Colby’s Breakfast and Lunch, Portsmouth, New Hampshire

After our memorable meal at the Olympos Diner, Nancy and I stopped overnight in downtown Portsmouth to visit friends, Bill and Betsy Wish, two remarkably active and creative people about whom more once they send me some links to their activities. Betsy and Nancy were at Camp Woodstock together, and have remained fast friends ever since. We had a pleasant dinner at The Oar House which, with the inclement weather and the general rejection of participation in the labor force, was the available alternative. We ate upstairs in the historic building in a room with a ceiling so low that I would have bumped my head on the beams if I were still six feet tall — another benefit of advanced age. The food was pretty good, and the company was great.

After dinner we had a walking tour of historic downtown Portsmouth, which is a pretty area and, despite the showers, packed with people enjoying themselves. Another walk the next morning took us through additional historic areas and public gardens. You should visit Portsmouth.

We decided to have breakfast at Colby’s Breakfast and Lunch. So did everyone else. It’s a small place, and the outside seating had fallen victim to the rain. But we waited under the eaves and umbrellas with the rest of New Hampshire on the bricked side yard that stretched the length of the building.

Colby’s graciously set up a free coffee station outside. The coffee station was strategically placed so that water draining from one umbrella fed onto a second umbrella which in turn periodically poured onto unsuspecting people at the coffee station. I will remain suspicious of umbrellas from now on.

Nancy and I were seated in a half hour or so, and after a glance at our menus, we ordered. Nancy opted for one blueberry pancake and one fried egg.

If you look very carefully, you will discern a pancake among the blueberries and a 10″ dinner plate under the pancake. This was a great pancake, delicious, and so much that I had to help Nancy finish it.

I ordered corned beef hash.

As you can see, the corned beef was very fine and thoroughly mixed. It also was beautifully seasoned. It didn’t have the caramelization of the Olympos corned beef hash, but it was delicious.

It’s easy to see why Colby’s is so popular. They do an excellent job with the food, and the service is fast and friendly. It boasts an attractive crowd of affluent local folks and tourists like Nancy and me. Even with the wait, the rain, and the malevolent umbrellas, it was a very pleasant breakfast. As I say, you should visit Portsmouth, and enjoy a good breakfast at Colby’s.

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