Best of NH 2017 Delis, Butcher Shops, Catering, Cafés, Lunch and Breakfast

Looking for a healthy lunch? Need a gourmet meal on the go? Hungry for a locally sourced breakfast? Here you'll find the best sandwiches, soups, catering, breakfast spots and more.

June 13, 2017

Site Staff,

The lobster eggs Benedict from Editor's Pick Temple Street Diner. (Courtesy photo)

High School Lunch: Slow-roasted and hand-pulled Barbecue poke panini, turkey and avocado BLT, locally sourced ingredients — no, it’s not your usual school cafeteria. North Conway’s Mineral Springs Café is a restaurant run entirely by the students of Kennett High School’s culinary arts program, serving lunch three days a week. mineralspringcafe@gmail.com

Apple Cider Donuts: The thing about serving a classic New England favorite like the apple cider donut is that you’ve got to live up to everyone’s sense of nostalgia. Luckily for Durham’s Emery Farm, they nailed it. Bite into one of these homemade delights and it’s just like Proust’s madeleines — suddenly you’re a kid again, enjoying a treat after a day of picking apples.

Jerk Chicken Twist: You might not think you’d find a great example of an island dish in a Jackson deli, but the jerk chicken wrap at J-Town Deli, while not wholly traditional, is very tasty. They wrap up slices of chicken breast rubbed with jerk spice with sharp cheddar, lettuce, tomato and drizzle of ranch dressing.

New England Breakfast Dish: Nashua’s Temple Street Diner has a way with lobster, and their lobster eggs Benedict checks all the boxes for a perfect regional breakfast, especially when you ask for their tender baked beans as the side. Perfect poached eggs meld it all together. It’s only $12.95 and $2 more with tasty home fries. Better yet, breakfast is served all day.

Biscuits and Gravy: It’s not only Southerners who love this, but it’s not so easy to find north of the notches — or anywhere else in New Hampshire. Munroe’s Family Restaurant in Twin Mountain does it right, and goes it one better (if there is such a thing) in a Redneck Benedict: fresh-baked biscuit, sausage and poached eggs topped with plenty of gravy.

Buffet Brunch: Sundays are for indulging in an afternoon of food and libation. At The Foundry in Manchester, the super-gooey, maple-caramel-glazed cinnamon rolls are irresistible, but please make sure to press on to the oyster bar, fruit displays and the pastrami-rubbed smoked salmon.

Vegan Treats: From all-day breakfast to quinoa bowls and seaweed wraps, there’s lots to love at the nearly 2-year-old Laney & Lu Cafe. If you just can’t wait from breakfast till lunch to get your fix, though, this Exeter eatery has you covered. Their oh-so-tempting snack menu changes a bit every day, but past offerings include vegan donuts, almond and miso-flavored kale chips, and the fan favorite Maca Matcha Macaroons, truffle-esque spheres coated in lime green matcha tea “frosting.”

Smoothies: Step away from that blender. Rainbow-hued healthy smoothies are the latest thing in Instagram-ready foodie trends, but there’s no need to make your own when Manchester’s Milk & Honey Juicery and Café makes trend-following this easy. Named simply for their colors, the nine smoothies at this 5-month-old spot include the dessert-like White with banana and maple, the berry-heavy Purple and the requisite Green, made with spinach, orange juice and, of course, kale.