Chicken Marsala

Cobblestones of Lowell Restaurant & Bar 91 Dutton St., Lowell 978-970-2282 www.cobblestonesoflowell.com Hours: Monday-Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. Handicapped accessible Credit cards accepted Raised expectations - often enhanced by hype and hoopla - can turn an otherwise reasonably entertaining film or pleasant restaurant into a disappointment if experience falls short of anticipation. Conversely, low expectations that rise as reality unfolds can turn an average movie or meal into a memorable occasion.

Lorenzo's Restaurant 500 W. Grove St. Middleborough 508-947-3000 www.lorenzos.net Hours: Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Reservations accepted Major credit cards accepted Lorenzo's Restaurant, located just off the rotary in Middleborough, offers good Italian food, and lots of it, for reasonable prices, which may explain why the eatery has...

How to get there Bristol is about 42 miles, or an hour's drive, south of Boston. Take Interstate 93 south to I-95 south, then to I-195 east, then to Route 114 south to Bristol. To continue to Little Compton, continue south on 114 from Bristol, cross the Mount Hope Bridge, and pick up Route 24 north, then Route 77 south into Little Compton.From there to Westport Point, wend your way east on Peckham, Colebrook, and Adamsville roads as you cross into Massachusetts, and then make a right on Main Road.

One of the great pleasures of coastal living is being able to enjoy a relaxed meal in an outdoor setting overlooking the ocean, when temperatures allow. Plymouth’s newest addition, the Waterfront Bar & Grill, offers a lovely view of the town’s harbor from a second-story deck. And its peaceful color scheme, a wash of blues and whites both inside and out, is a great fit with the ocean setting. One recent evening, we were lucky enough to score an outdoor table overlooking the harbor.

One of the great pleasures of coastal living is being able to enjoy a relaxed meal in an outdoor setting overlooking the ocean, when temperatures allow. Plymouth’s newest addition, the Waterfront Bar & Grill, offers a lovely view of the town’s harbor from a second-story deck. And its peaceful color scheme, a wash of blues and whites both inside and out, is a great fit with the ocean setting. One recent evening, we were lucky enough to score an outdoor table overlooking the harbor.

Basil 43 Frairy St., Medfield 508-359-4400 www.basilrestaurant.com Hours: Tuesday-Thursday 5-9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 5-10 p.m., Sunday 5-8:30 p.m., closed Monday Reservations for five or more Handicapped accessible Major credit cards accepted Function room for up to 35 people; catering Basil is a comfortable, congenial restaurant that materializes like an apparition on a residential street near the...

You take a chance when you visit a new restaurant. The excitement of dining out someplace new is sometimes spoiled, in the first couple of months especially, by kinks the restaurant hasn’t worked out. We visited Artichokes, an Italian restaurant that was formerly next to the Malden Center T station, six weeks after it reopened in the former YMCA building in downtown Wakefield. The kink we encountered was a big one: a 90-minute wait just to be seated. The food was great, but not everyone in our party of four agreed it was worth the wait.

Lorenzo's Restaurant 500 W. Grove St. Middleborough 508-947-3000 www.lorenzos.net Hours: Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Reservations accepted Major credit cards accepted Lorenzo's Restaurant, located just off the rotary in Middleborough, offers good Italian food, and lots of it, for reasonable prices, which may explain why the eatery has...

We’ve always admired Theodor Geisel for staying true to his roots. Long after he moved away from Springfield and became famous as Dr. Seuss, he continued to reimagine his hometown from a child’s perspective. It’s a good lesson for a family getaway to Western Massachusetts, where the holiday light display, Bright Nights in Forest Park, is switched on for the season starting tonight. Springfield was the wellspring for the Seuss books, and it’s still full of fun and whimsy, especially for wide-eyed kids.

Big Night Entertainment Group is in expansion mode. The restaurateurs add the new GEM to their roster, which includes Red Lantern, Tosca in Hingham, Shrine at Foxwoods, and more. GEM is located near the old jewelers' buildings of Downtown Crossing, a restaurant and lounge its operators say is inspired by the luxurious Hotel Costes in Paris. "Welcome to the opulence of GEM," says its website. The place is outfitted in red velvet and patterned damask, black lacquered wood and plenty of fringe.

We’ve always admired Theodor Geisel for staying true to his roots. Long after he moved away from Springfield and became famous as Dr. Seuss, he continued to reimagine his hometown from a child’s perspective. It’s a good lesson for a family getaway to Western Massachusetts, where the holiday light display, Bright Nights in Forest Park, is switched on for the season starting tonight. Springfield was the wellspring for the Seuss books, and it’s still full of fun and whimsy, especially for wide-eyed kids.

You take a chance when you visit a new restaurant. The excitement of dining out someplace new is sometimes spoiled, in the first couple of months especially, by kinks the restaurant hasn’t worked out. We visited Artichokes, an Italian restaurant that was formerly next to the Malden Center T station, six weeks after it reopened in the former YMCA building in downtown Wakefield. The kink we encountered was a big one: a 90-minute wait just to be seated. The food was great, but not everyone in our party of four agreed it was worth the...

Cobblestones of Lowell Restaurant & Bar 91 Dutton St., Lowell 978-970-2282 www.cobblestonesoflowell.com Hours: Monday-Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 a.m. Handicapped accessible Credit cards accepted Raised expectations - often enhanced by hype and hoopla - can turn an otherwise reasonably entertaining film or pleasant restaurant into a disappointment if experience falls short of anticipation. Conversely, low expectations that rise as reality unfolds can turn an average movie or meal into a memorable occasion.

Basil 43 Frairy St., Medfield 508-359-4400 www.basilrestaurant.com Hours: Tuesday-Thursday 5-9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 5-10 p.m., Sunday 5-8:30 p.m., closed Monday Reservations for five or more Handicapped accessible Major credit cards accepted Function room for up to 35 people; catering Basil is a comfortable, congenial restaurant that materializes like an apparition on a residential street near the...

How to get there Bristol is about 42 miles, or an hour's drive, south of Boston. Take Interstate 93 south to I-95 south, then to I-195 east, then to Route 114 south to Bristol. To continue to Little Compton, continue south on 114 from Bristol, cross the Mount Hope Bridge, and pick up Route 24 north, then Route 77 south into Little Compton.From there to Westport Point, wend your way east on Peckham, Colebrook, and Adamsville roads as you cross into Massachusetts, and then make a right on Main Road.

Gem Restaurant & Lounge, the latest project from Big Night Entertainment Group (Red Lantern, Shrine), bills itself as "a fusion of gastro-lounge and ultra exclusive supper club. " Although a dress code is not spelled out, the restaurant claims to have a very strict one: Entry will be denied, says its website, to anyone who does not meet "management dress satisfaction. " Will you be allowed in? Will your outfit make the cut? It's time to find out. Climb a flight of stairs to a small, plush space decorated in the rococo style of a bordello catering to Francophiles...

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney used a private, VIP Registry of Motor Vehicles office Wednesday to renew his Massachusetts driver's license, avoiding the lines and the aggravation that have been synonymous with the agency. The office, located in the State Transportation Building, is just blocks from a standard Registry branch in Chinatown. But Romney instead went to the headquarters of the state's Transportation Department, visiting a second-floor office belonging to the Registry's enforcement division, his campaign confirmed Thursday.