Nick & Andy's: A Breakfast Bonanza in Danvers

I'm a huge fan of breakfast, and can enjoy it morning, noon and night. In January, a new breakfast spot (though they also serve lunch) opened in Danvers, just off Route 1 and I had to check it out, especially as the menu looked enticing. After several visits, I'm impressed with their food and service, and it's a restaurant that I'll be patronizing on a regular basis.

Nick & Andy's is owned by Nick and Andy Moli, Albanian natives, who possess plenty of experience in the restaurant industry and finally decided to open their own. The restaurant is medium-sized, with numerous tables, booths, and a small dining counter. There is a casual vibe to the spot, and it seems to be doing a very good business, being crowded even during the week. I suspect that on the weekends, you might have to wait for a table during the busiest hours.

The menu is expansive, with plenty of the usual breakfast dishes, including Eggs any Style, Omelets, Eggs Benedict, Pancakes, Waffles, French Toast, Biscuits & Gravy, and more. Plus, they have some of their own unique dishes, such as the Cinnamon Swirl Slammers ($8.99), two breakfast sandwiches with egg, sausage, & cheese on cinnamon swirl bread. With some of your breakfast dishes, you have an option of meats, the usual bacon, ham or sausage, but there is a fourth option as well, kielbasa. I'm also pleased to see that not only do they serve home fries as a side, but they also have hash browns, which are my personal preference.

The Lunch options include Salads, Sandwiches, Clubs, Roll Ups, Grilled Sandwiches, and Entrees, including items like Burgers, Chicken Kabob Roll Up, Tuna Melt, Marinated BBQ Steak Tips, and Fish & Chips. You'll also find some Daily Specials.

Prices are reasonable, especially considering the quality and quantity of food, and nearly all of the dishes cost less than $11.

You might want to start breakfast with one of their Home Made Muffins ($2.50), which commonly are Blueberry and Corn. Above is their Blueberry muffin, which has been grilled (one option), and it was quite tasty, obviously homemade, with a good amount of sweet blueberries. They make only a limited amount of muffins each day, so they might not be available late in the day.

If you are looking for something else a little sweet, maybe you will be tempted by the Vlore Homestyle Cinnamon Swirl Toast ($1.49), which is made by the Vlore Bakery in Missouri. As Nick and Andy Moli lived in Missouri for a time, this is likely where they became enamored with this cinnamon swirl bread. The bread is made with a sweet dough and Korintje cinnamon, and has a nice texture, rich cinnamon flavor, and isn't overly sweet. As I mentioned earlier, this bread is also used to make Cinnamon Swirl Slammers, breakfast sandwiches.

You can also order the Cinnamon Swirl French Toast (Four slices for $5.95), or get it as  a Combo ($8.45) with two eggs & two pieces of bacon or sausage. This French Toast is excellent, the cinnamon adding just enough sweetness to the dish without overdoing it.

Another excellent dish is the Chicken & Waffle ($10.95), which has three large pieces of fried chicken atop a Belgian waffle. The waffle is good, with a nice crispness to the exterior and it is fluffier inside. The ample portion of chicken has a great crunchy & flavorful coating with moist meat. I've had this dish twice and it was consistently delicious.

One of their most popular dishes, and which doesn't photograph well because of the color of the gravy, is the Hash Stack ($9.95). Start with a base of hash browns and then top it with bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, cheese and sausage gravy. Yes, it may not be the healthiest of dishes but it will well satisfy your belly. The gravy actually isn't heavy, and has a compelling taste, complementing the rest of the ingredients. There is a nice blend of textures and flavors, and it's easy to understand why this dish is so popular. It is accompanied by your choice of toast as well. Pure comfort food!

Of their lunch choices, I had to try their Monte Cristo ($8.50), as it is one of my favorite sandwiches.  It includes Ham, Turkey and Swiss Cheese on French Toast, with a side of fries or cole slaw. There was plenty of meat and cheese inside the sandwich, and the french toast was a great vehicle for the fillings. Overall, there was a nice taste to each bite, with the Swiss taking a slightly dominant role. It is definitely one of the better Monte Cristo sandwiches I've tasted.

