In 1988, my family and I ate dinner at D.W. Pizzeria at 78 D.W. Highway in Merrimack on its first day of operation under owners Dimitrios & Lisa. We enjoyed the family-run pizza shop’s food and friendly atmosphere so much, that we continued to go almost weekly for the next 10+ years. My father, who is a big advocate for good customer service, continued to go back not only for the food, but also because the owner, Dimitrios, always greeted us with a smile and, because he was always there, reassured my father that he was keeping track of what was going on in his kitchen. Dimitri even lived directly behind the pizzeria at the time (I’m not positive if he still does or not). However, since I went away to college and moved out of my parents’ home, I have not paid a visit to this hometown pizza shop in years; until last night. Excited to re-visit a childhood memory, I was severely disappointed by the lack of customer service and poor quality food. Instead of being greeted by Dimitri’s warm smile, I was welcomed…or not welcomed…by barely a smirk, and not an ounce of eye contact. Dimitri wasn’t anywhere in sight, either. To make matters worse, my large, half vegetarian, half cheese pizza was 2 minutes undercooked, and could have used a generous drizzle of olive oil and some garlic. Something on the veggie pizza (pretty sure it was the mushrooms) tasted like the smell of leather shoes, too. The fries, however, were perfectly crispy; but, unfortunately, they don’t call themselves “D.W. Fries.”

Giovanni’s Roast Beef & Pizza is coming to 14 Broad Street in Nashua at the end of November. The restaurant, which has been in business for about 15 years, has locations in Hooksett, Salem, Londonderry and, their newest location, Manchester. Now the restaurant is expanding into our neck of the woods, and will be offering the same menu to its new Nashua area customers. In addition to pizza, subs and sandwiches (especially their roast beef sandwiches), the menu also offers salads, calzones, pasta dishes, hamburgers, steak tips and wings, to name a few. At the existing locations, delivery is available as well as online ordering for additional convenience. No confirmation on if the same services will be offered in Nashua, but keep an eye on Giovanni’s website for further updates.

You’ve probably heard of The Loft in North Andover, Mass. on “Phantom Gourmet,” but looking at the restaurant and its food on the TV is nothing compared to actually being there. Located in a 160-year-old building, The Loft (located right next to Joe Fish) offers delicious comfort foods, steaks and seafood; to name a few. Our waitress, who also is a skilled bartender, even concocted a made-up martini just for me, because I was indecisive on what kind I wanted (my only requirement was vodka…and lots of it).

For dinner, I ordered the Crab Haddock Casserole ($18.99) with steak fries and white & green string beans as my sides (other sides include mashed potatoes, baked potato, a house salad, rice pilaf and cole slaw). The casserole was made up of fresh, flaky haddock baked with crab stuffing and lobster cream sauce, sprinkled with buttery cracker crumbs. The dish was filling, without giving me that I-feel-like-I-just-ate-Thanksgiving-dinner pain, and the thick-cut fries were perfectly salted and successfully fried (crispy outside; soft inside). The martini wasn’t half bad either.

The Loft is located at 1140 Osgood Street in North Andover.

Wine is to food what peanut butter is to jelly: the two are just meant to be together. At IncrediBREW in Nashua, the pairing of these two items is highly praised, and extremely successful.

Last week, I attended a Wine Pairing at IncrediBREW, expecting a few homemade wines and a snack or two. To my extreme pleasure (especially considering I was starving after a long day of work filled with handfuls of office candy and caffeine), plates full of appetizer-sized dishes had been prepared by a culinary school graduate employee of IncrediBREW. To make the smile on my face even wider: the “menu” for the pairing included 6 kinds of wine, plus a Chocolate Raspberry Tiramisu for dessert, where the ladyfingers were soaked in homemade Chocolate Raspberry Port (instead of the standard espresso).

The hosts for the evening (including the employee who prepared all the food) were very informative about each kind of wine, and why it paired so well with the specific piece of food. My favorite pairing of the night: the German Riesling Auslese, paired with corn, avocado and shrimp on top of a spicy tortilla chip.

