roasted duck or a combination of seafood for a cost of $15.95. There were some additional entrees on the menu and these, along with the specials, were priced a bit differently.

The waitress arrived to take our order and my brother decided on the Pumpkin Curry special, with chicken, for $14.95. His spouse ordered Pad Thai, with shrimp, for $11.95.  For my entrée, I chose the Ginger Scallop meal for $14.95 and my husband ordered the Crispy Chicken Fried Rice ($10.95).

While most entrees were served with jasmine rice, brown rice could be substituted for $1.00.  Both my brother and I chose this rice substitution and ordered the brown rice.

Gyoza (Fried)

What we thought was the first of our appetizers, the Fried Gyoza, arrived. These were crispy pork and veggie dumplings served with soy ginger sauce. There were a total of six gyoza served on the plate with a white paper doily for added presentation.  We each tried one of these fried dumplings and agreed they were enjoyable. While I could have eaten a second one, we let my brother and his spouse have the remaining two dumplings from the plate. After finishing this appetizer, the second of our servers removed our plates along with the empty plate from the gyoza.  After waiting several minutes, we collectively decided that our other appetizer, the Chicken sa-te, must have been forgotten.  Since we suspected our meals would arrive at any time, we opted to not offer a reminder but instead just wait for our meals.



Pad Thai with Shrimp

After a relatively long wait (apparently the servers are also the chefs and are multi-tasking), each of our meals arrived separately, with the Pad Thai coming out first. This entrée was described as Thai signature pan fried rice noodles with egg, bean sprouts, scallions, carrots, zucchini and ground peanuts.  I had only one small bite of the noodles so I didn’t experience the entire dish but was told that it was delicious!



Pumpkin Curry

The next meal to arrive was my brother’s Pumpkin Curry.  Chunks of fresh pumpkin were the star of this curry dish!  Again, I only had a small bite of the chicken from this entrée but my brother loved his meal. To eat this, he added some brown rice to his plate and then spooned the Pumpkin Curry on top.  This meal looked hearty and satisfying and there was enough for him to share some with his spouse.



Crispy Chicken Fried Rice

My husband’s meal arrived next. His meal consisted of two crispy, fried chicken breasts on top of vegetable fried rice, drizzled with sweet and sour sauce. While his meal tasted uniquely different from the others, the chicken was perfectly crisped and had a sweet taste, contributed by the sauce.  The only comment about this dish was my husband thought there could have been more sweet and sour sauce on the chicken.  Perhaps he can ask for some extra sauce if we visit Spicy Lime again.

Ginger Scallop

My entrée was the last to arrive.  Personally, I think they saved the best for last!  My Ginger Scallop dish was described as crispy, lightly battered scallops topped with baby corn, onions, mushrooms, broccoli and fresh ginger.  This dish, although it had different vegetables than described, was outstanding.  There were six large, fresh scallops that were perfectly tempura fried and sitting within my delicious ginger sauce and vegetables.  My brother and his spouse each tried some of my meal and agreed that it was delicious. I added some brown rice to my plate and enjoyed every last bite!



Fried Bananas with Coconut Ice Cream

While my husband and I don’t normally order dessert, my brother raved about the Sticky Rice so of course we had to order some.  The server described the two desserts that they were offering that evening.  Sticky Rice with Mango ($6.95) and Fried Bananas with Coconut Ice Cream ($6.95).  I love all things coconut so we decided to order one of each dessert. The banana dish consisted of four banana pieces, battered and fried with a scoop of toasted coconut ice cream.  A drizzle of honey finished off the dish.  The fried banana reminded me of warm banana bread and the ice cream was rich and delicious.  I insisted that my brother’s spouse try a bite of the toasted coconut ice cream and I think I have converted him to a coconut lover!



Sticky Rice with Mangoes

Fresh mango slices surrounded the Sticky Rice on our second dessert.  After trying a bite of the Sticky Rice I completely understood why my brother loves it.  My husband didn’t try either of the desserts so between three of us, we finished them up and ended our meal.

For a hole in the wall restaurant that I have never heard of, Spicy Lime didn’t disappoint me.  I give kudos to my brother for the great suggestion, and the great company.

The total bill for the four of us, including tax, was only $89.13.  I thought this was very inexpensive since we had even splurged for dessert.  When trying to find Spicy Lime on-line, I noticed that it does not have a website, but you can find them on Facebook!