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Family frights

There are still plenty of spooky events for kids of all ages this year, following Covid-19 safety guidelines. All events are subject to change, so check before you head out for some Halloween fun.

• The Haunting of Wilton returns this year. Wilton resident Randy Koelher is displaying scary creaturesalong Main Street Park and on top of the granite walls at Town Hall now through Halloween. Families are welcome to walk through the exhibit while following Covid-19 protocols. Wear your costumes for photo ops, and don’t forget your mask. Visit wiltonnh.gov.

• The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire (6 Washington St. in Dover; childrens-museum.org, 742-2002) will hold its Not So Spooky October with online offerings and make-and-take kits at the Trick or Tree-T tree inside the entrance of the museum, where you can pick up crafting kits to make Halloween-themed crafts at home. Kits are available on Thursday mornings at 9 a.m. and are distributed on a first come, first served basis. Visit the museum at any point during October and try different Spooky Muse Studio Crafts such as ghost pencil toppers and reflective spider necklaces,free with admission. Online Spooky Science Videos are available on the museum’s website and its YouTube and Facebook pages every Wednesday. Tune in on Wednesday, Oct. 28, for “Spooky Sparks.” Go online to reserve a time for visits.

• The Harvest of Haunts at Charmingfare Farm (774 High St. in Candia; 483-5623) will look a little different this year. On Saturday, Oct. 24, and Saturday, Oct. 31, visitors can board a horse-drawn wagon and travel deep into the woods to hear a spine-chilling story from the farm’s storyteller. Capacity is limited this year, and wagon groups will be divided into two sections of 10 passengers (all-adult groups only seat eight). The package for 10 people is $249 and must be purchased online in advance. Complimentary hot cocoa will be provided. Reserve your tickets at visitthefarm.com.

• Children’s trick-or-treat at Charmingfare Farm is on as well and is more merry than scary. It’s a perfect event for those who want an exciting Halloween experience without being frightened, with barnyard animals, pumpkin painting and more. Children can trick-or-treat at the farm on Saturday, Oct. 24, Sunday, Oct. 25, and Saturday, Oct. 31. Tickets start at $22 per person; admission is free for children 2 years old and under. Purchase tickets and view time slots online at visitthefarm.com.

• Catch Live Magic & Juggling by Robert Clark at Chunky’s Cinema Pub in Nashua (151 Coliseum Ave.; Chunkys.com) on Saturday, Oct. 24, at 12:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Tickets cost $10. The show is billed as “high energy and crowd pleasing” for all ages, according to the website.

• Manchester Community Music School (644-4548, mcmusicschool.org) is hosting a free virtual haunted open house on Saturday, Oct. 24, from 2 to 4 p.m. There will be a costume contest, a scavenger hunt with a chance to win gift certificates and musical instruments, student and faculty performances and a tour of the school. Registration is required.

• In lieu of their traditional tailgate trick-or-treat event, Deerfield Parks and Recreation is hosting an Outdoor Movie Showing and Costume Contest on Sunday, Oct. 25, at Gazebo Field. The best costume for the contest will be chosen at 4:30 p.m., followed by a showing of Hocus Pocus. Reservations for a space are $10. Register online at deerfield.recdesk.com.

• The Canvas Roadshow (25 S. River Road in Bedford; 913-9217) is hosting a Kids Spooky Painting Event on Sunday, Oct. 25, from 2 to 4 p.m. Create a Halloween-themed canvas. The cost per canvas is $22, and purchase must be made online in advance. Visit thecanvasroadshow.com to sign up.

• The YMCA of Greater Nashua’s 13th Annual Halloween Spooktacular will take place on Sunday, Oct. 25, from noon to 4 p.m. at YMCA Camp Sargent (141 Camp Sargent Road in Merrimack). Free and open to the community, this event will feature decorated cars that will distribute candy while socially distanced. Families may register for one 30-minute time slot, and each person must have a ticket. Families can secure up to six tickets for free upon reservation. Register online at https://bit.ly/2GscT5d.

• The Mr. Aaron Band Halloween Bash is outdoors and socially distanaced this year at Kimball Jenkins School of Art (266 N. Main St. in Concord). The band is playing two shows, from 10 to 11 a.m. and from noon to 1 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 25. Tickets cost $10 per person and are available for purchase at mraaronmusic.com.

• Hopkinton Halloween Jack-o’-Lanterns is a perfect opportunity to show off your pumpkin carving skills. Bring your jack-o’-lantern to the Veterans Park wall (near the Cracker Barrel and First Congregational Church) Thursday, Oct. 29, through Saturday, Oct. 31. Place a single battery-operated votive candle in your jack-o’-lantern and the Hopkinton Recreation Department will light it each night.

• Kids are invited to go trick-or-treating at the third annual Halloween at City Hall in Manchester (1 City Hall Plaza) on Friday, Oct. 30, from 3 to 5 p.m. This year will also include Downtown Trick-or-Treat, where kids can get a treat from participating businesses. Masks are required and social distancing is encouraged. Visit manchesternh.gov.

• Kid’s World Indoor Playground of Salem (288 N. Broadway) is having Socially Distant Halloween Costume Parties on Friday, Oct. 30, and Saturday, Oct. 31. The cost is $49 for a family of four, and $11 per additional person. Each person will receive a small pumpkin to decorate and prepackaged goodie bags containing five allergen-friendly candies. Hour- and-a-half time slots for both days start at 10:30 a.m. and end at 6:30 p.m. Reserve a time slot at kidsworldsalem.com.

• Concord’s annual Wicked FIT Run is going virtual this year. This Halloween-themed family-friendly walk/run 5K will be held on Saturday, Oct. 31, from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Registration starts at $10 per person and includes timing benefits and a downloadable bib. Participants are encouraged to wear their Halloween attire. Register at support.fitnh.org/2020wickedfitrun.

• Trick-or-Treat at the Concord Farmers Market (Capitol Street, Concord, next to the Statehouse) on Saturday, Oct. 31, from 8:30 a.m. to noon. Some vendors have opted out this year, allowing for more room to socially distance. Visit concordfarmersmarket.com.

• Put your Halloween costumes on and participate in the CHaD Trick or Trot 3K at Arms Park (10 Arms St. in Manchester) on Saturday, Oct. 31. The event will start with a Halloween festival at noon, followed by the Primrose School at Bedford Hills Lil’ Pumpkin Runs at 1:30 p.m, and the Trick or Trot 3K at 2:30 p.m. Registration for the run costs $15 for ages 11 and under, $20 for 20 and under and $25 for 21 and over. Register online at millenniumrunning.com/trick-or-trot.

• SEE Science Center (200 Bedford St., Manchester, 669-0400, see-sciencecenter.org) will be open Halloween weekend, Saturday, Oct. 31, and Sunday, Nov. 1. Registration is required, with visitor sessions from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and 2 to 5 p.m. Any visitor who is wearing a costume will get a free raffle entry. Winners will be chosen in each session. Masks are required.

– Shane Jozitis
listings@hippopress.com

A brief guide to casting your ballot in 2020

With less than five weeks until election day, it’s not too early to consider how you might want to cast a ballot in this year of coronavirus concerns and altered school and work schedules. Here are the questions we had about voting this year with answers that can help you navigate the process.

The basics

When is the election?
The general election will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

“Make no mistake: the election will happen in New Hampshire on November 3rd. End of story,” Gov. Chris Sununu tweeted on July 30 in response to President Donald Trump’s suggestion that the election should be delayed. “Our voting system in NH is secure, safe, and reliable. We have done it right 100% of the time for 100 years – this year will be no different.”

While it’s not mandatory for New Hampshire school districts to close their schools on Election Day, most districts are doing so, a number of city and town clerks said, especially since many cities and towns are using their schools as polling stations.

Other than the U.S. president, what are some of the offices and candidates on the ballot in New Hampshire?

Both of the state’s U.S. House of Representative seats are up: in the 1st District, Chris Pappas (incumbent, Democrat) vs. Matt Mowers (Republican); in the 2nd District, Ann McLane Kuster (incumbent, Democrat) vs. Steve Negron (Republican).

One of New Hampshire’s U.S. Senate seats is on the ballot: Jeanne Shaheen (incumbent, Democrat) vs. Corky Messner, (Republican)

In the governor’s race, Chris Sununu (incumbent, Republican) faces off against Dan Feltes (Democrat).

Also on the ballot are the state’s five Executive Councilors (find your district at nh.gov/council) as well as state senators and state representatives.

How do I register to vote? When do I need to register by?

To be eligible to vote, you must be at least 18 years old on Election Day, be a United States citizen and reside in the city or town where you plan to vote.

According to the New Hampshire Secretary of State website, there are three ways to register to vote in New Hampshire: in person prior to Election Day, in person at the polls on election day, and, if intending to vote absentee, by mail.

No matter where, when or how you register, the process is essentially the same: you’ll have to fill out a Voter Registration Form, and you’ll have to provide documents proving your identity and age, U.S. citizenship and residency. A driver’s license or non-driver ID (it can be from any state) will prove your identity and age, but not U.S. citizenship; for that, you’ll need a birth certificate, U.S. passport or Passcard or a naturalization document. If your license or ID is up to date with your current address, you won’t need anything else to prove residency. If it’s not, there’s a long list of other kinds of documents that will satisfy the requirement, such as an active rental agreement or lease with your name and address; an active motor vehicle registration issued by your town or city; a utility bill addressed to you where you live; and many others, which you can find listed on the Secretary of State website.

If, when registering to vote, you do not have documents proving your identity and age, U.S. citizenship and/or residency, you can still register by signing an affidavit, affirming under oath that you meet the voting eligibility requirements. If you do this, “You will be able to register to vote; you will be able to vote; and you will use a regular election day ballot that is counted on Election Day,” according to a voting registration guide on the Secretary of State website.

To register in person prior to Election Day, visit your town’s or city’s clerk’s office, and bring your documents of proof. You can get and fill out a Voter Registration Form while you’re there. The deadline is the date of your city’s or town’s last meeting of the Supervisors of the Checklist. The meetings are held some time between six and 13 days before Election Day, so check with your city or town to find out the deadline applicable to you.

If you miss the deadline, you can still register to vote at the polls when you go to vote on Election Day. Again, bring your documents of proof, and you can get and fill out a Voter Registration Form there.

Finally, if you are not yet registered to vote and you intend to vote absentee, you can register prior to the election by mail. First, call your town or city clerk and request to have a Voter Registration Form and Absentee Registration Affidavit mailed to you. You’ll need to have a personal witness observe you signing the affidavit and then sign their name on the witness’ signature line. After you’ve completed both documents, mail them, along with copies of the documents proving your identity and age, U.S. citizenship and residency, back to your town or city clerk in time for it to be delivered by your town’s or city’s registration deadline. If you have no one to serve as a witness, and/or if you cannot provide physical copies of your documents of proof, “contact your clerk for assistance,” states the voting registration guide. “You may request accommodation…” which may include the ability to email photos of your documents of proof to the clerk.

How do I know if I’m already registered or not?

You can check your voter registration status and verify that your information is correct using the Secretary of State’s voter information lookup tool at app.sos.nh.gov/public/partyinfo.aspx. If you aren’t registered, the tool will direct you to the town clerk where you can register.

What do I need to bring with me to the polls on Election Day?

If you are already registered to vote, the only documentation you will need to bring to the polls is a valid photo ID, in accordance with the New Hampshire Voter ID Law (see the Secretary of State website for a list of valid forms of ID).

The question of whether or not you need to bring and wear a mask should be addressed with your town or city. According to the memorandum “Election Operations during the Public Health Crisis” released by state election officials, moderators have the sovereignty to set rules about masks at their polls. If they choose to require masks, accommodations must be made for voters who refuse to wear masks. For the primary election, state election officials suggested in the memorandum that moderators consider establishing “separate entrances, exits, registration areas, and voting areas for those who are unable or unwilling to wear face coverings/masks” or “an outdoor space for voting by erecting a tent or shelter of sufficient size to allow for the registration and voting of non-face covered voters.” The guidance that was provided by the state for in-person voting procedures for the primary is currently being reevaluated and is subject to change for the general election. Thus, many cities and towns have not yet officially announced what their procedures for the general election will be.

“We ask that people who are voting just consider the officials working there and wear protective equipment and masks,” said Manchester City Clerk Matthew Normand, adding that masks and other PPE will be provided at the polls to voters who don’t have them.

While you might be voting during your regular breakfast or lunch hour, most cities and towns discourage or prohibit bringing food or drink to the polls for running the risk of soiling the ballots.

Vote on Election Day

Presidential elections always bring out the crowds. How are towns and cities preparing to serve crowds this year?

“The same way we do for every larger election: increase staffing,” said Normand, adding that 55,000 votes were cast in Manchester for the general election in 2016. “We’re bringing in more greeters to help organize people, and more registrars so that voters don’t have to wait in long lines.”

Salem Town Moderator Chris Goodnow said there was a record turnout of voters in Salem for the primary election, and he’s expecting another record turnout for the general election. Salem will have five polling stations — the most for any non-city in New Hampshire, Goodnow said — and will “staff up to an unprecedented level.”

“We’re setting up as many ballot clerk checklist tables as we can accommodate at each of the polling places so that we can break people up and get them in and out as efficiently as possible,” he said.

How many registered voters are there in New Hampshire? How many people actually vote?

As of Aug. 10, the most recent data released by the Secretary of State, there are 316,926 registered Democratic voters, 297,972 registered Republican voters and 386,548 registered undeclared voters. For the primary, 147,690 Republican votes were cast — 124,013 regular and 23,677 absentee — and 156,973 Democratic votes were cast — 90,293 regular and 66,680 absentee — for a total of 304,663 votes cast in New Hampshire. The 2016 primary had a record-breaking total of 538,094 votes, and the general election had 755,580 votes. In the 2018 elections for state offices, there were 228,262 votes for the primary and 580,568 for the general election.

When are polls open?

New Hampshire law states that all polls must be open between the hours of 11 a.m. and 7 p.m., at a minimum. Any extended hours are up to the municipalities. According to the list of polling locations and hours released by the Secretary of State, polls open as early as 6 a.m. and close as late as 9 p.m., and as long as you’re in line by the time the polls close, you can vote.

When are the busiest times at the polls?

Historically, the polls have been busiest in the morning as people go on their way to work; at lunchtime as people go on their lunch breaks; and in the evening after people get out of work; but town and city clerks and moderators said they’re seeing and expecting some new trends this year.

“I’ve been doing this for 20-plus years, and there have always been slower times than others, but this year, it’ll be a continual [inflow of] voters,” Goodnow said. “We saw anecdotal evidence of that in the primary, where the middle of the day was stronger than it would typically be, and I expect we’ll also have that in the general election.”

“During the primary, it was steady all day long,” Bedford Town Clerk Sally Kellar added. “It’s different now, with so many people out of work or working from home. They have more time to come down and vote.”

Absentee voting

How do I get an absentee ballot?

To qualify for an absentee ballot, according to the Application for State Election Absentee Ballot, you must declare that you will be unable to go to the polls in person on Election Day for one of the following reasons:

• Anticipated absence from the city or town in which you’d vote on Election Day

• A disability

• A religious observance

• An employment obligation or an obligation to care for children or infirm adults

• Health concerns in regard to Covid-19

If one or more of these applies to you and you wish to vote absentee, you’ll need to fill out an Application for State Election Absentee Ballot, which you can print from the Secretary of State website (sos.nh.gov/elections/voters/absentee-ballots/request-an-absentee-ballot) or request from your town or city clerk’s office. Then, return it to the clerk’s office by mail, fax or in person.

What is the deadline to request an absentee ballot? What is the deadline to send it by?

According to elections information on city and town clerk’s websites, you can request an absentee ballot, in person or by mail, up until the day before the election. The ballot must be received (not just postmarked) by the clerk’s office no later than 5 p.m. on Election Day.

Of course, sooner is always better, but elections workers are working hard to make sure everyone is able to get their vote in on time.

“When we receive [an absentee ballot] request, it goes out [to the voter] that same day,” Normand said.

“Our postmaster has been excellent,” Hooksett Town Clerk Todd Rainier said. “We’ve mailed out ballots and had them come back two days later.”

While that’s a plausible turnaround for ballots being mailed across town, Rainier said, you’ll want to allow more time if you’re requesting and mailing your ballot while out of town.

What are cities and towns doing to prepare for the large number of absentee ballots this year?

Recruiting more help has been important not only for the polls on Election Day but also for handling absentee ballots before Election Day, Normand said.

“We’ve increased staff at City Hall, so we have temporary officials who are helping out at the office processing [absentee ballots],” he said.

Kellar said Bedford has also brought on some additional workers to “help get [absentee ballots] out the door,” and to staff a tent in the town hall parking lot where people can request and return absentee ballots in person.

The state has also made things easier for moderators by adopting a new law for the 2020 elections that permits a “partial pre-processing” of absentee ballots.

Each city and town in New Hampshire can, if they choose, hold a single session on the Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Monday prior to Election Day to take the absentee ballots that have been received by the clerk and “open the outer mailing envelope, remove and examine the inner affidavit envelope without opening it, determine whether the affidavit envelope has been properly executed,” and “if no challenge is made … make a notation on the checklist to help facilitate final processing on Election Day.”

“That’s about a third or 40 percent of the processing [process for] absentee ballots,” Goodnow said. “It’s going to help things go a lot quicker on Election Day.”

Partial pre-processing benefits not only the election workers but also the absentee voters as election workers are encouraged, according to the law, to “attempt to notify any absentee voter whose absentee ballot has been rejected for any reason.”

“Normally, an absentee vote is challenged on Election Day,” rendering the vote null, Hudson Town Clerk Patricia Barry said, “but when we did this for the primary, there were a number of ballots that weren’t signed, and since [the partial pre-processing session] was a few days before the election, we were able to call [the voters] and give them the opportunity to come in and correct it before the election.”

Many towns and cities have also acquired or requested additional vote counting machines to process the large number of absentee ballots.

“We have added a second tabulator at our polling stations, which allows officials to cast absentee ballots separately [from in person votes],” Normand said.

According to the Secretary of State’s Office, cities and towns can start casting absentee ballots on Election Day as early as two hours after their polls open.

Other than the mail, how else can you hand in an absentee ballot?

You can, if you prefer, request, pickup and drop off an absentee ballot in person at your town or city clerk’s office. It may even be your only option if you’re cutting it close and worry that your ballot won’t reach the clerk’s office by the deadline on Election Day.

