Nicole Dargy is going to serve comfort food & she's going to do it downtown

LACONIA — Nicole Dargy, a city native, inherited her family's love of home-style cooking. While raising three boys, she began to dream of opening a restaurant through which she could share her style of food with members of the public hungry for a meal as comforting as it is filling.

Dargy's dream is soon to come true, as she and her family are preparing to open the Vintage Café at 626 Main Street. Extensive renovations to the space are nearly complete and Dargy hopes to open next week. It will be a family-run affair, with Dargy being assisted by an uncle with professional experience, fiance and long-time partner Brad Taylor, and her sons.

The Vintage Café will be open Mondays through Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., serving lunch and casual dinners. And as the establishment is a dream for Dargy, she wouldn't locate it anywhere but Main Street of her native city.

To be kept up-to-date on the opening date for the restaurant, check the Facebook page for "The Vintage Cafe".

"We weren't a McDonalds, or an open-up-a-box type of family," Dargy said, recalling years of home-prepared meals she shared with her family, and later similar suppers she made for her sons. She never thought of such labors as a chore, rather as a pleasure, something she did to bring herself joy and relaxation.

When conceiving her restaurant, Dargy sought to revive certain time-honored, homestyle dishes that more modern lunch spots have abandoned — hence the "vintage" in the restaurant's name. Meanwhile, the use of the term "café" hints at the availability of certain items, such as panini sandwiches and quiche, specifically, that represent a departure from comfort-food territory.

The menu of the Vintage Café contains plenty of comfort and familiarity, though. Each day will feature a "blue plate special" offering classics such as roast turkey, meatloaf, shepherd's pie, macaroni and cheese, offered with homemade rolls and a side. The menu also offers baked potatoes, personal-size pizzas, home-made soups, subs and a children's menu. Dargy emphasized the use of all-natural ham, turkey and chicken, certified Angus beef, and eggs from a local farm. Add in the baked goods, and Dargy and company think they'll have something to tempt every diner's appetite.

With the Vintage Café on the eve of opening, Dargy and Taylor said they were happy to be in downtown Laconia, even though they had to spend two months renovating a storefront to house their restaurant. "I just love Main Street," Dargy said. "I remember, as a child, it was a vibrant place to be."

"We envision it changing in that direction," said Taylor.

Dargy added, "Downtown is the heart of the town."

CAPTION for VINTAGE CAFE in AA:

Nicole Dargy and Brad Taylor are preparing to open the Vintage Café, on Main Street in Laconia, as early as next week. (Laconia Daily Sun photo/Adam Drapcho)