Kimberly may be getting ready for her next New Hampshire escape, and this blog has been discontinued. Thanks for visiting and happy travels!

In the season of polka-dotted bikinis, you would think that abs would take precident over our apps. But that didn't happen at the Common Man in Merrimack last night. In fact, I thought Karin and I were going for a beer and to watch some of the Sox game. I should have known better and remembered when it's the Common Man, it's always apps over abs!

My readership surely knows about my love for the Common Man. It's a place where the atmosphere of historic homes and barns and all their exposed beams, crooked flooring and creaking stairs lures me every time. It's that powerful, influential kind of atmosphere that can transform your mediocre Chicken Ceasar salad into an artful culinary exultation! That is, of course, if you like that kind of atmosphere. Alas, thank goodness the Common Man has a menu to match its interiors - unique, varied and full of old world charm.

We sat upstairs in the lounge in order to peek at the Sox game from time to time. We wanted to order the mussels, but our very nice waitress guided us over to the mussels on special - made in a lemon soy broth. I'm not sure but we may have set records in cleaning that offering, so as any food lover would do, we took our crusty french bread and sopped up the broth. That is until our best ever crab cake arrived. I am a crab cake freak, and besides the indulgent half dozen that Karin's chef husband, Claude, brings me twice a year, the Common Man's crab cakes are my favorite in the state. Please help yourself and order them as an app or a meal!

So seek out the Common Man for a great bar menu, better dinner menu and unparalleled atmosphere in this area. The staff is friendly, knowledgeable [last night they filled us in on the old home being part of the Underground Railroad, and that the ghosts remain!] and full or energy too which can always round out the dining out trip. You can even take a memento of cheese, white chocolate or a vintage Life cover home with you for a few extra dollars. See you there for sure!