Yummy food with a fun menu, The Nook in Dover is a downtown delight

The Nook's sandwich-salad special with half a BLT and a bowl of turkey vegetable soup. (Rochester Voice photos)

DOVER - The Nook has been around since 2017, but 2 Locust St. in Dover's downtown has been home to comfort food and comfortable surroundings since at least the 1990s.

It's legacy lives on under the direction of owner Tammy Johnson, who has developed an imaginative menu that leaves no stone unturned and no one behind. And with these portions, no one will be underserved, either.

Not sure why this is, but when I sit down to eat at The Nook I feel centered, at peace and at one with the world. Maybe it's the down to earth staff, the location or the overall no-nonsense ambiance.

The Mexican salad with chicken, salsa, tomatoes, and mixed cheeses

It doesn't matter, but what does matter is the quality of the food and the reasonableness of the price. Those two ingredients are unassailable.

Martha had a soup and half-sandwich special for $6.95 that included a half a BLT that came with two man-size strips of bacon on sourdough bread and a bowl - not a cup - of turkey vegetable soup.

The soup was a blend of well-seasoned broth, white turkey meat and vegetables including celery and carrots.

I had a Mexican salad for $7.25 that came with copious amounts of tender white meat chicken grilled perfectly, lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, and mixed cheeses. There was plenty to take home, too.

But looking at their menu online, I'm wishing I'd gone a little bit earlier in the day.

Consider these nuggets:

Antelope Scramble: Smoke duck sausage, onion, spinach and cheese for $9.95.

Winter Feed pancakes: 2 cornmeal, walnut, molasses pancakes topped with apples for $8.95.

And when I do go I'll not forget their apple cider mimosa or their Hot Cocoas including Peppermint Patty with peppermint schnapps, hot cocoa and whipped cream; or Irish Cocoa with Jameson, hot cocoa and whipped cream. Talk about comfort food.

They also serve gluten free toast, waffles and pancakes.

Safe to say their menu is voluminous, fun and as eclectic as you want including even a Conservation Tofu Scramble that comes with scrambled tofu, nutritional yeast, turmeric, black sea salt, carrot ribbons, mushrooms and red pepper served with a cup of fruit for $9.95.

Service ★★★

Food ★★★★

Atmosphere ★★★★★