Nick & Andy's gets my hearty recommendation, especially as a breakfast destination. Service is very good, and I had only a single, minor service incident over the course of four visits, which was quickly addressed and resolved. Excellent food, reasonably priced, which will satisfy your breakfast urges. I'm already thinking about what to order the next time I dine there.

Aladdin's Grill in Revere: Tasty Hummus to Kebabs

Located in an unassuming building on Squire Road (Route 60) in Revere, not far from Esposito Bakery, Aladdin's Grill offers delicious Mediterranean & Middle Eastern dishes. You might drive by it without a second glance but that would be a mistake. It isn't a place that seems to garner much publicity yet it's a worthy destination. Quality food, excellent service, and reasonable prices.

Aladdin's Grill, which is small, clean, and casual, is open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner. At Breakfast, you can order items such as Omelets, Shakshouka, and Ful Medames (a Lebanese dish of favs beans). For lunch and dinner, the menu includes Appetizers ($5.50-$11.99) such as Tabouleh, Baba Ghanounj, and Grape Leaves; Lunch Sandwiches ($9.99), such as Shawarma, Kebab, or Falafel, served on a 7 inch pita or gyro bread; Dinner Sandwiches ($12.50), served on a 10 inch pita or gyro bread with French fries; Entrees ($14.50-$19.99) such as Shawarma, Kebab, Falafel, and Vegetarian; Daily Specials ($24.99 each) such as Lamb Shank, Lamb Chops, Chicken Tagine, and Salmon; Soup, Sides & Salads; and Desserts ($4.99-$5.50) such as Baklava and Kenafa.

I've dined there a few times and have been impressed with what I've experienced. I will definitely be returning to check out more of their menu, and am especially interested in tasting items from their breakfast menu.

You can start your lunch or dinner with an appetizer or two, such as their Hummus ($6.99), which is topped by olive oil. It is creamy, flavorful and full of garlic, a delicious appetizer.

With the hummus, and as an accompaniment to many other dishes too, you'll receive a basket of warm, fresh pita bread. And if you need more pita, all you have to do is ask and they will gladly bring more to your table. For the hummus, I definitely needed a second basket of pita. 

Another appealing appetizer is the Falafel ($6.50), topped by tahini sauce, and with a crispy coating and a "meatier" interior. The combination of the falafel and tahini is a delight, and these would make an excellent filling for a pita sandwich too.

The Lamb Kebab Sandwich (Dinner size, $12.50), like most of the sandwiches, usually contains meat, lettuce, onions, peppers and tahini sauce. The lamb was tender, plentiful and flavorful, the pita fresh and soft, and the fries were crisp. In some restaurants, the lamb can be tough or fatty, but that is definitely not the case here. 

The Lamb Kebab entree ($14.50), covered by Tahini sauce, is accompanied by a mound of yellow rice. Again, the lamb was tender and flavorful, enhanced by the tahini, and I was very satisfied with this dish. You also get a basket of pita bread, which you can dip in the tahini, or even make a little sandwich with the lamb. 

The Beef Shawarma ($14.50), which is usually topped by tahini sauce, is also accompanied by yellow rice and a basket of pita bread. For this dish, I got the tahini on the side, wanting to experience the beef with and without the sauce. The beef was tender and tasty, good on its own though the tahini elevated the dish. 

Service was excellent, attentive without being obtrusive, and you feel quite welcomed while you dine there. The food tastes fresh, is prepared well, and prices are reasonable for the quality and quantity you receive. Aladdin's Grill is certainly one of the best restaurant options in that area of Squire Road and I strongly recommend you check it out. And maybe I'll see you there.

Khachapuri, Georgian Cheese Bread: From Flaming Pit To Jana Grill

"In October ‘95, authorities in Tbilisi in the former Soviet republic of Georgia closed down an illegal bakery whose specialty was khachapuri, the traditional Georgian cheese pies. It was illegal because the pies were being baked at an unauthorized location: a room at the Tbilisi morgue."
--Daily Kent Stater, March 7, 1996

This past December, I posted my annual No Predictions, Only Desires, a small list of my desires, those trends, issues and items which I would love to see step forward and take precedence in 2019. On that list was More Love For The Country of Georgia, as I've been disappointed there isn't a Georgian restaurant yet in the Boston area. Locally, there are several restaurants that serve Khachapuri, Georgian cheese bread, but almost no other Georgian dishes can be found. Plus, most of the Khachapuri that is available is only a single type, even though over 50 different varieties exist.

