May Events at Cornerstone Books!

You may already know that independent bookstores are incredibly hip, happenin' places. Salem is so lucky to have a great independent bookstore right downtown - Cornerstone Books has all of the latest fiction and non-fiction, a local interest section, and a coffee bar. They also have a full line-up of events each month, including readings, meetings, poetry jams, musical performances and more! Check out May's line-up here, and visit cornerstonebooks-salem.com for more information and to order books!


Friday May 1st at 7pm
Music: Caroline Smith
When Caroline was a junior in high school back in Texas, her mom taught her a few chords on the guitar… and she has been writing songs ever since. Come see this enchanting singer-songwriter in a cover-free show at the Cornerstone Café!


Wednesday May 6th at 7pm
Free Investment Seminar with Ken Nagy
Follow the reconstruction packages of China and The United States: The governments of several countries will soon begin spending money like sailors on leave! Join Ken and find out which companies will benefit and which may be hurt, and how this may affect your investments.


Friday May 8th at 7pm
Bryan Gruley and Starvation Lake
In the dead of a Michigan winter, pieces of a snowmobile wash up near the crumbling, small town of Starvation Lake—the same snowmobile that went down with Starvation’s legendary hockey coach years earlier. Every small town has its triumphs and disappointments, secrets and festering grudges. In the enormously accomplished Starvation Lake, debut novelist and award-winning Chicago bureau chief for The Wall Street Journal Bryan Gruley gives readers a window into the lives of townspeople shocked out of their complacency by a discovery that turns the town, and its history, upside down.

Starvation Lake was an Indie Next pick for March ’09.

“A wonderfully polished and assured first novel. Many good crime novels appear every month, but few have the depth and poignancy of Starvation Lake, which deserves comparison with Dennis Lehane’s Mystic River.”– Booklist, starred review

“A great debut from a major talent.” – New York Times bestselling author, Harlan Coben


Sunday May 17th at 1pm
David Brody and The Cabal of the Westford Night
A mix of The DaVinci Code and India Jones, set locally, The Cabal of the Westford Night is sure to be a summer hit! Inspired by the legend of the Westford Knight – an effigy carved in stone in Westford, MA – the novel takes readers on a tour of 600-year-old sites and artifacts located in New England, in a plot that reveals the true secrets of the Knights Templar and the Jesus bloodline.

“Brody delves right into the historical fiction field made so trendy by works like The Da Vinci Code and picks up where they leave off. The novel is extremely well-researched and self-aware, and Brody does a terrific job of wrapping his research in a fast-paced thrill ride that will feel far more like an action film than an academic paper, though both elements are distinctly present.” – Publishers Weekly


Wednesday May 20th at 7pm
Kristin Bierfelt and The North Shore Literary Trail: From Bradstreet’s Andover to Hawthorne’s Salem
From the careful craftsmanship of the late John Updike to the timeless poetry of Robert Frost, the writers of the North Shore have left a lasting impression on the literary world. In The North Shore Literary Trail, Author Kristin Bierfelt shares the treasured homes and favored haunts of these beloved writers, revealing places of unique inspiration and the importance of home. Complete with a list of must see stops; Bierfelt offers readers the chance to view the North Shore in a completely new way— through the eyes of its writers.


Saturday May 23rd at 7:30pm
Steve Kluger and My Most Excellent Year
Last Spring’s #1 Book Sense YA pick is now in paperback! Romance, real life challenges and frequent hilarity follow three Boston-area teens in My Most Excellent Year: A Novel of Love, Mary Poppins and Fenway Park. Written in a series of school essays, diary entries, emails and instant messages, this novel about family, friendships, politics, baseball and musical theater (!!) is a heartwarming book for people who hate heartwarming books.

“Funny, affecting, smart and surprising, too. The climactic moment is good as a Broadway curtain call--or a neighborhood outing to Fenway.” -- The Washington Post


Tuesday May 26th at 7pm
Salem History Society Annual Meeting
Please join us for this Annual Year-End All-Members Meeting: Questions and Answers, Favorite Stories, and Favorite Things about Salem!!


Thursday May 28th at 7pm
Thursday’s Theater of Words and Music
Thursday's Theatre of Words & Music features three to four established and emerging writers and artists to read/display/perform their work for the public at Cornerstone Books in Salem, MA on the fourth Thursday of every month at 7pm. An open mike will be held following featured writers/artists--artists are chosen by first-come-first-serve. May's featured artists will include Kevin Carey and Kim Triedman.


