Foodie Café. Framingham is known for its wonderful selection of chain restaurants. From fast-food to sit-down, we have something for everyone when it comes to chains or franchises. What this area needs, and any area for that matter, is more locally-owned eateries. Foodie Café is just such a place. About a month ago, I read a short review in the Metrowestdailynews.com. While I questioned the editorial style and content of the article, it piqued my interest and I stuck it in the back of my head. When fate brought me past there last week, I immediately knew I had to stop for lunch.

Foodie Café’s location on Fountain Street can best be described as “nondescript”; it occupies the side of a building that also houses “Belcher’s Appliances”, a long-time family business. Seems like an odd place for a new restaurant, but there are plenty of small businesses down in that part of Framingham, and perhaps the rent is cheap. Nevertheless, after getting a sandwich, I say “about time Framingham had a decent sandwich shop” and I bet people will not only stumble upon Foodie Café, but seek it out.

 Foodie Café is really a take-out sandwich shop, with seating for about 10 people at small tables. They have a nice sandwich menu, fresh soups and salads, and a pleasant display on prepared-on-site cupcakes. The owners working the counter seemed genuinely excited that people have found them, and the quality of my sandwich (made in a wide-open kitchen) reflected that spirit. While my bag of chips could be found at any Cumberland Farms, my “Hot Turkey” was a very pleasant surprise. Served hot, it was sliced turkey, red onion, tomato and chipotle mayo, pressed in a Panini grill. Though it took me ten minutes to get back to my office, the sandwich was still hot and very tasty.

 The first words out of my mouth to my colleague after I finished, was “we’re going back”. I urge you to go, and go again and again. Foodie Café is exactly what we need in Framingham. Support your local business.

Hooray for Hollywood...

For many years, prior to starting the Criticalpalate.com, I would send around movie reviews to my friends upon seeing some of the hot movies of the day. While mostly tongue-in-cheek, I occasionally delved into more serious reviews, and even engaged Ty Burr of the Boston Globe in an email discussion about the merits (or lack thereof) of “Children of Men” and “The Shooter” (in a nutshell, I hated the former, and loved the latter); but, I don’t see movies nearly as much as I used to. Having grown up in a house with General Cinema corporate employees, I had the benefit of getting to see many movies for free; now that I’ve had to pay since 2003, my viewing habits have been curbed significantly. Movies priced over $10.00 really puts a damper on my movie attendance.

However, still, one guilty pleasure for me is viewing the Oscar telecast (I mostly feel guilty for wasting several hours that I will never get back). This year, I only saw two of the nominated movies, but watching this vapid show, with all the self-important pomp, borders on the ridiculous, without any sublime. The red carpet pre-show is a pathetic attempt to ramp-up interest; I was only interested in seeing whether Nick Nolte would win, and if he would pass out while mumbling through his acceptance speech. Did anyone know he was in a movie, let alone nominated? Either he’s lost it entirely, or working on a three-day bender…either way, he was the must-see TV.

I was posting some stream of consciousness observations on Facebook during the broadcast. Here are some random thoughts as I rewind the movie reels of my mind…

Billy Crystal’s day has come and gone, in more ways than one. He’s bloated, both in ego and appearance. Since he was begged to come back as a last-minute fill-in for Eddie Murphy (if you call December “last minute”), he came off as cocky, and appeared to be mailing it in. I’m sure he’s laughing all the way to the bank and cashing a big check, but he just downright sucked. His act has gotten stale…I say let Nick Nolte host next year.

Tom Hanks is fantastic...he's today's Gregory Peck and Jimmy Stewart, and Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis (thanks Dave for the Lemmon and Curtis comparison).

Is anyone’s act getting older than Sasha Baron Cohen’s? “Borat” was funny for it’s shock value, but he’s a one-trick pony and his weak attempt at being cutting edge only solidified my disdain for him.

Glenn Close? Get me “Glenn Far-Away”. She looked more like Glen Campbell.

Also unfunny (besides me)-Robert Downey, Jr….I would have preferred Morton Downey, Jr.
How about Will Ferrell and Zach Galifinakis? When will Ferrell’s career end? When will he get funny? Not necessarily in that order…

J-Lo and her wardrobe malfunction-not titillating in the least.

