Dreo Food and Drink

Every once in a while, I stumble onto an item at a restaurant that is so unique I know we have to put it on Phantom Gourmet. That's what happened to me at Dreo in Salem New Hampshire when I discovered the 45 ounce Megatini.

This is a beautiful restaurant with big windows allowing a lot of sunlight, and I love the way that it's laid out. You can go over in the dining room for a quick meal. You can go to their beautiful bar. Then they have this long table in the middle, which to me, is perfect, because you want to hang out and drink and you don't want to feel like a total degenerate by settling it at the bar. This is a perfect compromise.

Bill Andreoli is the owner here. You may recognize him from his very famous Four Mary Ann's diners. “You know, the comfort food that everyone's used to, we wanted to bring that comfort of food here, but it's more like comfort food with a flare…it's a little fancier. It's not a fine Dine, per se, but it's casual, upscale. What we keep on hearing from our customers, how much they love the vibe of the restaurant. “

The Espresso Martini has taken over the cocktail world, but I guarantee you've never seen one like this. It is a definite showstopper. “For those that don't know what a megatini is, it's a 45 ounce Espresso Martini that at least two people have to share. So if…you think of Scorpion bowls, two… three, four people might share. That's exactly how the Espresso Martini works. That Espresso Martini really has put us on the map.” There are so many different sizes and flavors of espresso martinis here, you will have a hard time figuring out what to get. So let me recommend the Espresso Martini flight. My choices were crown vanilla OG and Irish. Let me rate them, excellent, excellent and excellent. “The espresso martinis get that nice froth at the top. They're delicious. They're creamy. You can get them creamy, you can get it dark, you can get any way that you want to get it. But again, once people try our espresso martinis, we're seeing the people come back over and over and over again to try different flavors. And then they usually vouch for a huge megatini.”

There's only about eight appetizers on this menu, but it really covers a lot of culinary ground. I feel like ahi tuna used to only be an appetizer at Japanese restaurants, but it's found its way onto a lot of menus, and it's a trend that I absolutely love. I love that clean, fresh flavor. This is a beautiful piece of tuna. It's got a cucumber seaweed salad, crispy wonton strips. To me, it's a perfect way to start a meal. “The ahi tuna is fresh. It's delicious, you're gonna love this ahi tuna, and it's got that little bit of a bite at the end. So the ahi tuna is definitely one of the most popular appetizers that we have.” If you want to go in a completely different direction, get the charcuterie board...It's got a few meats, including pepperoni and salami, white cheese, yellow cheese, toast, a fig jam, candied walnuts. What I like to do is put together my own little sandwich. Get some cheese, some salami, some fig jam, all in one bite “If you're looking for that perfect appetizer for sharing, you got the cheeses, you got the meats, it's a great way for everyone to get a little bit of a taste of Dreo right there on that one charcuterie board.” To me, this is how to execute a charcuterie board.

The entree section runs the gamut from Italy to Korea. The chicken Milanese is a lightly fried chicken breast. It's got arugula salad, and Cavatappi pasta. But the key is that lemon butter sauce that seeps right into that spiral pasta and the chicken. “The chicken Milanese is definitely one of my favorites.You get that comfort food with the crispy chicken. You got the cavatappi pasta, that lemon butter sauce, arugula, tomato salad on top of it. So if you're looking for something really that home cooking food that you're looking for, the chicken, Milanese is a giant hit.”

I was not expecting to find a Korean BBQ steak and rice bowl, but it was a great treat. This just has a lot of flavor. It's got a barbecue skirt steak, kimchi, pickled cucumbers salad, sauteed peppers, wasabi aioli, toasted sesame seeds and jasmine rice. Jasmine rice is that long, soft, really aromatic rice. It's different. And one of my favorites “When we started Dreo, myself being Italian, my wife being Asian, we wanted some Asian dishes and we sell so many of the Korean bowls. You get the beef, you got the wasabi aioli. It's just a really, really good, rich dish”

I have a different take on the Espresso Martini. I mean, I don't think you should be eating it with chicken parm or sushi. I think it's an after dinner drink. So why don't you find three other friends that love espresso martinis? Come up to Dreo in Salem, New Hampshire, have yourself a great meal and then finish it with four straws in the 45 ounce megatini. Now that's a great night. “People could eat here seven days a week, and they could have a different choice. ..of a different kind of meal every day of the week. Whether you’re looking for Italian, Asian, steaks or seafood. Great desserts, great drinks, great ambience. I believe Dreo is just a place that people feel reel comfortable. Whether they’re coming with their spouse, coming with friends, whether they’re dressed up not not dressed up. Everyone feels comfortable here at Dreo”