Location:

185 Main Street, Nashua, NH

Cost: approx $9-15 per lunch entree (after 5pm, approx $15-19)

www.marthas-exchange.com



I've been to Nashua a slew of times but never dined at Martha's Exchange on Main Street.  Martha's Exchange has no relation or connection to Martha's Vineyard or Martha Stewart.  It actually began as a sweet shop which simply grew and grew.  More of it's history can be read here.

We made it there for lunch one day and found it quite busy.  We only had about 45 minutes for a quick bite so we had to order quickly, although I would have liked to have perused the menu better and also enjoyed a beer with my meal considering it's brewed on the premises. 



Our dishes took a fair bit of time to arrive; turned out the delay was due to a large party of 30 on the other side of our booth.



However, when our dishes did arrive, we were very pleased.

My Mum ordered the Jambalaya ($12).



The Jambalaya was better than I've tasted in New Orleans!  It's ingredients being: blackened chicken, andouille sausage, shrimp and fresh veggies sauteed in a spicy marinara sauce.  It had a good kick to it (you know how I like it hot!) and was very fresh.

I'd ordered the Almond Maple Salmon ($15)



Fresh Atlantic salmon topped with sliced almonds and baked in a maple butter sauce.  Baked IN a maple butter sauce INDEED!  My salmon was having a long hot soak in a jucuzzi of butter!!!  I'd have preferred it not having quite so much R&R.   It was, however, quite tasty but the rice it came with was nothing special. 

At one point during our meal the elderly lady in the booth behind us spilled her drink creating quite a commotion (someone may have been enjoying the beer afterall!).  It seemed it was her birthday and she was treating her daughter and a couple of other friends to lunch.  They all left before she did and the lady told us as she was leaving that she was alright and we nodded and sympathised with her.  The next moment my Mum spilled her drink all over the seat as well!  Very strange.  Perhaps Martha's is haunted by a playful ghost?  The website doesn't say but you never know......

I'd love to go back to Martha's and try out the beers and more of the dishes...the menu was quite extensive.  I'm also sorry now that I didn't try any of the sweets from the still existing sweet "shoppe" in the corner of the restaurant!  Argh! I hate metered parking!!