You know you’re in Salem when…

You go to a Pirate Faire and hired performers aren’t the only people in full pirate dress!

This past Sunday, we took Chance to this event at Winter Island Park (http://www.pastimes1.com/pirate.html) and had a great time… lots of families and lots of freaks! 🙂 No really… everyone was great and in the spirit of the faire. Chance loved it, as he is a huge pirate fan.

After the faire, we drove back into Salem and had lunch at Salem Beer Works.(http://www.beerworks.net/html/salem1.html) It was a nice day, so we sat outside and enjoyed the sun and crisp air.

Since it’s the beginning of fall, I decided to start with the Pumpkinhead Ale… and much to my disappointment, they were all out of it. I’m not a huge beer fan to begin with, but I was really looking foward to this beer. I got the Back Bay IPA instead, but it was way too bitter for me. Dan decided to try a wheat beer that came with a shot of raspberry syrup in it. I found it way too sour, but Dan enjoyed it.

Aside from the fact that no one was assigned to our table for the first 10 minutes we were there, we had an overall good dining experience. After our waitperson finally came to the table, she was very attentive and got our food and drinks out quickly. They have a decent children’s menu and a very large standard menu. You are bound to find something for everyone.

Dan got the Cambridge Burger ($9.95) with sweet potatoe frenchfries ($.95 for the substitution), while I had the Grilled Red Snapper Sandwhich (also $9.95). Standard pub food, but good none the less. My sandwhich was particularly tasty.

Overall, this is a nice place to bring the kids for either inside or outside. There are plenty of high chairs, lots of food to choose from, plastic cups with lids and crayons and activities books. Plus, the Salem Pirate Museum is literally next door. Parking can be a bit tricky on the weekends, however there is a metered parking garage right across the street from the restaurant and it’s only 25 cents per hour (2 hour max). If you’re lucky, you may even score one of the five spots reserved for restaurant right next door.

Halloween is coming up… and we all know how much fun Salem can be this time of year. Take a day trip and head up for the festivities. There are also several ice cream and candy shops around the area to end your day with a sweet treat.