Phantom Gourmet: Great 8 Restaurants Worth The Drive
Gas up the car and work up an appetite. These are Phantom's pick for the eight greatest destination restaurants that are definitely worth a drive.
Royal River Grillhouse
Yarmouth, ME
Kicking off the Great 8 is The Royal River Grillhouse in Yarmouth, Maine. Here, they fire up flame kissed steaks fit for a king and serve Vacationland mainstays like luscious lobster stew and overloaded twin lobster rolls. And it comes with one heck of a view.
Lago
Meredith, NH
Lago is an Italian eatery on Lake Winnipesauke in Meredith, New Hampshire. This stunning waterfront spot is decked out in shabby chic style, with windows that open up to one of the best backdrops in New England. While the views may take your breath away, the menu will make your mouth water for hand-rolled meatballs, hand-cut pastas, and Italian style steak topped with gorgonzola butter.
Sonoma
Princeton, MA
Another Great 8 winner is Sonoma in Princeton, Mass., up the road from Wachusett Mountain. This cutting-edge eatery brings a bit of the West Coast to Central Mass. So, you can be sure to find artfully arranged farm-fresh dishes, premium steaks and pristine seafood, all paired perfectly with an extensive Californian wine list compliments of chef Bill Brady.
Frank Pepe's
New Haven, CT
The original Frank Pepe's in New Haven, Connecticut attracts pizza lovers from all over the country. Coal-fired and cooked the old-fashioned way in a brick oven, these Neapolitan-style pies are superb. It's old-school but classy as could be with a long wood bar, big booths, and an open kitchen where enormous pizza peels work their magic. If you do take the trip, you must order the legendary
white clam pie loaded up with garlic, parmesan, and plenty of chopped clams.
Watch: Great 8 Part 2
Parker's Maple Barn
Mason, NH
Parker's Maple Barn in Mason, New Hampshire is a back woods treasure where you can see the maple syrup being made before you sample it over a hearty breakfast. The restaurant is converted from a 19th century barn. Hearty highlights include the triple stack of plate-sized buttermilk pancakes. And this might be the only eatery that serves eggs with a side of Maple Glazed Baby Back Ribs.
Harraseeket Inn
Freeport, ME
Another Great 8 winner is the world famous Harraseeket Inn in Freeport, Maine. Located just steps away from the bustling downtown, the Harraseeket is an ideal spot to relax, unwind, and unleash your appetite in their famed "Maine Dining Room". Here, you can get all three courses prepared tableside: a creamy Ceasar Salad that's made from scratch; mouth-watering Chateubriand sliced just the way you like it; and for dessert, fresh-filled strawberry crepes fired up with a scoop of ice cream.
Pizza Barn
Ossipee, NH
Every year, thousands of hungry Bostonians make the journey to Center Ossipee, New Hampshire for a piece of the Pizza Barn. Located in a lofty hay barn, this family-friendly pizza parlor slices, sizzles, and serves a top secret recipe for the ultimate pepperoni pie. The pizzas are loaded with dozens of delicious, hand-cut slices of thick-cut pepperoni that are folded into and around even more slices of pepperoni.
Wright's Farm
Harrisville, RI
Rounding off the Great 8 is Wright's Farm in Harrisville, Rhode Island. This sprawling, poultry-gorging paradise has endless rooms of folks dining family-style. Everyone gets the same thing: all-you-can-eat platters of their signature roast chicken, along with rolls, salad, pasta, and fries... all for less than $13 per person!
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