Twelve Pine
11 School Street
Peterborough, NH
(603) 924-6140

Guest Review submitted by: Heather
Submitted: 08/12/01

Rating: Five Gold Leaves. The best!

If there is a neat town in New Hampshire, it is Peterborough. It is in the southwest corner of the state and very close to the almighty Mount Monadnock. It was formerly called Grovers Corners and is actually the setting for the famous play "Our Town." (big selling point)

Anyhow, in the midst of it is a place called Depot Square, full of artsy shops and bistros, although the parking lot requires full attention paid, as it is built in a circle, and many people are vying for store-specific parking spots.

Twelve Pine is the center attraction here. It is a large cafe/buffet-type place--I adore it. At one entrance, they sell a variety of organic produce and grains--a lot of the things you'd need for an obscure Vietnamese dish for a fancy dinner party. You continue in and hear the warm cacophony resonating in high, ceiling-fanned ceilings, the walls a perfect artsy almost mustard yellow, and the atmosphere reminiscent of a secretly wealthy artist's Fried Green Tomatoes cafe. 

It's a classy joint, a creative, parenty, young showering writer kind of place. There are fresh, fresh flowers sold by the stem, including more pricey orchids in pots, alongside fancy bathtime-like candles and more organic produce. There is an ever-changing case of daily made dishes that are always exotic and full of flavors: mixed green salads with avacados or other unlikely veggies with some sort of creative dressing, a number of ways to make twice-baked potatoes, vegetarian lasagnas, foreign concoctions--enough to make a meal of it, or at least a pretty satisfying mid-day snack. 

They sport a tempting dessert case with homemade cookies, but never just plain chocolate chip. They'd probably do carob or raisin and honey, depending on the day. There is also a little cafe with all the kinds of drinks you might see at any coffee shop: mochas, iced or hot chai lattes, cappuccino and many herbal teas and coffees including organic coffees, all of which have never failed to make me smile--"ahhhh."

The tables are nice, very nice. Just-varnished wood and stable chairs alike. You can face the fresh bread stand, see the Fresh Samantha case, admire the inspiring yellow walls offset by dark-finish wood along the edges. It is one of my favorite places to write or seek sanctuary. 

Price range: Food usually runs by the pound, which is often $2.95-$8.95 a pound. Cakes/dessert are pretty much $3-$5 apiece; cafe  drinks run pretty fair, from $1.50 teas to $3.79 for a more involved concoction. Flowers are $1.25-$3.95 a stem, typically.