Lindy's Diner - 22

Date: 10/30

Restaurant: Lindy's Diner       
Address: 19 Gilbo Ave.   
City: Keene   

Web site: www.lindysdiner.com    

Breakfast Hours: All day       


Potatoes *
Kind: Home Fries
Same old story. Undercooked and no crisp.
      
   
Toast ****
Kind: Multigrain and Cinnamon Raisin   
Homemade? Yes
       

Bacon ****
Sven had ordered bacon, but it didn't arrive with his meal (see SVEN'S TAKE). After I pointed out to our server that his meal was not what he ordered, she offered to bring some bacon. Sven said no thanks, what he had was fine. A few minutes later she brought a plate over saying she felt guilty for placing the wrong order and wanted us to have it. I have to say, it was pretty good bacon and I, personally, am glad she brought it.
    


Muffin **
Kind: Blueberry   
Homemade? Yes
Artificial tasting and dry. It looked to have been baked in a corn bread pan, which gave it an odd shape, which I didn't have a problem with, but Sven did. I think that by this point Sven had a problem with everything, which I can't really blame him for. (see SVEN'S TAKE)
  
   
SERVER RECOMMENDATION
She was so unpleasant (see SVEN'S TAKE) that I think we were both scared to ask if she had any recommendations.

What is that under those eggs? Bacon? Do you see any bacon?

      
   
SVEN'S BREAKFAST ** Ordered 2 Eggs Over Easy, Bacon, Multigrain Toast and Baked Beans.
Got 2 eggs OE on top of hash, small amount of home fries, raisin toast, baked beans and no bacon. He rated the food as follows: Potatoes * Beans ** Eggs *** It wasn't a good morning at Lindy's.

OLGA'S BREAKFAST *** Broccoli and Cheddar Omelet with onions, home fries and multigrain toast.
Not much to say. Frozen broccoli, and not much of it. Lots of onions and plenty of cheese. It was average. Potatoes...blech, but that's par for the course.

SERVICE
(See Sven's Take)        
    
   

DECOR ****
(See Sven's Take)   
    
   
CLEANLINESS  ***   
    
   
NOTES
Menu said best coffee in town. Can't agree with that since Prime Roast is right around the corner, but for diner coffee it was actually pretty good.

SVEN'S TAKE
Worst. Service. Ever. Several folks had asked us over the past half-year whether or not we had eaten at Lindy's Diner in Keene. Truth is, we both had eaten there prior to the start of our NH Breakfast Blog; but neither of us really had much good to say about it. But it IS a diner -- complete with a straight-from-the-fifties art deco roof and retro table-mount jukeboxes in every booth -- so off we went to give it another try.

We went in feeling happy, after perusing the well-kept curbside garden and taking note of the cool metal sculptures made by Alstead's Bob Taylor. For those of you who don't know his work, Sven and Olga highly recommend a drive through the hills of Alstead, where you can see a great number of his life-size whimsical animals tucked into various dooryards and roadsides. Seeing one of his easily identifiable cranes standing in the garden at Lindy's, with the tendrils of a vine climbing up it's slender rusted body, was a great way to start the morning.

Unfortunately, that is where it ended. When we entered the diner, we were not greeted by anyone, and had to eventually show ourselves to a table. After a long wait, the waitress came over and literally yelled at me as I tried to lift the sugar container to make her table-washing easier. She came back a minute later and threw two menus on the table -- impressive aim, I might add, since she was standing about 4 feet away when she tossed them. When she came back to take our order, she yelled at me again for asking if the whole wheat toast was homemade. No kidding. Yelled at me. Apparently it is a known fact that the raisin and multigrain toast ARE homemade, and the wheat and white toast aren't.

Incidentally, I get it that waitresses in diners can sometimes be a little rude. That's part of the schtick, and some waitresses can get away with it because it is all in fun. That wasn't the case here, though. This waitress just sucked.

After that, it wasn't really that surprising that she brought out the wrong food -- wrong toast, no bacon, big pile of hash that we had never ordered. In fairness, she tried to make up for it by sweetening up a little, but by that point the event was past saving. The food was adequate, but definitely not worth the hassle.

End analysis? Zero stars. Not planning to go back.

Country Kitchen - 21

Date: 10/23

Restaurant: Country Kitchen   
Address: 339 Sunapee St.
City: Newport
Phone: 863-7881
        
   
Potatoes ***
Kind: Deep fried home fries. No matter how good they are, we can't give deep fried breakfast potatoes anything higher than a 3. It just isn't right. Breakfast potatoes shouldn't be dunked in oil, they should be grilled, right next to your eggs and bacon, until they are cooked through and the edges are crisp. These were not that, they were fried, but for fried, they were pretty good. Seemed to be fresh cut with some skin still on and I got a taste of dirt with one of mine.

Muffin *****
Kind: Low-fat Apple, Carrot & Raisin   
Homemade? Yes
Delicious. We had it grilled. This was a very flavorful (cinnamon and allspice we think) muffin that was super moist and held together well. They didn't do a good job of cutting it in half evenly, thankfully Sven is a nice guy and made sure I had an extra bite off the big half. 
    
   

SERVER RECOMMENDATION
Our server didn't really seem too thrilled about anything. She did say that the pancakes and omelets were really good, but I think only because she didn't know what else to say.        
   

Country Special. Mmmm...french fries for breakfast!

SVEN'S CHOICE **** Country Special
English muffin topped with sausage patties, poached eggs and sausage gravy. Served with home fries. It was pretty much a heart attack on a plate. Sven said it was good, but not as good as the sausage gravy at Blackwater Junction.

Mini Omelet. Not so mini.

OLGA'S CHOICE **** Mini Veggie Omelet w/home fries and biscuit
At Country Kitchen you have a choice of omelet size, regular or mini. The mini is made with 3 eggs and the regular is 5! Three was enough for me, especially because it was stuffed with mushrooms, onions, peppers, broccoli and cheddar cheese. I substituted a homemade biscuit for toast and kind of wish I hadn't. The biscuit was quite large, but also pretty dry. Dryer than your average biscuit that is. I can see how it would have been fine covered in sausage gravy, but even with lots of butter and jam, it was hard to swallow. The omelet was perfectly cooked and quite good.

SERVICE ***
Our server didn't seem very happy. Kind of grumpy actually. She did her job, but didn't add anything to our experience.

DECOR **
At first glance we gave the decor a 3, but after looking around a bit we dropped it down to a 2. The coolest thing about the place was the double curve counter. Other than that the place looked pretty dated with no character.   
    
   
CLEANLINESS **
The place definitely could have been cleaner!   
    
