Summer Stops

dpg · 04-15-2010, 09:16 AM

Who has the best (open in the summer/sit outside) onion rings in the L.R.?

Janet · 04-15-2010, 09:21 AM

Red Hill Dairy in Center Harbor has good onion rings...and the clams, yum yum!

WinnDixie · 04-15-2010, 10:43 AM

No way I can pass this up! O-rings are awesome by themselves...never mind the lobster rolls and the ice cream!! You might even see some deer over in the meadow if you sit outside, too. It's the best!!

colt17 · 04-15-2010, 10:53 AM

they call them hooks and they are sooooo good

BroadHopper · 04-15-2010, 11:04 AM

In New London, off Rte 11

Happy Gourmand · 04-15-2010, 11:34 AM

Had some fantastic onion rings there last Saturday night! Don't know if they are the best, but they're the best I've had in some time.

Slickcraft · 04-15-2010, 11:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BroadHopper

In New London, off Rte 11

Did you mean New Durham?

BroadHopper · 04-15-2010, 11:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slickcraft

Did you mean New Durham?

Me bad. Ayup!

dpg · 04-15-2010, 11:44 AM

Thanks all, looks like I have some stops to make.

Has Red Hill opened yet?

robmac · 04-15-2010, 04:40 PM

Shibleys, both of them.

fpartri497 · 04-15-2010, 06:01 PM

no no no Pops clam shack has everybody beat hands down

Pineedles · 04-15-2010, 06:05 PM

OK, this is very dear to my heart (and waistline too) unfortunately. There are the Burger King ground onion with crunchy bread crumb coating onion rings. Which can be good, as long as the onions are not ground onions. Think of bread crumb coating on REAL onion slices. These can be good.

Then there are the batter dipped real onion slices that are puffy and crunchy, but the determining factor is whether they use ONION ENDS, which are tough and stringy when you take a bite, and can't be bitten through.

Lastly, do the rings and onions stay together; or do you find yourself biting into the ring and drawing the onion out and are left with an empty shell of batter. This condition exists when the "onion end" condition exists, but it can happen when the onion temperature and batter temperature are not copasetic.

More details, please!

Rattlesnake Guy · 04-15-2010, 08:01 PM

Kevin's Cafe at Weirs. (sit on the bench and enjoy)
Pops. (sit in your car, the park across the street, or our favorite is to sit on the boat near the bandstand)

jniff101 · 04-15-2010, 09:05 PM

I'm a little hesitant to write this because I don't want to have to wait in line for my onion rings and other lovely deliciousness

But Skelleys Market has the BEST onions rings by far! Homemade thin and just the right amount of crunch. Get that with one of their seafood plates or my favorite, the Italian sub and finish it off with their ice cream and you'll be hooked! 476-8887 lol I have their number on speed dial

Steveo · 04-16-2010, 07:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fpartri497

no no no Pops clam shack has everybody beat hands down

I agree and their sign is up saying they are opening May 1st!!!!

SIKSUKR · 04-16-2010, 07:43 AM

Sorry folks but I have them all beat. I just made a batch last week with my trusty little fryolator. I love those battered suckers!

jmen24 · 04-16-2010, 07:53 AM

I think the ring style is going to very from person to person. Personally I like the rings that are very thin with a thin crispy crust, so when you pick them up they start falling apart.

The big batter rings are not my thing.

Sawyer's gets my vote, but many many more are on the list as this type of ring is almost identical from one place to another, I have to take a ride this weekend.

BroadHopper · 04-16-2010, 10:45 AM

I have had in my life came from 'White's Double Decker Drive In' on Rte 3 between Belmont and Winnisquam. Nobody makes them like that. Onion rings with thick onions that are slightly crisp, that has a thin batter with a hint of corn meal. Yum!

WinnDixie · 04-16-2010, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BroadHopper

I have had in my life came from 'White's Double Decker Drive In' on Rte 3 between Belmont and Winnisquam. Nobody makes them like that. Onion rings with thick onions that are slightly crisp, that has a thin batter with a hint of corn meal. Yum!

Oh yes, that was good...but now the Double Decker along with St Jacques' on the Boulevard (anyone remember that??) are now in that great drive-in up in the sky!

Chickie · 04-16-2010, 01:50 PM

Oh yes, I remember St. Jacques' on Weirs Blvd. I thought they had the best durn onion rings in the world back then. Funny how everything seems to have tasted better when we were young or is just me? Isabelle's Red Shanty on Court Street also did a super job with onion rings and everything else for that matter, as did White's Double Decker. The only one remaining from that era is Sawyer's, which continues to carry on their tradition of good eats. As for ice cream, Sawyer's and Weeks' Dairy on South Main in Laconia were comparable. Not many could polish off a Mt. Washington Special or an Awful Awful at Weeks'.