Some change may be coming in the near future as I've been told that Ilona, a new restaurant coming to the site of the former Parish Cafe on Tremont Street, will have several different Georgian dishes on their menu. No more details are currently available but I'm eagerly anticipating their menu to see which Georgian items they will include.

Khachapuri is hugely popular in Georgia and is considered an essential element of the supra, the famous Georgian feast, as well as an everyday item, even as street food. Different regions of Georgia have different recipes and versions, and recent research indicates there are at least 53 different varieties of khachapuri. Recently, The National Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation even granted the status of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Georgia to Khachapuri.

What's not to love about a delicious melding of bread and cheese? One of the most popular and well known types of Khachapuri is the Adjarian, also known as Adjaruli and Acharuli, where the bread is molded into a boat shape and the middle is topped by a soft-boiled egg or just the yolk. This variety of Khachapuri originated in the seaside region of Adjara.

The earliest U.S. newspaper reference I've found about Khachapuri is from the Columbia Missourian, November 11, 1983. The article provided several recipes from "Russian Cooking," a Times Life Foods of the World book, including one for Khachapuri. The recipe called for the use of "sweet Muenster cheese." In Georgia, they generally use a couple indigenous cheeses, such as Imeruli and Suluguni. As it is difficult to find those Georgian cheeses in the U.S., many places substitute a combination of mozzarella and feta, which is thought to be a worthy replacement.

Locally, you can find Khachapuri in several restaurants including:
---Broadsheet Coffee Roasters in Cambridge (Georgian Eggboat, Khachapuri, feta-mozzarella filled bread, soft egg, side salad, $10)
---Mediterranean Grill in Newton (Hachapuri, Mixed variety of cheeses, with two sunny side up eggs, served on our homemade bed of bread, $14.95)
---Flaming Pit in Watertown (see below)
---Jana Grill & Bakery in Watertown (see below)

The Flaming Pit, owned by Armenia-born Tigran Yesayan, is essentially a very casual, wood fire grill & pizza shop. Some of the grill specialities include Kebabs and Lulas (a type of kebab made from minced meat). Most of their pizzas are the type you might find anywhere, except for their Ardora, an Armenian pizza with white sauce, basturma, sun dried tomatoes, black olives, cilantro and mozzarella cheese.

They also serve Ajarakan (another term for Adjarian) Khachapuri ($9.99), made with feta cheese, mozzarella, egg and butter. It actually has two eggs in it, and you are supposed to use a fork to mix the egg and butter into the cheese, and then tear off parts of the bread and dip it into the middle. I found the bread to be slightly overcooked for my preferences, though overall the dish was quite tasty. The gooey cheese, with a salty kick, was enhanced by the rich umami of the egg yolks, and the bread was mostly light and crusty.

Only a short distance from the Flaming Pit, and also in Watertown, is the Jana Grill & Bakery, an Armenian restaurant. There is a small parking lot behind the restaurant making it easy to stop by.

It is also a casual spot, with a more rustic decor, and has a number of tables where you can sit and enjoy lunch or dinner.

Jana Grill serves Armenian and Mediterranean cuisine, from Hummus to Babaganush, Khorovats (charcoal grilled meats) to Losh-Kebabs (charcoal grilled ground meat). There is plenty of their menu that sounds enticing, and I need to return soon to try more of their dishes. My trip there last week was primarily to check out their Khachapuri.

However, I also wanted to check out their Lavash, a house baked Armenian bread. The ample stack of lavash in the above basket only cost $1.50, and you can also purchase a pound to take home for $5.

To accompany the Lavash, I ordered one of their House-Made Sauces, the Ajika, which is a Georgian spicy sauce with red peppers, garlic, hot peppers, & herbs. A Small is $0.95 and a Large is $4. Ajika is also listed as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Georgia. It only had a small level of heat, but plenty of flavor, especially rich in peppers and garlic.

