Hungry or thirsty, but not looking for the full dining out experience? Summer is a great time to have a cone of homemade ice cream or crack open a chilled brew. Or maybe you just want to pick up some local produce to make your own meal.
Hermit Woods Winery: Oenophiles new and experienced are welcome at Meredith’s Hermit Woods Winery. It is a small boutique winery in downtown Meredith that strives to create unique and flavorful wines from local and organic ingredients. Their small Sanbornton vineyard, along with local farms, provides them with the fruits and honey they need to make their wines, which include flavors such as Apple, Blueberry and Kiwi, to name a few. Hermit Woods’ staff are eager to share their unique barrel-aging process with visitors, and they offer 30-minute tours of the facilities on weekends, as well as ten-dollar wine tastings that include six wines and a free wine glass to take home. They also recently added a small deli with menu offerings from meat-and-cheese platters to flatbreads to soups, all which are enjoyable in their outdoor porch seating area. 72 Main St., Meredith. 253-7968, hermitwoods.com.
The Lone Wolfe Brewing Company: Started in 2014 as a one-man brewery just outside Wolfeboro, the Lone Wolfe Brewing Company has since grown into a full tasting room and beer hall run by husband-and-wife team Jen and Graham Combes. The Lone Wolfe’s tasting selection now includes 10 rotating draft lines with beers from Graham’s custom-built brewhouse including the Yardsale IPA, Coffee Milk Stout and the Dipp’ah. They’ve also added a full menu that features patty melts, cilantro-lime marinated shrimp and steak tip sandwiches. The brewery boasts a relaxed and inviting atmosphere and seats one hundred at authentic German beer hall tables where customers can take in live music performances as well as open mics and game nights. 36 Mill St., Wolfeboro. 515-1273, thelonewolfe.com.
Sap House Meadery:
Gilmanton Winery: The house where Grace Metalious wrote Peyton Place is now a vineyard with some 700 grapevines. From plant to glass, you can view the process and taste a flight for yourself. The winery also hosts brunches and private events, like weddings. 528 Meadow Pond Road, Gilmanton.
Beans & Greens Farm: Not just a roadside farm stand, this is a destination for family fun. Beans & Greens hosts Kids’ Weekend on the Farm, which includes a petting zoo of barnyard animals, firetrucks, and a covered-wagon ride to kick off summer vacation. When they’re not hosting activities, the farm stand sells fresh produce and meats for all to enjoy. Be sure to stop by their deli and bakery for delicious homemade breads, sandwiches and pastries. Beans & Greens also has a corn maze in the fall. 245 Intervale Road, Gilford. 293-2853, beansandgreensfarm.com.
Moulton Farm: Moulton Farm offers a variety of fresh and delicious produce all summer at their farmstand in Meredith. It also has a farm kitchen with re-heatable meals cooked onsite, as well as a bakery and seafood shop with fresh-baked treats and Sal’s Seafood for sale. Their greenhouse is filled with flowers and plants all spring and summer. Also during the summer, Moulton Farm hosts Farm to Table dinners on several weekends where guests can enjoy meals featuring produce picked earlier that day. They also offer a Farm Share CSA program where customers can sign up to receive a weekly box filled with vegetables from the farm. Don’t forget to stop by their bakery in the morning to enjoy some of their warm Cider Bellies doughnuts! 18 Quarry Road, Meredith. 279-3915, moultonfarm.com.
Laconia Farmers Market: Pick up vegetables, fruits, dairy, baked goods, maple products, meat and homemade crafts from June through September. Markets are held Saturdays 8:30 a.m. to noon. 45 Beacon St., Laconia. 267-5326.
Wolfeboro Area Farmers Market:
Kellerhaus: The oldest candy and ice cream maker in New Hampshire, the family-run shop has been serving homemade ice cream, a sundae bar, homemade chocolates and unique knick-knacks in the region since 1906. Open year-round at 259 Endicott St., Weirs Beach. kellerhaus.com, 366-4466.
Rock Salt Creamery: Tom Morrison, founder of Rock Salt Creamery, grew up on a dairy farm and always loved ice cream. So when he decided to go vegan, he decided to create a delicious frozen treat that would be vegan, too. After years of testing out coconut- and almond-based vegan ice cream recipes, Morrison found what he was looking for – cashew cream. Morrison’s cashew-based ice cream comes in all the flavors of traditional ice cream, but contains no animal products. His creamery is open year-round selling vegan delicacies from dry-roasted cashews to “Vegnog” to cheesecake. Every summer, they pick one odd flavor of ice cream to sell that always seems to come out a crowd-pleaser – last year it was Cucumber Sorbet. 16 Parker Hill Road, Sanbornton. rocksaltcreamery.com, 266-8153.
Sawyer’s Dairy Bar: A family-run eatery since 1945, Sawyer’s prides themselves in serving only the best ingredients with no artificial preservatives. Stop in for a heaping scoop or two of their homemade ice cream this summer. 1933 Lakeshore Road, Gilford. sawyersnh.com, 293-4422.
Jordan’s Ice Creamery: These family-run locations make more than 150 flavors of ice cream, frozen yogurt and sugar-free options. They also offer homemade ice cream cakes, pies and fresh waffle cones. 894 Route 106, Belmont, and 593 Endicott St., Laconia. 267-1900 or 366-5900.
Main Street Maple Sugar House:
Heritage Farm Pancake House: 15 Parker Hill Road, Sanbornton. heritagefarmpancakehouse.com, 524-5400.
Windsong Farm: 51 Marjorie’s Walk, Gilford. 231-8614.
New Hampshire Gold: 31 Moulton Road, New Hampton. nhgold.com, 715-2259.
Boiling Bastards:
Cormier’s Sugarhouse: 1202 Mount Major Highway, Alton. 875-7631.
Abbott Farm Sugarhouse: 503 Sheridan Road, Moultonborough. 284-7073.
Fillion Maple Farm: 336 Middle Route, Gilmanton. 267-6494
Huckins Maple Farm: 333 Sanborn Road, Tilton. 393-7036.
Olkkola Farm: 30 Walker Hill Road, Ossipee. 539-4072.
Polhemus Farms: 25 Nedeau Road, Meredith. 279-3109, poljemusweb.com/sugarshack.
Todd’s Sugar Works:78 Rogers Road, Belmont. 527-2505.
(Sarah Pearson contributed to this article.)