Masa Sushi & Hibachi Grill - Review

I've been going to Masa for quite a few years now. Never have I been disappointed. That's saying a lot. I've been there dozens of times at this point, and even bringing a few first dates there knowing full well that I could rely on the staff to make a great evening, and that only I would mess things up ;)

Tonight was no exception.

I took pictures, see below.

If you didn't know it was tuna, you would think it was a rare steak with the flavors placed over the top. This isn't the first time I've had this, and I hope it won't be the last.

So many flavors that paired well. The woodiness of the asparagus, mixed with the richness of King Crab, and the awesomeness of steak over top.

Absolutely decadent and rich, this salmon belly was a real treat

A very humble looking piece of sushi, but don't be fooled! The flavor that popped into my mouth was amazing.

I'm a big fan of squid, and this just made this already amazing feat of flavor that much better.

And I cannot believe it, but I didn't get the photo of the last dish that was handed to me over the sushi bar. He even came around to explain it to me. It was done in two pieces, one side was Super White Tuna (which come to find out isn't tuna at all!) over rice with a sour lemon, garlic, and olive oil flavor enhancing sauce of deliciousness, the other was partially seared, thin sliced clam. You have no idea how amazing that was.

As you can see, much of this is not something you typically see hit your everyday sushi plate. These aren't the California rolls and Philladelphia rolls of the American sushi scene. These are authentic pieces of craftsmanship that were made for me tonight, and I got to hear some amazing stories and make a great connection with the big man in charge at Masa. It was a humbling experience to taste his favorite flavors, and his favorite things to create, and I will not soon forget it.

I cannot thank Jimmy, Amber, and the rest of the Masa crew enough for an amazing time tonight. They are always attentive, friendly, and all of this is why I go from my home to 20+ minutes away to get my sushi. I urge you to make the trek to 1707 South Willow St. in Manchester, NH.

And hey, don't forget to invite me! Suckas. Peace out!

Moxy - Portsmouth - Review

Any of you who know me know that I have told you time and time again what Moxy is all about. It is my most favorite place to go to eat. Period. I've been many places. That speaks volumes.

The atmosphere is great. Decent music, plaid checkered button ups on the staff, and the kitchen is open for all to see as you walk by. The bar is just to the left when you walk in, and while they have a decent selection, I have some suggestions for whiskey offerings =). Water is brought to the table in tall glass bottles, and tealights on the tables. The staff is knowledgeable, nice, and help to round out the experience. The presentation is so great too! It comes out either on slate or wood boards.

This place is a foodies dream. Don't be turned off by that though if you aren't. You will absolutely enjoy every last bite. I promise.

The menu changes fairly regularly, but there are staples. This time around, I had the following:

Fresno Chili Cornbread with Maple Butter - a slight kick, and the butter is luxurious with enough salt and sweet to make it worth every scrape.
Crispy Rhode Island Calamari - again, great balance of salt on the breading of the calamari, with a nice sweet note of the relish underneath the abundant pile.
Beer Battered NH Shark Kabobs - imagine haddock and swordfish had a baby... a shaddock. Great flavor of a whitefish with a light oil note.
Beef Short Rib Marmalade - Haha. Best savory meal there as far as I'm concerned. Atop a crostini is a pile of shredded beef that is heaven in the mouth, complimented with a few chunks of blue cheese and homemade pickled onions. Holy deuce.
Bacon and Swiss Chard Stuffed Sweet Peppers - While this was good, I was expecting something a touch different. There was less swiss chard than I thought there would be, and it had a bread stuffing with some bacon mixed in. It was good, the horseradish cream was light but tasty.
Flying Goat Farm Camembert - This was incredible. A blueberry and honey compote smeared on the board, small wedges of cheese mixed with asparagus ends (scapes) and fennel.
Whoopie Pie Sliders - I'm fairly certain that they had to sell their souls to gain this recipe. THE BEST thing I think I have ever had. They appear small, but what you are given is way more than enough due to the richness of the cake, frosting, and chocolate sauce.

Wow. I had a lot this time. I left uncomfortably full. It was juice worth the squeeze =).

I would recommend each and every thing that I had this time. It was the best batch of calamari and short ribs to-date. I've been there a dozen times. And the whoopie pies, you can never go wrong with the whoopie pies! I think I could live off of these two things for the rest of my life and be happy.

Getting back to the whiskey, I did try one there, Beat 3. It was really good. If you are into honey back notes, this is worth a try.

Bring your 'other' there. They will thank you for it later.

Then you will thank me.

Life will be good.

Peace out, suckas!

Vermont Smoke and Cure Uncured Bacon - Review

Bacon. Not much more needs to be said. There is very little that cannot be made better without bacon (like beer, oddly enough, but perhaps that is another post).

Today I tried the Vermont Smoke and Cure Bacon. This was the best bacon I have had to date. It tastes real. Nothing remotely artificial tasting about this, and that impresses me. Since realizing how bad nitrates and nitrites are, I have gone as far away from them as possible. In turn, I have been trying out every type of natural bacon I can find at my local markets without the unnecessary preservatives. I've had some decent ones, but this for sure takes the cake.

I was expecting a much sweeter flavor seeing that it was maple brined, but it really is very subtle. On the back you get notes of corn and a super balanced smoke flavor (I wouldn't be sad if there were a touch more smoke though). The meat to fat ratio is amazing too. You can tell that these weren't pigs raised to just get fat, but to be premium cuts of deliciousness.

While it is more pricy than my normal bacon, I think I will get it again when the need is there for some top-notch, porky, awesomeness. Thanks to the folks from Hinesburg, VT for a great product.

Portland Pie Company - Nashua - Review

I'm full. Like, topped off. A friend suggested we go to Portland Pie Co., and so it is where we went, kids and all. Normally they go to the Manchester location, but today we went to Nashua. It was a great time. The place was clean and quiet (before we showed up). Our waiter was a nice dude and was knowledgeable providing excellent feedback when requested. Life is good. That is all.

...

No, just kidding. I'm going to tell you what I got, cause that's how I roll.

App:
We started off with the Baked Potato Fries. While I expected something a touch different, more like potato wedges, they were really good. A decent amount of fries smothered in cheese, bacon, and chives. On the side, sour cream and ketchup. Kids and adults smiled.

Dinner:
The dude got Mac and Cheese (Kraft is my guess) and chips. Nothing monumental, but he enjoyed it and I am happy with that.
I got heaven on a heavenly crust (beer). It was 1/2 Harbormaster (BBQ chicken, bacon, caramelized onion) and 1/2 Matinicus (prosciutto, cream cheese, pepperoncini). The bacon was great, and no shortage, and the entire dynamic of the Matinicus was amazing.

Dessert:
No surprise, my son wanted dessert, so we all shared a brownie sundae. That for sure could feed 2 adults, who had nothing else. It was satisfying fo' sho'. It was about 5" or 6" square, big scoop of ice cream, and some whipped cream and hot fudge drizzle.

Drinks:
Their drink menu isn't online, but I had the hard iced tea (similar to Long Island), and the margarita. Both very tasty! Not overly sweet, and actually pleasantly tart. I'd be more than happy to partake of another few glasses of each.

Overall, I was happy I went and would go back again in a heartbeat. Gluten-free options, too (which I should have had, but wanted the Full Monty tonight - PPCo virgins must partake of the whole experience). If you haven't gone and like pizza, make it happen. They have other offerings beside pizza and they all sounded appetizing, so even if you do not do pizza, there seems to be something for all.

Sayonara!