Friday May 29th at 7pm
Music: Matt Scott
Matt returns to Cornerstone for an evening of his special acoustic/folk/indie mix. Join him in the café for this cover-free show!

Time Travel Days... May 2 & 3

The Gordon College Institute for Public History is hosting TIME TRAVEL DAYS at the Old Town Hall Derby Square, Salem on Saturday, May 2nd and Sunday, 3rd, 2009 from 8AM-6PM.

This event FREE fun for everyone!

Celebrate Salem’s rich history through games, food, theatre, music, dance, demonstrations and more Performers include The Commonwealth Vintage Dancers, Essex Harmony, Pastimes Entertainment, Empire Theatre Company, Norman Jones, and History Alive!

If you have a favorite Salem memory, you can record it in Gordon College's public history project during the event.

The City of Salem and Gordon College thank American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation for considering the Old Town Hall to receive $100,000 in preservation funding.

Visit http://www.partnersinpreservation.com/boston/ to cast YOUR vote for the Old Town Hall! Voting reminders and other information can be obtained at http://www.salemoldtownhall.com/

If you go, take pictures and you can post them on the Partners in Preservation web site AND I invite you to send them to me - I will run a blog post that features your pictures of people interacting and having fun at Old Town Hall!

Celebrate Jr. Ranger Day in Salem!

Celebrate National Junior Ranger Day

at your National Parks in Essex County!

Junior Ranger Day will be celebrated on April 25, 2009 at the two National Park Service sites in Essex County: Salem Maritime National Historic Site in Salem and Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site in Saugus.

Junior Ranger Day is part of National Park Week (April 18-26, 2009), which is designated annually by Presidential proclamation as a week for celebration and recognition of America’s National Parks. In 2008, nearly 50,000 people participated in Junior Ranger programs at 200 National Parks around the country, including Salem Maritime NHS and Saugus Iron Works NHS. “This is a wonderful opportunity to bring your children to the National Park in your back yard,” said Salem Maritime and Saugus Iron Works Superintendent Patricia Trap, “I would encourage all parents to do the National Parks’ Junior Ranger programs with their children, and I am very pleased with the new Junior Ranger programs that we are able to present in Salem and Saugus.”

Salem Maritime National Historic Site’s free Junior Ranger Day activities will take place on the tall ship Friendship of Salem from 10 AM to 4 PM. Two Junior Ranger programs will be offered that will teach kids about ships and what a sailor’s life was like. One is aimed at four to six year olds, and those who complete the activities will earn a ribbon; the other is for seven to twelve year olds, and kids who complete those activities will earn a badge.

Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site’s free Junior Ranger program will be offered all day. The program helps kids to explore the people and technology of the 17th century iron works. Participants in the program can choose their activities to create a custom program tailored to their interest and age. Children that complete the program will earn a badge and certificate.

The programs will be available at Salem Maritime NHS on board Friendship,which is docked at historic Derby Wharf, 193 Derby Street, and at Saugus Iron Works, which is located at 244 Central Street in Saugus.

For more information about Salem Maritime NHS and the Junior Ranger Day activities in Salem, please visit www.nps.gov/sama or call 978-740-1650. For more information about Saugus Iron Works NHS and the Junior Ranger Day activities in Saugus, please visit www.nps.gov/sair or call 781-233-0050.

Photos: The Salem Maritime Festival, held annually on the first weekend of August; Friendship of Salem under full sail. Both photos courtesy NPS.

Dining Al Fresca, BBQs, and the Garden Cafe in Salem

Rockafellas just posted this sign, and I love the concept that it's "5 O'clock Somewhere" - especially when you're on a vacation (no matter how long) in Salem. Thursday BBQs will be a great kick-off to any weekend.

With the nice weather coming, lots of people want to dine al fresca (outside). Rockafellas has outdoor seating, and so does Gulu Gulu Cafe, Upper Crust Pizza, Maria's Sweet Somethings (ice cream is always better outside, isn't it?), Victoria Station, Finz, The Lobster Shanty, and Capt's. Visit the dining pages of Salem.org for restaurant information.

