I'm a huge fan of the Holy Ghost. My boyfriend is Portuguese, which is how I even discovered this…read morespot in the first place. If you've never been, you'd never know to go. It's a big function hall -- big enough for weddings, concerts, comedy shows, etc., with a restaurant and bar attached. The reason this place wins is because it hits the spot on all fronts. The hall is huge. The restaurant is delicious and well priced. It's almost all traditional Portuguese fare, authentic and fresh. The shrimp is to die for, the little necks are fantastic (and I don't even like little necks), the crispy bread is yummy. The drinks are beyond affordable and always made right, and they have espresso like all good Portuguese places should. My favorites? Friday Night Kareoke, Shrimp, and their cockails. What would give them that 5th star? Faster service in the dining room, softer Portuguese bread in the bread basket (it has a soft bread but its usually a bit tough), more tender steak tips. See you on Fridays!

What no one tells you about this place is the delicious sit down area they have inside. Not only is…read moreit cheap (read: REALLY CHEAP), but you get normal sized portions and the food is mouth-watering. Whether it's the steak tips that are so heavenly marinated that you don't need sauce, or the portuguese style french fries (taste home-made), you'll be leaving happy. Plus, they have booze! I don't think you can go wrong at all! Oh, but be careful as most everyone here knows each other, so if you look out of the ordinary, expect to be judged. Also, brushing up on your Portuguese a bit before going will help!

St. James is a lovely, little church in Salem. My friend was married there a couple of weekends ago…read moreand it was a beautiful service and lovely venue for the ceremony.

It's rare to find a place with so many wonderful people, with such open hearts. Families with small…read morechildren are welcomed and valued, adding to the fun! I highly recommend this community for fellowship, and as a place to focus social action.

This is my favorite church on the north shore. Fabulous people, atmosphere, music, and religious…read moreeducation. Gorgeous location near the river in Essex

I've been a member for several years and have enjoyed my time tremendously…read more Two things make it easy to stay engaged. Our Rabbi, Allison Adler, has a calm presence that is spiritual in a way that is hard to explain. For life cycle events (baby naming, weddings, funerals) she has a way of connecting with the family at a deeper level. Inclusion, mindfulness, gratitude are things that never leave her mind. She is inspiring in a quiet way. Second is the community. The people at events are very welcoming, and it is easy to find your place if you want to. There are groups for new babies, there is a young adult group for folks in their 20s, 30s, that is a group for those interested in conversion. Our school is small and mighty, again customized for the type of student. Those interested in very traditional prayer learning can opt to participate in our Torah Club, which is offered after school on Sundays and we have had kids under 12 read from the Torah. Seeing this warms my heart. If you are interested, it's a great place to visit at any time.

The end of the summer festival (Portuguese feast**** the music ,the food and drinks, The one of a…read morekind BBQ own meat, The homemade Portuguese specialty foods. Just a great time for everyone including the kids. Free admission free parking. Everyone goes out of their way to make you feel comfortable. .......... Argentine cowboys Boston ma........

Yiassou! I really enjoyed the October 2008 Greek festival at St. Vasilios in Peabody. It was the…read morefirst time that I made the effort to drive to St. Vasilios for any reason. The enormous white-clapboard church definitely looks WASP New England, which it formerly probably was. There is a huge social hall/community center attached to the church. The community is active, loving, family-oriented and welcoming to newcomers. Unfortunately, the church was already locked up for the evening so I didn't have a chance to see the interior and light a candle. Next time. I was happy that the festival was indoors, with a good dance floor, not broken-up parking lot asphalt. I also liked the fact that it was in October after most of the other Greek festivals were over. The food and pastries were terrific, made by the parishioners. The Makredes Ensemble has got to be the best Greek-American dance band in New England. I enjoyed their variety of dance music as well as the fact that they didn't drag on for 20 minutes with each kalamatiano, the Greek national folk dance that gets everyone up and moving. The Pontian Dance Group (from the Black Sea area) and their musicians were great. Their dance performances and native costumes were really well done. I appreciated the fact that they came back to the floor and taught their native dances to the festival goers. I also really appreciated seeing so many dancers (mostly non-Greek) from the Dance New England folk dance group--they really were some of the best dancers on the floor! They give such energy to the festival. I was only sorry that the dancing began so late (8:00pm) and that I had to leave at 10:00pm. I swear that some of the dancers who are Italian have Greek blood from their southern Italian ancestors. I was also impressed at how many people, especially men, were dancing and packing the floor! So much kefi! At too many of the festivals this year, there were very few people dancing, and even fewer men of any age. Only one thing annoyed me: the greasy smell of frying loukoumades (Greek fried dough which I love) permeated the air and made my clothes smell dreadfully for a couple of days afterward. THAT is one of the advantages of an outdoor festival--the frying loukoumades can be situated far from the action. It was a great festival overall and a wonderful way to end the 2008 Greek festival season. Kai tou xronou!

Beautiful church- Father Chris is friendly, warm and kind. We enjoy decorating the church every…read moreyear.

This is a very friendly and open church with youth programs and childcare…read more Every time we have been there it has been a great service and everyone very inviting. They also have a food pantry on Tuesday morning, I think at 9:30 It is one of our favorite churches in the area.

St. Paul's is a hidden gem in Malden. The pastor Fr. Clark delivers moving sermons that call the…read morecongregation to action and reflection. The congregation is very welcoming, particularly to the LGBTQ community. Music at St. Paul's is beautiful. The church building itself is a gorgeous design by Cram. I hope more people join their parish because this community has everything going for it!