 THE LAZY LION CAFE 4 North Road, Deerfield 463-7374; lazylioncafe.com Serving: Mon.-Fri. 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m., Saturday 7 a.m.-9 p.m., Sunday 7 a.m.-2 p.m. Cuisine: American Dinner entrees: $10.95-$22.95 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: 15/20
OG: The Beef Bites ($6.95) were just unusual enough that I had to try them: cucumbers topped with roast beef and horseradish mayonnaise isn’t something you find every day, but it was a nice change of pace. I would have preferred the roast beef a little bit more rare, but the blend of cucumber, beef and mayonnaise was interesting. Different, but tasty. 7
The Dining Companion: I had the pan-seared Cajun scallops appetizer ($8.95), which consisted of eight large scallops dusted with a Cajun spice. The scallops were perfectly cooked, but some were a bit overly spicy. This app could have been a meal in itself with a nice side salad. 8
Entrée: 16/20
OG: I don’t order steak tips a lot, but I guess I was having a beefy night, so I got the Lazy Lion’s marinated steak tips ($14.95). I ordered them medium-rare, and they were a bit overdone, but the steak pieces were small enough that it would be hard to get them much more rare. Still, the marinade was savory and the beef tender. There was a side of chunky garlic potatoes and a serving of asparagus that was cooked to perfection. 8
TDC: I was perusing the menu and came across Mama’s meatloaf ($10.95). If Mama made it, well it must be good right? Well it wasn’t bad. There were two large slices of slightly dry meatloaf topped with a tasty brown gravy with some nice fresh asparagus (the veggie of the day). I also ordered the garlic mashed potatoes which were a chunky red potatoes with not too much garlic. If anything I would have liked the potatoes kicked up with a bit more garlic. 8
Dessert: 17/20
OG: Desserts aren’t made on premises, but they have a nice selection that can be viewed in the cold case. I chose a rich chocolate layer cake with a sort of white chocolate fondant under a dark chocolate frosting ($4.95). It was moist, rich and delicious. 8.5
TDC: I had one of the desserts I see at a lot at places these days, the molten chocolate cake ($4.95). Even Domino’s is offering a version of it now. This one was definitely freshly made and was delicious. 8.5
All the rest: 20/20
OG: The Lazy Lion Café has a varied menu, good food, a small wine list and some really good specialty cocktails. The atmosphere is casual and very comfortable. The service is outstanding. What more can you ask for? 10
TDC: I liked the Lazy Lion Café. It is a comfortable place, seating about 25 inside at tables, six at the bar, and four outside on the porch. On the evening we were there, they had a acoustic guitarist and by 7 p.m., not an empty seat in the house. Both of us wished there was a place like this in our town just to go to, sit back and relax. We will definitely take the drive and come back. 10
Value: 17/20
OG: Our bill came to just about $90 before tax — that was for three people and two of us had appetizers and dessert. For a filling, satisfying and enjoyable meal, I’d say that’s a very, very good value. 8.5
TDC: I agree that we were satisfied with our meals. I didn’t leave wanting for more and the check was reasonable for a nice night like this. 8.5
TOTAL: 85/100
Got a favorite restaurant you’d like the Gourmet and Dining Companion to review? Send your suggestions to gourmet@unionleader.com.
