Time for a Road Trip

When we think of our favorite comfort foods there is mac and cheese, pizza, hamburgers, chowder, and meatloaf. Most of these we can make at home unless you're like us and prefer to have someone else make it for you. Anyway, there is one that is very difficult to prepare at home and that is fried seafood. You could buy one of those small fryers or set up a large commercial fryer in your kitchen but for most of us it is just better cooked by somebody else. With the smell of fried seafood permeating in our minds we took off on a recent warm day to Captain Frosty's on Cape Cod in Dennis, MA.

This week I was perplexed when my husband asked me to write about our latest road trip since this adventure was all his idea. So, instead delving too deeply into the reason why, I agreed to honor his request and then it all became perfectly clear.

For my in-laws recent wedding anniversary my wife was trying to think of a restaurant that was not too far of a drive but something a little bit different for a special celebration. Since they love the ocean she remembered our enjoyable visit to the Seaglass Restaurant a few years ago. Remembering the beautiful views and delicious food this seemed like the ideal location.

My wife loves a good lobster roll and we have been known to travel far and wide in our search to find “the best” one. When she heard about how great they are at the Raw Bar in Mashpee we were on our way. This was one of our best road trips in a long time. It had it all the necessary elements, getting lost, asking for help and having no idea if we were going in the right direction. In the end it was all worth it.

The next time you are up for a trip into Boston we found a Mexican place that you should take some time to check out. Just off Boylston on Dartmouth Street is Lolita Cocina & Tequila Bar. In addition to their delicious food many will appreciate the gothic environment that conjures up vampires and dark places. If you are like me and enjoy a horror movie or strange and weird spots this is perfect.

We love a road trip that brings you to the water and this time we take you to the small town of Essex on the North Shore of Massachusetts. Essex is a quintessential New England town with its historic houses some dating back to the 1600’s, antique shops, and plenty of dining options. Although there are a number of restaurants in the area that serve seafood, Periwinkles is one of our favorites. Situated on the Essex River this is a nice quiet spot to chillax. Grab a seat on the outside deck and you will soon forget all your troubles as you enjoy the beautiful surroundings. For those of you who prefer to dine in air conditioned comfort, have no fear. There is also a large dining room inside the restaurant.

This Sunday when the temperature in New Hampshire is expected to hit 70 degrees naturally we start to think about ice cream. Of course my wife would argue that ice cream tastes just as good on a winter’s day so we know that many others enjoy this sweet confection year round. For anyone visiting New England for the first time or if you usually eat the store bought variety, do yourself a favor and put visiting a homemade ice cream on your bucket list of must do’s this spring or summer. Since New Englanders eat more ice cream per capita than any other part of the country, there are many spots to choose from and one our favorites is Kimball's at Bates Farm in Carlisle. We have visited numerous times over the years and we’ve never been disappointed.

There is nothing better than taking a road trip to Salem, Massachusetts this time of year to get you into the spirit of Halloween. It seems that whenever we visit it is always a dark dreary day which is fine since it suits the environment well. Ghosts, goblins, and of course, witches come to mind when we think of this small city. There are many attractions available for those of you that enjoy getting scared out of your wits. While we tend to enjoy the people watching more than most of the “haunted” themed events, it makes sense to also incorporate some good food into our road trip to the north shore of Massachusetts .

For our next drive we would like you to experience some great Italian food at Pagliuca's in Boston. Yes, there are many options in the North End but this is one of our favorites. We have been to Pagliuca's dozens of times over the past 10 years and have also checked out a bunch of other restaurants in the area. Joe, Freddie and staff all do a great job serving up mouth watering food.

On a recent holiday shopping trip to Boston we decided to head over to one of our favorite haunts, Georgetown Cupcakes . We've tasted many cupcakes over the years and we feel that they are the best in New England. In fact, we think they are so good that we put them at the top of our list of the best . We first sampled Georgetown Cupcakes at their original location when we were in DC a few years ago. They are just as good now as they were then.

The story of how we found Sullivan's and their delicious hot dogs goes back a long time. It began at a dive bar in Boston. We had befriended a townie who loved to tell colorful stories. He also loved food and he told us about a place in Southie called Sullivan's that had really good hot dogs. Since my wife and I love a good grilled hot dog the search began.

For our next road trip we are taking you into the city of Boston for a stop at jm Curley , named after the former mayor of Boston, James Michael Curley. Although they don't have a large menu, the food is delicious and worth a visit.

For our inaugural road trip we have decided on an old favorite, MARIO'S in Lexington, Massachusetts. Mario's is a great family style Italian restaurant in that they are very reasonably priced and their portions are large.