Hartford, Connecticut: Bustling, Bounteous, Historic

Inspiration, Inventions, Innovation – and a Terrific Meal at Métro Bis

In her day job, the Fussy Diner is a marketing and communications consultant who works with a lot of entrepreneurs.  So, it was with some amusement – and delight – that we found a recent short vacation to Hartford, Connecticut turning into a busman’s holiday, as FD had a chance to rub elbows (figuratively) with entrepreneurs from the past. It’s encouraging to be reminded that entrepreneurs, their innovative spirit, and their inventions are everywhere - in place and in time.

Entrepreneur Samuel Colt invented the revolver – a gun that could be shot multiple times without reloading.  He built a modern factory in Hartford that specialized in interchangeable-parts manufacturing for firearms, revolutionizing the business and creating a mass market for guns. He also was an early proponent of modern marketing techniques to sell his products.  He became enormously wealthy during the late 19th century, including accumulating a large art collection. His widow eventually donated much of it to the Wadsworth Atheneum.

The Wadsworth Atheneum is the oldest public art museum in the country. It contains artworks and guns from the personal collections of Mr. Colt, along with many other works.   The museum, located in downtown Hartford, includes paintings from Impressionists and Post-Impressionists as well as a large number of works from early American artists, including the Hudson River School; and from modern artists and designers such as Andy Warhol, George Segal (whose 1971 work "Trapeze" was suspended in the soaring center court of the modern wing), and Frank Lloyd Wright.   We spent a half day here, but wish we had allowed for a whole day.

The Wadsworth is located right next to City Hall.  Alexander Calder's massive "Stegosaurus" sculpture is in the open plaza between the museum and City Hall, and there is an interesting sculpture that depicts the wheels of industry and production.

 The Mark Twain House & Museum (see photo above) is a must-visit for Twain fans, readers, history lovers – and fans of entrepreneurship. Author Mark Twain was a venture capitalist/investor and an entrepreneur, although not very successful at either.  The story of his life is depicted vividly in the house (where he lived and worked from 1874 to 1891) and in a breathtaking modern museum building designed by architect Robert A.M. Stern.

As a VC, Mark Twain invested heavily in inventions and patents, including patenting a Self-Pasting Scrapbook.  A printer by trade, he invested $200,000 in the Paige Compositor, the first automated typesetting machine.  Only two were built, and none sold; the technology was eclipsed by the Linotype machine. Twain was forced to declare bankruptcy and went on a grueling worldwide lecture circuit to rebuild his fortune.  Like many entrepreneurs, Mark Twain was successful at bouncing back – in this case, earning his second fortune as a successful lecturer and social commentator.

According to the Mark Twain House & Museum's excellent Web site, after Twain and his wife Olivia sold the mansion to another family in 1903, it went through several transitions.  Eventually, it was purchased by the Friends of Hartford, with formal restoration beginning in 1963 (under the aegis of a special group formed to preserve the building). when the building was designated a National Historic Landmark.  The site includes the modern museum, which you can visit self-guided; with guided tours of the house and the servants’ quarters (our docent, Jay, gave a great tour of the house). The Mark Twain House & Museum is right next to the Harriet Beecher Stowe House and Research Center, so you can do a two-fer if you have the time.

A short drive southwest of Hartford is the American Clock and Watch Museum in Bristol. In an engagingly designed multimedia exhibit (see photo above), the museum tells the story of Eli Terry, a clockmaker, inventor and entrepreneur.  As a 14-year-old apprentice clockmaker, Eli Terry dreamed of making clocks affordable for everyone.  He went on to found the modern clock-making industry, a major industry in Connecticut in the 19^th and early 20^th centuries.

In the early days, clockworks were made by hand from wooden parts. Customers received only the clockface and clockworks - they were on their own for the cases.  And the clocks were so costly that only rich people could afford them.  The museum literally walks you through the history of the modern clock-making industry, with creative displays about financing, the evolution of mass production/manufacturing techniques (interchangeable parts manufacturing, again), and distribution/marketing, starting with Yankee Pedlars.  The Pedlars went from town to town selling the clocks and other goods. For advertising, they would often leave loaner clocks with prominent people in the towns.  You’ll visit the recreation of a 19th century clockmaker's shop, and get a feeling for the somewhat oppressive factories where mostly young-women immigrants assembled clocks on assembly lines (women were valued for this work because of their smaller fingers).

