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January 17, 2020  

Very Communal, Zero-Privacy Men’s Toilet At The ‘Galley Hatch’ Restaurant In Hampton, N.H.

by Anura Guruge

Click to ENLARGE.

We went their for dinner on New Year’s Day 2020 — which also happened to be our 17th wedding anniversary. It was good. It had been recommended to us and they were right. Great place. Good food. Great atmosphere.

But, this men’s room was a HOWLER. I kid you not. I talked to the manager (a very nice gentleman) about it. It was to accommodate the handicap access laws. It has been like that for 18-years. Cracks me up. You would think an architect could have come up with some other configuration.

Mind boggles. Don’t think too much about it. SMILE.

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by Anura Guruge

November 23, 2019  

‘C & K Restaurant’, Derry [N.H.] — Great Food, Wonderful Folks, Greek Cuisine, & You Can Have A BALL.

by Anura Guruge

Click to ENLARGE.

Click to access their Website.

We had a BALL.

A great, fun, convivial dining experience. Everything was good. Helen (from Greece), the co-owner’s wife served us and tool wonderful care of us. Made sure that it was memorable and that we would come back again — though it is well off the beaten trail for us. She was so good and persuasive that she even got me to break my diet and have some rice pudding — which she had made. It was delicious. Now I will have to starve myself for a week, but it was worth it. SMILE.

We found it serendipitously.

We had gone to an Estate Sale in Windham, on Route 28. We were done by 1:45. Got to Derry and 2pm and was looking for a place for lunch.

This place is big and dominates the Main Street, with plenty of off-road parking. So, we gave it a spin.

Sure glad we did.

Between us we had: calamari (good), coconut shrimp (v. good), chicken tenders (more than ample), grilled lamb (outstanding), baked haddock (v. good) & soup of the day (good) with side salads. It was very good.

Teischan had the baklava and I the rice pudding. It was all very good.

We have already promised to go back.

Highly recommended. Two thumbs up.

Make sure you ask for ‘Helen’. She says she is there everyday — Monday to Saturday. They are closed Sundays.

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by Anura Guruge

October 6, 2019  

“Friendly’s” Restaurant In Laconia (N.H.) Not The Only “Friendly’s” Closing — Quite The Rout.

by Anura Guruge

Click image to access original.

Click to ENLARGE. From “Google News”.

Click to ENLARGE. From “Google”.

Learnt about the Laconia “Friendly’s” closing from the “Daily Sun”. Was quite surprised. Always appeared to do a decent business. We had eaten there earlier this year.

I have no problems with “Friendly’s“. I actually quite like their menu. For 5 – 6 years “Friendly’s” was Teischan’s unconditional favorite. Only place she wanted to eat. Only place she wanted to have her birthdays. I know we had at least 3 birthdays for her at “Friendly’s”. Then, suddenly, this year she decided that “Friendly’s” was not hygenic enough for her! She is beyond fussy. If she sees a dirty glass … that is it. Kiss of death. She will not eat there again. So, we haven’t been to “Friendly’s” in 4 to 5 months. But, I am sure that it is not the lack of our patronage that is causing them to close down all these restaurants.

I read that they now only have one “Friendly’s” in Maine … one in Cape Cod. Those, to I, appear to be prime markets to “Friendly’s”.

Shame. Good place for kids. Decent food. Reasonable prices.

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by Anura Guruge

September 21, 2019  

‘Little Tokyo & Saigon’ — Amazing Place, Outstanding Food, Our New Place To Eat In Portsmouth.

by Anura Guruge

Click to access their Website … with menu.

Click to ENLARGE.



This duck salad is beyond amazing. WOW.


2 blocks SOUTH of ‘Cinemagic’.

Little Tokyo & Saigon
2800 Lafayette Road, Portsmouth
(603) 427-8690

This was serendipity to the power of 2.

I knew that the ‘Downton Abbey’ movie we were going to see last night, at ‘Cinemagic‘, Portsmouth, was not going to finish till after 9pm. That meant that “Warren’s Lobster House“, our favored place for dining in Portsmouth for the last couple of years, was going to be closed. And not just them. Most of the restaurants in Portsmouth would also be closed. We know this. We have been in this boat before.

So, I did some Google researching before we left. This place was close, open till 10:30 and had an interesting menu. I definitely wanted to try the ‘Duck Salad’ if nothing else.

We got to the ‘Cinemagic’ 10-minutes ahead of schedule. So, I went and checked this place out before the movie. It is in a small mall, tucked in. You need to be looking for it. Now that I knew where it was, we got there, without issue, straight after the movie.

It is different inside. Green, bright, interesting lighting and just cozy and welcoming. Smelt divine.

What a place. Mainly ‘rich’ Asians. Great atmosphere. I loved it. My kind of place.

The Food. The Food.

What can I say other than it was way, way, way beyond expectations. Huge portions too. Given that it was late and there were two of us on strict diets I didn’t order much. even so we had three large containers of takeaway though we ate like there was no tomorrow.

The ‘Duck Salad’ was something else. It was so, so, so good. Teischan, no doubt the pickiest, fussiest and most critical eater in the whole world, tasted it — because I was raving about it — and liked it. Enough said. You can’t get higher praise than that.

Lovely service. Very friendly.

There was nothing one could find fault with. Good prices too.

Oh, they have fried ice cream.

We are going back. I will go back, though it is 1-hour away, just to eat there.

Highly, highly recommended.

Smile. I blew my diet. I think I gained 6 pounds!

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by Anura Guruge

August 28, 2019  

‘Encore Boston’ Casino, ‘The Buffet’ Is Adults Only!

by Anura Guruge

Click to ENLARGE and read.

I kid you not. This is way too serious a topic to joke about.

