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November 22, 2018  

Flowers Of ‘China Palace’, Rochester, NH — Thanksgiving 2018.

by Anura Guruge

NO post-processing whatsoever.

Taken with my Google Pixel 2 Phone.

Click pictures to ENLARGE.

Attribution WILL be enforced.





Our tradition of having Chinese on all major holidays — Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas — has been fairly well documented in this blog.

The last two years we have ended up going to ‘China Palace’ in Rochester at Thanksgiving — because it is the ONLY Chinese place open locally! That is the only two times we have been there — which is ironic. It is NOT a bad place. Decent food, very nice staff (albeit all ‘white’ with no Chinese in sight), interesting decor with a fair amount of flowers — real and fake.

I had to take some pictures of the flowers and share them with you.

Honestly NOT a bad place. Decent, competitively priced food and cocktails. Will recommend it. I am going to make a point of trying to go there outside of Thanksgiving.

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by Anura Guruge

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October 20, 2018  

‘Eastern Paradise’ Asian Cuisine, Rochester (NH) — Sure Lives Up To Its Name.

by Anura Guruge

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Attribution WILL be enforced.





Click to access their Website.

Click to see more pictures.

They have been open for a few months. This, however, was our first time there, and it sure will not be the last. Very good, positive experience. Good buzz. Busy (but, it was Friday night). Good food, upscale menu, decently-priced cocktails (with cute, topless ‘scorpion bowls’), engaging staff and modern, airy & bright interior (with some very fancy LED lights).

A bit fancy for Rochester! But, I am glad. It will help Rochester reinvent its image.

Interesting menu with items that I have not seen on other Chinese menus — and as any reader of this blog knows we are no strangers to Chinese eateries.

I had the ‘Honey Walnut Chicken‘. They were RIGHT about it on the menu. You had to try it. It was different and appetizing. Something different, plus I am a sucker fort nuts. Deanna had the ‘Sizzling Seafood Festival‘ and it was pretty spectacular with even a lobster tail. Spicy, but just so. It was much appreciated. Teischan had her usual chicken fried rice and was sated. There was a lot of it and, of course, we brought the remainder home.

As always, we also had a (small) Pu Pu Platter, Scallion Pancakes & Peking Ravioli. We are Scallion Pancake connoisseurs — and these were GOOD. Yes, the right amount of scallion and crisp to the bite.

We all agreed that it was good and that this was a keeper.

Leaving the restaurant, around 8pm, heard a boy (of about 11) tell his mother how good it was! So, that was confirmation.

You should definitely give it a try. I doubt whether you will be disappointed. I gather that it is busy most nights, but I assume it is a tad less busy on a Monday or a Tuesday. And yes, they are over 7-days a week, till at least 10pm.

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Check Category ‘Restaurants’.

by Anura Guruge

October 10, 2018  

Another Excellent Birthday At Giuseppe’s Pizzeria & Ristorante (In Meredith, NH) — October 10, 2018.

by Anura Guruge

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Last Year — at Giuseppe’s.

12th Birthday — at Giuseppe’s.

2013 — Annual JTG Music Extravaganza at Giuseppe’s.

Click to access 2012 post.

Search on ‘JTG‘ for my annual JTG posts.

Today, 10/10/2018, was Devanee’s 18th birthday.

As has been HER custom for as long as we can remember there was only one, and only one place she wanted to go for her birthday dinner — Giuseppe’s in Meredith. It is her all time favorite place and has been basically all her life. A great testament to the wonderful owner of Giuseppe’s, Julie Gnerre Bourgeois — a good and dear friend to us all.

We started taking Devanee to Giuseppe’s in 2003, if not 2002. She would have been 3 (or 2). She has loved it ever since.

We know that AT LEAST for the last 8-years, if not more, we have been taking her to Giuseppe’s on October 10 for her birthday.

It has always been a fabulous experience. They go ALL out and Julie makes sure we get a really scrumptious, memorable cake. (Thanks, Julie.)

No different this year. Another great experience — with an added BONUS. Our favorite local musician, Paul Warnick, was playing. That was the icing on the cake. We think Paul is the cat’s whiskers. So, it could not have been better.

The staff, as ever, was outstanding. Thanks Giuseppe’s. Thanks Paul. Thanks Julie.

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by Anura Guruge

September 7, 2018  

“Mint Bistro”, Manchester, NH — Most Expensive SALT In The World.

by Anura Guruge

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We went to the ‘Mint Bistro‘, in Manchester, New Hampshire, for dinner on Tuesday, September 4, 2018. I had never heard of the place. My two older kids, who live in Manchester, were familiar with it and wanted to meet us there for dinner. Two of the kids wanted sushi and that appears to have been the draw. That they served lamb was supposed to be my enticement. Well, I never tasted any lamb that night. Just salt. Salt on skewers for $13 — and I don’t like salt and don’t add salt to my food. So, this salt did a real job on me. I hated that place.

So, it was for the 4 kids and I am always happy to indulge and pick-up the tab.

