Hope everyone had a nice July 4th weekend. We were fortunate to be on the Plum - I took a few extra days off so Brian and I were there Wed. through Mon. It was like a mini-vacation!
As I was thinking about how I'd sum up the weekend, a few things came to mind: lots of loud fireworks (Brian, Roxy, and Blue disapproved), the First Annual Linger Longer Lodge Open (we won), all of our company (there turned out to be none...it was just us, Kevin, and Sue), our skee ball tournament (we won)...I finally settled on my all-time favorite: food!
It was a weekend full of fantastic fish and seafood.
At the Old Ferry Landing in Portsmouth we enjoyed the best-ever fried scallops along with fried clams, a fried haddock sandwich, and an overflowing lobster roll.
(And, I know it doesn't fit with the "fish and seafood" theme I have going here, but we also had some gellato for dessert from Roly's English Fudge shop. Kevin and Sue enjoyed their vanilla bean and cookie dough versions; Brian's chocolate mint had the very best texture - smooth and creamy; but in my eyes, mine was the winner - Mayan Chocolate! It was super spicy, which completely tricked your mind...you'd take a bite of super cold gellato and as it melted, your mouth turned on fire with all the red pepper! Really unique and delicious - would definitely get it again.)
Seaglass in Salisbury turned out to be the hidden jewel of the weekend. Located right on the beach - and I do mean right on the beach - this beautiful restaurant is part of a large pavilion that also encompasses a music hall I can't wait to check out, an Italian restaurant, and a beach bar & grille. We had an excellent grilled oyster for an appetizer, along with a cool, crunchy tuna spring roll. Brian and Kevin both had the Captain's Platter for dinner, which included the best crab cake (even better than the Fort, according to B!) I've ever had, shrimp scampi, and baked haddock - got rave reviews from both of them. Sue enjoyed her pan seared haddock, and my seared scallops were delicious. The pea risotto that came with them wasn't great, so I'd likely try something different next time. But overall, it was a huge hit and I am confident we'll be back!
We also made some great dishes at the house. For an appetizer one night, Brian marinated a half pound each of shrimp and scallops (in a tablespoon of olive oil, a couple cloves of minced garlic, and a sprinkle of chipotle seasoning) then grilled them. They were perfectly cooked with a nice smokey heat.
We also grilled salmon filets one night. We marinated it in a mixture of 1/2 C light mayo, the zest of one lemon, and about 2T minced fresh dill spread evenly on the flesh side. It ended up marinating a full 24 hours because we weren't hungry for it the first night (I wonder why?!) and I think that really helped make it moist and flavorful. Because we used the zest but not the juice of the lemon, there was no breaking down of the fish. Starting skin-side down, four minutes on each side was perfect. Will definitely do that again!
Kevin even got his favorite drunken clams at the Plum Island Grille! The weekend was a win-win for everyone, for sure.
If ever you're in the Newburyport / Salisbury / Portsmouth area, check out some of these places - you won't be disappointed!
Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Monday, December 13, 2010
39 and Counting
We spent the weekend on Plum Island celebrating B's birthday...the countdown to the 40th has officially begun!
The fun started Friday night on our way in. We stopped in town at The Grog, one of our favorites local bars. They have, without fail, the best seafood chowder I've ever had. Add a little of their hot sauce and it can't be beat. Some of their sandwiches are ok, and they make great flatbread. It's always been a place where we had a drink and a cup of soup...until, a few weeks ago, we ordered burgers. To die for.
Most everyone there at 10 on a Friday night are locals, and we know - and meet - more of them each time we go. Best spot in town and the perfect place to celebrate a birthday!
Saturday morning we were up and out early and spent the day in Portsmouth. We found the more commercial side of town and spent some time checking out the Nook at Barnes & Noble. (More on that later.) But the best part of Portsmouth is downtown, on the water. I did a little Christmas shopping and B asked the gal in the kitchen store for a lunch recommendation. I had my heart set on The Press Room, a place we stumbled on when last we were there, but she insisted the Coat of Arms was a better pub.