BroadHopper · 04-16-2010, 03:33 PM

My dad made the ice cream for Weeks in the late '50's, early 60's. I use to stop by after shool with friends to watch my dad make ice cream in back of Weeks Diary on South Main St. in Laconia. The bottling machine was fascinating to watch also.

I use to ride with my dad when he delivered the ice cream to stores in the North Country. My favorite route was Waterville Valley when the road was tarred over.

Argie's Wife · 04-16-2010, 07:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SIKSUKR

Sorry folks but I have them all beat. I just made a batch last week with my trusty little fryolator. I love those battered suckers!

You can't post that without posting directions, my friend.

Argie's Wife · 04-16-2010, 07:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BroadHopper

My dad made the ice cream for Weeks in the late '50's, early 60's. I use to stop by after shool with friends to watch my dad make ice cream in back of Weeks Diary on South Main St. in Laconia. The bottling machine was fascinating to watch also.

I use to ride with my dad when he delivered the ice cream to stores in the North Country. My favorite route was Waterville Valley when the road was tarred over.

Argie used to be a cook there... he says the rings were just frozen ones and nuttin' all that special...

CrawfordCentury · 04-18-2010, 03:41 PM

Martin's in Rochester is pretty good.

...and the NH Dept. of Tourism considers Rochester to be Lakes Region, so that's a legit post.

Anyone know where you can get a good plate of rings in Barington?

RI Swamp Yankee · 04-21-2010, 12:08 PM

Oh what a dilemma, so many places for "bad food" ..... so little vacation time to enjoy it.

BroadHopper · 04-21-2010, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RI Swamp Yankee

Oh what a dilemma, so many places for "bad food" ..... so little vacation time to enjoy it.

I have to agree. And Siksukr is right on!

Remember Denauws on Union Ave next to LHS? Victor had a dynamite batter recipe that he shared with my dad. My dad use to own the fish market on top of Pine Street. He would deliver to your door.

Anyway, my dad uses Victor's recipe and added a little corn meal. Best darn batter for onion rings as well as fish! I have my dad mini Pitco fryolator and using grapeseed oil, I have my batch of onion rings. Can't get any better than that!

Of course they don't make the bread crumbs that the old folks use anymore and it is tough to beat. Have to make do with bread crumbs I make from scratch.

SIKSUKR · 04-21-2010, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Argie's Wife

You can't post that without posting directions, my friend.

Sorry AG but I don't know the name of the off the shelf batter I used.Pure luck with my last batch.I did embelish them with assorted spices but I'll probably never be able to remember/reproduce exactly.

Fishin Fool · 04-21-2010, 03:59 PM

If Rochester is considered part of the lakes region then Martins drive in at exit 16 needs mentioning. The best onion rings in New England hands down !!

Argie's Wife · 04-21-2010, 06:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fishin Fool

If Rochester is considered part of the lakes region then Martins drive in at exit 16 needs mentioning. The best onion rings in New England hands down !!

...Okay, if Rochester is game, then you gotta try Lone Oak. On Wednesdays they have $8 lobster rolls - no fillers, perfect amount of mayo, on lettuce, served on a lightly toasted hot dog roll - just perfect. And with BIG chunks of lobsta - the real thing. Their ice cream is also made on-site but be careful - they're portions are ungodly. A "baby cone" is two scoops. A small cone is three scoops, and so on.

And yes, dpg - they have GOOD onion rings!

Lone Oak is on Route 125, headed towards Milton, NH.

Pineedles · 04-21-2010, 07:12 PM

And they even use romaine lettuce, which is a step above iceberg.

twoplustwo · 04-21-2010, 07:29 PM

If I'm in M'Boro, Red Hill Dari wins. If I'm in Wolfeoro, it's The Restaurant 03894, but their patio isn't open quite yet.

mcdude · 04-23-2010, 05:56 PM

Both Pop's Clamshell and the DOCKSIDE have signs out front....OPENING MAY 1!

RI Swamp Yankee · 04-23-2010, 07:16 PM

mcdude's picture is much more inviting than this one.

.

mg2107 · 04-23-2010, 08:43 PM

Lone Oaks ice cream is the BOMB !

04-15-2010, 09:16 AM	#1
dpg Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 2,588 Thanks: 150 Thanked 229 Times in 166 Posts	Summer Stops Who has the best (open in the summer/sit outside) onion rings in the L.R.?

