Dining Out: The Purple Finch

Shauna and I found ourselves between destinations one Sunday (practice was over at noon and the softball game she wanted to watch wasn't till 1:00), so we decided to make a lunch stop.  It was her recommendation, this time: The Purple Finch Cafe in Bedford, NH.  She'd gone there recently with some friends from school and told me: "You'll love it, mom!"

She was right.  The had me from the color of the exterior and interior. 

Bright, cheerful and oh so purple!

There was LOVELY purple everywhere, but hugely crowded, so no pix, sorry!

Shauna is a burger fan so she had no trouble deciding on lunch:
Cheeseburger Perfection - Your choice of Swiss, American or cheddar on top of lettuce, tomato, red onion & chipotle aioli on our fresh toasted bulkie roll.

 She gave me a bite.  I am going to seriously say it was some of the tastiest hamburger I've ever had.  It was "certified Angus beef" but even more than that, it was REALLY good!  It tasted fresh - you know how sometimes all you taste is the ketsup or other flavorings?  This was honest to goodness beef.  No "where's the beef?" here - it was on her plate!

I, on the other hand, had a much more difficult time deciding what to try.  They have an extensive menu (click HERE) PLUS a set of specials that vary daily that call out to you, too!  It is only open till 2 pm, so it's a breakfast/lunch spot.  The tough thing was which should I go for?  Breakfast or lunch?

There was:
Da’ Bomb-let - A three egg omelet stuffed with grilled buffalo chicken, bleu cheese crumbles and scallions drizzled with ranch.

or maybe 
Jamaican Me Hungry - A parfait generously layered with low-fat vanilla yogurt, sliced bananas, pineapple tid-bits, shredded coconut and sliced almonds. Served with grilled tea bread.

or wait, how about

Cinnamon Roll Supreme  - Two cinnamon rolls served French toast style topped with fresh strawberries, bananas, powdered sugar and a dollop of whipped cream.

Goodness how would I decide?  Well, the direction I would take came after I decided to go with a lemonade vs coffee.  Now at least I could look at just the lunch menu.  Lemonade and pancakes?  Nawww...

So now it was what to have on that side of the menu.  I could try The Houdini - Sliced seasoned sirloin cooked to order, grilled with peppers, onions, mushrooms, American cheese and chipotle aioli on a grilled hoagie roll. (Sure to disappear) or perhaps Sweet Caroline - Sweet and tangy BBQ pulled pork topped with coleslaw and tempura battered banana peppers served on a grilled ciabatta.


To eliminate the suspense, I went with the salad my bestie, Ann, recommended: Strawberry Fields
Our signature chicken salad, fresh strawberries, candied pecans, feta crumbles, cucumbers, grape tomatoes and red onion on a bed of field greens. Served with raspberry vinaigrette dressing and fresh baked bread.

The chicken salad was fantastic and I'm a fan of raspberry vinaigrette, so it was a hit for TWO lunches!  I could only eat half and had the other half the next day!

I assured Bri that despite the color of this restaurant, he'd like it and I'm SURE we'll be going back.  But don't forget, if you want to stop by, they are open 7 days a week, but they close at 2 pm, so get there early!

Happy dining,
Carrie