AND... the Garden Cafe at the Peabody Essex Museum is open for the season.

It's going to be unseasonably warm this weekend, so grab the sunscreen and set out for some outdoor exploration and dining in Salem!

Gotta Get a Gift & Hocus Pocus Tours

Two things for you today:

First... Thanks to the blog reader from Arizona who wrote in looking for the "Girls Night Out" tee. That t -shirt is wildly popular, and is available from Witch Tees in Museum Place Mall. It is the second in my series of Salem Gifts to Get & Give (to recap: Gift #1 was the "Good Witch/Bad Witch T from The Trolley Depot). Stop in to Witch Tees and let them know I told you you just had to have the Girl's Night Out T.

Second... I had the opportunity to take a Hocus Pocus Tour last week, and it was fantastic! These are ordinarily night tours, but company owner Susan Metzger was wonderfully accommodating for two travel writers we had in town from the UK, and she led the tour mid-day. This tour is chocked full of tidbits the darker side of Salem history. It is not a ghost tour or a haunted tour - it is a historic tour... and after taking it, you may understand why people come to Salem seeking paranormal activity. There are some really dark patches in Salem's history!

Susan told us about the Witch Trials of 1692, of course, and she told a few tales of murders and burials, famous inmates in the Old Salem Jail - and why the jail was ultimately condemned in 1991. The tour also included historic and architectural information.

Hocus Pocus Tours run nightly. Visit http://www.hocuspocustours.com/ or call 781.248.2031 for details.

A Strange Little Shop...

When you visit Salem, you have to buy a souvenir -and no matter what your taste, you can probably find something appealing in The Trolley Depot, 191 Essex Street, or Salemdpitiy, on Pickering Wharf at 86 Wharf Street.

I was in The Trolley Depot last month, and I bought magnetic pads with floral designs for hostess gifts. Last week I went in looking for Pirate garb (dress like a pirate for The Pirates of Penzance at Salem State College and save $$ on your admission!) and I stumbled upon some great items for Earth Day - for example: lamp sets that you make out of glass bottles, and trivet kits that you make out of your corks.

And while I was there I asked Betty Bouchard, the store owner, "What is the most popular souvenir?" And she said, "The Good Witch/Bad Witch T." True enough - I bought one of said T's in 1998 and wore it until the sleeves fell off. Things have changed since '98, and now the T's come in women's sizing as well as unisex. And these are just one t-shirt of many options at The Trolley Depot.

You will also find books, handbags made from recycled products, sweat shirts, miniatures, bumper stickers, mugs, and more. It's tough to categorize The Trolley Depot, so don't try!

This is the first in a new series I'm going to do on the Blog: Salem Must Haves. If you have a souvenir, gift or item that you purchased in Salem, and you consider it a "Must Have," let me know. If not, follow along with the blog over the next few months for inspiration.

... one more thing, you may know that it's vacation week in Massachusetts - well, there are some great deals and packages on Salem.org/deals. Check'em out and take advantage!

Vote, Vote, Vote, Vote, Vote, Vote, Vote...

Salem's Old Town Hall needs your vote! Visit SalemOldTownHall.com for more information about the building and the voting process.

Here's the story in a nut shell: American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation have announced that Greater Boston has been selected as the next region for the community-based Partners in Preservation program. With the public’s input, American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation will give away $1 million in preservation grants in Greater Boston. Salem Old Town Hall is among the places eligible to receive preservation funding, but it needs your votes and comments and pictures... so please visit SalemOldTownHall.com and PartnersinPreservation.org to learn more and cast your vote!

Remember - you can vote daily until May 17, so don't forget to vote again tomorrow. And the next day. And the day after that...

Thank you.

Classic Postcards

A book of souvenir postcards found its way from an antique shop in New York State to Destination Salem's office, and they are great pictures, so I am sharing them here. They are proof that many of Salem's assets lie in the beautifully preserved history and historical structures.

I don't have a date for the postcards - if anyone has a sense of when the illustrations were done, please share! There are about a dozen images, which I will share a few at a time over the next few weeks.

East India Marine Hall, which is part of the present day Peabody Essex Museum, is above. The House of the Seven Gables is below. Both buildings remain unchanged today. I love the clothing shop to the right of East India Marine Hall - evidence of the vibrant shopping district that Essex Street once was. In fact, the first Filene's store was opened just up the street from East India Marine Hall, in the building that is today the Peabody Essex Museum's office building.

