One of the things we’ve committed to here at Offbeat Eats is to take several of those places we’re always driving by, saying to ourselves “I should check out that place sometime”, and actually stopping to check it out. In this case, we regularly drive through Hopkinton, NH when taking the “back way” to Bedford, Manchester, or a lot of Northeast Massachusetts; it’s a nicer drive than the interstate, it’s more fuel efficient, it passes right by Flight Coffee in Bedford, and it saves the toll. The back way takes us right through downtown Hopkinton, NH, and just east of downtown, on the shore of Kimball Pond, is the Lakehouse Tavern. We finally decided to stop in for dinner after a day of errands in Manchester.
Despite the relatively compact-looking building, stepping into Lakehouse Tavern, you’ll immediately see that Lakehouse Tavern is actually quite large, with three seating areas open in the summer: the downstairs tavern (shown), the upstairs dining room, and the outdoor deck. It’s a nice, inviting spot. We actually looked at all three dining options, but the deck was full, so we opted for the cozier tavern instead of the more formal upstairs dining room (which actually had linen tablecloths and folded cloth napkins). It’s a nice space, with wood beams, a central bar, and the sort of random bric-a-brac you normally find in a Tavern. Indeed, the lower level is about as close to the stereotypical “New England Tavern” that it’s actually pretty pleasant. For an added bonus, they had the typical chalkboard of beers on tap, and all but one of them was from a central NH brewery, so it’s nice seeing them keep it local.
Menu-wise, most of the Lakehouse Tavern’s menu is straightforward pub fare, with a few more elaborate entrees available in the afternoon (like prime rib or pasta dishes), but it is also apparent that someone in the kitchen likes Korean food, since there’s a bit of Korean influence throughout the menu, including tteokbokki (simmered rice cakes), and more that a few items with gochu peppers. One of these actually drew my eye, the gochu-fried cauliflower. It’s gotten to the point where a good percentage of the “tavern” and “brewpub” places around all serve up “Buffalo cauliflower”, to the point it has almost become cliché (don’t get me wrong, I actually like the dish, but it’s definitely had its run). The gochu-fried cauliflower is a welcome variant on that theme: nicely fried and crisped cauliflower, tossed in a gochu pepper sauce that really focuses on the earthy and smoky flavor of gochu pepper. Served with Bleu Cheese dressing, this was an enjoyable appetizer.
For my main course, I decided to just go for it and get the prime rib. Opting for the medium (14 oz) cut, it came served up in a relatively sparse manner, focusing on the meat itself. Usually a prime rib is served up with a cup of “jus” (which sometimes is the roasting juice, sometimes just some beef broth, and often overly salty since it is exposed to the salt-laden rub on the prime rib); here, they simply served it up splashed with some jus, served up with a token amount of of shredded Brussels sprouts, a baked potato, and a surprisingly good horseradish sauce (I prefer grated, but this actually had a good punch to it). The prime rib was perfectly cooked and tender with a good rub on it, and the presentation actually let me focus on the meat itself and not all the accompaniments. You know, sometimes you just want a good slab of meat, and this delivered, in spades. Overall, this was one of the better prime ribs I’ve had in the area, and at $34, one of the better-priced options.
Meanwhile, Carol opted for another of the entrees, the Chicken Piccata. This was a decent rendition, with sautéed chicken (nice and tender, although in a pPiccata I like it to have a bit more of a crisp), served up in a nice white wine and lemon butter sauce that had plenty of capers (the key to a good piccata), spinach, and mushrooms. Served over some nice spiral cavatappi, this was a good, flavorful dish.
Overall, I’m really glad we finally stopped into Lakehouse Tavern. It’s a pleasant spot, obviously popular with the locals, and has a lot of great options for dining, especially when the weather is nice. They’ve got a nice, broad menu as well, and a few simpler dishes I’d like to try on another visit (based upon my prime rib, I expect their French dip is quite good as well). Will definitely work on including stops here as we pass through.