   
NOTES
When we arrived at 7:30 am, there were 23 cars in the parking lot. That says something! Well, it says that either the place is really good, or it's the only place for miles around. I think both reasons are feasible. This place is not afraid of substitutions on the their menu. There is even a list of possible substitution. Homemade toast is available for extra. Big breakfast menu.

SVEN'S TAKE
The Country Kitchen doesn't exactly feel like a well kept secret . . . more like a solidly-above average eatery with an invariably big crowd. Truth is, every time I've eaten there, it felt like I was escorted to the last available table, and if it had been any more crowded I would have had to wait. That's usually the result of good eats; and the Country Kitchen mostly lives up to that reputation. The one standout item was the low fat muffin -- easily one of the best baked goods we've had on the endeavor. I found myself very suspicious that it wasn't really low fat, because nothing low fat could be that good. Most of the other items were just adequate . . . solid, tasty, and pretty much forgotten by mid day.    
    
    
    
    
    
   
   

Murray's - 20

Date: 10/9

Restaurant: Murray's   
Address: 14 Westminster Street   
City: Walpole   
Phone: 603-756-3426

Breakfast Hours: All day       

Sven had a gig on the Green Mountain Flyer this past Saturday so we headed out early and somewhat local. If you are looking for a good, inexpensive, local place, where the cook makes it just the way you want, then Murray's is the place! We were definitely pleased and are a little bit sad that we won't be able to eat breakfast there again for quite a while, but no ones says we can't go there for lunch!
   
   
Potatoes ****
Kind: Home fries.
Sven requested the potatoes to be well done. And guess what folks, that's how we got them! YAY! Guess there is a first time for everything! Sven said he had a few that weren't fully cooked through and I actually thought they could have used a little more grease. I can't believe I am saying that, and it could have been due to the extra cooking or even the kind of potato, maybe, but I found them to be a little bit dry. Other than that, they were good. Nice crispy edges. We were both finally happy with our breakfast potatoes!

Ahhh...crispy edges!

   
Toast ****
Kind: Rye   
Homemade? No
       

SERVER RECOMMENDATION
The server didn't have much in the way of recommendations. She did recommend the Monte Cristo, but it seemed she was only doing that because it was on the Specials Board.        
   

SVEN'S BREAKFAST **** Big Omelet
Sven is giving this a STRONG 4. Cooked just right and loaded with sausage, red onions, fresh mushrooms (which were cooked perfectly), tomatoes, green peppers and cheddar cheese. Came with toast and had to order the side of potatoes.

OLGA'S BREAKFAST **** Egg McMurray
The standard breakfast sandwich: fried egg with bacon and cheese on an english muffin. It was as good of a breakfast sandwich as I have had anywhere. It was warm, the cheese was good and melty, and the bacon was cooked perfectly. Both of our breakfasts were served with a small slice of watermelon, which was a really nice touch and a great way to end the meal. 

SERVICE ***** 
The service was excellent. Our server was on top of things and took care of our every need. The cook (who we later found out, is also the owner) was very personable and spent a few minutes talking baseball with Sven before we left.        
    
   

DECOR ***
Small, cozy and charming with counter seating, as well as, a number of tables. An assortment of paintings and photographs covered the walls and we both really liked the floor to ceiling window that made up the front wall of the restaurant.
    
       
      
NOTES
A nice small town kind of place that seemed to have some regular clientele of local older folks (at least at 6:45 on a Saturday morning). Although there weren't a lot of breakfast specials on the board, there were some lunch specials listed and they all looked really good.

SVEN'S TAKE
Walpole, NH -- as opposed to North Walpole, NH or Walpole, MA -- is by and large a white collar town. The Walpole Grocery sells gluten-free organic flour; the Walpole Tavern sells $10 burgers and craft-brewed beer; and the local chocolatier has branch stores in Manhattan and Cambridge. Now don't get me wrong. Sven and Olga love that stuff, too; but it is hardly the spot I would go to find a salt-of-the-earth diner.

That's why it is especially surprising, and nice, to duck into Murray's Diner, right next to the aforementioned Tavern. This past weekend the diner was already showing signs of local life at 6:30 AM when we ducked in and grabbed a seat at the counter. The fixed stools at the counter were half full; and the half-dozen or so tables were filling up quick. Nevertheless, we were greeted quickly by the owner with a couple of cups of coffee, before he headed off into the mostly-visible kitchen to get back to his principal duties. Murray's has a comfortable, lived-in feel, with no signs of pretension. The walls show the clear signs that this place is part of the fabric of the community -- lots of fliers announcing local events, photos, and such. Turns out (as we later learned) that it HAS been part of the fabric of the local scene for about 30 years, with the same owner/cook manning the grill for the whole ride.

In 30 years, Tom Murray has learned a bit about cooking breakfast. That much was clear. My omelet was outstanding, with a lot of flavor inside. And the potatoes were great. Not the best I ever had, but certainly the best I have had in a long while on this quest for the perfect NH breakfast. When I struck up a conversation (completely coincidental) with Tom at a party later that night, he was the first to say that he wasn't cooking with his best potatoes. "I like to cook with Canadians, but right now I can't get them, so I'm using Eastern shore potatoes," he said, before launching into a monologue about the merits of different spuds. Sweet! Here's a guy who knows potatoes. I can't wait to get back there when he's got his best taters on the grill.

Sven and Olga in the News:

The only thing we love more than breakfast is seeing our name in lights. Well, not really. We love breakfast more. Nevertheless, it was pretty cool to open up the Keene Sentinel daily newspaper on October 5 and see an article about Sven and Olga's exploits. Thanks to crackerjack reporter Sherry Hughes for breaking the story and sending well over 100 hits to our site on day one! Better yet, the picture she ran of us is one of my favorites.

The Red Arrow Diner - 19

Date: 9/25/10

Restaurant: Red Arrow Diner   
Address: 63 Union Square   
City: Milford   
Phone: 249-9222

Web site: www.redarrowdiner.com   

Breakfast Hours: 24/7       

The day after Sven and I went to the Red Arrow Diner a friend of mine took me out for a belated birthday brunch. If you are ever in the Greenfield, MA area and are looking for some really good food, check out Hope & Olive. Out-of-this-world delicious! Well, thanks to Sarah and Hope & Olive, I was able to forget about my food experience at the Red Arrow.

Eggs **
Underdone. 
       
   
Potatoes *
Kind: Home Fries
Terrible. No seasoning of any kind. Way underdone even after Sven requested that they be cooked well done. Why doesn't anyone get it? It is baffling.   
   
