Beth "McBethinsons" M.'s Profile

Though I consulted my GPS a few times on my way down the bumpy dirt road to Martha's, I felt rewarded once I arrived.  This restaurant is so cute all nestled in the woods of Plymouth, and cuter still once you get inside...the interior is super cozy and the whole place just smacks of charming down-to-earth-ness (not a word, but you feel me).  From the mismatched antique chairs to the mismatched antique dishware there was much quaint, New Englandy loveliness to behold.

I love the locavore bent of Martha's - the chef owner makes a huge effort to really gather and grow her food as locally as possible.  This makes for a very fresh menu full of daily specials.  My mom and I came here for lunch on a recent Friday and were super pleased with our experience.  The creamy ginger seared scallops (with puff pastry heart!) and the garlicky baked scrod we tried were delicious.  Our wine was enjoyable too, though was selected from a not-so-exciting wine list...(I actually should have noticed if there were any local wines...silly me!)

So for a ladies weekday lunch, Martha's was nice (if a smidge pricey, but in their defense we did order off the dinner menu). Actually, the place was full to the brim with ladies lunching.  More stars may be awarded on subsequent visits, most likely for dinner, with members of the male species...

My experience at Ember was one of the worst fine dining experiences I've had in some time.  And I hate to say that, because I was very excited to try it!  

First, let's talk about the positives, because there actually were some. The menu, on paper, looked amazing...so much so that I could barely decide what to get...it took me forever. The whole feel of the place was lovely as well - open and modern, very unique, yet natural at the same time.  As far as decor and elegance it has most area restaurants beat, hands down.

And even when we received our food, it looked beautiful - the presentation was artistic and sophisticated.  So you could say Ember is quite aesthetically pleasing on the surface.  But - as soon as we took the first bites...my sweet potato pierogies were extremely well done...almost charred in flavor...and I almost sent them back.  But I'm glad I didn't because they were the only appetizers that survived on our table.  The other apps for our party of four were cold...very very cold.  There was a lot of confusion with our server, who explained that they were supposed to be cold, then when we challenged that celery root puree probably wasn't supposed to be cold, nor should seared scallops, came back with a totally opposite response.  She offered to bring them back to be heated, and returned with the SAME PLATE...minus a scallop and everything.  Not what we were expecting from a restaurant seemingly of this caliber.  

We also mistakenly received a duck confit tart appetizer when we had ordered foie gras...which our server maintained WAS foie gras after looking at it, but finally agreed to take away if we didn't like it...yeah turned out it was duck, thanks.  And so we got a new plate with actual foie gras.  Maybe she was having a bad night...the place seemed rather understaffed for a Saturday at 8:00pm???

Our entrees, by the time we finally got them (we spent almost 3 hours at Ember trying to have dinner), were okay.  My ahi tuna was much less rare than I was hoping for, but hey, I was just happy the correct components appeared on my plate, served at the right temperature.  Other entrees included duck confit with carrot fettuccine and roasted chicken, which were reportedly alright as well.

Honestly a restaurant with this price point that exudes elegance the way Ember does should have had better flavors and much more competent/available service - we couldn't even get a proper wine suggestion! (Though the wines we sampled were very nice)  On the surface it was the urban contemporary experience it purports to be (their words, not mine), but at its core it was decidedly less than.  To their credit though, the staff was apologetic about the problems and mix ups, and did comp our returned appetizers.  A nice, appropriate gesture...but not enough to bring me back.

I must say that I've only had wonderful experiences at Gaslight.  I'm actually sort of in love with the entree I tried last night...smitten!  I can't stop thinking about the tagliatelle drenched in buttery sauce with figs, apricots and cured bacony ham...mmmmmmm...love.  The fried mussels were completely ridiculous too, not to mention the wine and the madame lillet cocktail (lillet rouge, st. germain and champagne).  I think my dining companions were equally as taken with their dinners...we were all smiles and after the chocolate beignets were in the coziest, happiest of food comas...

The service was attentive if quirky...the place is huge, but feels intimate...lovely atmosphere.  The bar is a smidge close to the main entrance, but not distractingly so...charming, professional barkeep, great nightly specials...and best of all, it won't break the bank...not even remotely.

Okay, I am now a regular weekend installment here and it just keeps getting better.  Some of the loveliest drinks and bartenders on the South Shore, and the food is still fantastic, of course.  Solstice, thank you for existing.

abistro was hands down one of the finest gastronomical experiences I have had in some time.  Friends and I were lured in after reading an article raving about the restaurant's "Senegalese comfort food"...because how ridiculously delicious does that sound?  

Basically, our dinner experience was completely amazing.  This restaurant is tiny but somehow we got seated immediately - a party of 5.  No waiting, on a Saturday night.  Lucky us!  The service was mellow and super pleasant.  This is a BYOB establishment, and they were happy to throw our white in the cooler, bringing it out from time to time to refresh our glasses.  This also helps keep the price of dinner down, but it's going to be by no means cheap...esp once you taste the food and keep ordering more...

The atmosphere is cozy yet understated - it was the perfect spot for a chill dinner and good conversation on an evening fraught with heavy downpours.  But you don't have to wait until it rains - you should probably go there right now actually, whatever the weather.

