By Aubry Bracco, Beach News Staff Writer

Beach News, Thursday, June 8, 2006

[The following article is courtesy of Beach News.]


RON’S LANDING
379 Ocean Blvd.
Hampton Beach, N.H.
(603) 929-2122
www.ronslanding.com

HAMPTON BEACH — At Ron’s Landing, restaurant owner, Bob Boucher, and first-time diners often become lifetime friends. Boucher’s customers are his main priority and he makes sure they know it.

Bob’s brother, Ron, opened the business — originally called Ron’s Beach House — in 1986. In 1996, the business moved to its current location at 379 Ocean Blvd. in Hampton Beach and became Ron’s Landing at Rocky Bend.

The two brothers became co-owners when the restaurant reopened after the move. Ron has since moved on, making Bob the sole owner of the business.

Bob Boucher says that quality and consistency are key at Ron’s Landing. For years, Ron’s Landing has boasted the same signature dishes such as the Surf and Turf, Veal Pistachio and Boucher’s personal favorite, the Grilled or Blackened Bermudian Swordfish complete with a “cherry pepper and lobster cream sauce.”

In addition to an extensive assortment of seafood and beef dishes, Ron’s Landing offers an array of soups and salads, pasta, poultry and a lighter fare menu. A children’s menu is available for the restaurant’s youngest diners and customers can choose from a wide selection of homemade desserts, including the Toll House Cookie Pie and Creme Brulee, to satisfy any after-dinner sugar cravings.

Though Boucher keeps tried and true dishes on the menu, he works with Head Chef Jeff Schneider, who has been with Ron’s for nearly 20 years, to keep dining offerings up-to-date with the latest food trends.

“We change the menu twice a year, in the spring and in the fall,” Boucher says. This season, the Mediterranean Seafood Sauté — “mussels, jumbo shrimp, salmon and tuna sautéed with capers, asparagus, garlic and basil, tossed in lemon butter over roasted garlic and spinach tortellini” — makes its debut on the menu. Boucher says the dish is selling very well.

But Boucher’s focus on quality and consistency is not restricted to his restaurant’s delectable meal offerings. Boucher constantly works to maintain the cozy dining atmosphere that has welcomed patrons year after year.

Though the picturesque ocean view is unbeatable and often consumes much of his diners’ interest, Boucher still pays close attention to the décor in the restaurant’s dining room, bar and lounge areas.

This season, new chairs can be found throughout the restaurant. Boucher also says that he has updated the lounge by removing all brass and replacing it with a sleeker-looking stainless steel.

Ron’s Landing also serves as a gallery for local artists. Watercolors of local landmarks and ocean-scenes brighten the quaint dining area. Boucher says artist Doris Rice, of the Seacoast Artists Association, often selects the artwork that hangs in the dining room. Guests at Ron’s Landing are welcome to purchase any of the paintings.

And if the breathtaking view and art gallery aren’t entertainment enough, Ron’s Landing offers live music on Fridays from 7:30-10:30pm and on Sundays from 5-8pm. Boucher often brings back his customers’ favorite performers. “They (the artists) each have their own following,” he says.

Whether it’s the menu, atmosphere or entertainment at Ron’s Landing, Bob is all about the customer.

“I tell my servers that we haven’t done our job if patrons come in once and never come back again,” Boucher says.

Boucher’s careful attention to the needs of his guests has helped him garner a loyal customer base over the years. In the restaurant’s lobby, several plaques boast the names of those patrons in the customer “Hall of Fame.”

“It’s our way of recognizing their loyalty to us,” Boucher says.

Though he says he probably knows 90 percent of the clientele seated in the lounge and dining area of his restaurant on any given night, Boucher is always eager to welcome new guests to his Ron’s Landing family.

Ron’s Landing opens every night at 4 p.m. Sunday Brunch is also available each week from 11am to 3pm. Entertaining a large gathering? Bob and his staff are more than willing to make accommodations. For dinner and function reservations call (603) 929-2122.