I’m Irish, therefore I’m extra critical of Irish pubs and the authentic meals they prepare. In this area, Peddler’s Daughter has always done it right. They not only know how to pour a Guinness, but their Irish Curry Stew, Shepard’s Pie, and Fish & Chips have always been cooked to St. Patrick-perfection. The other night, I met a good friend of mine from college at Peddler’s for a few Shipyard pumpkin brews and food, and I decided to stray from the Irish fare and go for an old-fashioned American sandwich: the Grilled Chicken Panini. Pressed between a fresh baguette was a thick slab of moist chicken, smoked bacon, cheddar cheese, and basil mayo. Without the dressed up mayonnaise, this sandwich could have easily been B-O-R-I-N-G, but the extra flavor from the basil made it something special. On the side, I had a generous portion of Peddler’s thick-cut French fries, which were well salted and came with homemade ketchup. My only gripe: the ketchup had the consistency of salsa versus smooth and creamy catsup. The chunky condiment also made it hard to dip the fries into it successfully. The meal overall was good and worth ordering again, but when at Peddler’s, I’m sticking to the Irish food next time.

I may be behind the foodie times - is it possible? - but I just got wind that Sopranos Pizzeria on Main Street (owned by the same masterminds behind The Pizza Man in Merrimack) has a few new specialty pizzas on their menu. Now again, this might not be breaking news for everybody, but it is for me, and trust me when I say I’m excited. The three new entries on the popular pizza joint’s menu are: chicken bacon ranch, chicken broccoli alfredo, and potato bacon. In other words, heart attacks on crust, but it’s pizza - why try and make it healthy when, sometimes, it should just be bad for you? The chicken bacon ranch, for instance, substitutes sauce for ranch dressing, and is then topped with crispy chicken cutlets, bacon, and mountains of cheese. You can even order the pie buffalo or barbeque style. The potato bacon ranch just sounds like carbohydrate heaven, and includes both sauce and ranch dressing. I might be getting heartburn just thinking about it, but these pies I’ve got to try.

Anyone tried a slice of one of Sopranos’ new creations yet?

I know I’ve complained about Starbucks before (and probably will again), but lately, Starbucks has been kicking Dunkin’ Donuts’ butt. I’ll swing the extra buck or two any day for strong coffee and (usually) good customer service. My current love for Starbucks began several weeks ago when I finally discovered that you could enjoy their pumpkin iced coffee without having to order their sickly sweet pumpkin spice latte. Now, I order a venti iced coffee with a shot of pumpkin syrup. Not only is it the perfect balance of pumpkin and coffee flavors, but it’s also almost half the price of the pumpkin spice latte. Compared to Dunkins, Starbucks also has a wider variety of breakfast options, and now that I’m having to grab breakfast on the go several days a week, I don’t want to have to choose between just a bagel, a muffin, or a doughnut. Starbucks has breakfast wraps, yogurt with granola, fruit cups, and not-so-waist-friendly baked goods, like banana bread and coffee cake. For the fall season, to accompany their pumpkin coffee, Starbucks is even offering items like pumpkin scones and pumpkin cream cheese muffins. If Starbucks keeps this up, America could be running on their coffee before we know it. Plus, the baristas at Starbucks listen; they haven’t messed up my coffee order once yet.

Which do you prefer - Starbucks or Dunkins?

Sadly, it’s almost time to forget about fresh, salt water seafood and focus on warm, comforting meals for the autumn season. But seafood and summer fans alike can hold on to the warm weather season for a few extra days thanks to Saffron Bistro. On September 28th, seafood lovers can enjoy 5 courses and a dessert at the fixed price of $60. The five course meal begins with a raw Nantucket Oyster floating in a house made Bloody Mary shot, followed by a Lobster Johnny Cake and Pan Roasted Skate wing, made with Parisian gnocchi, corn, tomato, basil and a reduced balsamic glaze. The third course will be Little Neck Clams, followed by Grilled Line Caught Swordfish served with four grain salad, melted lemon and green onion butter with toasted leeks. To wash this sea-inspired dinner down, Saffron will be serving Passion Fruit Sorbet to cleanse dinner guests’ palates after the big meal. Basically, this is your last chance to enjoy the flavors of summer before Fall completely takes over.

