Upon recommendation from the front desk of my hotel , wanting a nice steak and glass of wine I…read morestopped in for dinner and sure glad I did . Walked into a small hip restaurant with open kitchen, welcoming vibe and hip bar. I sat at the bar and despite being very busy, the bartender was pleasant, prompt and offered great suggestions. Ordered a Filet with mashed potatoes as they had no baked potatoes , and the filet was cooked to a perfect medium rare. Make sure to ask for their garlic knots! Was too full for desert , but suprised there was no coffee or espresso available as they don't serve either. Was not a deal breaker for me as the food and service was outstanding just odd for a restaurant to not have either. Vast menus with selections for everyone. Will certainly be back next time I'm in town. Keep up the good work Bernini!

2026 Mother's Day I will start with my server or servers…read morethey were all dressed differently in so called jeans, tee shirts and sneakers in this so call dinning restaurant. Yes the place was renovated beautifully in a classic young setting but the staffed killed it in their poor presentation of a local pizza joint Attire. Now getting to the food which I could not believe floating in oil. I commented to my server and was told this is the way we serve it with plenty of oil, people love it.....I quickly excused myself and headed to the Ladies room to get my composure and decided I had enough Mother's Day at Bernini's so if your out boating and need a place to eat here it is!!!

You're in the very suburban town of Lebanon, New Hampshire. You've got everything that you need at…read moreyour fingertips but maybe you're looking to enjoy wine or sip a cocktail at a place with more of an urban edge. Drive 5 minutes over the state line to Putnam's in White River Junction, Vermont for that sommelier-staffed experience. Love the ambience and rigorous focus on elevated, quality ingredients, at Putnam's. They have a corkboard-covered 3-ring binder menu which is aptly named a Field Guide. Trust me, this name is earned by the Tasting Notes alone. The field guide is like a thesis for advanced Upper Valley sippers, Vermont or not. If you forgot your book or paper, just saddle up to the Putnam's Field Guide. You'll find an elaborate offering of editorial descriptions of beverages from wine to martinis (6 kinds) to beer and whiskey (one from Japan). Btw, it's rare to find a wine bar that doubles as a gorgeous coffeehouse serving pastries, espresso-based drinks, teas and breakfast sandwiches on weekends. I'm looking forward to enjoying them sometime if I'm back. The offering at Putnam's Vineyard rotates seasonally, so I will describe what was there on my visits. Visit their website for updated menu surprises. As for the evening and weekends Fall menu, they call their offering Picnic Food. It's a modest title for an extensive offering of appetizers and a few sandwiches. Think fancied-up olives, pretzels, Brazilian cheese puffs, a craft beer mix, 2 melty sammies with Vermont cheeses (1 with turkey, the other veggies), beet and chevre arancini, dips and a vast selection of desserts. Vermont cheeses, apricots, Marcona almonds, dried apricots and crostini are looking divine on the cheese board. Oh, and there's also Superbon Madrid potato chips with Osetra caviar and a mini spirit of Gaston Chiquet champagne. Just saying. There is also a weekend brunch menu with bagels and egg sandwiches. As for the wine, I recommend a flight at Putmam's. In the fall season, these flight offerings were named: the Bella Blanca Wine Flight, the Falling Leaves Mixed Wine Flight, Fireside Reds Red Wine Flight, The Forgotten Bunches Mixed Wine Flight and the almighty and an unforgettable Sparkler Flight. In this flight, I slowly savoured 3 wine sparklers at $25 total. (And no, I cannot spell savour without a "u.") These wine flights are a true value. And here are the wines in the sparkler flight: 1.) Cava 2021 by Avinyó 2.) Crémant de Bourgogne Sparkling Brut Rosé NV by Albert Bichot 3.) Lambrusco by Villa Castellazo ROTA The Cava is everything. All three were delightful and I showed up needing warm fuzzies on an evening where there was live music so the total experience was extra lovely. There is also a whiskey flight! The coffee and craft beverages selection for the fall/winter menu includes a nitro cold brew, a brown butter latte with Maldon sea salt and biscotti and a FROLA New Orleans style cold brew slushie with maple syrup and coconut cream. To any craft and coffee beverage you can add Vermont Ice Cream Coffee Liqueur or Whistle Pig Piggy Back Bourbon. Yes, please. If you are making a trip of it, catch the local bbq joint across the way from Putnam's at lunch and then visit the wine bar for drinks. Layer up, because I've been nippy there twice, and then linger over one delightful beverage after the next. Oh, and there is a charming wine shop at Putnam's with handmade gifts to peruse, as well.

