Offbeat Eats

Every once in a while something happens that causes me to revisit a place, be it finding out that I missed (such as finding out that I had missed the best dish at the now-closed The Pines Cafe in Palmdale, CA, or finding out that a place has a new menu. This is actually my third writeup of Gusanoz (my second introduced you to their burger business, Revolutionary Burger), but a few weeks ago they made another menu change that I thought was worthy of checking out: they added breakfast.

(Closed) Revolutionary Burger is a bit of an interesting experimental concept, in that they don’t have a storefront, and aren’t their own restaurant, they are basically a sub-restaurant of the local Lebanon restaurant, Gusanoz. Apparently, one of their employees recently went on a trip to Southern California, and really enjoyed a trip to iconic In-N-Out Burger, and decided to try making a similar burger here. So they invented the Rev Burger, which is their rendition of the basic In-N-Out-style California burger: 100% real beef, never frozen, char-broiled over open flame, a toasted bun, lettuce, tomato, onion and, of course, the “special sauce”. You can order it with american cheese as well, making a “Che Burger” (Anyone else chuckling at the irony of having the Che Burger made with American cheese?). You can even order them In-N-Out style, for example, ordering a “2×2” which is two patties and two slices of cheese. They also offer fresh-made fries, shakes, and beverages (basically, a similar small menu to the In-N-Out they are copying).

You know the place. Every area has one. That restaurant that most everyone knows exists, but, for some reason, never thinks of actually going there to eat. In my case, that place is the Baited Hook restaurant in Lebanon, NH, on the west shore of Mascoma Lake (yes, folks, that is Lebanon, go look on a map…). It’s a small restaurant with both indoor and outdoor seating, and an ice cream window for the nicer months. I’ve seen this place ever time I’ve driven down Rt 4A since moving here, but for some reason I never thought of stopping in.

For this week’s takeout lunch, I hit the Little Store in Lebanon, NH. This is one of those odd little convenience stores that are around the Upper Valley that we all drive by on a regular basis. Indeed, when I first mentioned the Little Store to most people, I got back a “where?” in response. But inside, it has a lot packed into a little space. In addition to the typical convenience store amenities (drinks, chips, some wrapped sandwiches under warming lights, and the ubiquitous McKenzie hot dog warmer), it also has a full meat and deli counter (mostly McKenzie products). And, most importantly, every day they have hot lunch specials, hand-written on a piece of paper taped to the front of the deli case.

Sometimes, the breakfast gods just aren’t smiling at me. Saturday, Carol and I decided that we needed another breakfast, and so we decided to hit The Fort in Lebanon. I rather like the Fort in a number of ways. It’s neat, there’s almost never a wait, and the food is definitely trucker-approved (most of the clientele is truckers when I’m there). This time, I ordered a breakfast skillet with sausage special (eggs cooked in a skillet with sausage, home fries, onions, peppers, and cheese), and Carol ordered the papas y huevos burrito.

Okay, I admit, I’m close to running out of breakfast places to review, so I decided to start reviewing some lunch spots on days when I haven’t brought a lunch from home. However, I’m trying to focus on the more unique places, the out-of-the way spots, the locally-owned businesses, the hidden gems, and the good deals. And, most importantly, the places that are close enough to my office and fast enough that I can grab lunch, bring it back to my office in Etna, and eat it at a reasonable pace all within about 45 minutes or so. Today, it was Jake’s Market and Deli on Mechanic Street (a.k.a. the Mobil Station). What brings me to this particular gas station on a Tuesday at lunchtime? Chicken.