Jana Grill makes two different types of Khachapuri, which are listed on their menu under "Flatbreads" with a notation that there is an approximate wait time of 15-20 minutes. Above, you'll see the Megruli Khachapuri (Small $10, Large $13), which is listed as "Georgian cheese flatbread. A special blend of mixed cheese melted inside and over the top crust." The restaurant also describes the dish as "Think of cheese pizza, and triple the cheese." This style of Khachapuri is a specialty of the Samegrelo region, a forested region which borders the Black Sea. This certainly resembles a cheesy pizza, without any sauce, and the crust was light and chewy, with a nice crispness to the exterior, and plenty of gooey cheese.

I was thoroughly impressed with their Ajarian Khachapuri (Small $10, Large $13), which is listed as: "Popular Georgian flatbread shaped as a boat with cheese, eggs and topped with butter before serving." The crust was cooked perfectly, a nice golden brown, with a crisp exterior and a light, fluffy interior. The thick crust surrounding the middle even had cheese inside of it. The cheesy blend in the middle, when mixed with the egg yolk, was salty, cheesy, creamy and rich of umami. Each bite made me want to have another. I can easily understand the popularity of khachapuri if this is a good example of such. Highly recommended!

Jana Grill also serves one other Georgian speciality, but only on Wednesday evenings, from 5pm-9pm. They make Khinkali, a Georgian soup dumplings with a beef & lamb filling. They make each Khinkali fresh and they are priced at $1.95 each. I'm already planning a Wednesday evening visit to check out these intriguing dumplings.

Let's hope more Georgian cuisine comes to the Boston area. For now, seek out some Khachapuri and Khinkali. Jana Grill & Bakery is an excellent option.

Tonno: A Compelling Italian Seafood Restaurant in Wakefield

One of my most anticipated restaurants of 2018 was Tonno, an Italian Seafood restaurant which eventually opened in Wakefield. Tonno was to be located only a short distance from my home, and I already respected the Chef/Owner Anthony Caturano very much. Back in 2000, Chef Caturano opened his first restaurant, Prezza, situated in the North End of Boston, and it has become one of my favorite Italian restaurants in Boston.

Last Spring, I wrote about the forthcoming opening of Tonno, noting: "I also have much faith in the culinary skills and knowledge of Chef Caturano, and feel secure that his new restaurant will be impressive. I rarely dine at the other Italian restaurants in Wakefield, finding most of them to be of rather average quality. However, I expect I'll be a regular at Tonno when it opens. So, before you dismiss Tonno as just another Italian restaurant, do your research and understand its differences, and the reasons why you should anticipate its opening."

In 2016, Chef Caturano opened his second restaurant, Tonno, in Gloucester, highlighting Italian seafood dishes. "Tonno," which is Italian for “tuna,” is also the name of the chef’s boat. Last year, he decided to open a second location of Tonno in Wakefield. The concept of Tonno is to feature "coastal Italian seafood and other treasures from land and sea. The culinary program is designed to showcase Italian seafood classics, with nightly specials that reflect the catches of the day from the local waters."

I've now dined at Tonno multiple times and found it to be consistently excellent, for food, drinks, and service. I love the variety of dishes that are always offered, as well as the various specials held on different nights. Prices are reasonable for the quality and quantity you receive. The house-made pastas are killer and they certainly know how to prepare a compelling seafood dish. Chef Caturano has created another top-notch restaurant and it's great to see it in the suburbs.

Tonno has a full bar, so you can begin your evening with a beer, cocktail or glass of wine. They carry a few Italian beers, as well as a number of local beers, from breweries like Night Shift and Bent Water. They have a dozen of their own inventive cocktails, and certainly can make most any other cocktail you might desire. One of my favorites is the Black Manhattan ($13), pictured above, which is made with Putnam Rye, Zucca Rabarbaro, and Carpano Antica Vermouth. The wine list is about 75% Italian, the rest being domestic wines plus a few Champagnes. There is a nice diversity of Italian wines, with a fair number of bottles costing under $50 as well as some high-priced splurge wines.

