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Serving: 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m., seven days a week. Cuisine: American Prices: Entrees $8.95-$24.95 Scoring: Our Gourmet and The Dining Companion each grade a restaurant in six 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. |
The Dining Companion: There is nothing better than going for a nice drive on a fall day and that’s what OG and I decided to do one recent weekend. Henniker, being a college town, has a few small eateries. When we drove through town and saw this place along the Contoocook River, it looked like the perfect place to land and have a bite to eat.
Ambiance: 10/10
OG: Without a doubt, the best feature of Daniel’s dining room is the row of tables lined up by the window with a wonderful view of the river. Even though it was mid-afternoon, the restaurant was pretty busy, but we were lucky to snag one of the riverview tables and we were able to sit happily in the midday sun while we had our meal. 5
TDC: As you walk into the building you need to walk downstairs into an area that looked like a dining area off the lounge to that row of tables overlooking the river. It was a great place for a relaxing, lazy, daydreaming type of lunch. 5
Appetizer: 18/20
OG: The stuffed mushroom caps ($8.95) were just that – stuffed. But, not with the gloppy breading that you get in some places. These had a light panko-style stuffing and I paid the extra $2 to get the crabmeat as well. It was worth it. They didn’t skimp on the crabmeat and the mushrooms were cooked just right. Delicious, but filling. 9
TDC: I decided to have the daily special of the stuffed quahogs ($7.99) which were delightful. Unlike some clams and quahogs I have had in the past where it’s all breading with a hint of clam, these were filled with nice pieces of the quahog with the right mix of well seasoned stuffing. It’s on my “would order again” list. 9
Entrées: 14/20
OG: I was craving something a little different, so I had the scallops Ribera ($18.95), which consisted of butternut squash ravioli topped with sea scallops that are sautéed with caramelized onions in a brown butter sage sauce. The ravioli were flavorful and slightly al dente; the scallops sweet and cooked just right. My only complaint was that there was an awful lot of brown butter sage sauce, leaving a puddle of oily liquid at the bottom of the plate. 8
TDC: I figured I’d try one of their signature dishes, the Contoocook chicken ($16.95), which is a breast of chicken baked with an apple, walnut and sausage stuffing, glazed with a maple cider reduction. Let me start with the positives. The stuffing was moist and flavorful and would serve that as a side any day of the week. The maple cider reduction was very flavorful. As for the chicken, it was dried out to the point that I had a problem even cutting into it. That spoiled what could have been a fantastic dish. 6
Dessert: 15/20
OG: The chocolate brownie cheesecake pie ($5.95) was a no-brainer. It was creamy and sweet with chunks of chocolate brownie mixed in. The chocolate cookie crust offset the flavor of the cheesecake perfectly. 9
TDC: I decided to try an apple crisp a la mode ($6.95) thinking OK, at least I’ll go out on a high note, and unfortunately it was sour one. I believe that they were trying to go with the natural flavors of the apples, but the apples were overly bitter in taste. That did not satisfy my need to taste the dessert that my Grandma used to make and left a pleasant impression on me from my childhood. Hopefully I won’t be scarred for life. 6
Service: 9/10
OG: Our waitress was quite busy, but she was personable and efficient. Everything came out as ordered and at a good pace. Plus, she happily accommodated our request for a window seat. 4.5
TDC: Our waitress was attentive, and we received our orders in a timely fashion. She checked in with us a couple times as she was flying by. And there was that window seat… 4.5
Value: 16/20
OG: I rate Daniel’s high in value. My meal wasn’t cheap, but it came with a soup and was an adequate portion. You can eat for much less, however: The menu has everything from sandwiches and burgers to filet mignon. There’s sure to be something for everyone in all price ranges, and, judging by our meal, it will all be pretty good. 8
TDC: I also rate Daniel’s high on value. The menu had all types of options from the veggie burrito to the balsamic pork tenderloin. It had an extensive sandwich and burger selection that wouldn’t kill the pocketbook. If you want to go for that nice drive or take a starving student to lunch, you could do a lot worse than Daniel’s. 8
Total score: 82/100
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