Loving the Greek-Style Pizza at Jimmy's Pizzeria in Walpole, Mass.

Jimmy's Pizzeria, East Walpole, Mass (photo by Eric)

When I crave a Greek-style pizza, I opt for Jimmy's Pizzeria in East Walpole, Mass. Owners Themis and Athena Kalemkeridis and their staff produce a full-bodied pizza that's not too greasy (so often, Greek pizza is too greasy!) and rich in homemade tomato sauce and a tangy cheese.  Jimmy's doesn't skimp on toppings, either, as add-ons like pepperoni and meatball significantly block the view of the tomato and cheese.

Jimmy's atmosphere goes way beyond the basic house of pizza decor and ambiance with a good-sized, well-lit spotless semi-circular dining room surrounded by several windows overlooking the attractive St. Mary's Church in the quaint industrial village look of East Walpole. I also enjoy other delicious meals at Jimmy's like the gyros dinner, broccoli and chicken calzone, oversized salads, subs, chicken cacciatore and pasta dinners which all rival those found at the glitzier higher-priced restaurants in the area.  We love the "Themis Special," too, a white pizza with feta cheese, sliced tomato, peppers, hamburg, pepperoni, sausage and oregano. Wow!

Jimmy's also serve beer and wine, and has a large selection of soft drinks -- and even Yoo-Hoo chocolate milk!

Perhaps Jimmy's greatest attribute is Themis' and Athena's sense of community by reaching out to local public schools with fundraisers and knowing so many locals by first name. Often, you'll see older family and friends of the Kalemkeridis family at one table conversing away.

Themis and Athena run about the tightest ship I have ever witnessed in a pizza restaurant (Prince Pizzeria in Saugus, Mass., is another shining example), working with focused culinary precision and skill, treating employees well, and offering a dependable, consistent, friendly dining experience to the customer. All this would be to no avail if the food was sub par. Happily, the fantastic Greek pizzas and other dishes make Jimmy's the place to be if you're in the Walpole area.

Jimmy's Pizzeria
4 East St.
Walpole MA
Tel. (508) 660-6700

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Boston Restaurants Updates, Social Media Style!

 Pizzeria Regina, in the North End of Boston, often "tweets" on Twitter!
(photo by Eric H.)

Bring your appetite to our Boston restaurants updates list on Twitter.  We have, at this writing, compiled a list of 205 Boston restaurants updating you on their most recent news. This includes, but is not limited to, daily specials for breakfast, lunch and diner, as well as entertainment, menu changes, events, gift certificate info, customer feedback and media reviews. From the upscale French restaurant to the North End pizzeria, we have made sure that virtually all cuisines are included. You'll find many well-known Boston restaurants, along with a generous portion of hidden Boston restaurants.

The live time, social media reporting is, many times, quite informative and entertaining. I wish we had this type of information at our fingertips when growing up many years ago in the Boston area. It's great to have arrived in the 21st century isn't it?

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Mad Raven Pub and Restaurant In Waltham, Mass., to Open Raven's Nest in Walpole, Mass.

by Eric H.
Just got word from the Mad Raven Pub and Restaurant in Waltham, Mass., that it will be opening a second restaurant called the Raven's Nest at the former Paddock Pub in downtown Walpole, Mass.

The Raven's Nest could be open as early as late April 2010, and will feature a menu similar to the Mad Raven Pub and Restaurant. The Mad Raven specializes in delicious Irish-American cuisine, including Shepherds pie, fish n' chips and Irish chicken curry. The Mad Raven also offers more than 15 different drafts.

The Mad Raven Pub and Restaurant is located at 841 Main St., Waltham, and the Raven's Nest will be located at 998 Main St. in Walpole.

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Ginjo Japanese Restaurant Comes to Walpole, Mass.

by Eric H.
VisitingNewEngland.com gives a hearty welcome to Ginjo, a new restaurant in Walpole, Mass., with hibachi (including great, "fiery" shows being put on by the chefs), sushi bar, dining rooms, a lounge, take-out and delivery services.

The restaurant features a comfortable but beautifully sleek, spacious look, thus belying its plain strip mall location just outside downtown Walpole on Route 1A. Formerly the Blue Orchid Chinese restaurant, the prideful ownership of that restaurant remains intact (and with the original Blue Orchid still in operation in neighboring Westwood, Mass.).

Our first visit included sampling a delicious buckwheat Soba noodles with beef, shrimp and assorted vegetables. Judging from this introductory, incredibly fresh dish, we look forward to visiting this new Japanese restaurant again and again. More reports on Ginjo to come!

Ginjo Restaurant
889 Main Street
Walpole, MA 02081
Tel. 508-660-2888

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New England's Hearty Appetite for the Phantom Gourmet

Article and photo (Salem Cross Inn, West Brookfield, MA) by Eric H.

For those of you with a hearty appetite and who are constantly searching for the best New England restaurants, we recommend visiting the Phantom Gourmet, watching its show on Channel 38 Boston (Saturdays 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., Sundays 11 a.m.) and listening on WTKK 96.9 FM Boston radio on Saturday from 4-7 p.m. (it's amazing how they can be in two places at the same time!). With hungry businessmen and food critics Andelman brothers Dave and Dan running the show with a mysterious, unknown restaurant reviewer named the "Phantom Gourmet," this well-known dining review business is best known for its lively, brutally frank and humorous television descriptions of local restaurants in the best Boston accents or "I'll try my best not to have a Boston accent" voices. The Andelman brothers, sons of local legendary sports talk show host Eddie Andelman, really love their junk food, but still manage to have the "Phantom Gourmet" review all types of restaurants. In addition, with food and beer fests gracing Boston, selling a Phantom Gourmet "Boston's Best Restaurants" book, and promoting their dining review business, the Phantom Gourmet has really become household names in the Boston area.

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Durgin Park: A Classic Boston Dining Tradition

Article and photo by Eric H.
Some elitist dining snobs say that Durgin Park in Boston, MA, is a dinosaur, a crass tourist attraction that pales in comparison to other Boston restaurants where you can eat trendy food in small portions at high prices.

Then again, many New Englanders love historic restaurants where management finds no reason to change their traditional New England menus if people keep coming back in crowds for more regional fare, generation after generation.

Durgin Park has been around since the early 1800s, features communal seatings at long tables and keeps the somewhat annoying but endearing tradition of hiring brusque, somewhat rude waitresses -- although it's nowhere near as pronounced as in previous generations.

For those who love clam chowder, baked, stuffed and steamed lobster, New England clambakes (clam chowder, lobster, steamers, boiled potato, and corn on the cob), roasted native turkey and chicken, prime rib, Yankee pot roast, fresh Boston schrod, Boston baked beans and Boston Cream pie, you won't be disappointed. My personal favorites are the roasted chicken and Yankee pot roast, while our working-class friends through the years have had nice things to say about the other menu selections -- and still do.

Located in the heart of historic Faneuil Hall, Durgin Park offers a true New England atmosphere as does the restored brick buildings featuring retail shops, restaurants, bakeries and ice cream stops.

Durgin Park is a great dining introduction to Boston, a place where you can feel the flavor of the "Hub of the Universe" while feasting on its favorite foods throughout the years. You might not get fried alligator with okra and hand-rubbed saffron, but then again, we Bostonians were never really wired for that kind of cuisine.

Durgin Park
340 Faneuil Hall Market Place
Boston, MA
Tel: (888) 766-6528

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