Home base during our visit was the Simsbury Inn, a gracious, business-class hotel in the leafy suburb of Simsbury.  The Simsbury Inn is a wonderful and convenient place to stay if you are exploring Hartford and environs, or following the Connecticut Wine Trail. The Inn combines business efficiency with the flavor of an inn in the French countryside.

Our king-bedded room (see photo above) had a bow window, a reading nook, and a real old-fashioned writing desk. The hotel was immaculate and operated hyper-efficiently, with many rooms that had recently undergone upgrades.  There’s a comfortable fireplaced tavern and lounge that serves decent food from lunch through cocktails and dinner, and a well-regarded restaurant, Evergreens, that is open for dinner mostly on weekends.  The lobby breakfast restaurant is intimate and efficient, with friendly service and food that features imaginative twists on traditional breakfast items.

The Simsbury Inn is convenient to Bradley Airport, also the location of another museum: the New England Air and Space Museum. (Next trip.)

In addition to more museums, downtown Hartford boasts a number of good restaurants, but we chose to stay in our leafy suburb for dinner. And will forever be glad that we did.  We had one of the best meals of our dining lives at Métro Bis, a classic French bistro with spectacular food and service. (To read more about our experience at Métro Bis, click here for a full review.)  It was one of the most memorable meals we have ever had; high-quality ingredients in simple but imaginative preparations, delivered with effortless perfection.

Our experience at nearby Abigail’s Grille and Wine Bar was disappointing, mostly because of very poor service.  Located in a historic tavern (said to be haunted); Abigail’s has the vibe of a busy neighborhood steakhouse, a broad menu of continental and American food, and a great wine list. There’s a lively bar and lounge, and outside dining in season.

The restaurant positions itself as suitable for all occasions – special or everyday – and we certainly saw that on our visit: diners included families with well-behaved children, couples, and a table full of businessmen heads down in deep conversation. (To their credit, Abigail's management responded apologetically to our service problem, taking pains to track us down through our review on Open Table.  We will definitely try the restaurant again on a future visit.) 

If you are looking for a short but relaxing vacation in New England, check out Hartford, Connecticut. It has something for everyone – especially Type-A business people and museum nerds like us.

Métro Bis: A Classic French Bistro with Imaginative Food in Simsbury, Connecticut

A Magnificent, Magical and Memorable Meal

The word on Métro Bis in Simsbury, Connecticut was so universally good that we feared it couldn’t possibly live up to its reputation. But it did – and then some. Halfway through this meal, my husband looked at me and said “I will always remember this moment.”

From the minute we walked through the door, we felt transported to Paris. The owners of Métro Bis have perfectly recreated the French bistro experience: casually welcoming and relaxing, intimate yet energetic, simple but lovingly and carefully prepared food, efficient service.

A single, airy, high-ceiled room contains a handful of comfortable tables with some banquette seating. There's touches of dark wood, feathery white cloth window shades, the requisite chalk board, dramatic velvet interior drapes, and vintage-style wallpaper. A whimsical entrance and lobby area with a Retro waiting bench evokes the real metro in Paris. The efficient, knowledgeable, and unobtrusive waiters are dressed in white shirts, black ties and black pants.

The service is crisp and traditional (in other words: free of the usual attitude and dude-speak that pollute most restaurant service these days). This place could run a side business teaching restaurants how service is supposed to be delivered.

The imaginative food, created by Chef-Owner Christopher Prosperi and his small team, emphasizes superior ingredients in creative combinations with an element of surprise to each dish. Chef Prosperi, rightly so, has attained celebrity status, but he was right there in his whites on a rainy Monday night, turning out dinners from an open kitchen that ran like clockwork. (We spotted only one sous chef that evening.) He looks like a happy man who loves his work.

Like a true French bistro, the emphasis is on quality versus quantity, with about a dozen appetizers, a dozen entrées and a few desserts on the menu each evening. We each had an appetizer and an entrée, but I suspect that one could also assemble a substantial meal from appetizers, which ranged from salads and a soup to less-traditional dishes such as crispy Thai chicken rolls. (The restaurant also has a tasting menu, which we’ll try on our next visit.)