Toast *
Kind: Sven - Cinnamon Raisin, Olga - Wheat   
Homemade? No
Tasted as though it had been pre-toasted and then just sat around waiting for someone to order it. The slices were tiny, cold, dry (even though it had been buttered) and kind of spongy.
  
   
SERVER RECOMMENDATION
Our server wasn't very helpful with recommendations. All she did was point out the "Queen's" breakfast, which basically consisted of eggs, meat, pancakes or french toast, potatoes... that kind of thing.   

Red Arrow Omelet w/some sort of "cheese" sauce.

SVEN'S BREAKFAST * Red Arrow Omelet w/Pan Fries and Toast
The omelet consisted of ham (which was pretty good...oven-cooked, not canned), mushrooms (fresh), onions, green peppers, tomatoes and cheddar. The omelet came with a "cheese" sauce on the top. We aren't sure if this is what they were calling the "cheddar". It was kind of gross. Basically it just wasn't good.

Veggie Hashbrown Special = blah

OLGA'S BREAKFAST ** Veggie Hashbrown Special with 2 Eggs and Toast
The hasbrowns were undercooked. There were a few crispy pieces, but not many. The vegetables were decent and it was blanketed with cheddar. Real cheese, not the sauce like on Sven's. The eggs, which I ordered over-easy, were underdone. The toast was horrible. There was absolutely no flavor to the meal. I kept adding more and more salt, hoping for just a little bit of flavor to hit my tongue.

SERVICE ****
Other than having to ask twice for water (a big pet peeve of mine) they got the job done.

DECOR ****
The outside of the diner was really cool looking. The inside would have been much better if were able to see beyond all the marketing graphics. It seemed too commercial, which took away from the uniqueness of a diner.
   
NOTES
It was busy, lively place. The was quite a bit of franchise and merchandise promotion, which along with all the graphics, and the bad food left us feeling pretty disappointed about the place. However, we were SO happy to be having breakfast together, that it just didn't matter!

SVEN'S TAKE    

So, Olga and I went to the Red Arrow Diner — did you know you can buy a franchise for this place? The diner used to be a real authentic local place to eat, and then it was purchased by the original Red Arrow Diner in Manchester, NH as the first franchise expansion. Apparently this place is frequented by Adam Sandler, and you can actually get a franchise. The menu looked enticing, especially the part where they tell you that you can get a franchise. I guess anyone can eat here, and you can just purchase a plate of eggs and potatoes and bacon; but if you want to get a whole restaurant out of the deal, they are more than willing to sell you a franchise. The food sucked, but I hear the franchise opportunity is really amazing. Our breakfast was a little more expensive than I would have expected from a local place, but not as expensive as buying the whole franchise. Do you think all of this talk about franchise opportunities is annoying? So did Sven and Olga.    
    
    
    
    
   

Shyrl's Diner - 18

Date: 9/4/10

Restaurant: Shyrl's Diner  
Address: 31 Main Street  
City: West Lebanon  
Phone: 298-6918

It's been a little bit since we ate at Shyrl's. Sven and I took off for Swan's Island, ME before I was able to post our most recent breakfast. Our breakfast at Shyrl's was pretty memorable, so hopefully I will be able to do it justice here.

After a couple weeks of being able to order whatever we wanted, it was kind of funny that we both were sort of in the mood for a "standard". So  this week we were back to our old routine. It was kind of nice.

STANDARD - 2 eggs OE, potatoes, bacon, toast

Eggs *****
Perfect.         
  

Potatoes ***
Kind: Homefries. These are getting a strong 3. Some of them were actually crisp! Came with optional onions. They were cooked, but not mushy. These potatoes were alright! Thought about giving them a higher rating because of the awful potatoes we have had thus far, but I had to remind Sven that we needed to hold on to our standards. The day we find potatoes that are a 5... well, we may just have to quit after that.        


Toast *****
Kind: Wheat  
Homemade? Yes.
It was only 10¢ more for homemade toast, which just seems silly to me, but man, look at that toast! It was a beautiful thing... thick, crispy on the outside and fluffy.
      

Bacon **
Overdone. A couple bites were chewy, but the rest was dry and crunchy.
  
 
  
SERVER RECOMMENDATION
We asked our server what her favorite breakfast was and what she recommended. She told us she didn't eat breakfast and just read the specials off the "specials board" which we could read quite clearly from where we were sitting.
  

SPECIAL **** Banana Bread French Toast w/2 Bacon and 2 Sausage
Great flavor that lingered. The portion was the perfect size. The greatest part was that a pint-size container of REAL maple syrup was placed on the table at no extra charge. No dinky little cup of syrup...I think I used half of that pint!

SERVICE ***
We are giving our server a 2 for personality and a 4 for service. She got the job done, but had absolutely no spunk.  
     
      
DECOR ****  
A definite breakfast place with counter seating as well as tables. The walls were bead board painted brown with yellow and green accents. There were framed, cross stitched trite sayings, photos of older women and pictures of flowers on the walls. There were a number of vases of fake flowers around as well.
      
    
  
NOTES
Not sure if it was our arrival at such and early hour, but the place was filled with elderly folk. The place was busy the whole time we were there and I noticed a few tables of younger people on our way out. There was a broad age range of the folks working there. Some seemed to have a bit of spunk, but we didn't get to experience that first hand.

SVEN'S TAKE    
    
    
    
    
    
 

Peterborough Diner - 17

Date: 8/28/10

Restaurant: Peterborough Diner   
Address: 10 Depot St.   
City: Peterborough   
Phone: 603-924-6710

Web site: www.peterboroughdiner.com   

Breakfast Hours: 6-noon M-F, 7-8 Sat & Sun.       

Potatoes *
Kind: Home fries. Horrible. Seriously, look at this...

You may not be able to tell from the picture, but they were crunchy. Not from being sufficiently cooked on the griddle, but because they were raw! I would like to say that it is starting to get humorous that NO ONE can cook good home fries, but really, this isn't a laughing matter.
       
Toast ****
Kind: Multigrain   
Homemade? N
Even though this bread was not homemade, it was pretty great. It was thick cut, nicely toasted and big. It was way too big for the breakfast sandwich, so I ate one slice with the sandwich stuff and one slice with strawberry jam. I would have to say that the toast was the best part of the breakfast. 

       
Bacon *
Overdone and dry. There was zero moisture, not a speck of grease. He thinks it was either cooked in the microwave (to death) or it spent the night in a food dehydrator.
   
SERVER RECOMMENDATION
Omelets and breakfast sandwiches.

      
   
SVEN'S BREAKFAST: *, **, ***   1,2,3 (1 egg, 2 bacon, 3 french toast)
See "Sven's Take" below.

