Dairy Dome

(Originally posted on 5/7, 5/8 & 5/11/07. Photos added 5/24/07)

At lunchtime, I decided to stop at the Dairy Dome. The Dairy Dome has been a popular ice cream spot in Stoneham for over twenty-five years. I have long been going to the Dairy Dome, since when it originally opened. For most of that time it has specialized in ice cream. They eventually added some baked goods and sandwiches, but that always seemed secondary to the ice cream. Recently, I had read in the local newspaper that they were expanding, adding sandwiches and other food to their menu. So, I decided to give it a try. I had not been there recently so I was not expecting the significant changes that I found.

The Dairy Dome now serves a wide variety of foods, especially Italian dishes. They have quite an extensive menu, including sandwiches, pizza, calzones, soups, and dinners. They also have family-sized meals. All of the items are made fresh. And they still have ice cream as well, including a number of speciality sundaes. They even do catering! In addition, they sell some gourmet foods, such as items from Stonewall Kitchen. They even sell monkey bread.

I decided to have a chicken parm spuckie as I figured that would give me a good snapshot of the food. The spuckie is basically a sub that has been toasted in the oven. It comes on 10" crusty bread. The spuckie was stuffed to overflowing with chicken. The cutlets were meaty, nicely breaded and not some type of processed chicken. The red sauce was very good and there was plenty of melted cheese as well. A very good sandwich. I saw a couple other spuckies that others ordered and they certainly looked good too. I will definitely return to sample some of their other dishes, including the pizza. And I will report back.

I think the major changes that have been made to the Dairy Dome have certainly been positive. If you have not been to the Dairy Dome, definitely check it out!

I stopped off at Dairy Dome for lunch again, to try something different this time. I first had a slice of their Sicilian Pan Pizza, which is similar to what is often called bakery pizza. It is a thick crusted pizza and it was quite tasty. The pizza sauce was good and there was plenty of cheese atop it. This is the only type of pizza they serve by the slice. The traditional pizzas are only served whole. But, you won't go wrong to get a couple slices of their Sicilian.

I then chose the Lobster Ravioli dinner. This is accompanied by a salad and some slices of fresh Scali bread. You also could have substituted a Caesar salad or garlic bread for a little extra. I chose this dinner as I enjoy lobster ravioli, plus it came in a pink sauce. I like pink sauces but they seem to be hard to find at many Italian eateries. So, I was a bit surprised, though pleasantly so, to see it here on the menu. There seemed like 7 or 8 lobster ravioli in the dinner, and each ravioli was very large and thick. They contained a good portion of lobster and you definitely could tell by taste alone. The pink sauce was excellent! It was creamy and complemented well the ravioli. The sauce was also good for dipping my bread. The whole dish was sprinkled with scallions though I don't think they were necessary or really added much to the dish. The lobster and sauce stood alone quite well and needed no further enhancements. At $13.95, I think this dish was an excellent value. I would definitely recommend it. And I will definitely return to Dairy Dome to try more of their fare.

Once again, I stopped by Dairy Dome to try another one of their choices. I had the Chicken Marsala with salad and garlic bread. The garlic bread was freshly made and quite delicious, with plenty of garlic. And I received two good sized pieces. The Chicken Marsala was good, with plenty of chicken and large pieces of ham over ziti. Often, you only get small pieces of ham in Marsala dishes but these were quite large. The Marsala sauce was mild and tasty. Another good dish from a restaurant I recommend!

Dairy Dome
474 Main St.
Stoneham, MA
Phone: (781) 438-9425

Dairy Dome: New Dishes

Anyone who has read my blog knows that I am a fan of the Dairy Dome, a local restaurant in Stoneham. I have posted numerous times about this place.

Though long known for being an ice cream parlor, this year the restaurant greatly its offerings to include many different and delicious foods. I have posted before about many of those new dishes. Yet they have continued to add more and more to their menu. So I am back to tell you about some of what is new.

They now carry a homemade flatbread, like a thicker type of pita bread. I love good bread and this is absolutely delicious. You can get an over-stuffed sandwich or even a flatbread pizza. I especially liked the Chicken Cordon Bleu flatbread sandwich ($6.95), which was loaded with tender chicken, cheese and ham. This was quite a large sandwich and sure to satisfy the biggest of appetites. As for new sandwiches, they also have six different grilled paninis ($6.45).

