The Dedham location of King's is housed in a corner of Legacy Place by the movie cinema, in a relatively quiet part of the massive outdoor complex. For some reason, I had thought the place would be bigger than it actually is, picturing a vast, cave-like dining and entertainment center. But the Dedham King's isn't anything like this. Instead, it has a fairly spacious dining area in the front, along with a long bar (with more tables and several TVs) somewhat partitioned off from the dining section. Further ahead is another bar area, along with a number of bowling alleys to the left, and a private area with more alleys to the right. The entire place has a slightly retro feel to it, with cool lighting, round booths, and music that includes songs from the 1960s up to the present. It also seems like the folks behind King's are trying to add an upscale feel to it, with well-dressed people greeting diners and bowlers as they walk through the entrance, and a dress code in place that prohibits baseball caps, work boots, hooded sweatshirts, and more.We arrived during the heart of dinnertime on a Saturday night, but it was no problem getting in--and we checked at the bowling counter to see how busy the bowling area was and they said there were a number of lanes open at that time. So we headed back to the front and were seated in one of the round booths by the bar. We started with a couple of fine beers (Anchor Steam and Blue Moon) and ordered the soft-baked pretzels for an appetizer. The pretzels were tasty, though they had too much salt on them (so much that we had to scrape some of it off) and the cheese that came with it had a slight Velveeta taste to it. We asked for some mustard, which we thought went much better with the pretzels. Our entrees came to us as soon as we were done with the pretzels, and the dishes were both pretty decent overall. The macaroni and cheese came in a cylindrical bowl and had a nice mix of cheeses, but the macaroni itself was slightly overcooked, making it limp and a bit mushy. The breadcrumbs on top helped make up for the lack of texture from the macaroni, and mixed nicely with the cheese. The steak tip salad featured tender meat that had a deliciously zesty marinade, though the salad itself was a bit uninspiring with lettuce dominating the dish. We ordered more cocktails with our entrees, with the pina colada being cooling and flavorful (if a bit light on the alcohol) and the cherry vanilla coke being just about perfect, with a mix of cherry vodka, vanilla rum, Coke, and just a bit of grenadine. Prices were quite reasonable and service was nearly flawless (and friendly). Unfortunately, we had forgotten to check back with the bowling area during our meal, and by the time we headed over there, the lanes were booked solid for up to an hour, so we didn't have a chance to bowl.
If King's were just a restaurant, I'd give it a middling to good review; but as far as dining spots attached to bowling alleys are concerned, the place certainly serves food that is a big step above your typical bowling alley fare. Minor issues with the food aside, I will definitely be heading back to King's for dinner at some point, this time making sure we book an alley in advance.
Address: King's, 600 Legacy Place, Dedham, MA, 02026. The phone number is (781) 329-6000. and the website can be found at: http://www.kingsdedham.com/
Over the past few years, the city of Quincy has certainly become a top destination spot for dining out. Nearly every kind of cuisine imaginable can be found in Boston's southern neighbor, including Japanese, Brazilian, Italian, Chinese, Mexican, Thai, Indian, Vietnamese, and much, much more. But there are also several excellent American restaurants and pubs within the city limits, including a place near the center called the Fat Cat that is certainly among the best dining spots that Quincy has to offer.
Jasper White's Summer Shack in Cambridge is a place that I have been to a number of times (though the last time was several years ago). And while I have always wanted to love this spacious seafood restaurant across from the Alewife T station, I have never had a meal there that has knocked my socks off. That is, until this week, when we had what was truly a memorable dining experience from start to finish.
As most Bostonians know, the stretch of Route 1 that goes through Saugus is almost legendary in its tackiness and cheesiness. And amidst all the cheese is some really good stuff, including a pizza joint near the Lynn Fells Parkway intersection that has been around forever, and still serves up some very tasty pies. Sure, Prince Pizzeria might initially look a bit over-the-top with its "leaning tower of pizza," but it is a friendly, comfortable place that is extremely popular with locals, big groups, and families.
Fuddruckers was fairly crowded when we walked in toward the end of the lunch hour. The line went very quickly, so we soon ordered our food and looked for a place to sit. The main room was busy and loud, and there were a lot of people milling about the beautifully restored Chevy Bel Air that sat in the middle of the room, so we opted for the quieter room to the right that was mostly separate from the rest of the place.
A long time ago, I used to be a semi-regular of sorts at Doyle's on Washington Street in Jamaica Plain, but I haven't been going there quite as often over the past few years (mainly because I have so little opportunity to go to restaurants that I am not actually looking to feature on the Boston's Hidden Restaurants site). But at the last minute, a group of us went got over to Doyle's the other night, and it was pretty much what we expected--decent food, tremendous atmosphere, and excellent people-watching from our table that was in the bar area.