Bottles of each wine were even available for purchase after the pairing. The night also only cost me $15 - the average price of one bottle of wine, yet I got a full meal on top of it. Not a bad Thursday night.

Caesar’s Pizza on Lowell Street in Nashua has a new owner, who plans to make some additions to their already successful menu. After a simple phone call to the restaurant, which was formerly Olive ‘N Herb, I was informed that a new-and-improved menu will be offered to diners in the next few weeks. Entrees such as meat loaf and American chop suey will be just a few of the new items Caesar’s will be serving up, and catering services are also going to be available in the near future. Another pleasant change: Caesar’s has a full bar in their new pub/lounge, offering beer, wine and liquor.

Not in the mood for Italian? Check out some local sushi places.

Casa Blanca Mexican Restaurant & Cantina in Bedford, as well as North Andover and Billerica, Mass., offers strong margaritas and a friendly waitstaff…and, unfortunately, generic Mexican food.

I had lunch recently at the location in North Andover, and was immediately surprised that the complimentary salsa looked like it came out of a supermarket brand jar. The chips were warm and fresh, but didn’t help mask the taste of the bland, not-so-fresh salsa. Casa Blanca’s ultimate margarita was outstanding, however; and will knock you on your feet if you have more than one, like me. Just beware: one pitcher will cost you $36.

For lunch, I ordered the Chicken Flautas, as I normally do when I go out for Mexican; and, again, I was disappointed. The flautas were tapa-sized and smothered in an unnecessary amount of Feta cheese, with fast food-style guacamole, rice and beans on the side. Not worth the $11. Even the lettuce and tomato it came with did not look or taste fresh. Fortunately by this point, my margarita helped make the dish somewhat satisfying.

Huckleberry’s Bakery & Cafe in Pennichuck Square offers bakery items, a full breakfast, and a delicious-looking lunch/dinner menu, but their Saturday morning offerings for baked goods are scarce and unexciting in taste.

Huckleberry’s atmosphere is homey and clean, and the restaurant even offers outside seating. The menu is extensive, offering everything from chocolate chip pancakes in the morning to burgers, thick cut fries and Shaine’s of Maine ice cream for lunch, dinner or dessert. The family-run bakery and cafe has been open since May, but on a recent Saturday morning (before 9 a.m.) the place only had a few muffins and cookies to offer breakfast-on-the-go customers. I opted for the mixed berry muffin, which was large in size, with huge, fresh berries scattered all over the top; but, unfortunately, the berries were nowhere to be found inside. The muffin also tasted more like a cupcake, making it hard to eat the entire thing without feeling slightly nauseous. To wash it down, I tried a regular iced coffee (although they had a variety of flavors), and was disappointed again. Although the coffee was strong (which I like), it was also burnt; and for the first few sips, I felt like I was drinking a liquid cigarette.

At Villa Banca, they like to feed you, and feed you well! I dinned there for the first time last week, and found that I was full only after a few bites, and had to take my generous helping of food home! I went to Villa Banca on a Saturday evening, and found that I was plesantly surprised! Not only was the food great, but the live entertainment was as well! The music was as enthalling as the menu!

As the band played, I feasted on the Lobster cake, along with Marsala, a Scalpoppini dish sauteed with mushrooms, served with garolic mashed potatoes. It was exqusite! I was very impressed; Villa Banca is truly upscale dining at it’s finest!

On a Friday night, I hit the town with a few friends to experience a night of fine dinning at Michael Timothy’s. Downtown Nashua lit up, and the sound of jazz was in the air. Michael Timothy’s is the perfect bistro to dine at; there you can expect to experience the best food and live entertainment.

The soothing jazz, adorned with a tasty meal, was enough to make any one escape to cloud nine. I ordered the delicious summer shrimp scampi, a divine dish sauteed with zuchinni, cherry tomatoes, corn on the cob, red onions and cauliflower. To top it off, I ordered the sorbet with fresh berries. Yum! As the jazz played, I continued to eat, and I melted away. . . Nothing like escaping to the land of no return at Michael Timothy’s!