Normand said the Manchester clerk’s office is currently trying to establish a system in which a staff member can assist people who are there concerning absentee ballots separately from people who are there on non-election-related business. You could, if you wanted to, go to the clerk’s office during its regular business hours and request, receive, fill out and turn in an absentee ballot, all at the same time.

And, as previously mentioned, some towns, like Bedford, have set up staffed outdoor pickup and dropoff sites during town hall hours for absentee voters.

If I get sick or quarantined within days of the election, how do I vote?

“Every effort will be made to assist that person at the polls on election day,” said Nicholas Chong Yen, New Hampshire Assistant Attorney General for the Election Law Unit.

If you find yourself in this situation, call your polling station and talk with an election official about what your options are and what they can do to ensure accessible voting for you.

The most likely accommodation would be that you can remain in your vehicle while an election official brings an absentee ballot out to you.

“You can complete it right then and there in your vehicle and return it to those officials, and they’ll cast your absentee ballot for the election,” Chong Yen said.

If you are unable to reach someone at your polling station by phone, the Attorney General’s office (866-868-3703) and the Secretary of State’s office (833-726-0034) will be on call to assist you and get you connected with your local election official.

Poll workers

Are there enough poll workers this year?

“We made a plea to the public [about volunteering to be a poll worker], and that generated a tremendous amount of community response,” Normand said, adding that Manchester is not looking for more poll workers at this time. “I think there’s a certain amount of excitement around a presidential election, and more people want to be a part of that.”

Goodnow agreed.

“There’s a lot more energy,” he said. “People are more dialed in to this election, especially during this Covid era.”

Cities and towns are also seeing a different demographic of poll workers this year than in years past.

“Typically, poll workers are people who have retired and have time during the day to work, but lately we’ve had more younger workers reach out to us,” Normand said.

Goodnow said the average age for poll workers in Salem used to be “north of 60” but is now somewhere in the 40s or 50s, which he attributes to Covid-19.

“We have a substantive amount [of experienced poll workers over age 60] who don’t want to work because of the pandemic,” he said, adding that Salem would “absolutely accept more poll worker applications.”

How do you get to be a poll worker? Is there still time to sign up?

City and town clerks said that anyone who is interested in volunteering as a poll worker should simply call or email and express their interest. The deadline to sign up varies by city or town depending on when they hold their training sessions. In Hooksett, for example, training sessions run Oct. 16 through Oct. 27, so you would need to sign up with at least enough time to participate in the final session.

What does a poll worker do? What kind of time commitment is required?

Poll workers contribute in many different ways on Election Day, Rainier said. They may guide voters to where they need to go, assist with getting voters registered, help the ballot clerks maintain the checklist books, cast absentee votes, supervise the ballot boxes and log write-in votes (it must be done manually since the ballot counting machines cannot process write-ins). There are also some new jobs that need to be done due to Covid-19.

“We need people to … make sure [voters] follow the guidelines with wearing masks, make sure voters don’t leave anything in the voting booths and wipe down the voting booths,” Rainier said. “There’s a lot more involved this year.”

Erin Schaik, 30, of Concord, worked the polls in Concord for the first time in September’s primary and is working them again for the general election.

“I knew a lot of the senior citizens would not feel safe volunteering this year, so I thought it would be a great time to learn the process and see if I could help,” she said.

Schaik said her training consisted of a two-hour Zoom session that walked volunteers through “voter ID issues … mask-wearing … and what the whole process would look like.”

At the primary polls, she served as a greeter, guiding voters to where they needed to go.

As far as the time commitment, Schaik said poll workers can choose to work a half-day shift, which she did for the primary from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m., or a whole-day shift, which she has volunteered to do for the general election.

Are there any fun perks to being a poll worker?

“It was way more fun than I expected it to be,” Schaik said. “I recognized so many people walking in the door, and it was nice to see so many of my neighbors.”

Schaik said her favorite part of being a poll worker is “the sense of community” and meeting new people.

“It’s been so interesting to talk with people who are involved in the city in different ways and hear about how they got involved,” she said.

Volunteering as a poll worker is a great way to “do a service for your community,” Schaik said, adding that she plans on continuing to volunteer in future elections.

“It’s an easy, nonpartisan way to make sure that we have the best possible election,” she said.

Best Of 2017

The results are in! Throughout February, you voted for your favorite things about southern New Hampshire, from your favorite breakfast to your favorite place to take visiting relatives.

After hand-counting your votes, we now present you with the results, which include return champions as well as first-time winners.

Put them all together and you have a great resource of the best things to see and do right where you live. (Descriptions of the locations mentioned here are based on information available on their websites. Call ahead to verify they have the dish, salon service or fitness class you’re looking for.)

You also came up with some fantastic responses to “Best thing we forgot to ask about” — you’ll find stories about the Top 3 in these pages.

Once you’re done perusing this list, keep an eye out for our annual magazine, coming out in May, where we’ll expand on some of the people and places that make southern New Hampshire a great place to live.

The Arts

Best Performing Arts Venue

Best of the Best: The Palace Theatre, 80 Hanover St., Manchester, 668-5588, palacetheatre.org (The 890-seat venue is more than 100 years old and is best known for its mainstage professional productions and Palace Youth Theatre company. In addition, it hosts musical and comedy acts and film screenings. The next mainstage musical is Saturday Night Fever April 14 through May 6.)

Best of Concord: Capitol Center for the Arts, 44 S. Main St., Concord, 225-1111, ccanh.com (The arts venue contains the 1,304-seat Chubb Theatre, Governor’s Hall and the adjacent Kimball House. The venue sees Broadway national shows; concerts; and HD screenings of the Met, the National Theatre and Bolshoi Ballet. The next big production is Pippin Thursday, May 11.)

Best of Manchester: Tupelo Music Hall, 10 A St., Derry, 437-5100, tupelohall.com (The recent move from Londonderry enables tiered seating but with dancing and tables on the lowest level. It sees concerts and comedy events every weekend. Melissa Etheridge performs April 26.)

Best of Nashua: The Amato Center for the Performing Arts, 56 Mont Vernon St., Milford, 672-1002, svbgc.org (Built in 2005 around the former home of the American Stage Festival, the 460-seat theater houses the Riverbend Youth Company and the Riverbend School of Theater Arts plus productions by the Milford Area Players; the next big one is Seussical May 4 through May 7.)

Best Art Gallery

Best of the Best: McGowan Fine Art, 10 Hills Ave., Concord, 225-2515, mcgowanfineart.com (The contemporary gallery features work by New England artists of various media, styles and price ranges. Owner and director Sarah Chaffee celebrates her 20th year as the gallery director with a show, “Twenty Years of a Singular Vision,” on view through April 28 and a reception Friday, March 31, from 5 to 7 p.m.)

Best of Concord: Mill Brook Gallery & Sculpture Garden, 236 Hopkinton Road, Concord, 226-2046, themillbrookgallery.com (It’s perhaps best known for its summer outdoor sculpture exhibit, but owner Pam Tarbell also curates several indoor exhibitions each year with work by New England artists in all media, including sculpture, paintings, jewelry, etc. It opens for the season May 4.)

Best of Manchester: Studio 550 Art Center, 550 Elm St., Manchester, 232-5597, 550arts.com (It’s primarily a ceramics studio for beginner and advanced artists, but the space sees monthly rotating curated or non-curated shows. On view now through April 25 is “Upcycled Art: A New Life for Old Things.”)

Best of Nashua: Wild Salamander Creative Arts Center, 30 Ash St., Hollis, 465-9453, wildsalamander.com (The art center is primarily for classes, workshops and summer camps but also hosts art shows almost every month. On view April 1 through April 22 is “Dueling Landscapes: Traditional vs. Industrial” with work by Stephen L. Previte.)

Best Art in a Public Space

Best of the Best: Downtown Concord (The newest pieces include the sculpture of a boy with a turtle by Beverly Benson Seamans on South Main St. Other downtown art includes the Eagle Square gateway tree sculpture, the new Haley Rae Martin mural created by local high school students, located on the CVS on Main Street, and the statues and memorials on the State House lawn, including Gen. John Stark, Daniel Webster and Franklin Pierce, among others.)

Best of Concord: Concord Arts Market, Bicentennial Square, concordartsmarket.net (It happens almost every Saturday from June 3 through Sept. 30 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Bicentennial Square, hosting local artists selling art, crafts, jewelry and more.)

Best of Manchester: Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St., Manchester, 669-6144, currier.org (Outside are four sculptures: “Fusion II,” a stainless steel piece by George Sherwood, “Thank You Silence” and “Bench #XIII,” both by Gary Haven Smith, and “Origins,” a bright red and black piece by Mark di Suvero. Inside are permanent and rotating art exhibitions; on view now are “Deep Cuts: Contemporary Paper Cutting” and “Soo Sunny Park: BioLath.”)

Best of Nashua: Downtown Nashua (Downtown contains a variety of murals and sculptures courtesy of Positive Street Art, City Arts Nashua and the Nashua International Sculpture Symposium. The most recent addition is a mural on Main St. honoring famous Hollywood flicks, like It’s A Wonderful Life and The Blob; you can find all the city’s downtown murals and sculptures at downtownnashua.org/live/cultural-groups/. Three artfully-decorated downtown pianos will also be installed for the spring season starting May 6, one confirmed for Bicentennial Park, the other locations TBD.)

Shopping

Best Florist

Best of the Best: Cobblestone Design Company, 89 Fort Eddy Road, Concord, 228-5980, cobblestoneflorist.com

Best of Concord: D. McLeod Florist, 49 S. State St., Concord, 225-3721, dmflowers.com

Best of Manchester: Chalifour’s Flowers, 46 Elm St., Manchester, 623-8844, chalifours.com

Best of Nashua: Fortin Gage Flowers & Gifts, 86 W. Pearl St., Nashua, 882-3371, fortingage.com

Best Independent Clothing Store

Best of the Best: Gondwana & Divine Clothing Co., 13 N. Main St., Concord, 228-1101, clothingnh.com (More than 100 lines of women’s clothes, jewelry and accessories, made in the U.S. or purchased fair trade.)

Best of Concord: Indigo Blues & Co., 902 Main St., Contoocook, 660-9290, indigobluesandco.com (Women’s jeans boutique with other clothes, jewelry and accessories.)

Best of Manchester: Alapage, 25 S. River Road, Bedford, 622-0550, alapageboutique.com (Contemporary upscale women’s boutique with clothing, jewelry, accessories and a “jeans bar,” with an extensive denim selection.)

Best of Nashua: Fresh of Nashua, 178 Main St., Nashua, 821-9888, freshofnashua.com (Upscale women’s fashion apparel and accessory boutique.)

Best Independent Jewelry Store

Best of the Best: Capitol Craftsman & Romance Jewelers, 16 & 18 N. Main St., Concord, 224-6166, capitolcraftsman.com

Best of Concord: Speer’s Fine Jewelry, 24 N. Main St., Concord, 224-1582, speersfinejewelry.com

Best of Manchester: Bellman Jewelers, 1650 Elm St., Manchester, 625-4653, bellmans.com

Best of Nashua: Scontsas Fine Jewelry & Home Decor, 169-173 Main St., Nashua, 882-3281, scontsas.com

Best Independent Shoe Store

Best of the Best: Alec’s Shoes, 1617 Southwood Drive, Nashua, 882-6811, alecs-shoes.com

Best of Concord: Joe King’s Shoe Shop, 45 N. Main St., Concord, 225-6012, joekings.com

Best of Manchester: Benton Shoe Co., 814 Elm St., Suite 102, Manchester, 644-2550, bentonshoeco.com

Best of Nashua: The Shoebox, 17 Route 101A, Amherst, 672-6570, shoeboxnh.com

Best Secondhand Store

Best of the Best: Mother & Child Clothing and Gifts, 135 Route 101A, Amherst, 886-6727, mothersays.shoprw.com

Best of Concord: OutFITters Thrift Store Boutique, 20 S. Main St., Concord, 219-0027, outfittersnh.org (Its second OutFITters Thrift Store is in Manchester at 394 Second St.)

Best of Manchester: Deja Boutique, 553 Mast Road, Goffstown, 222-7000, dejaboutiquenh.simpl.com

Best of Nashua: Dress 2 Impress Consignment, 650 Amherst St., Nashua, 589-9536, dress2impressconsignment.com

Fitness

Best Gym

Best of the Best: Get Fit NH, 287 S. Main St., Concord, 344-2651, getfitnh.com (In addition to its coached workouts, the gym offers nutrition coaching, sport-specific training and small group training. Its second location is in Epsom at 167 New Orchard Road.)

Best of Concord: Concord YMCA, 15 N. State St., Concord, 228-9622, concordymca.org (Membership comes with classes like spinning, yoga, pilates and Zumba, water exercise courses for adults and seniors and exercise machinery.)

Best of Manchester: Executive Health & Sports Center, 1 Highlander Way, Manchester, 668-4753, ehsc.com (It has a second location in Hooksett at 1328 Hooksett Road.)

Best of Nashua: Dynamic Strength and Conditioning, 115 Northeastern Blvd., Nashua, 882-2348, dynamicsc.com (Private group training facility aimed at training everyone from beginners to athletes, with everything from fitness to nutritional training.)

Best Workout Class

Best of the Best: “Small Group Training” at Get Fit NH, 287 S. Main St., Concord, 344-2651, getfitnh.com (One-hour class occurs most mornings and evenings during the week and comprises strength and metabolic training.)

Best of Concord: “Jeremy’s Boot Camp” atJeremy’s Boot Camp, 153 Manchester St., Suite 3 and 4, Concord, 721-2830, jeremysbootcamp.com (Combination of strength and high-intensity interval training.)

Best of Manchester: “Jazzercise” at Jazzercise Manchester Fitness Center, 32 Hayward St., Manchester, 624-9122, jcls.jazzercise.com/facility/jazzercise-manchester-fitness-center (Jazzercise classes are based in jazz and aerobics and occur early- and mid-morning and most evenings during the week.)

Best of Nashua: “Adult Group Training” at Dynamic Strength and Conditioning, 115 Northeastern Blvd., Nashua, 882-2348, dynamicsc.com (The one-hour sessions occur Monday through Friday in the early morning, mid-day and evening, plus Saturday mornings, and focus on all aspects of fitness, from mobility to strength training.)

Best Yoga Studio

Best of the Best: YogaBalance, 135 Hooksett Road, Manchester, 625-4000, yogabalance.info

Best of Concord: Ohana Yoga, 44 Cedar St., Contoocook, 748-1539, ohanayoganh.com

Best of Manchester: Mountain Base Yoga, 3 Church St., Goffstown, 660-0823, mountainbaseyoga.com

Best of Nashua: NH Power Yoga, 704 Milford Road, Merrimack, 594-2494, nhpoweryoga.com

Fix It

Best Car Repair Shop

Best of the Best: Duncan’s European Automotive, 3 Liberty Drive, Londonderry, 434-5769, duncansauto.com

Best of Concord: Weed Family Automotive, 124 Storrs St., Concord, 225-7988, weedfamilyautomotive.com

Best of Manchester: Black Widow Customs, 51 Kosciuszko St., Manchester, 624-0400, blackwidowcustoms.com

Best of Nashua: Gurney’s Automotive Repair, 83 Broad St., Nashua, 886-5800, gurneysautomotive.com (Gurney’s Automotive has a second location in Milford at 419 Elm St.)

Beauty

Best Barbershop

Best of the Best: The Polished Man, 707 Milford Road, Unit 3A, Merrimack, 233-8685, thepolishedmannh.com

Best of Concord: Lucky’s Barbershop & Shave Parlor, 50 S. State St., Concord, 715-5470, luckysbarbershop.biz (Its second location is in Portsmouth at 801 Islington St., Suite 28.)

Best of Manchester: Handsome Devil’s Barber Shop & Shave, 1100 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, 232-7024, handsomedevilsnh.com

Best of Nashua: Wilfred’s Barbershop, 90 W. Pearl St., Nashua, 880-8805, wilfredsbarbershop.com

Best Salon

Best of the Best: Salon K, 18 Pleasant St., Concord, 225-0099, salonkconcord.com

Best of Concord: Creative Color & Cuts Salon and Day Spa, 259 S. Main St., Concord, 228-1158, creativecolorandcuts.com

Best of Manchester: 5 Diamond Salon, 915 Holt Ave. Suite 4, Manchester, 459-3367, 5diamondsalon.com

Best of Nashua: Fancy Nancy’s Elite Hair Designers Salon & Day Spa, 295 DW Highway, Nashua, 891-0202, fancynancyssalon.com

Best Spa

Best of the Best: Serendipity Day Spa, 23 Sheep Davis Road, Pembroke, 229-0400, serendipitydayspa.com

Best of Concord: Salon K, 18 Pleasant St., Concord, 225-0099, salonkconcord.com

Best of Manchester: Renew MediSpa, 29 Indian Rock Road, Windham, 894-0070, renewmedispa.com

Best of Nashua: Innovations The Salon & Spa, 228 Naticook Road, Merrimack, 880-7499, innovationsnh.com

Best Tattoo Shop

Best of the Best: Spider-Bite Tattoo & Body Piercing, 179 Elm St., Manchester, 645-1449, spider-bite.com

Best of Concord: Arrows & Embers Tattoo, 117 Manchester St., Concord, 988-6067, arrowsandemberstattoo.com

Best of Manchester: Tattoo Angus, 1279 S. Willow St., Manchester, 935-9398, tattooangus.com

Best of Nashua: Precision Body Arts, 3 Elm St., Nashua, 889-5788, precisionbodyarts.com

Best restaurants

Best Restaurant Overall

Best of the Best: The Tuckaway Tavern & Butchery,58 Route 27, Raymond, 244-2431, thetuckaway.com. The menu features traditional American pub fare with a modern twist and a focus on fresh ingredients. Favorites include their burgers, mac and cheese and steak tips.

Best of Concord: The Barley House, 132 N. Main St., Concord, 228-6363, thebarleyhouse.com. Known for their burgers and french fries, The Barley House offers upscale pub cuisine and comfort food favorites with a wide selection of craft beer and whiskeys. (The Barley House also has a location at 43 Lafayette Road in North Hampton.)

Best of Manchester: Republic, 1069 Elm St., Manchester, 666-3723, republiccafe.com. The cafe features eclectic Mediterranean cuisine with a farm-to-table, seasonal focus. Menu items include paninis and flatbreads, unique vegan and vegetarian dishes, creative cocktails and more.

Best of Nashua: MT’s Local Kitchen & Wine Bar, 212 Main St., Nashua, 595-9334, mtslocal.com. MT’s offers fine dining in a casual atmosphere and features a menu of New American cuisine with a variety of entrees, wood-grilled pizzas and wines.

