Pair of new restaurants opening in Center Harbor next week

CENTER HARBOR — Within the space of a week, this small lakeside village will see the addition of two new dining options, each of which is a new project of well-known restaurateurs.

Luke Dupuis, who had been part-owner of the Coe House for five years, is changing that restaurant's name and identity. Lavinia's is opening April 11 and will bring a more relaxed approach to dining. Close by, the owners of the family-friendly Mug Restaurant are planning to open the more up-scale Mug By The Bay in the storefront previously occupied by Sam & Rosie's. Mug By The Bay will open on April 15.

The Coe House was located in the historic John Coe homestead, was a fine-dining establishment featuring higher-end, expensive food. Dupuis, who also operates Home Comfort, became part-owner of the restaurant about five years ago and ran the place along with a chef-owner business partner. When the restaurant closed for the winter last year, the partnership ended and Dupuis is now sole owner. He decided that when the restaurant re-opened this year, it would do so with a new identity.

"Our goal is to bring a new, fresh and updated dining experience to the area, said Dupuis. Lavinia's, named after Coe's bride, was conceived as a response to the desires of the Coe House clientele, which more and more had been ordering the less costly menu items and choosing to sit in the restaurant's lounge area. "We followed their lead," said Dupuis.

Over the winter, Dupuis had the lounge area expanded and upgraded the seating there. The President's Room, and its historic murals, is left untouched. The restaurant can seat about 150 guests. To serve those guests, Dupuis hired chef Jeff Woolley and front house manager Brendan Nesheim.

"The Coe House was always the special occasion place," said Nesheim. At Lavinia's, he said, the goal was to "offer something that is accessible for anyone, every day of the week."

Woolley's menu features items such as Kobe beef meatloaf, lobster roll, shepherd's pie, braised osso bucco and a clam chowder for the saltines are made in-house. "My hope is that people will come often, try the different things on the menu." Entrees range in price from $10 to $30.

Along with a more relaxed menu comes a more accommodating service attitude. Children will no longer be discouraged and reservations will be taken for small parties. Lavinia's is also partnering with the Open Table smart phone app, which allows diners to make reservations through their mobile device. "We're hoping to make people as comfortable as we can to come in here," said Dupuis.

The Mug Restaurant, found on Daniel Webster Highway, has been a Center Harbor favorite for 44 years. Amy Elfline and her husband Paul Ursillo bought the restaurant in 1996. Seven years ago they opened the Mug Sandwich Shop, just over the line in Moultonborough, which they recently sold to employee Lisa Cross. Selling the sandwich shop allowed them to pursue their Mug By The Bay vision, which they will open on April 15.

"It's an entirely different menu, different feel,"explained Elfline. While the new restaurant will certainly welcome families, it won't have the same community living room feel as The Mug. A smaller place, the Mug By The Bay will seat about 48 guests.

Elfline and Ursillo undertook a major renovation of the space. Both the kitchen and the bathrooms have been relocated and the restaurant has a completely new interior.

Mug By The Bay will offer the same pizzas and freshly-ground burgers so popular at The Mug. Beyond those items, though, patrons will find a different menu at the new restaurant. Artichoke-stuffed steak, mushroom-stuffed chicken and a goat cheese and beet salad with steak tips are some of the items Elfline thinks will be guest favorites. Price range for entrees is $14 to $19.

In addition to dinner, Mug By The Bay will also serve breakfast and lunch. "It's not diner breakfast," she said. Pancakes are made from scratch, there will be fresh-baked pastries available and patrons can order a beverage from the cappuccino menu. Those cappuccinos will be available to go, as will boxed lunches Elfline thinks will be popular with boaters and beach goers.

"It's that kind of of stuff we think we'll capture with our location," said Elfline. "It's a great location."

CAPTION for LAVINIA'S in AA:

Chef Jeff Woolley, owner Luke Dupuis and manager Brendan Nesheim are planning to open Lavinia's, in the same Center Harbor location where the Coe House was, on April 11. (Laconia Daily Sun photo/Adam Drapcho)

CAPTION for MUG BY THE BAY in AA:

Owner Amy Elfline, bar manager Stefanie Swift and wait staff Brittiney Abbott are among the staff ready to open Mug By The Bay on April 15. The restaurant will be in the location that previously housed Sam & Rosie's in Center Harbor. (Laconia Daily Sun photo/Adam Drapcho)