Incontro, Franklin MA

I love going out to lunch. Especially when it means I can go to a restaurant that would typically be a splurge for dinner, and get an equally delicious meal for about half the price. That’s exactly what I was treated to last week when Scott and I found ourselves sans baby for an afternoon – the perfect excuse for an impromptu lunch date.

A spot that’s been around since 2004, Incontro is a bit of a hidden gem tucked away on a side street off of Route 140. Housed in a renovated mill, charm hits you from the start as you walk in the two-story stone clad entrance. Inside, you walk past freshly baked breads and an open-style kitchen to dark mahogany wooden tables and big, comfy, circular booths. The dining room welcomes you with a sort of North End meets upscale steakhouse feel. And that’s just the main dining room. Upstairs is an expansive lounge, complete with a dining room for private parties, sitting areas adorned with leather chairs, and a wrap around bar with huge LCD televisions. Oh, and did I mention the entire side of the second floor that’s dedicated to the avid pool player? As if that’s not enough, head back downstairs and you can take advantage of the outdoor patio which seats about 50, and according to our waiter, is a hot commodity (pardon the pun) on a nice summer day.

We’ve been to Incontro before. Pizza and drinks in the lounge (roasted pepper, sausage and ricotta pizza is my favorite) to appetizers on the patio (the site of our first “date” after Matthew was born), so we knew the food was good. But we hadn’t been for lunch in a while. Word to the wise – don’t be misled by the extensive lunch menu posted on Incontro’s website. The current lunch menu is much shorter, complimented by a few daily specials and the full dinner menu.

Unexpected menu changes aside, our meal proved to be delightful. Scott had an herb grilled chicken panini with fresh mozzarella and marinara, served with toasty French fries dusted with parmesan and rosemary (T3 - Taste Tested by Tatum!). As for me, I took a chance on one of the daily specials, the lobster roll.

I say “took a chance” because I’m always cautious about a lobster roll. I often get my hopes up and then end up disappointed when I get an uncooked hotdog bun with lots of mayo and bits of previously frozen lobster here and there. But not at Incontro. The bun was buttery and grilled just right. And there was so much fresh lobster (with little room for mayonnaise) that I actually took half of it home with me.

We’ve been there frequently enough that I can say with confidence service at Incontro is hit or miss. Especially in the lounge upstairs, service tends to be…um… sparse. Same goes for the restaurant’s lunch crowd – at noon, we were among only a handful of tables. But our lunchtime server was very attentive and friendly, and promised that if I didn’t like my lobster roll he would eat it for me J.

The tab:

Atmosphere – 7 (great setting, but no real lunch crowd)
Service – 7
Food Quality - 8
Presentation - 8
Average Entree Price - $10 - $15 (lunch)
Kid factor – 5 (they may be welcome, but I've been there often, and have never seen children)
Restaurant Website: http://www.incontrorestaurant.com/

Alicante Mediterranean Grille, Mendon MA

Located on Nipmuc Pond in Mendon, Alicante is one of the few waterfront restaurants in the area - and that's what initially drew us to the place. We've been there a few times, so we knew it was a safe bet for a long overdue date night.

Saturday at 7pm, though, presents a unique challenge for diners. The restaurant - with it's great location and elegant, yet lively, atmosphere is a prime destination for couples in the area. Unless you have a party of six or more, though, you can't make a reservation. So, after handing the keys over to the complimentary valet (if you see the parking situation, you'll understand why they have free valet), we were told we would have a 30-45 minute wait.

No problem! Trying to ignore the babysitter time clock ticking in my head, we hit the bar for a drink. As luck would have it, we scored two seats at the bar, and decided to eat there instead of waiting for a table. After all, we'd eaten in the dining room before, so we were up for a change of scenery.

In a nutshell, everything we had experienced in our last few visits to Alicante carried over to the bar: delicious food, great views, and a good mix of people dressed to impress. The only difference? The service. In the dining room, service is impeccable, with a minimum of two servers taking care of every table. In the bar, it took us a full five minutes (which when you're sitting at a bar, without a drink, feels more like 25) to get the attention of one of the three not-so-busy bartenders. And once we finally did get our drink order in, it took another five to get the dinner menus we had requested. Ugh - this could be painful.

But it's our date night, and I'm not going to let this get in the way of us having a nice dinner out. So, onto the food. The menu at Alicante is very extensive, and there are always three or four specials that consistently sound great. Decisions, decisions.

I started with a bowl of the lobster bisque. Great flavor, with good chunks of lobster throughout, and a few garlicky croutons on top to add some crunch. Scott opted to nosh on the popular bar snacks- freshly baked potato "chips". Imagine Cape Cod chips, slightly warm and still a bit chewy. Addictive.

For entrees, Scott chose one of the specials, a 16 oz. NY Strip (yes, I said 16), served with kicked up steak fries and fresh sauteed veggies (zucchini, carrots, summer squash). Presentation was impressive and the steak, while a tad overcooked, was full of flavor. And for me, the paella. Mussels, clams, shrimp, scallops and lobster, all served over saffron rice. Presentation brought a major wow factor - topped off by the server dishing out the mixture table (or bar)side. My only complaint? The saffron rice lacked the toasty bottom authentic paella's known for, and the lobster is deceiving. It comes out looking like a half lobster, but you quickly realize that it's just a small, half tail among a lot of shell.

A couple of glasses of the house pinot noir, a very good meal, and we're a pretty happy couple that's all but forgotten about the less than desirable bar service. Chances are we'll be back again for more.

The tab:
Atmosphere - 7.5
Service - 8 in dining room. 6 in the bar. On average, 7
Food Quality - 7.5
Presentation - 8
Average Entree Price - $21-$25
Kid factor - 6 (no kid menu, and no kids in sight on a Saturday)

Restaurant Website: http://www.alicantema.com/