Review: Riding the Waves at Surf

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

A few weekends ago, I went to the birthday dinner of a friend at Surf in Nashua, NH. Been wanting to eat there for a long time but just seemed to always end up somewhere else. J and I were the first ones to arrive for our reservation and the first thing I noticed was how much larger the restaurant appeared to be compared to the days of the Paradox restaurant (I spent way too much there in my early 20's). While the room was the same shape and size, the lighting really opened up the space. I wasn't a fan of the color, a very light mint green, or the general decor but it wasn't unpleasant.

I ordered a glass of the Paso A Paso Tempranillo while we waited for our friends to arrive and J had Hennessey on the rocks. The Tempranillo was a rich shade of plum but had a little too much acidic bite for my taste. I knew after just a couple sips that it wasn't going to get better and I would not be ordering another glass. A friend was drinking a cabernet our waiter had recommended and after trying his, I switched over to the same and was pleasantly surprised. Of course, I forgot to ask the name of it so now I have no idea what I was drinking! But it was good. haha.

When our whole party arrived, they brought out baskets of fresh bread, cinnamon, cranberry and a plain french style bread. Yummy. Can't go wrong with fresh bread and even though I'm not big on sweets with my meal, I can appreciate offering different varieties to diners. It's a nice touch.

My friends order the raw sampler and offered everyone some. I tried the ceviche which was served on a tortilla chip. The ceviche was very nice, tangy and sweet but I think a crostini or pita toast may have been a better vehicle for delivery.

The menu had a lot of mouthwatering options. I had a really difficult time deciding what to order and asked our waiter, Rob, if I could order last after he had come back several times and everyone else was ready but me. I finally decided on the Surf salad, mixed greens w/ onions, bell peppers and a tamari ginger vinaigrette, and a half portion of the Surf and Turf which consisted of a tenderloin fillet, chive mashed potatoes topped with a crab cake and a drizzle of bearnaise sauce and served over grilled asparagus. Being blessed (or cursed, depending on your view) with a healthy appetite, I was worried that a half portion would not be enough food and I would be ravenous for the rest of the evening. But, my fears were allayed when the meal came out because it was clearly enough food. So much, that I was still eating once everyone elses' plates were cleared away (might be because I'm a talker but I like to think it was from the generous portion). I can only imagine how large the regular portion is!

The salad was just a basic house salad with mixed greens but the dressing was very good. Sweet and tangy without being too acidic. The fillet was a perfect med-rare, with a very red center (the way I like it!), and super tender. The mashed potatoes were creamy and light and the crab cake and bearnaise were divine. I would have been happy eating nothing more than crab cakes. The asparagus were cut in half lengthwise, which added an interesting texture to the grilling. The whole meal was scrumptious. I felt a little silly ordering steak as my main course in a seafood restaurant but I'm not disappointed that I did.

Our waiter, Rob was very attentive for the most part and pleasant. He knew the menu well. I could have had my water glass refilled a couple of times but I'm a water gulper so that may just be me. For dessert we decided to order to desserts to share for the group since everyone was stuffed but wanted a taste. We had the Key lime torte and a chocolate creme brule. I thought the key lime torte was a little too cream cheesy and didn't have enough lime but the rest of our group really enjoyed it. I preferred the chocolate creme brule. The crust was a little over cooked, giving it a burnt caramel flavor. It wasn't bad but they should watch the blowtorch a little. The chocolate creme was less chocolaty and more caramel-y which was delicious and buttery and I would eat again, however it should be renamed Caramel creme brule.

Surf didn't blow me away. The decor needs some work, the desserts half did their job but the food was very good and I look forward to going back to try some more seafood options next time!

HURRY! Restaurant Gift Certificates at 90% off!

I stumbled upon a fantastic deal today and wanted to share with you ( I know, I know, I said I wouldn't be blogging much until after my move! haha). Who can't stand to save a little $$$?

09.09.09 doesn't happen very often. To celebrate such a rare occurrence, Restaurant.com is running an unheard of special for 99 hours (I'm assuming it started at midnight on 09.09.09). Gift certificates on their site which are already normally priced at a discount are available at 90% off their value!! I purchased $175 worth of gift certificates for $7!!! Really! No joke! Totally legit.