OLGA'S BREAKFAST *** Breakfast Sandwich
One egg over medium on multigrain bread with cheddar and sausage. The bread was great, the egg was fine, the sausage was decent. The bread was big enough to accommodate two eggs and it would have been better if the cheese had been fully melted. The potatoes... well you already know about the potatoes.

SERVICE ***
Our server was sweet. She was a little flustered at first due to a broken juice machine. We were the first ones to arrive, right at opening, and even though she was trying to deal with the juice problem she was able to answer, or find out answers, to our questions. She definitely put forth a good effort.        
    
   

DECOR ****
This was a great classic diner car. Photos of old cars hung on the walls. It wasn't quite as decked out at the Tumble Inn, but it was pretty great. I large outdoor seating area gives the place even more curb appeal!    


NOTES
The place was pretty quiet, but it was pretty early. The people who did show up while we were there were mostly old men who seemed to be regulars of the place.

SVEN'S TAKE
This is just the kind of place I love to eat at. According to their website, the core of the restaurant is a 1950 Worcester Lunch Car, in a very groovy dark green and cream color scheme. It sits right in the center of Peterborough, with a big parking lot, and about a dozen picnic tables available for outside dining. In typical New England fashion, the years have brought more than a few additions to the place. Case in point: walk through the kitchen and say "Hi" to the cook on your way to the boat-like bathrooms jutting out into the back parking lot.

The food here (and the service) were just OK; but honestly it didn't detract much from the experience. I ordered up the appropriately named "1-2-3" --"appropriately" not because it included 1 egg, 2 pieces of bacon, and 3 pieces of French toast; but rather because the bacon earned 1 star, the egg got a generous 2 stars, and the French toast got a middle-of-the-road 3 stars. The bacon was something: easily taking the title for the driest bacon I have had in the past decade. In fact, I felt a little like an archaeologist handling a delicate old fossil as I tried to gingerly lift the bacon and move it towards my mouth without having it fall apart under its own weight. The one egg I had was comically tiny, but good nonetheless. The French toast was actually awesome, with plenty of cinnamon and a generous helping of maple syrup. It might have been worth 4 stars, but I docked it for the cold plate it was served on (and cold syrup, to boot); and frankly just to deliver some poetic justice.

While eating there, I was reminded of a story from my college days. I want to caution that this story has NOTHING WHATSOEVER to do with the Peterborough Diner, other than the fact that they had an out-of-order Vitality Juice machine. Long ago and in a different state, I had a friend who worked in the cafeteria at Boston College. While he was working there, they began to have trouble with the Vitality Juice machine delivering less and less flow. They cleaned it, looked at it, did some standard maintenance to it, but couldn't figure out what was  wrong with it. So they called in the Vitality Juice man. He came in, took the machine apart, and came to a filter screen that was only accessible by taking the machine apart. All the juice flows through that screen. That screen had become completely, entirely clogged with . . . hold your breath . . . dead cockroaches. No kidding. And what is worse is that my friend reported they were meticulous about cleaning the counters every night with bleach. By his estimation it was one of the cleaner kitchens he had worked in. In any event, suffice it to say that I don't drink Vitality Juice or any other cafeteria juice for that matter. So I wasn't too disappointed that the Peterborough Diner's machine was on the fritz.
    
    
  

Timoleon's - 16

Date: 8/22/10

Restaurant: Timoleon's    
Address: 27 Main Street   
City: Keene
Phone: 357-4230

Breakfast Hours: 6am-?, Sat & Sun until 1:30      

After sleeping in a little bit, due to a really late night at a great, 11 inning, Red Sox game, Sven and I decided to keep it local. At one time Timoleon's was a regular place for me and my family, that was long ago, Sven had never been, and I had a Scrabble date, across the street at Prime Roast after breakfast, so it was the perfect choice for this weekend's breakfast.

Potatoes *
Kind: Home fries. I am curious...when potatoes are called "home fries", wouldn't that suggest there was some sort of "frying" involved? I am not looking for deep fried, but even that would be better than the soft, mushy lumps that were on our plates. Come folks, is it really that hard!?
   

Toast *****
Kind: Lo-carb   
Homemade? Yes
I remembered this toast from the past and was happy to hear they still had it. I would love this toast even if it wasn't lo-carb! I could tell Sven was licking his chops when he saw the crunchy crust and the big crannies loaded with butter so I had to share with him. I think he was a little surprised at how good it was!
       

Bacon *****
Sven got bacon on his breakfast sandwich and he let me have a nibble. I wouldn't say the nibble was equal to the amount of delicious toast I gave him, but hey, who's keeping track? Anyway, the bacon was delicious. 
    


Coffeecake *****
Kind: Blueberry   
Homemade? Yes
We asked for it grilled to see if it compared with Yesterday's. It arrived cut in half with an extra plate. That was very wise because if we had to share the one piece, I think there might have been a fight. It was delicious. Just the right amount of sweetness and really moist. The cinnamon streusel  topping was to die for. I could have gone for just a bowl of that! Can't say it beat out Yesterday's, but it is right up there!

It looked so good I forgot to take a picture before I ate it!

SERVER RECOMMENDATION
Our server recommended the pancakes, because that is what she likes. She added that everything was good and the sausage and biscuits were very popular.     
   

SVEN'S BREAKFAST **** Nick's Sandwich
Fried egg, bacon, tomato and American cheese on an english muffin. The tomato was an excellent addition and as said before, the bacon was great. This sandwich would have gotten a 5 if the potatoes hadn't been so bad.

OLGA'S BREAKFAST *** Spinach and Feta Omelet
The spinach was either frozen or canned, which was kind of a bummer, and what gave the dish a lower mark. Well, that and the potatoes. Other than that, the egg part was nice and thin and cooked perfectly and they didn't skimp on the feta. And the toast, oh the toast!

SERVICE *****+
Fantastic! Best yet! Our server seemed to know what we wanted before we even walked in the door! She was naturally enthusiastic and offered the popular choices, without us even asking. She was attentive at just the right times and was intuitive enough to bring me a larger glass of water after seeing me down the tiny one that was originally placed on the table.         
    
   
DECOR ***
Family style with a long counter, booths and table seating. There was cheap, bad artwork (available to purchase) on the walls. Pretty bright, not cozy, but just right for the place.   

NOTES
The place was busy. Filled with young and old. Obviously a popular place with locals, as well as visitors. Many homemade items: breads, pies, cookies, cakes. The menu wasn't anything special, but Timoleon's is definitely a good, solid breakfast place!

