Blog de Puree

It’s worn, slightly yellowed and a bit long in the tooth, but the Hungry Traveler in Salisbury, Mass. is one of the better traditional New England style restaurants that I’ve eaten at in the greater Newburyport area.

After living in Amesbury and snobbishly driving by the restaurant’s unassuming gray clapboard exterior on the way to and from Salisbury Beach for three years, we finally decided to give it a try. We walked inside to a flashback from another era.

It’s not flashy, just a lot of wood and wall paper with a few old newspaper reviews on the wall by the hostess desk.

Despite the tired decor, the waitstaff and the food made for a great dining experience. Waitresses aged between 45 and 60 had the energy of young teens and operated like clockwork, veterans with decades of food service experience. Everyone they spoke to, regardless of age or sex was honey, sweetie, darling or some other term of endearment that made me feel as if I was eating at my favorite grandmother’s house. Our waitress even asked us a few friendly questions to get to know us better.

The salad bar was modest, but the veggies and fixin’s were fresher than I’ve had at many upscale restaurants or chains in the New England region. It contained all the basics you could hope for with your salad, including real blue cheese dressing that was chunky and deliciously fattening. And a bus person would stop by frequently to clean and stock.

For me, the highlight of the meal was the clam chowder. Thick, rich, jammed with large bits of clam, and tasty to boot! A proper New England style clam chowder. Nothing irks me more when you pay “stupid” money for watery chowder that has more potato than clam. This is so often the case at restaurants up and down the coast, but not at the Hungry Traveler. If you go, sampling their chowder is a must.

The dinner was plain and unpretentious, but honestly delicious, the epitome of what this region’s food is all about. The prime rib was a giant cut of tender, juicy meat. Served with mashed potatoes sprinkled with a dash of pepper and paprika, and coleslaw that wasn’t drowning in mayonnaise, it was hearty and satisfying. The fisherman’s platter was also right on the money. It wasn’t drowned in too much butter or breadcrumbs, as many are, and the scallops, shrimp and haddock inside were fresh and tasty. Everything was served promptly and hot.

The clincher at the Hungry Traveler is that they don’t charge outlandish prices for great seafood, like at other “old New England” dining establishments. It’s an insult that restaurants often charge as much as they do with the ocean right on our doorstep.

At the Traveler, it’s all about enjoying a damn good meal for an affordable price.