04-15-2010, 10:43 AM	#3
WinnDixie Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Huntsville, AL Posts: 239 Thanks: 44 Thanked 75 Times in 17 Posts	Sawyer's! No way I can pass this up! O-rings are awesome by themselves...never mind the lobster rolls and the ice cream!! You might even see some deer over in the meadow if you sit outside, too. It's the best!!

04-15-2010, 10:53 AM	#4
colt17 Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Hollis NH/Laconia Posts: 132 Thanks: 62 Thanked 17 Times in 12 Posts	Patricks they call them hooks and they are sooooo good

04-15-2010, 11:04 AM	#5
BroadHopper Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Laconia NH Posts: 5,560 Thanks: 3,178 Thanked 1,097 Times in 790 Posts	johnson's In New London, off Rte 11 __________________ Someday may never be an actual day.

04-15-2010, 11:34 AM	#6
Happy Gourmand Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Ruskin FL Posts: 1,027 Thanks: 188 Thanked 322 Times in 179 Posts	Georges Had some fantastic onion rings there last Saturday night! Don't know if they are the best, but they're the best I've had in some time.

04-15-2010, 09:21 AM	#2
Janet Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Texas Posts: 468 Thanks: 232 Thanked 131 Times in 89 Posts	Red Hill Dairy in Center Harbor has good onion rings...and the clams, yum yum!

04-15-2010, 11:44 AM	#9
dpg Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 2,588 Thanks: 150 Thanked 229 Times in 166 Posts	Thanks all, looks like I have some stops to make. Has Red Hill opened yet?

04-15-2010, 04:40 PM	#10
robmac Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Nashua,Meredith Posts: 951 Thanks: 213 Thanked 106 Times in 81 Posts	Shibleys, both of them.

04-15-2010, 06:01 PM	#11
fpartri497 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Concord NH Posts: 681 Thanks: 97 Thanked 48 Times in 39 Posts	Pops clam shack no no no Pops clam shack has everybody beat hands down __________________ dont worry be happy

The Following User Says Thank You to fpartri497 For This Useful Post:
pops (04-16-2010)

04-15-2010, 06:05 PM	#12
Pineedles Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Moultonborough & CT Posts: 2,541 Thanks: 1,071 Thanked 667 Times in 366 Posts	Slicing and Dicing Onion Rings OK, this is very dear to my heart (and waistline too) unfortunately. There are the Burger King ground onion with crunchy bread crumb coating onion rings. Which can be good, as long as the onions are not ground onions. Think of bread crumb coating on REAL onion slices. These can be good. Then there are the batter dipped real onion slices that are puffy and crunchy, but the determining factor is whether they use ONION ENDS, which are tough and stringy when you take a bite, and can't be bitten through. Lastly, do the rings and onions stay together; or do you find yourself biting into the ring and drawing the onion out and are left with an empty shell of batter. This condition exists when the "onion end" condition exists, but it can happen when the onion temperature and batter temperature are not copasetic. More details, please!

04-15-2010, 08:01 PM	#13
Rattlesnake Guy Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 1,254 Thanks: 423 Thanked 366 Times in 175 Posts	Kevin's Cafe at Weirs. (sit on the bench and enjoy) Pops. (sit in your car, the park across the street, or our favorite is to sit on the boat near the bandstand)

The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Rattlesnake Guy For This Useful Post:
Meredith lady (04-18-2010), pops (04-16-2010)

04-15-2010, 09:05 PM	#14
jniff101 Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Moultonboro Posts: 113 Thanks: 23 Thanked 18 Times in 12 Posts	Skelleys Market!!! I'm a little hesitant to write this because I don't want to have to wait in line for my onion rings and other lovely deliciousness But Skelleys Market has the BEST onions rings by far! Homemade thin and just the right amount of crunch. Get that with one of their seafood plates or my favorite, the Italian sub and finish it off with their ice cream and you'll be hooked! 476-8887 lol I have their number on speed dial

The Following User Says Thank You to Steveo For This Useful Post:
pops (04-16-2010)

04-16-2010, 07:43 AM	#16
SIKSUKR Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 5,075 Thanks: 215 Thanked 903 Times in 509 Posts	Siksukr rings Sorry folks but I have them all beat. I just made a batch last week with my trusty little fryolator. I love those battered suckers! __________________ SIKSUKR

04-16-2010, 07:53 AM	#17
jmen24 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Posts: 1,139 Thanks: 223 Thanked 319 Times in 181 Posts	I think the ring style is going to very from person to person. Personally I like the rings that are very thin with a thin crispy crust, so when you pick them up they start falling apart. The big batter rings are not my thing. Sawyer's gets my vote, but many many more are on the list as this type of ring is almost identical from one place to another, I have to take a ride this weekend.

