The atmosphere was great, there was a piano bar upstairs that was fun. The service was awesome but…read morethe food was just meh. The wine was different and fun.

The place was cheery and bright. Lots of people eating. We came for a wine tasting…read more Service was very slow with two folks behind the bar juggling about six or seven separate groups doing tastings. It took us over an hour to get through the wines and ciders. Slow but nice... enthusiastic even, but so slow. Our feet were hurting from standing. The wines were certainly interesting. No grapes were harmed in any way at this winery. All were made with various berries from the area. I will admit that they have developed some very good berry based wines that are superior to the typical blueberry or huckleberry wine I've tasted. Still it's difficult to mimic a good Pinot Noir without grapes, etc. I could make a better argument for trying their ciders. I enjoyed a few of them. I did not try any sweet wines, so there may be a gem or two amongst those. Interesting place. One try was enough for me.

Ventured from Southern New Hampshire to do a little Christmas shopping in the White Mountains…read more Needed a halfway point for a late lunch. Found this gem on Yelp. Old style Tavern/pub. The first thing we noticed when we walked in the door was that Christmas smacked us in the face with the best smelling Christmas Tree candle , burning in a super cute entryway. I could hardly wait to get inside to see what else this place had in store. First, there was a fireplace and a couch and a table. In the rest of the dining area, we're all high tops. Not so high that a barely over 5 foot person such as myself couldn't sit comfortably. Our waitstaff (there were two) and were great about offering menu suggestions when I shared flavor profiles I might be looking for and they were attentive and so pleasant. They had super cute Christmas decorations, and were putting up more while we were there. The vibe is super warm and welcoming, and for a short while you feel like you stepped back in time. The tiramisu martini was delicious, as was the blood orange martini. I had the cauliflower with juju sauce at the recommendation of the waitress, and it was honestly the best cauliflower I've ever had! My husband enjoyed his macaroni and cheese with buffalo and bleu as well. The owner/chef, Leslie, came and chatted with us for a little bit before we were on our way. We learned that in the summer they hold concerts, and they have a golf course. There is a distillery on site as well. Everything about this place was excellent, and we are already planning a day date to go back and try more menu items!

As I reviewed, some items were unpalatable; some burnt and steak too tough to eat. The burned fish…read morewas replaced, but the replacement was still over cooked.

What a lovely restaurant. Just for a tip if you find the apothecary it's down the stairs right…read moreafter it. We did have a little bit of trouble finding it but that was kind of fun. Reservations recommended we were seated at a beautiful table for two right near the bar and started off with a Pinot noir and a cabernet. Both wines were delightful. For appetizers we had the braised lamb crepe and the octopus... Both dishes were delicious, presented well with sauces to die for. Followed by the pasta dish and the duck. These were the best dinners of the year for us. The blending of flavors were fantastic and it was augmented by the owner coming over and talking to us about how the food was prepared. I won't bore you with all the details but the octopus is slow boiled for 5 hours.. complete with wine. Corks it was tender and delicious with the Mediterranean flair. We go out to eat our fair share from high end to diners anywhere. The food is well prepared and delicious... This was the top for the year! From the service to the presentation to the wine to the ambiance, everything is top notch here. I will provide a warning. You will drop a pretty penny if you partake in all the courses, but we thought it was well worth it. Thank you to the staff and ownership. We enjoyed our evening.. a true date night.

