During a number of chats about our mutual interest in learning more about different cuisines, Fel Medeiros had sprinkled in tidbits about the food from his native Portugal. My curiosity was definitely piqued, so I eagerly accepted Fel's invitation to join him for lunch at one of his favorite local Portuguese restaurants.
The name Trackside Bar & Grill doesn't suggest authentic Portuguese food, but once you come into this Peabody, MA, restaurant you get a sense its the real deal. Fel was warmly greeted as we arrived, and chatted with the chef about what was fresh. He mentioned lobsters, and I saw the evidence of one poking out of a pan along with an interesting concoction of other ingredients. Combining seafood and other items seems to be popular in Portuguese cuisine from what I can tell.
In another nod to the changing times, sushi and Chinese cuisine are now enjoyed where Woburnites once enjoyed a slice from the old Woburn House of Pizza. It's taken me two visits to get a chance to write up this fairly new addition to Downtown Woburn; I think I was really just looking for an excuse for a return visit to sample their tasty fare and chat with Woburnite.com's founder Fel Medeiros.
I didn't grow up eating seafood, so it has been a gradually acquired taste in adulthood. I have come to enjoy many types now, salmon and scallops being among my favorites. Yet I've still been a bit reticent about the raw fish--sorry, sushi--thing. 
From the outside, the silver metal cylinder looks like a classic diner. Opening the door, though, the fresh aromatic curry smell quickly tells me this is not my father's diner.
Earlier this winter we visited and enjoyed the new Masa Southwest Bar and Grill in Woburn. Somehow this review was the victim of a very busy stretch at work and remained stuck in draft format. But I was back for lunch yesterday and that reminded me to post this! It's a nice spot for lunch as well as dinner, in fact. For about $7, I had a bowl of Southwest Onion Soup and a sampling of 5 tapas, a good way to get a variety of tastes.