For appetizers, we tried a crispy tart made from goat cheese and potato, served over baby greens with a terrific smoked tomato jam (surprise) and balsamic vinaigrette; and a salad of baby greens that tucked in sweet roasted garlic cloves (surprise) along with full-sized candied walnuts, sundried tomatoes, kalamata olives and gorgonzola. The latter was a delightful combination of sweet and savory; the tart was like eating a cloud.

For his entree, my husband had the slow-roasted pork, which was served over steamed baby bok choy and braised fennel with roasted baby carrots and a sweet pork glaze. This dish was simply amazing – succulent, tender, aromatic, earthy and a twist on this traditional bistro dish. (We suspect that this is one of the restaurant’s signature dishes, judging by the number of plates of it that we saw passing through the dining room.)

I am a big fan of rainbow trout, but too often the beautiful simple taste of the fish is overwhelmed by too many flavors. Chef Prosperi’s presentation was a delight: it paired perfectly and lightly pan-fried fillets with a sweet potato-apple smoked bacon hash, warm tomato-bacon vinaigrette, and a daub of basil-pecan pesto. Although there was a confluence of flavors in these diverse ingredients, everything worked together beautifully. Pure bliss for this fish lover.

There’s a solid wine list with a number of good wines by the glass, including a 2009 St. Michelle Chardonnay (Washington State). While reading the menu and sipping our drinks, we enjoyed the complimentary toasted pita squares served with a roasted red pepper hummus.

For dessert, we had an Irish coffee (we’re engaged in an unscientific, multi-year study of the world’s best Irish coffees – and Métro Bis’ goes to the top of the list for flavor, style and presentation); and a lemon posset, a wispy eggless custard topped with a light strawberry sauce. Heavenly.

Our meal at Métro Bis was perfect from start to finish, and one that we will remember for a very long time.

Métro Bis is open for lunch daily (except Sunday) from 11:30 AM to 2:30 PM and for dinner daily (except Sunday) from 5:30 to 9:30 PM. For dinner, most appetizers are in the $8 – 10 range, and entrees range from $22 – 29 at press time. We paid around $100 for two appetizers, two drinks (beer and wine), two entrees, one dessert and a special coffee. Such a deal.

The Fussy Diner's verdict: Two Forks Up – way up. Get thee to Métro Bis – it’s worth a trip to Simsbury, a leafy suburb of Hartford.

A Whistle Stop in White River Junction, Vermont

An Historical Railroad Town Has Some New Tricks

As busy self-employed consultants, we’re finding it more difficult than ever to take traditional vacations. So, we’re taking more mini-vacations. This has given us an opportunity to explore places in Northern New England relatively close to our home.

Most recently, we took an overnight trip to White River Junction, Vermont, a historic railroad town on the Connecticut River.

Technically, White River Junction (WRJ) is part of Hartford, Vermont. The “junction” refers to the train station, which connects St. Albans (near Burlington and the Canada border) with New York City and Washington, D.C.  Amtrak runs regular daily passenger service between these locations, including stops in Vermont (such as Essex Junction/Burlington and the ski areas), New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Connecticut. “The Vermonter” line is one of the northernmost segments of the Amtrak system.

Located right off Interstate Route 91, White River Junction is another one of those great small New England towns that people touch – for example, to tank up their cars in the commercial strip outside of town – but often never take the time to explore.

It’s well worth taking a detour to explore White River Junction – particularly if you’re a lover of classic small towns, early 1900s architecture, railroads, or the arts. WRJ mixes up turn-of-the-century architecture with a thriving arts scene, interesting shops, a few good restaurants, and a friendly, local vibe.  Like many small towns in the North Country, WRJ is struggling a bit, but there’s a great sense of community spirit, a can-do attitude, and always new things to see and do.

An Evening at Tupelo Music Hall

The reason for our visit was a performance by our favorite comedian, Paula Poundstone.  We try to catch her act whenever we can – she’s brilliant and we’ve been fans for 25 years.  Fortunately for us, she is one of the nationally recognized acts that come to the North Country.

