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Where to eat near Salem, MA?

post #1 of 10
8/19/09 at 5:38pm
Thread Starter 
Long weekend staying in Peabody (Boston hotels are insane this weekend, courtesy of the Yankees game, my friend and I decided to just spend our free day in Salem), but the food choices I see online seem kind of unexciting. Hoping for a couple of nights' worth of recommendations.

I love seafood but the girl I'm going with can't stand any of it, so a steak option (on the menu) is a must. A former Boston local recommended Legal Sea Foods, but that places seems to be overpriced and underwhelming (a superior Red Lobster?).
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post #2 of 10
8/19/09 at 5:43pm
Sorry, I haven't eaten near Salem. But take a trip to Malden and eat at Exchange Street Bistro. I've been pleased every time I go. It's off one of the malden t stops. My girl used to work at legal seafood. With her discount it was worth it. I wouldn't pay regular price however. She said everything was fresh though. They had real dover sole [unlike everything they try to pass off as dover sole here in CA at the moment]. They have an extensive wine list and train the servers to serve the wine properly. Definitely more than a step up from RedLOB. I wouldn't even compare the 2.
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post #3 of 10
8/19/09 at 6:01pm
The only thing Legal Seafood has going for it is its clam chowda. Yumm! How about some good Italian grub in the North End? There's plenty of good seafood to be had, and non-seafood options too.
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post #4 of 10
8/21/09 at 4:31pm
If you are looking for something a little nicer/$$$...
Pellana in Peabody http://www.pellanarestaurant.com/
Gavens in Middleton on Main St http://www.gavensrestaurant.com/?l=about


If you want to go into Boston theres always plenty of high end spots....Davios is one of my favs

Exchange St in Malden isnt bad, a friends family owns it, but it can be pricey and remember that its still in Malden, no matter how much the inside says you are in the Back Bay
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post #5 of 10
8/22/09 at 9:20am
For a steak option, one of my favs in downtown Boston is Abe & Louis. Seafood, and steak, on the menu. It probably is tough or impossible to get a reservation this weekend, but worth a try.
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post #6 of 10
8/22/09 at 10:12am
Have you checked chowhound?

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/344460
Search for "salem" or "northshore"
Always great recommendations. Close to Salem, the best restaurants (or at least for bang for the buck) are seafood restaurants that are low brow, but with fresh seafood although much of it is fried. Also, by simply driving out to the cape elizabeth area (which is very idyllic) you will find plenty of decent, but not spectacular restaurants. You get to eat outside and, depending on where you are, watch the ocean while drinking a beer.
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post #7 of 10
8/22/09 at 7:54pm
If you want average food but a good overall scene, Maddie's bar in Marblehead is pretty cool. Or so I have heard, anyway.
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post #8 of 10
8/22/09 at 8:42pm
I know a food snob who lives there. I forgot the place he loves going to, PM if you want me to ask him for the recommendations.
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post #9 of 10
8/24/09 at 2:58am
Thread Starter 
I wound up eating nothing inspiring. Bad flights Thursday and today for standby cut the meat of the trip down to two full days (one half taken up with the Sox-Yankees game - not that I'm complaining).

Legal Sea Food was just dull. Swordfish and arctic char were the only fish on them menu somewhat uncommon in Texas, so I thought I'd have go with the former. A heavy teriyaki-ish glaze on the outside (one thing no one should do to good fish, IMHO) and completely flavorless otherwise. Jasmine rice and rice pilaf were also surprisingly plain.

I was sad that Fenway hot dogs sucked.
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post #10 of 10
8/24/09 at 3:12am
Quote:
Originally Posted by milosz View Post
Legal Sea Food was just dull. Swordfish and arctic char were the only fish on them menu somewhat uncommon in Texas, so I thought I'd have go with the former. A heavy teriyaki-ish glaze on the outside (one thing no one should do to good fish, IMHO) and completely flavorless otherwise. Jasmine rice and rice pilaf were also surprisingly plain.
Well, I did say something about this. Legal Seafood is only popular with tourists for a reason. I only go there for their clam chowda.
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