Lavinia's

[blacksheep]

Orion, when you ate at Lavinia's a year ago there was a different chef. The restaurant was sold early this past winter, however the name was not changed. The Coe House was in operation for many years, then underwent a 'rebrand' about 3 1/2 years ago. A very experienced chef (25+ years experience, classic culinary education) was hired and the menu and vibe was revamped. After two very successful years the restaurant was sold (early winter of this past year) to the current owner and his son. Despite the confusion on this page, Lavinia's is NOT owned (nor has it ever been owned) by the owner of Canoe. There was a bartender at Lavinia's, Scott, who is wonderful. Not to be confused with the owner of Canoe. (Btw, you can find Scott behind the bar at Lago in Meredith if you're looking for a fantastic cocktail and good stories.) The new owner's son, Brandon McGuff, is young culinary graduate with lots of enthusiasm, but not a ton of experience. He and his dad have spent their first season trying to find their paces and there may have been a few bumps in the road, but don't write them off just yet. A new restaurant deserves a full year to see if they can stand the test. They've still got a few months left to prove they've got the stuff.

[Orion]

Blacksheep, I haven't written them off. In fact, I've been back a couple of times since the bad experience and was very satisfied with the whole experience each time. I was just making the point that even a great restaurant can get stressed beyond their capacity limits in high-season. ....and that's why I rarely eat out on weekends in the summer up here.