Mar 182018
 

Are you hungry? And we mean not only hungry for something to eat but hungry to try something new? Then you have come to the right place. For 10 exciting days, Salem’s diverse dining venues literally throw open the doors and invite you to enjoy some of their best offerings at unbeatable prices. The occasion? Well, of course, it is Salem Spring Restaurant Week.  Runs Sunday, March 18 – Thursday, March 22 and then again Sunday, March 25 – Thursday, March 29.

Expect a wide variety of delicious foods – from steak to seafood, American to ethnic, there is something for everyone. Restaurants offer multiple choices for appetizers, entrees as well as desserts.

If you go to a different establishment each night during Salem Spring Restaurant Week, you still won’t see them all! Please note the list of restaurants below is not final, they are subject to change.

Adriatic Restaurant and Bar – Click here for menu
155 Washington Street, Salem, MA – (978) 594-1832
Click here to make a reservation.

A warm interior and excellent cuisine—a winning combination that defines the Adriatic Restaurant & Bar. The brick oven pizzas are always a hit, and imaginative libations entice customers to come back time and again. Excellent market-fresh fish dishes inspired by regions surrounding the Adriatic Sea give this Mediterranean eatery something to boast about. A lengthy wine list featuring imported varietals and blends bring every meal’s flavors to fore and make patrons hunger for more.

Beerworks No. 2 Salemclick here for menu
Offering 2 course menu for $20
278 Derby Street, Salem, MA – (978) 745-2337

Located in Historic Downtown Salem since 1996, Salem Beer Works has something for everyone. With 15 freshly brewed beers on tap each day, guests enjoy the seasonal patio (weather permitting) and proximity to the Salem waterfront.   Whether you’re visiting from out of town, or live in the area, Salem Beer Works is the place to go for good food, good beer and good times.

Bella Veronaclick here for menu
Offering 3 course menu for $30
107 Essex Street, Salem, MA – (978) 825-9911

Chef-owner Giorgio Manzana hails from Lake Garda Italy in the Provence of Verona and has a hotel-restaurant background that goes back over 35 years. Bella Verona enjoys catering to their clients, creating new dishes and continuing the simple good and authentic home-style cooking of Manzana’s region as well as other parts of Italy. As an Italian restaurant in the heart of Salem, they will bring you back to Verona, the home of Romeo and Juliet, to lose yourselves in the atmosphere and excellent food. In keeping to their traditional roots, they offer creative options with homemade pastas, and great daily specials.

BonChonclick here for menu
Offering 3 course menu for $20
299 Essex Street, Salem, MA – (978) 594-8256

“Bonchon” means “my hometown” in Korean. True to their original roots, Bonchon Downtown Salem is a family friendly establishment, offering an affordable casual dining experience along with lively atmosphere.  Enjoy the flavorful chicken wings that are their signature dish and then wash that down with a local Notch brew.

Finz Seafood & Grill click here for menu
Offering 3 course menu for $30
76 Wharf Street, Salem, MA – (978) 744-0000
Click here to make a reservation.

Innovative and inspired menus, fresh raw bar, and a carefully chosen wine list all lead to an extraordinary dining experience at Finz. Our menu emphasizes creatively prepared fresh seasonal seafood. Our raw bar offers the freshest local oysters, clams, chilled lobster, colossal crab and jumbo shrimp. With indoor and outdoor waterfront dining, Finz is a great place to relax and enjoy outstanding food and drinks. Zagat’s rated Finz Seafood & Grill one of the Top 10 Waterfront restaurants in New England.

Firenze Trattoria – different selections nightly!
Offering 3 course menu for $30
2 Lynde Street, Salem, MA – (978) 219-1188

Firenze Trattoria is chef Zamir Kociaj’s way of sharing his passion for the authentic tastes of Firenze with the historic town of Salem. Merging years of experience with a neighborhood vibe, Firenze Trattoria is the perfect place to celebrate the simple moments with loved ones and friends while dining on delectable Italian fare.

Jami’s Kitchenclick here for menu
Offering 2 course menu for $20
2 Bridge Street, Salem, MA – (978) 740-4619

Located on the line between beautiful Beverly and Salem, Massachusetts, on the sunny side of the Salem bridge, Jami’s Kitchen serves its patrons in the New England tradition; presenting great food, fine beer and entertainment for locals and visitors alike. Our outdoor bar has spectacular views of the waterfront and offers harbor breezes, cool drinks and spirited conversation. We’re proud to welcome you, your friends, and your family of our comfortable kitchen!

Ledger Restaurant & Bar click here for menu
Offering 3 course menu for $30
125 Washington Street Salem, MA – (978) 594-1908
Click here to make reservations on Open Table.

Ledger, located in the former Salem Savings Bank building (circa 1818), opened just this year by chef-owner Matt O’Neil and is already being touted by Zagat as one of the six sexiest new restaurants in Boston! Ledger is known for its progressive New England concept of traditional 19th-century dishes, cocktails, and techniques that are elevated with 21st-century resources. This is high-style cuisine, whether it’s the artful plating of each colorful dish or the creative take on wood-fired dishes, house-made charcuterie, and raw bar items.

Life Aliveclick here for menu
Offering 4 course menu for $20
281 Essex Street, Salem, MA – (978) 677-8518

Want to enjoy a healthy meal that will make you feel good about eating? Look no further than Life Alive! Life Alive is devoted to making nourishing and delicious meals that are full of pleasure. Take pleasure and comfort in knowing that they are devoted to the vitality of our bodies, communities, and earth.

Longboards Restaurant & Barclick here for menu
Offering 3 course menu for $20
72 Wharf St, Salem, MA – (978) 745-6659

Located on Pickering Wharf, Longboards Restaurant & Bar serves up award-winning sandwiches, lobster rolls and their new signature flatbreads, all with the promise that you won’t leave hungry. Longboards is your staple neighborhood bar with a full bar and a great list of local beers – check them out during your favorite game or come grab a drink and dinner with some friends!

Nat’s at the Hawthorne Hotelclick here for menu
Offering 3 course menu for $30
18 Washington Street, Salem, MA – (978) 825-4300
Click here to make reservations on Yelp.

For an unforgettable fine dining experience in Salem, enjoy the ambiance, warmth and hospitality of award-winning seasonal cuisine from Nathaniel’s restaurant. The menu features contemporary dining in a historic setting, while offering a carefully crafted wine menu and scrumptious desserts that will complete any night out or special occasion.

Opusclick here for menu
Offering 3 course menu for $30
87 Washington Street, Salem, MA – (978) 744-9600

With what can only be described as a maverick kitchen, Opus’ cuisine boasts unexpected flavor combinations that simply taste amazing. The restaurant’s dynamic sushi team draws on both east and western influences to create sushi rolls that are truly unique. The upstairs dining room is centered around an oversized, glowing glass bar where guests can meet for a drink or enjoy a three-course meal. Downstairs, in Opus Underground, guests can enjoy nightly entertainment in a Moroccan-inspired space filled with cozy seating and thought-out details. Opus is a go-to destination for live music, dinner, and cocktails seven days a week.

Regatta Pub at the Waterfront Hotel
225 Derby Street, Salem, MA – (978) 740-8788

The Regatta offers casual dining with flair. Try their signature “Regatta Blue” martini with your favorite burger or fresh seafood with a glass of chilled wine. The Regatta Pub offers an eclectic choice of appetizers, salads, sandwiches, and entrees in a relaxed and nautical inspired atmosphere, or chose to dine outside on their patio, weather permitting.

Rockafellasclick here for menu
Offering both 2 course menu for $20 and 3 course menu for $30
231 Essex Street, Salem, MA – (978) 745-2411

Rockafellas established a new tradition in dining in the center of historic Salem in 2003. As the most delicious occupant of the renowned Daniel Low Building, Rockafellas restaurant follows several other institutions of reputation including a department store, a bank (the vault now stores wines) and one of the first churches in America. Their menu features fresh seafood and Black Angus steaks and offers everything from burgers and salads and tapas to gourmet presentations. The wait staff assures a relaxed atmosphere where everyone feels at home.

Sea Level Oyster Barclick here for menu
Offering 3 course menu for $30
94 Wharf Street, Salem, MA – (978) 741-0555
Click here to make reservations.

Located on Pickering Wharf, Sea Level Oyster Bar boasts two floors of fun while offering comfortable dining and great waterfront views. Sea Level also features a sit down raw bar packed with the freshest shellfish around. With an extensive beer list and creative cocktails that will quench your thirst while the kitchen cooks up fabulous seafood, gourmet pizzas and more, you are guaranteed to leave satisfied! Don’t forget to try their scrumptious desserts stamped in approval.