The Freight House

Paula was performing that night in the Tupelo Music Hall, a relatively new performance hall located in the renovated Freight House. With its intimate theatre-style seating – the sold-out house appeared to accommodate about 225 people that night – Tupelo is actually more like a performance club. You can bring in your own beer and wine if you want – for a nominal charge ($3/person) – and the house sells non-alcoholic beverages and snacks.

It was great to see Paula work with a smaller audience in a club-like setting. Tupelo books national acts, but not the usual commercial dreck, and the staff is great. This is a terrific way to enjoy great music and other acts in an intimate setting with a friendly, mostly local crowd.

Dinner at Elixir Restaurant & Lounge

Before Paula Poundstone’s performance, we had dinner at Elixir Restaurant & Lounge, also in the Freight House. Elixir offers cosmopolitan food and a great wine list in a laid-back setting with excellent service. This was one of the best restaurant experiences we have had in ages. (Read our full review here.)  A tip: Elixir also caters the bar snacks at Tupelo.

Resting Up at the Hotel Coolidge

We took advantage of the Tupelo’s special deal ($79/night plus tax) with the Hotel Coolidge, a vast, 1920s-era hotel that we had always wanted to try. David Briggs and his team lovingly maintain this old gem, and they provide a welcoming experience and a good value. (If you require air conditioning and “modern” services, better to try the cluster of chain hotels up near the Interstate.) Although it books itself as “real North Country hotel,” the Hotel Coolidge offers modern conveniences like wireless Internet and plenty of free parking.  We had fun wandering the halls of the hotel, and checking out the architectural nuances.

The rooms at the Hotel Coolidge are simple but clean and comfortable. Our request for a king-bedded room netted us one-half of a suite on the front of the building; we had not only a full bath, but also a half bath.  The mattress was new, the full bath was spacious and sparkling, and there were two easy chairs and good lighting for reading. 

We had only two criticisms of the Hotel Coolidge, and they are both likely due to the fact that it’s an old building.

Our first criticism was the ventilation: although the hotel had helpfully included both a space heater and a box fan in the room, we were unable to open either of the large bedroom windows that overlooked Main Street (they were painted shut). We ended up opening the large bathroom window, and propping open the broken sash with a wastebasket. 

Our second criticism was the thin walls. We were kept awake by the unusually loud snoring of the guest in the next room. Therefore, I can’t really recommend this hotel if you are in town on business and need to count on a good night’s sleep. (Although I have little doubt that the hotel staff would have relocated us if we had complained – they are very accommodating.)

The Hotel Coolidge did something else very smart: one back wing of the sprawling building has been converted to hostel accommodations. As a result, the guests were an interesting mix of hotel guests and hostel guests, and nearly all adults. It had a bit of the feel of a weekend party in a very large, genteel English castle (circa 2011), with people sprawled in overstuffed chairs in the common areas reading, talking and working on laptops.

This was a unique hotel experience, and we enjoyed our adventure.

A Walker's Town 

If you get hungry, there’s a deli, an excellent bakery/coffee shop (killer bagels), a new coffee bar, a pub and an old-fashioned diner (the Polka Dot) all within a block. The Tip Top Café is a few blocks north, a café by day that turns into a bistro at night, and Elixir Restaurant, with its martini bar, is two blocks south of the hotel.

Get a coffee and walk around the block. There’s a bunch of funky shops on Main Street and in the first floor of the Hotel Coolidge building, which takes up most of a whole block on its own. Or just enjoy the old buildings on and off of Main Street, which include such businesses as a typewriter store and Vermont Salvage.

The Center for Cartoon Studies is right across the street from the hotel.  Step inside and check out the gallery of students’ work (free). Congratulations to the Class of 2011, which was graduating from the school the weekend we were there. We knew this because the list of graduates was proudly promoted in the window of the Coolidge.

If you’re a train lover (as we are), check out the train station. It’s a blend of old and new. Every September, WRJ hosts a special weekend event called “The Glory Days of the Railroad,” with a flea market, displays of trains and memorabilia, food and drink, and excursion rides alongside the river that offer some great views of one of Vermont’s famed covered bridges. This event ($3/person, rain or shine) is a lot of fun.

