New Eggies opens in Atkinson

From the Eagle Tribune;

New Eggies opens in Atkinson

By Jillian Jorgensen jjorgensen@eagletribune.com

ATKINSON — Those who may have been forlorn to see their favorite Plaistow diner — a little rundown on the outside but offering great food inside — closed down can relax. Eggies is alive and well, just down the road a ways and one town over.

"This is more like a restaurant," said owner Kevin Barden. "There's a lot more room. It's all brand new and beautiful."

The new Eggies, with hardwood floors and bright, airy dining rooms, is a bit different than the long counter stretching through the old-fashioned diner in Plaistow. But Barden said with the rent rising and the building deteriorating, it was time to move on.

"Most people came in and told me they loved the food. Not many came and told me how much they loved the building," Barden said.

The old Eggies closed June 28, and the new location opened July 15. Barden, 53, of Derry, said his business has practically doubled since the move.

While the look is new, much has stayed the same. Barden took his staff with him, which will keep plenty of his regulars happy.

When Joe Roy, 51, of Sandown was asked to name his favorite thing about Eggies, he didn't think long before saying, "The waitresses."

Roy, who usually orders two eggs over easy with kielbasa, said he liked the new place but did miss the old bar. The longtime customer said he's seen Eggies grow over the years.

"I've been going to Eggies for a long time, probably about nine years," he said. "This is the biggest change."

Eggies has been around even longer than that. Barden has run the restaurant since February 1993. A former Marine, he's been cooking even longer, having prepared meals for Marine recruits on Parris Island, S.C.

In the larger, newer kitchen last week, he proudly showed off homemade specialties: black bean salsa, salad dressings, barbecue and hollandaise sauce. A heap of breakfast potatoes cooked on the grill, covered with his own seasoning. Roy said he prepares each meal individually, and hopes to make the food unique.

"You can't get it anywhere else," he said. "You can only get it here at Eggies."

The new restaurant holds a special place in Marilyn Wentworth's heart.

The 73-year-old, who now lives in Florida, dropped in last week to visit what she said was once her parents' home, built in 1957. She dropped in with her son, David Vencis, 55, of Exeter.

"My mother's looking down smiling because she loved to cook," Wentworth said. "It brings back a lot of memories."

The menu has expanded along with the size of the restaurant, but old favorites — eggs Benedict, omelettes, pancakes and meatloaf in the colder months — will remain.

Benjamin Goldbaum, 31, of Atkinson usually orders the eggs Benedict. He said the move was great news for him.

"I like it," he said, "because I live right across the street."

Goldbaum said the food and the waitstaff have kept him coming back for more than five years.

"They're easy to talk to," he said.

Lisa Liguori, 52, of Salem has been bringing Eggies customers their meals for 15 years. Though she loves the new spot, it was hard to leave the old Eggies behind.

"Of course," she said. "It has nostalgia." The diner was built in 1952.

Eggies is now open for business at 6 Main St. (Route 121) in Atkinson.