Upper Valley "Best of"

I meant to publish this post before leaving New Hampshire, but the timing just didn't work out. So, without further delay and roughly grouped food-services-activities, I present my "Best of the Upper Valley," as determined by six years of living there. May you find it useful and entertaining! And as always, please leave a comment if you think I overlooked something or committed an injustice by omitting your favorite.

Best ice cream: Mickey's Roadside Tavern (Enfield, NH)
There are surprisingly few ice cream outlets in the Upper Valley. I give Mickey's the edge over Fore-U (Lebanon, NH) largely on the strength of its cotton candy and peppermint stick flavors and the Brobdingnagian dimensions of a "small." Being within walking distance of our apartment and situated next to a stream often occupied by fish or ducks didn't hurt either.

Best pizza: Ramunto's (Hanover, NH)
Every Dartmouth grad has a soft spot for EBA's (Hanover, NH), but delivery hours notwithstanding, Ramunto's just makes better pizza (although I highly recommend the EBA's pepperoni-and-bacon pizza during their Wacky Wednesday promotion). Besides, EBA's once served me a quart of caffeinated root beer. Not that I'm holding a grudge.

Best all-around restaurant: Molly's (Hanover, NH)
Any of the three former Blue Sky Restaurant Group members (Molly's, Lui Lui's [Lebanon, NH], and Jesse's [Hanover, NH]) would have been worthy recipients. In fact, Ellen and I had our wedding rehearsal dinner at Lui Lui's. In terms of menu diversity, atmosphere, service, and college-town setting, though, Molly's gets the nod.

Best breakfast: Lou's (Hanover, NH)
This one was easy. I mean, have you ever eaten there??

Best ethnic (or "ethnic," if you prefer) food: Golden Ming (Canaan, NH)
Ellen might have preferred Mai Thai or Jewel of India (both Hanover, NH), and I enjoyed both restaurants ... but it's my list and I prefer Chinese food to Thai or Indian, so Golden Ming it is. The lunch special combination plates are a particularly good value (less so the dinner specials).

Best mechanic: Doug's Sunoco (Lebanon, NH)
Another easy choice. Knowledgeable, honest, and fairly priced. In our experience they always helped us make the best decision, even if it weren't what they could bill the most for. HIGHLY recommended.

Best dentist: James Brackett (Hanover, NH)
It's tough to title this category "best," since Ellen and I only tried two different Upper Valley dentists in our combined fourteen years, but we both had excellent experiences with Dr. Brackett. He is extremely knowledgeable and takes a "hands-off" approach to interventions; you get the definite feeling that you and he are partners rather than having your care dictated to you.

Best oral surgeon: Craig Cohen (Lebanon, NH)
Once again, the only provider I've been to in the region, but he did a phenomenal job with my wisdom teeth extraction last October. I highly recommend him to anyone in need of oral surgery services in the Upper Valley.

Best hospital: 
Given my occupation, I think it would be unfair of me to offer a public opinion on this topic (feel free to ask me off-line for my thoughts, though). But I will say that whenever I needed emergency care, I went to DHMC (Lebanon, NH).

Best hike: Mt. Washington (Sargent's Purchase, NH)
Technically not in the Upper Valley, but it's the tallest mountain in the Northeast. The feeling of accomplishment alone makes it worth it. The views from near the top aren't bad either (just don't expect to see anything except clouds and fog from the summit itself!).

Best hike actually in the Upper Valley: Gile Mountain (Norwich, VT)
Accessible rain, shine, or snow, the summit has a fire tower that offers a wonderful panoramic view. Gile boasts easily the best view-to-effort ratio in the Upper Valley, which gives it the nod over Mt. Cardigan. You can make it up in thirteen minutes if you're hustling after lost sunglasses or down in even less time if you're being chased by a thunderstorm (done both, would recommend neither).

Best walk: Enfield Rail Trail (Enfield, NH)
Honorable mention goes to circling Occom Pond (Hanover, NH), but there's just no beating the views of Lake Mascoma. Not worrying about getting run over by golfers running late for their tee time is a plus too, as is the wild raspberries growing along the trail. Great for running, biking, and even horse riding, too.

Can't-miss annual event: Dartmouth Night (Hanover, NH)
You don't have to go to Dartmouth to appreciate a thirty-foot bonfire!