 CANOE 232 Whittier Highway (Route 25), Center Harbor 253-4762; magicfoodsrestaurantgroup.com/canoe/ www.magicfoodsrestaurantgroup.com/canoe Serving: Lunch, Daily, 11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.; Dinner, Sunday through Thursday, 5-9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 5-9:30 p.m. Cuisine: American Entrees: Lunch $5-12; dinner $8-26 Scoring: Our Gourmet and The Dining Companion each grade a restaurant in five categories, for a combined total score of up to 100 points. Visit the Dining section of NewHampshire.com to read previous Our Gourmet reviews listed by town. |
Appetizer: 18.5/20
OG: Since TDC ordered what I would’ve (the Canoe chips, which by the way, were on their own worth the trip), I ordered the bruschetta ($7), expecting the standard fare. But I was surprised by the build-your-own approach Canoe takes: There were slices of Italian bread, oiled up and topped with cheese then grilled; a stack of prosciutto and a pile of fresh marinated tomatoes. Put together they made a nicely light and wonderfully savory dish. The tomatoes were lovely and the prosciutto, salty and flavorful as I like it. 9.
The Dining Companion: I was looking through Canoe’s great list of appetizers and saw Canoe Chips ($6), which were homemade potato chips with a blue cheese sauce drizzled over them and served like a high-end nachos. They were fantastic. The chips were nicely cooked and were not drenched in the sauce, allowing them to keep their crispiness. We usually never take home appetizers, but these were doggy bagged. 9.5
Entrée: 18/20
OG: The seared ahi tuna ($9) was perfectly done, fresh and sliced to just the right thickness. It was served over a wasabi sauce that was heavenly. The tuna was accompanied by a cucumber “spaghetti” that was slightly piquant, and a light tempura broccoli that was a bit sweet and very tasty. I have seared ahi quite often and I can tell you quality varies widely. This one was among the best-prepared. 9
TDC: I went with the lobster mac and cheese ($12), which was a thick three-cheese mac and cheese made with Parmesan, cheddar and Asiago with nice chunks of lobster throughout. Very tasty and filling. 9
Dessert: 15.5/20
OG: My chocolate pecan pie ($6) was sweet and gooey, but would have benefited from heating (I must remember to specify next time) and ice cream. Still it was a sweet and good end to the meal. 8
TDC: I overheard a waitress at another table offer a couple of special cheesecakes as dessert options, so when our waiter came to offer dessert to us, I asked about the cheesecakes. He said all they had was plain cheesecake. When asked, he also said the desserts are not made on site. Disappointed, I ordered the carrot cake ($6) instead – it was just OK. Later, we asked another waitress who was passing by about the desserts and found that there is a baker that makes the desserts on site and there were other options that day. 7.5.
The rest: 16/20
OG: The service on the day we went could be called indifferent at best. I don’t know if the waiter was overworked or he was having a tough day, but we felt as if he didn’t really want to be there — so I can’t give high marks there. Fortunately, the atmosphere is comfortable and the food was excellent. It was a very relaxing stop on our route and I look forward to coming back and sampling what looks like a delectable dinner menu. 8.5
TDC: I liked Canoe, but I have to say that the service wasn’t the best. As I’ve said in the past, great service will make a meal and bad service can hurt it. If the service was better it would have brought up the marks of this category. 7.5
Value: 17.5/20
OG: A $45 lunch with appetizers, entrees, dessert and a drink apiece? That’s pretty good – especially for the quality of the food. I thought Canoe was a great value for lunch. 9
TDC: I really liked ambiance of Canoe and the food. Is it the cheapest place? No. But is it a great place on the lake and I would suggest that you try it. Ask to be seated down stairs overlooking the lake. 8.5
TOTAL: 85.5/100
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