Best New Eatery

Best of the Best: Gale Motor Co. Eatery, 36 Lowell St., Manchester, 232-7059, galemotoreatery.com. Opened April 2016. The menu features culinary fusion cuisine with tapas and shareable plates and inventive craft cocktails. (A new Gale Motor Co. “Pit Stop” location is set to open at Mel’s Funway Park in Litchfield in early April.)

Best of Concord: Revival Kitchen & Bar, 11 Depot St., Concord, 715-5723, revivalkitchennh.com. Opened January 2017. Revival presents reimagined New England and Old World classic dishes with a farm-to-table focus.

Best of Manchester: The Birch on Elm, 931 Elm St., Manchester, 782-5365, facebook.com/thebirchonelm. Opened September 2016. Serves globally inspired small- and medium-sized plates and handcrafted classic cocktails with a twist.

Best of Nashua: Bar One, 40 Nashua St., Milford, 249-5327, facebook.com/baronenh. Opened June 2016. The gastropub features New American and elevated tavern cuisine centered around unique craft cocktails.

Best Fine Dining Restaurant

Best of the Best: Hanover Street Chophouse, 149 Hanover St., Manchester, 644-2467, hanoverstreetchophouse.com

Best of Concord: Granite Restaurant & Bar, located at The Centennial Hotel, 96 Pleasant St., Concord, 227-9000, graniterestaurant.com

Best of Manchester: Copper Door Restaurant, 15 Leavy Drive, Bedford, 488-2677, copperdoorrestaurant.com (a second Copper Door location is set to open later this year at 41 South Broadway in Salem)

Best of Nashua: Buckley’s Great Steaks, 438 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, 424-0995, buckleysgreatsteaks.com

Best Pub

Best of the Best: The Shaskeen, 909 Elm St., Manchester, 625-0246, theshaskeenpub.com

Best of Concord: The Barley House, 132 N. Main St., Concord, 228-6363, thebarleyhouse.com (The Barley House also has a location at 43 Lafayette Road in North Hampton)

Best of Manchester: The Wild Rover, 21 Kosciuszko St., Manchester, 669-7722, wildroverpub.com

Best of Nashua: The Peddler’s Daughter, 48 Main St., Nashua, 821-7535, thepeddlersdaughter.com

International cuisine

Best Asian Restaurant

Best of the Best: Lilac Blossom, 650 Amherst St., Unit 22, Nashua, 886-8420; 385 E. Dunstable Road, Nashua, 888-9588, lilacblossomrestaurant.com

Best of Concord: Siam Orchid Thai Bistro, 12 N. Main St., Concord, 228-1529, siamorchid.net

Best of Manchester: Asian Breeze, 1328 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, 621-9298, asianbreezenh.com

Best of Nashua: Sweet Ginger, 6 Dobson Way, Merrimack, 424-8035, sweetgingerthai.com

Best Italian Restaurant

Best of the Best: Angelina’s Ristorante Italiano, 11 Depot St., Concord, 228-3313, angelinasrestaurant.com

Best of Concord: Fratello’s Italian Grille, 799 Union Ave., Laconia, 528-2022, fratellos.com (Fratello’s also has locations in Manchester and Nashua)

Best of Manchester: Fratello’s Italian Grille, 155 Dow St., Manchester, 624-2022, fratellos.com

Best of Nashua: Fratello’s Italian Grille, 194 Main St., Nashua, 889-2022, fratellos.com

Best Mexican/Latin American

Best of the Best: La Carreta Mexican Restaurant, 1875 S. Willow St., Manchester, 623-7705; 545 Daniel Webster Highway, Manchester, 628-6899, lacarretamex.com (La Carreta also has locations in Derry, Nashua and Londonderry)

Best of Concord: Hermanos Cocina Mexicana,11 Hills Ave., Concord, 224-5669, hermanosmexican.com

Best of Manchester: La Carreta Mexican Restaurant, 35 Manchester Road, Suite 5A, Derry, 421-0091, lacarretamex.com

Best of Nashua: La Carreta Mexican Restaurant, 139 Daniel Webster Highway, Nashua, 891-0055, lacarretamex.com

More eateries

Best Barbecue

Best of the Best: KC’s Rib Shack, 837 Second St., Manchester, 627-7427, ribshack.net

Best of Concord: Smokeshow Barbeque, 89 Fort Eddy Road, Concord, 227-6399, smokeshowbbq.com

Best of Manchester: Goody Cole’s Smokehouse, 374 Route 125, Brentwood, 679-8898, facebook.com/goodcoles

Best of Nashua: Riverside Barbeque Co.,53 Main St., Nashua, 204-5110,riversidebarbeque.com

Best Diner

Best of the Best: Red Arrow Diner, 61 Lowell St., Manchester, 626-1118, redarrowdiner.com (Red Arrow also has locations in Milford and Londonderry; a new location in Concord is set to open this year)

Best of Concord: Tilt’n Diner, 61 Laconia Road, Tilton, 286-2204, thecman.com/restaurants/tilton-diner

Best of Manchester: Airport Diner, 2280 Brown Ave., Manchester, 623-5040, thecman.com/restaurants/airport-diner

Best of Nashua: Red Arrow Diner, 63 Union Square, Milford, 249-9222, redarrowdiner.com

Best Restaurant for Kids

Best of the Best: Tucker’s, 1328 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, 206-5757, tuckersnh.com (Tucker’s also has locations in Concord and New London)

Best of Concord: Tucker’s, 80 South St., Concord, 413-5884, tuckersnh.com

Best of Manchester: Puritan Backroom, 245 Hooksett Road, Manchester, 669-6890, puritanbackroom.com

Best of Nashua: Tiebreakers Family Grille/Wickets on the Green, located at Hampshire Hills Athletic Club, 50 Emerson Road, Milford, 673-7123, hampshirehills.com (Wickets is outdoor dining open May through September)

Best Seafood Restaurant

Best of the Best: Surf Restaurant, 207 Main St., Nashua, 595-9293, surfseafood.com (Surf also has a location at 99 Bow St. in Portsmouth)

Best of Concord: Makris Lobster & Steak House, 354 Sheep Davis Road, Concord, 225-7665, eatalobster.com

Best of Manchester: Hooked Seafood Restaurant, 110 Hanover St., Manchester, 606-1189, hookedonignite.com

Best of Nashua: The Lobster Boat Restaurant, 453 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, 424-5221, lobsterboatrestaurant.com (Lobster Boat also has locations at 273 Derry Road in Litchfield and 75 Portsmouth Avenue in Exeter)

Best Steakhouse

Best of the Best: Hanover Street Chophouse, 149 Hanover St., Manchester, 644-2467, hanoverstreetchophouse.com

Best of Concord: O Steaks & Seafood, 11 S. Main St., Concord, 856-7925, magicfoodsrestaurantgroup.com/osteaks (O Steaks & Seafood also has a location at 62 Doris Ray Court in Laconia)

Best of Manchester: The Tuckaway Tavern & Butchery,58 Route 27, Raymond, 244-2431, thetuckaway.com

Best of Nashua: Buckley’s Great Steaks, 438 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, 424-0995, buckleysgreatsteaks.com

Drinks

Best Beer Selection

Best of the Best: New England’s Tap House Grille, 1292 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, 782-5137, taphousenh.com

Best of Concord: The Barley House, 132 N. Main St., Concord, 228-6363, thebarleyhouse.com (There’s another location at 43 Lafayette Road in North Hampton)

Best of Manchester: Thirsty Moose Taphouse, 795 Elm St., Manchester, 792-2337, thirstymoosetaphouse.com (Also has locations at 21 Congress St. in Portsmouth and 83 Washington St. in Dover)

Best of Nashua: The Flight Center, 97 Main St., Nashua, 417-6184, flightcenterbc.com

Best Beer Shop

Best of the Best: Bert’s Better Beers, 1100 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, 413-5992, bertsbetterbeers.com

Best of Concord: Concord Craft Brewing Co.,117 Storrs St., Concord, 856-7625,concordcraftbrewing.com

Best of Manchester: Lazy Dog Beer Shoppe, 27 Buttrick Road, Londonderry, 434-2500, lazydogbeer.com

Best of Nashua: The Beer Store, 433 Amherst St., Nashua, 889-2242, thebeerstorenh.com

Best NH Brewery

Best: Able Ebenezer Brewing Co., 31 Columbia Circle, Merrimack, 844-223-2253, ableebenezer.com. The Ale Room is open for tasting and tours Monday through Friday, 4 to 8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, noon to 8 p.m. Beers are offered at numerous southern New Hampshire restaurants and bars and at select specialty beer stores.

Runner-up: 603 Brewery, 12 Liberty Drive, Londonderry, 630-7745, 603brewery.com. The brewery has an on-site tasting bar with a view of the brewing area open Thursday and Friday, 4 to 8 p.m.; Saturday, noon to 8 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. Tours are offered on Saturdays. Beers are available at select food markets, convenience stores and specialty beer shops in Derry, Londonderry and Manchester.

Honorable Mention: Henniker Brewing Co.,129 Centervale Road, Henniker, 428-3579, hennikerbrewing.com. The tap room is open Monday through Friday, noon to 6 p.m., and Saturday, noon to 4 p.m. Tours are offered on Saturdays. Beers are available at many bars and restaurants, specialty beer shops, food markets and convenience stores in New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Maine.

Best Cocktail

Best of the Best: Mudslide, Puritan Backroom, 245 Hooksett Road, Manchester, 669-6890, puritanbackroom.com. The original Mudslide has Baileys Irish Cream, Kahlua Coffee Liqueur and vodka. Variations include mudslides with other flavors (Almond Joy, cherry, churro/cinnamon, espresso, Milky Way and Snickers) and ones highlighting other liquors (Captain Morgan Spiced Rum, Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey, Jack Daniel’s Whiskey and Jack Daniel’s Honey Whiskey).

Best of Concord: Margarita, Hermanos Cocina Mexicana,11 Hills Ave., Concord, 224-5669, hermanosmexican.com. The original Hermanos Margarita has white tequila and triple sec. Variations include margaritas with different flavors (pomegranate, amaretto, raspberry, orange) and ones highlighting different brands of tequila (Cuervo, 1800, Horni, Patron, Sauza). There are also specialty margaritas substituting other liquors for tequila, including the citrus vodka-based Citrita (with triple sec) and Aligarita (with Alize), the limon rum-based Limonrita and the Key Lime, which has vanilla vodka and a splash of club soda.

Best of Manchester: Moroccan Old-Fashioned, Republic, 1069 Elm St., Manchester, 666-3723, republiccafe.com. The drink has straight rye, Berber spiced syrup and orange oil.

Best of Nashua: Espresso Martini, Giorgio’s Ristorante & Bar, 707 Milford Road, Merrimack, 883-7333, giorgios.com. (Giorgio’s also has locations at 524 Nashua St. in Milford and 270 Granite St. in Manchester.) The drink is made with Giorgio’s secret blend.

Best Cup of Coffee

Best of the Best: True Brew Barista and Cafe, 3 Bicentennial Square, Concord, 225-2776; 45 S. Main St., Concord, 715-5833, truebrewbarista.com

Best of Concord: Schoodacs Coffee & Tea, 1 E. Main St , Warner, 456-3400, schoodacs.com

Best of Manchester: Cafe la Reine,915 Elm St., Manchester, 232-0332, cafelareine.com

Best of Nashua: A&E Coffee Roastery & Tea, 135 Route 101A, Amherst, 578-3338, aeroastery.com (A&E also has a cafe location at 1000 Elm St. in Manchester)

Best NH Hard Liquor

Best: Flag Hill Distillery & Winery, 297 N. River Road, Lee, 659-2949, flaghill.com. Visiting and tasting hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., with tours offered on Saturdays and Sundays. Flag Hill spirits include General John Stark Vodka, Karner Blue Gin, Flag Hill White Rum, Flag Hill Spiced Rum, Sugar Maple Liqueur, Cranberry Liqueur, Blueberry Liqueur, Raspberry Liqueur, White Mountain Moonshine, Graham’s Grappa and Josiah Bartlett Barrel Aged Apple Brandy. Liquor is available at select NH Liquor & Wine Outlet locations and New Hampshire restaurants and bars.

Runner-up: Stark Vodka by Stark Brewing Co., 500 Commercial St., Manchester, 625-4444, starkbrewingcompany.com. Tours are offered by appointment. Vodka is available at select NH Liquor & Wine Outlet locations and New Hampshire restaurants and bars. Stark is also currently aging a bourbon which will be released later this year.

Honorable Mention: Djinn Spirits, 2 Townsend West, Suite 9, Nashua, 262-1812, djinnspirits.com. Visiting hours and tours are held Saturday and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. Djinn liquors include Krupnik Spiced Honey Liqueur, Single Malt Whiskey, Beat 3 White Whiskey, Beat 3 Reserve Whiskey and Distilled Gin. Liquor is available at select NH Liquor & Wine Outlet locations and New Hampshire restaurants and bars.

Best NH Tasting Room

Runner-up: LaBelle Winery, 345 Route 101, Amherst, 672-9898, labellewinerynh.com. Visiting and tasting hours are Monday and Tuesday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with tours offered on Saturday and Sunday.

Honorable Mention: Great North Aleworks, 1050 Holt Ave., Unit 14, Manchester, 858-5789, greatnorthaleworks.com. The tasting room is open Thursday and Friday, 3 to 7 p.m., Saturday, noon to 6 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 4 p.m., with tours offered on Saturdays.

Best Restaurant Wine List

Best of the Best: Bedford Village Inn, 2 Olde Bedford Way, Bedford, 472-2001, bedfordvillageinn.com

Best of Concord: O Steaks & Seafood, 11 S. Main St., Concord, 856-7925, magicfoodsrestaurantgroup.com/osteaks (O Steaks & Seafood also has a location at 62 Doris Ray Court in Laconia)

Best of Manchester: Cask and Vine, 1.5 E. Broadway, Derry, 965-3454, caskandvine.com

Best of Nashua: MT’s Local Kitchen & Wine Bar, 212 Main St., Nashua, 595-9334, mtslocal.com

Best NH Winery

Best: LaBelle Winery, 345 Route 101, Amherst, 672-9898, labellewinerynh.com. Visiting and tasting hours are Monday and Tuesday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Wednesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with tours offered on Saturday and Sunday. Wines are available at NH Liquor & Wine Outlet, Hannaford, Shaw’s and Market Basket stores as well as independent food markets and wine shops throughout the state.

Runner-up: Zorvino Vineyards, 226 Main St., Sandown, 887-8463, zorvino.com. Tastings and tours are offered daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wines are available at NH Liquor & Wine Outlet, Hannaford, Shaw’s and Market Basket stores as well as independent food markets and wine shops throughout the state.

Honorable Mention: Flag Hill Distillery & Winery, 297 N. River Road, Lee, 659-2949, flaghill.com. Visiting and tasting hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., with tours offered on Saturdays and Sundays. Wines are available at NH Liquor & Wine Outlet stores and select New Hampshire food markets, bars and restaurants.

Delicious dishes

Best Bagels

Best of the Best: Bagel Cafe, 373 Hanover St., Manchester, 647-2233, nhbagelcafe.com (Bagel Cafe also has a location at 19 S. River Road in Bedford)

Best of Concord: The Works Bakery Cafe, 42 N. Main St., Concord, 226-1827, worksbakerycafe.com (The Works also has locations at 5A Mill Road Plaza in Durham and 9 Congress St. in Portsmouth)

Best of Manchester: Brooklyn Bagel House, 11 Manchester Road, Derry, 432-3300, brooklynbagelrestaurant.com

Best of Nashua: Bagel Alley, 1 Eldridge St., Nashua, 882-9343, find them on Facebook

Best Breakfast

Best of the Best: Tucker’s, 1328 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, 206-5757, tuckersnh.com (Tucker’s also has locations in Concord and New London)

Best of Concord: Tucker’s, 80 South St., Concord, 413-5884, tuckersnh.com

Best of Manchester: Purple Finch Cafe, 124 S. River Road, Bedford, 232-1953, purplefinchcafe.com

Best of Nashua: The Riverhouse Cafe, 123 Union Square, Milford, 249-5556, theriverhousecafe.com (The Riverhouse also has a location at 4 Slip Road in Greenfield)

Best Burgers

Best of the Best: The Barley House, 132 N. Main St., Concord, 228-6363, thebarleyhouse.com (The Barley House also has a location at 43 Lafayette Road in North Hampton)

Best of Concord: Vibes Gourmet Burgers, 25 S. Main St., Concord, 856-8671, vibesgourmetburgers.com

Best of Manchester: The Tuckaway Tavern & Butchery,58 Route 27, Raymond, 244-2431, thetuckaway.com

Best of Nashua: Papa Joe’s Humble Kitchen, 237 South St., Milford, 672-9130, papajoeshumblekitchen.com

Best Burrito

Best of the Best: Dos Amigos Burritos, 26 N. Main St., Concord, 410-4161, dosamigosburritos.com (Dos Amigos also has locations at 286 Central Ave. in Dover and 107 State St. in Portsmouth)

Best of Concord: Hermanos Cocina Mexicana,11 Hills Ave., Concord, 224-5669, hermanosmexican.com

Best of Manchester: La Carreta Mexican Restaurant, 1875 S. Willow St., Manchester, 623-7705; 545 Daniel Webster Highway, Manchester, 628-6899, lacarretamex.com (La Carreta also has locations in Derry, Nashua and Londonderry)

Best of Nashua: California Burritos,101 Factory St., Nashua, 718-8745, facebook.com/californiaburritosnh

Best Clam Chowder

Best of the Best: Collins Brothers Chowder Co.,59 Temple St., Nashua, 883-2347, collinsbrotherschowder.com

Best of Concord: Newick’s Lobster House, 317 Loudon Road, Concord, 225-2424, newicks.com (Newick’s also has a location at 431 Dover Point Road in Dover)

Best of Manchester: Lobster Tail Restaurant,4 Cobbetts Pond Road, Unit 2, Windham, 890-5555, facebook.com/lobstertail

Best of Nashua: Surf Restaurant, 207 Main St., Nashua, 595-9293, surfseafood.com (Surf also has a location at 99 Bow St. in Portsmouth)

Best French Fries

Best of the Best: Republic, 1069 Elm St., Manchester, 666-3723, republiccafe.com

Best of Concord: The Barley House, 132 N. Main St., Concord, 228-6363, thebarleyhouse.com (The Barley House also has a location at 43 Lafayette Road in North Hampton)

Best of Manchester: Caesario’s, 1057 Elm St., Manchester, 669-8383, caesariospizza.com

Best of Nashua: Tiebreakers Family Grille/Wickets on the Green, located at Hampshire Hills Athletic Club, 50 Emerson Road, Milford, 673-7123, hampshirehills.com

Best Menu Item

Best of the Best: Chicken Tenders, Puritan Backroom, 245 Hooksett Road, Manchester, 669-6890, puritanbackroom.com

Best of Concord: Garlic Chicken Nachos, Hermanos Cocina Mexicana,11 Hills Ave., Concord, 224-5669, hermanosmexican.com

Best of Manchester: Fat Boy Steak Tips, The Tuckaway Tavern & Butchery,58 Route 27, Raymond, 244-2431, thetuckaway.com

Best of Nashua: Carmen Fries, Tiebreakers Family Grille/Wickets on the Green, located at Hampshire Hills Athletic Club, 50 Emerson Road, Milford, 673-7123, hampshirehills.com

Best Mac & Cheese

Best of the Best: Mr. Mac’s Macaroni & Cheese, 497 Hooksett Road, Manchester, 606-1760, mr-macs.com (Mr. Mac’s also has a location at 2600 Lafayette Road in Portsmouth)

Best of Concord: O Steaks & Seafood, 11 S. Main St., Concord, 856-7925, magicfoodsrestaurantgroup.com/osteaks (O Steaks & Seafood also has a location at 62 Doris Ray Court in Laconia)

Best of Manchester: The Tuckaway Tavern & Butchery,58 Route 27, Raymond, 244-2431, thetuckaway.com

Best of Nashua: The Homestead Restaurant & Tavern, 641 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, 429-2022, homesteadnh.com (The Homestead also has a location at 1567 Summer St. in Bristol)

Best Pizza, Takeout

Best of the Best: Alley Cat Pizzeria, 486 Chestnut St., Manchester, 669-4533, alleycatpizzerianh.com. Delivery available.

