Village Kitchen
 

For years we have been going to the VK. Of late I am concerned as I see very little business at the VK while the Bob House is packing them in.

The VK still has great food and the service is fabulous......of late however, I have seen a dramatic reduction of the portions. Recently I had the steak tips and the meal came in a small plate and was not fulfilling at all. Same too for the chicken finger plate; clearly portion sizing is down and serving size has seen a reduction. While we are loyal to the VK, we did try the Bob House and the portions were dramatically more significant and the qualiity of the burgers, fries, salads and appetizers in general were outstanding...come on VK...we're pulling for you!!!!!

Gotta Disagree
 

I was at the VK 2 weeks ago for Breakfast, The food, quality and portion size were just as good as always. I don't believe for a second that anyone is cutting back there.

When I see a post such as the one above I think there is a not so hidden agenda

\VK is the BEST. Keep up the good work

Charlie T

We went to the VK around derby time. We couldn't have been happier with both visits.

My wife and I do enjoy the Bob House when the Dining Room is open Thursday - Saturday, but some times the meals can be hit or miss. I do think what pulls customers in is the BAR. I was once told that the number of cars in the parking lot can be deceiving. A lot of customers come by themselves, not 2 to four in a single car?

You can not beet the 2 egg cheese omelet and "REAL" home fries at the VK!

I love them both (VK and Bob House)......

Top Down Quality and Service
 

I've always found the food and service to be a sure thing at the VK.....I need help with my Farmers Breakfast....tooo much food....and the price can't be beat. The lunch portions are always lunch sized and the dinners usually come in two sizes (Turkey)....I guess I need to eat there more than 4 or 5 times a week to be hyper-critical...I love the place.... and the staff.... always attentive..... from the kitchen to the dining room! VK rocks IMHO!:liplick:

Posts like this make me sick to my stomach
 

Really Sunset View, (we're pulling for you !!!!!). Charlie T. hit it right on the head, you didn't hide your agenda well at all. As a matter of fact I would bet dollars to donuts you are the same poster who whined about the chicken parm last year.

I do not eat dinner at the VK, but eat plenty of other meals there. The portions or quality have not slid.

Love the VK!!

No Agenda, as I noted, we are pulling for the VK, just an honest observation....Chicken parm at the VK? I think not, never been on the menu in my 28 years going there....but I would try it if it were offered! You and Charlie T must have had your chicken parm at the Bob House.

location of restaurants
 

Happy Thursday everyone....
( my first message here at the forum..)

I've been reading about the different " good restaurants " .

My wife and dogs and I will be coming north from Fl. to my home state of N.H. this summer and plan on staying in our motor home somewhere near the lake so will be visiting restaurants for a few months...Could someone tell me what town or village these restaurants are located in....

Also, any leads on where we might find some seasonal work or where to look to find any. We both are experienced in Bus. Mgmt. and have worked as a team for 20 years...transportation and medical fields are also strong in out backgrounds...thanks...
I read the forum almost daily and enjoy it very much...thank you for the little pleasures in life...lol

Restaurants are in Moultonborough.You should start your own thread about asking for other info.

I love the VK and the Farmer's breakfast will never get old to me. I don't think the portions have slid, however, the price has gone up drastically in the past few years. As it stands now, I still think it's worth the price, but it hurts when it comes to over $10 now because everything cost extra (flavored pancakes, cheese on the eggs, etc.). Again, it won't stop me anytime soon, I simply remember when this meal was significantly cheaper. Then again, what isn't going up in price lately?

VK Prices increasing???
 

I haven't noticed that the prices on the VK menu.....or any other restaurant in the Lakes Region for that matter....have increased.

I am surprised because I haven't noticed that food prices have increased in our local grocery markets........ ...What? You say they have? Oh!:look:

With fuel prices on the rise I am much more concerned with a report that is coming up saying that Exxon will report a 15 BILLION Dollar profit for the latest quarter.....???? Fuel profits raise food costs to the consumer.....the restaurant goer.

Just noticed your post Sunset and wanted to address some of your comments. We definitely have not cut any portions......I'm guessing that my new "point of sales" system might have printed out a small instead of large order because it was served on smaller plate.In any case,I promise to check that out and fix it the minute I get back (on vacation right now) although it sounds like you have warmer weather than we do.
We very much appreciate the heads up........we might never know about problems




without a little constructive criticism
As far as business goes,we are down just a few % points from last year due losing our snowmobilers,so things are pretty much normal.
The Bob House is a great place....many of our customers go back and forth and many of my crew love to hang out there, also.They are quite different than we are......they have a full bar and more relaxed dining...we are more of a comfort food kind of place and I think we compliment each other rather than compete.
.