Need something easy to feed your family? Dairy Dome has had family-sized dinners for some time. But now they have some new ones, including a homemade shepherd’s pie and chicken pot pie. They are big enough to feed at least four people and cost less than $15 each. You bring them home, just pop them into the oven and soon you will enjoy. I have had both and did enjoy them.

With winter here, a good hot soup or chowder can really satisfy too. Dairy Dome has corn, which you can get in a fresh bread bowl with melted cheese atop it. The cheese was a nice touch and the chowder is very good. I have always enjoyed corn chowder and this was certainly a good dish.

They even make a variety of homemade pies, from apple to pecan, which are great for the holidays. The chocolate cream pie is decadently delicious. The pies are reasonably priced under $20, and should feed plenty of people. Stop by and pick up a pie for the holidays. Or order ahead to be sure you can get what you want.

Dairy Dome remains a very good choice for lunch, dinner, or takeout.

Dairy Dome
474 Main St.
Stoneham, MA
Phone: 781-438-9425

Stoneham Sun: Dairy Dome

My next column of "A Passionate Foodie" can be found in the August 22 issue of the Stoneham Sun newspaper. The Stoneham Sun is a weekly free newspaper. I will be writing a weekly column that will concentrate on reviews of local restaurants. The column may also touch on a few other food and wine topics as well.

This new column will be published tomorrow though it is available now online. This column is a restaurant review of the Dairy Dome, which recently expanded their menu to include many items, including some excellent Italian dinners. If you have not been to the Dome lately, go check it out!

If you have any questions or comments about my column, feel free to add them here. Next week, my column will be another local restaurant review.

Dine with passion!

Home Cooking Take-Out

You are tired from a long day of work and just don't feel like making some labor intensive dinner. You want to whip up something quick, but tasty. You could order out, get a pizza or sub, but you really want something more substantial. What are your options?

One excellent option would be to stop by the Dairy Dome and pick up one of their pre-made dinners. They have a diverse selection of dishes which are rather inexpensive. The other night, I stopped by and picked up a Chicken Marsala and a Chicken Cordon Bleu. Each dish was large, more than plenty for one person, and only cost $7 each. They come in a foil pan which can be popped into the oven and heated up. You then have a quick, home style meal without alot of fuss. Plus, you can pick up a loaf of fresh bread at the Dome too. So, for under $20, you have a good dinner with bread for two!

And if you need larger portions, for a larger family, they have those as well.

Now, I have not yet had the occasion to try their new sundaes though there are a few that have peaked my interest, including a fried dough sundae. But, a couple family members did stop by and try it and raved about it! I trust their opinion on such matters so I eagerly look forward to tasting it myself.

Dairy Dome
474 Main St.
Stoneham, MA
Phone: (781) 438-9425

Fried Dough Sundae

Take a moment to savor this Fried Dough Double Delight Sundae. Just try not to drool on the keyboard.

Ever since I saw this sundae listed on the new menu at the Dairy Dome I have wanted to try it. I love fried dough and having it topped with sugar, ice cream, caramel sauce, chocolate sauce, and whipped cream sounded fantastic! My mom had it recently and raved about it. I finally got an opportunity to try it.

The fried dough is made fresh to order so it has not just been sitting around getting stale. They are like fried dough sticks, not the large flat pieces you see at carnivals. They had the right consistency and taste. You can have the sundae with either soft soft or home-made ice cream, in your choice of flavors. I went with the vanilla soft serve and there were two good-sized scoops of ice cream. There was also plenty of whipped cream, with a cherry on top. The sundae is quite large and should satisfy the hunger of anyone. It tasted as excellent as it looked. Pure decadent pleasure, sure to put a smile on your face. It costs $5.49 for soft serve and $6.49 for home-made ice cream and is definitely worth the price.

So stop on by and try this sundae, or any of the other delicious sounding ones they have such as the Wicked Awesome Whoopie Pie or the Death by Chocolate Brownie.

Dairy Dome
474 Main St.
Stoneham, MA
Phone: (781) 438-9425

2008 Readers' Choice Awards

The winners in the 2008 Readers' Choice Awards have now been published in the June 25 issues of the local newspapers, including our own Stoneham Sun. You will also be able to read the list of winners online tommorrow. The areas covered by the awards include Stoneham, reading, Wakefield, Saugus, Melrose, Malden and Medford.