Not so. It seemed to have good potential as an after-work kind of place - pool table, darts, fireplace - but the waiter was crabby and the food was just OK. It's always good to try something new, but we should have held out for live jazz and falafel at the Press Room....
Lest we go hungry, S&K treated us to dinner at Joseph's Winter Street Cafe Saturday night. (Anyone who's been to the Plum knows that the day starts with a committee meeting, where we decide what, where, and when we are going to eat and drink...it's pretty bad when you're planning tomorrow's dinner before today's coffee...)
When last we were there, B and the chef almost came to blows - literally - over their interpretations of steak au poivre. (Let's just say the chef had a very loose interpretation.) It's a beautiful restaurant and the owner is someone B and his family remember from a restaurant they used to go to in Hampton, so he decided to give it another try for his birthday. The owner was as lovely as ever, and our food was delicious.
B started with raw oysters, which he said were excellent (I'll take his word for it), and we got mushroom sardi - sauteed mushrooms on toast with sour cream. I think I liked them more than the others did and would like to try making them - how hard can it be? I tried the bolognese (good, but mine's better!), B and S had different fish dishes, and K had osso bucu. Their presentation is really pretty and everyone seemed to enjoy their dinner (they must have been good - there wasn't a lot of sharing or left overs!). We tried creme brulee and tiramisu for dessert - they were good, but nothing out of the ordinary. I think I'd opt for more mushrooms next time, instead! ;-)
This coming weekend we are celebrating Christmas with B's family - there'll be lots of recipes to share!
Thanks to JW for kindly reminding me that there's no sense in starting a blog if you aren't actually going to blog...point well-taken!
The fun started Friday night on our way in. We stopped in town at The Grog, one of our favorites local bars. They have, without fail, the best seafood chowder I've ever had. Add a little of their hot sauce and it can't be beat. Some of their sandwiches are ok, and they make great flatbread. It's always been a place where we had a drink and a cup of soup...until, a few weeks ago, we ordered burgers. To die for.
Most everyone there at 10 on a Friday night are locals, and we know - and meet - more of them each time we go. Best spot in town and the perfect place to celebrate a birthday!
Saturday morning we were up and out early and spent the day in Portsmouth. We found the more commercial side of town and spent some time checking out the Nook at Barnes & Noble. (More on that later.) But the best part of Portsmouth is downtown, on the water. I did a little Christmas shopping and B asked the gal in the kitchen store for a lunch recommendation. I had my heart set on The Press Room, a place we stumbled on when last we were there, but she insisted the Coat of Arms was a better pub.
Not so. It seemed to have good potential as an after-work kind of place - pool table, darts, fireplace - but the waiter was crabby and the food was just OK. It's always good to try something new, but we should have held out for live jazz and falafel at the Press Room....
Lest we go hungry, S&K treated us to dinner at Joseph's Winter Street Cafe Saturday night. (Anyone who's been to the Plum knows that the day starts with a committee meeting, where we decide what, where, and when we are going to eat and drink...it's pretty bad when you're planning tomorrow's dinner before today's coffee...)
When last we were there, B and the chef almost came to blows - literally - over their interpretations of steak au poivre. (Let's just say the chef had a very loose interpretation.) It's a beautiful restaurant and the owner is someone B and his family remember from a restaurant they used to go to in Hampton, so he decided to give it another try for his birthday. The owner was as lovely as ever, and our food was delicious.
B started with raw oysters, which he said were excellent (I'll take his word for it), and we got mushroom sardi - sauteed mushrooms on toast with sour cream. I think I liked them more than the others did and would like to try making them - how hard can it be? I tried the bolognese (good, but mine's better!), B and S had different fish dishes, and K had osso bucu. Their presentation is really pretty and everyone seemed to enjoy their dinner (they must have been good - there wasn't a lot of sharing or left overs!). We tried creme brulee and tiramisu for dessert - they were good, but nothing out of the ordinary. I think I'd opt for more mushrooms next time, instead! ;-)
This coming weekend we are celebrating Christmas with B's family - there'll be lots of recipes to share!
Thanks to JW for kindly reminding me that there's no sense in starting a blog if you aren't actually going to blog...point well-taken!
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