Sixty2 on Wharf Hits the High Notes

If you’re ready to shake off those winter doldrums and step out, we’ve got the perfect destination for you. We had a superb meal last night at Sixty2 on Wharf, the latest addition to Salem’s Pickering Wharf.

We found the décor, the food, and the service spot on at this chef-owned restaurant featuring Boston-quality Mediterranean cuisine. We were warmly welcomed by the host and seated in the cozy dining room featuring an unusual cork floor, stylish black tables, and inviting red walls.

The menu starts off right with a large selection of antipasti, all of which are $5. (We’re already plotting a return for a night at the bar sipping cocktails and sampling the small plates.) We discussed our options over a glass of white cote de rhone and a dirty dirty martini. The wine ($10) was a generous pour served in a carafe, and the martini featured Grey Goose and gorgonzola-stuffed olives.

Our appetizers set the tone for the meal—visual appeal, layers of flavor, and perfect texture. Fresh milk mozzarella was served in coin-sized medallions with crisp baguette slices and pepper jelly on a beautiful piece of gray slate. Polpettes were small balls of porky goodness, easily enough for two to share.

For entrees, we went with the night’s pasta special, gnocchi with oxtail, and the sea scallops with romesco sauce and farro. Our waitress was a gem who seemed genuinely happy to be serving us and had an extensive knowledge of the menu and wine selections. We explained that we wanted a light red to go with the scallops and were happy with the pinot noir she recommended.

The scallops ($25) were large and succulent with a wonderful crunchy sear on the outside; they combined well with the earthy farro. The hand-made gnocchi were also a highlight—moist and feathery light. The only thing off key was the oxtail, which was quite chewy.

The mozzarella and gnocchi were part of the $22 Neighborhood Nights three-course prix fixe menu, a fantastic value currently available on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Sundays. To end the meal, we indulged in the toffee pudding and the brown butter tart. Both were worth the calories, but the unusual flavors in the pudding and wonderful softly whipped cream really sang.

It’s easy to understand why the Boston Globe named Sixty2 best new restaurant on the North Shore, and we were pleased to see a good-sized crowd on a Tuesday night, since pricier restaurants sometimes struggle to fill seats in times like this. But it’s clear the locals have caught onto the symphony of flavors chef Tony Bettencourt and his crew are serving up.

Sixty2 on Wharf
62 Wharf Street, Salem
(978) 744-0062
www.sixty2onwharf.com

Salem Restaurant Week 2009 Starts Sunday

With 17 restaurants participating in this spring’s Salem Restaurant week, there is something for everyone–from high end Italian to pub grub and ethnic food. The restaurants below are all offering a
prix-fixe three-course dinners for $24.09 (beverage, tax, and gratuity not included) from April 5 to 9. Enjoy!

Capt’s Waterfront Grill & Club, 94 Wharf Street, (978) 741-0555

Cilantro, 282 Derby St, (978) 745-9436

Finz, 76 Wharf St, (978) 744-0000

The Grapevine Restaurant, 26 Congress St, (978) 745-9335

The Lobster Shanty, 25 Front St, (978) 745-5449

Lyceum Bar & Grill, 43 Church St, (978) 745-7665

Nathaniel’s at the Hawthorne Hotel, (978) 825-4311

Passage to India, 157 Washington St, (978) 832-2200

Regatta Pub at Salem Waterfront Hotel, 225 Derby St, (978) 740-8788

Rockafellas, 231 Essex St, (978) 745-2411

Sixty2 on Wharf, 62 Wharf St, (978) 744-0062

Strega Restaurant & Lounge, 94 Lafayette St, (978) 741-0004

The Tavern at the Hawthorne Hotel, (978) 825-4311

Thai Place, Museum Place Mall, (978) 741-8008

Victoria Station, 86 Wharf St, (978) 745-3400

Time to Eat the Doughnuts

We had some business to attend to in Salem this morning, so decided on a whim to pop into Ziggy’s Donuts on the corner of Essex and Webb Streets for a mid-morning treat.

Ziggy’s, which has been owned and operated by the same family since 1964, is a tiny storefront that’s almost lost on the residential street, giving you the feeling you are walking into someone’s home. A cramped space with regulars chatting at the counter, along with bunches of photos and articles stuck to the fridge, compound that feeling—but don’t let it scare you off.

We visited later in the morning, (they open at 6:30) so selection wasn’t huge, but inviting nonetheless. One of our choices was an all-time favorite, the traditional jelly stick. Wow. This is what a doughnut should be: that almost-crisp crunch on the outside and light moist cake on the inside. It was incredibly fresh tasting and delightful. Not at all like those leaden things served up by chain bakeries that you can feel sitting in your stomach all day.

We also tried the coconut, which was excellent, and the coffee roll, which was surprisingly light and not overwhelmed by the glaze. Everything we tasted had a great balance of flavor—none of that fryer-oil aftertaste and just the right amount of sweetness.

