Lawrence is packed with great restaurants. So many that we couldn’t fit them all into this one Food and Beverage issue. So, the Lawrence City Lifestyle staff decided to start this spotlight feature highlighting some of our favorite places.
This month, the focus is on Massachusetts Street. This area of Lawrence offers restaurants in just about any style, from pastries and burgers to fine dining. We decided to stick with some of our favorite sit-down dining spots.
The Eldridge House Grille
701 Massachusetts Street
There is something magical about entering the Eldridge Hotel. It’s like taking a step back in time. We like to start our visit with a cocktail in the Jayhawker Bar. Monte Parish, the bar and restaurant manager, is dedicated to perfecting the art of drink making and hospitality, making every pour magic. Some days, we choose a classic, like a gin and tonic. On others, we’ll pick something fun from the seasonal cocktail menu.
The Grille serves lunch and dinner seven days a week, breakfast on Saturdays and brunch on Sundays. New chef Mark Jones brings almost two decades of experience in the Los Angeles area to the kitchen, including training at Le Cordon Bleu in Pasadena and creating food for the Oscars. His menu includes seasonal dishes highlighting everything from pasta and seafood to steaks, lamb chops, and porterhouse pork chops.
Here's a secret: Word on the street says a new restaurant is coming soon to the Eldridge. Stay tuned. EldridgeHotel.com
Limestone Pizza Kitchen Bar
814 Massachusetts Street
Our staff is full of pizza enthusiasts and Limestone Pizza Kitchen Bar is one of our top picks. The atmosphere is rustic and friendly, with the wood-fired stone pizza oven being the center of attention. We love their Neapolitan-style pizzas. Try a Margherita pizza topped with fresh tomato sauce, house mozzarella and basil oil, or choose from a wide selection of specialty pizzas. The Mean Greens is a favorite, with local winter greens, shishito peppers, goat cheese and gruyere. The restaurant’s snack menu offers satisfying nibbles such as Arancini (deep-fried risotto balls) and Goat Cheese Croquettes. Oh, and don’t forget some gelato for dessert! Limestonepkb.com
Latchkey Deli
1035 Massachusetts Street
Sometimes, you just want a good sandwich, and the Latchkey Deli is an excellent place for one. You can pick what you want on your sandwich or just order one of their menu staples. The Hot Beef Louise is a favorite, with a rosemary and garlic rub on the beef, provolone cheese, and giardiniera pickles on the hoagie roll. They also offer egg, chicken and smoked trout salad sandwiches and the classic grilled cheese with tomato soup. We like to pair up our sandwich with one of their Italian Sodas, made with carbonated water, cream and flavored syrup, like blueberry, strawberry, cherry, peach, and many more. LatchkeyDeli.com
Sunflower Café and Pub
804 Massachusetts Street
Did you know the Sunflower Outdoor and Bike Shop has a café and pub inside? They serve breakfast all day and a full lunch and dinner menu. There is everything from smoothies and biscuits and gravy to burgers and curry chicken salad sandwiches. Plus, they have a full-service bar. The atmosphere is casual and relaxed, so customers are comfortable wearing suits or sweats. SunflowerOutdoorandBike.com
Mass St. Fish House and Raw Bar
719 Massachusetts Street
It’s not easy to find good seafood in the middle of the United States. Lucky for Lawrence, we have the Fish House. The restaurant focuses on a sustainable ocean-to-table experience featuring quality seafood paired with seasonal local ingredients. The raw bar offerings include snow crab, lobster tail, cocktail shrimp and oysters. Or you can choose an entrée like the pan-fried black cod, grilled scallops with Napa cabbage, spicy lobster pasta or traditional Mass fish and chips. For non-seafood diners, there is a mushroom-rubbed Angus ribeye. The atmosphere is relaxing and as fresh as the seafood. MassFishHouse.com
See more photos at Citylifestyle.com/lawrenceks.