Polly’s Pancake Parlor
Location: Sugar Hill
Signature Dish: “Pancake Sampler”
$
Only a few miles from the home of poet Robert Frost (now a museum worth a visit) is the home of poetry in pancakes—a few simple ingredients elevated to perfection set against the background that inspired Robert Frost’s remarkable writing.
In 1938, when Wilfred “Sugar Bill” Dexter and his wife Polly turned their rustic barn into a quaint tea room, they were taking a road less traveled. But Polly’s exceptional pancakes took top billing in no time. Little has changed for hungry travelers, who have been making the pancake pilgrimage for more than seventy-five years. Diners enjoy an idyllic view, overlooking the open fields of Hildex Farm, framed by the majestic White Mountains.
Polly’s is now run by Kathie Alrich Cote, the fourth generation of the family. While there are omelets, eggs Benedict, and other breakfast offerings, it’s really all about the pancakes: 3 inches (8 cm) in diameter, they are puffy, flavorful, and available in five varieties—plain, oatmeal buttermilk, buckwheat, whole wheat, and commeal, the last three organically grown and stone-ground. Add-ins include walnuts, blueberries, coconut, and chocolate chips. With twenty-five variations to ponder, it may take some willpower to settle for an order of six of the same.
The “Pancake Sampler” lets you mix-and-match any three batters and toppings. Your waitress actually makes them herself —in batches of three, so that a second serving arrives hot off the griddle just as you are finishing your first. For an additional two bucks you can get them gluten-free. Maple leaf-shaped pewter trays are filled with Polly’s famous maple products to top your pancakes: pure maple butter, maple sugar, and maple syrup.
The restaurant does not take reservations on holidays or weekends, but last year more than 54,000 patrons decided to come anyway. It closes during winter so call ahead.