Offbeat Eats

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.

(Closed) One of the rules I generally observe when selecting places to review here at Offbeat Eats is that I tend to avoid doing writeups on special holiday dinners and events, since those events aren’t necessarily representative of the restaurant in general. While I do make the occasional exception, such as my occasional visits to the Cabane à Sucre, all too often special events (particularly “dining out” holidays like Valentine’s Day or Easter) end up being a below-average experience: the restaurant usually has a higher number of tables, a busied staff, and a menu of unusual specials. But the occasional place will shine under these circumstances, like our trip to Black Krim Tavern in Randolph, Vermont, for an Easter brunch (yes, those looking at a calendar will realize that despite my best efforts, I’m again 4 months behind in reviews…)