Spring Rollback Special at the Clipper Ship Inn!

There are lots of great deals and packages in Salem right now - hopefully it is just enough encouragement to help you choose to plan your weekend retreat or family getaway for the not-too-distant future!

This just in - Spring Rollback at the Clipper Ship with rates starting at $75 + tax per night.
Enjoy spring in Salem at winter rates at the Clipper Ship Inn! Offering spacious rooms with nightly rates between $75-$105. 10% discounts to local restaurants, including Capt.'s, Black Lobster, and Damatas. Complimentary Dunkin' Donuts gift cards. Ample free parking. Rates effective through June 15, 2009.

40 Bridge Street, Salem, MA 01970

Call (978) 745-8022 for reservations.

For more great deals and discounts, visit Salem.org/deals.

Pirates Take Salem State College by Storm In Gilbert and Sullivan’s The Pirates of Penzance!

Arrrgggh, Matey! Save some gold when you purchase tickets to Pirates of Penzance by getting the coupon code from Salem.org/deals (bottom of the page under "theater & entertainment"!)!!

Everybody loves a good pirate story – especially when it is filled with silliness, adventure and a lively song or two. Salem State College’s award-winning theatre department adds its own unique ingredients to this formula with its production of “The Pirates of Penzance”, running April 16-26 in the College’s Mainstage Theatre.

“ Pirates is one of the most popular comic operas ever written,” according to Celena Sky April who shares directing duties with colleague David Allen George. “When people hear the word opera they might think boring. Pirates is anything but that! Gilbert and Sullivan made some outrageous comments about Victorian society hidden behind wild antics and terrific music.”

Audiences will be led through a rollicking adventure as the hero and heroine of the story try to find true love. The adventure includes a Major General who knows nothing about military strategy, bumbling police, a chorus of beautiful sisters and two surprises that lead everyone to a happy ending. And did we mention the pirates are always lost?

This production is music directed by Mark Morgan, Artistic Director of New England Light Opera (NELO). Morgan and members of NELO have been in residence this academic year, teaching Gilbert and Sullivan’s unique musical style to music and theatre students. Morgan’s take on Pirates: “Think the Monty Python of the 19th century!”

Performances are April 16-18 at 8:00 pm, April 23-25 at 8:00 pm and April 26 at 2:00 pm. Tickets for this production are $20 general and $15 seniors and students. If you come to any performance dressed as a pirate admission is only $10. Sunday, April 26 will include free admission for all Salem children in celebration of Salem’s Youth Week. For tickets or additional information call: 978-542-6290 or visit www.salemstate.edu/arts

Old Town Hall Needs Your Votes!

Your Votes = $100,000!!

Salem's Old Town Hall is a finalist in a unique grant competition. After making it through two rounds of cuts, Old Town Hall is one of 25 sites competing for part of $1 million through the Partners in Preservation program--a joint initiative between American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

If Old Town Hall gets the most votes, it's guaranteed to receive $100,000. The funding will help preserve the building for future generations.

You can vote once a day from April 14 to May 17. Go to http://www.partnersinpreservation.com/ to vote. Check out http://www.salemoldtownhall.com/ to learn more and sign up for a daily e-mail reminder to vote.

As part of the competition, Old Town Hall will be hosting "Time Travel Days" on May 2 and 3. It will be a fun (and free!) event for the whole family. Go to http://www.salemoldtownhall.com/ for details. And remember--for this competition it's important to vote early and often!

Bewitched by Salem in London

Novelist and Salem native Brunonia Barry wrote a travel piece about Salem for The Sunday Times in London, which ran on Sunday while many of us were hunting for colorful Easter Eggs. You can read the article here... Bewitched by Salem, New England.

We've had - okay, I've had - so much fun working with Brunonia Barry and William Morrow in New York, and HarperCollins UK, on the promotion of The Lace Reader and Salem, as the fortunate location of the plot. If you haven't read the book yet, the plot takes you past many of the most recognizable and most famous sites in Salem - Winter Island, Salem Willows, Derby Wharf, Pickering Wharf, Salem Common... You can visit Salem on a "Lace Reader Package" at many of the hotels and inns in town, and you can take a trolley tour (http://www.salemtrolleycom/) or a pedicab tour (Historic Salem Pedicabs) of The Lace Reader's Salem.

