Last week, I enjoyed having both of my kids at summer camp (day camp), which left me alone and without the kids for 7 hours a day. Which has literally NEVER happened to me since I had kids. Seven years ago. Even with my kids in school, they are never gone that long since my youngest son is still in half-day school for yet another year (which is about 2.5 hours). Needless to say, I was kind of overjoyed about having that kind of time, so I got caught up on a long to-do list. On Friday, my husband was able to take a few hours off work, so we drove out to the seacoast for lunch at Petey’s Summertime Restaurant in Rye. And by drove, I mean we literally got in the car and drove off. We were completely giddy, without kids. No packing, so stuffing coolers full of snacks and drinks and changes of clothes, and telling kids 100 times go to the bathroom, and forgetting things before we even got out of the driveway. It was so liberating. I can’t even describe the jealousy I had then of people without kids. You just don’t KNOW how easy you have it.
Petey’s is kind of a mythical place I keep hearing about from my in-laws who speak about it in hushed reverent tones. So I knew I had to go. If I had one wish of a place to try that week, that was gonna be it. It kind of perfectly worked out, because it was also my father in law’s birthday, and so when we invited them there was no hesitation whatsoever.
I started out with Seafood Chowder, and we had Onion Rings, both of which have won Best of NH awards.
Washed down with a refreshing Red Hook ale, it was the perfect HUGE lunch on a Friday afternoon. We even got to see someone arrive via helicopter out the back. Good times!