Each restaurant has their own rules for using the certificates, for example, one $25 certificate I purchased (for $1) requires that I spend $35 or buy 2 entrees to use it. Easy to do though, because the entrees at that particular restaurant are between $25-45. Yes, I'll end up spending $11 to redeem $25 but I'm getting $25 for FREE!!!!! Looks like me and J have some eating out to do!

Go to Restaurant.com, search for restaurants in your area, add them to your cart and enter promo code NINETY at checkout and watch the savings add up!

All text and photographs (except where noted otherwise) © 2008, 2009 Food is to love / Andrea Quigley

Half Price Restaurant Gift Certificates from Select NH, MA, and ME Coastal Restaurants!!

(I'm no longer posting on this blog - enjoy the recipes but if you want to see what I'm up to, visit me here.)

Who could use a good deal?!! ME! ME! ME!

Taste of the Seacoast, a NH quarterly food and wine publication based in Portsmouth, NH is currently offering 50% off select popular seacoast restaurants! Check out the link here and buy certificates while supplies last. These are legit! If you're visiting the Maine, Massachusetts or New Hampshire coast even once in the next few months, these can come in handy. Who can't use a meal for half price these days?! And the good news is that they have new gift certificate offerings every few weeks!

If you're from NH sign up for their "What's Cooking" newsletter to find out what's going on in food in the area!

*I am not employed with or affiliated with Taste of the Seacoast or any of the participating restaurants. I receive no compensation for mentioning the publication and offer listed here. This post is here purely for you to enjoy!*

Saliva Inducing NH Restaurants

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Or so I hear!

Lately, the restaurant landscape in NH seems to change as frequently as the seasons. By the time I hear a good buzz about a new place, it has closed or moved by the time I can get there. Bad location, fickle customers, poor management, or the crummy economy? There are million reasons for restaurants to disappear overnight but after having my little heart crushed with seeing "For Sale" signs on several semi-local spots in the last two years, I'm committing myself to a list of NH restaurants I want to visit here in the hopes that I might be more likely cross them off my list if my "list" is written down somewhere (and not just a passing thought in my head!). And yes, there is a restaurant that is not in NH but my curiosity is piqued thanks to a flurry or good reviews and word of mouth.

This is just a starter list and I may add to it as I think of more. I hope to cross all of these of the list before 2009 is through and come back to this post and update it with my thoughts!

In no particular order:

1 Cava - (Portsmouth, NH): relatively new tapas and wine bar. Right up my alley!

2 Damians on the River (New Boston, NH): Not much happens in New Boston but I've heard lots of good things about Damian's. They specialize in fresh food and every meal is made from scratch.

3 Brazzo (Portsmouth, NH): been here for drinks but not yet for the food. J is not a huge fan of the Cuban / South American menu offerings so I'll probably have to go with one of the girls.

4 San Francisco Kitchen (Nashua, NH): I have lived 20 minutes from Nashua for the last 3 years and spent a lot of time in Nashua prior to that and I can't believe I still haven't eaten here. The buzz about San Francisco Kitchen has always been good.

5 Pepperland Cafe (South Berwick, ME) - The link to the restaurant has never worked properly so instead I'm offering you a link to a Seacoast Online article about the Cafe by Rachel Forrest, the resident food writer of the NH Seacoast. Constantly hearing good things from friends about dinner and brunch here.

6 Firefly American Bistro (Manchester, NH)- Almost brand spanking new, their menu offers "Get Fit" healthy options. Entrees range from $9.99 - $15.99 making this place pretty gentle on the wallet.

7 Gills Indian Restaurant (Manchester, NH)- I love me some Indian food. The assortment of veggies, beans, fragrant spices and variety of breads totally appeal to my need to balance health with good flavor and there is only one Indian Restaurant near me that I love. I'm always on the lookout for more.

8 Eden (Amherst, NH)- Nestled in the Salsburg Square shopping plaza, I actually wouldn't have known there was a restaurant there except for stumbling upon frequent reviews of it. The menu is laced with a variety of international influences, from Lebanese, to French to Thai and Italian.

All text and photographs (except where noted otherwise) © 2008, 2009 Food is to love / Andrea Quigley