One of the best parts about exploring a new location is all the food you can try.
If you’ve never been there, you don’t have any favorites or preconceived notions about any of the local eateries, which can be both a blessing and a curse.
But thanks to the trusty Google machine and those people who like to let everyone know just how their experience was when visiting a specific establishment, we were able to do a little research before heading to the areas surrounding Lake Sunapee.
Plus, with that kind of territory to cover in a day trip, there was no way we could go into our meals blindfolded. After all, food is one of the most important parts of our day.
Since we were going to be venturing to that area of the state first thing in the morning, we figured why not start with a hearty breakfast to get things moving in the right direction.
And since we can’t just go out and grub down on anything we want all day long (we do have a budget to stick to), we brought a few snacks – BBQ Pringles, grapes, mini peppers and a banana – to fill in the gaps
Country Kitchen
This Newport breakfast and lunch spot just surpassed 30 years in business last year, and we all know that when a restaurant has survived for that amount of time, there’s a good reason for it. Plus, the comments and ratings on Yelp were such that we couldn’t pass up the opportunity.
Located just outside downtown Newport at 30 Sunapee St. (which might be better if you look for Route 103), it’s not hard to find.
There were a few customers sitting at the counter, as well as a number of tables occupied, so we found our way to a counter seat a little before 9 a.m.
We were waited on by Emaile, a nice young lady who was very attentive, friendly and had lots of tips for how to spend the day.
But this is about food and let us tell you, the Country Kitchen Breakfast was a nice way to begin the adventure.
It came with two eggs (however you wanted them), home fries, your choice of toast, bacon or sausage, two pancakes and coffee for $8.99 – and that includes tax.
The home fries were deep fried with a nice crunch on the outside, but that perfect soft potato inside.
We chose bacon, which was just how we like it – crispy. The pancakes were light and fluffy and the toast had the right amount of well, toast. And the scrambled eggs were cooked just right.
The only problem is that we couldn’t finish it. There was a half slice of toast remaining and over a full pancake, but with a lot of fun to be had we wanted to be full, not stuffed.
Stacy’s Smoothies
After some exploration, we sure needed a drink to quench the old thirst.
Sure, we could have bought a bottle of water or lemonade, but where’s the fun in that?
We weren’t quite ready for lunch, so luckily, Sunapee Harbor is home to Stacy’s Smoothies, which also serves up wraps and salads.
But one smoothie stood out – the Fruit Berry Blast. It’s made with strawberries, blueberries, cherries, agave and orange juice.
The frozen fruit gave it that perfect chill you look for in a smoothie and the addition of the OJ gave it a nice balance.
Let’s just put it this way: this was a top notch smoothie and one that you’re going to want to grab if you’re wandering around the harbor or waiting to take a scenic cruise of the lake.
Wildwood Smokehouse
By the time late afternoon rolled around, we were quite hungry for linner (that’s a mix of lunch and dinner).
Thanks to our trusty internet search, we stumbled across this apparent gem on the outskirts of Sunapee Harbor that opens at 4 p.m. (Don’t worry we didn’t just hang out waiting for it to open all day.)
We love barbecue and this place had some that reviews that told us it rivaled down south. So we had to try it.
The big smoker out front had our mouth watering and so did the menu.
It’s been open for six-plus years, but owner Deb Samalis said that she gets locals all the time asking how long she’d been there and they had never heard of it. That’s too bad because this is a place you definitely want to stuff your face in.
They’ve got ribs, pork, chicken, brisket, bratwurst and wings (baked, not smoked).
After much internal discussion, we went for the pulled pork sandwich with homemade mac and cheese, which came out to $10.90.
The meat had a nice smoke flavor and the inhouse made BBQ sauce was excellent, as was the mac and cheese.
Thankfully Samalis saw our struggle to decide and asked what else we were thinking of, which was the brisket. She kindly offered up a sample and if we go back to that area, that’s what we’d go for – and some ribs.
That too was filling for the evening, and coupled with our snacks got us through the rest of the day.
But as you can imagine, in that five town region, there are lots of options to choose from. So here’s some other choices that sounded good:
Cataleya’s Caribbean Bar & Grill on Main Street in New London smelled so good as we walked by that we almost opted for a second dinner of jerk chicken nachos.
There was Bubba’s Bar & Grille on Route 103 in Newbury that overlooks the water and is a hot spot, from what we were told by the locals.
Newport is home to spots like KJ’s Cafe, The Old Courthouse and the Salt Hill Pub, which also has a location near Mount Sunapee.
Sunapee Harbor also has the ever popular Anchorage and Fenton’s Landing.
When visiting New London, you’ve also got Tucker’s, Oak & Grain at the Inn at Pleasant Lake and The Coach House at New London Inn.
As always, there’s more than we know about so take a drive around the area and see what you can find.
Happy eating!