A Thriving Artists Community

White River Junction has a thriving arts community. There’s always something interesting going on – just check out the store windows or the many community bulletin boards scattered around town. Of particular note is the Northern Stage, a popular non-profit regional professional theatre that performs at the Briggs Opera House on Main Street.

White River Junction is a few miles from Hanover, NH, home of Dartmouth College as well as many restaurants, shopping, bars, a movie theatre, a performing arts center and a terrific museum, the Hood Museum of Art (admission is free).

The Fussy Diner's verdict: Two Forks Up – and a hearty “all-aboard” for White River Junction, Vermont.

Elixir Restaurant, White River Junction, Vermont: Cosmopolitan Food, Laid-Back Ambiance

“Approachable” is the Word for this North Country Gem

You know you’re in for a special dining experience when you are greeted and seated by one of the co-owners of the restaurant.

So began our adventure at Elixir Restaurant & Lounge, a simply terrific restaurant located in the renovated Freight House in White River Junction, Vermont. And it just got better from there.

Seasoned restaurateurs Skip Symanski and Jane Carrier have created a dining experience that blends upscale food with the kind of welcoming, approachable environment one finds in a neighborhood place.

And in fact, this is a neighborhood place: Skip estimates that 90% of his customers are locals, and he knows most if not all of them by name. The word-of-mouth on this three-year-old place is such that it no longer advertises. We know all this because the ever-personable Skip stopped by our table and answered our endless “newbie” questions about the restaurant.

The brick-walled restaurant has a New-York-City-edge-meets-Vermont-charm feel. The high-ceilinged rooms contain about 15 tables, with comfortable modern wooden chairs and bistro-type dining tables. There’s a separate room with a table for larger parties, and a comfortable couch area for waiting or having drinks if you are lucky enough to snag it. A curved bar with high stools curves around the front corner of the main room. 

Perhaps because of the high, baffled ceilings, the restaurant is both buzzingly energetic and intimate at the same time. Amazingly, we couldn’t overhear anyone at nearby tables. Quite a design feat.

The menu is short, with daily specials that are definitely worth trying. I started with a salad made of delicate local greens topped with local goat cheese, slivered almonds and an amazing pomegranate vinaigrette. My husband splurged on the truffled fries, which were accompanied by a spicy-creamy dipping sauce and were plenty for two people. Worth every calorie.

My entrée - short ribs – was one of the specials, and it was simply transcendent. A thick square of ribs was melt-in-your-mouth perfection, served on a bed of homemade spätzel and topped with local fiddlehead ferns in a light, vinegary brown sauce. Heaven on a plate.  This was quite possibly the best short ribs I have ever had.

My husband had one of the popular items from the regular menu: chicken thighs dusted with smoked paprika, served over a creamy roasted tomato polenta with a cilantro chimichurri sauce and sweet corn puree with a touch of lemon. This dish was an explosion of colors with an “undefinable” rich taste. My husband pronounced it not something he would eat every time, but a unique dish worth ordering again.

Elixir specializes in creative cocktails and has an imaginative international wine list with

many wines available by the glass. Prices are surprisingly reasonable – including wines by the glass (around $6). With most other wine-oriented restaurants pressing the $8-10 level for glasses of wine, this pricing strategy allows wine lovers to enjoy themselves and try different wines without going broke. I had the wine special of the night: a Sincerité Pinot Noir from France ($6), which was light and just what I needed. There is also a short but serviceable beer list, with Corona (my husband’s favorite).

Chef Adrian Baldwin worked in Maine and the Rockies before coming to Vermont's Upper Valley area. He has a deft and unforced hand, and creates lively, memorable dishes using mostly locally sourced ingredients. We were amazed to learn that a staff of only two people runs the kitchen. Everything came out on time and was attractively plated. Skip explained that “they are serious foodies who live for food.”

Service was both crisp and warm, delivered by knowledgeable and friendly young women. We watched as one server patiently helped some regulars with a wine selection, including bringing them tastes to help them make their selection. Our server Ira was from the Ukraine, and clearly enjoyed her work.

We wished we had saved room for the desserts ($6), which included a tempting Pear Martini made with a sweet vermouth poached pear and a lemon-virgin olive oil ice cream. Next time.

