There’s no better time than autumn to head west to the Connecticut River Valley for a visit to Keene, or, as we like to think of it, Concord’s cool little sister.
Each fall, tens of thousands of visitors flock to the college town for its annual pumpkin festival, but Keene has a lot more to see than gourds. Its picturesque Main Street, the widest in America, has an unpretentious, welcoming feel, complete with a blend of quality restaurants, artsy shops and hip entertainment venues.
With a population of less than 30,000, Keene has a carefree, almost Vermont-y feel about it, which isn’t a surprise given its close proximity to the Green Mountain State. The city regularly hosts food and music festivals, has a new farmers market and is home to Keene State College and Antioch University New England, which bring in a steady flow of speakers, art and theatrical shows and musical performances that are open to the public.
If you find yourself with nothing to do on a crisp fall afternoon, venture to Elm City. It’s only an hour’s drive from Concord down Route 9 (a leaf-peeper’s delight this time of year). To get a feel for the heart of Keene, we recommend checking these places out.
Keene Fresh Salad Co.
Open the doors of the Keene Fresh Salad Co. and you’ll be greeted with the sumptuous smell of rosemary and freshly-baked bread wafting through the air. As its name implies, the Main Street café is home to the city’s most unusual and mouth-watering salads, like a Greek salad with lemon dill tuna and feta; the grilled tofu, ryeberry and chickpea tossed green salad; and a basil pesto pasta salad. But there’s more on the menu than just greens. The soup selection, which changes seasonally, is out of this world. Right now, you can taste the pumpkin, cranberry and orange soup with apple cider; a shrimp, lobster and haddock bisque; and a Santa Fe black bean soup with corn and cheddar cheese.
Other specialties include the creamy, cheesy mac and cheese, a tuna and bacon cheddar melt and the mojito iced tea.
There are many gluten-free options and nearly everything on the menu is made from scratch with local ingredients, including herbs, hot peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers plucked from the chef’s own garden.
Where: 44 Main St.
Hours: Call ahead. Hours vary Monday – Saturday.
Phone: 357-6677
Web: keenefreshsalad.com
Thorne-Sagendorph Art Gallery
One of the perks of being a college town is having an art venue that’s open to the public. The Thorne-Sagendorph Art Gallery at Keene State College features year-round exhibitions showcasing national and international works, as well as pieces from local artists, Keene State College faculty and student art.
True to its roots, the gallery maintains a heavy focus on the historic artistic tradion of the Monadnock Region.
Since its inception, the gallery has collected and preserved works from the renowned Dublin Art Colony. Its permanant collection features works by colony artists like Barry Faulkner, Alexander James, Aimee Lamb and Richard Meryman, among others.
Now through the end of October, swing by and catch the Art of Africa exhibit with objects from the private collection of Warren Robbins, the founder of the National Museum of African Art at the Smithsonian. Sculpures, textiles, beaded clothing and jewelry will be on display.
Where: Wyman Way, on the Keene State College campus off Main Street.
Hours: Sunday – Wednesday, noon to 5 p.m.; Thursday and Friday, noon to 7 p.m.
Saturday, noon to 8 p.m.
Phone: 358-2720
Web: keene.edu/tsag
Hannah Grimes Marketplace
So you’re into New Hampshire-themed goods, funky jewelry, pottery and other handcrafted items made close to home?
Then it’s worth dropping by Hannah Grimes Marketplace on on Main Street, where you can find everything from children’s clothing to homemade salad dressing. Cheesemakers, take note: The market also sells raw milk, which, unless you’ve got farm connections, can be hard to find.
The marketplace is a product of the Hannah Grimes Center, a nonprofit group with a mission of educating entreprenuers on the importance of the local economy.
Some of the items are a bit pricey, but they’re quality, and make great gifts.
Where: 42 Main St.
Phone: 352-6862
Hours: Monday – Saturday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Web: hannahgrimes.com
Turn it up!
Who says CDs are obsolete?
Drop by Turn It Up! on Main Street for an eclectic mix of new and used music and movies on the cheap. The low-ceilinged store, in the basement of an old brick building, is a hipster music-lover’s delight, jam-packed with obscure, hard-to-find remnants of the pre-digital music age.