I actually called them to make sure that it wasn’t a mistake on their Web. It wasn’t, but the lady I spoke to admitted that it was not the cleverest thing they had done.

Why?

Because they put ‘The Buffet’ in the middle of the casino area. You can’t get it to it without having to walk through the casino.

We have been (and stayed at) plenty of casinos — Las Vegas, Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods. We have always gone to buffets with the kids. That is part of the magic of going to or staying at a casino. Good food at the casino for a reasonable price.

Not so at the Encore Boston. I am totally disgusted.

Yes, they have other restaurants that permit kids, but kids prefer a buffet.

Shame on YOU, Encore. What were you thinking.

This is why I am so glad I never did drugs.

Yes, we were going to go for dinner yesterday after the ‘Downton Abbey — The Exhibition’. Lucky that I checked on the Web.

 

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by Anura Guruge

 

July 28, 2019  

‘The Foothills Of Warner’ — A Quaint, Delightful Eatery In Scenic, Warner, N.H.

by Anura Guruge

Click pictures to ENLARGE.

Attribution WILL be enforced.


Click to access their Facebook page.

We stopped here for lunch, on Tuesday, July 23, 2019, after our very rewarding visit to the nearby ‘Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum‘.

A great place. Very welcoming, airy and cozy feel. Outgoing staff. Extremely friendly patrons. Delightful, satisfying food — and ‘yes’ their 6oz burger is very, very good.

We had a wonderful time. Met some interesting folks.

They don’t take credit cards — and I will readily admit that that irks I. This is now an unnecessary affectation. Not cute, anymore. Jack up the prices or even say 10% surcharge for using credit cards. But, please take my damn card. Yes, they have an ATM on site which charged me $5 to withdraw $40 — though it claims that it only charges $2.50. Cute. Just on principle I called up my bank and had the extra $2.50 reversed! SMILE. Principle. I would have paid $5 if that is what it said. But, do NOT tell me $2.50 and then charge me $5.00. Yes, making the call cost me more than $2.50 BUT it was worth it.

They also don’t have Wi-Fi. I am cool with that. They have a sign saying ‘No Wi-Fi, make believe it is 1985 and talk with each other‘ (or similar). I actually agree with that. But, they, kind of twoface on this DO NOT tell people to NOT use their damn cell phones. One gentleman in particular, much to my amusement and delight, conducted a rather private phone call, to no doubt a client of his, discussing some sensitive legal matters. I knew what they were talking about. Made my day. It was like being in a TV show. But, this did not detract from the meal.

Yes, most likely will go back. Would love to hear more phone calls like that. Well, you too might want to go to check out the burger and see what phone calls you can hear. Try not to use the ATM. SMILE. There is a Market Basket 4-miles down the road. You can withdraw money from them for ‘free’ (which is what I normally do). SMILE.

Anywho … It was good.

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by Anura Guruge

 

June 30, 2019  

‘Royal Indian’, By Acadia — THE Best Thing To Happen To Bar Harbor, Maine, In Many A Year.

by Anura Guruge

Click images to ENLARGE.

Royal Indian Bar Harbor Maine Acadia restaurant Anura Guruge

Royal Indian Bar Harbor Acadia Maine restaurant Anura Guruge

The well thought out & yummy menu
(click to ENLARGE and savor)

Royal Indian Bar Harbor Acadia Maine restaurant Anura Guruge

Click to access their Facebook page.

That chic, upscale and progressive Bar Harbor, Maine, gateway to Acadia, did not, until last month have an Indian restaurant was incongruous and frustrating. You want variety, specially if you, like so many others, including us, visit Bar Harbor on a regular basis and do so for a number of nights each visit. I truly stumbled upon the ‘Royal Indian’ serendipitously. I was trying to get back to ‘Cottage Street’ from ‘Main’ late Tuesday night, after dinner at a lobster place, when I took the wrong turn (which I habitually do). So, I had to cut across the car parks to get to Cottage. That is when I saw the well-lit and extremely welcoming sign. My heart skipped a beat. WOW. An Indian at long last. I went there for dinner the very next day and just loved it.

Authentic, carefully spiced, well cooked food, at a reasonable price. I, as I do 85% of the time, had the lamb korma and it was as good as I have had it ever. And the extremely congenial (and young) owner saw me looking puzzled at the dessert menu and he knew, without me saying a word, exactly what I was looking for! He magiced me up a kulfi — the only exception I make to my diet when it comes to sweets. Kulfi will be available on a regular basis soon. {SMILE}

The restaurant is spacious, airy and easy on the eye. They have done a brilliant job converting what had been a bakery.

Wonderful dining experience AND they are open till 10pm. That is great. Trust me, late dining can be a real issue in that area.

Not sure how long this will be the policy, but the night I was there it was ‘Happy Hour’ ALL NIGHT! Wine in Bar Harbor at $4 a glass? Good job I can walk back to the ‘Wonder View Inn‘.

Family run. Extremely nice folk. They also own a motel on Route 3 just by ‘Pirates Cove‘. They are going to be a great addition to the Bar Harbor business and social scene.

That there was no Indian restaurant previously baffled I more than once. I invariably do a micro census of Acadia visitors on each trip and this was my 12th time in Acadia since 2013. ‘Indians’ (brown folks like I (rather than Asians in general)) are, by far, the largest minority that you see at the Park. I see ten times more Indians in a day in Acadia than I see in a year in central New Hampshire (where I live)! The word just has to get around and it will.

I already heard, from a Park Ranger, that they like the new Indian! That was good to hear.

So, I am excited. Not sure whether we will be going back in September as we used to do for many years. Maybe Acadia is becoming a once a year destination. Not sure.

But, the next time I am in Bar Harbor this is where I will be having dinner on my first night. Maybe I will see you there. {SMILE}

Enjoy.

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by Anura Guruge

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