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). 
 
 


Common Place Eatery - 9

Date: 07/04/10

Restaurant: Common Place Eatery
Address: 11 Main St.
City: Bennington
Phone: 588-6888

Breakfast Hours: 7-11am

STANDARD - 2 eggs OE, potatoes, bacon, toast

Eggs **
One egg was great, but the other was way overdone with no runny yoke at all. This is the second time I have gotten eggs like this. Not sure how it happens, aren't they cooking at the same time? Most likely next to each other?


Potatoes ***+
Kind: Home fries
They were just OK. there was no crisp to them. I noticed some herbs on them, which I thought was nice. Unlike me, Sven doesn't usually put salt on his potatoes but felt these needed it due to the lack of flavor.


Toast ****
Kind: Marbled Rye
Homemade? N


Bacon ****
 


SERVER RECOMMENDATION **+ Blueberry Pancakes
Our server recommended the blueberry pancakes, mainly because she doesn't eat eggs. We didn't feel like eating a whole order of pancakes, so we ordered one to try it out. Well, would have been fine without it. It didn't have even close to enough blueberries and due to the general lack of flavor it just tasted like the table syrup that we put on top.


OMELET/OTHER **** Huevos Rancheros
Kidney bean chili in a large flour tortilla topped with 2 poached eggs, a side of salsa and sour cream, and served with home fries. The salsa tasted fresh and homemade with chopped cilantro. The eggs were poached perfectly. It was a very large dish and our server said that it was the first time she had seen anyone eat the whole thing! Sven, you make me proud.

SERVICE ****
We believe that no impression is better than a bad impression and this was how our service was. She did her job well. Nothing else to say, good or bad. 



DECOR ****
Wooden beams throughout, old photos and a country feel made this place feel homey and comfortable.


BATHROOMS ****+
Clean, hand soap and lotion on the vanity and a box of tissues on the back of the toilet. A nice touch.


NOTES
We almost went with one of their specials which was prime rib (left over from Friday night's dinner) and eggs, but felt that was a little too extravagant for our research purposes. Prime rib for breakfast can't really be a bad thing, can it?

SVEN'S TAKE

What better place to kick off the Fourth of July than the Common Place Eatery in the heart of the "Live Free or Die" state? When Olga and I were escorted to our table, we couldn't help but notice the well-appointed older couple sitting at the corner table, dressed to the red-white-and-blue-nines. The guy had on a stars and stripes tie and a blue blazer; and his wife looked liked a direct descendant of Betsy Ross. It was good to see, and made me proud to be an American, where Olga and I can saunter into a cafe in our Birkenstocks, baggy shorts, and t-shirts and dine with the rabble-rousers.

For some odd reason, all that patriotism made me want to eat Mexican food . . . so I passed up the American corn-fed prime rib and opted for the Huevos Rancheros. The last time I had Huevos Rancheros this good, I was sitting in an outside brickyard cafe looking over Boulder, Colorado — one of the few distinct memories of my four years in college. The only minor drawback to this East coast version was the flour tortilla — which would have been absolutely amazing had it been a corn tortilla warmed up a little more. Black beans would have been a sweet touch, too. Other than that, though, this was some stellar grub. I'd go back to the Common Place Eatery in a heartbeat, and I believe I might even be willing to march up from Lexington or Concord to do it. 
 
 
 


Double Diamond Cafe - 8

Date: 7/3/10

Restaurant: Double Diamond Cafe
Address: 563 Route 103
City: Sunapee
Phone: (603) 863-9837

Breakfast Hours: 7-2 every day

Cards? No

STANDARD - 2 eggs OE, potatoes, bacon, toast

Eggs ****


Potatoes *****

Kind: Homefries. WOW! The cook definitely knew what they were doing with these potatoes! Sven even said, "hands down a 5!" Flavorful and perfectly crispy.


Toast **
Kind: Sourdough
Homemade? No.
Dry.


Bacon ****
Very flavorful but a tad overdone. Not much chew.
 


Muffin ***
Kind: Blueberry
Homemade? Yes
Really the only things going for this muffin were that it was homemade, fresh out of the oven and grilled. Found it to be a bit dry and crumbly.


SERVER RECOMMENDATION ***** Corned Beef Hash
The server recommended the Corn Beef Hash Benedict, but for some reason I wasn't in the mood for a mound covered in Hollandaise, so I ordered the hash (2nd time ever!) with 2 poached eggs, wheat toast and home fries. The eggs were cooked perfectly and, I am no hash expert, but damn, it was great! It was finely shredded and had some fresh herbs mixed in. Super flavorful. Sven said it was the best hash he has ever had in his life! Boy, Sven sure is starting to throw around the high marks!





SERVICE **** Server’s Name: Sharlene
Sharlene's service was great and she was on top of everything. Our cups were filled and we were taken care of, hardly noticing she was there. 


DECOR ***-
Being right down the road from Mt. Sunapee ski area, this is a ski-themed cafe, with local area maps, photos and a metal wall sculpture of a skier. A nice deck out back, which was full when we arrived. There was a large digital advertising screen on the was which knocked a couple stars off this rating. Probably would have knocked the rating even lower if they didn't have the deck. The place was really kind of bland.


NOTES:
The place seemed pretty busy and we could tell it was popular with both the locals and the tourists.

SVEN'S TAKE
For me, the holy grail of dining out is finding some little out the way place with fabulous food and a vibe that you're on the inside of a well-kept secret. The Double Diamond Cafe has -- inexplicably -- that feel. Truth is, it's right out there on Rte 103 in plain view, and the parking lot is chock full, so it really has no claim to being either out of the way or a well kept secret. Nevertheless, digging into their great breakfast, you can't help but feeling like you've stumbled across a real treasure. Apparently, Steven Tyler of Aerosmith fame thinks so too, as witnessed by the photograph outside the bathroom door.

Incidentally, this place used to be called Rose's, and I had a chance to eat there once before it changed hands. Rose's had absolutely incredible food and I think a cozier vibe. Olga already said it, but it bears repeating: lose the advertising monitor.