Simply the coolest hot spot in this little nook of Vermont. Arriving on a Sunday night, the outside…read moreof this fabulous old depot building looks like it's abandoned. But oh the speakeasy that lies within! Follow it around to the "secret" entrance and you are welcomed in with an impressive industrial chic meets garden / exotic jungle atmosphere. Little nooks of seating areas with their own unique feel. Cannot overstate the oozing charm of this large space that manages to create cozy corners. Friendly service, generous cheese board, a gift shop selection of sassy souvenirs. There is only goodness to be found here in the vine/yard. One of best hidden gems we have ever discovered.

I am obsessed with the sheet pan dinners. It has everything you need including the parchment paper…read more The meals are delicious and so easy. I also love the heat to eat items. You really can't go wrong at this place.

Food was delicious. Excellent service. Would definitely go again. Great value. 4 courses with wine…read morepairing for $140pp.

Super awesome spot with yummy food! Parking is a bit limited if the restaurant is busy. They have…read moreseparate parking for the restaurant and people who actually have rooms there. Service was great and food/drinks came out fast! Sitting outside was great and an amazing view!!

Beautiful view, solid drinks, friendly service! Definitely a place worth visiting if you are in…read moreOgunquit.

Our favorite spot in Concord! We traditionally do a small plate, entree each (which we can never…read morefinish) and then complete the meal with macaroons and espresso. This trip we opted to share 4 small plates and then take two desserts (carrot cake and Mexican hot chocolate cheesecake) home with us. Dates were our favorite with the salty bacon, sweet dates and kick of spice in the filling, mushroom and toast a close second with the perfect bite in that bread just soaked with mushroom cream, he went with the smelt and I went with the fritters - we probably could've done just 3 but we couldn't resist the smelt special! Staff is always friendly and knowledgeable, space is cozy and intimate - love it here!

Amazing little place in Concord, great if you're looking to treat yourself to a fancy night out. I…read moregot the steak frites special which was fantastic - the sauce was so flavorful and the asparagus was fresh and so, so tasty.

What a lovely restaurant. Just for a tip if you find the apothecary it's down the stairs right…read moreafter it. We did have a little bit of trouble finding it but that was kind of fun. Reservations recommended we were seated at a beautiful table for two right near the bar and started off with a Pinot noir and a cabernet. Both wines were delightful. For appetizers we had the braised lamb crepe and the octopus... Both dishes were delicious, presented well with sauces to die for. Followed by the pasta dish and the duck. These were the best dinners of the year for us. The blending of flavors were fantastic and it was augmented by the owner coming over and talking to us about how the food was prepared. I won't bore you with all the details but the octopus is slow boiled for 5 hours.. complete with wine. Corks it was tender and delicious with the Mediterranean flair. We go out to eat our fair share from high end to diners anywhere. The food is well prepared and delicious... This was the top for the year! From the service to the presentation to the wine to the ambiance, everything is top notch here. I will provide a warning. You will drop a pretty penny if you partake in all the courses, but we thought it was well worth it. Thank you to the staff and ownership. We enjoyed our evening.. a true date night.