Best of Concord: Constantly Pizza, 39 S. Main St., Concord, 224-9366; 108 Fisherville Road, Penacook, 227-1117, constantlypizza.net. Delivery available.

Best of Manchester: The Pizza Man, 254 W. River Road, Hooksett, 626-7499, thepizzamandelivers.com. Delivery available. (The Pizza Man also has a location at 850 E. Industrial Park Drive in Manchester)

Best of Nashua: Espresso Pizza, 85 Main St., Nashua, 889-9826, find them on Facebook. Delivery available.

Best Pizza, Dine-In

Best of the Best: 900 Degrees Neapolitan Pizzeria, 50 Dow St., Manchester, 641-0900, 900degrees.com (900 Degrees also has a location in Brickyard Square at 24 Calef Highway in Epping)

Best of Concord: Tilton House of Pizza, 298 Main St., Tilton, 286-7181, find them on Facebook

Best of Nashua: Pig Tale Restaurant, 449 Amherst St., Nashua, 864-8740, pigtalerestaurant.com

Best Salads

Best of the Best: Live Juice, 5 S. Main St., Concord, 226-3024, livejuicenh.com

Best of Concord: Downtown Cheers Grille & Bar, 17 Depot St., Concord, 228-0180, cheersnh.com

Best of Manchester: Puritan Backroom, 245 Hooksett Road, Manchester, 669-6890, puritanbackroom.com

Best of Nashua: Pressed Cafe, 108 Spit Brook Road, Nashua, 718-1250, pressedcafe.com

Best Sandwich

Best of the Best: Korean Pork Tenderloin Burrito, Wellington’s Marketplace, 124 N. Main St., Concord, 715-1191, wellingtonsmarketplace.com

Best of Concord: Roast Beef, Beefside Restaurant, 106 Manchester St., Concord, 228-0208, beefsidenh.com

Best of Manchester: Steak and Cheese Sub, Sub Station, 1292 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, 625-1800, substationhooksett.com

Best of Nashua: Big Poppy, Nashua Garden, 121 Main St., Nashua, 886-7363, facebook.com/thenashuagarden603. Hot sandwich includes turkey, pepperoni and Muenster cheese.

Best Subs

Best of the Best: Nadeau’s Subs, 776 Mast Road, Manchester, 623-9315; 100 Cahill Ave., Manchester, 669-7827; 805 Canal St., Manchester, 644-8888; 1095 Hanover St., Manchester, 606-4411, nadeaussubs.com (Nadeau’s also has locations at 81 S. Main St. in Concord and 48 Portsmouth Avenue in Exeter)

Best of Concord: Cimo’s South End Deli, 250 South St., Concord, 856-8020, find them on Facebook

Best of Manchester: Sub Station, 1292 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, 625-1800, substationhooksett.com

Best of Nashua: Bill Cahill’s Super Subs, 8 Kimball Road, Hudson, 882-7710

Food shops

Best Bakery

Best of the Best: Bread & Chocolate, 29 S. Main St., Concord, 228-3330, find them on Facebook.

Best of Concord: Crust & Crumb, 126 N. Main St., Concord, 219-0763, thecrustandcrumb.com

Best of Manchester: Klemm’s Bakery, 29 Indian Rock Road, Windham, 437-8810, klemmsbakery.com

Best of Nashua: Buckley’s Bakery & Cafe, 436 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, 262-5929, buckleysbakerycafe.com

Best Butcher Shop

Best of the Best: The Tuckaway Tavern & Butchery, 58 Route 27, Raymond, 224-2431, thetuckaway.com

Best of Concord: Concord Beef & Seafood, 75 S. Main St., Concord, 226-3474, find them on Facebook.

Best of Manchester: Mr. Steer, 27 Buttrick Road, Londonderry, 434-1444, mrsteermeats.com

Best of Nashua: The Flying Butcher, 124 Route 101A, Amherst, 598-6328, theflyingbutcher.com

Best Neighborhood Market

Best of the Best: Sully’s Superette, 10 N. Mast Road, Goffstown, 497-8176, sullyssuperette.com

Best of Concord: Quality Cash Market, 11 Eastman St., Concord, 225-9661, qualitycashmarket.com

Best of Manchester: Angela’s Pasta and Cheese Shop, 815 Chestnut St., Manchester, 625-9544, angelaspastaandcheese.com

Best of Nashua: Jeannotte’s Market, 2 Courtland St., Nashua, 882-0161, find them on Facebook.

Sweets

Best Candy/Chocolate Shop

Best of the Best: Granite State Candy Shoppe, 13 Warren St., Concord, 225-2591, granitestatecandyshoppe.com

Best of Concord: Kellerhaus, 259 Endicott St. North, Weirs Beach, 366-4466, kellerhaus.com

Best of Manchester: Van Otis Chocolates, 341 Elm St., Manchester, 627-1611, vanotischocolates.com

Best of Nashua: Nelson’s Candies, 65 Main St., Wilton, 654-5030, nelsonscandieswilton.com

Best Cupcakes

Best of the Best: Queen City Cupcakes, 790 Elm St., Manchester, 624-4999, qccupcakes.com

Best of Concord: Concord Food Co-op, 24 S. Main St., Concord, 225-6840, concordfoodcoop.coop

Best of Manchester: Carina’s Cakes, 38 Crystal Ave., Derry, 425-9620, find them on Facebook.

Best of Nashua: Frederick’s Pastries, 109 Route 101A, Amherst, 882-7725, pastry.net

Best Desserts

Best of the Best: Bread & Chocolate, 29 S. Main St., Concord, 228-3330, find them on Facebook.

Best of Concord: Crust & Crumb, 126 N. Main St., Concord, 219-0763, thecrustandcrumb.com

Best of Manchester: Carina’s Cakes, 38 Crystal Ave., Derry, 425-9620, find them on Facebook.

Best of Nashua: Buckley’s Bakery & Cafe, 436 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, 262-5929, buckleysbakerycafe.com

Best Locally Made Donuts

Best of the Best: Klemm’s Bakery, 29 Indian Rock Road, Windham, 437-8810, klemmsbakery.com

Best of Concord: Brothers Donuts & Deli, 426 Central St., Franklin, 934-6678, find them on Facebook.

Best of Manchester: The Local Moose Cafe, 124 Queen City Ave., Manchester, 232-2669, thelocalmoosecafe.com

Best of Nashua: Crosby Bakery, 51 E. Pearl St., Nashua, 882-1851, crosbybakerynh.com

Best Ice Cream

Best of the Best: Hayward’s Homemade Ice Cream, 7 Daniel Webster Highway, Nashua, 888-4663, haywardsicecream.com

Best of Concord: Arnie’s Place, 164 Loudon Road, Concord, 228-3225, arniesplace.com

Best of Manchester: Puritan Backroom, 245 Hooksett Road, Manchester, 666-9893, puritanbackroom.com

Best of Nashua: King Kone, 336 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, 420-8312, find them on Facebook.

Best Whoopie Pies

Best of the Best: Crust & Crumb, 126 N. Main St., Concord, 219-0763, thecrustandcrumb.com

Best of Concord: Gould Hill Farm, 656 Gould Hill Road, Contoocook, 746-3811, gouldhillfarm.com

Best of Manchester: Carina’s Cakes, 38 Crystal Ave., Derry, 425-9620, find them on Facebook.

Best of Nashua: Buckley’s Bakery & Cafe, 436 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, 262-5929, buckleysbakerycafe.com

Locally grown

Best Farm Stand

Best of the Best: Lull Farm, 65 Broad St., Hollis, 465-7079, livefreeandfarm.com

Best of Concord: Dimond Hill Farm, 315 Hopkinton Road, Concord, 496-8218, dimondhillfarm.com

Best of Manchester: LaValley Farms, 1801 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, 485-3541, lavalleyfarms.com

Best of Nashua: Fitch’s Corner, 182 Center Road, Milford, 801-8368, find them on Facebook.

Best Farmers Market

Best: Concord Farmers Market. It begins Saturday, May 6 and is open every Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to noon on Capitol Street, Concord

Runner-up: Salem Farmers Market. It is open year-round every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 14 Main St., Salem, until Sunday, May 7, when it moves to 224 N. Broadway, Salem.

Honorable Mention: Bedford Farmers Market. It begins June 6 and is open every Tuesday from 3 to 6 p.m. at 190 Meetinghouse Road, Bedford.

Best NH-Made Food Product

Best: Laurel Hill Jams and Jellies of Bedford, available at their home address at 47 Birchwood Circle, Bedford, Bedford Fields Garden Center & Home Decor, the Farm & Flower Market in Manchester, several other stores and online at laurelhilljams.com. Check the website for more locations and call 472-5388 for more info.

Runner-up: Blackwater Mustard of Contoocook, available at local farm stands, small markets and delis around southern New Hampshire. You can also purchase at blackwatermustardco.com. Contact blackwater.mustard@gmail.com or call 746-2349 for more info.

Honorable Mention: Parker’s Maple Barn of Mason maple syrup, available at their gift shop at 1316 Brookline Road, Mason, or online at parkersmaplebarn.com.

Entertainment

Best Radio Show

Best: Greg and the Morning Buzz, Rock 101 WGIR-FM/100.3 WHEB-FM, airs weekdays from 5:30 to 10 a.m., hosted by Greg Kretschmar, morningbuzz.com

Runner-up: The Exchange, New Hampshire Public Radio (NHPR), 89.1 FM Concord/Manchester, 88.3 FM Nasua, airs weekdays live from 9 to 10 a.m. and re-airs at 8 p.m., hosted by Laura Knoy, nhpr.org.

Honorable Mention: New Hampshire in the Morning, 95.7 WZID-FM, airs mornings from 5 to 10 a.m., hosted by Neal White and Marga Bessette, wzid.com

Best Radio Station

Best: 95.7 WZID-FM, today’s variety, wzid.com

Runner-up: New Hampshire Public Radio (NHPR), airs local and national news and programming from NPR and other public radio stations on various frequencies around the state, including 89.1 FM Concord/Manchester and 88.3 FM Nashua. Visit nhpr.org.

Honorable Mention: Rock 101 WGIR-FM, Manchester’s rock station, rock101fm.com

Best Local Movie Theater

Best: Red River Theatres, 11 S. Main St., Concord, 224-4600, redrivertheatres.org. A three-screen cinema that shows independent films, classics, foreign films, cult favorites and local projects.

Runner-up: Chunky’s Cinema Pub, 151 Coliseum Ave., Nashua, 880-8055, chunkys.com. A unique movie-viewing experience offering leather reclining seats from Lincoln Town Cars with food and drink table service during first-run major motion pictures.

Honorable Mention: Wilton Town Hall Theatre, 40 Main St., Wilton, 654-3456, wiltontownhalltheatre.com. An arthouse theater located in an old town hall building that shows a combination of modern indie flicks and classics.

Best Bookstore/Comic Book Store

Best of the Best: Gibson’s Bookstore, 45 S. Main St., Concord, 224-0562, gibsonsbookstore.com

Best of Concord: Main Street BookEnds of Warner, 16 E. Main St., Warner, 456-2700, mainstreetbookends.com

Best of Manchester: Double Midnight Comics, 245 Maple St., Manchester, 669-9636, dmcomics.com

Best of Nashua: The Toadstool Bookshop, 614 Nashua St., Lorden Plaza, Milford, 673-1734, roadbooks.com

Best Community Event

Best: Market Days Festival, held in downtown Concord every summer, features food, shopping and free entertainment. This year’s festival is Thursday, June 22, through Saturday, June 24. Hosted by Intown Concord, intownconcord.org.

Best of Concord: Warner Fall Foliage Festival, held in downtown Warner every fall, is a free, family-friendly event that highlights rural life and colorful foliage. The Festival features live entertainment, parades, a 5K, amusement rides and food. This year’s event goes from Friday, Oct. 6, through Sunday, Oct. 8, wfff.org.

Best of Manchester: Hippo de Mayo Taco Challenge, held in downtown Manchester, is the largest Cinco de Mayo celebration in New England. Dozens of restaurants create their own unique tacos that visitors can try for $2 each. This year’s event will be on Thursday, May 4 (always the first Thursday of May). Hosted by the Hippo, hippodemayo.com.

Best of Nashua: Winter Holiday Stroll, held in downtown Nashua, features music, food, shopping, live entertainment and a candlelight stroll down Main Street. This year’s stroll is on Saturday, Nov. 25. Hosted by Great American Downtown Nashua, downtownnashua.org.

Best Food Event

Best of the Best: Hampton Beach Seafood Festival. With more than 150,000 annual attendees, it’s the largest seaside festival in New England and features seafood from more than 60 restaurants, plus family activities. This year’s festival is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 8, through Sunday, Sept. 10, at Ocean Boulevard on Hampton Beach, hamptonbeachseafoodfestival.com.

Best of Concord: Market Days Festival, held in downtown Concord every summer, features food, shopping and free entertainment. This year’s festival is Thursday, June 22, through Saturday, June 24. Hosted by Intown Concord, intownconcord.org.

Best of Nashua: Rock’n Ribfest. A celebration of ribs and barbecue food made by nationally renowned smokers and local restaurants. The festival, put on by Rotary Club of Nashua West, also features live concerts, a road race, hot air balloon rides and more. This year’s event is scheduled for Friday, June 16, through Sunday, June 18, at the Anheuser-Busch Brewery, 221 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, ribfestnh.com, rotarynashuawest.com.

Best Place to Take Your Kids

Best of the Best: Cowabungas, an indoor inflatable playground. 1328 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, 625-8008, mycowabungas.com

Best of Concord: Krazy Kids, an indoor play center and party venue, 60 Sheep Davis Road, Pembroke, 228-7529, gokrazykids.com

Best of Manchester: SEE Science Center, an interactive science museum modeled after the Exploratorium in San Francisco, 200 Bedford St., Manchester, 669-0400, see-sciencecenter.org

Best of Nashua: Nuthin’ But Good Times!, an indoor playground and party venue, 746 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, 429-2200, nuthinbutgoodtimes.com

Best Place to Take Kids on a Rainy/Snowy Day

Best of the Best: Cowabungas, an indoor inflatable playground, 1328 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, 625-8008, mycowabungas.com

Best of Concord: Krazy Kids, an indoor play center and party venue, 60 Sheep Davis Road, Pembroke, 228-7529, gokrazykids.com

Best of Manchester: SEE Science Center, an interactive science museum modeled after the Exploratorium in San Francisco, 200 Bedford St., Manchester, 669-0400, see-sciencecenter.org

Best of Nashua: Nuthin’ But Good Times!, an indoor playground and party venue, 746 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, 429-2200, nuthinbutgoodtimes.com

Best Place to Take Visiting Relatives

Best: Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St., Manchester, 669-6144, currier.org. An art museum founded in 1929 that features European and American paintings, decorative arts, photographs and sculptures, including works by Picasso, Monet, O’Keeffe and other notable artists.

Runner-up: Anheuser-Busch Brewery, 221 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, 595-1202, budweisertours.com. The center of Northeast operations for beer production and distribution for brands like Budweiser and the home of the famous Budweiser Clydesdales. Tours are available Thursday through Monday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., after April 14, tours are available daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and between September and December tours are offered daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Biergarten is open Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Honorable Mention: Canterbury Shaker Village, 288 Shaker Road, Canterbury, 783-9511, shakers.org. A museum preserving an original Shaker village built in 1792 that includes 25 restored and four reconstructed buildings where visitors can learn about Shaker life. Museum exhibit and tours open this year on May 6 and is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Oct. 27. Guided tours are available on Oct. 28 and 29 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on weekends in November from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (including Friday Nov. 24). The museum store is open April 1 through May 5 Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. From May 6 through Oct. 27, the store is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and between Oct. 28 and Dec. 23 it’s open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Closed on Thanksgiving.

Pets

Best Pet Store

Best of the Best: Woof Meow Family Pet Center, 19A Manchester Road, Derry, 965-3218, woofmeownh.com

Best of Concord: Sandy’s Pet Food Center, 141 Old Turnpike Road, Concord, 225-1177, sandyspetfood.com

Best of Manchester: Friendly Pets, 40 Concord Road, Lee, 868-1800, friendlypets.com (Its second location in Exeter at 81 Portsmouth Ave. at is set to open later this spring.)

Best of Nashua: Pet’s Choice, 454 DW Highway, Merrimack, 424-7297, petschoicenh.com

Best Doggie Day Care

Best of the Best: Woof Woof Doggie Daycare Boarding & Training, 47 Rockingham Road, Windham, 890-6239, woofwoof.net

Best of Concord: Paws on Pine, 913 Pine St., Contoocook, 568-4022, pawsonpinenh.com

Best of Manchester: The Barking Dog Ltd., 208 Londonderry Turnpike, Hooksett, 222-2275, thebarkingdog.com (There are also locations in Derry at 210 Rockingham Road and Exeter at 7 Beech Hill Road.)

