Village Kitchen

[Jonas Pilot]

... 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.

[Greene's Basin Girl]

Was it Bud's Pub?

[SAMIAM]

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.

[GusMan]

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

[Jonas Pilot]

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.

[VitaBene]

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

[SAMIAM]

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.

[Shreddy]

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!

[Hermit Cover]

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

[SAMIAM]

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.

[ChocolateGypsy]

Originally Posted by SAMIAM

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.

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.

[Lakesrider]

I had a big problem at the VK Sat night. It took more than 4 minutes to get my Prime Rib to the table.......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.....

[SAMIAM]

Originally Posted by Jonas Pilot

... 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.

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.

[Sunset View]

Originally Posted by SAMIAM

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