So, we finally got to try the chef's table, or "Chef's Whim" as it's officially titled. Eight…read morecourses. In addition to the food, we added the suggested alcohol pairings. I say alcohol because it wasn't all wine but ... since it's a bit of a surprise in terms of what actually appears I'll just leave it at that. However, as to the food ... I'll give a taste, a flavor, a wisp of a whisper of the full culinary adventure. For complete details, see your local sous chef! Here's what we had. In the middle of my photo collage, a blood sausage slider with fennel/jalapeño sauce on toasted brioche bun. Then clockwise from top left - cornbread with maple glaze in a Barbie sized personal cast iron skillet; beet salad with goat cheese half spheres; a dessert tray of black apple cake with hay ice cream (yes, seriously), chamomile pot de creme and a duck fat beignet; an assortment of ice creams - fenugreek, fennel/maitake mushroom/burnt hazelnut (all tasted fabulous and in each you could taste the listed flavors); entree of duck and wild mushroom tart; white bean soup and finally a pasta dish of ravioli with two fillings. Just a note on what it would take to make it yourself. See that hexagonal white blob on the bottom row, middle pic? That's a potato foam. Forgive me for not recalling the full procedure but the prep is roughly 7 hours long. First, the cut potatoes are cooked in a sous vide for 2 hours so that no moisture is added to them. Then a succession of ricing, smoking, drying, undrying, mashing, placing in a foam machine that looked like a whipped cream dispenser and boom - a tiny dollop of potato. It tasted great. But man - that's a lot of effort for a mouthful of potato. I don't think I'll be trying it at home. Over two hours of eating and chatting. I brought a couple of my restaurant-based cartoons as my personal thanks for the meal and was shocked that Justin, their sommelier, had done a cartoon of his own ahead of time for me! Just stick to wine, Justin - I don't need any MORE competition with my magazine editors ... With Dylan ably providing the primary chef duties and Amaya and Justin handling the booze, the meal was a smashing success. The food pairings were masterfully chosen and timing of the dishes meant we were always primed for the next one. Although the succession of what I'd call dessert dishes made me start to feel like a Hobbit enjoying dessert, second dessert and then post seconds. As Anton Ego said in Ratatouille (and they have a cute Reme rat under glass on a shelf) "I shall be returning, hungry for more."

Wow, that was just perfect! Enjoyed cocktails and a cheeseboard for dinner, a fine eclectic play…read morelist, smiling owners/servers, and comfortable cushioned window seating watching the dog walkers on Main St. as the sun lowers on a lovely early summer evening. Plenty of parking out back if parallel parking is your fear.

I wish I could give this more than 5 stars. Sonny and Kim really took care of us! The French 75…read morethat Sonny made me was probably one of the best I ever had. The happy hour specials were great and ultimately, we ate the rest of the oysters they had for the day. This is a great spot to sit at the bar and enjoy a drink or to meet up with friends. I was just in town visiting, but I will definitely be back (and if I lived in Saco I would be a regular).

Stayed at the Bedford Inn. We went on the search Corks on the same property. (cute little hideaway…read morebar with cozy seating and an elegant touch!) SERVICE: The servers are very nice and helpful, especially since it was my first time there. FOOD: We tried a whole lotta food: Steak salad, crab cakes, crab wontons, etc. you can't go wrong (check out the pictures) (Bar) I tried a yummy gin drink (but forgot the name - sorry) but the picture is there

Just need to say that Corks is awesome. It's upstairs at the BVI and is fairly small, but it's a…read morewonderful, cozy spot to get a drink or even a full meal. We thoroughly enjoy sitting at the bar and having a conversation with our favorite bartender, Fritz. He is somebody who just exudes friendliness. Food is consistently good and the atmosphere is welcoming. We have eaten in various parts of the BVI over the years and they simply understand hospitality. If we didn't live so close, I would imagine staying here would be a similar experience. Go to corks. Tip Fritz well. You won't be disappointed.

Had a great meetup with friends at Vine 32 on a Friday evening. Love this concept. There were over…read morea dozen wines on tap to pick from, your choice of a tasting to full pour. It wasn't loud so my group was able to chat and hear each other. Super comfy place with different seating options like high tops and tables or couches. The build your own charcuterie was the highlight but all the food was amazing and the service was prompt and friendly. The cookie skillet for dessert was the best thing I've ever had. We had a great time and can't wait to come back.

Love this spot! Such a fantastic idea to have a pour your own wine bar. The staff are so friendly,…read morehelpful and fun! They always have events, I attended during a trivia night. Their apps/ finger foods go great with wine. You hand them a credit card, they link it with one of their store cards and when you want more wine you walk up, stick your card in the slot and pour your wine. Who wants to wait for a server when you're ready for wine now?? It's such a cute place to gather the girls and gossip over wine. I will definitely be back!

Alpine Tavern is tucked in the back of the Wentworth Hotel with pellet stove with cozy seating on…read morethe opposite side of the bar, We were a party of four and ordered the cheese fondue and pretzel bites. The fondue was a great idea. They serve it with pieces of cut up bread. I wish there were some different items to dip in the fondue besides the bread. The pretzel bites were great and the mustard spread was even better. It was tough to dip the pretzels in the cheese sauce because the mustard was so good. The service was really good even though there was only one waiter on that shift. He worked really hard and was fast at serving a full house,

Amazing! Margaritas are made with egg white that makes them smooth and delicious! I had a steak…read moreand fries it was melt in your mouth delicious .