A variation of the French croque-monsieur sandwich, the Monte Cristo is a delightful marriage between savory and sweet. A mix between a ham and turkey sandwich and French toast, this sandwich is often batter-dipped and either deep-fried or grilled, and garnished with powdered sugar. In many states, you might find a ramekin of fruit preserves served alongside this sandwich, but in New Hampshire, state-made maple syrup is the more popular choice.
Recipe: New Hampshire Maple Monte Cristo
So who makes the best Monte Cristo in the state? 10Best and Sandwich America joined forces with a local New Hampshire food writer and The Food Channel to nominate 20 worthy restaurants across the state. We then asked our readers to vote for their favorites, and after four weeks of daily voting, the results are in.
The top 10 winners in the category Best Monte Cristo in New Hampshire are as follows:
- Banners Restaurant - Conway
- Audrey's Cafe - Dublin
- Water Street Cafe - Laconia
- Roundabout Diner - Portsmouth
- Firefly American Bistro & Bar - Manchester
- Horsefeathers Restaurant - North Conway
- The Red Arrow Diner - Manchester
- Waterfall Cafe - Meredith
- The Friendly Toast - Cambridge
- Popovers On the Square - Portsmouth
A big congratulations to all our winning restaurants!
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The Experts
Susan Laughlin
Susan Laughlin has been the food editor for New... Read More
Susan Laughlin has been the food editor for New Hampshire Magazine for more than 15 years. She has traveled the state with fork and camera in hand, looking for the best breakfasts, burgers, poutine and general dining excellence. Feature stories have include the hottest new restaurants, young new farmers, where to find the best al fresco dining and profiles of entrepreneurial brewers and distillers. She has also been tapped by other publishers including, Food Network Magazine, Phaidon and Yankee Magazine to suggest unique where-to-eat dining options.
Susan Laughlin

Susan Laughlin has been the food editor for New Hampshire Magazine for more than 15 years. She has traveled the state with fork and camera in hand, looking for the best breakfasts, burgers, poutine and general dining excellence. Feature stories have include the hottest new restaurants, young new farmers, where to find the best al fresco dining and profiles of entrepreneurial brewers and distillers. She has also been tapped by other publishers including, Food Network Magazine, Phaidon and Yankee Magazine to suggest unique where-to-eat dining options.
Kay Logsdon
Kay serves as Editor in Chief of The Food Channel,... Read More
Kay serves as Editor in Chief of The Food Channel, developing food-related stories, videos, recipes and more for the website and its distribution network. She speaks and consults on food trends, working with some of the biggest food brands in America. Her favorite thing to do is work with chefs across the country as they do menu development, since she gets to taste and critique the dishes.
Kay Logsdon

Kay serves as Editor in Chief of The Food Channel, developing food-related stories, videos, recipes and more for the website and its distribution network. She speaks and consults on food trends, working with some of the biggest food brands in America. Her favorite thing to do is work with chefs across the country as they do menu development, since she gets to taste and critique the dishes.
Cait Reagan
Cait Reagan is the owner and editor of Edible New... Read More
Cait Reagan is the owner and editor of Edible New Hampshire Magazine, dedicated to sharing compelling food photography and journalism in print. Her background in education supports fostering meaningful conversation about the state of our local food systems in order to facilitate growth in farming, food, and community.
Cait Reagan

Cait Reagan is the owner and editor of Edible New Hampshire Magazine, dedicated to sharing compelling food photography and journalism in print. Her background in education supports fostering meaningful conversation about the state of our local food systems in order to facilitate growth in farming, food, and community.
10Best Editors
10Best.com provides users with original, unbiased... Read More
10Best.com provides users with original, unbiased and experiential travel coverage of top attractions, things to see and do, and restaurants for top destinations in the U.S. and around the world.
10Best Editors

10Best.com provides users with original, unbiased and experiential travel coverage of top attractions, things to see and do, and restaurants for top destinations in the U.S. and around the world.
Jennifer Daskevich
After winning the World Sandwich Championships,... Read More
After winning the World Sandwich Championships, Jennifer took her love of America’s first and still favorite “hand held device” better known as the sandwich, and founded Sandwich America, America’s comprehensive sandwich driven meal occasion platform. Jennifer believes that “a sandwich is the only food genre that is good for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, or a snack.” Jennifer has won numerous cooking competitions and is a restaurateur, wine sommelier, award winning food photographer, TV food personality with NBC Affiliate WFLA in Tampa and appeared on FYI’s original series World Food Championships. She looks forward to embarking on The Great American Sandwich Trail this summer. Socialize with Sandwich America on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Jennifer Daskevich

After winning the World Sandwich Championships, Jennifer took her love of America’s first and still favorite “hand held device” better known as the sandwich, and founded Sandwich America, America’s comprehensive sandwich driven meal occasion platform. Jennifer believes that “a sandwich is the only food genre that is good for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert, or a snack.” Jennifer has won numerous cooking competitions and is a restaurateur, wine sommelier, award winning food photographer, TV food personality with NBC Affiliate WFLA in Tampa and appeared on FYI’s original series World Food Championships. She looks forward to embarking on The Great American Sandwich Trail this summer. Socialize with Sandwich America on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.