SVEN'S TAKE    

Timoleon's potatoes are like the Redsox bullpen -- soft, uninspiring, and capable of spoiling an otherwise solid outing.

OK. That was probably a little harsh. The Sox aren't THAT bad.    
    
    
    
    
   
  

Bradford Junction Restaurant & Bakery - 15

Date: 8/14/10

Restaurant: Bradford Junction Restaurant & Bakery   
Address: 2370 State Rt. 114   
City: Bradford   
Phone: 938-2424

Breakfast Hours: 6-2:30 7 days/wk       


CHEAP, CHEAP, CHEAP and GOOD!
           
Potatoes ***
Kind: Home fries.
Inconsistent size. Many were too big. The ones that were smaller had a nice crisp to them, but the bigger ones were way too soft.  

      
   
Toast *****
Kind: Anadama   
Homemade? Yes
The bread was wonderful. Sliced thick and loaded with butter. The perfect amount of molasses made it very flavorful without being overpowering.

Bacon *****
Hot and perfectly cooked.
    

Muffin ***
Kind: Blueberry   
Homemade? Yes
This muffin was nicely grilled and had a sufficient amount of wild blueberries. Unfortunately, it lacked flavor. My well trained tongue said that it needed some salt in the batter. If we were rating for value we would have given it a 4, you can't beat 60¢ for a homemade muffin, but the taste rating was only a 2.

  
   

SERVER RECOMMENDATION
Our server said the "Upper Berth" and "Lower Berth" and the omelets were all big sellers.

SVEN'S BREAKFAST **** Junction Special Omelet with toast and potatoes.
Peppers, onions, tomatoes and American cheese. Believe it or not folks, Sven said, "Awesome!" (I really think he is getting soft in his old age). Perfectly cooked in the middle but a little overdone on the edges. Delish.

Junction Special Omelet with Anadama toast

OLGA'S BREAKFAST *** Blueberry Pancakes with bacon.
Plenty of wild blueberries but like the muffin, it lacked salt. I sprinkled some on, which helped a bit with the flavor, but didn't help with the dense, chewy texture. Fortunately, for and extra $1.25, I opted for real maple syrup. There was plenty of it to drown the pancakes in. Anything is delicious with enough maple syrup on it!

Blueberry Pancakes (minus one piece of bacon)

SERVICE ***
The service started out as pretty bad, but got better. When we first arrived we were told to sit where ever we wanted. There was only one 2-top that was not in the center of the room and we wanted it. We noticed that it was still dirty from the previous patrons, so we paused a bit to see if it would be cleaned. All the wait people ignored it. After a few we went and stood by the table to see if they would get the hint. Nope. They didn't get it. Once we actually sat down at the table someone came right over and cleaned it off for us. From that point on the service was fine. Our server was friendly and our cups were always full.    
  

 
DECOR ****
It was a cozy place full of wood and big windows in the back. The walls were random width WP4 V-match premium grade pine (thanks Sven!) and everything from the booths to the tables and bar were wood. The walls had numerous framed photo collages. The only thing I didn't like about the place was they had a large quantity of Bradford Junction t-shirts and sweatshirts, for sale, hanging in a couple random places in the dining room, which definitely took away from the coolness of the place. Part of the restaurant was set up like a dining car on a train. It's too bad that section was closed when we were there.  
    
   
NOTES
It seemed like a family operation. Noticed one server calling another "Mom" and I think it was "Dad" who came out and cleared our plates. A huge quantity of loaves of fresh bread and homemade English muffins were available for purchase. It appeared as though they had some sort of "mug club" with shelves behind the bar filled with matching mugs with names on them. Can only assume these were for "regulars" of the place. It was a full house with folks old and young. I got the feeling that was like that most of the time and it didn't have anything to do with the League of NH Craftsmen fair going on that weekend.

SVEN'S TAKE    


When the waitress at the Bradford Junction slipped the paper placemats down onto the table in front of me, there were two things that immediately caught my eye. The first thing was that the placemat had an ad for the Bradford Bog People – an old-timey band that I'd heard of but never heard.  I wonder what made them decide to advertise on a placemat? Very unusual, but very cool, I thought. I figure that one of the folks in the band must have had something to do with the layout or printing of the placemat and made good use of the opportunity to get their name out there. Bravo.

The second thing I noticed was that the place mat itself was old-timey. I mean old-timey like 1940's pricing. The whole center section includes a breakfast menu, and at first glance I assumed that it must have been a mistake. The prices were so low, that these either had to be old-stock placemats, or a nod to the pricing that would have been in effect when the place was first opened. Turns out I was wrong. The prices were real. Game on!

A half an hour later, I could happily report that the food was real -- real good -- too. Great omelet, fantastic toast, adequate potatoes, muffin and coffee. When we left, I was filled up, and it only cost about $12 for both of us, including tax and a 20% tip. Suffice it say that if I lived closer to Bradford, I'd eat breakfast here several times a week.    


Knowlton's Kitchen - 14

Date: 8/7/10

Restaurant: Knowlton's Kitchen   
Address: 16 Church Street   
City: North Walpole
Phone: 445-2660

Breakfast Hours: Served all day. Closed Mondays. Tues. 7am-3pm, Wed.-Sat. 7am-8pm, Sun. 7am-2pm       

This marks the beginning of a new quarter. We are now thrilled, and maybe a little overwhelmed, with the option to order anything we want off the menu. Sashenka (Sven's daughter) joined us this week and she ordered pretty close to the "standard" which was a nice way to transition into our new way of doing things.

STANDARD - 2 eggs OE, potatoes, bacon, toast

Eggs ****         
   

Potatoes ***+
Kind: Home Fries. Sven said a few of his were underdone. Some of them definitely had some crisp, but not many. Sven improved his by adding some homemade salsa.        
   

Toast ****
Kind: Sashenka - white, Sven - rye, Olga - wheat   
Homemade? No
Nicely toasted and loaded with butter. Perfect vehicle for a little strawberry jam!
       

Ham ***+
This is the first time there was no bacon on our plates! It was a little strange and slightly disconcerting. When Sashenka ordered her breakfast she first requested bacon, but as she was finishing up her order a server walked by with another customer's breakfast and there was a steaming slab of ham on top. I noticed it too. She quickly changed her order. So, I had a bite of her ham and thought the flavor was pretty good, but it could have hung out on the grill just a little bit longer.
    