Thai Placeclick here for menu
Offering both 2 course menu for $20, and 3 course menu for $30
Witch City Mall, Salem, MA – (978) 741-8008

Thai Place Restaurant has been open since 1990. Being the first Thai Restaurant in the North Shore area of Massachusetts, they are proud to be one of the first establishments to present the unique taste, culture and sincerity of Thailand. Thai Place’s dedication to prepare the finest Thai food comes with experience, care for their customers and careful selection of the freshest ingredients.

Turner’s Seafood at Lyceum Hallclick here for menu
Offering 3 course menu for $30 (March 18-22 only)
43 Church Street, Salem, MA – (978) 745-7665
Click here to make reservations on Open Table.

Turner’s Seafood at Lyceum Hall is an authentic New England seafood house in an iconic 1843 building with noted cultural history, complementing their family’s seafood heritage spanning four generations. This is where they prepare the catch-of-the-day becoming classic appetizers, entrees and creative daily specials. Turner’s shucks and serves the finest local and regional oysters & clams in their classic raw bar. And, their seafood market, Salem’s only, offers fresh, raw and prepared seafood to enjoy at home. It’s important to get to the docks early as good fish go fast but, the best go to Turner’s… then to you….dock to table … same day!

Salem has become a culinary destination, in addition to its other notoriety; people along the North Shore and beyond eagerly look forward to Salem Spring Restaurant Week. Reservations are encouraged; be advised to contact the restaurants directly. Please mention “Restaurant Week” when making your reservations.

 

 

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Jan 312018
 

Ice Sculpture from 2017

Looking for something really cool to do as a Valentine’s Day gift for sweetie pie? How about spending a day — or an illuminated evening — exploring ice sculptures in Salem Ma during our 16th annual Salem’s So Sweet Chocolate & Ice Sculpture Festival, Feb. 9-11, 2018.

There are Ice Sculpture festivals throughout the world at different times of the year, but we uniquely tie ours to the Valentine’s celebration and make it easy for couples to stroll through our walkable streets, hand in hand, oohing and aahing the creativity and craftsmanship to turn what is essentially water into works of art.

This year, we have 24 beautiful ice sculptures that will grace downtown Salem starting February 10.  Some of the themes for this year’s ice sculptures will include “Love Potion #9,” a Dragon, the Salem State University Superfan, the Gloucester Fisherman, Princess and Frog, and more! A map can be found in the brochure (available in shops around town) during the festival and online at www.salemsosweet.com.

Be sure to make plans for a special evening stroll on Saturday, Feb. 10, from 5 pm to 9 pm, when the sculptures will be illuminated by Retonica! This is always a crowd-pleaser.

Weather permitting, The Salem Trolley offers trolley rides around the festival route on February 10 & 11 from 12 pm to 4 pm for only $2 an adult (free for children).

Ice Sculptures

#01 – Universe – Sponsored by The Journeymasters

#02 – Han Solo – Sponsored by Gulu-Gulu Café and Flying Saucer Pizza Company

#03 – Snowflake – Sponsored by Laura Lanes Skin Care

#04 – The Superfan – Sponsored by Salem State University

#05 – Tank – Sponsored by Army Barracks

#06 – Kissing Fish – Sponsored by Adriatic Restaurant & Bar

#07 – Piggy Bank – People’s United Bank

#08 – Princess & Frog – Sponsored by Maria’s Sweet Somethings

#09 – Dragon – Sponsored by Coon’s Card and Gift Shop

#10 – Page the Dog – Sponsored by Bella Research Group

#11 – Gloucester Fisherman – Sponsored by Turner’s Seafood

#12 – Love Potion #9 – Sponsored by The Coven’s Cottage, Emporium 32, Modern Millie, Pamplemousse, Salem Trolley, and Trolley Depot

#13 – Basset Hound – Sponsored by Witch City Mall: A Sacred Place Wellness Center, Badabing Barbershop and Shave Parlor, Bewitched in Salem, Escape Room Salem, Essex’s NY Deli & Pizza, Jodi Bee Bakes, Lotus Gifts, nAGLY, Omen, Polonus European Deli, Primary Residential Mortgage, Remix Church, Thai Place, Village Tavern, Witch Pix, Witch Tee’s