Best of Nashua: Superdogs Daycare, 637 DW Highway, Merrimack, 424-1515, superdogsdaycare.com

Best Place to Walk Your Dog

Best of the Best: Benson Park, 19 Kimball Hill Road, Hudson (Formerly the site of Benson’s Wild Animal Farm, it’s a 166-acre municipal park in Hudson housing trails, a 9/11 memorial, dog park and Little Free Library.)

Best of Concord: White Park, 1 White St., Concord (In the winter, the 20-acre park houses a sledding hill and skating rink, and in the summer, visitors come for its baseball field, basketball court, picnic shelter, playground equipment, pool, soccer field and walking trails.)

Best of Manchester: Livingston Park, Hooksett Road, Manchester (It houses a baseball diamond, playground, pool, soccer field, running track, picnic shelter and Dorr’s Pond, which you can fish in during the summer and skate on during the winter.)

Best of Nashua: Mine Falls Park, Whipple St., Nashua (The 325-acre park includes forest, wetlands and open fields and is bordered on the north by the Nashua River.)

Nightlife

Best Bar For Live Music

Best of the Best: TheShaskeen, 909 Elm St., Manchester, 625-0246, theshaskeenpub.com

Best of Concord: True Brew Barista, 3 Bicentennial Square, Concord, 225-2776, truebrewbarista.com (It also has a location inside Concord’s Gibson’s Bookstore at 45 S. Main St.)

Best of Manchester: Strange Brew Tavern, 88 Market St., Manchester, 666-4292, strangebrewtavern.net

Best of Nashua: Riverwalk Cafe & Music Bar, 35 Railroad Square, Nashua, 578-0200, riverwalknashua.com

Best Bar With Outside Deck

Best of the Best: The Derryfield Restaurant, 625 Mammoth Road, Manchester, 623-2880, thederryfield.com (The deck opens when the adjacent golf course is open — typically in April, when the ground is dry.)

Best of Concord: Downtown Cheers Grille & Bar, 17 Depot St., Concord, 228-0180, cheersnh.com (It opens when the weather warms up.)

Best of Manchester: Murphy’s Taproom, 494 Elm St., Manchester, 644-3535, murphystaproom.com (The deck opens when the weather is consistently warm.)

Best of Nashua: The Pasta Loft, 241 Union Square, Milford, 672-2270, pastaloft.com (Its deck will open once the snow has melted. Pasta Loft also has another location in Hampstead at 220 E. Main St.)

Best Sports Bar

Best of the Best: Billy’s Sports Bar and Grill, 34 Tarrytown Road, Manchester, 622-3644, billyssportsbar.com

Best of Concord: The Draft Sports Bar and Grill, 67 S. Main St., Concord, 227-1175, draftsportsbar.com

Best of Manchester: Thirsty Moose Taphouse, 795 Elm St., Manchester, 792-2337 (Thirsty Moose Taphouse also has locations in Portsmouth at 21 Congress St. and Dover at 83 Washington St.)

Best of Nashua: Tilted Kilt Pub, 345 Amherst St., Nashua, 204-5531, tiltedkilt.com

Best Pub Trivia Night

Best of the Best: Monday nights at TheShaskeen, 909 Elm St., Manchester, 625-0246, theshaskeenpub.com (Trivia starts at 7:30 p.m., with a maximum of six to a team.)

Best of Concord: Tuesday nights at Area 23, 254 N. State St., Concord, 552-0137, thearea23.com (Trivia starts at 7 p.m., no team size limit.)

Best of Manchester: Wednesday nights at The Farm Bar & Grille, 1181 Elm St., Manchester 641-3276, farmbargrille.com (Trivia starts at 8:30 p.m., with a maximum of six people per team.)

Best of Nashua: Tuesday nights at The Peddler’s Daughter, 48 Main St., Nashua, 821-7535, thepeddlersdaughter.com (Trivia starts at 8:30 p.m.; there’s no team size limit, and you can sign up the night of.)

Best Karaoke Night

Best of the Best: Yee Dynasty Chinese Restaurant, 830 S. Willow St., Manchester, 625-5500, yeedynasty.com (Karaoke is seven nights a week from 9:30 p.m. to 1 a.m.; sign up is at the door.)

Best of Concord: Beijing & Tokyo, 61 S. Main St., Concord, 228-0888, beijingtokyoconcordnh.com (Karaoke is Friday and Saturday night at 9 p.m.)

Best of Manchester: McGarvey’s Saloon, 1097 Elm St., Manchester, 627-2721, mcgarveysnh.com (Karaoke is every day except Monday night at 9:30 p.m.)

Best of Nashua: Grand Buffet, 350 Amherst St., Nashua, 881-9799, 350grandbuffet.com (Karoake is Friday and Saturday from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.)

Best Date Place

Best of the Best: 815 Cocktails and Provisions, 815 Elm St., Manchester, 782-8086, ivotewet.com

Best of Concord: Angelina’s Ristorante Italiano, 11 Depot St., Concord, 228-3313, angelinasrestaurant.com

Best of Manchester: Mint Bistro, 1105 Elm St., Manchester, 625-6468, mintbistronh.com

Best of Nashua: Stella Blu, 70 E. Pearl St., Nashua, 578-5557, stellablu-nh.com

Outdoors

Best Local Hiking Trail

Best of the Best: Mine Falls Park, Whipple Street, Nashua, 589-3400, ext. 5005, nashuanh.gov. A 325-acre park that includes about eight miles of walking trails in the forest, as well as wetlands and open fields, in the heart of the Gate City, near the Nashua River.

Best of Concord: Marjory Swope Park, Long Pond Road, Concord, 225-8515, concordnh.gov. A two-mile loop near Penacook Lake.

Best of Manchester: Lake Massabesic, Route 101, Exit 2, Bypass 28, Manchester, 624-6444, manchesternh.gov. Several marked trails that range in length from a half mile to more than three miles.

Best of Nashua: Beaver Brook, 117 Ridge Road, Hollis, 465-7787, beaverbrook.org. Features 35 miles of trails along more than 2,000 acres of forest, wetlands and fields.

Best City Park

Best of the Best: White Park, 1 White St., Concord, 225-8690, concordnh.gov. A 20-acre park with features that include White Park Pond, an ice skating rink during the winter months, and the Monkey Around Playground, the largest playground in the Capital City.

Best of Concord: Rollins Park, 116 Broadway St., Concord, 225-8690, concordnh.gov (parking is at 33 Bow St., Concord). Features walking trails, a full-sized playground, baseball, softball and field hockey fields, and the city’s largest public pool, open during the summer months.

Best of Manchester: Livingston Park, Hooksett Road, Manchester, 624-4444, manchesternh.gov. The park features a baseball diamond, a soccer field, walking paths, a running track and two playgrounds. A recently constructed swimming pool is also available during the summer months.

Best of Nashua: Benson Park, 19 Kimball Hill Road, Hudson, 880-1600, hudsonnh.gov. Features more than 150 acres of land and includes ponds, walking trails in the woods, a playground and a dog park.

Best State Park

Best: Bear Brook State Park, 61 Deerfield Road, Allenstown, 485-9869, nhstateparks.org. The largest developed state park in New Hampshire, with more than 10,000 acres of land and 40 miles of trails.

Runner-up: Pawtuckaway State Park, 128 Mountain Road, Nottingham, 895-3031, nhstateparks.org. Features more than 5,000 acres of land and hiking trails.

Honorable Mention: Wellington State Park, 614 West Shore Road, Bristol, 744-2197, nhstateparks.org. Features volleyball and horseshoe courts, and a peninsula nature trail with picnic areas, fishing areas and more.

Best Sledding Hill

Best of the Best: Derryfield Country Club, 625 Mammoth Road, Manchester, 669-0235, derryfieldgolf.com. A popular hill for sledding next to the golf course.

Best of Concord: White Park, 1 White St., Concord, 225-8690, concordnh.gov. A sledding hill is located within the park.

Best of Manchester: Mack’s Apples, 230 Mammoth Road, Londonderry, 434-7619, macksapples.com. Multiple hills around the property are available for sledding.

Best of Nashua: Roby Park, Spit Brook Road, Nashua, 589-3370, nashuanh.gov. A large hill behind the park is often used for sledding.

Best Local Ski Hill

Best: Pats Peak Ski Area, 686 Flanders Road, Henniker, 428-3245, patspeak.com. Features 28 trails and slopes, 11 chair lifts, and one of the highest capacity computer-controlled snowmaking systems in the Northeast.

Runner-up: McIntyre Ski Area, 50 Chalet Court, Manchester, 622-6159, mcintyreskiarea.com. Features 200 vertical feet of terrain, nine skiing trails and an eight-lane snow tubing park.

Honorable Mention: Crotched Mountain, 615 Francestown Road, Bennington, 588-3668, crotchedmountain.com. Features 100 acres of skiing terrain, with 25 trails and three terrain parks.

Best Golf Course

Best: Derryfield Country Club, 625 Mammoth Road, Manchester, 669-0235, derryfieldgolf.com. Derryfield is a public golf course. Rates are $43 for 18 holes everyday and $27 for 9 holes. Additional fees apply for golf carts.

Runner-up: Beaver Meadow Golf Course, 1 Beaver Meadow Drive, Concord, 228-8954, beavermeadowgolfcourse.com. Beaver Meadow is open to the public and offers walk-in rates and seasonal memberships. 2017 rate information TBA.

Honorable Mention: Manchester Country Club, 180 S. River Road, Bedford, 624-4096, manchestercountryclub.com. Manchester Country Club is open to the public but requires memberships to use the facilities. A variety of memberships are available that include access to golf courses and events, player development and indoor simulator and more.

Favorite Farm

Best: Lull Farm, 65 Broad St., Hollis, 465-7079, livefreeandfarm.com, grows a variety of fruits and vegetables, like apples, kiwi, potatoes, carrots, zucchini and more.

Runner-up: Sunnycrest Farm, 59 High Range Road, Londonderry, 432-7753, sunnycrestfarmnh.com, has pick-your-own apples, strawberries, blueberries and cherries, as well as a farmers market with fruits, vegetables, milk, honey, syrup and more.

Honorable Mention: J&F Farms, 108 Chester Road, Derry, 437-0535, jandffarms.com, produces fruits, vegetables, beef, eggs and more.

Food Personalities

Best Bartender

Best of the Best: Jack Wholey, Republic, 1069 Elm St., Manchester, 666-3723, republiccafe.com

Best of Concord: Jonathan Emmons, The Barley House Restaurant & Tavern, 132 N. Main St., Concord, 228-6363, thebarleyhouse.com

Best of Manchester: Patrick Graham, Romano’s Pizza, 27 Colby Road, Litchfield, 424-0500, romanosnh.com

Best of Nashua: Michael Day, Giorgio’s Ristorante & Bar, 707 Milford Road, Merrimack, 883-7333, giorgios.com

Best Chef

Best of the Best: Bobby Marcotte, The Tuckaway Tavern & Butchery, 58 Route 27, Raymond, 244-2431, thetuckaway.com

Best of Concord: Corey Fletcher, Revival Kitchen & Bar, 11 Depot St., Concord, 715-5723, revivalkitchennh.com
Best of Manchester: Edward Aloise, Republic, 1069 Elm St., Manchester, 666-3723, republiccafe.com

Best of Nashua: Kimmy Lavoie, Bar One, 40 Nashua St., Milford, 249-5327, find them on Facebook at facebook.com/baronenh

Best Waiter/Waitress

Best of the Best: Josee Bilodeau, Republic, 1069 Elm St., Manchester, 666-3723, republiccafe.com

Best of Concord: Bill Wishart, Revival Kitchen & Bar, 11 Depot St., Concord, 715-5723, revivalkitchennh.com
Best of Manchester: Sarah Archambault, The Wild Rover, 21 Kosciuszko St., Manchester, 669-7722, wildroverpub.com
Best of Nashua: Amanda Hudon, Tiebreakers Family Grille, Hampshire Hills Athletic Club, 50 Emerson Road, Milford, 673-7123, ext. 232, hampshirehills.com

Health & Beauty Personalities

Best Fitness Instructor

Best of the Best: Nancy Carlson (who coaches Athlete Academy), Get Fit New Hampshire, 287 S. Main St., Concord, and 167 New Orchard Road, Epsom, 344-2651, getfitnh.com

Best of Concord: Jeremy Woodward (who coaches boot camp), Jeremy’s Boot Camp, 153 Manchester St., Concord, 721-2830, jeremysbootcamp.com

Best of Manchester: Nancy Brodeur, Jazzercise Manchester Fitness Center, 32 Hayward St., Manchester, 624-9122, jcls.jazzercise.com/facility/jazzercise-manchester-fitness-center

Best of Nashua: Matt Skeffington, Dynamic Strength & Conditioning, 115 Northeastern Blvd., Nashua, 882-2348, dynamicsc.com

Best Hair Stylist

Best of the Best: Kae Mason, Salon K, 18 Pleasant St., Concord, 225-0099, salonkconcord.com

Best of Concord: Denise Jewell, Salon K, 18 Pleasant St., Concord, 225-0099, salonkconcord.com

Best of Manchester: Samantha Courtois, 5 Diamond Salon, 915 Holt Ave., No. 4, Manchester, 459-3367, 5diamondsalon.com

Best of Nashua: Erin Crowley, Fancy Nancy’s Elite Hair Designers, 295 Daniel Webster Highway, Nashua, 891-0202, fancynancyssalon.com

Best Barber

Best of the Best: Rick Lindof, The Polished Man, 707 Milford Road, Unit 3A, Merrimack, 233-8685, thepolishedmannh.com

Best of Concord: Josh Craggy, Lucky’s Barbershop & Shave Parlor, 50 S. State St., Concord, 715-5470, luckysbarbershop.biz

Best of Manchester: Josh Smith, Handsome Devil’s Barbershop & Shave, 1100 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, 232-7024, handsomedevilsnh.com

Best of Nashua: Hannah Coleman, The Polished Man, 707 Milford Road, Unit 3A, Merrimack, 233-8685, rlcuts.com

Friendliest Dentist

Best of the Best: Dr. Elizabeth Spindel (Elizabeth Spindel, D.M.D.), 862 Union St., Manchester, 669-9049, elizabethspindel.com

Best of Concord: Dr. Ray Orzechowski (R. Orzechowski Jr. D.M.D. General Dentistry) 280 Pleasant St., Concord, 228-4456

Best of Manchester: Dr. John J. Ahern (Ahern, Nichols, Ahern, Hersey & Butterfield Family Dentistry), 30 Pinkerton St., Derry, 432-5039, ahearn-nichols.com

Best of Nashua: Dr. Harvey Weener (Landmark Dental Care), 283 Broad St., Nashua, 882-7312, landmarkdentalnashua.com

Notable Locals

Best Mechanic

Best of the Best: Justin Lemay, Black Widow Customs, 51 Kosciuszko St., Manchester, 624-0400, blackwidowcustoms.com

Best of Concord: Ryan Arsenault, Pellerin Motorsports, 219 Pembroke St., Pembroke, 210-1637, pellerinmotorsports.com

Best of Manchester: Ralph Brutus, Brutus Auto Repair & Service, 148 Merrimack St., Manchester, 624-8881, brutusauto.com

Best of Nashua: Nathan Fogg, Nathan Fogg’s Auto, 475 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, 670-4986, nathanfoggsauto.com

Best Teacher

Best of the Best: Carole Bilodeau (first grade), Epping Elementary School, 17 Prospect St., Epping

Best of Concord: Emily Crompton (physical education), Coe-Brown Northwood Academy, 907 1st New Hampshire Turnpike, Northwood

Best of Manchester: Jeffrey Normandin (English), Manchester Memorial High School, 1 Crusader Way, Manchester

Best of Nashua: Amanda Eaton (first grade), Clark-Wilkins Elementary School, 80 Boston Post Road, Amherst

Entertainers

Best Local Band

Best: Miketon & The Night Blinders (folk-country), miketon.net

Runner-up: Pat & the Hats (rock-pop), patandthehats.com

Honorable Mention: enCircle (alternative-progressive rock), encircleband.com

Best Local Solo Performer

Best: Brad Bosse of Milford (acoustic-rock), facebook.com/bradbossemusic. Next local show is at Fratello’s in Nashua on Friday, March 31, at 6:30 p.m.

Runner-up: Ryan Williamson of Concord (acoustic-rock), rwilliamsonmusic.com. Next local show is at Telly’s in Epping on Friday, March 31, at 7 p.m.

Honorable Mention: Tristan Omand of Manchester (Americana), tristanomand.com. Next local show is at The Country Spirit in Henniker on Friday, March 31, at 8:30 p.m.

Best Local Comedian

Best: Nick Lavallee, theotherdude.com. Next local show is at the Shaskeen in Manchester on Wednesday, April 26, at 9 p.m.

Runner-up: Juston McKinney, justonmckinney.com. Next local show is at the Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord on Saturday, May 6, at 8 p.m.

Honorable Mention: Greg Boggis of Milford, facebook.com/GBoggis. Boggis is the host of The Boggis Hour, which airs on Access Nashua (Channel 96 in the Nashua area). He also appears at the Thursday Comedy Nights at Fody’s in Nashua; the next one is Thursday, March 30, at 8 p.m..

Best Local Radio Show Host

Best: Greg Kretschmar from Greg and the Morning Buzz, Rock 101 WGIR-FM/100.3 WHEB-FM, morningbuzz.com. Show airs weekdays from 5:30 to 10 a.m.

Runner-up: Laura Knoy from The Exchange, New Hampshire Public Radio (NHPR), 89.1 FM Concord/Manchester/88.3 FM Nashua, nhpr.org. Show airs weekdays from 9 to 10 a.m. and re-airs at 7 p.m.

Honorable Mention: Nazzy from Morning Wake Up, 98.3 WLNH-FM, wlnh.nh1media.com. Show airs weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m.

Best Local NH Sports Team

Best: New Hampshire Fisher Cats, Manchester-based AA affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays Major League Baseball team, miilb.com. The 2017 season home opener is Thursday, April 6, against the Binghamton Mets. Home field is Northeast Delta Dental Stadium, 1 Line Drive, Manchester.

Runner-up: Manchester Monarchs, Manchester-based East Coast Hockey League affiliate of the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings, manchestermonarchs.com. The next and final two home games of the season are Saturday, April 1, and Sunday, April 2, against the Elmira Jackals. Home ice is at the SNHU Arena, 555 Elm St., Manchester.

