April Fool’s Day is historically one of the most fun days for the West Side Newspaper. For years, Chris McCartney and I huddled over a beer and dreamed up stupid stuff to write for the April edition. Spoofs only, with a little satire here and there. Long time readers may recall the April 2015 exploits of ex-con Chef Sal who was setting up a food pod out of the back of his van on Edgewater, serving such delicacies as Night Crawler Tartar, with fresh ingredients from Wallace Ma

Seems like we’ve had a spurt of new French restaurants in the Salem area. My latest discovery is Clink! Located on the 2d floor of The Forge, Suite 230, 285 Liberty St. NE. It opened last fall and has taken its rightful place among the finest eateries in Salem. It is open for dinner Wednesday through Saturday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., and on Sunday from 4 p.m. through 7 p.m.  They do a fine brunch on Saturday and Sunday beginning at 9 a.m. through 3 p.m. Reservations are recomme

There is another new restaurant in town, and I couldn’t resist a visit. Encore opened on November 14 at 195 High Street NE, adjacent to the Grand Theatre. It has been a space with many uses over the years, including hosting a wine bar, Paradiso, and other restaurants that came and went too quickly to remember.  Encore fits nicely into its location adjacent to the Grand Theatre, and includes a glass door between the theatre and the restaurant, making it convenient to dine and

Welcome back to the Westside Newspaper! We have missed you. I am back too, but not on a regular basis. I will chime in when something hits me that you readers might find interesting. In the past I have written about food, restaurants, travel, and even a little satire, not to mention the April Fool’s Day spoofs. My contributions in the future will hopefully hit on all those areas. I will be fully retired as of the end of 2025, and plan extensive travels and adventures, some of