breakfast near Nashua?

[tunamelt]

I love going out for breakfast on weekends, but after five years in Nashua I find the area's breakfast offerings a bit disappointing.

I used to like City Room a lot, but their service has gone way downhill in recent years. Jackie's Diner is OK in a pinch, but nothing special. Dream Diner in Tyngsboro is good, but if you get there after 8:30ish the wait is insane. The same goes for Parker's Maple Barn in Mason and Scotch Pine Farm in Pepperell, both of which I love but both of which are a hike.

In a city of 90,000 people, there must be more viable breakfast options than these few. Any suggestions??

[whs]

Haven't been there in a while, but the MIdfield Cafe at Boire Field offers a great view of the planes and a nice omelet.

[Silvar Beitel]

I've been to Hollis Country Kitchen twice in the past six months and liked it. It's at the stoplight in Hollis (junction 130 and 122). Interesting and good quality stuff for breakfast.

In Nashua, don't forget good old Poor Pierre's and the Pine Street Eatery.

And in Tyngsborough, the Dream Diner (on DW south of the mall).

[kmhayes]

I think I can help but as a gauge I think Jackie's is pretty good. I agree that Scotch Pine Farm is great but I haven't been for awhile so I'm glad to hear that it is still open.

Have you tried Mia's Place, 203 Central St in Hudson? That's my current favorite - Great bennie's, creative specials, homemade jam, and they'll make just about anything you'll want.

Sunset Restaurant, 9 Simon St in Nashua recently started serving breakfast. I've only been once and it was excellent, especially the homefries, and the other day I walked into a conversation at the barber shop about Sunset being a great new breakfast place.

Bud's Restaurant, 295 Lake St, Nashua: This is my baseline; my comfort food; what I measure all other breakfast places against. It's nothing special but they've been here forever and the food is consistent and good. You will get a solid basic breakfast there.

Now for a treat, drive up to Chez Vachon in Manchester - There's nothing like that around here.

[tunamelt]

Thanks for the suggestions ... none of these places were on my radar. Woo-hoo!

[Harp00n]

Hi tunamelt,
Can you tell me a bit more about Scotch Pine Farm in Pepperell?
It get very sporadic, but positive, mention on this board but never with any kind of detail.

TIA,
Harp

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Scotch Pine Farm
34 Shirley St, Pepperell, MA

[tunamelt]

Sure! To start, you can find a menu at http://www.chef-on-wheels.com/images/...

As you can see, they have very limited hours: lunch Wed.-Fri. and breakfast Sat. and Sun. Another thing to be aware of is that they are usually closed between Memorial Day and Labor Day. I believe their bread-and-butter is their catering business, and they presumably focus on that during the summer months.

It's definitely well off the beaten path ... if you enter from Shirley St. (the Elm St. entrance is preferable) you may wonder where the heck you're going, as you drive up a very rough and narrow gravel lane through the woods. Once you get to the parking area, you'll find yourself amid fenced pastures including one that is home to a giant Scottish longhorn cow.

The main building is a combination restaurant and Scottish shop selling woolens, knickknacks, etc. In my experience weekend morning waits of 20 to 30 minutes or more are not uncommon ... so get there early!

SPF's specialty is substantial country breakfasts. The entrees are filling and well-priced ... see examples on the menu I referenced above. Some of the distinctive sides -- fried apples, sausage balls the size of large meatballs, and lemon curd -- are well worth trying.

The place is homey and comfortable, if small, with rough-hewn wooden walls adorned with farming implements, vintage signs, and stenciling. Most of the waitstaff appear to be local teenagers, who are generally on-the-ball.

Hope this helps! I would start a separate thread if, as you say, concrete info on the place is hard to come by ... but it tends to be overrun already.

TM

[Harp00n]

tunamelt.
Wow, I'm just over-whelmed by your quick, yet thorough, response!
We have good friends living in Ayer and they usually join us at Nancy Airfield Cafe in Stow for weekend breakfast get-togethers. SPF being closer for them, we're in Wayland, makes for a great alternative. You had me at; 'It's definitely well off the beaten path" and "as you drive up a very rough and narrow country lane" That's why God made our three 4x4 vehicles! Your cinematic description seals the deal as we will definitely be heading there next time. You can be my pathfinder any old time, tunamelt.

All the best,
Harp

BTW, as far as "but it tends to be overrun already" goes we'll just keep this between us, okay? :-0)

[tunamelt]

Glad to help! I agree that Nancy's Airfield Cafe in Stow is a find ... it deserves to be a lot better-known. And unlike SPF, it seems they could probably accommodate the added business. Stow's a bit out of the way for us, so ... we usually only end up there in the company of friends who have an airplane-loving two-year-old.

TM

[Harp00n]

It is a great place to take kids of a certain age. I haven't observed any ankle-biters, or older, who haven't been fascinated by the planes.

Harp

[FriedClamFanatic]

If you swing over to Milford, there a cple of good pla es on the oval, including the new Arrow Diner.

I used to love Parker's but it is always a wait