So, we finally got to try the chef's table, or "Chef's Whim" as it's officially titled. Eight…read morecourses. In addition to the food, we added the suggested alcohol pairings. I say alcohol because it wasn't all wine but ... since it's a bit of a surprise in terms of what actually appears I'll just leave it at that. However, as to the food ... I'll give a taste, a flavor, a wisp of a whisper of the full culinary adventure. For complete details, see your local sous chef! Here's what we had. In the middle of my photo collage, a blood sausage slider with fennel/jalapeño sauce on toasted brioche bun. Then clockwise from top left - cornbread with maple glaze in a Barbie sized personal cast iron skillet; beet salad with goat cheese half spheres; a dessert tray of black apple cake with hay ice cream (yes, seriously), chamomile pot de creme and a duck fat beignet; an assortment of ice creams - fenugreek, fennel/maitake mushroom/burnt hazelnut (all tasted fabulous and in each you could taste the listed flavors); entree of duck and wild mushroom tart; white bean soup and finally a pasta dish of ravioli with two fillings. Just a note on what it would take to make it yourself. See that hexagonal white blob on the bottom row, middle pic? That's a potato foam. Forgive me for not recalling the full procedure but the prep is roughly 7 hours long. First, the cut potatoes are cooked in a sous vide for 2 hours so that no moisture is added to them. Then a succession of ricing, smoking, drying, undrying, mashing, placing in a foam machine that looked like a whipped cream dispenser and boom - a tiny dollop of potato. It tasted great. But man - that's a lot of effort for a mouthful of potato. I don't think I'll be trying it at home. Over two hours of eating and chatting. I brought a couple of my restaurant-based cartoons as my personal thanks for the meal and was shocked that Justin, their sommelier, had done a cartoon of his own ahead of time for me! Just stick to wine, Justin - I don't need any MORE competition with my magazine editors ... With Dylan ably providing the primary chef duties and Amaya and Justin handling the booze, the meal was a smashing success. The food pairings were masterfully chosen and timing of the dishes meant we were always primed for the next one. Although the succession of what I'd call dessert dishes made me start to feel like a Hobbit enjoying dessert, second dessert and then post seconds. As Anton Ego said in Ratatouille (and they have a cute Reme rat under glass on a shelf) "I shall be returning, hungry for more."

You're in the very suburban town of Lebanon, New Hampshire. You've got everything that you need at…read moreyour fingertips but maybe you're looking to enjoy wine or sip a cocktail at a place with more of an urban edge. Drive 5 minutes over the state line to Putnam's in White River Junction, Vermont for that sommelier-staffed experience. Love the ambience and rigorous focus on elevated, quality ingredients, at Putnam's. They have a corkboard-covered 3-ring binder menu which is aptly named a Field Guide. Trust me, this name is earned by the Tasting Notes alone. The field guide is like a thesis for advanced Upper Valley sippers, Vermont or not. If you forgot your book or paper, just saddle up to the Putnam's Field Guide. You'll find an elaborate offering of editorial descriptions of beverages from wine to martinis (6 kinds) to beer and whiskey (one from Japan). Btw, it's rare to find a wine bar that doubles as a gorgeous coffeehouse serving pastries, espresso-based drinks, teas and breakfast sandwiches on weekends. I'm looking forward to enjoying them sometime if I'm back. The offering at Putnam's Vineyard rotates seasonally, so I will describe what was there on my visits. Visit their website for updated menu surprises. As for the evening and weekends Fall menu, they call their offering Picnic Food. It's a modest title for an extensive offering of appetizers and a few sandwiches. Think fancied-up olives, pretzels, Brazilian cheese puffs, a craft beer mix, 2 melty sammies with Vermont cheeses (1 with turkey, the other veggies), beet and chevre arancini, dips and a vast selection of desserts. Vermont cheeses, apricots, Marcona almonds, dried apricots and crostini are looking divine on the cheese board. Oh, and there's also Superbon Madrid potato chips with Osetra caviar and a mini spirit of Gaston Chiquet champagne. Just saying. There is also a weekend brunch menu with bagels and egg sandwiches. As for the wine, I recommend a flight at Putmam's. In the fall season, these flight offerings were named: the Bella Blanca Wine Flight, the Falling Leaves Mixed Wine Flight, Fireside Reds Red Wine Flight, The Forgotten Bunches Mixed Wine Flight and the almighty and an unforgettable Sparkler Flight. In this flight, I slowly savoured 3 wine sparklers at $25 total. (And no, I cannot spell savour without a "u.") These wine flights are a true value. And here are the wines in the sparkler flight: 1.) Cava 2021 by Avinyó 2.) Crémant de Bourgogne Sparkling Brut Rosé NV by Albert Bichot 3.) Lambrusco by Villa Castellazo ROTA The Cava is everything. All three were delightful and I showed up needing warm fuzzies on an evening where there was live music so the total experience was extra lovely. There is also a whiskey flight! The coffee and craft beverages selection for the fall/winter menu includes a nitro cold brew, a brown butter latte with Maldon sea salt and biscotti and a FROLA New Orleans style cold brew slushie with maple syrup and coconut cream. To any craft and coffee beverage you can add Vermont Ice Cream Coffee Liqueur or Whistle Pig Piggy Back Bourbon. Yes, please. If you are making a trip of it, catch the local bbq joint across the way from Putnam's at lunch and then visit the wine bar for drinks. Layer up, because I've been nippy there twice, and then linger over one delightful beverage after the next. Oh, and there is a charming wine shop at Putnam's with handmade gifts to peruse, as well.