Honorable Mention: Nashua Silver Knights, Nashua-based Futures Collegiate Baseball League team, nashuasilverknights.com. The 2017 season home opener is Friday, June 2, against the Pittsfield Suns. Home field is Holman Stadium, 67 Amherst St., Nashua.

Local Attractions

Best Historical Site or Museum

Best of the Best: Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St., Manchester, 669-6144, currier.org. An internationally renowned art museum founded in 1929 that features American and European paintings, sculptures, photographs and more.

Best of Concord: Canterbury Shaker Village, 288 Shaker Road, Canterbury, 783-9511, shakers.org. One of the original Shaker museums that has since turned into a museum preserving several of the original buildings.

Best of Manchester: Millyard Museum, 200 Bedford St., Manchester, 622-7531, manchesterhistoric.org/millyard-museum. This museum is operated by the Manchester Historic Association and features exhibits pertaining to the Queen City’s history.

Best of Nashua: Monson Center, Federal Hill Road, Milford, 224-9945, forestsociety.org/property/monson-center. The site of an early colonial settlement in the mid-1700s that has since been preserved.

Coolest-looking Building

Best of the Best: New Hampshire Statehouse, 107 N. Main St., Concord, nh.gov. The oldest statehouse in the United States in which the state legislature still sits in its original chambers, the capitol building first opened in 1814. Tours for the NH State house can be booked online at gencourt.nh.state.us or by calling the Visitor Center at 271-2154.

Best of Concord: Gasholder House, South Main St., Concord, concordnh.gov. One of 11 known gasholder houses in the United States built in the 1800s to store gas surrounded by an iron gasholder, the Gasholder House is a round brick building that was used from 1888 to 1952 and is the last structure of its kind in the U.S. still containing its original gasholder. It has not been in service for decades.

Best of Manchester: Black Widow Customs, 51 Kosciuszko St., Manchester, 624-0400, blackwidowcustoms.com. A family-owned company selling Jeep and off-road parts, the brick building features the back of a car jutting out from above the garage door entry.

Best of Nashua: Hunt Memorial Building, 6 Main St., Nashua, nashuanh.gov, is a former library that was recently renovated for office space and event rentals.

Best Thing About Living in NH

Best: Natural beauty and splendor. The beauty of New Hampshire and its lakes, mountains and coast ranked high on why people love living here. “Breathtaking views,” “Beautiful state for camping, hiking, skiing,” “Clean air and open spaces,” “Mountains, ocean, city, farmland all within an hour or so,” were some of the raves.

Runner-up: Seasons, yes all four of them. Even winter had its supporters — “winter and snow,” said one reader specifically. (Here’s another recipe for winter contentment: “Snow, fireplace, birds, wildlife, reading.”) “The scenery of the four seasons,” and comments praising not just the seasons themselves but the transition of seasons were common. Of the individual seasons, fall and the fall foliage probably received the most praise.

Honorable mention: Quality of Life. “Live free or die, baby!” and “Freedom” were popular answers, as were variations on “awesome friggin people.”

This story was possible with the generous financial support of Hippo readers. Hippo is very grateful to have the support of its readers. If you haven’t contributed yet, please consider a small contribution. Your contributions allow Hippo to write more stories and gets you access to additional stories and columns.

Best Of 2018

And finally, the results!

In February, you voted for your favorite things about southern New Hampshire — your favorite barista, family restaurant, spa, farm and so much more.

After hand-counting your votes (and after a bit of a delay due to all of those nor’easters that showed up in early March to remind us that winter wasn’t over yet), we now present you with the results.

As always, the votes include first-time winners and brand new categories along with returning champions and classic categories.

Looking for places to go and things to do now that winter is finally (hopefully) behind us? Here are some suggestions for food, shopping, arts events, nightlife, community happenings, outdoor spots and more along with some short stories about some of the “Best Things We Forgot to Ask About.”

Keep an eye out for our annual magazine, coming out later this spring with even more on places to go and things to do that make life in southern New Hampshire great — yes, even in winter.

And now, the winners are…

ARTS

Best Performing Arts Venue

Best of the best: Palace Theatre, 80 Hanover St., Manchester, 668-5588, palacetheatre.org. The 890-seat theater opened in 1915 and is home to its own professional, youth and teen performing companies and hosts visiting theater, music, dance and comedy acts. Its current mainstage production, Mamma Mia!, continues through May 6.

Best of Concord: Capitol Center for the Arts, 44 S. Main St., Concord, 225-1111, ccanh.com. The 1,304-seat theater opened in 1927 and hosts traveling theater shows, dance performances, musical and comedy acts, film screenings and more. Its next event is comedian Demetri Martin on Friday, April 13.

Best of Manchester: Tupelo Music Hall, 10 A St., Derry, 437-5100, tupelohall.com. The 700-seat venue moved from Londonderry to Derry in the spring of 2017. It hosts primarily music and comedy events, including its monthly Tupelo Night of Comedy Series, which returns on Friday, April 13.

Best of Nashua: The Amato Center for the Performing Arts, 56 Mont Vernon St., Milford, 672-1002, svbgc.org. The 460-seat theater built in 2005 is home to the Riverbend Youth Company and productions by the Milford Area Players. The next show is 42nd Street by RYC May 3 through May 6.

Best Art Gallery

Best of the best: McGowan Fine Art, 2 Phenix Ave., Concord, 225-2515, mcgowanfineart.com. The contemporary gallery features art in a variety of media, styles and price ranges by New England artists. Its next exhibition, “Impressed,” runs April 17 through May 25 and highlights contemporary printmaking.

Best of Concord: Mill Brook Gallery & Sculpture Garden, 236 Hopkinton Road, Concord, 226-2046, themillbrookgallery.com. The indoor and outdoor gallery has seasonal exhibitions May through December featuring paintings, sculpture, pottery, jewelry and more by New England artists. Its spring and summer exhibit runs May 3 through Sept. 2.

Best of Manchester: Kelley Stelling Contemporary, 221 Hanover St., Manchester, 345-1779, kelleystellingcontemporary.com. The contemporary art gallery opened in October 2017 and features a variety of 2-D and 3-D art by emerging artists from New England and beyond. Its current exhibit, “Minute Particulars,” is on view through April 29 and highlights realist and surrealist art.

Best of Nashua: ArtHub, 30 Temple St., Nashua, 401-698-1951, naaa-arthub.org. The gallery and workspace is a collaboration between the Nashua Area Artists Association and artists of all backgrounds and interests in the greater Nashua area.

Best Art in a Public Space

Best of the best: Downtown Concord. Notable art pieces include a sculpture of a boy with a turtle on the corner of Pleasant and South Main streets, a modern granite gate sculpture near the Works Bakery Cafe on North Main Street and a colorful mural on the side of the CVS building on North Main Street. The city will install five new art pieces in downtown in May.

Best of Concord: Dos Amigos Burritos, 26 N. Main St., Concord, 410-4161, dosamigosburritos.com. An art display featuring a different local artist each month hangs on the bar side of the restaurant.

Best of Manchester: Outside the Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St., Manchester, 669-6144, currier.org. There are four sculptures on the museum grounds: “Origins,” a red and black steel piece by Mark di Suvero; “Fusion II,” a stainless steel piece by George Sherwood; and two granite pieces, “Thank You Silence” and “Bench #XIII,” by Gary Haven Smith.

Best of Nashua: Downtown Nashua. Positive Street Art and City Arts Nashua have installed a number of murals, such as “Nostalgia” on Main Street, which pays tribute to classic films, and “Vivian’s Dream” behind TD Bank on West Pearl and Main streets, which depicts West Pearl Street in 1909. There are also a number of sculptures installed through the Nashua International Sculpture Symposium, an annual event in which artists from around the world spend three weeks in Nashua creating sculptures for the city. This year’s symposium starts on May 10, and the public is invited to watch the sculptors work at MakeIt Labs (25 Crown St.) May 14 through May 30.

Best Arts Markets

Best: Concord Arts Market, 1 Bicentennial Square, Concord, concordartsmarket.net. The juried outdoor artisan and fine art market runs weekly on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., June through September.

Runner-up: Craftsmen’s Fair, nhcrafts.org. The nine-day craft fair is hosted by the League of NH Craftsmen at Mount Sunapee Resort (1398 Route 103, Newbury) every summer. This year it will be held Saturday, Aug. 4, through Sunday, Aug. 12.

Honorable mention: The Craftworkers’ Guild, 5 Meetinghouse Road, Bedford, 472-8109, thecraftworkersguild.org. The next fair is May 4 through May 12.

The Fine Print
The vote
The results of Hippos’ readers’ poll are based on readers’ answers to a poll conducted online in February. Readers typed in the names of people and locations they voted for. In situations where the vote is unclear, Hippo editorial staff makes an effort to determine the will of the greatest number of voters. Hippo reserves the right to disqualify individual votes, ballots and/or entries when they are incomplete or unclear, do not meet the letter or the spirit of the question asked or otherwise do not meet the requirements to make them a usable vote. Hippo’s editorial staff make the ultimate determination of the winners in the categories. Hippo’s advertising staff and its advertisers play no role in the determination of the winners. All results are final.
This survey is for entertainment purposes only and is meant to serve as a snapshot of the people and places in southern New Hampshire at the moment the survey is conducted. Details about business, events and people listed may change between the time of the vote and publication.

Bests
The Best of 2018 is a celebration of all things local. Large national and international chains are, for the most part, not included in the count. Smaller chains with at least two-thirds of their locations in New Hampshire are eligible, as are businesses with two locations with one in New Hampshire. The “Best of the Best” designation goes to the person, place or thing that receives the most votes in the category. “Best of Manchester,” “Best of Nashua” and “Best of Concord” are awarded to the next top entries located in those areas. In categories with a “Best,” “Runner-up” and “Honorable Mention,” those are the top vote-getters in that category.

Geography
Here, roughly, is the designation of “Manchester,” “Concord” and “Nashua” areas:
• Manchester area includes Manchester, Goffstown, Auburn, Candia, Bedford, Hooksett, Raymond, Litchfield, Derry, Londonderry, Windham, Salem, New Boston, Francestown and towns to the east along Route 101 to include towns on Route 125.
• Concord area includes Concord as well as Bow, Pembroke, Contoocook, Dunbarton, Hopkinton, Loudon, Boscawen, Chichester, Weare, Henniker, Suncook and some towns in the Lakes Region.
• Nashua area includes Nashua as well as Merrimack, Amherst, Milford, Hollis, Brookline, Hudson, Mason and Wilton.

Questions, Comments, Concerns
Did we get an address or phone number wrong? Do you have an idea for a new category? Let us know. Contact editor Amy Diaz at adiaz@hippopress.com. Corrections will appear on page 4 in future issues. Is your favorite category missing? Categories change regularly with some categories taking a sabbatical and new categories introduced, so please send your suggestions along. And, again, all results are final.

Best Visual Arts Event

Best: Greeley Park Art Show, nashuaareaartistsassoc.org. The art show is hosted by the Nashua Area Artists Association in Greeley Park (100 Concord St., Nashua) every summer. This year it will be held on Saturday, Aug. 18, and Sunday, Aug. 19.

Honorable mention: ArtFront, artfrontnh.com. The pop-up multimedia arts show celebrates Manchester’s culturally diverse community through visual art, music and dance.

Best Live Theatrical Performance

Best of the best: Rock of Ages, Palace Theatre professional production, palacetheatre.org. The show ran at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester) Jan. 12 through Feb. 3, 2018.

Best of Concord: The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Community Players of Concord, communityplayersofconcord.org. The show ran at the Concord City Auditorium (2 Prince St., Concord) Nov. 17 through Nov. 19, 2017.

Best of Manchester: A Christmas Carol, Palace Theatre professional production, palacetheatre.org. The show ran at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester) Dec. 1 through Dec. 23, 2017.

Best of Nashua: Annie, Peacock Players, peacockplayers.org. The show ran at the Janice B. Streeter Theater (14 Court St., Nashua) Dec. 8 through Dec. 17, 2017.

BEAUTY & HEALTH

Best Salon

Best of the best: Salon K, 18 Pleasant St., Concord, 225-0099, salonkconcord.com

Best of Concord: Creative Color & Cuts, 259 S. Main St., Concord, 228-1158, creativecolorandcuts.com

Best of Manchester: 5 Diamond Salon, 915 Holt Ave., Suite 4, Manchester, 459-3367, 5diamondsalon.com

Best of Nashua: Fancy Nancy’s Elite Hair Designers, 295 Daniel Webster Highway, Nashua, 891-0202, fancynancyssalon.com

Best Barbershop

Best of the best: The Polished Man, 707 Milford Road, Unit 3A, Merrimack, 718-8427, thepolishedmannh.com

Best of Concord: Lucky’s Barbershop & Shave Parlor, 50 S. State St., Concord, 715-5470, luckysbarbershop.biz (second location at 801 Islington St., Suite 28, Portsmouth)

Best of Manchester: Dude’s Barber Shop, 1311 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, 626-0533, dudesbarbershop.us

Best of Nashua: Wilfred’s Barber Shop, 90 W. Pearl St., Nashua, 880-8805, wilfredsbarbershop.com

Best Wig Shop

Best: AJ’s Wigs, 1100 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, 666-4555, ajswigs.com

Runner-up: Amanda Thomas Women’s Boutique, Harris Pond Plaza, 30 Daniel Webster Highway, Suite 1, Merrimack, 595-9447, amandathomasboutiquenh.com

Honorable mention: A Wig Center & Hair Replacement, 83 S. Main St., Concord, 225-4620, awigcenter.com

Best Tattoo Shop

Best of the best: Spider Bite Body Piercing/Tattoo Angus, 179 Elm St., Manchester, 935-9398, tattooangus.com. (As of November 2017, Spider Bite does piercings only and has transferred its tattoo business to Tattoo Angus, which is located in the same building.)

Best of Concord: Arrows & Embers Tattoo, 117 Manchester St., Suite 3, Concord, 988-6067, arrowsandemberstattoo.com

Best of Manchester: Bulletproof Tiger Tattoo, 28 Amherst St., Manchester, 232-2115, bulletprooftigertattoo.com

Best of Nashua: Precision Body Arts, 3 Elm St., Nashua, 889-5788, precisionbodyarts.com

Best Spa

Best of the best: Renew MediSpa, 29 Indian Rock Road, Windham, 894-0070, renewmedispa.com

Best of Concord: Salon K, 18 Pleasant St., Concord, 225-0099, salonkconcord.com

Best of Manchester: Chill Spa, 1224 Hanover St., Manchester, 622-3722, chillspa.com

Best of Nashua: The Skin & Body Spa, 385 E. Dunstable Road, Nashua, 888-7900, theskinandbodyspa.com

Best Gym

Best of the best: Dynamic Strength and Conditioning, 115 Northeastern Boulevard, Nashua, 882-2348, dynamicsc.com

Best of Concord: Get Fit NH, 287 S. Main St., Concord, 344-2651, getfitnh.com (second location at 167 New Orchard Road, Epsom)

Best of Manchester: Executive Health & Sports Center, 1 Highlander Way, Manchester, 668-4753, ehsc.com (second location at 1328 Hooksett Road, Hooksett)

Best of Nashua: Hampshire Hills Athletic Club, 50 Emerson Road, Milford, 673-7123, hampshirehills.com

Best Workout Class

Best of the best: “Smart Group Training” at Get Fit NH, 287 S. Main St., Concord, 344-2651, getfitnh.com. Classes are held Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, at 5, 6:15, 7:25 and 8:30 a.m., and 4:15, 5:30 and 6:45 p.m.)

Best of Concord: “All Level Barre” at Studio 603, 48 S. Main St., Concord, 998-6753, pilatesstudio603.com. Classes are held on Monday at 7, 8 and 9:15 a.m. and 5 p.m.; Tuesday at 8 and 9:15 a.m. and 6 p.m.; Wednesday and Friday at 7, 8 and 9:15 a.m.; Thursday at 8 and 9:15 a.m., and Saturday at 8:30 a.m.

Best of Manchester: “Barre” with Maryjean Kimball at YMCA of Downtown Manchester, 30 Mechanic St., Manchester, 232-8670, graniteymca.org. Classes are held on Tuesday and Thursday from 12:05 to 1 p.m.

Best of Nashua: “Adult Group Training” at Dynamic Strength and Conditioning, 115 Northeastern Boulevard, Nashua, 882-2348, dynamicsc.com. Classes are held on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 a.m., noon, and 4:30, 5:30, 6:30 p.m. (no 6:30 p.m. on Friday); Tuesday and Thursday at 5, 6 and 9 a.m., noon and 5:30 p.m., and Saturday at 7, 8 and 9 a.m.

Best Yoga Studio

Best of the best: New Hampshire Power Yoga, 704 Milford Road, Merrimack, 594-2494, nhpoweryoga.com

Best of Concord: Sharing Yoga, 64 N. Main St., Concord, 630-5576, sharingyoga.com

Best of Manchester: YogaBalance, 135 Hooksett Road, Manchester, 625-4000, yogabalance.info

Best of Nashua: Hampshire Hills Athletic Club, 50 Emerson Road, Milford, 673-7123, hampshirehills.com

Best Dance Studio

Best of the best: Dimensions in Dance, 84 Myrtle St., Manchester, 668-4196, dimensionsindance.com

Best of Concord: Concord Dance Academy, 26 Commercial St., Concord, 226-0200, concorddanceacademy.com

Best of Manchester: Bedford Dance Center, 172 Route 101, Bedford, 472-5141, bedforddancecenter.com

Best of Nashua: The Dance Company, 141 Route 101A, Amherst, 864-8374, thedancecompanyonline.com

BEAUTY/WELLNESS EXPERTS

Best Fitness Instructor

Best of the best: Nancy Carlson (co-owner, runs Smart Group Training for adults), Get Fit NH, 287 S. Main St., Concord, and 167 New Orchard Road, Epsom, 344-2651, getfitnh.com

Best of Concord: Adam Gray (coaches Athlete Academy), Get Fit NH, 287 S. Main St., Concord, and 167 New Orchard Road, Epsom, 344-2651, getfitnh.com

Best of Manchester: Kate White (studio manager), Yoga Balance, 135 Hooksett Road, Manchester, 625-4000, yogabalance.info

Best of Nashua: Matt Skeffington (owner), Dynamic Strength and Conditioning, 115 Northeastern Boulevard, Nashua, 882-2348, dynamicsc.com

Best Barber

Best of the best: Jason Drapeau, 5 Diamond Salon, 915 Holt Ave., Manchester, 459-3367, 5diamondsalon.com

Best of Concord: Josh Craggy (owner), Lucky’s Barbershop & Shave Parlor, 50 S. State St., Concord, 715-5470, luckysbarbershop.biz

Best of Manchester: Joshua Smith, Handsome Devils Barbershop and Shave, 1100 Hooksett Road., Hooksett, 232-7024, find them on Facebook.