I am desperately trying to lose weight after my disastrous annual physical in August. So, had a v. light lunch and thought I would be all set if I ordered two tapas dishes. Well, the lamb skewers was a HUGE mistake. Just salt. Nothing else. SALT. SALT. SALT. Luckily the Lobster Rangoons were OK. On a par with what I am used to at “Warren’s” — our new favorite eating place. Tesichan (12), a chicken tenders connoisseur, was utterly unimpressed with her chicken tenders. So much so that she went on strike and would not even order dessert. That truly means that she is disgusted and wants to just go home. I felt real bad for her! I was hungry so I ate one of her chicken tenders.

I guess the sushi was OK. They didn’t complain.

But, I am NOT going back there again, even if somebody offered to buy me lunch or dinner. I do NOT like salt. Took me 2-days to flush all that damn salt out of the system — and you know how that works!

IF you like salt YOU will LOVE this place. The salt capital of New Hampshire.

P.S., They had a real clean, well lit men’s room with a great mirror — for selfies-my-way.

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Category ‘restaurants’.

by Anura Guruge

August 27, 2018  

Dim Sum At ‘China Pearl’, Chinatown, Boston — Sunday, August 26, 2018.

by Anura Guruge

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I have been going to ‘China Pearl‘, in Chinatown, Boston, for over 25-years, on a regular basis, for Dim Sum — and the various posts on this blog will attest to the visits in recent years.

This surprisingly was but just our 2nd trip for Dim Sum in 2018. Usually, we would have gone earlier in the Summer too. Not this year. We did go to Boston in late April but did not have time for Dim Sum.

We got to ‘China Pearl’ an hour later than usual, at noon rather than 11am. We tried a new route into Boston and that was a bust.

They were crowded. Wow. But, it was good.

Glad we went. Beautiful day. Walked from China Pearl to Boston Common & the ‘Public Park‘ and in the process got to see the incredible ‘Professor World Music‘.

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by Anura Guruge

August 9, 2018  

IF I Were A Rich Man I Would Have 2.5 Of These 7-Pound Burgers For Lunch, Each Day.

by Anura Guruge

Click image to access the U.K. “Daily Mail” article from August 8, 2018.

Please click to ENLARGE.

I have been poor for so long that I rarely think about what it would be like to be rich. But, when I read about this 7-pound, $75 burger, I really wished that I was RICH.

Because, IF I were a rich man, I would get 3 of these, every day, for lunch. I will give the buns and half of the third to the dogs, but will scoff down the 2.5 with relish (but without any relish). That would keep me going for a couple of hours. I might have to have some nuts to take the edge off.

The FEW of you who know me know I have a bottomless, gargantuan appetite; hence the constant battle with near-obesity.

Wow. The hot dogs is the kicker.

But, $75 each!

My budget for lunch is $1.50! Hence, the disconnect.

I am thinking whether I could possibly start a GoFundMe page.

Ah! To be rich.

In the meantime back to my 99 cent a package hot dogs.

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by Anura Guruge

August 4, 2018  

Canyon de Chelly: Where To Eat In Chinle, Arizona.

by Anura Guruge

Click to ENLARGE Images.

Mutton sandwich in Fried Bread at ‘The Junction’.

I am no stranger to Canyon de Chelly & Chinle, AZ. I have been there a total of four times, spanning 33-years.

33 years ago there was really ONLY one place to eat ‘Thunderbird Lodge Cafeteria‘ — and it WAS GOOD.

19 years ago you had the option of eating at the ‘Holiday Inn’ restaurant as well — BUT, the ‘Thunderbird Lodge Cafeteria’ was still the best.

3 years ago ‘Thunderbird Lodge Cafeteria’ (then called ‘The Sacred Lodge Cafeteria’) still rocked.

Not anymore. The ‘Thunderbird Lodge Cafeteria’, under new management (as of 18-months ago), SUCKS and sucks badly. The quality of food as plummeted.

Luckily there is the NEW ‘The Junction‘ attached to the ‘Best Western’ Hotel. ‘The Junction’ is GOOD. Very good and furthermore offers everything on the menu at the ‘Thunderbird’ and more. Yes, the common items between the two menus are typically $3 more expensive at ‘The Junction’, but that is well worth it since the quality and service is so much better. Plus ‘The Junction’ is full-service.

There is also a new “Denny’s” and a “Burger King” — the latter offering the ONLY reliable Wi-Fi in town.

“Denny’s” was OK. We had breakfast their once. Service was a tad slow but the food was OK.

We ate three nights in a row at ‘The Junction’ and even took some new Navajo friends there for dinner. They told us that they go there too — rather than the ‘Thunderbird’.

So, DEFINITELY recommend ‘The Junction’.

I personally also like “Church’s Chicken” and we have eaten there twice. It is fun and good.

Also do NOT forget the outstanding ‘Bashas’ supermarket with their deli that has an extensive range of hot food — including LOTS of great mutton. Their pot roast is very good.

So, my recommendations (at least for 2018): ‘The Junction’, “Church’s Chicken”, ‘Bashas’ supermarket, “Denny’s” & “Burger King”.

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Search ‘Chelly’ & ‘Navajo’.

by Anura Guruge

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