The New Nest(s): Sit-Down and To Go
The Nest is new. And now, two. The space that fronts onto Main Street in downtown Hanover and formerly occupied by Morano Gelato is now The Nest’s sit-down venue—The Nest Kitchen & Cafe—with a more robust menu, table service, and an overall attractive decor and ambiance that feels grown-up.
The menu lists breakfast on one side and lunch on the other but it appears that both are served all day. And the menu is interesting, a cut above, with local ingredients where possible. Soups, salads and sandwiches, breakfast burritos, egg dishes and the recently popular smash burger are somewhat expected for a breakfast and lunch spot. But: Indonesian Fried Chicken and Waffles, Farro and Roasted Carrot Salad with Apricots, Pistachios & (house-made) Whipped Ricotta, Smokey Beet Reuben, Spicy Egyptian Eggplant on Pita, Shakshuka with Feta and White Beans, and Sweet Potato Hash with Tofu and Kimchi—the menu surprises and invites a good long read. And probably a return visit or two.
We were in a breakfast mood and arrived at a late-breakfast hour. Our Indonesian chicken and waffles (photo, top) came with whipped butter and maple syrup, simple and tasty. The second entree was a breakfast sandwich called “The Regular,” that contains a local egg, bacon, cheddar, avocado and sriracha, on buttered multi-grain. (Photo, just above.) We inquired about the provenance of that multi-grain, and left in search of an entire loaf of Dave’s Killer Bread (21 Whole Grains and Seeds)—available, it turns out, at the Lebanon Co-op.
In the back of the building, with a separate entrance, is the sister establishment, The Nest Pantry. Cold sandwiches, panini made to order, a salad bar, and bagels and coffee to go, more like the original Nest of yore. A few provisions to browse, like the famed and quirky Sisters of Anarchy ice cream from Shelburne, Vermont.
“We could have named ourselves the Sisters of Perpetual Consistency, but that would be lame, and certainly untrue. Great women are not born for predictability – where is the fun in that?”
Their chocolate farm-to-cone ice cream is so profoundly chocolate-y that a warning is given right on the carton: “Really, Really, Really Rich Chocolate: Not for the faint of heart.” True.
Website with days, hours and menus for both Nests are here.
(Photos are mine. Thank you, Rick Roesch, for the tip.)
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And in case you are wondering . . . Susan B. Apel shuttered a lifelong career as a law professor to continue an interest (since kindergarten) in writing. Her freelance business, The Next Word, includes literary and feature writing; her work has appeared in a variety of lit mags and other publications including Art New England, The Woven Tale Press, The Arts Fuse, and Persimmon Tree. She connects with her neighbors through Artful, her blog about arts and culture in the Upper Valley. She’s in love with the written word.