Coffeecake ****
Kind: Pumpkin Filled   
Homemade? Yes
So, this is our 2nd week in a row we have had coffeecake. Because of our piece last week at Yesterday's, Knowlton's coffeecake really didn't have a chance of getting a 5, but it was still pretty stinkin' good. It was homemade by our server, Linda, and it consisted of pumpkin pie filling sandwiched by two layers of pretty basic coffeecake, topped with cinnamon and walnuts. It was definitely fresh, moist and tasty. It was nuked briefly and arrived at the table nice and warm.    
   

SERVER RECOMMENDATION
Linda started off by recommending the pancakes and omelets, but then went on to rant about pretty much the whole menu. 
   

SPECIAL/OMELET
A couple of specials on the board: Lobster Omelet, Strawberry French Toast

SVEN'S CHOICE ***** Basil, Tomato and Feta Omelet
Perfectly cooked and really flavorful without being over powering. The basil in the omelet came from the potted plant sitting on the counter. Sven upgraded to organic eggs for 50¢.

OLGA'S CHOICE **** Veggie Quickie
The jokes were flying when I asked Linda what a "Quickie" was. I think I might have blushed. Turns out a "Quickie" at Knowlton's is a scramble and mine came with mushrooms, tomatoes, onions and peppers. There were lots of vegetables and I am pretty sure the mushrooms were fresh. It was a large portion and it was cooked just right.

Veggie Quickie

SERVICE *****  Linda
Linda rocked! She was super enthusiastic, warm and friendly. Our cups were always full and she really made sure we were happy. When Sven asked for hot sauce she brought over three different kinds, as well as two containers of homemade salsa! All the servers seemed very nice and every customer was greeted with the same enthusiasm and some with a pat on the back. We got more than one nice farewell as we exited the place.    
    
   

DECOR ***+
Family-style with premium grade Eastern White Pine, V-grooved boards on the walls and diagonally under the counter, and a dropped acoustical ceiling with black T-bars. Gee Sven, thanks for those details! The place was rather dark with a faux country feel. All the mugs were different, which was a nice homey touch. The walls were mostly blank except for a few dry-erase boards listing their specials and seafood offerings and a few kitschy signs featuring kitchen/diner sayings. It was a comfortable place to kick back and enjoy breakfast.    


 
NOTES
There seemed to be a number of pork options. They offered a BBQ pulled pork and roasted pork omelets. Each plate came with an orange slice and a sprig of fresh parsley, which was a nice touch and unusual for a place like that.

SVEN'S TAKE   

Coming whenever he gets around to it.     
   
  

Yesterday's - 13

Date: 8/1/10

Restaurant: Yesterday's  
Address: NH-16A  
City: Jackson  
Phone: 383-4457

sarahsyesterdays.com   

Breakfast Hours: 7-3 everyday       

Yesterday's marks the end of our first quarter of a year of breakfast eating. Not only is it #13 (which just so happens to be my favorite number), it is my favorite breakfast place thus far! I think Sven still puts Blackwater Junction at the top of the list. Blackwater is still up there for me too, but there were just a couple little details at Yesterday's that gave it a slight nudge to first place in my book.

Being the end of the first quarter, Sven and I have decided to make a little change in our process. Basically, we are both really sick of being required to eat 2 eggs over-easy, home fries, bacon and toast. We want to eat sausage and pancakes and scrambles and benedicts and waffles and ham and... well, you get the idea. We are just feeling too limited and being able to each decide on our own complete breakfast will give us the opportunity to give you more varied descriptions on each place. We will still check out the specials, and ask our server for recommendations, and who knows, maybe occasionally there will still be a couple over-easy eggs to write about.

Now, about Yesterday's...

STANDARD - 2 eggs OE, potatoes, bacon, toast

Eggs *****
Perfectly done.        
  

Potatoes ***
Kind: Oven-roasted home fries.
A little crisp, but needed more.        
  

Toast ****
Kind: Cheese  
Homemade? Yes
If it had been buttered just as popped out of the toaster it would have been a 5, but they serve the toast dry and you have a pick of butter or Promise out of the bowl on the table.
      

Bacon ****
Really good. Hot, chewy, well cooked.
  

Coffeecake *****
Kind: Raspberry Cream  
Homemade? Yes
We ordered a piece as an appetizer and realized right away why they charge so much for it and why they offer it with a side of fruit as a meal. The piece was HUGE! Not only that, it was delicious! They grilled both sides of the slice which gave some of the raspberry filling a kind of crispy-chewy quality. The cake was super moist and flavorful. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.
   

SERVER RECOMMENDATION
The pancakes (table next to ours got some and they looked great) and the breakfast special sandwich.     
  
  
SVEN'S BREAKFAST: **** Hunter's Hash with eggs over-easy and oat toast.
The hash was made up of shaved steak, mushrooms, peppers, onions and cheese, served on top of potatoes with the eggs on top. It was a very generous portion and quite filling. There was little to no salt, which it could have used, but Sven used hot sauce instead.

SERVICE *****
Our girl, who reminded me of Juliette Lewis, was really exceptional. She checked in, more than once, to make sure we were happy and our coffee cups were always full. She seemed really enthusiastic about the food and was very detailed in her descriptions of items we asked her about. She was genuinely personable and friendly.    
 
 
DECOR ****
Old photos, wooden beams and great counter with stools, and an average sized dining room gave this place a nice, cozy, country feel. The mugs, cereal boxes and 4-packs of root beer were neatly organized as if they were on display.    
    

NOTES
The choice of homemade breads was pretty impressive. We could choose from cheese, oatmeal, cinnamon raisin, rye, wheat or white. When ordering something that is generally served with syrup, you get an individual serving decanter of real maple syrup, included in the price of your breakfast. If you need more, it is extra. These are two of the things that really left a positive impression on me.

They seem to be conscious of people's specific dietary needs. The toast being dry and very little salt, if any, in Sven's breakfast made us think they did that on purpose for those you need to restrict their salt intake.

Root beer with their own label, mugs and loaves of homemade bread were available for purchase.

SVEN'S TAKE    
    
    
    
    
    
  
Coming soon!

Peach's - 12

Date: 7/31/10

Restaurant: Peach's   
Address: 2506 White Mountain Hwy   
City: North Conway
Phone: 356-5860

Breakfast Hours: 7-2:30 everyday       

In order to hit a couple breakfast places further North, Sven and I spent the weekend camping in the White Mountains. We drove the Kancamangus Highway, hiked up Mt. Chocorura, and were the ultimate tourists with a white-knuckling drive up Mt. Washington. The weather was perfect, had the most successful Jiffy-Pop experience ever, and put two more breakfast joints under our belts—which at this point we need to let out a notch!

STANDARD - 2 eggs OE, potatoes, bacon, toast

Eggs *
Way under-done.        
   