Best of Nashua: Hannah Coleman, The Polished Man, 707 Milford Road, Merrimack, 718-8427, thepolishedman.com

Best Hair Stylist

Best of the best: Erin Crowley, Fancy Nancy’s Elite Hair Designers, 295 Daniel Webster Highway, Nashua, 891-0202, fancynancyssalon.com

Best of Concord: Kae Mason (owner), Salon K, 18 Pleasant St., Concord, 225-0099, salonkconcord.com

Best of Manchester: Samatha Courtois, 5 Diamond Salon, 915 Holt Ave., Manchester, 459-3367, 5diamondsalon.com

Best of Nashua: Corrie Thayer (owner), Color Trends Hair Salon, 25 Merrit Parkway, Nashua, 880-7504, colortrendshairsalon.com

Friendliest Dentist

Best of the best: Elizabeth Spindel (owner), Spindel General & Cosmetic Dentistry, 862 Union St., Manchester, 669-9049, elizabethspindel.com

Best of Concord: Ray Orzechowski Jr., 280 Pleasant St., Concord, 228-4456, rayorzechowski.com

Best of Manchester: John J. Ahern, Ahern, Nichols, Ahern, Hersey & Butterfield Family Dentistry, 30 Pinkerton St., Derry, 432-5039, ahern-nichols.com

Best of Nashua: Charles Pipilas, 280 Main St., Suite 311, Nashua, 881-8280

WHAT TO WEAR

Best Independent Clothing Store

Best of the best: Gondwana & Divine Clothing Co., 13 N. Main St., Concord, 228-1101, clothingnh.com

Best of Concord: Indigo Blues & Co., 902 Main St., Contoocook, 660-9290, indigobluesandco.com

Best of Manchester: Alapage Boutique, 25 S. River Road, Suite 301, Bedford, 622-0550, alapageboutique.com

Best of Nashua: Camaraderie Boutique, 175 Main St., Nashua, 402-1908, camaraderiestyle.com

Best Independent Jewelry Store

Best of the best: Bellman’s Jewelers, 1650 Elm St., Manchester, 625-4653, bellmans.com

Best of Concord: Capitol Craftsman & Romance Jewelers, 16 & 18 N. Main St., Concord, 224-6166, capitolcraftsman.com

Best of Manchester: Jonathan’s Jewelers, 460 Route 101, Bedford, 471-2828, jonathansjewelers.com

Best of Nashua: Scontsas Fine Jewelry & Home Decor, 169-173 Main St., Nashua, 882-3281, scontsas.com

Best Independent Shoe Store

Best of the best: Alec’s Shoes, 1617 Southwood Drive, Nashua, 882-6811, alecs-shoes.com

Best of Concord: Joe King’s Shoe Shop, 45 N. Main St., Concord, 225-6012, joekings.com

Best of Manchester: Benton Shoe Co., 814 Elm St., Manchester, 644-2550, bentonshoeco.com

Best of Nashua: The Shoebox, 17 Route 101A, Amherst, 672-6570, shoeboxnh.com

Best Second Hand Store

Best of the best: Mother & Child Clothing and Gifts, 135 Route 101A, Amherst, 886-6727, m-c-clothing-and-goods.myshopify.com

Best of Concord: OutFITters Thrift Store Boutique, 20 S. Main St., Concord, 641-6691, outfittersnh.org

Best of Manchester: OutFITters Thrift Store, 394 Second St., Manchester, 641-6691, outfittersnh.org

Best of Nashua: Dress 2 Impress Consignment Boutique, 650 Amherst St., Nashua, 589-9536, dress2impressconsignment.com

MORE SHOPPING

Best Bookstore/Comic Book Store

Best of the best: Gibson’s Bookstore, 45 S. Main St., Concord, 224-0562, gibsonsbookstore.com

Best of Concord: Main Street BookEnds of Warner, 16 E. Main St., Warner, 456-2700, mainstreetbookends.com

Best of Manchester: Double Midnight Comics, 245 Maple St., Manchester, 669-9636, dmcomics.com (second location at 67 S. Main St., Concord)

Best of Nashua: The Toadstool Bookshop, 614 Nashua St., Lorden Plaza, Milford, 673-1734, toadbooks.com (Toadstool has two other locations, in Peterborough and Keene)

Best Retail Shop

Best of the best: Black Widow Customs, 51 Kosciuszko St., Manchester, 624-0400, blackwidowcustoms.com (automotive products)

Best of Concord: Viking House, 19 N. Main St., Concord, 228-1198, vikinghouse.com (Scandinavian and European gifts)

Best of Manchester: Pop of Color, 816 Elm St., Manchester, 624-5999, popofcolornh.com (home decor and gifts)

Best of Nashua: Casual Cat Picture Framing & Unique Gifts, 141 Route 101A, Amherst, 882-1443, casualcat.com

Best Place to Buy a Unique Gift

Best of the best: League of NH Craftsmen Concord Gallery, 36 N. Main St., Concord, 228-8171, nhcrafts.org

Best of Concord: Capitol Craftsman & Romance Jewelers, 16 & 18 N. Main St., Concord, 224-6166, capitolcraftsman.com

Best of Manchester: The Craftworkers’ Guild, 5 Meetinghouse Road, Bedford, 472-8109, thecraftworkersguild.org. The next fair is May 4 through May 12.

Best of Nashua: J.M. Princewell, 127 Union Square, Milford, 673-0611, jmprincewell.com

HOME & CAR

Best Car Repair Shop

Best of the best: Pro-Image Automotive, 254 Sheffield Road, Manchester, 644-8480, autorepaircentermanchester.com

Best of Concord: Weed Family Automotive, 124 Storrs St., Concord, 225-7988, weedfamilyautomotive.com

Best of Manchester: Brutus Auto Repair & Service, 148 Merrimack St., Manchester, 624-8881, brutusauto.com

Best of Nashua: Gurney’s Automotive Repair, 83 Broad St., Nashua, 886-5800, gurneysautomotive.com (second location at 419 Elm St., Milford)

Best Garden Center or Nursery

Best of the best: Demers Garden Center, 656 S. Mammoth Road, Manchester, 625-8298, demersgardencenter.com

Best of Concord: Cole Gardens, 430 Loudon Road, Concord, 229-0655, colegardens.com

Best of Manchester: Lake Street Garden Center, 37 Lake St., Salem, 893-5858, lakestreet.com

Best of Nashua: House by the Side of the Road, 370 Gibbons Highway, Wilton, 654-9888, housebythesideoftheroad.com

Best Florist

Best of the best: Cobblestone Design Co., 81 N. Main St., One Capital Plaza, Concord, 228-5980, cobblestoneflorist.com

Best of Concord: D. McLeod Florist, 49 S. State St., Concord, 225-3721, dmflowers.com

Best of Manchester: Chalifour’s Flowers, 46 Elm St., Manchester, 623-8844, chalifours.com

Best of Nashua: Fortin Gage Flowers & Gifts, 86 W. Pearl St., Nashua, 882-3371, fortingage.com

NOTABLE LOCALS

Best Mechanic

Best of the best: Mike Alton (owner), Pro Image Automotive, 254 Sheffield Road, Manchester, 644-8480, proimageautomotive.com

Best of Concord: Chuck Nelson (owner), P&N Automotive Services, 140 Pleasant St., Concord, 225-4313.

Best of Manchester: Ralph Brutus (owner), Brutus Auto Repair and Service, 148 Merrimack St., Manchester, 624-8881, brutusauto.com

Best of Nashua: Craig Pettus (co-owner), Amherst Autoworks, 86 Merrimack Road, Amherst, 673-9900, amherstautoworks.com

Best Teacher

Best of the best: Brianne Biastoff (music), Nashua High School North, 8 Titan Way, Nashua, nashua.edu

Best of Concord: Leah Murphy (art), Chichester Central School, 219 Main St., Chichester, ccs.sau53.org

Best of Manchester: Selma Naccach-Hoff (English), Manchester Central High School, 207 Lowell St., Manchester, central.mansd.org

Best of Nashua: Michael Vetack (sixth grade), Hollis Upper Elementary School, 12 Drury Lane, Hollis, hollisnh.org/schools/schools.htm

BEST RESTAURANTS

Best Restaurant Overall

Best of the best: The Puritan Backroom Restaurant, 245 Hooksett Road, Manchester, 669-6890, puritanbackroom.com

Best of Concord: The Barley House Restaurant & Tavern, 132 N. Main St., Concord, 228-6363, thebarleyhouse.com (The Barley House also has a location at 43 Lafayette Road in North Hampton)

Best of Manchester: Copper Door Restaurant, 15 Leavy Drive, Bedford, 488-2677, copperdoorrestaurant.com (The Copper Door also has a location at 41 S. Broadway in Salem)

Best of Nashua: Buckley’s Great Steaks, 438 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, 424-0995, buckleysgreatsteaks.com

Best New Eatery

Best of the best: The Crown Tavern, 99 Hanover St., Manchester, 218-3132, thecrownonhanover.com (The Crown Tavern opened in August 2017 under the direction of the same ownership as the Hanover Street Chophouse. This new restaurant is just about a block away and offers a menu of wood-fired oven pizzas, burgers, seafood, craft cocktails and more.)

Best of Concord: Gale Motor Co. Whiskey & Wine, 148 N. Main St., Concord, 715-8575, find them on Facebook (Whiskey & Wine opened in November 2017 by the same people who brought you the former Gale Motor Co. Eatery in Manchester, now known as Noodle Bar. Whiskey & Wine features a tapas-style menu of options like pulled pork tacos, ramen noodles and steak and cheese egg rolls, as well as more than 30 different whiskeys and bourbons from around the world.)

Best of Manchester: Mel’s Diner, 454 Charles Bancroft Highway, Litchfield, 424-6357, find them on Facebook (Mel’s Diner opened in February 2018 adjacent to Mel’s Funway Park. The diner features a menu inspired by the original diners of the New Jersey and Philadelphia areas, with rib-eye Philly cheesesteaks, loaded flat-top omelets, double cheeseburgers, and “breakfast as dessert” options like deep-fried cinnamon buns, and mini waffles with ice cream.)

Best of Nashua: Mangia Sano, 321 Nashua St., Milford, 554-8534, mangia-sano.business.site (This Italian restaurant opened in July 2017 and features a little bit of everything, from appetizers and salads to flatbread pizzas, sandwiches and pasta dishes.)

Best Fine Dining Restaurant

Best of the best: Hanover Street Chophouse, 149 Hanover St., Manchester, 644-2467, hanoverstreetchophouse.com

Best of Concord: Granite Restaurant & Bar, The Centennial Hotel, 96 Pleasant St., Concord, 227-9005, graniterestaurant.com

Best of Manchester: Copper Door Restaurant, 15 Leavy Drive, Bedford, 488-2677, copperdoorrestaurant.com (The Copper Door also has a location at 41 S. Broadway in Salem)

Best of Nashua: Buckley’s Great Steaks, 438 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, 424-0995, buckleysgreatsteaks.com

Best Family Restaurant

Best of the best: The Puritan Backroom Restaurant, 245 Hooksett Road, Manchester, 669-6890, puritanbackroom.com

Best of Concord: Dos Amigos Burritos, 26 N. Main St., Concord, 410-4161, dosamigosburritos.com (Dos Amigos Burritos also has locations at 107 State St. in Portsmouth, 286 Central Ave. in Dover and 24 Pleasant St. in Newburyport, Mass.)

Best of Manchester: T-Bones Great American Eatery, 25 S. River Road, Bedford, 641-6100, t-bones.com (T-Bones also has locations at 39 Crystal Ave. in Derry, 77 Lowell Road in Hudson, 1182 Union Ave. in Laconia and 311 S. Broadway in Salem)

Best of Nashua: T-Bones Great American Eatery, 77 Lowell Road, Hudson, 882-6677, t-bones.com (T-Bones also has locations at 25 S. River Road in Bedford, 39 Crystal Ave. in Derry, 1182 Union Ave. in Laconia and 311 S. Broadway in Salem)

Best Diner

Best of the best: Red Arrow Diner, 61 Lowell St., Manchester, 626-1118, redarrowdiner.com (The Red Arrow Diner also has locations at 112 Loudon Road in Concord, 137 Rockingham Road in Londonderry and 63 Union Square in Milford)

Best of Concord: Red Arrow Diner, 112 Loudon Road, Concord, 415-0444, redarrowdiner.com (The Red Arrow Diner also has locations at 61 Lowell St. in Manchester, 137 Rockingham Road in Londonderry and 63 Union Square in Milford)

Best of Manchester: Airport Diner, 2280 Brown Ave., Manchester, 623-5040, thecman.com

Best of Nashua: Joey’s Diner, 1 Craftsman Lane, Amherst, 577-8955, joeysdiner.com

Best Seafood Restaurant

Best of the best: Surf Restaurant, 207 Main St., Nashua, 595-9293, surfseafood.com/nashua (Surf also has a location at 99 Bow St. in Portsmouth)

Best of Concord: Makris Lobster & Steak House, 354 Sheep Davis Road, Concord, 225-7665, eatalobster.com

Best of Manchester: Hooked Seafood Restaurant, 110 Hanover St., Manchester, 606-1189, hookedonignite.com

Best of Nashua: The Lobster Boat Restaurant, 453 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, 424-5221, lobsterboatrestaurant.com (The Lobster Boat also has locations at 273 Derry Road in Litchfield and 75 Portsmouth Ave. in Exeter)

Best Steakhouse

Best of the best: Hanover Street Chophouse, 149 Hanover St., Manchester, 644-2467, hanoverstreetchophouse.com

Best of Concord: O Steaks & Seafood, 11 S. Main St., Concord, 856-7925, magicfoodsrestaurantgroup.com/osteaks (O Steaks & Seafood also has a location at 62 Doris Ray Court in Laconia)

Best of Manchester: The Tuckaway Tavern & Butchery, 58 Route 27, Raymond, 244-2431, thetuckaway.com

Best of Nashua: Buckley’s Great Steaks, 438 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, 424-0995, buckleysgreatsteaks.com

FOOD SHOPPING

Best Bakery

Best of the best: Bread & Chocolate, 29 S. Main St., Concord, 228-3330

Best of Concord: The Crust and Crumb Baking Co., 126 N. Main St., Concord, 219-0763, thecrustandcrumb.com

Best of Manchester: Michelle’s Gourmet Pastries & Deli, 819 Union St., Manchester, 647-7150, michellespastries.com

Best of Nashua: Buckley’s Bakery & Cafe, 436 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, 262-5929, buckleysbakerycafe.com

Best Butcher Shop

Best of the best: The Tuckaway Tavern & Butchery, 58 Route 27, Raymond, 244-2431, thetuckaway.com

Best of Concord: Concord Beef & Seafood, 79 S. Main St., Concord, 226-3474, concordbeefandseafood.com

Best of Manchester: Mr. Steer Meats & More, 27 Buttrick Road, Londonderry, 434-1444, mrsteermeats.com

Best of Nashua: The Flying Butcher, 124 Route 101A, Amherst, 598-6328, theflyingbutcher.com

Best New Hampshire-made Food Product

Best: Laurel Hill Jams and Jellies, 47 Birchwood Circle, Bedford, 472-5388, laurellhilljams.com (This business offers handmade jams and jellies using locally grown fruits and wines; popular flavors include strawberry rhubarb jam, Concord grape jelly, pomegranate jelly, apple-cranberry wine jelly and more. Visit the website for a list of local stores where the products are available for purchase.)

Runner-up: Ben’s Sugar Shack, 83 Webster Highway, Temple, 924-3111, bensmaplesyrup.com (Ben’s Sugar Shack offers a wide variety of homemade pure maple products like syrups, creams, candies, coffees, jams, jellies, relishes and more. Visit the website for a full list of products and for special recipes.)

Honorable mention: Blackwater Mustard Co., 120 Tyler Road, Contoocook, 746-2349, blackwatermustardco.com (Blackwater Mustard Co. owner Steve Cybulski produces more than 15 different flavors of gourmet mustards, including several in conjunction with local breweries. There’s the chocolate stout mustard with Kettlehead Brewery in Tilton, a porter mustard with Henniker Brewing Co., and a smoked salt and double seed mustard at Lithermans Limited Brewery in Concord.)

DELICIOUS DISHES

Best Barbecue

Best of the best: KC’s Rib Shack, 837 Second St., Manchester, 627-7427, ribshack.net

Best of Concord: Smokeshow Barbeque, 89 Fort Eddy Road, Concord, 227-6399, smokeshowbbq.com

Best of Manchester: Goody Cole’s Smokehouse and Catering Co., 374 Route 125, Brentwood, 679-8898, goodycoles.com

Best of Nashua: Riverside Barbeque Co., 53 Main St., Nashua, 204-5110, riversidebarbeque.com

Best Breakfast

Best of the best: Tucker’s, 1328 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, 206-5757, tuckersnh.com (Tucker’s also has locations at 207 Main St. in New London, 80 South St. in Concord and 238 Indian Brook Road in Dover.)

Best of Concord: Tucker’s, 80 South St., Concord, 413-5884, tuckersnh.com (Tucker’s also has locations at 1328 Hooksett Road in Hooksett, 207 Main St. in New London and 238 Indian Brook Road in Dover)

Best of Manchester: Purple Finch Cafe, 124 S. River Road, Bedford, 232-1958, purplefinchcafe.com

Best of Nashua: The Riverhouse Cafe, 123 Union Square, Milford, 249-5556, theriverhousecafe.com

Best Burgers

Best of the best: The Tuckaway Tavern & Butchery, 58 Route 27, Raymond, 244-2431, thetuckaway.com

Best of Concord: The Barley House Restaurant & Tavern, 132 N. Main St., Concord, 228-6363, thebarleyhouse.com (The Barley House also has a location in 43 Lafayette Road in North Hampton)

Best of Manchester: New England’s Tap House Grille, 1292 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, 782-5137, taphousenh.com

Best of Nashua: Papa Joe’s Humble Kitchen, 237 South St., Milford, 672-9130, papajoeshumblekitchen.com

Best French Fries

Best of the best: Caesario’s, 1057 Elm St., Manchester, 669-8383, caesariospizza.com

Best of Concord: The Barley House Restaurant & Tavern, 132 N. Main St., Concord, 228-6363, thebarleyhouse.com (The Barley House also has a location in 43 Lafayette Road in North Hampton)

Best of Manchester: Republic Cafe, 1069 Elm St., Manchester, 666-3723, republiccafe.com

Best of Nashua: Bar One, 40 Nashua St., Milford, 249-5327, find them on Facebook

Best Place for Gluten-Free Eats

Best of the best: Bite Me Kupcakez, 4 Mound Court, Merrimack, 674-4459, bitemekupcakez.com (Bite Me Kupcakez is a gluten-free bakery and cafe offering items like cupcakes, sweet breads, donuts, muffins, scones, breakfast sandwiches and more.)