Visit www.salem.org/lacereader for the full scoop. Look for the paperback version of the novel in the fall, and keep your eyes peeled for the major motion picture. IMDB says we may see a film in 2010.

Easter Brunch Ideas

Here's a list of Salem restaurants that are hosting Easter Brunch on Sunday.

Finz
76 Wharf Street, Salem, MA 01970
www.hipfinz.com 978-744-0000
Join Finz for Easter with their delectable buffet inspired by the arrival of Spring! 11:00 am – 2:30 pm. $ 39.99 per person –$ 15.99 under 12

Hawthorne Hotel
18 Washington Square West, Salem, MA 01970
www.hawthornehotel.com 978-744-4080
Sunday, April 12th from 10:30am - 7pm Buffet in the lobby, Nathaniel's, Sophia's, and the Tavern. Meet the Easter Bunny. $39.95 per person; $14.95 for children 3-12. For information and reservations please call, 978-825-4311.

Rockafellas
231 Essex Street, Salem, MA 01970
www.rockafellasofsalem.com 978-745-2411
Experience a wonderful brunch featuring a variety of breakfast items as well as a carving station. Lunch options range from lamb fricassee to roasted salmon. Enjoy the extensive dessert table. 11:00 am-3:00 pm. Kids menu available. $27.99 per person - $12.99 kids 12 and under.

Capt’s Waterfront Grill
94 Wharf Street, Salem, MA 01970
www.capts.com 978-741-0555
Join Capts with your family on Easter! Offering full dinner menu plus special menu items. A Grand Buffet with a Raw Bar, Omelet Station, Carving Station and numerous entrees including seafood, pasta, poultry and vegetable selections. $29.95 per person and $9.95 for children 12 and under. Price includes soft drinks, hot beverages and dessert.


And, further afield... lovely Rockport is a beautiful 40 minute drive from Salem.

Emerson Inn by the Sea
1 Cathedral Ave, Rockport, MA 01966
www.EmersonInnbytheSea.com 978-546-6321
Enjoy a delicious Easter Buffet created just for this time of year. Experience dining at its finest at this lovely historic inn. 11:30 am –3:30 pm.

Pets can discover the magic of Salem, too!

Salem welcomes your favorite four-legged friends. You don't need to leave them at home. Bring them into town. Your pets will love it.


Start this weekend at Penelope's Pet Boutique (99 Washington Street) and their Easter Biscuit Hunt on Saturday, April 11, from 12-3pm. Find biscuits... win prizes. What dog doesn't love that?

If you miss the Biscuit hunt, or are in town with Fido on another occasion, Coon's Card & Gift Shop (226 Essex Street) is right around the corner, and the "bubble gum" machines out front are filled with biscuits. If they had thumbs, the dogs would be putting the quarters in the machine themselves.


If you're coming overnight, The Hawthorne Hotel and Clipper Ship Inn are both pet-friendly. The Hawthorne Hotel has a VIP package right now - for your Very Important Pet - that includes a special treat for your dog.


If you're shopping for books, Cornerstone Books (45 Lafayette Street), The Trolley Depot (191 Essex Street), and Salemdipity (86 Wharf Street) are all pet-friendly - and they are a handful of places that are pet-friendly.


Salem has great dog-walk areas, as well. The Salem Maritime National Historic Site's walk out to Derby Light (1/2 mile each way) is a great walk, Salem Common and Salem Willows are also excellent areas to stretch your legs - regardless of how many you have. Please respect leash laws and pick up after your pooch!


What else can I say? Salem loves pets!

Easter Brunch at Finz

It's not too late to make a reservation for Easter Brunch at Finz. It's a great spot on the water to enjoy the holiday with friends and family!

If you need some inspiration, here are a few excerpts from the brunch menu. Brunch will be served 11 - 2. $39.99 per person, $15.99 kids under 12.

Raw Bar: Local oysters, Littleneck clams, Shrimp Cocktail

Cold Items: House salad, Caesar salad, Fruit salad, Cheese assortment, Muffins, Danishes

On the Buffet: Scrambled eggs, Eggs Benedict, Bacon, Sausage, Home Fries, Strawberry stuffed French toast, Carved Sirloin, Swordfish Oscar, Banana encrusted salmon, Coconut rice, pineapple salsa

Sweets: Chocolate cakes, Cheesecake, Chocolate covered strawberries, Mini pastries

New Lodging Deals on Salem.org

Check out these new packages at The Salem Inn for April and May... and visit Salem.org for more discounts and deals!

