It’s October again! Which means it’s my birthday and our anniversary month so this is IT for me……. lots of chances to go out to eat at restaurants. You know this is what I live for. Most of the year we go out to eat so seldom, so this is where I make it count!
Our first outing this month was at the On the Corner Grill in Derry NH. We drove foreverrrrr to get there. I’d heard good things about it on various food groups and I liked the sound of the Italian-heavy menu. At first glance Dave wasn’t super into it because he usually gets a burger, but he definitely was happy in the end. Here’s what we had.
To Start Out… Drinks and Appetizers
Like most places, they started out with some bread and dipping oil. The bread was warm, with a crusty exterior and pillow-soft interior. In fact the bread reminded me of a verrrrry similar bread at Villagio in Manchester. The cloudlike bits were perfect for swiping up some of that sundried tomato dipping oil. I expected it to have a little heat, but it did not.
My first cocktail was from the specials menu, and of course for October it’s the Pumpkin Martini. Normally I don’t go for those dessert-like cocktails but it’s fall and might as well go with it. It was really delicious, creamy and spiced, and quite strong.
I had a hard time choosing an appetizer. Normally I go for a bruschetta which would have been great in this case, but I went with the Steak and Cheese Egg Rolls. Two large freshly-fried egg rolls stuffed with grilled steak, peppers, onions, and cheese, and served with a Big Mac type sauce. It was pretty good. The flavorings were just okay, and the sauce kind of lacked a bit of kick but all in all it was nice to munch on while we waited. I’d probably try a different appetizer next time.
On the Corner Grill Main Courses
The Italian Trio caught my eye on the menu. An entree featuring a sampling of three classics: ricotta-stuffed raviolis, lasagna smothered with alfredo sauce, and chicken parm breaded and fried and coated with pink rosa sauce. It was a no brainer for me. I am an absolute sucker for sauces, and with three different ones I couldn’t resist.
My favorite was the meat lasagana because of the alfredo sauce. Just creamy and delicious and the garlic was fragrant. I have to say that I was so full that I could only eat about half of it, and it made excellent leftovers for breakfast the next day.
My second choice for entree was what Dave ended up choosing: Chicken O, a specialty for On the Corner Grill. It just sounded so unique and I haven’t really seen anything like it at other restaurants.
Sautéed chicken breast filled with crabmeat stuffing, served with vegetable risotto with a light cream pesto sauce
What a color! I tried a couple of bites and it was really good. I looooooved the crabmeat stuffed inside the chicken. The vegetable risotto on the side really paired well with the chicken and crab flavors. Dave ended up really enjoying it.
My second cocktail was the espresso martini! It was just as delicious as the pumpkin and also very strong. We didn’t get dessert (we were too full) so that was a perfect little treat at the end of the meal.
On The Corner Grill
418 Island Pond Rd,
Derry, NH 03038
New Hampshire Food Photography
Erika Follansbee is a published Goffstown, NH food photographer whose job is to make food look amazing. She is available for hire to help small restaurants and cafes to create beautiful images of their dishes to use for marketing, websites, and social media. Magazine-quality food images are the best form of advertisement.
Erika is also a wedding photographer. Visit www.erikafollansbee.com for more information.