Although we didn’t get to see the train roll by outside our window seat, we enjoyed overlooking the freight yard – one of the main attractions in this wonderful historical town – and dreaming about taking the train south to New York City.

But why?  We had everything right there in Elixir:  great food, a great vibe, great wine and great people-watching.

We paid $84 (including tax) for two appetizers, two entrees, two rounds of drinks, and two double-espressos. Such a deal.  We’ll be back soon –  well worth the 75-mile round-trip.

As we left, the busy bartender looked up from his work long enough to thank us for coming. That’s the kind of place Elixir is.

Elixir Restaurant & Lounge is open for dinner Tuesday – Saturday, from 5 PM to 10:30 PM.  The inviting bar opens at 4 PM. Reservations recommended for dinner. (Reminder: it's always good to check hours on restaurant Web sites before venturing out.)

The Fussy Diner's verdict: Two Forks Up – and a bonus toot on the train whistle for Elixir.

The Bistro Next Door: Six Burner Bistro in Plymouth, New Hampshire

Imaginative Food, Great People, Enjoyable Experience

Tucked into an old house on South Main Street in Plymouth, NH, is Six Burner Bistro, a charming restaurant that serves creative American food. After a drive, we ended up there for an early dinner on a recent Saturday night, and were cheerfully accommodated even though we didn’t have a reservation.

Chef Rob Kelley has a deft touch and weaves locally sourced ingredients (when available) into a variety of terrific appetizers, small plates and entrees. The menu features touches of Asian, Italian, French, and Mexican, alongside American classics like Maryland crab & corn chowder, mac ‘n’ cheese, and fried (homemade) mozzarella and crab cake appetizers.

Chef Kelley is a veteran of local restaurants, including several in the Common Man family; and has also worked in Florida and in Boston (North End, Museum of Fine Arts). His food reflects his eclectic experience. Everything we had was carefully prepared and fresh, and imaginatively plated.

In the classic bistro style, one can fashion a meal to meet one’s appetite and budget.

For his meal, my husband assembled a salad and two appetizers. A snappingly fresh spinach salad came topped with fresh sliced white mushrooms, slivers of red onion, shreds of hard-boiled eggs, and a balsamic vinaigrette. A piquant lemony artichoke hearts Française was light, and baked gnocchi pomadoro paired rib-warming pasta with a wonderfully light tomato sauce. I started with a Caprese salad, made from the chef’s homemade mozzarella, succulent tomatoes from Hobbit Hill Farm (coincidentally our across-the-street neighbor), and a balsamic vinegar reduction.

For an entrée, I had one of the specials: pan-fried red snapper topped with a spicy red pepper sauce and served with a small portion of spiced rice and a swirl of feather-light mustard wasabi sauce. The fish was lightly breaded and substantial, and the sauce the perfect complement. My only criticism was that the fish was a bit overcooked and thus a little dry. The salads and appetizers are substantial: we ended up sharing the artichokes.

The restaurant has a short but serviceable wine and beer list, including locally made beers. My husband had Tuckerman’s Pale Ale, a hoppy, refreshing beer, and I had a glass of Mark West Pinot Noir – both perfect accompaniments to our meals. The wine list is mostly American wines (Kendall Jackson, Mark West), with some standard international selections. Bottle prices are reasonable; wines by the glass run from $6 (house) to $8.75. The house wines are from Woodbridge.

The bistro’s prices aren’t inexpensive, but we felt that our dinner was a good value at $68 for two, including tax.

We have heard great things about the mac ‘n’ cheese (with a few different options for add-ons) and the steak frites (what’s a bistro without steak frites?), so we plan to give these a try on a future trip. And I have my eye on the Thai salmon wrap (lighter fare) and the curried pasta with vegetables (entrée). There are always daily specials, which are worth trying.

Dinner is served in one of two dining rooms, including one with a wood-burning fireplace. There is a good-sized, sunny bar off the main dining room, which also contains a few tables. The restaurant’s décor is simple, but the ambiance is warm and intimate – in the bistro style – and the service efficient and friendly, but not cloying.

