Day 26 - Dinner at The Harp and Bard in Dorchester

a dirty martini (gin not vodka) with 3 olives

 clam chowdah

 Black and blue cheese burger with fries

Me drinking a Savin Hill Rum Punch

Drink menu

 Paul (aka Pablo) drinking the above mentioned dirty martini

Well this was a dinner out that i needed after a Lonnnnng (code for bad ) day at work. Paul (also known as Pablo) suggested meeting up for cocktails and supper, and after much deliberation ( we couldn't make up our minds, i think we had 3-4 places in mind before finally settling on The Harp and Bard). This is a bar i had established many times but back when it was a dumpy Irish dive bar, but you could have knocked me over with a feather when i walked in and saw a classy joint in the "new and improved"  Harp & Bard.  I hardly recognized the place.  They have a hostess now for the love of Pete !!

So looking to unwind and lose some stress we both decided to order a cocktail, Pablo a dirty martini (with Bombay sapphire gin) and moi a specialty cocktail the Savin Hill Rum Punch (ingredients listed above) , we both were quite pleased with our choices.  I am not normally a fruity umbrella cocktail person but every now and then they hit the spot. After we placed our order, we both decided to enjoy some chowdah. They offered crackers or rolls (we said Both..we're no fools) the chowdah was sublime, lots of clams and nice flavor. But the Rolls....OH...MY ....GOD the rolls. I wanted to smoke a cigarette afterwards. They glaze the rolls with a cinnamon infused butter, its shear madness how amazing they taste. I would rank these rolls with the best i ever had ( right up there with Bertucci's rolls) and since i am self professed bread-a holic , thats saying a lot. 

Paul and i both ordered the same meal, the black and blue cheese burger, but he got a veggie version. I have to say 1st i apologize for the picture above, i had already cut into the burger when i remembered to take a picture of the meal. The burger was very well cooked and had quite a lot of blue cheese, perhaps a smidge too much but still quite a tasty meal. We both enjoyed our version of the meal. The fries were fantastic , nice and thick plus cooked perfectly. If you are like me and hate ketchup, then get some delicious honey mustard for fry dipping. 

I love the new Harp & Bard and i look forward to my next visit there. The staff was very friendly and at tentative, the cocktails tasty and strong, and the food served hot and great sized portions.   Oh and did i mention the rolls !!!  Ridiculous !! 

So have a great night and a great meal.

Kevin M. Boyle I  

xoxo

http://www.harpbard.com/node/3

Day 25- Dinner at Ristorante Molise

calamari fritti ( with white wine, lemon, hot cherry peppers and olive oil)

 Fettucini con Funghi 

 Lobster and tomato bisque

 Dinner special, with chicken, spinach and linguini

Well this was a treat for me, i don't venture to this neck of the woods to often. But it was a last minute suggestion made by dining companions, Andrea & Eric.  This is a regular stomping ground for them, so i was excited to try their recommendation.  We started our meal with some calamari, and it was delicious. I love calamari, and this was some of the best i have had. It had just the right amount of flavor and spice with the peppers and white wine and olive oil. Not overly breaded, and had a nice mixture of rings and lil mini tentacles. I used to have a thing about eating the mini tentacles, but i got over it quick. So tasty when done right.  Eric and i had the soup that came with our entrees , lobster and tomato bisque. I am a HUGE fan of bisques, and lobster is right at the top. This was nice and creamy, served very hot and flavorful, but i think the lobster swam through the soup and then jumped out before they brought it to the table (maybe it had tickets to see Blue Man Group) because there was not an ounce of meat in the bowl of soup they brought to us. Nevertheless i did enjoy the taste of the soup very much.

Andrea got 1 of the dinner specials, pictured above. It included chicken, spinach and linguini, she said she enjoyed it very much. It looked like a good portion. Eric ordered the veal with potatoes, my feelings about veal prohibit me from commenting on it or taking a picture of it, but Eric seemed to enjoy it, so if you are a fan of veal it appears to be good.  I ordered something different than i normally go with, a mushroom based entree. It was the Fettucini con Funghi, with garlic, mushrooms and sausage in a parmesan cream sauce. It was superb, i enjoyed it thoroughly but it was such a big portion i had too take some home with me,  it made for a nice lunch the next day at work.  It had plenty of sausage and mushroom, and the sauce was a nice partner for the pasta it wasn't overpowering. 

Overall, i would recommend Ristorante Molise to anyone who finds themselves in the Wakefield area. It has a nice ambiance with very friendly wait staff.  

Have a good night and a great meal.

Kevin M Boyle   xoxo

http://www.restaurantmolise.com/wakefieldmenu.html