04-16-2010, 10:45 AM	#18
BroadHopper Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Laconia NH Posts: 5,560 Thanks: 3,178 Thanked 1,097 Times in 790 Posts	Best rings I have had in my life came from 'White's Double Decker Drive In' on Rte 3 between Belmont and Winnisquam. Nobody makes them like that. Onion rings with thick onions that are slightly crisp, that has a thin batter with a hint of corn meal. Yum! __________________ Someday may never be an actual day.

The Following User Says Thank You to BroadHopper For This Useful Post:
Island Girl (04-16-2010)

04-16-2010, 01:50 PM	#20
Chickie Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Posts: 368 Thanks: 0 Thanked 67 Times in 38 Posts	Gone But Not Forgotten Oh yes, I remember St. Jacques' on Weirs Blvd. I thought they had the best durn onion rings in the world back then. Funny how everything seems to have tasted better when we were young or is just me? Isabelle's Red Shanty on Court Street also did a super job with onion rings and everything else for that matter, as did White's Double Decker. The only one remaining from that era is Sawyer's, which continues to carry on their tradition of good eats. As for ice cream, Sawyer's and Weeks' Dairy on South Main in Laconia were comparable. Not many could polish off a Mt. Washington Special or an Awful Awful at Weeks'.

04-16-2010, 03:33 PM	#21
BroadHopper Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Laconia NH Posts: 5,560 Thanks: 3,178 Thanked 1,097 Times in 790 Posts	Weeks Ice Cream My dad made the ice cream for Weeks in the late '50's, early 60's. I use to stop by after shool with friends to watch my dad make ice cream in back of Weeks Diary on South Main St. in Laconia. The bottling machine was fascinating to watch also. I use to ride with my dad when he delivered the ice cream to stores in the North Country. My favorite route was Waterville Valley when the road was tarred over. __________________ Someday may never be an actual day.

04-18-2010, 03:41 PM	#24
CrawfordCentury Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Somewhere betwixt Gonic and Chocorua Posts: 191 Thanks: 13 Thanked 30 Times in 21 Posts	Martin's in Rochester is pretty good. ...and the NH Dept. of Tourism considers Rochester to be Lakes Region, so that's a legit post. Anyone know where you can get a good plate of rings in Barington? __________________ Plant a garden. Heat with wood. And thank a veteran.

04-21-2010, 12:08 PM	#25
RI Swamp Yankee Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: North Kingstown RI Posts: 688 Thanks: 143 Thanked 83 Times in 55 Posts	Oh what a dilemma, so many places for "bad food" ..... so little vacation time to enjoy it. __________________ Gene ~ aka "another RI Swamp Yankee"

04-21-2010, 03:59 PM	#28
Fishin Fool Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Columbia, CT Posts: 14 Thanks: 0 Thanked 3 Times in 2 Posts	Martin's drive in If Rochester is considered part of the lakes region then Martins drive in at exit 16 needs mentioning. The best onion rings in New England hands down !!

04-21-2010, 07:12 PM	#30
Pineedles Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Moultonborough & CT Posts: 2,541 Thanks: 1,071 Thanked 667 Times in 366 Posts	Lone Oak And they even use romaine lettuce, which is a step above iceberg.

The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Pineedles For This Useful Post:
Argie's Wife (04-23-2010), BroadHopper (04-23-2010)

04-21-2010, 07:29 PM	#31
twoplustwo Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Moultonborough Posts: 456 Thanks: 51 Thanked 39 Times in 21 Posts	Red Hill and The Restaurant 03894 If I'm in M'Boro, Red Hill Dari wins. If I'm in Wolfeoro, it's The Restaurant 03894, but their patio isn't open quite yet.

04-23-2010, 05:56 PM	#32
mcdude Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Rock Haven Lake - West Newfield, ME Posts: 5,366 Thanks: 374 Thanked 1,053 Times in 493 Posts	Lobster Roll at Pop's.....yum Both Pop's Clamshell and the DOCKSIDE have signs out front....OPENING MAY 1! __________________

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RI Swamp Yankee (04-23-2010)

04-23-2010, 07:16 PM	#33
RI Swamp Yankee Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: North Kingstown RI Posts: 688 Thanks: 143 Thanked 83 Times in 55 Posts	mcdude's picture is much more inviting than this one. . Attached Images __________________ Gene ~ aka "another RI Swamp Yankee"

04-23-2010, 08:43 PM	#34
mg2107 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 169 Thanks: 0 Thanked 4 Times in 4 Posts	Lone Oaks ice cream is the BOMB !