Simply the coolest hot spot in this little nook of Vermont. Arriving on a Sunday night, the outside…read moreof this fabulous old depot building looks like it's abandoned. But oh the speakeasy that lies within! Follow it around to the "secret" entrance and you are welcomed in with an impressive industrial chic meets garden / exotic jungle atmosphere. Little nooks of seating areas with their own unique feel. Cannot overstate the oozing charm of this large space that manages to create cozy corners. Friendly service, generous cheese board, a gift shop selection of sassy souvenirs. There is only goodness to be found here in the vine/yard. One of best hidden gems we have ever discovered.

First time there. Worth the hour drive and will be back . Nicholas our waiter suggested the…read moreshepherds pie. It was fantastic. The presentation was wonderful and it will keep me coming back. I knew that there wermany other things on the menu, but I'll come back for this again and again. Two of us had the coconut curry soup and literally had to lick the bowl to make sure we du DMP t miss one drop of this. The other in our party had the salad And enjoyed it completely. The two others had the scallops and were very impressed. One of our party has a tomato allergy and they were careful not to have it on the dish. Then came dessert time. I called ahead to make sure they had carrot cake because i had read great reviews on it. It certainly lived up to those reviews. One of our guests was too full for dessert, but managed to get a spoonful of both of ours. My friend had the Boston Crean tart, and we all declared this a winner also. They were very accommodating as I had booked for four and had to call them before we came in person's plane was delayed. When I asked, because of the reviews I had read, if they would have carrot cake that evening, and the gentleman said as long as I'm here we will always have carrot cake. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone who wants a delicious, well prepared and well presented meal that is as fresh as can be. The service is wonderful and we will be back.

My fiancé and I went to celebrate our engagement and decided to order the 5 course chef tasting…read moremenu which was so worth the money ($85 total). It was 4 savory courses and one dessert course. Everything was so delicious and fresh!! The service was also amazing and very timely. The highlight dish for me was the seared scallops but my fiance really liked the braised lamb dish. The restaurant itself was very nice looking and classy. I would definitely recommend going and getting the 5 course tasting menu if you're looking to spend a bit more for an amazing food experience.

This little restaurant was a fantastic find on our visit to Portsmouth. It was tucked away along a…read morelittle alley and had seating outside, which was perfect because we had two dogs with us. They were very dog friendly. We had the set menu, which was four courses of small plates, and it was perfect. The food was excellent.Well prepared and delicious.. The staff were very friendly, as was the owner. I also had a whiskey and cider based cocktail, which was delicious. I would wholeheartedly recommend this wonderful restaurant for anyone in the Portsmouth New Hampshire area.

I honestly am not sure where to start and end with my wife and l anniversary dinner at Cava this…read moreevening. My wife and I have close to or more than 1000 dining experiences in our time together. If Cava wasn't the best overall, it was an extremely close second. Our server Dan was awesome from start to finish. On point, Attentive, professional, and exceeded expectations on every level. Cava is a very intimate dining experience with a warm comfortable indoor and outdoor seating option. It is also very practical as a stop before going to the Music Hall, an important date or like us an anniversary. Cava is unlike many of the places we have visited over the years in the food category. Every course was exceptionally prepared, thoroughly thought out and professionally executed with excellent plating. I won't go into detail on every dish but suffice it to say there was enjoyment with every mouthful of every course. I ordered: Espresso Martini An Italian Pinot Grigio (with dinner) We shared the charcuterie plate First course - Mussels Second Course - Italian Meatball dish Third Course - Braised Flank Steak Fourth Course - Torte My wife ordered: A wonderful Rum with blackberry cocktail An Italian Pinot Grigio(with dinner) First Course- Warm Potato Soup Second Course- Stuffed and wrapped dates Third Course- Shrimp with Polenta Fourth Course- Blueberry Cheesecake

