Published September 4, 2023

We stopped for a late lunch after leaving the Mark Twain House & Museum. We arrived three hours later at The Centennial Hotel in Concord, New Hampshire.

I loved the brick building covered in ivy. The hotel had a big front lot with plenty of parking. It was across from municipalities in a quiet part of town. We didn’t expect as we drove through the residential neighborhoods that a hotel would be located in this area.

By the time we settled into our room and checked the map of the area, it was close to 8pm. Unfortunately, for a Sunday evening in a small town — maybe a little bigger than Concord, Massachusetts, most businesses were closed.

We would’ve loved to try the onsite restaurant and bar at The Centennial, but unfortunately that was closed Sundays and Mondays as well. After the 5 hours of driving, we decided an early bedtime was welcome and we made a plan to get breakfast early so we would have the afternoon to explore downtown Concord.

Breakfast at Tucker’s

We got up early to have breakfast at Tucker’s. We could’ve walked from the Hotel to Tucker’s but we opted to drive, that way we could take our time with breakfast before checkout.

Tucker’s had a parking lot that wrapped around the building, and I was surprised to see that it was already full so early in the morning.

Tucker’s Interior

We stepped into the foyer and through an archway. A hostess worked from the counter area on the right, which had stacks of menus and the cash register. A aisle led back to the kitchen, which branched into a dining room on the right, counter-seating on the left, and another small dining room.

We were led to the left and seated at a two-top table. I sat on the booth-side, facing out toward the front windows, which were lined with 4-person booths and one table for four. A mother and young son finished their breakfast next to us and one elderly woman sat to my right.

Tucker’s Menu

We started with the drink menu, which featured some specialty coffees, teas, and smoothies.

Tucker’s branding is consistent throughout the dining experience. The soft, rounded font in the logo is repeated on the menus. The warm green and dark orange is mirrored throughout the booths, wall color, and menu, which creates consistency in the space. The restaurant felt homey and seemed popular for travelers and locals.

We placed our coffee order and moved onto the breakfast options. I liked that Tucker’s organized its breakfast menu into categories, such as specials, burritos, from the griddle, bowls, and sandwiches. While I was tempted to order the popular lemon ricotta pancakes, I opted for a dish that had protein.

We placed our breakfast order when our coffees arrived. At this point, the tables next to us turned over. A mother and daughter sat to the left of us and a local customer took his seat to my right and didn’t even have to order, they already knew what he wanted. A line formed in the entryway and I was glad for our timing.

Salted Caramel Latte | $6.50

We both ordered a specialty drink. I got the salted caramel latte and my boyfriend ordered the Chai latte.

These coffees were massive. I had to hold my mug with two hands, it was so large. The flavor was unbelievable and a delicious blend with the salted caramel flavor. I love sweet drinks so this was perfect for me. My boyfriend enjoyed his Chai latte, and it also had rich flavors of cloves.

Shareables

Maple Bourbon Bacon | $9.21

I don’t typically think about getting an “appetizer” when I go to breakfast. However, Tucker’s menu had a trio at the top under “Shareables” that offered biscuits, bacon, or “tea” bread to share. We opted for the maple bourbon bacon, thinking that it would be a nice side protein to have with our breakfast.

Well, the bacon didn’t last long enough to make it to our main dish. It was delicious — thick cut slices of bacon that were tender and rolled in a sticky sweet glaze that paired well with the savory flavor. A side cup of dipping sauce, basically like syrup, was available for extra sweetness. I ate the bacon as-is. The flavor was amazing.

Our Breakfast Dishes

Sedona Skillet | $13.71

My boyfriend ordered the Sedona Skillet, which had onions, piquanté peppers, pepper jack cheese, over hash browns, topped with guacamole, Southwest seasoning, and a chipotle aioli drizzle.

This skillet caught my eye when I was browsing the menu as well. Ultimately, I selected another dish, because I wasn’t sure if the piquanté peppers and chipotle drizzle would be too spicy for me.

Hold the Gluten Skillet | $14.46

I selected a skillet option that didn’t have too many sauces, and I knew I would like it. The “Hold the Gluten” skillet had tomatoes, mushrooms, spinach, and cheddar jack over potatoes, topped with pesto and parmesan. I also ordered rye toast.

I loved that Tucker’s sourced their ingredients from nearby farms. A small card on the table listed the farms where Tucker’s sourced coffee, eggs, sausage, smoked meats, greens, maple syrup, milk, and more.

My dish was light and tasty. The potatoes were crisp and a nice neutral base for the vegetable-loaded eggs. My favorite part of the dish was the thick slices of rye bread. Paired with my giant coffee this was a filling breakfast. I even took half of my coffee to-go.

