New Hampshire is backboned with granite mountains and laced with pristine lakes. It’s a vacation destination for its natural beauty, with plenty of iconic foods along its byways. Rolling hills are lush with apple orchards, and small farms abound, providing restaurants across the state with close sources for fresh produce and protein. And even with just a kiss of ocean shoreline, there is plenty of fresh seafood. If you like it fried, the state has you covered.

 

Illustration by Hello Neighbor Designs

The New Hampshire seafood shack scene is not to be missed. Typically, you’ll find rows of picnic tables in a large room, with diners up to their elbows in lobster shells, steamers, drawn butter, with an occasional stray French fry. Lobsters pulled from a tank and dunked into a steaming iron caldron of salted water can be the main choice, but steamers and fries make it a meal. Enjoy some of the best there is at the casual, cash-only Brown’s Lobster Pound in Seabrook.

A 1765 farmhouse in Wilton is the perfect setting for owners Ben and Christie Reed to open their rustic coffee house, Hilltop Cafe. As former Portlandians, they understood the need for a local coffee culture. Now, Sarah makes wonderful croissants and morning dishes. Their classic French toast is decadently rich, using day-old croissants smothered with local maple syrup, blueberries and a dollop of fresh local cream.

Ice cream is New Hampshire’s favorite treat. What can be better than a creamy and rich ice cream cone from a charming roadside stand, Intervale Ice Cream in Henniker. Indulge in any of the 35 flavors, from classic Chocolate Lover’s Chocolate to Maple Nut, which pays tribute to the state’s exceptional maple syrup. Berries are locally sourced and brittles and brownies are made in-house for the mix-ins. The stand is seasonal, but ice cream is available in the adjacent pancake house — which serves their own sweet maple syrup — year-round.