School Vacation Package - Starting at $399, plus tax There's something for "kids" of all ages in historic Salem. Visit the Peabody Essex Museum and enjoy the special kids events going on all week! Learn more about the infamous witch trials of 1692 by visiting the Salem Witch Museum. This package includes two nights is a spacious Family Suite, complete with a fully equipped kitchenette and private bath, as well as family passes to the Peabody Essex Museum and the Salem Witch Museum. A hearty continental breakfast is also inlcuded each morning. All this fun for only $399.00, plus tax. Add a night for only $129.00, plus tax. Package valid April 19, 2009 through April 26 ,2009 only. Package is based on 2 adults and 2 children and is subject to availability. Additional night includes room and breakfast only. This package is not valid on previously booked reservations.



Happy Mother's Day Special - $215.00, plus taxRelax and enjoy an overnight stay in a romantic guest room complete with a double Jacuzzi. Awaiting Mom's arrival is a chilled bottle of champagne, a handmade box of delicious chocolates and two keepsake Salem Inn flutes. Also included is a romantic dinner to the intimate Ristorante Gioia. Followed by a hearty continental breakfast the next morning. Package is available from May 10, 2009 through May 14, 2009 only. This package is based upon availability. Must be requested at time of booking. Not valid on previously booked reservations.

CinemaSalem Showtimes for this week

We have a great theater in Salem - it's right downtown, so it's perfect for pairing a movie with a meal (Essex NY Pizza and Asahi Japanese are right there in Museum Place Mall). The weather's been a bit April-showery lately, so movies are a good escape.

The best part is that CinemaSalem gives back to the community - providing grants to arts and cultural organizations in Salem.

Now Playing:
Hannah Montana (G);
I Love You, Man (R);
The Pope's Toilet (NR);
Monsters vs. Aliens (PG)!

Visit CinemaSalem.com for complete info, descriptions and times.

Time Travel Days at Old Town Hall - Call for Proposals, deadline April 9, 2009

The Gordon College Institute for Public History announces a collaborative festival for residents and visitors providing opportunities to interact with Salem's rich and diverse history. Time Travel Days is looking for musicians, performers, vendors, and presenters to provide programming for students, history buffs and the community at large. Programming may be from any time period, but must be related to Salem.

Potential programming participants are invited to submit a response to the call for proposals below. Programmers whose proposals are selected may be required to submit an additional application.

Programmers will not be paid, but items such as recordings, books, lectures on tape, etc may be sold.

Call for Proposals

Deadline: Wednesday, April 9, 2009

Support a great cause, and have a chance to win A Salem Accommodation’s Getaway for Two!

The annual NSMC Cancer Walk is coming - and if you support one of our local teams, you could win two (2) nights accommodations for two at the Amelia Payson House!

Once a month, starting in April and continuing through June, (three winners total) names will be drawn from the list of all the donors that have contributed to the Cancer Walk website for innkeeper Ada Roberts and Jennifer Wessell at http://www.firstgiving.com/theressomethingaboutmary

Donate early and have a chance to win every month. All names will remain in the pool through June and you can enter as often as you like. Each donation will have a chance month after month after month to win.
The Details:

Minimum donation: $25.00. One entry for every $25.00, so the more you donate, the more times you will be entered. ($50 two entries, $75 three entries, etc.) Accommodations are for two(2) adults only, non-smoking. Reservations are limited to the days the Amelia Payson House is open for business, based on availability, and exclude the month of October.

We hope you share our passion to support an organization that has been making a difference for almost two decades in the care and treatment of all the Mary’s on the North Shore and beyond. We truly appreciate all those that have been so generous to our team: There’s Something About Mary.

Spring Restaurant Week April 5-9

This is a great week to eat out in Salem, Massachusetts! It's the annual Spring Restaurant Week, presented by the Salem Chamber of Commerce.

Participating restaurants will offer a prix-fixe, three course dinner for $24.09 (beverage, tax, and gratuity not included).