My Recommendations 

I give Tucker’s a 10/10 for the following: 

• Decor and Design

  • The restaurant’s color palette and branding was consistent, warm, and welcoming. From their artwork to the menus, Tucker’s markets the local produce and ingredients used in their dishes. I liked the restaurant’s layout and that each dining area was cozy, without feeling too close to your fellow diners.

• Service

  • Our waitress was so kind. She answered my questions and gave me all the time I needed to study the menu. We had good pacing between our dishes, which I enjoyed. Plus, we weren’t rushed once we finished our meals. Our waitress let us sit as long as we wanted at the table, and didn’t even rush us with to-go cups for our coffees. I was appreciative of her patience and friendliness throughout our meal.

• Food

  • I was impressed with Tucker’s offerings and use of local ingredients. Everything we had was hot and fresh with big portions. I loved the use of fresh vegetables and sauces, and I liked knowing that the proteins were sourced locally. The coffee was also locally sourced and I loved the specialty drinks and flavors. I would definitely return to Tucker’s the next time I’m near Concord.

Downtown Concord, New Hampshire

Tucker’s was even more packed when we left the restaurant around 10:00 am. We headed downtown to park on South Main Street. I was surprised with the ample parking that framed both sides of the road.

We parked near the theater and walked past the historic buildings on our way to the bookstore.

Gibson’s Bookstore

Gibson’s Bookstore was a giant building; it even had a cafe inside!

We followed the spacious aisles around the book displays. There was even a section dedicated to stationary, notebooks, leather-bound journals, and decorations for your desk.

A few people worked from the countertop seating in the cafe. The bookstore was as quiet as a library as we followed the rows of shelves deeper into the room. Bench seating lined the windows and small armchairs sat between the shelves. A few adults leaned against the window and read from their chosen books. The back of the store transitioned into children’s toys and games.

We spent a while browsing the shelves and selecting our purchases. If I lived in Concord, I would work from the cafe side. It was a beautiful bookstore and the two women behind the counter were friendly and personable.

Exploring the Downtown Shops

We walked the right hand side of South Main Street past hair salons, a movie theater, and some restaurants that hadn’t opened yet. A grocery store sat behind the buildings on Main Street and traffic flowed down the street between the buildings.

Antique and jewelry stores caught my eye, but they were also closed. We stopped into some clothing and stationary stores before we found ourselves in a courtyard nestled between the buildings.

The soothing sounds from the fountain echoed across the pavers. The trees offered shade for the benches and rocks. Decorative concrete turtles sat between the large rocks. Shaded black iron tables and chairs sat against the buildings at the top of this courtyard.

The early morning sun was hot already. We approached the back of the businesses to see what they were. When we saw the sign for ice cream we knew we had to stop inside.

Granite State Candy Shoppe

Imagine a vintage shop — striped awning, cute signs, and big windows highlighting displays. This is exactly describes the Granite State Candy Shoppe. Big glass windows faced Warren Street and gave folks from the sidewalk a view into their shelves packed full of chocolates and treats.

We entered through the first door which brought you to the ice cream counter. The air smelled like sugar and chocolate. The space was wide and had a self-serve wagon of ice cream toppings near the door, like gummy bears and Oreo cookie crumbles. Handwritten signs for their ice cream flavors and combinations hung on the wall. A drink case highlighted glass bottles of soda.

We continued into the room, where the chocolate case flowed down to the metal racks stocked with prepackaged chocolates.

Packages of chocolate-covered cherries and nuts sat against the wall. One could buy solid chocolate letters and chocolates in the shape of cows. There was a wall of jelly bean flavors, a shelf of maple syrups, and a basket of lollipops and jawbreakers.

I still had my salted caramel latte from breakfast, so the sweets and chocolates didn’t appeal to me as they normally would. We headed back out to the street and followed Warren Street to North State Street and then back down 202 to South Main.

By now, the streets were busier. Kids on skateboards glided down the sidewalk. Couples walked hand-in-hand and shaded themselves from the hot afternoon sun with hats and sunscreen. Some elderly folks moseyed along the storefronts. Surprisingly, there was still plenty of parking on Main Street and there didn’t seem to be too much traffic. I wondered what it would be like on the weekend. 

Given that we had another 3 1/2 hours to our accommodation in Maine, and it was already mid-afternoon, we made our way back to the car and started our drive to our next destination.

Our First Day in Camden, Maine

Click here to read about our afternoon in Camden, Maine and our dinner at The Waterfront Restaurant.