There are over 70 categories though what is most important to me are the numerous restaurant and liquor store categories. Last year, some of the results surprised me and I previously posted my thoughts. What had most surprised me were some of the omissions as well as a few of the places received the Best votes. So it is time for me to dissect some of the list of winners again, to see where I may agree or disagree.

I had complained last year that though there is a listing for Liquor Store there is not a separate category for Wine Store. This year, they still do not have a separate category for Wine Store and I still think they should. We have seen a number of stores in the last few years that concentrate primarily on wine. I don't think they can be adequately compared to a general liquor store.

As for the specific winners, I am surprised that the Grapevine Travelers, a very good wine store, did not make the list in Medford. Which could be due to the lack of a separate category for wine stores. In Saugus, though OurGlass Wine Co. received an honorable mention, I do think they are better than the winner, Nasty Nonnis. I was glad to see that The Wine Shop of Reading and Rapid Liquors took top honors in Reading and Stoneham.

I was pleased to see that Pignone's Cafe was the #1 Choice of Restaurant for Breakfast in Stoneham. They certainly serve an excellent breakfast. Though I do think that the Dairy Dome is deserving at least of an Honorable Mention. Their D-Boy spucky is an excellent breakfast sandwich. I think the Dairy Dome also should have be on the list for Restaurant for Lunch as well as Restarant for Takeout. Plus, where are the mentions for Georgie D's Place? Georgie D's makes excellent Italian food and they are open for both lunch and dinner. Yet they did not receive any mention on Restaurant for Lunch, Restaurant for Dinner, or Fine Dining Restaurant. They only received an Honorable Mention for Italian Restaurant. Melissa's Main Street Bistro (the former KroMels') received an Honorable Mention for Fine Dining Restaurant. But they did not receive a mention for Restaurant for Steak. And they do deserve such a mention. As for Pizza Place, one of my favorite places in Stoneham was omitted, Pizzamia. And for Saugus, there was no mention for Angela's Coal Fired Pizza.

So, what do you think of the list of winners? Do you agree or disagree? Did one of your favorites fail to make the list?

Egg Spucky

I love breakfast! Waffles, pancakes, bacon, eggs, sausage, cinnamon rolls and so much more. I do love a good egg sandwich and had an excellent one recently.

Dairy Dome has the "D-Boy" which consists of 3 eggs, ham, cheese and BBQ sauce on a soft, spucky roll. It is only $2.50. You get real fried eggs, not the egg substitutes you sometimes get elsewhere. It tastes very good but the best part is the spucky! It is very fresh, a nice soft interior with a bit of a crusty exterior. Just a perfect piece of bread. It is also a good value for the size of the sandwich.

Enjoy!

Dairy Dome
474 Main St.
Stoneham,MA
Phone: (781) 438-9425

Virtual Restaurant Tastings

Would you like to join me at a local restaurant, tasting what delicious dishes can be found? You can do that...at least virtually.

In a previous post, while discussing Virtual Wine Tastings, I raised the question of Virtual Restaurant Tastings (VRT). If it can be done for wines, why not restaurants as well? So, I have been brainstorming on the idea and think it can work. So, very shortly, I shall host our first Virtual Restaurant Tasting.

How will it work? During a certain time period, maybe two weeks, a specific restaurant will be chosen for the VRT. You can then go to that restaurant and try their food and drink. Then you can add your comments here, saying what you liked or disliked. When the time period is up, we should have a number of comments that you can read and see how other people thought about the restaurant.

Now, there will be some added incentives for you to participate in the VRT. First, I will try to arrange for discounts at the restaurant during our tasting time period. For example, you might get a 10% discount off your entire bill. Second, I will try to arrange a special prize, such as a gift certificate, for one lucky person who adds their comments here about the restaurant.

The first restaurant for our VRT will be the Dairy Dome in Stoneham. They have already agreed to participate and I am currently working out the final details. The VRT should start soon, probably in the beginning of July. I hope many of you will participate in this new endeavor.

If any restaurant would like to participate in an upcoming Virtual Restaurant Tasting, just email me.

