restaurant

As much as I love going out in downtown Boston and Cambridge, I love discovering great places to eat outside the confines of the city. Last weekend, we were down in Quincy to get started on boat preparations for Summer 2012. First up, the hull needed to be scraped clean of barnacles. Barnacles attach themselves to the bottom of the boat, then other things like seaweed get attached, and suddenly you are burning about three times as much gas than is needed. Barnacles are bad. There’s nothing quite like laying on the cold ground scraping dead sea life off of a boat, but I know it will be worth it when we haul it back into the water. Next up is sanding the bottom paint and then repainting with a barnacle-resistant paint (which will still attract barnacles).

Fascinating.

Since I was apparently such a sport about the boat work, my husband offered to take me out to lunch. I did a quick Google search on my phone and found that Fox and Hound Wood Grille and Tavern, a place we had passed on previous trips, was right down the road.

The exterior of the Fox and Hound is super cute, all red and cream and looks like a little old house.

The inside is warm and cozy, with exposed brick and an array of brown accents. It felt comfortable, and was the perfect place for lunch.

As the marathon gets nearer, I am trying to be better about getting all of my nutrients, so, in addition to a Newcastle Brown in a frosty pint glass, I ordered this warm spinach salad. It was topped with goat cheese and a fruit and onion compote, brought together with a warm, lemony dressing. I stirred the goat cheese in so it coated the lettuce, and I dove in. Since I was chilly to begin with, this was  a great option, warming me up but also offering the health benefits of a salad. I loved it.

I also had a cup of clam chowder, which was delicious. It was nice and thick with tender clams and lots of potatoes. You can’t beat a good clam chowder.

Since we had a really hard time deciding on what to order, I also had some of my husband’s fish Reuben and fries. I love Reuben sandwiches, and this one had a creative twist, combining fried fish with Russian dressing, cole slaw, and Swiss cheese. Yum.

The restaurant was pretty quiet for lunch, and our waitress was friendly and helpful. We wanted to try so many menu items that we will definitely be returning.

I am so happy it’s Friday. I have not been a happy camper this week, and all I want to do is sleep. Next weekend we will be away for Easter, and the following is marathon weekend, so this one will definitely be for rest and some time alone.

What are you up to this weekend?

Congratulations to Daisy for winning the Edible Arrangements giveaway! Please email me with the address you’d like the basket shipped to next week, along with a phone number that the delivery person can call. Thanks to everyone who entered! I have another giveaway coming up Monday so stay tuned!