Where has all the restaurant reviews gone
 

always interesting how restaurant reviews drop dramatically during the winter . Last post was five weeks ago . So yes summer residents are gone but local must still go out

Went to Patrick's Monday night because I needed to get out, have a couple drinks and get away from work stuff. It was open mic night which I didn't realize. I was pleasantly surprised!!! They had some good people playing, each got 3 songs of their own writing, none were covers. Having been to many bars with music, that could have gone so many different was. I would do that again. It was a fun night out by myself listening to so good music.
Hope that helps with the lack of reviews :D

I would think it's just math. 63 percent of all of the homes in Moultonborough are owned as second homes (and even that percentage seems light). That's a lot less people/chances for a review.

Now THAT'S how you post sarcasm!

I go to many of the same places in and around Meredith every week, all are very busy.
I'm not a local but I have a second home in Meredith and I am up every week, so I know many of the locals.

Curious about Axe & Ale, anyone eaten there lately? I hear the add on the radio all the time, but I haven't been there lately.
I've been there twice, but I only ate there one time, thought the food was very good.

We've been twice. The first time, they had killer mozza sticks and chicken sandwiches for a great price. The second time, they'd pulled the mozza sticks and a few other things we'd hoped to try from the menu, and the prices had increased while portions decreased.

We never went back for a third time, so that second one may have been a fluke, but it was disappointing enough that we've gone elsewhere when given the option.

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I can understand going up in price, but smaller portions and lower quality will drive me elsewhere every time. If I leave and I'm still hungry I ain't goin back!
One of my go to places is T-Bones but I've been very disappointed lately, not sure I'm going back.
Their rewards have gotten smaller as have the portions, the quality is still there but it's just not as great as it once was, JMO.

I am surprised, we frequent both Cactus Jacks and Tbones (probably more than we should!). We are constantly getting rewards; it seems that every time I go, we end up with another $20 at least.

The food is always consistent and good. I have not noticed any change in the portions.

I use to get rewards every meal, I was told the rewards don't start now until you hit $100 spent. I usually go by myself, so it takes 3 or 4 visits now before I see any rewards.
Was there this past week and got the beef stew special. Only one size so I expected a bowl at $7.99, but it was a cup.
I usually get the crispy chicken salad, it was always big and full of chicken strips. Lately it's been much smaller with much less chicken.
No complaints about quality, the food is always tasty.

I always go as a group of 4, so I am never below that threshold. They started doing happy hour all day mon-thur which is nice.

I can't imagine anyone could stay in business selling beef stew at $7.99/bowl in 2025. Maybe cut them some slack?

Maybe offer 2 different sizes like soup. The cup was not worth $7.99, being just a small cup of soup with 2 small pieces of beef.
It's not just the beef stew that has disappointed me on my recent visits.
Like I said, if I leave a restaurant hungry, I'm probably not going back. There is no shortage of good restaurants in my area, Meredith, that I need to travel to Laconia.
I guess I'm spoiled, back in my hometown in Ma, I can still get a big bowl of homemade soup for $6.00.

..... at home, alone!
 

Going to a restaurant, all alone by myself, is like the loneliest experience in the world. It would make me feel like Mr. Lonely, so I stay home and cook white rice with tuna fish and mayonnaise and pineapple chunks in one of those $19.97 rice cookers from Walmart.

Besides, restaurant food has become so unbelievably expensive that eating just one meal at home probably pays for the $19.97 rice cooker.

Plus, no tipping the waiter when eating at home, alone ..... :D .... you know what I mean.

The McDonald's in Meredith used to be a pretty good place to eat breakfast, lunch or dinner, alone. However, since its reincarnation as a vending machine and not a cafeteria, I have not been there in about four years. Good-bye and good riddance to the Meredith McDonald's and hellooooo Market Basket.

If I go anywhere alone I sit at the bar and actually prefer that if I am with someone.

I do also, but I frequent the local establishments where I see the same people every week. My wife and I always sit at the bar if there are seats available.
My Meredith home is my second home, but I usually come up during the week as there is always something to do. My wife still works so I come up during the week and go home to Ma on weekends unless my wife decides to come up.
I think it would be lonelier to stay home, although sometimes I do like my alone time.

