Squid Eats: Molly's

As noted in my most recent State of the Blog post, one of my closest friends has moved to central Massachusetts.  While this has certainly required emotional adjustments for me, I'm pleased to report that we've managed to see each other surprisingly often since the move in June: twice in Vermont and once down in Mass.  This past weekend, we began the search for good spots midway between, beginning with Hanover, New Hampshire, home to Dartmouth College.  First stop, lunch...

Molly's Restaurant and Bar, originally called Molly's Balloon, has been operating for 40 years.  It's very family-friendly.  Each table is set with crayons and coloring paper.  We saw loads of kids.  While the menu offers child favorites like burgers and pizza, there are more interesting options for us adults.  My buddy ordered poutine from the specials menu.  Our waitress insisted on calling it POH-teen rather than the poo-TEEN we are accustomed to in northern Vermont and Montreal - must be a New Hampshire thing.  I got the Gochujang Chicken Bowl.  I usually steer clear of Asian food in non-Asian restaurants but it was actually pretty good.

The service is very friendly.  Our waitress was professional - a bit aggressive on the up-selling but we managed to resist.  The decor is dark wood with lots of Dartmouth sports memorabilia on the walls, including Ivy League football standings posted behind the bar.  I would go back, though there are other interesting options in town to explore.  Importantly, Molly's is close to The Fourth Place, a game and comic book store where we'll definitely be lingering on future visits.