Bugaboo Creek Steakhouse   

Think rustic mountain lodge with a dose of dry Canadian Rockies' humor. This is a restaurant decorated with fake stuffed moose that burst into conversation and fish that flap into life. And you pretty much have a front row seat for it all, whether you're settled in a woody nook, in front of a fireplace or the big screen TV. It's entertainment at its best for family dining, shopping interludes and birthday bashes. (Join Bugaboo's free birthday club on their website for your birthday surprise.) While Bugaboo is a mining term used by prospectors to describe a dead-end lead, expect a menu that's nothing but "right on." It's chock-full with made-to-order appetizers, including the very popular Bunyan Onion, a gargantuan fried onion bloom, golden and crispy, and sprinkled with seasonings and crowd-pleasing entrees: well-seasoned steaks, roasted chicken, grilled fresh salmon and freshwater fish. And if you're a chocoholic, the dessert lineup sends the mind adrift with the Big Foot Chocolate Cookie, all warm baked and topped with creamy vanilla ice cream or the Bugaboo Peek Triple-Layer Chocolate Cake or the Cabin Fever Chocolate Moose Pudding Cake. The Bugaboo restaurant chain has spread to more 30 restaurants across the country, though 12 are located in Massachusetts. If you're pressed for time or trying to beat the holiday crowds, this is one of the few restaurants where you can actually call ahead and have the hostess put you on the waiting list for seating.