Last time I had a beer was in 2014, so sitting at the bar, alone as a non-drinker would not be appreciated. I was starting to like it too much, was falling in love with that 16-oz tall black, ice cold can of some famous German beer that did not sell good and is no longer available here, or something, plus it got reduced from 2.99 down to .99 at the Circle-K in Meredith.

Oh well, there is no room anywhere in Meredith for a Market Basket but two or three years from now there could be one in Laconia on Parade Rd.

The food quality for prepared, ready-to-eat food at Market Basket beats the pants off what you get at McDonald's plus it's an incredible super-market, too.

The Market Basket in Plymouth, NH is the greatest super-market ever ever ever since food was first invented!

I travel out of state several times a month to the Oregon coast to gamble and enjoy Lincoln City: my wife chooses to stay home.

It is no problem at all for me to eat alone: I don't feel "lonely" when eating alone.

Typically I work on crossword puzzles while waiting for my food to arrive.

Fact is I am not a particularly social animal: usually I prefer my own company.

FLL, I’ve eaten out nearly every day for forty years, as I’ve never turned on a stone or oven, no idea how to cook. It’s not lonely if you have nothing to which to compare it.

I went to Axe and Ale before a movie last week, about 5:30 on a Saturday. I was the only one there and it still took ten minutes for anyone to make eye contact and seat me. I got the Buffalo chicken dip and it was half the size from about six months ago.


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Eaying alone?
1. Tell the Masitre'd when you makle your reservation that you're open to his seating another solo diner with you. That's better for him to free up a table.
2. Google best places for solo dining. Great rersults.
3. Take advantage of your club membership. Many clubs, golf, yacht, alumni, etc have reciprocity agreements and you will be treated like a member.
4. Service clubs. Rotary, Kiwanis, etc frequently have dinner meetings and welcome guest members.
5. Meals on Wheels--Elder nutrion comes in many forms now, including "Congregate Dining" so solo diners have others to eat with. Some restaurants are part of a group dining program where the MOW participant gets a meal coupon for cheap and others can join for a meal. You don't have to be real old to participate.
6. Volunteer at a soup kitchen. Eat for a small donation and your service. Everybody else there is alone too.

This past summer a buddy of mine and I went to the looney bin for a late lunch. Anyone that's ever been there knows it's very small inside. We sat at a table for four and minutes later 2 older gentlemen walked in and there were no other seats, so we asked them to sit with us. My buddy and I are in our 70's and these two gentlemen were in their 80's, we had the best time with great conversation. You just have to put yourself out there and be friendly!

I LOVE eating on my own. I take my current book and enjoy whatever pace I'm feeling that meal.

Of course, 99.9% of the time I'm with my wife and kids, so the solitude is welcome!

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Eating with someone would be weird, trying to think of things to talk about for no reason. lol


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At the Looney Bin there is always something to talk about


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Especially after you've been married too long. We need others to talk to. LOL. In Athens, we shared a table with a Canadian couple on their honeymoon and talked about their routine visits to Havana where we couoldn't go. In Scotland, at the McMichael House, appetizers were served as a buffet, no table seating. They all wanted to know all about the NH Primary. (Skip the politics. It's a buisness selling hotel rooms, rental cars and restaurant meals.) You can always talk about the wine--you know, "fruity with a hint of Cinnamon covered by Vanilla".

Sounds just like a blind date...

(which is how my wife and I met, way back when, long before social media, dating apps, etc)

I used to travel a lot on business and eating alone became the norm. I enjoy it if I have something to read, like one of those newspaper things we used to get in the "old days". I hate staring at my phone and leave it in the car.

I once had breakfast in Los Angeles, lunch in Seattle, dinner in Chicago and, the next day I woke up in Detroit. Then it was airflight without the hassle. Not even metal detectors.

My last meal out was at The Bob House. I ate at the bar and struck-up some good conversation. That was better than eating alone.