Saturday, November 18, 2017

Ipswich Chowder Festival in Ipswich MA

I went to the Ipswich Chowder Festival in Ipswich MA. It is near the Ebsco building (which has some nice art on some of the walls of the building). 

It is in a nice little town of Ipswich MA. It is a quaint little town. It is a nice place to explore. 


Here is the photo of the main tent that had the different restaurants giving samples of their chowders. I tasted everyone of them. Most were good. There was a couple that I did not really consider to be chowders but they were also good. One chose which one that you liked best and voted for that one. 

I did not think I would be full when I tried the samples. There were many places giving samples. It is easy to fill up on them. 

I liked the variety of styles. There was a variety of flavors. It was fun trying them all. 

Below are photos of each of the 'stations' that gave out samples of their chowder. One can barely see the name of the company / restaurant that made the chowder. Perhaps one could enlarge each to read the name. 











There were other tents / parts of the festival. One crossed the bridge and there were crafts and such in a small park. There was a historic house that had an art gallery show. There were a couple of classic cars at a garage (seemed sad few saw the cars, probably more interested in the chowder than anything else). There was a martial arts demonstration too. There was food for those not really interested in chowders. 





Bacon Wrapped Scallops, Steak Tips and Sweet Potato Fries at Starboard Galley in Newburyport MA

I had supper at the Starboard Galley in Newburyport MA. It is a nice place that has a view of the Merrimack River. There is seating on the inside and the outside (weather permitting). There is parking in the back of the restaurant. There is a sign that directs you to the parking area. The parking area has a nice view of boats (when in summer), and of the Merrimack River.

Here is the plate of bacon wrapped scallops, steak tips, and sweet potato fries. It was really good. I think it was just the right portion without it giving a feeling of being stuffed.

The bacon was not overdone. There are some who like it crispy. At times so do I but this was cooked so it wasn't too crispy or work against the flavor of the scallops. It is a great combo.

The steak tips were cooked just right. One has a steak knife to cut it with but the tips weren't so big that one would have to use the knife to cut them with. I did anyway.

The sweet potato fries were very well done. Once one east sweet potato fries, one would be reluctant to go back to regular fries. In stead of ketchup or mayonnaise (I prefer mayonnaise instead of ketchup), they had honey mustard sauce to dip the fries into. I think it was better than ketchup or even mayonnaise.  




This is what one sees from the road. It does not look like it would have any parking but the parking is in back. It does not look like it would have a lot of space inside but it is very roomy. One passes through the bar to the dining area. 














Seafood Lasagna at Century House in Peabody MA

I went with a friend to the Century House in Peabody MA. It is a nice place. It felt warm and comfortable. The staff was friendly and courteous. 

It was crowded when I was there. There is a lot of parking but it was not easy to get a parking space since it was almost filled to capacity. I dropped the person off at the door and found a spot farther away from the entrance. 

I like decor of the restaurant. It was very nice. It was very comfortable. The decor was not in excess in any way (at least the part of it that I saw). Next time I go there, I hope I can see a different part of the restaurant. 

It did not take long to get seated or get our menu's. Even though there was a crowd, seating was still available (or at least our timing was good - there was two of us).

Here is the seafood lasagna that I had. For some reason it only covers half the plate. It does not seem like a lot of food but it was enough for lunch. 

It was really delicious. The seafood did not overwhelm the dish. The lasagna was cooked just right. There was a lot of sauce but it did not overwhelm it. It did not have any fishy taste to it all. I would definitely consider getting it again the next time I am there. 

I did not photograph it but I also had a salad. The lettuce was crisp. The salad dressing was good. It was something that one would enjoy before a meal but won't fill you up to the point where one could not eat the main entree. 













Wilbur's Down East French Toast and Orange Pineapple Muffin

I sometimes like to go to Wilbur's. It is near my doctors office. If I have to fast to get some blood work done, I go there to eat breakfast. I like the variety of specials that they have on their menu board. One could order from their menu. 
It is a small place. The entrance is just to the right of this photo.


Here is the down east French toast that I had. It had bacon on top of it. There was syrup to put on it but it tasted too good to put the syrup on it. It came with a small cup of butter. I used it on the toast. It was really delicious. It seems they used 'Texas toast' which is thick bread. It seemed to have a filling that I could not recognize but really enjoyed. 

Here is the orange pineapple muffin. It was toasted. I think it made it even better. It came with a small cup of butter. I put it on and it melted into the muffin. 

The dining area has a lot of tables to chose from. It is not a huge place but it does have that down home feel to it. It is not smug or arrogant. 

The staff are friendly. Every time I have been there, they have treated me well. 










Eggnog Ice Cream at Harbor Creamer in Newburyport MA

There is an ice cream store that has not been opened for very long. It is the Harbor Creamery. It is located on Pleasant Street in Newburyport MA. I read that they make the ice cream in small batches. The quality of the ice cream reflects this since - the ones that I have tried so far - are very good. 

They have a reward card that one gets stamped each time one makes a purchase there. After the card has its squares all stamped, one can get an ice cream for free. I completed my card and this purchase was free. 

They have seating inside and a couple of benches outside. It is not a huge place and they don't have a lot of seats but they are comfortable. 

The ice cream I bought was the eggnog flavored one. I tried it before buying it. They have small spoons that one can get a taste of the ice cream so one isn't wasting ones money buying ice cream one might not like. 

I think the price is very reasonable for ice cream of this quality.  


Here is the eggnog ice cream with whipped topping. It is the small cup but one still gets a lot of ice cream. One cannot really see the ice cream because of the whipped topping.

Here is the eggnog ice cream with part of it eaten away. It was delicious. One could taste the eggnog. One can see the ice cream.

Even though it is cold out, I still like to get ice cream. It is my reward for exercising. I think eating something cold triggers the body to produce more heat; which keeps me warmer during the cold. At least this is my reasoning for having some during the colder months. 





my web site but it needs a lot of work.

my store that has things with my art on them.
I need better photos of my art.