The regular Food Menu is broken down into Sfizi (about 15 choices, $2.25-$16, Shrimp Cocktail to a Meat Board, Arancini to Crostini, Olives to Crudo), Primi (8 choices, $10-$14, Mussels to Crab Cake), Homemade Pasta (4 choices, $20-$24, Tagliatelle Bolognese to Bucatini Alla Carbonara),
Secondi (9 choices, $25-$38, Grilled Tonno Steak to Ribeye, Grilled Swordfish to Boneless Half Chicken) and Desserts (3 choices, $6-$8, Tiramisu to Biscotti). Plenty of choices, even if you don't like seafood.

Although the regular menu has plenty of options, Tonno also has a daily page of Specials, which nearly doubles your choices. The Specials menu adds Raw Bar items, Appetizers, Entrees, Sides and Desserts. Much depends on what is fresh and available. This means that every time you dine at Tonno, you'll find something new on the menu to tempt your palate. Some other local Italian restaurants have the same menu, day after day, and it gets stale quickly.

In addition, Tonno runs a number of other daily specials during the week. There are Gravy Sundays, which showcase red sauce dishes like Chicken Parmigiana, Eggplant Parmigiana and Gnocchi with Tomato. A new addition is their Grill Mondays, presenting dishes such as Grilled Stuffed Calamari, Grilled Salmon Burger and Grilled Seafood Skewer. On Tuesday, they offer Spaghetti & Clams with Oregano & Garlic while on Wednesday, you'll find Spaghetti & Meatballs. For Thursday evening, from 4pm-5:30pm, they have a number of inexpensive bar specials, such as Meatball Slider ($3), Veal Milanese Slider ($4), Roasted Red Pepper Crostini with Mozzarella ($3), Fried Oyster Po'boy ($3), and Shucked Oysters ($1). And on Friday, you can find Cacio e Pepe.

I didn't take notes and photos on a couple of my visits, simply enjoying the experience. Thus, the following is but a sampling of dishes I and my dining companions enjoyed. I will note that there wasn't a single dish on any of my visits that disappointed.

A sampling of Tonno Tartare, compliments of the kitchen, and each spoonful was a silky delight, with rich tuna enhanced by fruit and spices.

On another occasion, we received these Seared Tuna slices as another compliment of the kitchen. The tuna was cooked perfectly, with that lovely rare tuna surrounded by a nice sear. The tuna was silky and tender, such a tasty treat. I've also enjoyed their Grilled Tonno Steak with White Beans ($29), which was also cooked perfectly, rare with a nice sear. When you name yourself after tuna, you better make sure you can deliver on excellent tuna dishes, and Chef Caturano succeeds well in this regard.

The Scallop Crudo ($14), with blood orange puree, spiced almonds, cucumber tsukemono, candied citron, and Gloucester sea salt, was a delicious blend of flavors and textures, from the tender scallop slices to the crunchy almonds, with tasty citrus accents. The thinly sliced, pickled cucumbers were mildly flavored, with a nice crispness to them. Highly recommended.

This was one of their daily specials, a Burrata dish, with orange slices and nuts, and it was delightfully creamy, balanced with the crunch of the nuts and the grilled bread. Simple but tasty ingredients.

The House Crostini ($10) was made with honey ricotta, cherry mostarda, toasted pistachios, and coppa. Once again, ⁣the chef created a well-balanced dish, in both flavor and texture, and this was absolutely delicious, being sweet, creamy, salty, and crunchy.

The Arancini ($10) have a light, crunchy coating, with a creamy and cheesy interior, and sit within the rich tomato sauce. I enjoy Arancini and these certainly fit my idea of what an excellent arancini should be.

The Fried Calamari with Cherry Peppers ($13) is another very good example of an iconic dish. The calamari is very tender, with a light and clean coating, and will please any calamari-lover. Even one of my dining companions who didn't normally eat calamari enjoyed these.

The Chicken Parmigiana ($24) is a common dish at many Italian spots but this is one of the best examples you will find. It has a scrumptious crispy coating, not the softer coating you too often find elsewhere. The chicken was tender, enhanced by the plenty of melted cheese and tangy red sauce. Tonno is not just about seafood, and has plenty of other dishes to offer.