Home Made Potato Chips

I can remember having home-made potato chips when I was a child. They tasted so good! And over the years, I have had them at a few stores and restaurants. But, in recent years, they have been very hard to find. Until now. Within the last couple months, I have had them at 3 different places. Maybe they are making a come back which I heartily welcome.

One was a grocery store in Connecticut, Stew Leonards. The second was the Capital Grille in Burlington for lunch. Instead of french fries, you can have their home-made potato chips and they are delicious. And today, for lunch, I had them at Dairy Dome. This is a new product for them and they were very tasty. I had ordered a burger and fries but Lisa, their chef, offered me the chips instead of the fries. In fact, she just said that she would surprise me with something other than the fries. And it was a most pleasant surprise. By the way, the burger was delicious too. Thick and juicy!

Yummy!

Stoneham Recommendations

Revised as of 6/1/09

This is the first post of a planned series of posts noting my personal recommendations for food/wine places in various towns and cities. I am beginning with my home town, Stoneham. This post lists my favorite wine stores, restaurants, and food stores in Stoneham. This list might be expanded and/or revised in the future but I will note when it changes. Be sure to check my extended reviews of many of these places elsewhere on my blog.

Wine Stores:

Rapid Liquors
171 Main Street
Stoneham, MA
Phone: (781) 438-0595
(Rapid has the best prices in town. In fact, its prices are some of the best of any of the surrounding towns and cities. They also have a good selection and are very willing to order what they don't carry.)

Restaurants:

Rang Indian Bistro
6 Central Square (Across the street from Stoneham Theater)
Stoneham MA
Phone: (781) 438-8200
http://www.rangindianbistro.com/
(Very good Indian food)

Kyotoya
58 Montvale Ave.
Stoneham, MA
Phone: (781) 438-9688
(Excellent Japanese food and inexpensive sushi. Superb shrimp tempura. It is BYOB.)

Sato II
147 Main Street
Stoneham, MA
Phone: (781) 438-8786
(Very good Chinese and Japanese food)

Taste of Siam
499 Main Street
Stoneham, MA
Phone: (781) 438-4001
(Excellent Thai food.)

Melissa's Main Street Bistro
407 Main Street (Stoneham Square)
Stoneham, MA
Phone: (781) 438-7243
(Higher end, intimate Bistro. Great place for special occasions or romantic dinners.)

Georgie D's Place
125 Main St.
Stoneham, MA
Phone: (781) 481-9300
(Excellent Italian food, great bread, good prices.)

Bacci's of Stoneham
316 Main Street
Stoneham, MA
Phone: (781) 438-9200

Dairy Dome
474 Main St.
Stoneham,MA
Phone: (781) 438-9425
(Excellent home-made Italian food, pastries, and ice cream.)

Liberty Bell Famous Roast Beef & Seafood
219 Main St.
Stoneham, MA
Phone: (781) 279-2000
(Great roast beef sandwiches. I love their fries and onion rings as well. Extensive menu.)

Pizzamia
67 Franklin Street
Stoneham, MA
Phone: (781) 572-3300
(My favorite take-out spot for pizzas, calzones and sandwiches.)

Anthony's Italian Specialties
408 Main St.
Stoneham, MA
Phone: (781) 438-9840
(Excellent deli, sandwiches and they now have Finnegans.)

Daily Scoop
232 Main St.
Stoneham, MA
Phone: (781) 438-9831
(Excellent ice cream and slush.)

Pignone’s Café
319 Main St.
Stoneham, MA
Phone: (781) 279-0131
(Excellent breakfast, which is also served at lunch.)

Stoneham Sun: What's New?-Part 2

My new column of "A Passionate Foodie" can be found in the December 12 issue of the Stoneham Sun newspaper. This is a weekly column that concentrates on reviews of local restaurants though it may also touch on a few other food and wine topics.

The new column will be published tomorrow and is currently available online. The new column is the second part of a two-part series discussing what is new and different on the local culinary scene. This week, learn about a new Stoneham restaurant, Pignone's Cafe. You will also get updates on three places I previously reviewed, including Savory Tastes Cafe, Georgie D's Place, and the Dairy Dome.

If you have any questions or comments about my column, feel free to add them here. Next week, I will present some Champagne and Sparkling Wine recommendations for the holidays.

Dine with passion!