#14 – Cactus – Sponsored by Peabody Essex Museum

#15 – Super Mario Bros.  – Sponsored by Bit Bar Salem

#16 – Cauldron – Sponsored by Salem Witch Museum

#17 – Bakery – Sponsored by Coffee Time Bake Shop

#18 – Financial Wizard – Sponsored by St. Jean’s Credit Union

#19 – Lion – Sponsored by Jolie Tea Company

#20 – Mug – Sponsored by Notch Brewery & Taproom

#21 – Waterfront Hotel – Sponsored by Regatta Pub at Salem Waterfront Hotel & Suites

#22 – Rumson’s Rum – Sponsored by Pirate Dog Brand LLC / Rumson’s Rum

#23 – The Friendship – Sponsored by Waite & Peirce National Park Service Information Center and Park Store

#24 – 350th Anniversary – Sponsored by The House of Seven Gables and Ye Olde Pepper Companie

Ice Sculpture also from 2017

Many downtown businesses will offer chocolate samplings and sweet discounts around downtown Salem all weekend in celebration of Valentine’s Day.  Check to see who is participating in the “Golden Ticket Promotion” – make a full-price purchase at one participating downtown business and get 10% off your purchase at the next participating business!  Offer is good Feb. 10 and 11 only, some restrictions may apply. In addition, many of Salem’s finest restaurants and retailers will be offering their own luscious chocolate and love-inspired specials and events.

A full list of ice sculptures, participating businesses, and promotions are also listed online, and will be available in brochures around town during the festival. Salem’s So Sweet is organized by Salem Main Streets and the Salem Chamber of Commerce, and supported by Creative Salem, Destination Salem, Retonica, Scarlet Letter Press, and Rockafellas. Visit our website for more events and details as they become available – www.salemsosweet.com – or follow our Facebook page for all the latest updates – https://www.facebook.com/salemsosweet.

 

 

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Jan 172018
 

Hard to believe that such a simple idea 16 years ago, to have a gathering in Salem in the cold of winter that would warm the hearts of residents, friends, and local merchants, has blossomed into a major North Shore event. It is with a happy heart that Salem Main Streets, along with the Salem Chamber of Commerce, Destination Salem, and local businesses invite you to attend the 16th annual Salem’s So Sweet Chocolate & Ice Sculpture Festival, Feb. 9-11, 2018.

It is indeed a decadent tradition of delectable chocolate, sparkling ice sculptures, and Valentine’s Day shopping… you won’t want to miss Salem’s sweetest event of the year! It is a great date option!

The Salem’s So Sweet Chocolate & Ice Sculpture Festival officially kicks off with a Chocolate and Wine Tasting, on Friday, February 9th from 6:30 – 8:30 pm, at Colonial Hall at Rockafellas, 231 Essex Street.

Did you know that:

  • Americans consume 8 billion pounds of chocolate each year, or over 11 pounds per person. (FranchiseHelp.com)
  • The United States drinks more wine than any other nation on earth. Americans consumed 329 million cases in 2013 (Impact Databank)

Our luscious tasting event features wine and chocolate samplings from premier Salem restaurants, stores, and sweet shops.  Music by local favorite Molly Pinto Madigan will set a sweet mood. This event is the highlight of the season and sells out quickly!

(Tickets are $30 a person and can now be purchased over the phone by calling 978-744-0004, online at www.salemsosweet.com, or in person at the Salem Chamber of Commerce, 265 Essex Street, Suite 101.)

Starting the morning of Saturday, February 10th, ice sculptures will begin appearing all around downtown Salem. It has become a tradition that some locals will run around the downtown district to be the first to post sculpture pictures on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.

Last year, we had a record-breaking 25 beautiful ice sculptures, including the Queen of Hearts, Cinderella’s Carriage, a goat named Bella, and more – including actual ice bars at Rockafellas’ and the Regatta Pub. Be sure to make pre-Valentine Day plans for a special evening stroll on Saturday, Feb. 10, when the sculptures will be illuminated by Retonica! More information about this year’s sculptures will be available online at www.salemsosweet.com as we get closer to the event.

The Salem Trolley will offer trolley rides around the festival route (weather permitting) on February 10 & 11 from 12 pm to 4 pm for only $2 an adult (free for children).