Searching for an LP of Bill Withers’s “Live at Carnegie Hall” for Dad’s birthday? Having a difficult time tracking down that risqué, old-school “Like a Virgin” poster from Madonna’s pre-kabbalah days? Turn it Up! is the kind of place that’ll have them. Goods at the independently-owned store are sort of like the Polaroid camera: They may not be the snazziest of media, but they’re reliable, tangible, and certainly aren’t dated – at least not yet.
Where: 89½ Main St.
Phone:358-6833
Hours: Sunday, 11 a.m. to-5 p.m. Monday – Thursday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Web: turnitup.com
The Market at Luca’s
If you’re in the mood for a little Italian, drop by the Market at Luca’s and grab one of its specialty Mediterranean dishes. The market, next door to the fancier, sit-down Luca’s Restaurant, features a range of light breakfast-and-lunch fare that won’t break the bank.
Try one of Luca’s signature panini sandwiches (we like the Sicilian Beef with roasted pepperoncini, Munster cheese, fresh greens and garlic mayonnaise), or Luca’s Favorite: grilled chicken breast, Munster cheese, broccolini and balsamic dressing. Homemade mozzarella and bowlfuls of insalata, like cilantro pesto shrimp with lemon and pineapple, are on full display to tempt even the fastidious eaters. On weekends, the café transforms into a pasta bar, where diners can choose their own pasta and sauce.
Grab a plate and sit outside; the restaurant is located across from Central Square Common and is a great place for people watching.
Where: 10 Central Square
Hours: Monday – Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Phone: 358-3337
Web: lucascafe.com
Lindy's Diner
Hot, fast and cheap. That’s the motto of Lindy’s Diner, the classic ’50s-style eatery that’s been a staple of the Keene food scene since 1961. Lindy’s has become a default stop for aspiring politicians who swing through the area, evidenced by photos proudly displayed on the diner’s walls of both George Bushes, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, among others. According to the restaurant’s owners, presidential candidates who skip out on the Lindy’s experience are cursed to lose New Hampshire’s first-in-the-nation primary.
But enough about politics, let’s talk food. True to its reputation as an authentic diner, Lindy’s serves an “eggceptional” breakfast all day. First hand, we can tell you the hash browns are some of the best around. But there’s more: Lindy’s is renowned for its traditional New England clam chowder, homemade mac and cheese and Salisbury steaks.
If you’re looking for a no-frills, home-style meal, Lindy’s is the place to go.
Where: 19 Gilbo Ave.
Phone: 352-4273
Hours: Monday – Thursday and Sunday, 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Web: lindysdiner.com
L.A. Burdick Chocolate
Okay, so the restaurant isn’t technically in Keene, but making the 20-minute trek from the city is well worth it, and here’s why: Burdick’s hot chocolate is the best in the world. While we don’t have any scientific data to back that up, we wager that one sip will have you convinced.
The European-style, thicker-than-mud concoction is made from gourmet chocolate flakes and comes in three varieties: dark, white and milk chocolate. Take-home mixes are available in the café’s gift shop, along with handcrafted bonbons made with chocolate imported from France, Switzerland and Venezuela.
Since you’re already there, you should probably make dinner reservations at Burdick’s restaurant, a gastronomic gem for the little town of Walpole. The restaurant has been such a hit in the town, in fact, it’s expanded to new locations in Cambridge, Mass., and New York City.
On the menu you’ll find fancy French-inspired dishes like steak frites, with herb butter, sauce Bordelaise, pommes frites, wilted spinach; pork chop stuffed with chevre, pomegranate pan sauce, delicata squash, buckwheat groats and celeriac. Sound a little heavy for your liking? Try the warm goat cheese salad with watercress, enpe, walnuts and honey, or the Gruyere omelet.
The restaurant also serves fine cheeses, pastries and brunch. Seriously, don’t pass this place up.
Where: 47 Main St., Walpole
Phone: 756-9058
Hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Monday, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Web: burdickchocolate.com
