Southern NH Restaraunts

October 15, 2006 3:08 PM

Looking for a very nice restaraunt for my wifes birthday dinner. We have eaten at most of the well known places in the Nashua/Manchester area and are looking for something new. Any suggestions out there?
posted by Raybun to food & drink (11 answers total)

How far are you willing to go? Since in Southern NH, are you willing to drive to Boston or the suburbs convenient to Rt.3?
posted by briank at 3:16 PM on October 15, 2006

You might try the food centered community at chowhound, they have lots of message boards for different regions, states, and some cities. I suggest searching for your towns on their boards before posting the question. Have a great dinner!
posted by bilabial at 3:18 PM on October 15, 2006

Lilac Blossom is a very nice, quiet Chinese restaurant. In Merrimack, there's Silo's, a pretty good steak house.

I assume that Villa Banca, Chicago Steak Room, etc. fall under the heading of "well-known places." Frankly, after 4 years of weekly dinners in the Nashua area, I've concluded that my conception of top-shelf dining doesn't exist north of the Massachusetts border — but there are plenty of halfway decent places if you're willing to settle.
posted by cribcage at 5:10 PM on October 15, 2006

If you feel like driving to Maine, the Fore Street Restaurant in Portland is wonderful.
posted by suki at 5:48 PM on October 15, 2006

My parents always swear by Baldwin's, on Elm Street in Manch Vegas. Have you been there?
posted by Greg Nog at 6:35 PM on October 15, 2006

http://www.whitebarninn.com/kennebunkport-maine-me-fine-dining-restaurants.jsp?a=1147865627The White Barn Inn in Kennebunkport (ME) is apparently the only five star resturant north of NYC, and was recently named one of the top 100 resturants in America by either Gourmet or Bon Apetite (I can't recall which).

Plus its as romantic as it gets. And there is an Inn and spa if you want to make a weekend of it. Pricey, though.
posted by anastasiav at 6:56 PM on October 15, 2006

Drat, I borked the URL. Try this:

The White Barn Inn
posted by anastasiav at 6:58 PM on October 15, 2006

I have not been to Ya Mamma's recently, and I have not yet been to their newer location. But when we went there on Canal St. in Nashua, it was fabulous. I thought the name was dumb and was expecting the food to be bad for some reason, but it was great.
posted by theredpen at 7:00 PM on October 15, 2006

theredpen is correct about Ya Mamma's. The food at their new location is even better than it was at the Canal St location. Getting in to the old restaraunt on a weekend without a reservation involved spending time in a line that spilled out on to the sidewalk. Mamma is the owners mother who filled in as a waitress at the old Canal St location. We try to do birthdays at new places every year so Ya Mammas is out for this date, but we will be going back there soon.
posted by Raybun at 7:56 PM on October 15, 2006

You don't mention what restaurants you have been to, but I've had many a nice meal at Michael Timothy's when I'm up that way.
posted by FreezBoy at 5:27 AM on October 16, 2006

Can't beat Silks in Tyngsborough(SP).
posted by Ferrari328 at 7:20 AM on October 16, 2006