 Lunch at RICHARD'S BISTRO 36 Lowell St., Manchester 644-1180; richardsbistro.com Serving: Lunch, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Monday-Friday. Cuisine: American & French eclectic Entrees: $5 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. |
This week we found what has to be the best-quality budget lunch in Manchester — at Richard’s Bistro. Richard’s is now offering $5 lunches, $10 Sunday brunch and $20 dinners as part of its “Recession-proof Menu.” This offers a fantastic opportunity to have some great food at a great price.
Ambiance: 9/10
OG: When you’re going budget, you take what you can get for ambiance. However, the recession-proof lunch at Richard’s means you get to dine in comfort in Richard’s simple but classic dining room done in soothing earth tones. 4.5
The Dining Companion: Richard’s is a very comfortable place that is small, but has ample seating. No issues here. 4.5
Appetizer: 20/20
OG: This is a budget lunch, so you skip the appetizer, but at Richard’s that doesn’t mean you go away hungry. As we waited for our food, we were served a good-sized basket of piping hot, home-made breads — foccacia, blueberry muffin, French roll, etc. They were delicious and filling — in fact, I may have overindulged a bit, but since I had ordered a salad, I figured I could indulge in an extra roll — or two. Cost: Free. Enjoyment: Priceless. 10
TDC: When we first went to Richard’s for lunch, we planned to do a group of lunch spots in one column. We were not looking to do all the courses of a meal that we normally do, but after starting our meal here, we realized we needed to do this as a separate review. The bread basket was fantastic with some of the breads still steaming hot. 10
Entrée 19/20
OG: Diners have a choice of a soup, sandwich or salad from a changing menu of $5 items. I ordered the salad, which was made with arugula, beet, onion, strawberry and mozzarella with a ginger lime dressing. The arugula was fresh and crunchy, the strawberries were fresh and red and the mozzarella was fresh and tasty. Do you see a pattern here? In addition, the yellow beets added not only extra color, but a wonderful flavor that is a bit lighter than the traditional red beet. And the dressing was sweet and flavorful. 9.5
TDC: I decided to have their mini entrée of meatloaf with smashed potatoes for $5, and was glad I did. The meatloaf was moist with a nice sauce piled on top of a bed of smashed potatoes, (which is the way I like my potatoes) with a small side of tender broccolini. This meal was just the right size for a lunch portion. 9.5
Dessert 18.5/20
OG: When does dessert fit into a budget lunch? When it’s a mini portion at a cost of $3 — and most of Richard’s desserts are available that way. My chocolate walnut pie came out hot and gooey and topped with home-made vanilla ice cream. It was decadent. 9.5
TDC: Mini portions of deserts for lunch? Sign me up! I ordered the apple pear crisp with a dollop of cinnamon ice cream for $3. It was a typical crisp made with fruit and oatmeal as a base. I found the oatmeal to be a little heavy handed, but the rest of the flavors were there and delicious and you can’t beat the price. A full portion of the same dessert at dinner is $9. 9
Service 10/10
OG: Our server was polite, cheerful and happy to answer all of our questions. The plates were delivered on time and they were beautifully presented. 5
TDC: Our server took good care of us and I had no issues with service or presentation. 5
Value: 20/20
OG: This is a no-brainer. At $8 per person, this has to be the best quality budget lunch around. The servings are sized just right — probably closer to what a healthy diet requires than some of the heaping platefuls of food you get elsewhere — and I left pleasantly sated. For a true budget experience, I suggest sticking to water for your beverage — we ordered sodas and at $3 each they definitely tilted the balance. Save your $3 for dessert. 10
TDC: I agree with OG that this is a no-brainer. Get out and away from that desk and invite someone for lunch at Richard’s. It will not break your bank, and maybe it will give you an idea where to go out for dinner some evening. 10
TOTAL: 96.5/100
If you know of a restaurant that’s offering meal deals the world should know about, tell us. We might just try it and report back in a future column. Send suggestions to gourmet@unionleader.com.