I may not always agree with Samiam on the Forum...but he is always honest and to -the -point. He runs the VK the same way and the VK (and its crew) are the thing I miss most about the Lake when we are not there.

VK Charity
 

VK donated a spaghetti supper this evening to support Gilford USROBOTICS team. Congratulations to the team on winning the Regional. They are heading to the World Championship!

Samiam:

Thank you for your thoughtful and business like response. As noted in my earlier post, we love you guys and the VK has been a part of our NH Home for almost 30 years. Your food has always been consistently outstanding, the service exceptional and the excitement and fun of going to the Vk is a key componment of our time at Winni.

I have never once offered an opinion about your prices as I always have felt you folks do a bang-up job on the value proposition..........mine was merely an observation and as noted, we pull and continue to pull for you. You may be correct on the size ordered as well......perhaps it was my fault!

I will make sure I ask for the large size on my next visit to be certain I haven't created too much of an issue. If I erred, I will acknowledge and respectfully post immediately!!

Again, thanks for the kind and thoughtful response; as an owner operator, I wish everyone was as proactive and non-defensive about observations for improvement, especially from their customers. We sincerely hope your trafiic/customer counts go up by 10% or more this year, I know we'll be there!!!

Best regards

First of all let me just say I eat at the VK when I'm up and get the chance me and my wife like it very much! BUT.....Honestly it's (almost) impossible to be critical about anything there partly in my opinion because of Samians presence (and popularity) on this site. PLEASE...PLEASE...don't everyone trash me now again, I love the place too just my .02. Last fall (actually fair weekend) I had a minor incident there and we (Samian and myself) talked via private messages I didn't want to write anything that (literally) the whole world could read.

Thanks for the kind words Sunset and I meant what I said when I told you we appreciate any feedback.....good example is DPG.....he had a service problem last summer and contacted me by PM. I sat down with Ronda, our dining room manager and tracked it right down to the person that had dropped the ball while waiting on them. We had a chat with her and don't believe that will happen again.
Every now and then, in this business, someone can have a bad day and not do the job that you expect of them....it happens in most restaurants... and thanks to you guys, we try and stay on top of it before it goes any further.......so please don't feel bad about b+++t'n at me. I'm grateful to know.

I was wrong!
 

We ate at the VK Saturday evening and again Sunday morning........the Sat evening meal was sensational, the portions large and the quality of service exceptional! I posted a few weeks back about the quantity of portions being smaller, on Saturday night, our meals were plentiful and a great value.

What can you say about the VK for breakfast...no one in NH does it better!

Nice Work VK.....We love you guys!

Wife and I just returned from a late meal at VK tonight. No problems at all with the portions. By the way, we also tried the new Lobster Bisque that Chef Seth prepared tonight. It was FABULOUS. Never had any better. Hot, creamy, lobster, etc. Next time we will not settle for a cup, but go for a bowl. VK still is tops in terms of friendly staff....thanks Marion as always!!....and they continue to deliver good quality food served hot, quick, tasty, and value priced.

Anyone remember ...
 

... when the VK was next to the gas pumps? Has it been under the same ownership all these years? That was one of my favorite stops back in the 80's.

If my memory is a little corn fused I'm open to a refreshing.

Was it Bud's Pub?

That's going back a ways, Greens Basin Girl.....and you're right. It went from Bud's Pub to a convenience store and then to the original VK which we opened in 1985. We moved to the new VK in Dec of 1994 and still have a lot of the original crew.
We used to go to Bud's for big plates of delicious steamed clams....and, of course, the cold beer.

VK Staff
 

SAMIAM,

While I do not own a place at the Big Lake, I often travel to the area to fish bass tournaments. I have been enjoying breakfast at th VK since you were located at the gas station. The food, portions and value are always great.

What *really* impresses me though, is your truly OUTSTANDING staff. I have never seen a more dedicated, hard working and friendly bunch than there is at the VK. I can honestly say that I cannot even suggest one way to improve the service at your establishment.

Keep up the good work!

Cheers....

Gusman

The VK still offers New Hampshire hospitality just like in days gone by. That's an awful long time for any business to maintain their standards and personality. The Village Kitchen has never forgotten what got them going so long ago. That's friendly and prompt service, an excellent product and a fair price. It's a simple and easy game plan, but it takes a special team to do it for 30 plus years.

CPR/Defib
 

Bob, I noted your sign that your staff is now all CPR and Defib trained- nice job! Did you buy a defibrillator?