Plymouth is home to Plymouth State College, so the dining options have traditionally trended toward pizza, pub fare and Chinese. (The Common Man does have two restaurants in town, Foster’s and The Italian Farmhouse; and the original Common Man is in Ashland, five miles south on Route 3.) The Six Burner Bistro definitely raises the dining game in Plymouth, and its bistro format makes it affordable enough to become a semi-regular favorite.

Open for dinner Wednesday–Sunday (from 5 PM) and for lunch daily (11 AM- 4 PM). Reservations recommended for dinner, as the restaurant is getting very popular.

The restaurant is also very popular with local business people for lunch. There is no table service: you order from the open kitchen, and you can seat yourself in the dining room or take your food out. Many of the items on the dinner menu are also on the lunch menu.

The Fussy Diner's verdict: Two Forks Up. A breath of fresh air in Plymouth, and a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

Snapshot: Lucky Dog Tavern & Grill, Plymouth, NH

A cold but sunny Sunday afternoon was the perfect excuse to get out of the house for a drive in New Hampshire’s Western White Mountains (where we live and work). We ended up in Plymouth, a college town with a picture-postcard Main Street and town common.

We stopped for an early dinner at one of the town’s many restaurants – and an old favorite. The Lucky Dog Tavern & Grill is a laid-back, quirky pub-style restaurant on Main Street that offers an extensive food and beverage menu. The funky-shaped restaurant (it used to be a car dealership) is fitted out with comfortable booths and tables made of dark-polished wood, along with a small bar. Downstairs there’s a large lounge that gets hopping at night, offering pool, games and live music, including an open-mic night on Wednesdays.

The Lucky Dog has something for everyone: good-sized sandwiches, burgers and paninis; vegetarian specials; chicken, pork, seafood and beef entrees; pastas; a huge selection of appetizers; soups and chili; many sides; and decently executed Mexican specialties such as quesadillas and burritos. There are always daily specials, and a small salad bar with fresh items and serve-yourself bread and cheese. This variety makes the Lucky Dog a great place for families, couples and groups of friends, because one can put together a meal to satisfy almost any appetite in the party – from light-eating vegetarians to ravenous snowboarders. (There’s also a good children’s menu.)

The food was very well-prepared – even better than we had remembered from our last visit – and a cut above traditional pub fare. Our meals were served with efficiency and a smile by our energetic server.

We both had chicken quesadillas: juicy grilled chicken, fresh vegetables and cheese in a flour tortilla, grilled and topped with dollops of rich red salsa and sour cream. It was just enough for an early dinner.

Not surprisingly, the Lucky Dog has an extensive list of imported and domestic beers (including some locally brewed beers), as well as fancy cocktails and hot drinks. An Irish coffee, made with Jameson Irish Whiskey and the house coffee (Citavo), was a work of art, served in a tall glass and topped with a pile of real whipped cream. The wine-by-the-glass list is unimaginative but serviceable (it’s a college town), and you get a good pour.

If you like desserts, this is the place for you. We tried the harvest bread pudding ($4.95), which was also served with real whipped cream and was big enough for two. Other choices included key lime pie, ice cream, and a hot fudge sundae.

The Lucky Dog is not inexpensive: we paid around $48 for our entrees, two drinks, coffee and desserts. But it delivers good value.

On past visits, we enjoyed the pastas and other Mexican specialties, and the Psycho Chicken and pork sandwiches. The Lucky Dog does chicken and beef dishes particularly well.

If you are coming or going from skiing in Waterville Valley or parts north, the Lucky Dog is a quick jaunt off Route 93. After your meal, take a stroll down Main Street in this charming town before jumping back on Route 93.

Open for dinner seven days a week and for lunch Friday-Sunday (but be sure to double-check hours, because they change seasonally).

The Fussy Diner's verdict: One-and-a-Half Forks Up and a big woof. A good, dependable and enjoyable place.

Three New Hampshire Diners Worth a Drive

Point Your GPS at Lincoln, Plymouth and Hanover in NH’s White Mountains

Living in the beautiful Western White Mountains, we get a lot of house guests. When we have guests, going out for Sunday breakfast is a ritual. There are many great places for breakfast within a reasonable drive of our home, but here three of our special favorites.

