It's the not the only Sunday brunch around, but in the “only Henniker on earth,” the Country Spirit adds to the town's unique style in a manner all its own — and leads the way in comfort, style, fun and fine dining.

Ambiance 20/20

Our Gourmet: We thoroughly enjoyed a leisurely Sunday brunch at the Country Spirit, stretching our mid-day meal to nearly 90 minutes among townfolk, out-of-town guests and Sunday regulars at one of central New Hampshire's finer pubs. New owners Rick Hall and Jason Metnick, friends since grade school who worked at the restaurant as boys, have cemented the Spirit's ambiance, crafted 27 years ago by original owners and founders Arthur and Sally Kendrick. It's warm and tremendously inviting from the front door onward, with a country décor that is pure New Hampshire. There are churchpew booths and a couple dozen tables in four main rooms, including a cozy pub and stylish foyer, with rural accoutrements floor to ceiling. 10/10

The Dining Companion: The pub at The Spirit is as comfortable as can be, and one glance at the ceiling begs the question, “What's with the dollar bills?” “That will cost you a dollar,” said the bartender, with a chuckle.

Indeed, thousands of dollars have followed that answer since The Spirit's philanthropic tradition of decoration began in 1984. For a dollar, the bartender will show you the trick of making a dollar stick on the ceiling. And at the end of the year, they count the dollars and contribute the total to charity. This day, he tried to decline our donation, but we insisted and stuck it aloft on the second try. It's fun, and it's meaningful, bringing a spirit of giving in addition to gourmet food. 10/10

Menu 18/20

OG: Often, Sunday brunch is a buffet loaded with the American smorgasbord of French toast, bacon, eggs, sausage, omelets, fruit, dessert, coffee, juice, toast, etc. The Spirit eschews all that for a detailed menu filled with eggs Benedict, omelets and brunch favorites that takes the walk out of the experience and adds no activity to spoil the relaxed mood.

Various types of seafood, vegetables and breakfast meat, plus roast lamb, Irish favorites and corned beef hash grace almost all of the nearly 20 gourmet entrees available for brunch. It's breakfast with substance and a fine chef's touch. 9/10

TDC: Omelets ($8.95 to $12.95) come with enticing combinations of spinach and feta cheese, shrimp and cheddar cheese, ham plus onions, peppers and cheddar, and kielbasa with onions and melted cheddar, are served with toast or an English muffin, plus well-crafted and well-cooked smoked potato home fries with onions. Likewise eggs Benedict ($9.95 to $14.75), which is available with smoked salmon, smoked trout, lobster meat, or a traditional ham Benedict dish — or as an Irish Benedict with a slice of corned beef. Favorites also include Vanilla Cinnamon French Toast or Corned Beef Hash and Eggs (both $9.95), or Roast American Lamb with herb pan gravy ($15.95). Gourmet choices for a quality breakfast. 9/10

Entrees 19/20

OG: For New Englanders among us who have never tried a Traditional Irish Breakfast ($11.95), the Spirit's brunch offering would be perfect entry point. Bangers are sausage links that look like the American counterpart but are not the same, accompanied by white and black “pudding” (more sausage), Irish back bacon (ham), along with thick slices of grilled tomatoes, home fries and two eggs. Black pudding is blood sausage and white pudding is pork sausage cooked with a filler (oatmeal or suet is popular) made to consist of a soft center and taste slightly sweet— and very, very different than it looks. It's savory, satisfying and a delicious accompaniment to traditional breakfast meats and eggs. Even the scrambled eggs at the Spirit are special — moist and carefully scrambled, and served hot. A terrific brunch, highly recommended. 10/10

TDC: My Crab and Spinach Eggs Benedict ($12.95) was a delicately assembled beauty.

The chef has a very nice touch cooking and presenting fresh, baby spinach and a healthy serving of lump crab meat on English muffin halves, beneath poached eggs and hollandaise sauce.

The eggs were well-cooked and moist, but not runny. The spinach was garden fresh, the sauce hot and creamy and the crabmeat had substance and a delicious flavor. 9/10

Service 18/20

OG: Our server, Britanny, was a helpful, cheerful and thorough, explaining parts of the menu and giving us the lowdown on the Spirit's background and prowess in Irish dishes. Quick to serve up a small side of hollandaise when OG wanted a sinful addition to the black pudding, and just as quick with extra tomato juice for TDC's spicy Sunday Mary ($5.50), Brittany and her hostess counterpart stepped lively and sure among more than a dozen tables filled with brunchers. Solid service, with a smile, making everyone feel at home and well taken care of. 18/20

Overall 18/20

TDC: There is absolutely nothing to not like about the Country Spirit, and we have not even discussed the dinner menu of escargot, lamb chops, steaks, prime rib, shrimp-clams-oyster raw bar, seafood, pasta and veal. Nestled among hundred-yearold pines with a spectacular birch tree right in front, the log-style, low-slung tavern is set up on the ground floor very much like an old country inn, with bathrooms off the lobby sporting “Ladies” and “Gents” in smoked glass doors. It wouldn't be hard to imagine going upstairs from the lobby after a nice meal, to rooms at the inn — except for the fact that there is no upstairs. Scattered along the grounds outside are various New England country items — a large wooden wagon, a ski-lift double chair, and an old bicycle — and the charm of the furnishings, its plush pub-feel and truly gourmet food all outshine the quirkiness of the dollar-bill ceiling, and the still-decorated Christmas tree perched on the roof(anicetouch). It'stheonly Henniker on earth, and the Country Spirit is easily one of its most charming spots. 18/20

Total 93/100