• Suzanne Podhaizer
• A Long Cold Winter cocktail

Early signs that Parsons Dinner House is something special can be found on the Barton restaurant's cocktail menu. In early December, the bevvies included a huckleberry cosmo ($13) with a touch of cranberry — the ruby liquid poured over crushed ice was artfully garnished with a Twizzler-style huckleberry twist candy and a slice of lime.

In warmer weather, many of the drinks — including the best-selling pear martini — feature syrups made by co-owner Maria Hill, using her Glover garden's bounty of fruits, herbs and flowers. Now that the ground is coated in snow, she'll begin whisking up a rich cooked nog using local eggs, the base for a popular eggnog martini.

The Dinner House is Hill's first restaurant venture, although she learned to cook at a young age thanks to her mother and grandparents and she's worked in the hospitality industry on and off for decades. As mixologist, pastry chef and host, she brings to the biz her passions for homegrown ingredients, decadent cheesecakes and warm customer service. Her work and life partner, executive chef Steve Vazzano, adds his culinary skills and 20-plus years of experience owning and operating East Coast restaurants.

• Suzanne Podhaizer
• Asian pear salad

The two previously worked together at the WilloughVale Inn and Cottages in Westmore. When that business was closed during the pandemic, the unemployed couple took a snowmobile ride to brunch at Parson's Pub and Grill, as it was then called. During their meal, Hill and Vazzano learned that the pub's owners were looking to sell and leaped at the opportunity.

They opened Parsons Dinner House in May 2021, and the new eatery was well received by cooped-up townsfolk. "It was the middle of COVID, and, of course, we were wearing masks," Hill recalled. "But it was almost like it was the roaring twenties. People were just tired of being inside and were so excited" to have a place to go.

After a smooth launch, the business faced a threat to its existence this summer, when the Barton River jumped its banks during the July flood and damaged the building, forcing the Dinner House to stay closed throughout the summer tourist season. It was finally able to reopen in mid-November.

• Suzanne Podhaizer
• Pan-fried dumplings with jalapeño candy

Back at the helm, Hill and Vazzano — assisted by several of Hill's five children, who work as bartenders, line cooks and servers — serve upscale comfort food, exciting cocktails and decadent desserts with the homey touches often unique to owner-operated businesses.

The culinary offerings change seasonally — or whenever one of the owners wants to try something new. In early December, the appetizer menu featured pan-crisped chicken and shiitake mushroom dumplings with pickled cabbage and candied jalapeño ($14). The interplay of sesame oil and soy, plus the tongue-tingling heat from the pepper, made the dish sing.

Panko-crusted duck croquettes with cranberry, goat cheese and celeriac purée ($14) hinted at holiday vibes, but the concept was fresh and the execution delicious. The crunchy croquettes paired perfectly with the classic Christmas music playing in the dining room, which included songs from kids' holiday movies and sections of George Frideric Handel's Messiah.

• Suzanne Podhaizer
• Espresso cheesecake

My table's favorite starter was a New England classic: mac and cheese topped with fried, maple-glazed pork belly ($14). We interspersed bites of the decadent meat with bites of a refreshing Asian pear salad ($13): kale, arugula and endive with slices of the crisp fruit in a hazelnut vinaigrette, garnished with pomegranate seeds, pumpernickel crumbs and Jasper Hill Farm's Bayley Hazen Blue cheese.

Vazzano — who loves doing special one-off dinners that highlight his interest in Italian cuisine — is well known for his tagliatelle Bolognese, but we couldn't resist ordering some of the other dishes. After an August visit to Rome, I was drawn to the gnocchi with cured pork, housemade sausage and rich tomato sauce ($27). It transported me to scorching summer days spent seeing the Colosseum and Michelangelo's David. A Filipino-inspired dish, pork adobo with tangy soy-laced vinegar and jasmine rice ($31), rounded out our savory choices.

• Courtesy
• Maria Hill and Steve Vazzano

Stuffed after our meal, we still ordered Hill's decadent espresso cheesecake ($10), although it was hard to pass up the sticky toffee pudding and the éclair.

Later, we chatted with Hill, who had been our server for the evening. I asked about a drink called The Flood!, an oat-milky concoction of chai, vodka and brown sugar that comes with a $10 surcharge on top of the standard $13 cocktail price. Hill explained that the additional fee is part of the restaurant's fundraising effort to move to a location outside the flood zone.

Both co-owners love operating a true family business that brings joy to their neighbors, Hill explained, and they want to keep doing it — ideally in a safer space.

Their fans want the same thing. Darlene Young, who visits the restaurant for special occasions, date nights and visits with friends, is equally impressed by the food and the service. "There is a graciousness in everything they do, every detail, every interaction, that makes it so special," she said.

"I have a friend who calls it his 'home restaurant,' his first choice," she added. "I agree."