Thanksgiving in PA.

The next few posts are coming later than expected after my computer shut down, and has failed to startup again. So I am sneakily typing this up on my office computer (which I probably shouldn’t say, due to the fact I don’t know who reads this thing.)

Melissa and I decided to spend this Thanksgiving with my Aunt and Uncle who live about 45 minutes outside of Philadelphia, a little white suburbia called Lansdale. The drive down took about 5:45, which isn’t bad considering we spent an hour stuck in New York, and that our GPS took us off the main roads once we got halfway through New Jersey. Thanksgiving went great; there was plenty of delicious food that we had prepared over the course of 2 days (they had been preparing for a day before we arrived.)
A couple of noteworthy experiences; chocolate stout cheesecake, beer take out (from a bar), Peddler’s Village, and sushi.

Caldeira’s – Fall River, MA

My family and I went to Caldeira’s Restaurant for a nice post-graduation dinner. Caldeira’s is a Portuguese restaurant that is located in Fall River, one of the most Portuguese populated cities in the country. The menu was small, and condensed to fulfill only one piece of paper, front and back. The menu, short and concise, provided a nice variation of Portuguese foods.
For appetizers we ordered a tomato, mozzarella and mixed greens salad. This dish was very light and had a very Mediterranean feel to it. It was dressed with a pesto sauce as well as a balsamic vinaigrette reduction that was moderately sweet. Again we had only one concern with this appetizer, four slices of tomato and only three slices of mozzarella (dividing by 4 is a bit awkward). We also got Chourico Bombeiro. Chourico is a Spicy Portuguese sausage. It is close cousins with chorizo which is a similar product except that it is Spanish and uses a few different seasonings. The chourico link was served over flaming liquor. The presentation was rather fascinating and gave a nice crunch to the link. This process slightly over cooked the underside of the link (perhaps we should have taken it off sooner, but pictures were in order sooo…I won’t pass judgment on it).
For my main course I selected the shrimp mocambique (Mozambique). This preparation was very spicy and I choose to get it over penne pasta because I was in a pasta kind of mood. It turned out to be a good choice because the pasta held the sauce very nice. It was salty and fresh, but the heat dominated the dish, and could have benefitted by gearing down on the heat. The shrimp was cooked absolutely perfectly and were slightly butterflied on top to create a very pretty presentation.
We ordered a few after dinner drinks and deserts. My girlfriend and I each got a cappuccino and my father got an espresso with a shot of Sambucca (anise-flavored liquor), Sambucca is slightly sweet so there is no need to add sugar to your espresso or cappuccino if you are adding the liquor. My step mother got a Beira which is sweet passion fruit liquor-The nose of this liquor was very strong and stung a bit but the tase was extremely smooth and slightly syrupy.
For dessert my girlfriend and I ordered Chocolate Decadence, which was simply…decadent. It was a warm chocolate mousse/flan that was served with a scoop of vanilla ice crème and whipped crème. There was a slightly hardened shell of chocolate that you were able to break through to the smooth creamy interior mousse. This desert was extremely rich.
My father and stepmother ordered the crème brule which I should have tasted before devouring the Chocolate Decadence. The caramelized sugar on the top provided an amazing crunch and depth in flavor and texture to the desert. The creamy interior of the desert was light and smooth not quite as rich as our dessert.
This restaurant was a great choice for the family. The service was very friendly and the atmosphere was warm and inviting, with just a touch of sophistication. I will definitely be going back to the restaurant for dinner again. Good choice.

Zen Restaurant- Northampton, MA

I went to Zen for my birthday dinner with my parents. My family loves sushi, so when I got to decide on sushi for dinner there were no complaints.

If you are new to sushi; start with the California roll. It’s not technically sushi, it’s actually called Makizushi , but it’s a good place to start. Sushi is actually the cooked vinegar rice that is balled and served with a seafood draped over it (usually raw). The texture of sushi and varying rolls may be difficult for some to get used to at first but it is delicious and a wonderful experience once you can overcome the difference in texture. The California Roll is soft with a slight crunch from the nori and cucumber and is often sprinkled with sesame seeds on the outside of the roll.

This “Pan-Asian Cuisine” restaurant was very nice. The décor was very bright. They used warm reds and oranges throughout the restaurant. We got to sit up on the balcony overlooking the sushi chefs. My back was facing them so I had to turn around to see them work, but it was still fun.

For starters we got the obligatory edamame. They served it with a garlic/peanut sauce which was very strong, but good. We also ordered a few glasses of a dry/oaky chardonnay, which my girlfriend and I both loved.

For dinner my girlfriend and I split a dish of orange chicken. It was a little over cooked but the sauce was very good. We also ordered a spicy tuna roll that was excellent, there was a large piece of fresh tuna and just enough of the spicy mayo. My father also ordered us a giant sushi and sashimi platter. The tuna was excellent; it is very mild and has a firm texture that is easy to get used to. All of the sashimi that was served was the freshest I have had. I have been to some restaurants and the sashimi appears saggy and falling apart and occasionally has a fishy smell. This is not high quality sushi and should be stayed away from.

A good piece of sashimi or sushi will have very little “fishy” smell and will actually taste sweet and salty. This of course is not always the case; there are many types of fish that are served which have a very strong aroma and taste such as; sea urchin, mackerel, bonito (which is in the mackerel family). White tuna is also a fish to take caution with because of its soft almost coagulated fat-like texture. Some fish that have a more mild aroma and taste are sea clam, salmon, tuna, yellow fin tuna-(red),red snapper, sea bass(-in middle), and tilapia (in middle). For the most part, the fish that are served at these restaurants are all usually mild if they are fresh.

For dessert they ordered me a dish that consisted of tempura’d (deep fried) fruit drizzled with a chocolate sauce and served with a few scoops of vanilla ice cream. I thought this desert was good, not great but good. It did its job of satisfying my girlfriend and I’s sweet tooth. I suggest filling up on sushi or going to one of the café’s or ice cream shops that are all over the city, for dessert.

This restaurant had excellent sushi and the wait staff was very friendly and accessible. I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone who loves or wants to try sushi. I have been there a few times, and the next time I’m in the area I’ll be sure to stop in.