Sunny Day Diner, Lincoln: Located a block south of Clark’s Trading Post, the Sunny Day Diner and Bakery serves classic diner fare with some unusual gourmet twists, in a 1958 Masters Diner car with a small outdoor dining porch that’s open in season. Everything is very well-prepared here, and a surprise for a diner. The owner’s Greek heritage is reflected in the menu, with baklava and a few other items.

Try the specials. Favorite items include Eggs Benedict, Banana Bread French Toast, the Fancy Egg Scramble (a three-egg open-faced omelette made with tomatoes, sweet basil, and Provolone and Romano cheeses), and the Salmon Stack, a Benedict made from a piece of grilled salmon (instead of eggs) layered with spinach. They bake their own bread, so the toast is wonderful; you can buy loaves to take home.

The Sunny Day’s priorities are reflected in its motto: “Stop By…Say Hi…Eat Pie.” The diner, which has its own in-house bakery, offers a changing selection of pies, all terrific. Service is snappy and friendly, delivered by a team of efficient and pleasant young women. (The staff is particularly patient with children.) The place is small, so you may have to wait, but people move along quickly. The booths tend to be a tight fit, so some folks may want to sit at the counter. The Sunny Day recently added more parking spaces and spiffed up its exterior. The whole place (including the restrooms) is immaculate – unusual for a place that is always busy and often filled with families. You can get breakfast and lunch here from 7 AM to 2 PM daily. Cash only. Telephone (603) 745-4833.

Main Street Station, Plymouth: Main Street Station has great Eggs Benedict with a wonderfully light, lemony sauce, and the home fries are excellent. The restaurant is located in a classic dining car, but there is a spacious and homey dining room out back, so the place can accommodate a good number of people. The diner car overlooks the main street of this bustling college town and the campus of Plymouth State University, making it great for people-watching. The booths are a bit tight, but there is also a long counter where you can sit if you would like more room. The coffee is excellent and they keep it coming, and the service is attentive and friendly.

There are several kinds of Eggs Benedict, terrific French Toast and pancakes, and many other items – more choices than your typical diner, and served in large portions. On a recent visit, we had the breakfast burrito, a soft flour wrap stuffed with scrambled eggs, refried beans and cheese and then topped with fresh salsa, chopped vegetables, black olives and sliced jalapenos; and Eggs Marcella, a Benedict made with peppers, artichokes and mushrooms in place of the Canadian bacon. (The burrito was big enough to have been shared.) We love the people and the kitschy décor. We haven’t tried lunch here, but we hear it’s great. Main Street Station serves from 7 AM to 3 PM daily (1 PM on Sundays). Breakfast is available until noon daily and all day Sunday. Telephone (603) 536-7577.

Walk off your breakfast by strolling up Main Street and across the town common, with its old-time bandstand and famous Boy Scout statue. Some trivia: author Nathaniel Hawthorne died in Plymouth while visiting the White Mountains – a fact commemorated by a small monument on the common.

Lou’s Restaurant, Hanover: Technically, Hanover is in the Lake Sunapee region, but it’s on the edge of the Western Whites (in fact, the Appalachian Trail goes right through town). Lou’s is an institution with Dartmouth College students and professors, as well as local residents. It’s a bakery and diner-style restaurant on Main Street. Lou’s serves terrific, hefty breakfasts and lunches all day (until 3 PM) at the counter and about a dozen booths squeezed into this storefront.

Favorite dishes include puffy omelettes, and the Mexican specialties (breakfast tacos, migas, and breakfast quesadillas). As might be expected, Lou’s French toast and pancakes are exceptional – try topping with fresh fruit. There are daily specials, which are always good. The fresh-squeezed orange juice is irresistible, and the toast (made from several kinds of bread baked locally) is delectable. There’s oatmeal, homemade granola, fresh fruit and other items available for more health-conscious diners. Great coffee. Quick no-nonsense service. It’s a popular place, so there is often a line – but it usually moves fast. Telephone (603) 643-3321.

Prices at all three places tend to range from $5 -$15 per person for breakfast, starting with breakfast sandwiches and oatmeal on the low end, all the way up to steak-and-eggs and more exotic fare at the high end.

It’s best to check the Web or call the diners before heading out, as their hours may change seasonally.

Fussy Diner rating: Two Forks Up