Boston Restaurant Reviews, Providence Restaurant Reviews


	S hssh! Don't tell anyone, but there is a place on the South Shore just outside Boston where Norman Rockwell rules and a sleepy sense of quieter times pervades the ocean air. Here the very idea of looking at your "crackberry" or obsessively checking your voice mail, fades with
the sounds of the seagulls overhead and the soothing whoosh of the ocean - this is so different from the frenetic Cape or the crowded islands. Where is this hideaway place? Well - surprise, it's Marshfield at Brant Rock beach area. We recently decided to visit the Fairview Inn and reacquaint ourselves with it's many charms. Driving along the narrow ocean side road leading to the Inn, tiny ocean side properties were everywhere. The busy locals were out and about enjoying the best of the summer. I couldn't resist pulling over a couple of blocks from the Inn to capture a picture of "Lobster Joe", an eccentric, but charming native of the town. Feeling oddly out of place with my camera, I was greeted by a steady stream of folks. They were all bent on convincing me that this was indeed the best place to live in New England and that the Fairview Inn (the new Fairview Inn as they call it) was a great place for a drink and a meal - and they proved to be right.



The Fairview Inn is just that, a renovated inn with an extremely pleasant view of the ocean. It's a fine building meticulously rebuilt after a fire by Paul Disch, about five years ago. There is a large deck with ocean views, a splendid bar and an open dining room. Upstairs are a number of bedrooms that offer extensive views of the ocean with nothing between them and Europe, other than a great deal of water. The food at Fairview is contemporary American with an eye to the season and comfort. The selection is good enough to please everyone and the portions are sensibly large, to fill even a hungry vacationer. We loved the bright airy dining room and the solid wall of windows that afforded a million dollar view from our table.


The Fairview team. They are a cheerful bunch of folks. Well trained and very friendly. Matches the place perfectly.
The staff at Fairview are young and disgustingly tanned, as is befitting a group who work on the ocean's edge. Bright friendly smiles and a jovial desire to please are the order of the day. The dining room is pretty sophisticated with white table cloths and an upscale feel. Our waitress, who had the advantage of being the boss' daughter was knowledgeable and helpful. The meal was a smooth progression of dish after dish with only the sigh of the waves to ease us gently from one delicious course to the next. Once our meal was over, we paused to eye the bar and stroll around the outside deck. Paul described some of the accommodations upstairs and we resolved to come back and spend more time for a relaxing weekend. As we walked to our car, literally basking in the late evening sun, Lobster Joe yelled a parting good bye. "See, I told ya'' it was the best," he bellowed and of course he was absolutely right!


Lindsay, our waitress was fun and friendly. She made sure that we had a great meal and dealt well with our requests. She was knowledgeable and helpful - as befits the owners daughter!
Wines:


The wine list was very reasonably priced with over sixty bottles to choose from. Prices ranged from $16 to $46. They also had over 20 wines by the glass, ranging from $5.29 to $9.25. The staff is quite knowledgeable and can make a recommendation to suit your taste.

Fantastically fresh tuna with a topping of ginger and soy sauce for dipping. Just the right amount of a great quality tuna - yum!

"Buffalo" Chicken Tenders served with blue cheese, celery and carrots. The sauce is made with honey, giving the tenders a sweet yet spicy flavor - a different twist on an old favorite.

Vine Ripened Tomato and Fresh Mozzarella. This fresh summer salad is served with a balsamic syrup and garlic croutons. The balsamic syrup was delicious and added a nice sweet flavor to the salad. The garlic croutons were actually toasted garlic and wow! did they add a garlic zip to the salad.

Iceberg Blue. This wedge of iceberg lettuce was topped with Fairview's own blue cheese dressing, crispy bacon bits, and chunks of Great Hill blue cheese. A fantastic blend of flavors with great tasting fresh blue cheese.

Panko Crusted Chicken. This was not your ordinary chicken cutlet. The panko breadcrumbs gave this tender chicken an extra crunchy crispness. The chicken was served with fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and mashed potatoes, topped with an herb Dijon sauce. The sauce was mild and added a nice fresh flavor to the chicken. The summer vegetables were cooked perfectly - tender crisp!

Jambalya. A restaurant favorite. This creole dish combines cooked rice with a variety of ingredients including tomatoes, onion, green peppers along with chicken and shrimp. The chicken was tender and the shrimp was not overcooked, nicely prepared. The dish had just enough spice to make it interesting.

Stuffed Atlantic Salmon. The salmon was stuffed with lump crabmeat, bay shrimp and Brie cheese, served with roasted Bliss potatoes and vegetables, and topped with a lemon butter sauce. The Brie added a subtle flavor and gave it a creamy texture. A very nice light blend of flavors.

Molten Chocolate Cake. The picture says it all and we here at the Restaurant Review can never resist a chocolate dessert. We ate every last crumb - just sinful!

White Chocolate Bread Pudding. This simple, delicious baked dessert which is made with cubes of bread and great spices, has a special added feature - white chocolate. It was just fantastic!

"Lobster Joe" a local with a bit of flair! Seen here basking in the evening sunshine and watching the world go by. Ask him why the hat and get a great story.