Angelina Jolie is looking more and more like her father each day. Soon, Brad will wake up and think, “damn, I’m banging ‘Joe Buck’, and I don’t mean the baseball announcer, though she has great legs”. I’m not a fan of Brangelina. She’s an anorexic ghost and he’s looking a lot like “Shaggy” from “Scooby Doo” these days.

The “Bridesmaids”? Penis jokes, really? And unfunny ones. Is this what the Oscars have come to?

Woody Allen won, but didn’t attend. Must be hanging out with his buddy Roman Polanski.

Oprah and Meryl on-stage at the same time. A black hole created by their overwhelming sense of self-importance. I am surprised the stage didn’t collapse from the weight of their collective egos.

I just want to be clear…Meryl Streep is a fraud. She must have pictures of every Academy member doing things with farm animals…there is no explanation for her and the adulation thrust upon her. She shows up with “bed head” and wearing a frock, and looks like she couldn’t care less. I’ll give her “Sophie’s Choice” and maybe even “Kramer vs. Kramer”, but she had no business being nominated for something that barely arose to being a fair impersonation of Margaret Thatcher. The movie was nominated for nothing other than Meryl in make-up. She should be playing Vegas with Dame Edna, not getting an Oscar. I don’t get it, and I don’t get her. I’d like to see the pictures...I don’t know with whom she’s slept, but she slipped them all roofies...


As an aside, I will respect her for her dedication to John Cazale, her former boyfriend and one of the greatest and most under-appreciated actors ever. Starred in 5 movies, with 3 winning the Best Picture award, and the other two nominated for it (Godfather, The Conversation, Godfather 2, Dog Day Afternoon and The Deer Hunter). No one can claim that they only starred in 5 nominated movies…neither can he now, because he died way too young from bone cancer at 37, after the filming of “The Deer Hunter”.

In sum, the celebration of the wonders of the movies made me realize how disconnected Hollywood is from reality. Like most of the people in that room, the show was bloated with filler.

Lastly, I recently subscribed to Netflix for a free month to test their streaming video service. Since my kids control the TV, I needed a diversion from “Wizards of Waverly Place” and “Shake it Up”. I had the pleasure of watching a fine piece of film…Michael Caine in “Harry Brown”. This was an underplayed and under-appreciated film, probably spent a total of a week in independent theatres in Omaha. Nonetheless, it got pretty good reviews (three thumbs up by Ebert), and I was pleasantly surprised to stumble upon it.



“Harry Brown” is a cross between “Death Wish” and “Gran Torino”. This is a story about a man who cannot bear to see what has happened to his neighborhood, who has nothing else to lose, but who may not be physically or mentally capable of doing anything about it. The police certainly cannot, and Harry finds himself seeking to regain some minimal control in a society that is so recklessly out of control. The movie smolders with intensity, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. I give it a strong recommendation.

Until next time America…what’s it all about, Alfie?

The Best Way to Start Your Day...

While I ruminate on the loss of Robert Hegyes (“Epstein” from “Welcome Back Kotter”), and Whitney “Crack is Whack” Houston, let me share a few thoughts about breakfast foods. Thanks to Jordan Rich for having me on his show last weekend, where we spent hours discussing the callers’ favorite breakfast treats and places to eat. It seems that French toast was a big winner, and someone even called in about “scrapple” in Pittsburgh. “Scrapple” is the “Spam” of breakfast meats, and I use the word “meats” loosely…

As you all know, I grew up working at B.J.’s Diner (save the snickering for later). If there’s one thing I know, it’s how to make, and consume, a messy, heart-unhealthy breakfast. We weren’t serving massive “Man v. Food” style meals, but we were serving two eggs, bacon, ham or sausage, home-fries, toast and coffee for $1.99. After we sold out, I went corporate and worked at McDonald’s, and wouldn’t you know, I picked up the weekend breakfast shift. Despite the crappy hash brown potato patty, the eggs and sausage were real (or as close to “real” as any sausage could get).