The Braised Pork Shank ($32), with barley risotto and clementine mostarda, was a hearty dish, and the pork easily fell off the bones. It was tender and flavorful, and the risotto was rustic, with a savory kick.

The Veal Milanese ($26), covered with arugula, sliced tomatoes and parmesan, was cooked like the Chicken Parmigiana, with a nice crisp coating, surrounding tender veal. It was an ample dish as well, though I made sure I ate every last piece of veal. Highly recommended.

The Grilled Ribeye ($38), with rabe and roasted potato, is a nice and flavorful piece of steak, and carnivores won't be disappointed.

The Eggplant Parmigiana is another ample dish, almost resembling a large piece of lasagna as it is stacked so high. Tender and delicious, you'll enjoy this dish too.

One of their special Desserts, was the Semolina Cake ($8), with laurel leaf syrup, blood orange coulis, toasted pistachios, and whipped cream. The cake was light, with an almost savory taste, but sweetened by the syrup, coulis and whipped cream. A nice ending to our dinner.

The more traditional Tiramisu ($8) is very good, the right blend of flavors.

Tonno receives my highest recommendation and Chef Anthony Caturano has another winner in his culinary group. I'm always telling my readers to eat more seafood and Tonno is definitely a place to find plenty of delicious seafood dishes. In addition, you'll also find excellent Italian cuisine, from hand-made pasta to crisp veal milanese. Tonno is such a great addition to the suburban culinary scene and you should check it out.

Katie's Kitchen: Delicious, Value Breakfast in Wolfeboro

Over the weekend, I spent a couple days in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, staying at Adam Japko's stunning lakehouse with a number of friends. Both mornings, I stopped by Katie's Kitchen for breakfast and every time I now return to Wolfeboro, I'll make sure I go back to Katie's Kitchen. Delicious, fresh and inexpensive breakfast in a homey atmosphere. And those Cinnamon Rolls!

Katie's Kitchen, owned by Patty Lord, is a small, homey and casual restaurant, a place frequented by many locals. Locals know they can get up and refill their own cup of coffee, or even bus their own table. Everyone seems to know everyone else, a close-knit community, bonding over pancakes or bacon & eggs. Patty presides over the restaurant like a charming aunt, extremely personable, very attentive, and with a nice sense of humor. She likes the restaurant as it is, resistant to changing anything because she feels everything works well just the way it is. For example, she won't add an expresso/cappucino machine, believing her coffee is sufficient for all. Why ruin the charm of this place with such a machine?

The restaurant primarily serves breakfast and their menu is relatively simple, though they are willing to make almost anything else you might want if it is possible. They have you covered with all the basics, such as eggs, pancakes, omelettes, waffles, and eggs benedict. Their low prices are hard to beat, such as 3 Eggs, Toast & Home Fries for only $2.20! Three good-sized Pancakes for only $2.50. Only $3.25 for an Omelette. They also make fresh muffins and cinnamon rolls each morning, in limited quantities, so make sure to get there early so you don't miss out.

(As an aside, I also want to bring your attention to a fascinating article by my friend Patrick Maguire, Overtip Breakfast Servers. He makes persuasive points about why you should tip well at breakfast, especially at such an inexpensive place like Katie's Kitchen. The usual 15%-20% gratuity just isn't adequate in this situation.)

The Cinnamon Roll is amazing, soft and full of plenty of cinnamon, as well as covered with a mildly sweet glaze. Though it comes with a large pat of butter, you won't need it for this sweet treat. This is one of the best cinnamon rolls that I've eaten at a restaurant. I'd come to Katie's Kitchen just for a couple of these pastries.

Their fresh Muffins are also quite tasty, and I was pleasantly surprised to find a Butterscotch Muffin here. I love the taste of butterscotch but had never had such a muffin. The butterscotch flavor in this moist muffin was just enough, not overly sweet or strong, but prominent and delicious. We need more Butterscotch Muffins!

The Blueberry Muffin was also quite good, moist with plenty of sweet blueberries, and a nice crusty top. Their Corn Muffin was tasty as well.

