Dinner in Concord New Hampshire

The best laid plans of mice and men do often go astray!  It was a Monday night and we were winding down our sixth day on the road.  Time for dinner and, thanks to a bit of research, I knew exactly where we were going to eat!

This is Angelina’s Ristorante Italiano at 11 Depot Street in downtown Concord New Hampshire.  I’d checked to make sure that they were open on Mondays…but since it was a Monday I never considered making reservations.  Bad move on my part!  This small intimate restaurant was booked until 9:30 or 10:00 PM.  Bummer! 

Angelina’s entrance is at the side (bottom right) of the building… It smelled so good!  I was really looking forward to their Gulf Shrimp Diavlo… If you’re in the Concord area, and you’re craving Italian cuisine, make sure that you make a reservation ahead of time!  Check out Angelina’s menu at http://www.angelinasrestaurant.com/newpage7.htm.

FYI, Concord New Hampshire is the 10^th smallest US State Capital City with a population of about 43,500.  The city was founded in the late 1720s…

                                 

Back to my list of possible dining spots in Concord… We opted to find and dine at the Red Blazer Restaurant and Pub.

 

Per the history provided on their website, this property has been home for various dining options over the years.  They ranged from a ‘clam bar’, a bakery, bar, and on to an earlier restaurant.  From 1982 through 1995, one of the previous restaurants on the site was named the Red Blazer.  The current owners reintroduced The Red Blazer name when they opened for business in March of 2000. 

In recent years, The Red Blazer has doubled in size.  Not only is it a restaurant, it’s also a Pub, Bakery and Butcher Shop!  All meat and seafood is brought in fresh and processed in house and The Red Blazer does its own baking as well, so the inclusion of a butcher shop and bakery makes sense…

This is indeed a very large facility.  These photos show 2 different views of the main dining room.  In addition, there are 2 – 3 Private rooms for large parties and gatherings.

The main dining room was built in 1972.  It features that 2-story stone fire place and a vaulted ceiling that’s visually striking due to its hand hewn beams and stone work.  Given that it was a Monday and the restaurant wasn’t that busy, the room actually seemed somewhat cavernous…

The ‘Peanut Pub’ occupies one corner of this large building.  One of its claims to fame rests on the number of beers on draft.  There are 35 available options…

After a day of travel and our visit to the President Franklin Pierce Homestead…plus not being able to get into our first choice for dinner, we needed an adult beverage.  I had a Switchback Amber Ale ($6.50) and Laurie had a ‘Blazer Cosmo’. ($9.00) Laurie enjoyed her Cosmo and I really liked my ale. 

FYI, the Switchback Brewing Company, (founded in 2002), is located in Burlington Vermont.  Check them out at https://switchbackvt.com.

We both had a better than average salad that came with our entrees...

Laurie’s entrée was this big bowl of pasta… Her Sautéed Chicken ($18.99) was served with a blend of artichoke hearts, oven roasted tomatoes, spinach and mushrooms in a garlic butter sauce.  Her meal also came with two piece of garlic bread.  It was a large serving and I ate the remaining pieces of chicken that she couldn’t finish.  Laurie thought that her entrée was pretty good and very satisfying…

I ordered the Fresh Broiled Haddock. ($20.99) It was simply prepared with seasoned breadcrumbs and lemon herb butter.  For my accompaniments, I ordered a baked potato ($1.00 extra) and I went with the vegetable of the day, the grilled squash.  I enjoyed my meal, especially the grilled squash.  Off course, the baked potato didn’t measure up to the ones that Laurie makes at home…

There’s no doubt that The Red Blazer Restaurant is an above average dining option.  Service was fine and the place was spotless.  While we were disappointed that our first choice didn’t work out for us, we still scored a good meal.

The Red Blazer Restaurant and Pub is located at 72 Manchester Street in Concord New Hampshire.  Phone: 603-224-4101.  This restaurant’s website is found at: www.Theredblazer.com. 

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave