CBS Scene Restaurant and Bar

http://www.opentable.com/rest_profile.aspx?rid=24097

200 Patriot Place
at Gillette Stadium
Foxboro, MA 02035

My family (of 7) decided on a quick excursion to Foxboro for the weekend. We stayed at the Renaissance Inn which was beautiful. We spent the day in Bass Pro Shops and decided on lunch at CBS Scene Restaurant. The boys and I raced up the 5 trillion stairs to the front door ( There was an elevator we chose not to use). We arrived to smiling hostesses, one that had a fantastic sense of humor and set me at ease. I was slightly confused with the option of bar menu vs. lunch menu. It was explained it was basically the same menu, but there would be a longer wait for the lunch menu. Regardless of the confusion, we were sat rather quickly for a party of 7. Our waitress (Meredeth)was amazing, happy and treated everyone (including the kids) with respect. those of you with children reading this know how difficult it can be to dine out with multiple children. Our server made it enjoyable and painless! Drinks came quickly and she was very well informed on the menu items and drink options.

I ordered the Larger Marinated grilled steak tips (medium rare) with onions, sweet peppers Balsamic Glaze,Chimmichurri Fries (12.95). The tips were slightly overdone, more of a solid medium than mid-rare, but had good flavor. They were not tough or dry which I attribute mostly to the larger marinade. Slightly saltier than I would have cared for but good none the less. The fries were shoestring, which with a steak it would have been nice to have something with more substance. However the chimmichurri sauce was a fresh and tasty change. I really enjoyed it on my fries and even on the steak. Meredeth was kind enough to find out what it was made of.

Daniel ordered the Maple Glazed Cedar Plank Salmon, whipped potatoes and asparagus (12.95). The asparagus was cooked perfectly the way I like it, fresh crisp and clean tasting. the potatoes were creamy and flavorful, however the salmon was a different story. While the salmon had a fantastic flavor and an amazing presentation, it was raw in the center. Not terribly so, and it is salmon, but no one likes to be surprised with raw fish on their plate unless they are having sushi.
The older boys shared a buffalo chicken pizza with Parmesan cream, blue cheese, red onion and mozzarella (11.50). This pizza was AMAZING! covered with chunks of chicken and real blue cheese. An amazing meld of all the flavors you expect with a buffalo entree, just the right spice and a perfect crust. Simply Amazing!

The younger boys shared a kids meal burger with sweet potato fries. Again Meredeth was more than happy to accommodate or boys. The burger was less done than most people may want their child's burger, but, in our house we like them that way so we were very pleased. It had great flavor and was juicy and thick without a fantastic bun to burger ratio.

Our daughter chose Penne Alfredo with grilled chicken and asparagus(12.95). The pasta was cooked perfectly and had just enough bite to it. The chicken was grilled enough to give it a rounded woody flavor without making it feel like wood too. Again the asparagus was a shining example of perfect mixed with just enough sauce to tie the entire dish together.

I ordered a drink, the Sparkling Scene, which was 10.00. It was served in a champagne flue and had a nice crisp taste to it with a light fizz. I wish I could tell you what was in it but I don't remember. I do however remember the fruit puree that floated in the glass that made it slightly unappealing.

The younger boys shared a mango sorbet which was clean refreshing and huge. The rest of us shared a desert sampler. The chocolate cake was very bland, not exciting or very chocolaty at all. The cheese cake with strawberries was cool and creamy but wasn't amazing, however the fruit crisp was outstanding! Warm crisp and the perfect balance of sweet, tart and savory made this desert the best on the plate. If your not a fruit crisp fan then save the calories for an appetizers.
Our bill came to 89.00 even and for a family of seven I found that very reasonable. I enjoyed the atmosphere and loved the service. Our waitress truly was a crowning jewel of our time there. Thank you for making it such a fantastic experience.

Greetings - 8
Service - 10
Food - 8
Cocktails - 7
Price -9

total 42/50
Great place to hit with your family for lunch. Great Job guys!

Hot Bunz and Milkshakes

I love burgers. They happen to be my favorite food in the WHOLE WORLD. I have found the most amazing burger locally. For me to consider it a good burger it must be a thick patty. It must be real meat (no cardboard frozen burgers) good flavor, fresh toppings and a good bun to burger (B/B) ratio.
Until HotBunz Five guys was a good choice. Not ideal since the B/B ratio is always off. Good enough for a fix when I didn't want to make one myself.
HotBunz on Main street in Fairhaven, MA. It's the smallest little building painted bright orange, there is also chalk for kids to play with and a white picket fence. The owner even dressed the building up like a pumpkin for Halloween. The service is good and the price is reasonable.
I also had the onion rings, again, really great. crisp shoe string rings with a flavorful batter. I had the wings as well with the "sticky sauce". While the wings were cooked well, the sauce didn't stay on them. The chunks of onion in the sauce were a welcome addition though. By their own admission they are still perfecting the sauce. I will have to try it when they reopen this spring.
If your in the area and looking for a good burger this spring. Check out HotBunz. It's worth it

yummie cuppies

I took the family up to falmouth for the day and checked out a ton of places in the heart of the town. fantastic ice cream shops, toy stores ect.

We found a sparkling gem
Cup Cakes of Falmouth.
organic cuppies in every flavor. Great frosting to cake ratio ( i like my frosting) the cupcake was moist with a good crumb.I got a rootbeer cup cake and it really did taste just like a rootbeer float.