Many downtown businesses will offer chocolate samplings and sweet discounts all weekend in celebration of Valentine’s Day. Check to see who is participating in the “Golden Ticket” – make a full-price purchase at one participating downtown business and get 10% off your purchase at the next participating business!  Offer is good Feb. 10 and 11 only, some restrictions may apply. In addition, many of Salem’s finest restaurants and retailers will be offering their own luscious chocolate and love-inspired specials and events.

Salem’s So Sweet Chocolate & Ice Sculpture Festival is organized by Salem Main Streets and the Salem Chamber of Commerce, and supported by Creative Salem, Destination Salem, Retonica, Scarlet Letter Press, and Rockafellas. Visit our website for more events and details as they become available – www.salemsosweet.com – or follow our Facebook page for all the latest updates – https://www.facebook.com/salemsosweet.

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Dec 032017
 

No more compelling reason to come to Salem Ma in December than the opportunity to dine in any of 17 restaurants offering special prices during  Salem Fall Restaurant Week, Dec. 3-7.

From steak to seafood, American to ethnic, there will be something for everyone as Salem offers not just numerous restaurants but different ethnic and styles of food. All within walking distance of each other. It’s been said you could eat at a different location each night and discover new tasty delights each night.

This Salem Chamber of Commerce project encourages participating Salem restaurants to offer specially priced menus for Salem Fall Restaurant Week during a 5-day span. It is hoped this enticement will encourage not only Salem residents but visitors from along the North Shore to sample the dynamic dining options our creative chefs create.

Participating Restaurants

List is correct as of posting time, but subject to change.

Adriatic Restaurant and Bar click here for menu
155 Washington Street, Salem, MA – (978) 594-1832
Click here to make a reservation.
Offering 3 courses for $30

A warm interior and excellent cuisine– a winning combination that defines the Adriatic Restaurant & Bar. The brick oven pizzas are always a hit, and imaginative libations make customers come back time and again. Excellent market-fresh fish dishes inspired by regions surrounding the Adriatic Sea give this Mediterranean eatery something to boast about. A lengthy wine list featuring imported varietals and blends bring every meal’s flavors to fore and make patrons hunger for more.

Aurora Restaurant Vietnamese Cuisine & Wine Bar
140 Washington Street, Salem, MA – (617) 510-6116
Click here to make a reservation.

Offering the best Vietnamese cuisine around, Aurora believes in featuring regional Asian dishes with fresh, high-quality vegetables, meats, traditional spices, and herbs and is renowned for their seafood phos. If you are looking for healthy dishes and authentic Vietnamese fare, Aurora Restaurant and Wine Bar is the place to go. Great for lunch or dinner, or simply enjoy their wine bar and sample authentic appetizers with your friends.

Bella Verona – click here for menu
107 Essex Street, Salem, MA – (978) 825-9911
Offering 3 courses for $30

Chef-owner Giorgio Manzana hails from Lake Garda, Italy in the Provence of Verona and has a hotel-restaurant background that goes back over 35 years. Bella Verona enjoys catering to their clients, creating new dishes and continuing the simple good and authentic home-style cooking of Manzana’s region as well as other parts of Italy. As an Italian restaurant in the heart of Salem, they will bring you back to Verona, the home of Romeo and Juliet, to lose yourselves in the atmosphere and excellent food. In keeping to their traditional roots, they offer creative options with homemade pastas, and great daily specials.

BonChon click here for menu
299 Essex Street, Salem, MA – (978) 594-8256
Offering 3 courses for $20

“Bonchon” means “my hometown” in Korean. True to their original roots, Bonchon Downtown Salem is a family friendly establishment, offering an affordable casual dining experience along with lively atmosphere.  Enjoy the flavorful chicken wings that are their signature dish and then wash that down with a local Notch brew.

Finz Seafood & Grill click here for menu
76 Wharf Street, Salem, MA – (978) 744-0000
Click here to make a reservation.
Offering 3 courses for $30

Innovative and inspired menus, fresh raw bar, and a carefully chosen wine list all lead to an extraordinary dining experience at Finz. Their menu emphasizes creatively prepared fresh seasonal seafood. Raw bar offers the freshest local oysters, clams, chilled lobster, colossal crab and jumbo shrimp. With indoor and outdoor waterfront dining, Finz is a great place to relax and enjoy outstanding food and drinks. Zagat’s rated Finz Seafood & Grill one of the Top 10 Waterfront restaurants in New England.