Potatoes **
Kind: Homefries
A 2 is being almost too generous. These potatoes were just like Mr. Nick's, but smaller. Soft and no crunch what-so-ever. They did have a little bit of spice added to them, which is the only thing that saved these spuds.        
   

Toast ****
Kind: Wheat   
Homemade? No
       

Bacon ***
The flavor was good, but it was cold. We were one of the first few parties to be eating that morning... shouldn't the bacon have been hot?
    


Muffin ****+
Kind: Blueberry   
Homemade? Yes
Grilled. Great flavor, lots of berries, not overly sweet, moist and held together nicely. So good that Sven only let me have one bite! The nerve.
   

SERVER RECOMMENDATION ***** Apple Walnut Crepes
Dusted with cinnamon, a few small dollops of whipped cream and crème fraîche on the side...these were delicious! The server said they were amazing, and she was right. The edges were nice and crispy and the filling wasn't too sweet. They were, as I often say, "pretty stinkin' good"!

 
SERVICE *****
The service was fantastic. Our server was quick, on top of things, right there with the coffee warmups, and when I ordered the crepes she seemed genuinely glad that I did. I could tell she really did think they were amazing.        
    
   

DECOR ****
Peach's is a house. Well, it was once a house, now it is a restaurant. There were tables tucked in small rooms and a built-in porch looking out into the woods, which is where we sat. It was lovely. Each table had its own little lamp with a stained glass shade. The tables were all topped with napkins on which customers had written rave reviews of the place. Nice country charm. There was a nice patio outside that had many tables. 
    
   
NOTES
As I got up from the table I was thinking that this place was pretty great. Aside from the undercooked eggs and cold bacon, the food was good and the atmosphere was quite nice. I needed to stop into the restroom to A) check it out for the review and B) take care of business. When I stepped into the small room that the restroom was attached to, my opinion of the place dropped significantly. This room was like some sort of shrine devoted to, as Sven puts it, a stylized-man-made-inaccurate-corrupted imitation of Jesus. The large painting of the man on the wall, and the Bible on the table made me not want to linger too long, or at all, so I quickly made my way into the restroom, not quite believing what I had just seen. I sent Sven back in to the restaurant to confirm.

SVEN'S TAKE
Here's a quick grammar lesson, with help from Merriam-Webster.com:
alter (verb): to make different without changing into something else. i.e. "When Sven and Olga drove by Peach's Restaurant in North Conway on Saturday, the place had so much curb-appeal that they immediately banged a u-turn and altered their previous breakfast plans."

Not to be confused with:
altar (noun): a table on which the eucharistic elements are consecrated or which serves as center of worship or ritual. i.e. "When Sven saw the pagan altar set up near the bathroom at Peach's Restaurant, he knew immediately that the owners do not rightly divide the word of God, and had fallen into grave doctrinal error."

Mr. Nick's - 11

Date: 7/25/10

Restaurant: Mr. Nick's   
Address: 160 Main St.       
City: Kingston   
Phone: 642-8312

Breakfast Hours: M-Sa 6-12, Sun 7-12       

Mr. Nick's is a bit off the beaten path, with no curb appeal and the decor leaves a bit to be desired, but the food was mostly pretty darn good. We wouldn't travel from Lempster or Keene to eat there again, but if we just so happen to be heading to or from Boston we would consider hopping off I-93 and heading East for a bite.

STANDARD - 2 eggs OE, potatoes, bacon, toast

Eggs ****
Done as ordered. Good dippability.
      
   
Potatoes **
Kind: Home fries. Potatoes were labeled as home fries, but they were more like large chunks of boiled potatoes that barely hit the grill. Big, soft, and mushy. They had a little seasoning added to them, which was about the only thing going for them.
   
Toast ****
Kind: 10 Grain   
Homemade: No
Darn good. Would have been a 5 if it had been homemade.
   
  
Bacon ****
Very tasty. Cooked just right. A strong 4. 
    


SERVER RECOMMENDATION
The server recommended the Tex-Mex breakfast tortilla, which was at the top of the extensive menu. Since we have had numerous mexican-themed breakfasts lately we went with one of the specials. 
   

SPECIAL/OMELET **** Apple Cheddar & Bacon Omelet with Honey Oat Toast and Beans
It was big, chunky and so loaded that it was impossible not to get a piece of each ingredient in every bite. Sven added nothing to it, no salt, no pepper, no hot sauce (which might have been a little odd), nothing. Said it didn't need anything and that he would definitely order it again. When I got my half, I added salt, mainly out of habit and because I can't seem to get enough salt these days, but it probably would have been fine without it. I didn't like it as much as Sven did. I think it was the apple and egg combo I didn't like. I love apples and cheddar, and bacon is good with just about anything, so I think it was the egg that threw me off. It was also pretty cold by the time I got it, which may have had something to do with it as well.

The beans were delicious! Homemade, more of that good bacon, and pretty sweet, just the way I like 'em!

MISCELLANEOUS
Coffee **  Sven didn't even finish his cup. I had iced coffee, what was weak, but that is expected in a place like this, so I wasn't unhappy with it.

SERVICE ***
Service wasn't the greatest. Our server left our check when she delivered our food, and returned a moment later, before we had our first bites, to ask how our breakfast was, and then we didn't see her again. Well, almost. She did come by to ask if I wanted more iced coffee, but there was not warm-up of Sven's coffee cup. There seemed to be a lot of staff, and not a ton of customers, so a little more attention should not have been a problem.
   
    
   
DECOR * and **
Mr. Nick's sits in a suspicious looking, poorly built, aluminum-sided, exposed fixture-wired, plaza that looks like it has been that way for decades. The interior had two different sides. At first we thought that maybe they just expanded and hadn't decorated the new side yet, but then we noticed on our way out that the sign out front looked as though it has always been centered between the two sides. One side (**) had wood panelling and a lakeside camp sort of feel, with fishing pictures. There were red, blue and silver stars hanging from the ceiling. The other side (*) had no decor what-so-ever. the walls were blank and if they didn't just recently expand, then they are just lazy. They seem to cater to children with a bookshelf full of books and coloring materials.
    
      
   
BATHROOMS  *** and ****
We both liked having to walk through the beaded curtain to get to the bathrooms. In both bathrooms the paper towel dispenser was broken with the front hanging open to give access to the paper. Sven gave the men's room a 4. I couldn't go that high.   
    
   
NOTES
The food was better than good, but the place was a little strange. The plates were a bit too small for the amount of food on them. Lots of things looked good on the menu.