The Belgian Waffle, with a side of crisp bacon, was chewy and flavorful, just how I prefer my waffles. I also enjoyed their Blueberry Pancakes, which were large, and filled with plentiful blueberries.

A simple dish of Scrambled Eggs, Bacon, Home Fries and English Muffin. Hearty and delicious.

If you enjoy breakfast, and find yourself in the Wolfeboro area, then you must stop by Katie's Kitchen. You won't be able to beat the prices, the food will be fresh and delicious, and you'll enjoy the homey ambiance. And their cinnamon rolls and muffins are a must buy! Kudos to Patty and the entire staff at Katies Kitchen.

Rant: Where Are The Breakfast Reviews?

Do restaurants that primarily specialize in Breakfast get short shrift from restaurant reviewers?

If you look back at the recent archives of some of your favorite restaurant reviewers, you'll probably find that they rarely, if ever, review restaurants that specialize in breakfast. And if they do, the articles are usually compilation pieces, discussing a group of such restaurants, maybe by locale. You might see a list of the top breakfast spots on Cape Cod or the best donut shops on the North Shore. Why is this the case? Why don't breakfast restaurants receive more attention?

This matter came to my attention recently as I prepared to write a couple breakfast reviews of my own. I started pondering why I rarely see such reviews. There must be a reason for these omissions. I don't have any definitive answer but can speculate as to the potential reasons.

First, the number of breakfast spots is certainly much fewer than other types of restaurants so it is only natural that more attention is given to other restaurants. When you look at the lists of upcoming restaurants, there are very few breakfast spots in those lists.

Second, people generally look more for advice concerning dinner restaurants than breakfast spots, especially considering how much money they might spend on a dinner as opposed to an inexpensive breakfast. It is much easier to take a risk on an unknown breakfast spot that might only cost you $20 as opposed to a dinner place where you could drop $100 or more.

Third, many breakfast spots offer the usual standard fare, with little to make them stand out from other such places. So, they don't seem as compelling to review as they don't offer something new, different or more unique.

There may be additional reasons as well, but none of them mean that breakfast restaurants shouldn't be reviewed. There are reasons why many won't ever get reviewed, but there are places that stand out, worthy of some attention. Breakfast can be such a delicious meal, pure comfort, and sometimes with a little sweetness added. And I know that I, and others, enjoy breakfast foods all day long. I can enjoy waffles for dinner, or simple bacon & eggs. An excellent breakfast spot, serving breakfast all day, is special.

Mooncusser Fish House: Giving Some Love To A Scrumptious Seafood Sampling

In recent years, Boston has seen the opening of a number of excellent seafood restaurants, and as you know, I've long encouraged people to eat more seafood. Seafood provides immense health benefits and it is also diverse and delicious, able to be prepared in a myriad of ways. On my recent weekend stay at the Boston Park Plaza, I dined at one of Boston's newer seafood restaurants, Mooncusser Fish House, thoroughly enjoying a tasting menu of fresh and compelling seafood.

Back in July 2017, Mooncusser Fish House opened, a joint endeavor led by Ian Calhoun, Vincent Vela, and Chef Carolyn Johnson, all who also own and operate 80 Thoreau in Concord. This seafood restaurant is actually divided into two parts, the Moon Bar located on the first floor and the Mooncusser Fish House on the second floor. The Moon Bar is the more casual dining area while the upstairs is more higher-end. During the week, at lunch time, they also open Cusser's Roast Beef & Seafood in the Moon Bar, and I recently wrote about my lunch experience there.

For dinner, we chose to eat upstairs in their more formal, though it isn't pretentious, Mooncusser Fish House. Note that it is several levels up so be prepared to climb some stairs, though they do have an elevator if you can't take the stairs. It is a small, more intimate dining room, perfect for date night or a business dinner.

You can opt for a Prix Fixe Menu (3 courses/$49), a Tasting of Local Fishes (5 Courses/$85) or select your own dishes off the menu, which is divided into First Courses and Main Courses. There are 7 options for First Courses, priced $10-$17, and you can choose items such as the Tuna Tartare,  Mooncusser Chowder, or Smoked Char Terrine. There are 6 choices for Main Courses, priced $30-$42, and you can choose items such as the Monkfish, Bone-In Skate Wing or Grilled Whole Fish.

