Restaurant Review, Roundabout Diner, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, not worthy of high accolades

This is my third trip to the Roundabout Diner at the traffic circle in Portsmouth. I was not impressed either of the other times and was reluctant to try the diner again. However, my wife wanted to give them another chance and so reluctantly, I agreed and we headed over for breakfast.

Restaurant Review, Surf, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, Buckley hits another home run

Michael Buckley continues to prove that he is one of the leading restauranteurs in New Hampshire. With Surf, he has done it right again, a seafood restaurant on the harbor in Portsmouth. The hits just keep coming and Surf joins a list of exceptional dining establishments for Buckley including the other Surf Seafood in Nashua, MTS Local also in Nashua and Buckley's (see my review here) in Merrimack. What is impressive is that he has been able to own more than one successful restaurant and is not afraid to make changes or additions that will benefit his customers.

Updated: Best places for homemade ice cream in New Hampshire and New England

We're not trying to pat ourselves on the back or anything but my wife and I know where you should go for homemade ice cream. You see, we are kind of ice cream snobs and if it's not homemade we won't touch it unless it's the dog days of winter. During these dire times when most of the homemade places are closed and we have to find other options.

Restaurant Review, Common Man, Concord, New Hampshire, Food needs an upgrade

Let me start out by saying that I am a fan of the Common Man's owner, Alex Ray, and his story of rising from a dishwasher to running a number of New Hampshire Restaurants. That said, I have dined at the Common Man restaurant in Concord a number of times over the years and have not been impressed. We decided to give it one last try. Unfortunately, this visit was just as unremarkable as the others.

Sabatino's North, Derry, New Hampshire, Off to a good start in new digs

We have driven by Sabatino's North at their old Derry location waiting to try the restaurant until they moved into their new digs on East Broadway, a much larger space, in the former spot of Depot Square Steakhouse. The wait is finally over and after hearing that they had opened we ventured in to see the changes they made to the existing space and to check out the food (naturally).

Restaurant Review, The British Beer Company, Manchester, New Hampshire, New pub a welcome addition to the Granite State

The British Beer Company Restaurant and Pub recently opened on South Willow Street in Manchester. They are a chain and have a number of locations in Massachusetts, one in Rhode Island and this is their first in New Hampshire. We have been a number of times to their pubs in Massachusetts and we have always been pleased with the experience. After we found out about this one opening in the Granite State we had to check it out as soon as possible.

Ronaldo's, North Hampton, New Hampshire, Not as good as I remember

We discovered Ronaldo's many years ago at the Hampton Seafood festival when we sampled their garlic fries and they were unbelievable. We decided to check out the restaurant and enjoyed many visits over the years. They are located in a strip mall on Lafayette Road in North Hampton and if you turn your head for a second you might drive by without blinking an eye.

Restaurant Review, Lilac Blossom, Nashua, New Hampshire, A pleasant surprise

If you find yourself in the Nashua area and are in the mood for Chinese food, you should make a special point to check out the Lilac Blossom. My wife's family lives in the area and we've had take-out on a number of occasions but recently we had the opportunity to eat lunch at the restaurant and it was a nice experience.

Updated: Best Places for Cupcakes in New England and New Hampshire

I harken back to many years ago when my wife was on a Cupcake Frenzy after all of this excitement started over cupcakes. It seems like a cupcake shop was opening at every corner and I thought, hmmm...this isn't going to last, it's just a fad etc...

Restaurant Review, Burton's Grill, Nashua, New Hampshire, Better than most chain restaurants

A number of years ago my wife and I were heading down Route 3 on the South Shore in Massachusetts when I noticed that the car was in need of fuel. By chance we pulled off Exit 16 in Hingham and that is when we discovered the Derby Street Shoppes, a cute little mall. Anyway, at this mall we noticed a restaurant called Burton's Grill. Back then, it was the only one around but the company has since expanded and there are now 5 New England locations as well as one in Virginia Beach. We have never been fans of chain restaurants but I have to tell you that Burton's Grill is very different. In fact, we have dined in the Hingham, Andover and Fenway (which recently closed) locations. After hearing that they opened in New Hampshire, of course, we had to check it out.

Restaurant Review, The Newell Post, Concord, New Hampshire, New breakfast joint worth a visit

As I was driving to my sister’s house for Easter, I notice what appears to be a new restaurant on Fisherville Road in Concord. After a bit of investigative work, I soon discovered that the former owners of Summer Breeze had decided to open a restaurant at this location. I hope this will be a good breakfast option where there are few in Concord.

Restaurant Review: Shorty's Grill, Bedford, New Hampshire, We won't make the same mistake twice

Editors Note:  04/05/13 {It looks like what was formerly the Shorty's Grill has now been turned back into a Shorty's Mexican Roadhouse.  There is no mention of what was the Shorty's Grill when you visit their website}

I was reluctant to try Shorty's Grill after reading a bunch of reviews on Yelp that were almost all bad. And I have never been a fan of The Shorty's Mexican Restaurants. That said, I am always willing to give a restaurant a chance despite what anyone else may say or think.

Restaurant Review: Ollie's, Manchester, New Hampshire, Nice Family Place

This is not a story about Oliver (Ollie) Hardy from the old Oliver and Hardy comedy team. Instead, it is a family Greek restaurant on the west side of Manchester called Ollie's that a lot of you have probably never heard of.

Restaurant Review, MoeJoe's Family Restaurant, Manchester, New Hampshire, Good Breakfast

Hey Moe, hey Joe, where are Larry and Curly? Although the name of MoeJoe's Family Restaurant may remind you of the three stooges the food is no laughing matter. This Portuguese and American restaurant off the traffic circle near Route 101 has a lot to offer and although we haven't tried lunch or dinner our recent visit at breakfast was very good.