With a sizeable amount of breakfast eating experience under (and hanging over) my belt, I recently embarked on Breakfast Quest 2011-2012. Here are some of my experiences…

First, we have to address the different types of breakfast dining establishments. For this quest, I ate at places ranging from local diners and dives, to exclusive, high-end hotels. While I really enjoy the greasy-spoon style breakfast, the more I reflect, the more I enjoy the hotel-style experience. Besides these, in the middle, you have the chains (Friendly’s, Denny’s and the king of kings…IHOP). I find the chains to have a more institutional feel, and taste, but some great dish names, like “Rootie Tootie Fresh and Fruity” and the “Grand Slamwich” (Two scrambled eggs, sausage, crispy bacon, shaved ham, mayonnaise and American cheese, on potato bread grilled with a maple spice spread. Served with crispy hash browns). Yes, Denny’s has now brought “heart-healthy” to their menu…

First…the “joints:

Sunny-Day Diner (Lincoln, NH)-this is a true diner…a small rail car greasy spoon, but one that had previously been featured on some local food shows. For years I wanted to try it, but never found the opportunity, until recently. The food was very typical, and to a certain extent, disappointing. I was expecting great things, and while it was fine, there was nothing to make my mind, or stomach explode. I’m glad we ate there, but I didn’t leave doing cartwheels, excited for finally fulfilling my diner desires there.


The English Muffin, (Hampstead, NH)-I eat at this small diner every last Wednesday morning in June, and have for the past 8 years, which happens to coincide with dropping the kids off at camp. Call it habit; call it a celebratory breakfast, but this is where we always end up. The food is fine…I have no real complaints, but Mrs. Palate and some other dining companions are usually underwhelmed. I do agree with Mrs. Palate that if you order a veggie omelet where the description says “grilled veggies”, they can at least cook them. At the English Muffin, “grilled” means “raw”. However, it is perfectly situated and starts our summer vacation off right.

Zaftig’s (Brookline and Natick, MA)-I like the Brookline location much more than the Natick one. More of a sit-down restaurant, for a traditional breakfast, bagel, cream cheese and lox, in a place pretending to be deli, then this is for you.

Maxie’s (Stoughton, MA)-I didn’t eat there for this quest, but as a tribute to my grandmother, I thought I’d just say one thing-“Kippers”. If you like salted fish with your breakfast (then again, we do eat lox), then Maxie’s is the place.

Kugels (Framingham, MA)-the location could not be worse, hidden around the side of a quiet Route 9 strip mall, but yet it still attracts a crowd on weekend mornings. It has the worst entry-way, and no place to wait (and there’s usually a wait for one of the 10 tables), but they import their bagels (from where, I don’t know), and the service is prompt. Greasy spoon with table service…not bad. Better than the Natick Zaftig’s.

Brittany’s Café (Lincoln, NH)-Inside the Kancamagus Motor Lodge, this was a pleasant discovery. With very low, and perhaps no, expectations, we ate there, and were thrilled with the service, quality of food, and clean atmosphere. We’ve been several times, and haven’t been disappointed. One of the few places we went that has “chicken sausage”, which was nice, because we don’t dig on swine.

J & M Diner (Framingham, MA)-another strange location, in a no-name strip plaza on Route 126 in Framingham. Despite it’s off-the-beaten-path location, in the good weather, there’s always a wait outside on the weekends, and the owners have been kind to put one bench outside, so everyone else standing around can give the sitters some serous stink-eye. It’s a small joint on the inside, with a mix of booths, tables and counter seats, but the food is decent. I am partial to corned beef hash, and they have some decent, right from the Hormel can, corned beef hash. One thing-they give you one small paper napkin when they seat you. Just one…and don’t dare ask for more!


Lloyd’s Diner (Framingham, MA)-this is as close to the old-school diner that you can get out here in the suburbs. As I previously wrote several years ago, under old management, it was only open about 15 minutes a week, and not consecutive! However, though the same ownership is in place, the current people running it realize that in order to make it work, you have to be open. The Senior Palate ranks this among his favorites, and as a former diner owner, and someone that eats breakfast out a lot, I have to put stock in his opinion. They give you a massive amount of greasy breakfast food and know you by name. Fresh, hot and bountiful, and that’s just the waitresses…the food is pretty good too, and we give it a strong recommendation.