Sorry forgot to take a pic(very unlike me) Nice job. Very…read morelocal place, very hospitable ! Bartenders were great! Had the mussels which was the nights special! Very nice! Super fresh, great broth, only recomendation more toast points!(the broth is so good need to soak it up)

Nice bar/restaurant with good solid cocktails and very decent food with a few standouts. It…read moreactually reminded me of a western bar atmosphere but a lot more interesting drinks. The cocktails we had were very good, especially since they were not too sweet, a true test IMHO. The food is mostly very good with standouts like their tomato soup which is truly excellent IMHO. The dollar night oysters were very good for the price, significantly higher quality than most dollar night bivalves. We'll definitely be returning to explore their offerings more.

Graze & Vine is small but we'll organized wine store and more. Indoor seating is limited, during…read morewarmer months the outdoor area has picnic tables with shade umbrellas for enjoying wine, beer and tasty appetizers. We stopped by the Saturday after thanksgiving and enjoyed a couple glasses of wine and delicious roasted apple crumb cake. Also on the menu are marinated olives, cheese boards, and charcuterie selection along with seasonal accompaniments. They have a fairly large selection of wines, beers and ciders.

I can't say enough about Owens wonderful new location in Ogunquit. The craft cocktails and wine…read morewith the perfect choices of delicious apps ! The outside deck is just the most lovely place to relax thanks to Jordan's impeccable eye ! The bar area is huge and another great place to chill if it's wet or too warm out !

We love this wine bar at Bedford Village Inn. It's upstairs tucked away in a corner, nicely…read moredecorated, comfortable and homey. The staff here is always excellent, knowledgeable, helpful and friendly. The food is top notch, unique selections and very tasty. The wine list and the drink option are both great as well.

Stayed at the Bedford Inn. We went on the search Corks on the same property. (cute little hideaway…read morebar with cozy seating and an elegant touch!) SERVICE: The servers are very nice and helpful, especially since it was my first time there. FOOD: We tried a whole lotta food: Steak salad, crab cakes, crab wontons, etc. you can't go wrong (check out the pictures) (Bar) I tried a yummy gin drink (but forgot the name - sorry) but the picture is there

Wife and I were in Laconia for Bike Week and we were looking for a nicer establishment away from…read morethe chaos of the rally. We called in advance to make sure we wouldn't be too under dressed and was assured that jeans and tasteful T-shirts would be fine. We started off with an appetizer of fried mozzarella along with the Alfredo sauce for dipping with the bread. This was some of the best Alfredo that we have had. You could also tell that the fried mozzarella was not frozen and made in house. The wife got their lasagna and I ordered the Northender (chicken parm, Italian sausage, and housemade meatball). The entire meal was excellent and the waitstaff was attentive. We most certainly would return for another meal if within the area.

It's this simple, places in the lakes region beg for business in the winter months. In the summer…read moremonths, its very hard because it's busy we get that. You should either offer take out all the time, or dont' offer it period. Just because it's busy you decide to not offer take out? Why not say it's going to be an hour or hour and a half? Picking and choosing, leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Not everyone has the ability (able bodied people vs disables people) to go out for dinner. Telling someone to call back in an hour and maybe we will be doing take out, is fucking diabolical. It's just not that easy for some people to go "out" for dinner, I think it's taken for granted by restaurant owners today. I was hoping with door dash, uber eats etc. that it would get more competetive when it came to this, and places wouldn't do this in 2026, but here we are. Pick one Fratello's seriously. Dont be like the rest of the country today and flip flop on issues when you can and cant do things. Just be consistent. Since the owner replied almost immediately ill follow up on his reply to mine, at no point did he address the fact that not everyone has the ability to leave the house and ordering take out is the only option for some people. So his "sassy" remark as my guest pointed out didn't go unnoticed, also its so busy at your establishment that your replying to Yelp reviews during the dinner rush? Yeah I call bullshit, but you do you buddy.