Ledger Restaurant – click here for menu
125 Washington Street Salem, MA – (978) 594-1908
Click here to make reservations on Open Table.
Offering 3 courses for $30

Ledger, located in the former Salem Savings Bank building (circa 1818), opened just this year by chef-owner Matt O’Neil and is already being touted by Zagat as one of the six sexiest new restaurants in Boston! Ledger is known for its progressive New England concept of traditional 19th-century dishes, cocktails, and techniques that are elevated with 21st-century resources. This is high-style cuisine, whether it’s the artful plating of each colorful dish or the creative take on wood-fired dishes, house-made charcuterie, and raw bar items.

Longboards Restaurant & Bar – click here for menu
72 Wharf St, Salem, MA – (978) 745-6659
Offering 3 courses for $20 and 3 courses for $30 (lunch or dinner)

Located on Pickering Wharf, Longboards Restaurant & Bar serves up award-winning sandwiches, lobster rolls and their new signature flatbreads, all with the promise that you won’t leave hungry. Longboards is your staple neighborhood bar with a full bar and a great list of local beers – check them out during your favorite game, or come grab a drink and dinner with some friends!

Nat’s at the Hawthorne Hotelclick here for menu
18 Washington Street, Salem, MA – (978) 825-4300
Click here to make reservations on Yelp.
Offering 3 courses for $30

For an unforgettable fine dining experience in Salem, enjoy the ambiance, warmth and hospitality of award-winning seasonal cuisine from Nathaniel’s restaurant. The menu features contemporary dining in a historic setting, while offering a carefully crafted wine menu and scrumptious desserts that will complete any night out or special occasion.

Opus  – click here for menu
87 Washington Street, Salem, MA – (978) 744-9600
Offering 2 courses for $20

With what can only be described as a maverick kitchen, Opus’ cuisine boasts unexpected flavor combinations that simply taste amazing. The restaurant’s dynamic sushi team draws on both east and western influences to create sushi rolls that are truly unique. The upstairs dining room is centered around an oversized, glowing glass bar where guests can meet for a drink or enjoy a three-course meal. Downstairs, in Opus Underground, guests can enjoy nightly entertainment in a Moroccan-inspired space filled with cozy seating and thought-out details. Opus is a go-to destination for live music, dinner, and cocktails seven days a week.

Regatta Pub at the Waterfront Hotel – click here for menu
225 Derby Street, Salem, MA –  (978) 740-8788
Offering 2 courses for $20; or 3 courses for $30

The Regatta offers casual dining with flair. Try their signature “Regatta Blue” martini with your favorite burger or fresh seafood with a glass of chilled wine. The Regatta Pub offers an eclectic choice of appetizers, salads, sandwiches, and entrees in a relaxed and nautical inspired atmosphere, or chose to dine outside on their patio, weather permitting.

Rockafellas
231 Essex Street, Salem, MA – (978) 745-2411

Rockafellas established a new tradition in dining in the center of historic Salem in 2003. As the most delicious occupant of the renowned Daniel Low Building, Rockafellas restaurant follows several other institutions of reputation including a department store, a bank (the vault now stores wines) and one of the first churches in America. Their menu features fresh seafood and Black Angus steaks and offers everything from burgers and salads and tapas to gourmet presentations. The wait staff assures a relaxed atmosphere where everyone feels at home.

Salem Beer Works – click here for menu
278 Derby Street, Salem, MA – (978) 745-2337
Offering 2 courses for $20

Located in Historic Downtown Salem since 1996, Salem Beer Works has something for everyone. With 15 freshly brewed beers on tap each day, guests enjoy the seasonal patio (weather permitting) and proximity to the Salem waterfront.   Whether you’re visiting from out of town, or live in the area, Salem Beer Works is the place to go for good food, good beer and good times.

Sea Level Oyster Bar – click here for menu
94 Wharf Street, Salem, MA – (978) 741-0555
Click here to make reservations on Yelp.
Offering 3 courses for $30

Located on Pickering Wharf, Sea Level Oyster Bar boasts two floors of fun while offering comfortable dining and great waterfront views. Sea Level also features a sit down raw bar packed with the freshest shellfish around. With an extensive beer list and creative cocktails that will quench your thirst while the kitchen cooks up fabulous seafood, gourmet pizzas and more, you are guaranteed to leave satisfied! Don’t forget to try their scrumptious desserts stamped in approval.