So next time you’re up early looking for sinkers to accompany your joe and morning paper, stop in to Ziggy’s and try their hand-made wonders. We’ll be right behind you in line.

Ziggy’s Donuts
2 Essex Street, Salem
(978) 744-9605

Salem Restaurant Week Starts April 5

Restaurants in Salem will be offering a three-course meal for $24.09 from April 5-9. This event was widely attended last year and included 17 restaurants. The Salem Chamber of Commerce says it expects at least that many this year, and hopefully a few more. We’ll have the initial list of restaurants for you sometime next week. Stay tuned!

Ed 3/30/09: We now have the list of participating restaurants posted here: Salem Restaurant Week 2009 Starts Sunday

Craving Coffee and Carbs

A small dog who shall remain nameless woke us up quite early this morning, so Lunch Guy and I made the best of the situation by heading over to Red’s for breakfast. For those not familiar, Red’s is an old-style family restaurant with great food at terrific prices. It’s located on a small side street in Salem, but there’s plenty of parking nearby. Especially at 7:30 in the morning.

Feeling the need for carbs, I ordered blueberry pancakes. The waitress asked if I wanted one, two, or three pancakes, saying they were large. She wasn’t kidding. I ordered two ($5), but since they are as big as a platter, one would have been sufficient. The blueberries were small and tender, and the pancake was fluffy.

Lunch Guy was very pleased with his western omelette ($6), which came with a generous portion of delicious home fries and toast. He enjoyed his side of sausages ($2.50), although they were a bit mild for his taste. The bottomless cup of coffee ($1.75) was topped off so frequently he never came close to reaching the bottom.

That kind of service holds true for lunch, according to Lunch Guy. In fact, the American Chop Suey at Red’s ($6.50) is one of his favorite lunches. Hot, delicious, and served quickly, the portion is so large he often can’t finish it. And there are plenty of other choices on the large and varied lunch menu, all at extremely reasonable prices.

Red’s Sandwich Shop
15 Central Street, Salem
(978) 745-352
www.redssandwichshop.com

Lunch on the Water

We’ll come right out and say it: we think Finz should lower their prices, at least on their lunch menu. The dining room is inviting, the view of Salem harbor is wonderful, and the fish is fresh, so we enjoyed our lunchtime visit overall. But it’s hard to feel as though we got good value for our dollar.

The best entrée we tried was the blackened catfish tostada. The fish was moist and flaky, with great grilled flavor, and the accompaniments worked to make the dish a success—corn tortillas, Manchego cheese, tomato/avocado relish, and cilantro crème fraiche. Still, at $14, that’s one pricy taco.

The scallops in our pan seared scallop salad were cooked perfectly, but for $14, we wished for a few more. The greens beneath them were fresh but needed more dressing and were not all that plentiful.

The fried flounder po’ boy was reasonably priced at $8, but the roll was bland, the remoulade was unremarkable, and the Cajun seasoned fries, although crispy, weren’t really seasoned. The fish was good, however, fresh and perfectly cooked.

We commend the service (friendly and proficient) and the menu, which has a terrific selection of appetizers ($5 and up) and entrees ($8 to $16 at lunch). But given the current economic climate, it might be a good idea to make sure customers leave with full stomachs rather than empty wallets.

Finz
76 Wharf Street, Salem
(978) 744-8485
www.hipfinz.com/salem.php

Not So Soup-er

So not impressed, despite having heard good buzz about this place. Soup sounded good on a recent blustery day, so I agreed to meet a friend at the New England Soup Factory in Salem for lunch. For $8.87, I received a medium-sized cup of chicken soup and half a wrap sandwich (no drink). Pricey and really not worth it. The soup had good chicken flavor and was hot, but there was almost no chicken in it, and the carrots were huge slices that didn’t fit in my mouth (I need a knife to eat my soup?). The chicken avocado wrap had only one small piece of avocado and was bland.

There are a number of other lunch places right on Washington Street, so we’ll make it point to check some of them out and make a recommendation. In the meantime, if you find yourself in that area, skip the Soup Factory in favor of Fresh Taste of Asia (one of our favorites), or take a stroll down the pedestrian walkway to The Old Spot or The Tavern at the Hawthorne Hotel, both reliable choices. (Note: The Old Spot is not open for lunch Monday or Tuesday.)

New England Soup Factory
140 Washington St, Salem
(978) 744-0444

Did You Say Toad in the Hole?

We knew we were in for a treat when the waitress placed a bottle of Heinz malt vinegar on the table after we ordered the sweet potato sizzler appetizer, on her recommendation.

Actually, we were pretty sure we were going to enjoy The Old Spot the moment we walked in. The gas fire on the pub side, the friendly barkeep, and the flirty pig decorations in the main restaurant were the first clues. The 16 beers on tap, juicy burgers, and an opportunity to order spotted dick cemented the deal.

