Swanton Street Diner, Winchester
Oct. 9th, 2011 09:13 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bex77 I found a wonderful restaurant! If you're looking for delicious food at reasonable prices with great service, Swanton Street Diner is the place. It's like a diner with folksy people and a simple setting, but the food includes diner staples and several much more upscale choices. It is open 7 days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
How did I end up in Winchester?
The Boston Hidden Restaurants guy frothed about this place. I know it seems like a far and distant land for most of you, but it's not that far from Cambridge/Somerville/Arlington. It only takes me 20 minutes from my house. There's free parking on the street or in a lot behind it.
Service
The waitresses will remember you. They offer advice if you ask. They keep the water glass filled. They come back often to see how everything is. This is real service. If you get Maureen, tell her I sent you!
Their menu is not online yet (I'm working on it!) so N. posted it on his web site. Be amazed at the wide range of choices and the prices.
http://tinyurl.com/SwantonStreetDiner-Menu
N. and I have tried the following dishes:
Appetizers
(we have only tried one, because you get so much food with the free bread and the entrees with sides are large)
Black Bean and cheese dip with housemade tortilla chips, salsa and sour cream - the chips are unique, light and layered, more like filo that regular chips. And the dip is wicked cheesy. Yum.
Soups
How can you not love a crock of onion soup for $2.49? It's a hearty soup with lots of onions, croutons and cheese. The lobster bisque is tasty and the clam chowder the thicker kind. Yum. They have a soup of the day, usually chicken vegetable, that I haven't tried.
Salad -
Love their Caesar! It's the wetter kind, lots of very fresh lettuce, garlic and croutons and cheese. And it's huge. Plan to share! Yum.
Entrees
Everything comes with a side and a garden salad. We've skipped the salad every time except one in preference for the Caesar. The salad is fine, but they only offer two dressing choices - balsamic vinaigrette and blue cheese. They're okay but neither are my favorites.
Seafood risotto is filled with LOBSTER, scallops, shrimp and calamari! The portion is huge and it's perfectly cooked. Stellar!
Salmon napoleon - two huge slabs of perfectly cooked, moist fish with pineapple salsa and a bbq plum sauce. Fabulous!
Center Cut Pork Chops - 2 huge chops with applesauce. I chose rice pilaf and sauteed squash. Both fresh and delicious.
Grilled swordfish - just as it should be
Fisherman's plate - actually a casserole with shrimp, scallops and fish in ritz crumbs and butter. Yummy over rice.
Vinegar pepper pork chops - huge chops smothered in peppers and potatoes - very tangy, special prep
Shepherd's Pie - very cheesy, mashed potatoes with not a lot of meat on the bottom but tasty comfort food
Steak tips - the marinated kind, fine but not spectacular.
Lobster roll - (lunch only) a grilled hot dog bun overstuffed with huge chunks and little else
Pizza is fine. I am more of a crispy crust person and theirs is doughy, but the toppings were yummy. It just seems odd to order pizza in a place with so many choices that are more special.
I wanted to try the turkey dinner but they were out the one night I ordered it. I'm intrigued by the lobster pizza and the wild mushroom ravioli, which the reviews all mention, but haven't gotten to them yet. The beef wellington looks great but is a wee but pricey.
There's not a lot of choices for vegetarians, but there are some like veggie risotto. I don't drink liquor, but they have a basic selection of wine and beers.
So the next time you're looking for a good meal and a little drive, motor along the Mystic Valley Parkway, enjoy the view of the lakes and then continue into Winchester!
How did I end up in Winchester?
The Boston Hidden Restaurants guy frothed about this place. I know it seems like a far and distant land for most of you, but it's not that far from Cambridge/Somerville/Arlington. It only takes me 20 minutes from my house. There's free parking on the street or in a lot behind it.
Service
The waitresses will remember you. They offer advice if you ask. They keep the water glass filled. They come back often to see how everything is. This is real service. If you get Maureen, tell her I sent you!
Their menu is not online yet (I'm working on it!) so N. posted it on his web site. Be amazed at the wide range of choices and the prices.
http://tinyurl.com/SwantonStreetDiner-Menu
N. and I have tried the following dishes:
Appetizers
(we have only tried one, because you get so much food with the free bread and the entrees with sides are large)
Black Bean and cheese dip with housemade tortilla chips, salsa and sour cream - the chips are unique, light and layered, more like filo that regular chips. And the dip is wicked cheesy. Yum.
Soups
How can you not love a crock of onion soup for $2.49? It's a hearty soup with lots of onions, croutons and cheese. The lobster bisque is tasty and the clam chowder the thicker kind. Yum. They have a soup of the day, usually chicken vegetable, that I haven't tried.
Salad -
Love their Caesar! It's the wetter kind, lots of very fresh lettuce, garlic and croutons and cheese. And it's huge. Plan to share! Yum.
Entrees
Everything comes with a side and a garden salad. We've skipped the salad every time except one in preference for the Caesar. The salad is fine, but they only offer two dressing choices - balsamic vinaigrette and blue cheese. They're okay but neither are my favorites.
Seafood risotto is filled with LOBSTER, scallops, shrimp and calamari! The portion is huge and it's perfectly cooked. Stellar!
Salmon napoleon - two huge slabs of perfectly cooked, moist fish with pineapple salsa and a bbq plum sauce. Fabulous!
Center Cut Pork Chops - 2 huge chops with applesauce. I chose rice pilaf and sauteed squash. Both fresh and delicious.
Grilled swordfish - just as it should be
Fisherman's plate - actually a casserole with shrimp, scallops and fish in ritz crumbs and butter. Yummy over rice.
Vinegar pepper pork chops - huge chops smothered in peppers and potatoes - very tangy, special prep
Shepherd's Pie - very cheesy, mashed potatoes with not a lot of meat on the bottom but tasty comfort food
Steak tips - the marinated kind, fine but not spectacular.
Lobster roll - (lunch only) a grilled hot dog bun overstuffed with huge chunks and little else
Pizza is fine. I am more of a crispy crust person and theirs is doughy, but the toppings were yummy. It just seems odd to order pizza in a place with so many choices that are more special.
I wanted to try the turkey dinner but they were out the one night I ordered it. I'm intrigued by the lobster pizza and the wild mushroom ravioli, which the reviews all mention, but haven't gotten to them yet. The beef wellington looks great but is a wee but pricey.
There's not a lot of choices for vegetarians, but there are some like veggie risotto. I don't drink liquor, but they have a basic selection of wine and beers.
So the next time you're looking for a good meal and a little drive, motor along the Mystic Valley Parkway, enjoy the view of the lakes and then continue into Winchester!