We did buy one,VitaBene......it is serviced by our local FD .Sent all of our waitstaff to two days of extensive training on how to use it as well as getting them all certified in CPR.Also,all of our cooks are ServSafe certified.
We were motivated after reading a story about a guy that collapsed at his gym while working out......he could have been easily saved but no one there knew CPR and there was no defibrillator handy.
We have a wonderful crew and they take a lot of pride in the fact that they are ready to jump in if there is an emergency.

Enjoyed my farmer's breakfast yesterday morning (as usual when I take time to head over)...not surprising by any means. Nothing short of perfect for a breakfast. VK never fails to disappoint and epitomizes what breakfast at the lake should be from the atmosphere to the staff, all the way down to the end product, the FOOD!

Serv Safe?
 

I get the CPR training but have never heard of ServSafe? Please explain. Thanks....Bob

Sure,glad to explain.ServSafe is a safe food handling course that was developed by the National Restaurant Association and adopted by most of the states including NH.The course is taught by UNH for a fee of $145 per student and a 75% grade or higher is needed for certification.
The state of NH requires one person per shift to be certified but we choose to have everyone on our kitchen crew attend.Once the course is complete,the test takes an entire 8 hour day.
It's really a great course that includes food safety from delivery,storage,preparation to serving.You must abide by a chart and timetable for heating and cooling product.Strict temperature guidlines have to be followed(cold foods 38 or lower hot foods 140 or higher)gloves must be used for handling any finished product.....I could go on and on but I think you get the idea.
Inspections are given without notice and are very tough but it's great for keeping us all on our toes.
Bottom line is......every restaurant in NH has to abide by these rules.....even little hole in the wall joints so it's really safe to eat out.

Back to the original post.
This restaurant is an asset to the community and to the Lakes Region.
A staff that is outstanding.
Excellent service.
Reasonable pricing.

Maybe it is just perception.
Maybe it is the size and shape of dishes.
Some meals do come in different sizes.

More then once, though, with others, the statement that portions are getting smaller has come up while dining there. Never at the breakfast meal.

Green curtains at VK
 

I had breakfast two mornings last week with friends from Connecticut, and as usual, it was outstanding (both service and food). I checked out the green curtains (based on an earlier comment by a forum member about their being "dated") and must say that I agree. Less is more, IMHO, and with the awnings is there really a need for any curtains? I would suggest simply removing the little green curtains. Just my two cents!! Otherwise, everything is perfect as it has been for years, and years, and years.....Redwing :coolsm:

Yup, Jonas...that was us. Never tried to be trendy or upscale, just cooking like grandma used to do. We were there 10 years before we built the new VK up the street.
And GusMan...thanks so much for appreciating my great crew. Sammie and I are so lucky to have those guys. Many have been with us for many years and some from day one. Lots of second generation people, too.
They are like family out there .
I'll make sure that I show them your post......good luck fishing. Next time you a hit a big one give me a call and we'll cook it up for you.

Ate at the VK 2 x's this weekend; breakfast Sunday morning (outstanding in every way) and Saturday night dinner. I ordered the clam plate (small) and was blown away at just how small it was (my fault) 7 clams! I guess I was trying to cut back because I also ordered a large salad(It too was outstanding) I asked our waitress for an additional order of clams and she immediately had them on my plate within 5 minutes and they were well worth the extra charge. I had the finest clams I have tasted in years! I think in one other post I voiced concern about the portion/size of the dinner meal; one has to wonder if the smaller size dinner plates gives the illusion of being a smaller meal, just my 2 cents. Good size eaters should err on the side of opting for the larger meal plates going forward, they are a fabulous value.

Samiam and team; great food, exceptional service (thin, lovely blonde lady Sat night) fast turnarounds and just great, consistent experiences, BTW, when we left the VK Saturday evening, we headed directly to Red Hill Dairy for a Cherry Dip and a Hot Fudge Sundae.........THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE THE VK!

THANK YOU

Just wanted to add that ServSafe is one of several companies that provide this certification. Some states require that every employee have a basic level certification on file with the restaurant and that managers and chefs have a more advanced certification -- Nice to see NH is headed in this direction. But at this time, seasonal restaurants are exempt from the above stated requirements.

I had a big problem at the VK Sat night. It took more than 4 minutes to get my Prime Rib to the table..:D.....And the piece was almost too big......Maybe the serving staff is figuring out who I am and that I love my Prime Rib on Sat nights.....:laugh: :rolleye1: :laugh:

yummy
 

At the VK right now having a great breakfast.

Let's hope for a good snowmobiling season. I certainly don't mind driving to the VK, but there's just something extra special about making the adventure over to there by sled instead.

First let me say I love the place also and go when I'm "up" there...But following up on the curtain comment last time there I did think to myself the entrance can use some sprucing up. Not sure maybe painting, maybe a new door just needs some TLC in my opinion...