The first ever Wicked Wine and Brew Fest, held at Mel’s Funway Park in Litchfield on Saturday, was a great event, despite the rainy weather and the minor initial-event-mishaps. The beer and wine tasting options were various, including Pumpkin Ale from Shipyard and Green Apple Riesling from IncrediBREW’s Grape Time Winery, and although the lines were long, they moved swiftly. My favorite tasting of the day was Silver Mountain Ciders’ wines of Lempster, N.H. They let me try a sample of each of their featured wines, including the Blueberry Apple, Traditional Hard Cider, and the Apple Wine with Grape Brandy that would knock any wine-o on the floor

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The tents kept all of the attendees dry from the unfortunately wet weather, and The Sausage King of Nashua as well as Woodman’s Seafood & Grill were on hand to provide tasters with some munchies. I attended the event with my non-meat-eating boyfriend, and although we hit up the True Nut Company’s tasty almond concoctions several times throughout the day (their Maple Basil Almonds are a must try), the rest of the food selection was meat-only (and mostly fried). After we did our beer rounds, we decided to walk over to Woodman’s sit-down restaurant, right at Mel’s Tee Off, before hitting the wine tables. We opted for the grilled cheese with fries and a side of onion rings - the only vegetarian-friendly items listed on the menu, besides the garden salad we noticed later. Another small downside to the event: you could barely hear the live music provided by the bands Rise! and Tore Down House when you were waiting in line under the tents. Overall, the tasting was a great success and a lot of fun, and we were able to try a variety of local brews and wines without waiting in line for hours. What was your favorite part of the Wicked Wine and Brew Fest?

Got vodka? Some competing downtown restaurants in Nashua do. In addition to their wine nights during the week, Black Orchid Grille and Unum’s are now devoting another day of the week to martinis for a more intense after work stress reliever. This Wednesday, Black Orchid is holding their first Martini Sampling Night where cocktail sippers pay a mere $2 for a 2 oz. tasting. Attendees can try just one tini, or all five that will be offered that night. This week’s menu includes: Dragon’s Kiss, made with Bacardi Dragon Berry Rum, lemonade, strawberry puree, and a splash of club soda, as well as La Pear Martini, with St. Germain Elderberry Liqueur, Grey Goose La Poire, pear puree and champagne. The tasting is from 6 to 8 p.m., and will be held the second Wednesday of every month from here on out.

Not too far down the road from Black Orchid’s, Unum’s will soon be holding “Tini” Thursdays, where the restaurant will be infusing vodka with various ingredients like fresh fruit and hot peppers, and will be selling the cocktails at a discounted price. Unums will even start showcasing fruit infused vodka martinis, and will select two cocktails each week where $1 of the proceeds will be contributed to Breast Cancer or Alzheimer’s research in honor of co-owner Karen Williams’ parents. Drinking vodka for a good cause? Count me in!

Labor Day weekend may mark the…dare I say it?…end of summer (or what we’ve had of one), but Express Cafe on Main Street isn’t ready to say goodbye yet. On Wednesday, September 9th, downtown Nashua’s newest coffee spot will be holding Lobster Day. The all day event will celebrate one of summer’s most popular crustaceans with dishes like Fresh Lobster Chowder, Lobster Salad Wraps, and Lazy Lobster Paninis. The Cafe has yet to create a website, but I recently wrote an article for Feast about their paninis, and trust me when I say owner Raidah Alawam knows how to make a mean panini. Her chowder and her wraps, however, have yet to be tasted (and thus judged) by this customer. What’s your review of Express Cafe?

Good news, fellow foodies: Nashua’s got a few new restaurants we can try. First up: Meena’s Kitchen, at 113 West Pearl Street, which serves vegetarian-friendly Indian cuisine, and even offers a lunch buffet. Steamed dosas, chapati, and masala chai…oh my! Next door to Meena’s will be Pearl Street Pizza which is slated to open in the very near future, with plans to feature live entertainment with their pizzas, sandwiches and calzones.

Finally, the infamous, after-bar meat cart has a new retail location right on Main Street, too. The Sausage King of Nashua, Ed Canto, left his street cart behind for a permanent downtown spot, and will be open until 3 a.m. on select nights.

Anybody tried Meena’s Kitchen yet?

If you’re a hippie and/or like disco music, get ready to celebrate: The City Room Cafe on W. Pearl Street will be holding a “Seventies Saturday” party tomorrow from 6:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The cafe will be featuring a 70’s style menu with some old favorites from the flower power decade. Come dressed in your best retro gear, too, because the customer with the best outfit wins a $50 gift certificate toward a future visit to The City Room. Customers can even participate in 70’s trivia while enjoying music from the decade. If the rain decides not to show up tomorrow, some customers will even be showing off their classic 70’s cars. Want to show yours too? Bring it, and receive 15% off The City Room Cafe’s menu. While you’re gettin’ your groove on, don’t forget about their food: try one of their omelettes, crepes or deli sandwiches.