L’Anecdote (801, rue Rachel Est): It was a weekend of mediocre meals until we took the food situation into our own hands (why didn’t we buy a $25 charcoal grill from Rona earlier in the summer?), and while our breakfast at L’Anecdote was nothing to really complain about, there’s not much to write either. Regular diner fare (perhaps better for burgers later on in the day?), complete with cute red booths, friendly staff. Coke comes in little glass bottles. It gets some bonus points for being a walking distance away from our place, not far from Parc Lafontaine, but I’m on the lookout for more adventurous breakfast places these days.

Polly's Pancake Parlor672 Route 117Sugar Hill, NH 03586: Quebec is spoiled in June with two back to back long weekends (St Jean Baptiste, followed by Canada Day), and despite having just returned from a two week vacation, it seemed a shame to pass up a perfectly good travelling opportunity. So, on Friday night Andrew and I packed up the car and drove through Vermont, slept at a rest stop somewhere in New Hampshire, and then ended up bright and early on Saturday morning in Boston. Most of our time was dedicated to seafood, including the most amazing Island Creek, MA oysters at B&G Oysters, amazingly succulent fried clams from Kelly's Roast Beef on the beach at sundown in Revere, MA and a sampling of chowders at Chowderfest. Note: If you want good chowder, you probably shouldn't go to chowderfest (our pick won, but we've had better). Unfortunately all of these gifts from the sea add up and despite finding ways to save some money (see: slept at a rest stop somewhere in New Hampshire), by Monday we needed to stick to the land.

We took a route home through New Hampshire. Our love of Vermont has caused us to neglect New Hampshire, so we decided to ease up the pace a little. I have always been charmed by their dramatic state slogan: LIVE FREE OR DIE. And there's still something mildly shocking in finding out that the seatbelt law does not apply in New Hampshire. A wild and crazy state, right? Not exactly, but it is beautiful with its forest flanked highways and the gorgeous expanse of the White Mountains. There's even a Shaker village in Canterbury where, if you don't want to pay admission to enter, you can still buy herbs and heirloom tomato plants grown in the Shaker gardens. There is also a town called Sugar Hill, and if you're lucky enough to get there before 3 pm you can stop for pancakes at Polly's Pancake Parlor.

We each ordered a pancake sampler platter where you can order three different types of pancakes with different kinds of "fillings". Cumulatively we had plain blueberry, buttermilk oatmeal walnut, cornmeal coconut, whole wheat chocolate chip and apple cinnamon. They're served in groups of three to make sure the other half is kept warm while you're eating, and all of the maple accoutrements (syrup, spread, sugar), like everything else (i.e. the flour) is produced by Polly's family. It's cozy and friendly, and the pancakes were perfect. Definitely worth a return trip if we're ever in the area again.