By: Joel Faretra – Nov. 2020
As we settle into fall and get ready for another New England winter, our local restaurants are scrambling to come up with plans to continue to stay open as outdoor dining becomes less and less desirable. Please continue to support our local restaurants by going out if you are able and by ordering take out if you do not feel comfortable with indoor dining. These places are the backbone of our community, supporting our local sports leagues and non-profits, employing our youth, and generating much-needed revenue.
The plan was to head to Ellie’s and Muddy Water’s this month. I was thrown a little monkey wrench by Crumbl Cookies opening up so I ended up there instead of Muddy’s.
Ellie’s Farmhouse (436 Broadway, Methuen elliesfarmhouse.com 978 208-8062). Ellie’s is located where Fuddruckers used to be in the Village Mall and it is hard not to walk in and picture where everything used to be when it was Fuddruckers. Management has done a great job with the transformation of both the exterior and interior of the building. The room that was to the far left when it was Fuddruckers will be their grab and go section of the restaurant very soon. The seating is well spaced out to make you feel more comfortable. They serve breakfast and lunch 7 days a week. They are open 7 am-2 pm Monday-Friday but stay open until 4 pm on the weekends. I have only gone for breakfast this month.
The first thing I noticed is that they have breakfast appetizers. They have freshly made donut holes that can be tossed in maple cream or cinnamon sugar. The manager came over and gave us the recommendation to dip them in their own cinnamon maple syrup! He brought us over a sample and he was right! They also have breakfast egg rolls with your choice of bacon, sausage, or spinach. I would have been fine with getting more of them as breakfast. They came to the table hot and crispy! They also have oatmeal, parfait, and the baked good of the month.
For breakfast, the breakfast burrito was pretty good sized; I ended up taking half home for breakfast for the next day. It comes loaded but you can add pork or beef if you want. The family got pancakes and eggs Benedict the first time we went. The food was good, not great. Good bacon, not as good as my homemade bacon, but better quality than a diner. Unlike a diner, they have many options for your specialty diets. The service was great! Ricky, the manager, came over and chatted with us a couple of times when I was there with my family and when I went back a second time with some friends, our waitstaff could not have been any better. I will definitely go back to try lunch at some point. 4 beards
Crumbl Cookies
(90 Pleasant Valley St, The Loop, www.crumblcookies.com/Methuen)
After much anticipation, Crumbl Cookies opened at The Loop the week before Halloween. They definitely lived up to the hype with their specialty cookies. They keep the milk chocolate chip and chilled sugar cookies on the menu every week and then rotate specialty cookies into the rotation. For week one, the Nutella cookie and Andes Mint ones were amazing! The Nutella cookie was a dark chocolate cookie with Nutella in the middle and drizzled on the side. I struggled to finish this in one sitting, and I am not a small man! The milk chocolate cookie and the chilled sugar were ok but it will be the specialty ones that will bring you back. Last week, the caramel apple and Reese’s cookies get high marks. According to the store staff, there is no timeframe for the rotation so it could be months before your favorite one comes back around.
For orders, they have an app that you can order your cookies and pick them up curbside so you do not even have to go into the store. Delivery will be an option soon.Besides cookies, they sell a variety of ice cream so you can make an ice cream sandwich. Of course, they sell milk so you can wash down your cookie. They are pricey, $3.88 a cookie but it is well worth it. A cookie can easily be split amongst a couple of children or adults! Once again, another place with great customer service. You were greeted as soon as you walk in and all the staff was very courteous.
I know it’s hard to tell, but I am not much of a dessert guy but I have contemplated going back numerous times the past week.
For a dessert place, I am going to give it 4 beards since it could be months until your favorite cookie comes back.