Established almost three years ago across from the Hawthorne Hotel, The Old Spot is, the waitress told us, the owner’s version of a English pub. Traditional fare like ploughman’s lunch ($12), toad in the hole ($8), and fish and chips ($16), along with ½ liter beers, ensure the pub part is on target. The “version” we took to mean more sophisticated menu choices, including delicious seared scallops with butternut squash ravioli in a light cream sauce (a recent dinner special).

Five of us shared the sweet potato fries ($9), which were topped with bacon, cheddar, sour cream, and scallions. Good thing we are all well behaved, or there might have been some elbow-related injuries. The haddock sandwich, fish and chips, and burger were declared a success, although the fries could have been more crisp. The hit of the night was the very slow roasted pork with wow-wow sauce (a vinegar-laced brown sauce with Worcestershire and whole grain mustard). Despite its melt-in-your-mouth qualities, we couldn’t finish the generous serving.

The same can’t be said for the desserts ($6 each), portions of which were left in their bowls. The brownie sundae tried, unsuccessfully, to cover up for the desert-dryness of the brownie with ice cream and whipped cream. A similar fate befell the spotted dick, which turned out to be bread pudding with whiskey sauce. The lemon bars were the best of the lot, moist and flavorful.

In the end, we left sated and happy, with plans to return. The welcoming atmosphere, attentive service, and good pub fare won us over, not to mention our desire to sample some of the cocktails on offer. With names like thickety boo, nancy boy, and peach knickers, who can resist?

The Old Spot
121 Essex St, Salem
(978) 745-5656
www.theoldspot.com

The Lunch Counter: Salem Super Sub

You know those places you drive by and think, “I wonder if that place is any good?” Well, more than likely, Super Sub/Chester Fried Chicken is not one of those places. Located at the intersection of Highland Ave (Rt 107), Essex St, and Boston St, it does not look like much from the outside. But Lunch Guy knows better.

This clean, well-run lunch spot is a hidden gem, especially if you like fried chicken. It is run by a husband and wife team that cheerfully serve up subs, fried chicken, and Lunch Guy’s favorite: the chicken tender combo.

For $5.25, he gets three white breast chicken strips, three potato wedges (about 1/4 of a potato each), and a can of soda. It comes with a choice of dipping sauce (Lunch Guy always goes with the honey mustard).

If you know of a better place for fast, crispy, never-greasy chicken at a good price, Lunch Guy would like to know about it.

Super Sub
One Boston St, Salem
(978) 745-4785

New King on the Block

Up early on a recent Sunday, we decided to forgo the usual healthy breakfast and indulge ourselves. The place to do it? A&J King Artisan Bakers in Salem turned out to be an excellent choice. This bakery and cafe is warm and inviting with large bright windows, hammered copper tables, and of course, mountains of crusty loaves and glass cases full of tasty treats. There is a chalk board announcing the seasonal specials (Pumpkin Spice Brown Butter Cakes! Potato Gruyere Flatbread!) and which locally produced ingredients they are currently using. We decided to have coffee and pastry there and then take a few things home to try later.

While the coffee was quite respectable, rich and dark but not bitter, the prices aren’t much of a savings over Starbucks ($2.70 for a Tall Latte, $3.26 for a Grande). My companion chose the pain au chocolate; I could not resist the siren song of the sticky buns. The chocolate croissant ($1.95) was lovely; well made with high quality chocolate, though it paled in comparison with the incredible sticky bun, a much more substantial pastry ($2.10). I am not exaggerating when I say that sticky bun was one of the best I’ve ever eaten. It wasn’t sodden and sugary as so many tend to be, but the perfect combination of flakey buttery layers, pulled away to reveal the wonderful caramelized cinnamon sugar that complemented the pastry but didn’t overwhelm it. While I prefer the female of the species (no nuts), A&J offers both varieties and even if you have to drive out of your way, the sticky buns are worth the trip.

Later in the day, we sampled the baguette ($2.65) we had taken home, and it was terrific; crusty on the outside and yeasty, slightly chewy on the inside. I’d say Iggy’s (my regional favorite) has a real competitor on it’s hands. Needless to say, the loaf was demolished in short order. The final A&J treat sampled was the chocolate bouchon ($2.25), a mini dark chocolate tower-shaped cake. A perfect balance of flavors and texture; dark chocolate with a hint of almond, rich and satisfying without being heavy or cloying.

Using the term artisan to describe Andy and Jackie King’s bakery isn’t just hip marketing. They have truly mastered an art; balancing sweet and savory with taste and texture to create incomparable baked goods.

A&J King Artisan Bakers
48 Central Street, Salem
(978) 744-4881
http://www.ajkingbakery.com/