Because - our dinner was unbelievable.  My entree alone makes me smile still just describing it, because the juxtaposition of flavors was that exciting and inventive - Cornish game hen with jalapeno polenta, roasted beets and greens, and peanut curry sauce...sigh...this, my friends, is perfection.

I could also go on at length about the maple chili sauteed plantains, the spicy bread pudding, the coffee served with milk and cinnamon sticks...but I'm getting too hungry.

Obviously I highly recommend this place.  I will be craving Senegalese food now until I go back to Brooklyn...unless I can acquire this in Boston somehow???  If anyone knows something I don't, do share!

Brooklyn Public House did the trick - plain and simple.  I was in Fort Greene this weekend visiting some beloved friends, and after an amazing dinner we needed somewhere chill to crash land on a super rainy night.  We sidled up to one of their long center tables in the back room and stayed for hours.

This was the perfect place for us.  It was already loud enough so that our loudness didn't stand out.  It served a big enough selection of beers and wines to gently and happily guide us further down the path of inebriation.  It provided us with delicious, life-giving french fries.  It featured adorable, efficient waiters with cool flashing watches.

While not the heart-stoppingly coolest place I've ever visited in Brooklyn, BPH is a good solid choice and did not disappoint...Except! Get some sugar cubes peoples!  A box costs like $1.39!  I get sad when a lack of sugar cubes stands between me and a champagne cocktail :(

I ordered my pizza 90 minutes ago, and it's still not here.  I'm getting pretty fed up with UC to be honest.  We order from them about twice a month, and each time whoever answers our call informs me that they "don't deliver to Kingston", even though they've been delivering to us for a year.  Then they figure that out because our number is in the system, and act like they're doing us this big favor by delivering, even though they deliver to points south that are twice as far away.

Only one of their drivers seems to be able to find our house, which is on a major route in the next town over.  He must not be working tonight, because they've been looking for our house for 90 minutes now.  I'm so frustrated I doubt I'll even enjoy my pizza.  After a year they should know where they're freaking going.

After living in the city forever and having access to hundreds of awesome restaurants whenever I want, I'm kind of a harsh critic of anything new, especially when it's located in my new home on the South Shore.  Maybe I'm a jerk...I don't know.  I think it's mostly because I don't want to soften up to the point that I end up heading to Olive Garden every weekend.

Anyway, my husband and I were bored with our usuals one night and decided to try the Winery on 53.  We had heard literally nothing about it, other than that it existed, and had replaced Bobby Hacketts, a place that neither of us had much experience with.  Like I said, I'm a harsh critic, so I was already preparing myself to find flaws.  But unlike some of the other  reviewers, I couldn't find many.

When we got there the parking lot was packed and the place was completely slammed - there was a 30 minute wait.  We took that as a good sign and headed to the bar to wait...which was super cozy.  Fireplace, nice ambiance...not too many youngins our age, but hey, tis the burbs.  We ordered a glass of Malbec and a Chilean Sav Blanc...they were out of that but offered me a nice pick from Cali which I enjoyed. I appreciated that the bartender let me taste it first, to be sure that I liked it.  Judging by their list, which is extensive and pretty interesting, I can tell that they take their wine seriously.  A plus, as I do too.

We ended up being seated in the dining room which definitely wasn't as charming as the tavern, but still okay.  Our waitress was really nice, but couldn't tell us much about the menu because it was full of new items.  So we were guinea pigs.  But that was cool.  We went with the duck and sweet potato spring rolls, the lemon chicken with rhubarb compote and mint risotto, and the steak tips.  We were actually pretty happy with all the food.  It was nice to have more interesting choices than usual, and nicer still that they were executed in a totally decent way.  Not mind-blowing, but good.  The bread was great too, as well as the second glass of wine I got...an Argentinian white...really unique, unfortunately I can't remember the name...delicious.

So were our socks knocked off?  Not especially.  But we had a solidly good experience and  will definitely be back.  The prices are amazingly low for what you get, which is a big plus.  More stars may be awarded.

Guru, formerly Shangri-La, formerly something else, has come a long way since my husband and I moved to the Kingston/Plymouth area.

The food has always been great, so let's start there. We love the veggie samosas, chicken tikka masala, chicken vindaloo, garlic naan, chana masala...  The naan is officially on my list of cravings.  But now the decor is awesome to match - all dim and full of the ambiance it was previously missing.  And the service is also great, and always has been.  The waitstaff and bartenders are friendly and efficient.

The menu is huge and there are plenty of drink offerings...I believe they just added a cocktail menu, when they put the night club in the back.  Yes, there's a night club.  And I won't lie...it's strangely awesome.  We went to see a friend's band there and had a blast.

Definitely a welcome addition in Plymouth.  I know I've said it before, but we can't eat freaking fried clams and chicken parm every single night, am I right?

This restaurant is now called Guru and it has improved 10-fold...there's even a new 'club' in the back with live music.  The food is still awesome, but the atmosphere of the whole restaurant has really improved.  So glad to have this gem in Plymouth!