SVEN'S TAKE
After being out of town for about a week, it felt like a long time since Olga and I could have breakfast together. So it was with great anticipation that we awoke on Sunday morning in Boston and headed for our home state for some early A.M. grub. Before leaving Beantown, though, we absolutely had to stop at my favorite muffin place in the world — Sorelle Bakery on Monument Avenue in Charlestown. I sat in the car while Olga ran in to grab the muffins and emerged a few minutes later with a lemon blueberry muffin and a morning glory. Driving north, I broke off piece after piece of the lemon blueberry number, and it was ridiculously good. So good, in fact, that I vowed that whatever diner we ate at that morning would get a free 1/2 star upgrade courtesy of Sorelle.

Turns out that Nick's Place didn't really need the freebie. . . it was plenty good all on it's own. I'd never been to Kingston, NH before, but it seems like an outdoor, campground/boating type of town, with a lot of local spirit. Nick's was a little rundown, but it actually suited the casual vibe of the town well. The food I had was great — all except the coffee. There were a number of tempting things on the menu, and my one regret was that I wasn't hungry enough to try three or four of them. The cheddar and apple and bacon omelet was exceptional — not a combination I would have come up with on my own, but one that I will definitely have again. The apples were green, tart, and firm enough to crunch a little on each bite, and they didn't skimp at all on the cheddar. The beans tasted homemade, and had a fair amount of bacon in them as well. All in all, great eats, and a nicer drive through the southeastern part of NH than I would have expected.

Missing Sven

This week just doesn't feel right not posting our weekend's breakfast excursion. Sven has been away, in Chicago, since Friday. We didn't have breakfast this weekend, and we sure did miss it. More than missing breakfast, I miss Sven.

He shall return the end of the week, however, due to social obligations, there is the possibility we may not be able to scarf down a New Hampshire breakfast this coming weekend either. We will just have to make up for it later!

Safe travels, Sven!

Don't forget, breakfast is the most important meal of the day! It says so online, so it must be true!

The Fort - 10

Date: 7/8/10

Address: 151 Heater Rd.
City: Lebanon
Phone: 448-5512

Breakfast Hours: 24 hours/day

Sven and I were on our way to see the Ryan Montbleau Band play a free show in Colburn Park in Lebanon and decided we would take advantage of a nearby 24-hour breakfast joint and have breakfast for dinner. We were pretty excited about this place, as I had read some reviews online and was eager to check it out.

I think it is fair to say that Sven and I both have mixed feelings about this place. How could we not love a truck stop restaurant that houses an amazing pastry case filled with homemade pies, cakes and muffins and offering whoopie pies the size of your head for sale in the attached store! The people were great and the menu looked intriguing. Unfortunately the food was a bit disappointing. Everything I saw come out of the kitchen looked really good. The burgers looked great, as did the homemade onion rings. Maybe being dinner time, the cook didn't really know how to knock out a killer breakfast. Who knows, but we both left feeling like we wanted to give the place another chance.



STANDARD - 2 eggs OE, potatoes, bacon, toast

Eggs *** 


Potatoes ***
Kind: Deep fried.
Even though they were deep fried, they were not overly greasy and they accommodated Sven's "extra done, please". 


Toast ****
Kind: Wheat
Homemade? Y
While we were waiting for our breakfast I asked our server if the bread was homemade. She said they had both and that she had ordered the homemade for Sven without asking him, because it was better. Definite bonus points for that!


Bacon ***
Not a lot of flavor and kind of chewy like it had been nuked.
 


Muffin ****
Kind: Blueberry
Homemade? Y
They had 4 or 5 different homemade muffins to choose from, and I kind of wish we had gone with the Strawberry Cheesecake muffin, but Sven is the "muffin guy" and I agree with him, there is nothing like a good blueberry muffin. Well, it was huge, grilled and loaded with blueberries, unfortunately, there wasn't a whole lot of flavor.
 


SERVER RECOMMENDATION
The server recommended the omelets and raved about the Cruller French Toast. We really debated this one. Seriously, a donut made into french toast? Probably pretty stinkin' good, but Sven wouldn't commit to eating half of it, and that was way more sweet than I wanted to have for dinner.


SPECIAL/OMELET **
There were two Mexican-themed items on the menu. One of them came in a tortilla and since Sven had Huevos Rancheros last week I felt, for variety sake, it would be best to order the Eggs Las Migas...Corn tortilla chips cooked with scrambled eggs and salsa, topped with melted cheddar and served with home fries. Unfortunately the salsa had a bit of a funky thing going on, like it was just on the verge of going bad. I should have mentioned something to the server while I was eating it, but I didn't. Sven mentioned it after the meal, and hopefully they checked it out. The chips were kind of rubbery. We suspect this was due to them nuking the dish to melt the cheese on top. Over all, it was pretty poor. I like to eat a lot, often even if the food isn't all that great, but I couldn't eat much of this dish. I am, however, more than willing to give these guys another chance. I may just have to get the Cruller French Toast next time!

SERVICE ****+
Our server was great. She was super friendly and helpful. Her mother, who does all the baking, was sitting at the end of the counter, and our server engaged her in a conversation with us about the muffins and what kind we should get. Her mother wasn't any help saying "I don't eat them, I just bake them". I don't recall our coffee cups being refilled, but we were so enamored with the place we didn't notice.
 


DECOR ****
The place consisted of a U-shaped counter and booths. Sven, being the thoughtful guy he is, led me around to the far side of the counter and sat me down at seat #13, my favorite number. This added to my fondness for the place. There were lots of Independence Day decorations still up, but it seemed that even without them, there would be quite a number of American flags decorating the place.


CLEANLINESS ****
Neither of us noticed it not being clean.


BATHROOMS ***
The restrooms were pretty clean for being heavily used. I didn't notice them in the Women's room, but the Men's room had showers available.

SVEN'S TAKE
Olga is really not exaggerating about the whoopee pies as big as your head, which reminds me (sounds of music playing as the the screen spins counter clockwise and fades to flashback mode) . . . It was the early 90s and my band had just finished playing a gig at the Newport in Columbus, OH, which is a great college town smack-dab in the middle of the state. After the show, we wandered through the streets of Columbus, past reveling college students and animated street personalities. Eventually, we found our way to a little burrito joint with a sign boasting "Burritos as Big and Your Head!" Perfect, I thought. I can do that. And so I walked inside with my chest puffed out, ready to accept the challenge and order the famed Burrito as big as my head. But, friend, I did not order the Burrito as big as my head; for when I saw the menu behind the counter, there were only three items on it — Burrito, Burrito as Big as Your Head, and Burrito Even Bigger Than Your Head . . .

(To Be Continued).