For a more formal experience, there’s the hotel breakfasts. Having done some travelling, there were a few standouts…

Embassy Suites (Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada)-the nice thing about staying at the Embassy Suite is not just the extra space in the rooms (though the décor is a little industrial), it’s the extras factored into your price. With your stay, you get access to a “manager’s reception” in the afternoon (more like a “warden’s cattle call”) where they offer off-brand soft-drinks, alcoholic beverages, and snacks, but also the cattle-call breakfast buffet, with made-to-order omelets. I like this hotel, and the breakfast was ok, but as hotel breakfasts go, this was more industrial, steam-table cuisine compared to the others. However, when you have a busy day ahead, nothing gets you going and satisfies you more than a big breakfast. I’ll be staying at another Embassy Suites in Tampa in a couple of months, and will report back whether the experience is the same as Ontario…

Marriott Chateau Champlain (Montreal, Quebec, Canada)-zooming way, way up on the fanciness scale was the breakfast at the Marriott. This hotel is on the higher-end of the scale, and the restaurant serving breakfast was no different. The breakfast buffet and omelet station was very well-presented, with attentive staff help with juice, coffee and the like. It made it more palatable (pun intended) that the breakfasts for 9 of us were included in the price of the stay, but nonetheless, two delightful and satisfying experiences.

The Wentworth Hotel (Jackson, NH)-this was the apex of the various breakfast quests. No greasy spoon, this was the perfect combination of time, place, quality of food. Mrs. Palate and I stayed at The Wentworth 4 days last summer. As part of the package, breakfast is included. There is a very pleasant breakfast menu, served outdoors (weather permitting), which not only includes a made-to-order breakfast, but a lovely spread of continental pastries, as well as yogurt, fresh fruit, granola and fresh-squeezed juices. On a warm summer day at the foot of Mount Washington in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, the Wentworth is the best way to start your day.




In the breakfast spirit, as they say in Chicago…eat early, eat often.

dearly departed

Admittedly, for years, my favorite part of award shows, be it the Emmys, Golden Globes (no, I’m not referring to Lindsey Lohan’s recent Playboy photo shoot) or the Oscars, is the “In Memoriam” segment. I like to see who’s played their last scene in the movie of life. I took this to a much higher level several years ago, when I subscribed to “celebritydeathbeeper.com” which provides email or text messages when some celebrity, or quasi-celebrity fades away.

A friend of mine recently told me about a “death pool” at work. You need to list people you think will die this coming year, and if you’re right, at the end, you win some cash. While I’m not entering, I’m think after watching “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve”, Dick Clark has to be on everyone’s list. And maybe the aforementioned Ms. Lohan.

Reviewing a few of the names of the dearly departed from this past year…

Harry Morgan-in the M*A*S*H realm, you have the “Winchester v. Burns”, “Trapper John vs. B.J” and “Klinger vs. Radar” debates, but no debate is more active than “Col. Potter v. Col. Blake”. I, for one, am a huge Potter fan. I found McLean Stevenson’s portrayal of the civilian doctor unequipped to run an Army hospital funny, but unrealistically so. I found better humor in trying to integrate a career army doctor into running a hospital full of misfit conscribed doctors just trying to survive. To me, Harry Morgan was the consummate character actor, and his portrayal of Col. Potter was his all-time best.

Joe Frazier-“down goes Frazier, down goes Frazier”. An iconic expression arising from iconic battles between iconic fighters known only as “Ali” or “Frazier”. This was when boxing was a real sport and the fights lived up to the hype.

Andy Rooney-an ironic coincidence that he died only a week or so after his last show. Someone knew something, though his departure from the show came several years too late. Whenever he would begin “you ever wonder…” I would wonder why he’s on tv.

Al Davis-a bootstrapper who rose from the ranks of junior waterboy to coach/owner/ceo of the Oakland Raiders. A Jewish football legend that dressed like an 80 year old Boca Raton pimp.

