You don't have to be a big place to have a huge reputation. About 8:30 on a bright Saturday morning, we took the last parking place at Polly’s. We gave our name to the host, who said it would be 15 to 20 minutes, a short wait by their standards. We helped ourselves to coffee and went back outside.
You couldn’t invent a prettier view. The sweep of the Presidentials in front of you, plus Cannon and the three “cannon balls.” There is a thoughtfully provided map on a stake so you can identify them all. Unlike most modern glitzy places, the only other source of amusement is for the small fry, a cheerful wooden horse, bright red, called Trot-Trot. We watched various toddlers take turns being enchanted and enchanting. Who needs anything more?
Soon we were summoned. Everyone shares tables for four, or sits at the long communal table that runs down the middle of the room. We were seated by a young boy, with a couple from Rhode Island who were touring on their motorcycles. The small tables are as close together as possible, so once you are in, you stay there. Gay red plastic maple leaf place mats and bright red and yellow menus obscured the table top, and we were silent as we studied the fare.
Pancakes, of course, take center stage. There are five different batters; plain, buckwheat, whole wheat, cornmeal and oatmeal-buttermilk, plus a gluten-free version for those with an intolerance to wheat. Any of them can be made with add-ins such as blueberries, walnuts, coconut or chocolate chips. Waffles come in the same flavors, but no blueberry or chocolate chips, because they would gum up the waffle iron.
One order of the pancake sampler yields two each of any three styles for $6.90. (two wholewheat walnut, two plain blueberry and two oatmeal-buttermilk coconut). Add a choice of sausage, bacon or ham, and it rises to $10.65, plus a bottomless cup of coffee for $1.50.
This was the choice of the lady biker. Her husband got more serious. He started with a lovely dish of bananas and fresh berries ($4.25). Add a bowl of cold cereal and a glass of milk, and only then did he start in on his waffle with Maple Hurricane sauce – thin sliced apples cooked in butter and maple syrup! He managed to put it all away, but she quit after her first three pancakes, so we got to sample them.
All the pancakes are approximately 3 inches in diameter, and they are served in courses of three at a time so they don’t have time to get cold. Three inches doesn’t sound like much, but three of them were certainly plenty for most people. Fortunately, there is a provision for that in the separate seniors’ and children’s section ($2.80).
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There is a condiment tray on each table with pure maple syrup, Polly’s pure maple spread and granulated maple sugar, so anyone who has never had the real thing can have a fine introduction to what our sugar maples can produce! Of course, these are all available in the gift shop, where you pay the cashier for your meal.
I had eggs. The scrambled eggs were a little watery, the potatoes just ho-hum, not crisp home fries, but the sausage patties were great, and the smoked bacon (from the North Country Smokehouse in Claremont) was exceptionally good, deep flavored smoke and cooked crisp. All the while our server had been refilling the coffee mugs whenever they got down to half.
If you are at Polly’s at lunch time, and not in the mood for pancakes, there is a fine selection of sandwiches and salad plates, homemade baked beans and quiche. There is a great choice of grilled cheese sandwiches (plain, with ham, with bacon, with tuna, etc.) and they make a Croque monsieur or madame for only $6.50. The baked bean dinner includes a large slice of ham, lettuce and tomato and your choice of homemade bread or a muffin for $7.75.
Homemade desserts feature local products: Bishops ice cream, Harman’s cheddar cheese and homemade pies. I had visions of coming back in the fall for a slice of great apple pie with an ounce of sharp cheddar. Now that’s New England!
This hugely successful family business has been in operation for 66 years. Photographs of Polly and her husband, “Sugar Bill” Dexter, are hung over the grill station where your server makes your pancakes, and there are still family members to serve you today.
Don’t go to Polly’s if you are in a hurry — they don’t take reservations on the weekend or on holidays. However, as so many people have discovered, if it’s pancakes (or waffles) and maple products you want, you’ll not find better anywhere.
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