Smokin’ Betty’s BBQ + Bar – click here for menu
94 Lafayette St. Salem, MA – (978) 594-1132
Offering 2 courses for $20

Owner and restaurateur Steve Feldmann and chef Todd Bekesha have brought good ‘ol southern food to Salem’s thriving restaurant scene. Smokin’ Betty’s BBQ + Bar opened just this year in what was known as the Klondike Club and is already recognized for its fun, rockabilly-roadhouse vibe with colorful murals, communal tables where you can get to know the locals, and a circa-1950s bowling-shuffleboard lane. Choose from plenty of Southern-inspired eats, craft beers and tasty ‘cue accompanied by a half-dozen regional sauces, ranging from mayo-based Alabama style to mustard-and-vinegar South Carolina sauce!

Thai Place – click here for menu
Museum Place Mall, Salem, MA – (978) 741-8008
Offering 2 courses for $20, or 3 courses for $30

Thai Place Restaurant has been open since 1990. Being the first Thai Restaurant in the North Shore area of Massachusetts, they are proud to be one of the first establishments to present the unique taste, culture and sincerity of Thailand. Thai Place’s dedication to prepare the finest Thai food comes with experience, care for their customers and careful selection of the freshest ingredients.

Turner’s Seafood at Lyceum Hall  – click here for menu
43 Church Street, Salem, MA – (978) 745-7665
Click here to make reservations on Open Table.
Offering 2 courses for $20, or 3 courses for $30

Turner’s Seafood at Lyceum Hall is an authentic New England seafood house in an iconic 1843 building with noted cultural history, complementing their family’s seafood heritage spanning four generations. This is where they prepare the catch-of-the-day becoming classic appetizers, entrees and creative daily specials. Turner’s shucks and serves the finest local and regional oysters & clams in their classic raw bar. And, their seafood market, Salem’s only, offers fresh, raw and prepared seafood to enjoy at home. It’s important to get to the docks early as good fish go fast but, the best go to Turner’s… then to you…. “dock to table” … same day!

Victoria Station & Vic’s Boathouse
86 Wharf Street, Salem, MA – (978) 745-3400
Overlooking Salem harbor, Victorian Station has established itself as a destination for friends and family for decades and is committed to providing lasting memories for generations to come. Offering a wide variety of fine American cuisine from succulent steaks to the freshest seafood and one of the last remaining “All you can eat” salad bars, there is something for every member of the culinary community.

There you have it. Two and three course special meals. Motivation to checkout a place you’ve driven or walked by. And no October-like crowds. Great time to sample Salem. You have to eat anyway, right? Reservations recommended and please mention Salem Fall Restaurant Week. Table for two, please.

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Nov 242017
 

Sandwiched between Black Friday and Cyber Monday is the day that small businesses in Salem and all along Main Street USA really look forward to: Small Business Saturday. First observed in the United States on November 27, 2010, it is a day when communities of shoppers are urged to support the convenience of driving or even walking to their local brick & mortar businesses, instead of fighting the crowds at faraway over-crowded malls.

That kick-off Small Business Saturday was sponsored by American Express, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino, and Roslindale Village Main Street. Since then it has grown into a nationwide event, with an estimated 112 million consumers reported to have shopped at small businesses on Small Business Saturday in 2016.

Shopping Local Is An Experience

Small Business Saturday is so great,” explains Kylie Sullivan, Executive Director of Salem Main Streets, “because it’s not just about the shopping or the things – though with over 200 locally-operated storefronts in downtown Salem, there’s certainly no shortage of gifts and treats to be found! Instead it’s more about the experience of being part of a community, the feeling you get when you’re in a locally-owned business that simply can’t be replicated in a box store or online.”

You can walk into a locally-owned Salem store and actually speak to a clerk with product knowledge of items in the store. Or just as likely, you can chat with the store owner! Ever talk to the owner or even manager of a big box store (unless to complain)?

Adds Elizabeth Rutledge, EVP of Global Advertising and Media at American Express, “People across the country are aware of the benefits that small businesses can bring to the community, and the momentum that was started with the first Small Business Saturday continues to build.”

That is backed up by the Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey, released by the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) and American Express. Among U.S. consumers who went out and shopped in-store, total reported spending reached an estimated $15.4 billion at independent retailers and restaurants in 2016.

You will be in good company.

So, a word to the wise, relax on Friday and Monday. And make Saturday your day for walking out of Salem stores with good deals for your holiday and other gift giving needs!

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