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Order Up! The Daily Grind makes its home on Pleasant Street

By Patrick Adrian
EAGLE TIMES STAFF
CLAREMONT — Claremonters received a tasty surprise on Thursday with the opening of The Daily Grind, a highly anticipated new diner from the owner of Frazier’s Place, a popular restaurant in Windsor, Vermont.

The new eatery debuted in a soft opening at its renovated digs at 93 Pleasant St., in the space formerly occupied by Dusty’s Cafe.

The first morning was busier than imagined for a new restaurant, several staff told the Eagle Times. Around 9:30 a.m., most of the tables were still occupied and new diners were still trickling in for breakfast.

“It was even busier earlier,” said server Erica Sweetser.

Only former patrons of Dusty’s might catch remnants of the former establishment in the restaurant’s new decor.

“That mirror used to be here,” said Claremont resident Verner Fuller, pointing to the far wall. “Only it used to be located on the opposite side.”

A few other aspects of Dusty’s remain, such as the kitchen serving window, though otherwise the interior has been completely renovated, from the bar counter and seating to the restrooms.

New lighting fixtures and a fresh interior repainting provides more brightness to the dining floor.

Owner Mike Frazier, who acquired the restaurant four months ago, declined to quote the numerical cost of the restoration project, only that it was costly.

Frazier said he decided to open a second restaurant following the announcement by the Davis family last December that they would be selling Dusty’s Cafe due to personal health issues.

“Claremont needed a place and the opportunity came about,” Frazier said.

Frazier expressed gratitude to God, first and foremost, and his family being able to bring this new restaurant to fruition.

Frazier’s girlfriend Diane LaRoche, his son Duncan and his daughter Jasmine, have all contributed their time and energy to getting the new restaurant ready while also working “double duty” at both restaurants.

Frazier also thanked his staff, without which “there is no business.”

The Daily Grind’s menu offerings are carried over from Frazier’s Place, which is likely to please fans of the Windsor location.

“There’s no sense in reinventing the wheel,” Frazier told the Eagle Times. “We’re killing it over there with our menu.”

Breakfast items range from simpler fare, like eggs and toast or biscuits and gravy, to a variety of breakfast sandwiches, omelets or pancakes and waffles.

The lunch menu offers a wide selection of sandwiches, wraps, burgers and comfort foods.

Shawn Bell, of Cornish, is a regular diner at Frazier’s Place and said a person could blindly point a finger anywhere on the menu and be guaranteed a quality meal.

“When I first moved to Cornish, I ate at Frazier’s Place four nights a week,” Bell said.

Bell, an employee at Red River, said he enjoys numerous Claremont establishments though Frazier’s “is more my style of food.”

In terms of the breakfast menu, Bell said the Eggs Benedict dishes “are absolutely phenomenal.”

For lunch Bell said he loves the Boom Boom and Maple Smokehouse burgers and also recommended the Get Baked Tots, a serving of tater tots topped with crispy chicken, applewood bacon, barbecue sauce, and Cabot cheese.

The Daily Grind is currently only open for breakfast and lunch, though Frazier said that dinner hours could be added in the future depending on staffing availability.

“I don’t want this to be a secondary restaurant,” Frazier said. “I want both restaurants to be equals.”

The Daily Grind will be open on Saturday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., but will be closed on Easter Sunday. Hours for next week will be announced.

reporter @eagletimes.com

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