Whenever you visit a new place, the top thing on your to do list has to be trying some of the local eating establishments.
Food is a great way to get a lay of the land, and you gotta eat, right?
Unfortunately, there’s only so much time in the day and space in the ol’ stomach, so while we wanted to taste a little bit of everything on our trip to Henniker, it just wasn’t in the cards.
But don’t worry, we ate as much as we could and took notes on what we couldn’t.
Now, it’s a matter of where do we begin? Let’s start with the big meal, which for us happened to be a late lunch/early dinner. We had heard lots about Daniel’s Restaurant & Pub during our travels around town. If you can’t trust the locals when it comes to spots to eat, who can you trust?
Since we went at a time that’s not your typical hour for eating, we just so happened to be the only two people in the restaurant. Others came while we were there, but to start, we had the run of the place.
We were seated with a great view of the Contoocook River, which one can only imagine is quite the spot in the warmer months.
Having worked up quite the appetite, big meals were on the agenda on this particular afternoon.
While there were several appetizing choices on the menu, the N.Y. sirloin with hand cut fries, squash medley and a side garden salad was the one for me.
The steak was tender and juicy and had very little fat. The fries had a nice crunch to them, but were also soft.
And as a big vegetable eater these days, the squash medley was a welcomed addition to the plate – and it’s always nice to have a salad to cleanse the palate.
It’s a meal, which set me back $23.99, that left me full and satisfied – and with no room for dessert.
Jon opted for the steak fajitas, which to his surprise came pre-wrapped like a burrito with the fixings, rice, salsa and guac on the side. Judging by the fact that nothing really remained on the plate at the end of the meal, tells me it was a good.
Earlier in the day, as Jon did some taste tasting at the Henniker Brewing Co., I stopped into Western Ave. Pizzeria to grab a slice.
I needed something quick to get me through the afternoon before our late lunch, and pizza is always a popular choice. It’s typically quick, easy and delicious. And that certainly was the case on this day. For only $2.73 (including tax), I got a slice of pepperoni, but this was no regular piece of pizza.
It turns out that Western Ave.’s definition of a slice is a quarter of a pizza.
It was hot and fresh, the crust was light and the sauce had a nice taste to it. You never quite know what you’re going to get when you order a slice, but this one definitely left us wanting more – just at another time because it was filling.
When you embark on most day trips, you park in the center of town and start walking. That’s where we came across St. George’s Cafe. The Bridge Street breakfast and lunch spot serves up breakfast sandwiches in a variety of styles, but I went for a classic – bacon, egg and cheddar on a toasted plain bagel.
While you can always want more bacon, this was the perfect way to start the day. The egg was fluffy, the cheese melted just enough and the bacon was a little crispy, but not crunchy. The bagel was soft and lightly toasted. It makes me want to go back and get another one just talking about it.
Unfortunately, that wraps up our Henniker eating experience. But that’s not the end of the local spots to grab a bite.
As we meandered around the town we got numerous suggestions on places to try for food.
For breakfast, we heard all about the Intervale Farm Pancake House. Apparently, if you’re in the mood for a full breakfast this is a go-to spot. It’s based at the bottom of Pats Peak, and they even make their own maple syrup. In the summer, they also make homemade ice cream.
Speaking of Pats Peak, we heard a rumor that they dish up a gigantic cookie. Just an FYI.
Country Spirit Restaurant is a popular lunch and dinner spot (from what we heard) with an American style menu and a solid selection of draft beers on tap.
The Grazing Room, located at the Colby Hill Inn, is a certified farm to table establishment that brings in locally sourced ingredients for its fine dining plates.
They serve dinner Wednesday through Saturday, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., and Sunday brunch from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Sonny’s Main Street Restaurant is another local spot to grab some pizza, subs, salads and a variety of dinners – in the form of pasta, seafood and chicken. It sure smelled good when we walked by.
And of course, no town is complete without a Chinese food establishment, and right at the blinking light in town, that’s where you’ll find Gin Gin. We sure wish we stopped in for a scorpion bowl.