Cliff Robertson-he was JFK and Uncle Ben, and I don’t mean the rice guy. “With great power comes great responsibility”.

Amy Winehouse-like a dog whistle, she was lost on me. A big “so what-no surprise”.

Sherwood Schwartz-the hero of my youth. Creator of Gilligan’s Island AND the Brady Bunch. Evil genius!

Betty Ford-I raise a glass in her honor.

Gil Scott-Heron-I still remember vividly his performance of “Johannesburg” on SNL back in the late 70s. “Say what’s the word? Johannesburg”. As I always say, “the revolution will not be televised”.

Randy “Macho Man” Savage-who’s gonna sell me my Slim-Jims? Ohhhh yeah!

Sidney Lumet-how can I not recognize this man for his contributions to this very blog. The director of “Network”, he made me mad as hell, and I’m not taking it anymore. “Attica, Attica…”

Gerry Rafferty-singer/songwriter-his “Baker Street” plays a prominent role in “Good Will Hunting” but whose “Stuck in the Middle With You” plays an even more prominent and scarier role in “Reservoir Dogs”.

Steve Jobs-who was this guy, and what did he do again? Changed the way we listen to music, the way we compute, the way we communicate…Oh yeah, changed the world.

Emptying out the file cabinet of my mind

Burlington Mall in Burlington, Massachusetts…surprisingly upscale and skeevy. I think there’s a line-up in front of Hagen Daaz.

Wondering why every food court purveyor is either fried food or some version of Asian cuisine. I've written this before that each food court is filled with the same stuff...is this what America has come to? Eating the same foods but with different names? Funny, the sample of bourbon chicken tastes the same as the sample of pineapple chicken, which tastes suspiciously like the sample of chicken teriyaki, which tastes the same as tangerine chicken, which tastes the same as blackened chicken. Wtf??? Is it just being cooked in a central commissary out of view? Certainly seems so, because that steam table cuisine tastes 3 days old.

Some weirdos hanging out at Barnes and Noble tonight in Burlington. The guy sitting next to me is breathing like Darth Vader, and when I pointed out that he dropped a twenty-dollar bill on the floor, he looked at me as if I told him his ass is hanging out. He's in his thirties, reading anime books...no surprise, single. In fact, he’s watching me type this…hello Darth…

The couple across from me should probably get a hotel room, or at least bring some birth control with them next time. They really should be sitting in the sexuality and health department, but they're putting on quite a demonstration tonight. Seriously, the guy was looking through a book on the Karma Sutra, and now apparently, he’s looking to act out each position, here in the café. The parents of a 13 year old girl sitting nearby are making her move. They may be calling the police too…

Is it strange that I'm in a bookstore reading a book on my iPad? How do these places stays in business? I think the clock is ticking, and the Nook isn’t going to rescue them.



Went to the new Wegmans in Northborough, MA tonight. Holy crap! Huge, daunting, and I probably need to go into training to take this place on. Haven’t been to too many supermarkets selling LA Crueset cookware and other fancy accoutrements. A lot of everything, and a food court and seating area that rivals most major malls. Here's a picture of my dinner. The closest to “food porn” I’ve come.

Love Pandora.com. Discovered some real gems from the 60s and 70s. Wondering why B.J. Thomas doesn’t get more respect. For serious pipes, listen to “Mighty Clouds of Joy” or “Most of All”. For that matter, John Denver has surprised me as well, and Pandora has solidified my respect for Judith Durham.

In a few weeks, I'll be back on the Jordan Rich sow, talking breakfast joints and our favorite wakeup foods. I've been eating more breakfasts lately, and have some thoughts to share, but feel free to write me, or to call in to the radio show on January 21 to talk about your favorites.

Remember, breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

Random Thoughts from a Cluttered Mind...

Because sometimes it's easier to rant than write...

Kosher Q

I thought some of you might like to go in the "way back" machine and listen to my appearance on LA Talk Radio about kosher bbq. Sit back and enjoy. It may take a while to load, so relax.