Salem Restaurant Week features a week of great dining and fun at many of Salem's fine restaurants. There is a wide variety of delicious foods to choose from, from steak to seafood, Italian to Asian.

PARTICIPATING RESTAURANTS
Reservations are recommended. Please call restaurants direct.

Capt.'s Waterfront Grill & Club 94 Wharf Street 978-741-0555

Cilantro 282 Derby Street 978-745-9436

Finz Seafood 76 Wharf Street 978-744-0000

Grapevine Restaurant 26 Congress Street 978-745-9335

The Lobster Shanty 25 Front Street 978-745-5449

Lyceum Bar & Grill 43 Church Street 978-745-7665

Nathaniel's at the Hawthorne Hotel 18 Washington Square West 978-744-4080

Passage to India 157 Washington Street 978-832-2200

Regatta Pub at Salem Waterfront Hotel & Suites 225 Derby Street 978-740-8788

Rockafellas 231 Essex Street 978-745-2411

Sixty2 on Wharf 62 Wharf Street 978-744-0062

Strega Restaurant & Lounge 94 Lafayette Street 978-741-0004

The Tavern at the Hawthorne Hotel 18 Washington Square West 978-744-4080

Thai Place Museum Place 978-741-8008

Victoria Station 86 Wharf Street 978-745-3400

J Mode is open late on Thursdays

Shop til you drop, ladies - the very hip J.Mode is open until 7:30 PM on Thursday nights for "Ladies Night." You can shop the fresh spring styles while enjoying wine and munchies.




If you haven't shopped J.Mode yet, it's on hip and trendy Front Street - a neighborhood of boutiques, coffee shops, and confections just around the corner from the restaurants of Washington Street and the Essex Street Pedestrian Mall.



J.Mode caries great lines, including... collections from Rebecca Taylor, BCBG, Nicole Miller, ISDA, Margaret O'Leary, Autumn Cashmere, Babette, Kinross, Hale'Bob, Alice & Trixie.



Not to mention Christopher Blue jeans, great accessories and the incredibly popular Spanx and Hanky Panky.

17 Front Street, Salem, Ma. 01970
978.744.7007

Golden Egg Hunt in Salem!! (You could win $100!)

Looking to get out of the house and have some fun…join Salem Main Streets on April 11th for the first annual Salem Golden Egg Hunt & Open House for a chance to win a Gift basket and a $100 bill. Jennifer Bell, Salem Main Streets manager explains, “We wanted to have a fun event in Salem for the whole family to encourage people to shop downtown and have a chance to win a really great prize.”

Participating merchants will hand out Golden(raffle) Tickets the week leading up to April 11th to the “egg hunters” who spot a golden egg in the store’s window. No purchase is necessary just have your ticket validated at 8 participating stores and turn in your ticket at a participating business or the Salem Chamber of Commerce by close of business April 11.

Many of these businesses will also have special on-going events to entertain, entice and thank customers for their patronage. For example, Pamplemousse will be holding a wine tasting, Penelope’s Pet Boutique is hosting the 3rd annual Easter Biscuit Hunt from 12 – 3, Rose Medallion Tea Room will have free brownies, Rita’s will have free samples, Signatures is offering 20% off all full priced clothing and delicious desserts, and Maria’s Sweet Somethings will have visits by the Easter Bunny, a jelly bean counting contest and much more.

You can visit the Easter Bunny from noon to 2 p.m. at the Museum Place Mall on April 11th. Afterward, from 2-3 p.m. the bunny can be spotted meeting and greeting people throughout downtown Salem. Salem Vintage Photography will be offering photos with the Easter Bunny for a fee.

Refreshments will also be available that day at these participating stores: Bewitched in Salem, Coons, Crunchy Granola Baby, Goddess’ Treasure Chest, Laura Lanes, Lotus Gifts, Marias Sweet Somethings, Pamplemousse, Penelope’s, Picklepot, Red Lion, Rita’s, Rose Medallion, Rouge Cosmetics, Samantha’s Costumes, Signatures, Thai Place, Treasures Over Time, The Trolley Depot, Turtle Alley, Salem Vintage Photography, Witch City Ink, Witch Tee's, and Witch’s Hide.

For more information, please contact Jennifer Bell at Salem Main Streets, 978-744-0004 or go to salemmainstreets.org.