This is a definitely a seafood-centric restaurant and the only non-seafood options are the Baby Chicory Salad (First Course) and the Grilled Lamb Rack (Main). I'm sure those dishes are delicious but seafood is king here. I'll also note that the price range  of their dishes has remained relatively the same since they first opened.

We decided on ordering the Tasting of Local Fishes ($85) with Wine Pairings ($75), wanting to sample a variety of their available dishes. As this was more a dinner for pleasure, I didn't take many notes, simply reveling in the experience. Overall, it was a superb dinner, with plenty of excellent dishes and wine pairings. Mooncusser hits it out of the park with their seafood!

The first course was a Halibut Crudo, with blood orange, mint, pickled ginger, and puffed wheat. The silky halibut was fresh and clean, with a mild but flavorful taste, enhanced by the citrus. The puffed wheat was almost like little pieces of popcorn, adding a crunchy texture to the dish. The wine pairing was the 2017 Gilbert Picq Chablis, an absolutely delicious Chardonnay with complex notes of white flowers, citrus, and mineralogy with a hint of briny salt. It went great with the crudo and I would love to try this wine with oysters too.

The second course was Lobster Bisque, made with wild mushrooms, pumpkin, and white truffle. Creamy and bursting with lobster flavor, sweet pumpkin notes, and earthy notes from the mushrooms and truffle. An excellent blend of flavors and perfect for a chilly winter evening. The wine paring was the 2014 Reynvaan Queen's Road Marsanne-Viognier, from Walla Walla, Washington. This wine brought intriguing notes of peach, melon and pineapple, with an underlying minerality and plenty of acidity, able to cut through the richness of the bisque. Another great choice.

The restaurant presented us with an extra, complimentary course, their Rye Chitarra, made with uni, celeriac, and mushrooms. I loved this dish! Perfectly cooked pasta, briny uni, and umami-rich mushrooms, all combined for a fantastic taste. Such a nice blend of flavors of the soil and sea. Highly recommended!

The next course was Scallops, with sweet potato, pomegranate, and pistachio. Initially, I was confused about the "orange" scallops in the dish before realizing they were actually sweet potatoes that were shaped like scallops and seared in a similar manner as well. And they were so tasty, a nice sweetness with a great sear. This is something I'd love to replicate at home. The sweet scallops were also seared perfectly, bringing fresh, clean flavors enhanced by the nuttiness of the pistachio. Another winner of a dish and highly recommended. The wine pairing was the 2017 Le Roc Des Anges Llum Grenache Gris, a complex and compelling wine, with rich citrus notes, intense minerality, and great acidity. A wine of elegance and restrained power, one to please most wine lovers.

The final savory course was Grilled Tuna, with sunchokes, an oyster, and pearl onions. The lightly seared, and mostly rare tuna, was silky and tender, meaty and satisfying. It was exactly what you desire in a grilled tuna dish. And the briny oyster was a pleasing extra. The wine pairing was the 2012 Sanguis Verve Grenache, from the Central Coast, California, and it was a killer wine. Great fruit flavors, a pleasing spicy backbone, plenty of complexity, and a lengthy finish. Such an excellent wine pairing!

Dessert was Petites Madelines with tangerine sorbet, olive oil, citrus, and coriander. A light and refreshing dessert which didn't overwhelm you with sweetness. The tiny madelines were light and delicious, and I wanted more. Their Pastry Chef Katherine Hamilburg is extremely talented. The final wine pairing was the 2015 Haut Charmes Sauternes, a nicely balanced dessert wine with intriguing and complex flavors.

Service was excellent, attentive without being obtrusive. And all of the food was excellent, well balanced dishes with great, fresh flavors. I was satisfied at the end of the meal, without feeling overly stuffed. The wine pairings worked so well, and I got to experience some fascinating and tasty wines which aren't the usual suspects. If you desire a quality seafood dinner, I highly recommend Mooncusser Fish House and suggest you order the Tasting of Local Fishes.