Roundabout Diner, Portsmouth, NH

Last Wednesday I went here with my friends Brian and Jim. Brian has been frequenting the place with his girlfriend and loves it, so he convinced me I had to go. Twist my arm why don't ya? It's a very classic looking diner with a lot of room. The menu is pretty big too, and while featuring classic diner standbys, also features some unexpected and intriguing options like Lobster Macaroni & Cheese, and a Wagyu beef burger. I was seriously tempted to get the burger. I've only had one once before, at Diamondback in Sonora, CA, and it was possibly the best tasting burger I've ever had. However, I was feeling poor and opted for the haddock sandwich (more on that in a moment). After I explained the whole Kobe/Wagyu thing to Brian his interest was sufficiently aroused and decided to order one, which made me glad that at least ONE of us was going to enjoy that piece of red meat heaven. One problem though. Anyone that knows Brian knows that he likes his burgers, as he explained to the waitress when ordering, "kind of absurdly well-done". My culinary hairs bristled at the thought of a blackened, hockey puck of a Kobe beef burger, but like a little food Buddha, I let it go. Brian did say he could taste a difference, which eased my concerns a little bit. Jim ordered the chicken pot pie, which looked quite good. My haddock sandwich was fried in panko, and was tasty, but the fillet's size rather exceeded the confines of the bun, a practice I've never been a fan of. I want everything to be snug within the embrace of mother bread for easier handling, and better bite distribution (I have one of those overbites where a third of the way through the sandwich one side of the bun is almost all eaten, and you have to take proportion management bites from the other side to catch up--overstuffed buns increase this problem, and I'm sure there's some scientific formula in there waiting to be devised) . Gripes aside, I did like it, and the place. I'd recommend it to people who like the diner style atmosphere, and fresh, homestyle food. Also, breakfast is supposedly great, and served all day. I only hope that they eventually start serving food 24 hours a day. It would be a great late night spot after leaving downtown.

The Ale House, Amesbury, MA

I love everything about The Ale House. This popular spot in the quickly developing town of Amesbury, MA achieves the bewilderingly rare brewpub combination of great beer AND great food. A place like the Portsmouth Brewery in Portsmouth, NH boasts amazing beer, but what comes out of the kitchen is pretty terrible. I can't say much nicer things about nearby Redhook Brewery either. To be fair, these places make their own beer, while the Ale House does not. Instead, the Ale House keeps a rotating menu of carefully selected beers from around the world, and their choices are diverse and well-considered. I've tried some of the best beers of my life here, from spicy Belgians, to fruity west coast IPAs, to sour lambics and saisons. The list, quite literally, goes on and on. But on we move to the food. Three of the owners/operators of the Ale House are CIA graduates, and bring their culinary expertise to the menu. Sure, this is pub food, but the care and attention given to things as simple as meatloaf, club sandwiches, steak frites and wings is inspiring! I say you haven't lived 'til you've experienced belgian style french fries (frites) cooked in natural lard, or fried pickles with a good, hoppy IPA (the way the floral characteristics of the hops burst forth after the tangy bite of the pickle is downright transcendent, and I engage in a back and forth "bite, sip, bite, sip" until either the glass is empty, or the pickle basket is little more than flakes of fried batter). Indeed my love of the Ale House is a dangerous thing. Had I little concern for my health or waistline, or wallet, I would likely turn myself into a fat, red-nosed barfly, waxing philosophical, cynical and otherwise to the other patrons and barkeeps--take that Bukowski! A final word, and that's about the interior. The Ale House recently moved from right up the street and into a big, open space. Dark but clean, shiny wood is accented by warm, soft lighting, everywhere from the bar to the upper level dining, and all areas and levels of the space are visible from pretty much everywhere. This is not at all claustrophobic dining. The whole space is crackling with the hustle and bustle of all kinds of folks having a fantastic time, a real contemporary public house that makes you feel good about all the people sharing the Ale House experience with you.

Sushi Pier, Reno, NV

The title of this blog would suggest that it's all about sushi. That wouldn't be accurate. Really I just thought it would be a good name for a blog about food, which it is. Specifically it's about dining out, and sometimes in, if it's a home meal worthy of blogging about. But to kick it off I figured it would be appropriate to start with an actual sushi restaurant, albeit NOT conveyor belt sushi. No, this was, to plagiarize Jim Gaffigan (referring instead to boxed variety chocolates), "Gamble" Sushi. I mean, no offense Reno, but I was skeptical. I was also very hungry after having been flying since 9 AM, and it was now 5 PM. But here I was alone in a town I'd never been, in the Airport Best Western (marvelous soap by the way) looking at the margin ads for restaurants in the complimentary Guide To Reno (casinos, casinos, casinos, desert horseback riding, casinos), when I saw the "s" word leap off the page at me in an ad for a Reno spot called Sushi Pier. I pretty much made up my mind right there that sushi is what I had to have for dinner. And the explosion-shaped text bubble with the words "20.95 all you can eat dinner!" was the top determining factor. Sushi Pier was only a 10 minute walk from the hotel, in a little strip mall. What first struck me was how tiny the place was. The room was basically just big enough for the wrap around bar in the center, with a few tables squeezed against the walls of the room. The bar was also packed, which I took to be a good sign. I took the last remaining seat at the bar and let the host explain how this all worked. The entire sushi menu, including appetizers but not including kitchen entrees was fair game. When the sushi chef asked what I wanted I decided I needed help and asked my nearest neighbor at the bar what she recommended. Of course she said "everything" but then went on to say that the Crystal Shrimp Hand Roll was really good so I ordered that first. The chef assembled the hand roll and placed it in front of me. Let it begin. I have to say that hand roll haunts me to this day. There was something about the strangeness of it that continues to intrigue me. The fried shrimp inside was crispy and delicious, and the nori, whose paradoxical texture resides somewhere between chewy and crunchy, was a wonderful counterpart to the shrimp. The strange thing about it, though I did not complain, was the liberal application of Japanese mayo inside the roll. It gave the roll a richness that I'm not so sure was appropriate, but it certainly tasted amazingly good in the state of hunger I was in. Good or bad, I've never had anything like it. I sampled a few of their "long rolls", and noticed a pattern. These things were meant to fill you up. The mayonnaise made several appearances, and several of the rolls were actually deep fried, though I didn't have any of those. The sushi was also very thick with rice. I soon realized that unless you had a hollow leg or a death wish, it would be difficult to take unfair advantage of the $21 all you can eat offer. There was something unsurprising about the kind of sushi served at Sushi Pier in Reno. While I did find the ingredients fresh and delicious, this was also what I would call "Manifest Destiny Sushi". Big, American, Bountiful, Pioneer Spirit, All-Things-Are-Possible Sushi. If you're ever in Reno I would recommend it for a big, satisfying meal, but mostly for the experience.