LITERALLY!The shop was clean , the counter service was great, I was even introduced to the owner who was on site. The little tables and atmosphere of the shop made me almost sqeek with happiness. they also had the cutest little aprons. I will be going back to buy one. Fantastic shop. If your in Falmouth or even within 10 miles, check it out. So worth it!
155 Main Street, Falmouth
www.cupcakesfalmouth.com

Ernies, PLYMOUTH, MA

This past week we went to lunch at Ernie's in Plymouth.
The food was alright. I ordered the artichoke Parmesan appetizer. It again was OK. the sauce was overly sweet. The breading which was scarce at best, fell off the artichoke pieces. There was a lot of cheese but the enormous amounts of sauce and poorly cooked artichoke overpowered this dish. For $6.95 I would skip this dish entirely.
I had liver and onions. A standby favorite of mine. It came with mashed potatoes and pickled beets. The beets were neither warm nor cold and kind of just sat there in your mouth. I prefer mine cold. The mashed potatoes were a good consistency and texture. However I detected no milk or butter present. They were rather flat tasting and even adding salt and pepper on my plate did little to help them. The liver was over cooked and dryer than it should have been, however the flavor was good and it was smothered in onions. There was also a slice of bacon on the liver which was mushy and undercooked. For $6.99 this dish was passable, but not fantastic.
I also had a slice of egg plant pizza. The sauce again was the same syrupy variety used in the appetizer. There was a good amount of cheese and eggplant on each slice, and both had a good flavor. However the crust was thin and flavorless. Not the best pizza, however not the worst.
Also our waitress seemed bothered by our presence and rather cranky. She at once point snapped at one of our table guests, when she tried to inject that we would be splitting the appetizer and I believe she even rolled her eyes when I asked for a box.
They lacked in wine options but had several beers on tap.
Personally, there are far better places to eat in Plymouth. try one of them instead!

greeting -3
service -2
food -4
cocktails -6
price -6

21/50

Just Ray's Fairhaven

I've been there a ton of times and every time has been great.
This time my family and I went there for breakfast. The menu is standard fare for the local eateries. However the special board is always covered in amazing creations. Also the staff is very helpful when dealing with the multiple food allergies my family has and when I loose my keys.
I ordered the brandy cream lobster omelet. It was stuffed full of large lobster pieces and covered in the savory and delicate sauce.The eggs were cooked perfectly as was the lobster. The home fries here are always sure to please. Just the right blend of spice with perfectly cooked potatoes are a treat. The omelet was also only $9.99 which was a great deal
My oldest son ordered the french toast. Again FANTASTIC. Ray seems to have found the perfect balance between bread and eggs. The slices were thick and slightly sweet without being too sweet or overwhelming. You could taste the eggs without them overwhelming the flavors from the bread and cinnamon.
Kayla ordered the Belgian waffles without the fruit or syrup. fluffy on the inside and crisp on the outside. covered in butter and powdered sugar.Unlike a lot of waffles you get at restaurants these were not heavy sit in your belly waffles.
The service was wonderful as always with the waitress bringing us extra creams (since Sammy drank them)bowls of powdered sugar (since my boys can't have imitation syrup) and my coffee cup was always filled!
Since Sammy is gluten free we ordered him the fruit cup, and one for Nate as well. Fantastic presentation that makes you want to eat it. A plate underneath leaves you space to cut the grapes for the younger kids. Also Sammy brought a gluten free bagel with him and they grilled it for him without any issue following my directions on how to keep it Sammy safe.
Daniel had a linguica roll.Plenty of linguica and cheese grilled and warm through out, with a perfect golden brown crust.He also shared my morcala. Which for those not from the area is a Portuguese sausage. Morcala can be easily overcooked and inedible, not a problem at Ray's.
AJ got an asagio cheese bagel with extra cream cheese. It was Big... really big. AJ also got a side order of hash. flavorful and grilled so that small crispy pieces were present in every bite.
Chelsy also had her own corned beef hash and an order of pancakes. Light, fluffy and enormous, tons of flavor! Smothered in butter and powdered sugar.
All the kids ordered juice and Daniel and I had coffee (which comes with most meals)
Our bill came to about 55$ before tip which for8 people is a great deal for amazing food!
If your in Fairhaven,MA check out Just Ray's on Main Street. They have a cool new awning, you cant...and shouldn't miss it!

greeting -10
service -10
food -10
cocktails/drinks -8
price -10

48/50

Risotto fear

I have alwasy wanted to make a mushroom risotto but I have always been chicken. My mother told me that it was really hard to make and not to bother. Even the rice frightened me. However after watching Hell's Kitchen I am convinced of two things

1. I am a better chef than a lot of those people

2. If they can make risotto so can I.

So I have been working on it. My first attempt wasnt terrible really. the rice wasn't as smooth and creamy as i thought it should be. But it really wasn't hard just time consuming.

here is what I used

4 cups vegetable broth

1 cup arborio rice
1 medium shallot

1 medium onion

2 Tbs butter / divided

salt pepper and 4.5 cups wild mushrooms

in one pan heat the broth

in another pan saute the mushrooms with 1 tsp butter and 1/4 broth

and in one more pan saute the shallots and onions with the remaining butter. Add in the rice and stir until coated. put in one ladel full of simmering stock and stir until it is absorbed. continue this until you get smooth creamy rice. then add the mushrooms and stir through. salt and pepper to taste.

my new toy

I knew the mixer was going. so I searched for my new mixer slowly. I found the cuisinart 5.5 quart ( my KA was 4.5 quart) it's bigger and quieter. it has all the attachments and even has a timer for when I make certain doughs and marshmallows. I can't even wait to use it. it came in yesterday. I wanna play but I don't know what to make!