Best of Concord: Patrick’s Pub & Eatery, 18 Weirs Road, Gilford, 293-0841, patrickspub.com (This Irish pub has several gluten-free appetizers and entrees to choose from; options include spinach and artichoke dip, chicken fingers baked with rice breading, gluten-free pizzas and the new Southwestern quinoa bowl.)

Best of Manchester: Tucker’s, 1328 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, 206-5757, tuckersnh.com (The menu at Tucker’s includes several omelets, skillet and scrambled egg dishes served with gluten-free toast, and any sandwich available on the lunch menu can be made with gluten-free bread; Tucker’s also has locations at 207 Main St. in New London, 80 South St. in Concord and 238 Indian Brook Road in Dover.)

Best of Nashua: Bar One, 40 Nashua St., Milford, 249-5327, find them on Facebook (Bar One offers a wide variety of gluten-free options, like soups, salads, sandwiches with gluten-free buns and more.)

Best Greek Cuisine

Best of the best: Amphora Restaurant, 55 Crystal Ave., Derry, 537-0111, amphoranh.com

Best of Concord: Gyro House, 58 N. Main St., Concord, 219-0559, find them on Facebook

Best of Manchester: Athens Restaurant, 31 Central St., Manchester, 623-9317, athensnh.com

Best of Nashua: Main Street Gyro, 215 Main St., Nashua, 579-0666, mainstreetgyro.com

Best International Cuisine

Best of the best: Siam Orchid Thai Bistro, 12 N. Main St., Concord, 228-1529, siamorchid.net (This Thai restaurant offers stir-fried noodle dishes, soups, salads, appetizers, fried rice, curry dishes and more.)

Best of Concord: Mediterrano Turkish & Mediterranean Cuisine, 24 Henniker St., Hillsborough, 680-4337, mediterranoo.com (Options at Mediterrano include appetizers like stuffed grape leaves, baba ganoush and falafel; soups and salads; skewered kebab dishes like chicken and lamb doner, shrimp and eggplant; and desserts like baklava and sutlac.)

Best of Manchester: Matbah Mediterranean Cuisine, 866 Elm St., Manchester, 232-4066, matbahcuisine.com (This Ottoman-Turkish restaurant offers kebabs, sandwiches, wraps, salads, cold and hot appetizers, Turkish coffee, baklava and more.)

Best of Nashua: Lilac Blossom Restaurant, 385 E. Dunstable Road, Nashua, 888-9588; 650 Amherst St., Nashua, 886-8420; lilacblossom.us (The Lilac Blossom Chinese restaurants offer appetizers like steamed dumplings, crab rangoons and Peking ravioli; house specials like General Tso’s chicken, Peking duck and crispy sesame beef; various noodle and rice dishes, soups, salads and more.)

Best Macaroni & Cheese

Best of the best: Mr. Mac’s Macaroni & Cheese, 497 Hooksett Road, Manchester, 606-1760, mr-macs.com (Mr. Mac’s also has locations at 2600 Lafayette Road in Portsmouth and 440 Middlesex Road in Tyngsboro, Mass.)

Best of Concord: O Steaks & Seafood, 11 S. Main St., Concord, 856-7925, magicfoodsrestaurantgroup.com/osteaks (O Steaks & Seafood also has a location at 62 Doris Ray Court in Laconia)

Best of Manchester: The Tuckaway Tavern & Butchery, 58 Route 27, Raymond, 244-2431, thetuckaway.com

Best of Nashua: Bar One, 40 Nashua St., Milford, 249-5327, find them on Facebook

Best Noodle Bowl

Best of the best: Pho Golden Bowl, 12 Lake Ave., Manchester, 622-2000, phogoldenbowlnh.com

Best of Concord: Gale Motor Co. Whiskey & Wine, 148 N. Main St., Concord, 715-8575, find them on Facebook

Best of Manchester: Crazy Noodle House, 44 Nashua Road, Unit 6, Londonderry, 965-3291, crazynoodlehouse.wordpress.com

Best of Nashua: You You Japanese Bistro, 150 Broad St., No. 4, Nashua, 882-8337, youyoubistro.com

Best Pizza

Best of the best: 900 Degrees Neapolitan Pizzeria, 50 Dow St., Manchester, 641-0900, 900degrees.com (900 Degrees also has a location at 24 Brickyard Square in Epping and a third location due to open at 2454 Lafayette Road in Portsmouth later this spring)

Best of Concord: Constantly Pizza, 39 S. Main St., Concord, 224-9366, constantlypizza.net (Constantly Pizza also has a location at 108 Fisherville Road in Penacook)

Best of Manchester: Alley Cat Pizzeria, 486 Chestnut St., Manchester, 669-4533, alleycatpizzerianh.com

Best of Nashua: Pig Tale Restaurant, 449 Amherst St., Nashua, 864-8740, pigtalerestaurant.com

Best Sandwich

Best of the best: Steak & Cheese sub at Sub Station, 1292 Hooksett Road, Suite H, Hooksett, 625-1800, substationhooksett.com (Shaved steak with your choice of melted American or provolone cheese; subs can also be customized with teriyaki or barbecue sauce)

Best of Concord: Roast Beef sandwiches at Beefside Restaurant, 106 Manchester St., Concord, 228-0208, beefsiderestaurant.net

Best of Manchester: Nitro Chicken sandwich at Harold Square, 226 Rockingham Road, Londonderry, 432-7144, haroldsquarenh.com (Fried chicken tenders, sharp cheddar cheese, bacon, homemade ranch and the restaurant’s famous nitro sauce on a grilled roll)

Best of Nashua: Cubano sandwich at Bar One, 40 Nashua St., Milford, 249-5327, find them on Facebook

Best Subs

Best of the best: Nadeau’s, 776 Mast Road, Manchester, 623-9315, nadeaussubs.com (original location; Nadeau’s also has locations at 100 Cahill Ave., 805 Canal St. and 1095 Hanover St., all in Manchester; 48 Portsmouth Ave. in Exeter, and 81 S. Main St. in Concord)

Best of Concord: Cimo’s South End Deli, 250 South St., Concord, 856-8020, find them on Facebook

Best of Manchester: Sub Station, 1292 Hooksett Road, Suite H, Hooksett, 625-1800, substationhooksett.com

Best of Nashua: Bill Cahill’s Super Subs, 8 Kimball Hill Road, Hudson, 882-7710

Best Tacos

Best of the best: Dos Amigos Burritos, 26 N. Main St., Concord, 410-4161, dosamigosburritos.com (Dos Amigos Burritos also has locations at 107 State St. in Portsmouth, 286 Central Ave. in Dover and 24 Pleasant St. in Newburyport, Mass.)

Best of Concord: Hermanos Cocina Mexicana, 11 Hills Ave., Concord, 224-5669, hermanosmexican.com

Best of Manchester: La Carreta Mexican Restaurant, 545 Hooksett Road, Manchester, 628-6899; 1875 S. Willow St., Manchester, 623-7705; lacarettamex.com (La Carreta also has locations at 139 Daniel Webster Highway in Nashua, 35 Manchester Road, Suite 5A in Derry, 44 Nashua Road in Londonderry, and a sixth location opening at 172 Hanover St. in Portsmouth later this year.)

Best of Nashua: California Burritos Mexican Grill, 101 Factory St., Nashua, 718-8745, californiaburritosnh.com (California Burritos Mexican Grill also has a location at 35 Lowell Road in Hudson that opened last fall.)

Best Takeout

Best of the best: The Puritan Backroom Restaurant, 245 Hooksett Road, Manchester, 669-6890, puritanbackroom.com (The Puritan Backroom’s takeout menu includes various chicken tender dishes and fried seafood plates like haddock, clams and scallops, as well as burgers, sandwiches and pizzas)

Best of Concord: Tea Garden Restaurant, 184 N. Main St., Concord, 228-4420, teagarden-nh.com (This Chinese restaurant offers a variety of chicken, beef, pork and seafood options, and house specials like lemon chicken, Peking duck and Mongolian beef.)

Best of Manchester: The Pizza Man of Hooksett, 254 W. River Road, Hooksett, 626-7499, thepizzamandelivers.com (The menu includes pizzas, calzones, hot and cold subs, pasta dishes, quesadillas and more; The Pizza Man also has locations at 850 E. Industrial Park Drive, No. 3, in Manchester, 469 Charles Bancroft Highway in Litchfield and 663 Broad St. in Lyndonville, Vt.)

Best of Nashua: Lilac Blossom Restaurant, 385 E. Dunstable Road, Nashua, 888-9588; 650 Amherst St., Nashua, 886-8420; lilacblossom.us (Lilac Blossom has take-out options like lo mein, fried rice, General Tso’s chicken and steamed dumplings.)

Best Example of NH Cuisine

Best of the best: Chicken tenders at The Puritan Backroom Restaurant, 245 Hooksett Road, Manchester, 669-6890, puritanbackroom.com (Options include regular, Buffalo, coconut, spicy or broiled, and all chicken tenders plates are served with french fries and coleslaw)

Best of Concord: Roast beef sandwiches at Beefside Restaurant, 106 Manchester St., Concord, 228-0208, beefsiderestaurant.net (There are six different sizes to choose from, and you can customize your own with toppings like mayonnaise, lettuce, tomatoes and cheese)

Best of Manchester: Poutine atChez Vachon, 136 Kelley St., Manchester, 625-9660, find them on Facebook (In addition to the cheese curds and gravy, other topping options include the vegetable poutine, which can feature any combination of veggies like mushrooms, tomatoes, onions, peppers, spinach, olives, jalapenos, broccoli or peas; or the meat poutine, which can feature combinations of meats like hamburger, hot dog, Italian sausage, turkey, bacon, kielbasa, chicken tender or steak tips)

Best of Nashua: Pancakes at Parker’s Maple Barn, 1316 Brookline Road, Mason, 878-2308, parkersmaplebarn.com (The restaurant serves six-inch pancakes all day, featuring flavors like buttermilk, blueberry, buckwheat and a special “Pancake of the Month” each month)

SWEET TREATS

Best Candy/Chocolate Shop

Best of the best: Granite State Candy Shoppe, 13 Warren St., Concord, 225-2591, granitestatecandyshoppe.com (Granite State Candy Shoppe also has a location at 832 Elm St. in Manchester)

Best of Concord: Kellerhaus, 259 Endicott St. N, Laconia, 366-4466, kellerhaus.com

Best of Manchester: Van Otis Chocolates, 341 Elm St., Manchester, 627-1611, vanotischocolates.com

Best of Nashua: Nelson’s Candies, 65 Main St., Wilton, 654-5030, nelsonscandieswilton.com

Best Desserts

Best of the best: Frederick’s Pastries, 25 S. River Road, Bedford, 647-2253, pastry.net (Frederick’s Pastries also has locations at 109 Route 101A, Suite 4, in Amherst and 119 Main St. in North Andover, Mass.)

Best of Concord: Bread & Chocolate, 29 S. Main St., Concord, 228-3330

Best of Manchester: Queen City Cupcakes, 790 Elm St., Manchester, 624-4999, qccupcakes.com
Best of Nashua: The Black Forest Cafe & Bakery, 212 Route 101, Amherst, 672-0500, theblackforestcafe.com

Best Locally Made Donuts

Best of the best: Klemm’s Bakery, 29 Indian Rock Road, Windham, 437-8810, klemmsbakery.com

Best of Concord: Brothers Donuts, 426 Central St., Franklin, 934-6678, find them on Facebook

Best of Manchester: The Local Moose Cafe, 124 Queen City Ave., Manchester, 232-2669, thelocalmoosecafe.com

Best of Nashua: Crosby Bakery, 51 E. Pearl St., Nashua, 882-1851, crosbybakerynh.com

Best Ice Cream

Best of the best: Hayward’s Homemade Ice Cream, 7 Daniel Webster Highway, Nashua, 888-4663, haywardsicecream.com (Hayward’s also has a location at 383 Elm St. in Milford)

Best of Concord: Arnie’s Place, 164 Loudon Road, Concord, 228-3225, arniesplace.com

Best of Manchester: The Puritan Backroom Restaurant, 245 Hooksett Road, Manchester, 669-6890, puritanbackroom.com

Best of Nashua: The Big 1, 185 Concord St., Nashua, thebig1icecream.com

DRINK LIST

Best Beer Selection (at bar/restaurant)

Best of the best: New England’s Tap House Grille, 1292 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, 782-5137, taphousenh.com

Best of Concord: The Barley House Restaurant & Tavern, 132 N. Main St., Concord, 228-6363, thebarleyhouse.com (The Barley House also has a location in 43 Lafayette Road in North Hampton)

Best of Manchester: The Thirsty Moose Taphouse, 795 Elm St., Manchester, 792-2337, thirstymoosetaphouse.com (The Thirsty Moose also has locations at 21 Congress St. in Portsmouth, 83 Washington St. in Dover and 72 Portsmouth Ave. in Exeter.)

Best of Nashua: The Flight Center Beer Cafe, 97 Main St., Nashua, 417-6184, flightcenterbc.com

Best Beer Shop

Best of the best: Bert’s Better Beers, 1100 Hooksett Road, Suite 105, Hooksett, 413-5992, bertsbetterbeers.com

Best of Concord: Capital Beverages, 75 S. Main St., Concord, 856-8138, capitalbeverages.comcastbiz.net

Best of Manchester: Lazy Dog Beer Shoppe, 27 Buttrick Road, Londonderry, 434-2500, lazydogbeer.com

Best of Nashua: The Beer Store, 433 Amherst St., Nashua, 889-2242, thebeerstorenh.com

Best NH Brewery

Best: Able Ebenezer Brewing Co., 31 Columbia Circle, Merrimack, 844-223-2253, ableebenezer.com

Runner-up: 603 Brewery, 12 Liberty Drive, Londonderry, 630-7745, 603brewery.com

Honorable mention: Pipe Dream Brewing, 49 Harvey Road, Londonderry, 404-0751, pipedreambrewingnh.com

Best Cup of Coffee

Best of the best: True Brew Barista & Cafe, 3 Bicentennial Square, Concord, 225-2776; 45 S. Main St., Concord, 715-5833; truebrewbarista.com

Best of Concord: White Mountain Gourmet Coffee, 15 Pleasant St., Concord, 228-3317, whitemountaingourmetcoffee.com

Best of Manchester: Cafe la Reine, 915 Elm St., Manchester, 232-0332, cafelareine.com

Best of Nashua: Union Coffee Co., 42 South St., Milford, unioncoffee.co

Best NH Distillery

Best: Flag Hill Distillery & Winery, 297 N. River Road, Lee, 659-2949, flaghill.com

Runner-up: Tamworth Distilling, 15 Cleveland Hill Road, Tamworth, 323-7196, tamworthdistilling.com

Honorable mention: Djinn Spirits, 2 Townsend West, Suite 9, Nashua, 262-1812, djinnspirits.com

Best NH Tasting Room

Best: LaBelle Winery, 345 Route 101, Amherst, 672-9898, labellewinerynh.com (LaBelle Winery also has a location at 104 Congress St. in Portsmouth)

Runner-up: Lithermans Limited Brewery, 126 Hall St., Unit B, Concord, 818-9102, lithermans.beer

Honorable mention: Great North Aleworks, 1050 Holt Ave., No. 14, Manchester, 858-5789, greatnorthaleworks.com

Best NH Winery

Best: LaBelle Winery, 345 Route 101, Amherst, 672-9898, labellewinerynh.com (LaBelle Winery also has a location at 104 Congress St. in Portsmouth)

Runner-up: Zorvino Vineyards, 226 Main St., Sandown, 887-8463, zorvino.com

Honorable mention: Flag Hill Distillery & Winery, 297 N. River Road, Lee, 659-2949, flaghill.com

FOOD EVENTS & HAPPENINGS

Best Farmers Market

Best: Concord Farmers Market, concordfarmersmarket.com; dates are usually from the first Saturday in May through the last Saturday in October, from 8:30 a.m. to noon, on Capitol Street in downtown Concord. 2018 market dates TBA.

Runner-up: Bedford Farmers Market, bedfordfarmersmarket.org; 2018 market dates will be Tuesdays, 3 to 6 p.m., from June 12 through Oct. 9, at St. Elizabeth Seton Church (190 Meetinghouse Road, Bedford).

Honorable mention: Nashua Farmers Market, downtownnashua.org/farmers-market; 2018 market dates will be Sundays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., from June 17 through Oct. 14, at 65 Main St. in Nashua.

Best Summer-Only Eats

Best of the best: Cremeland Drive In, 250 Valley St., Manchester, 669-4430, find them on Facebook (Cremeland Drive In opened for the season on March 10. The menu includes homemade ice creams, fried clam, haddock and scallop plates, burgers, hot dogs, coffees, teas and more.)

Best of Concord: Town Docks Restaurant, 289 Daniel Webster Highway, Meredith, 279-3445, find them on Facebook (This restaurant is a member of The Common Man family and offers outdoor seating overlooking Lake Winnipesaukee. The menu features lobster dinners, homemade ice cream, fried seafood plates, hamburgers, hot dogs and more. They hope to start the 2018 season on April 14 with just ice cream on weekends, weather permitting, before expanding their hours during the summer months.)

Best of Manchester: Clam Haven, 94 Rockingham Road, Derry, 434-4679, clamhaven.com (Clam Haven opened for the season on March 15. The menu includes fried seafood plates like clams, haddock, shrimp, scallops, lobster tails, calamari and more, as well as salads, sandwiches and burgers.)

Best of Nashua: Hayward’s Homemade Ice Cream, 7 Daniel Webster Highway, Nashua, 888-4663, haywardsicecream.com (Hayward’s Homemade Ice Cream opened for the season on Feb. 24 and has more than 60 flavors of hard and soft ice creams and frozen yogurts available to order. Hayward’s also has a location at 383 Elm St. in Milford.)

Best Food Festival or Event

Best of the best: Hampton Beach Seafood Festival, hamptonbeachseafoodfestival.com; 2018 festival is Friday, Sept. 7, through Sunday, Sept. 9, along Ocean Boulevard at Hampton Beach

Best of Concord: Market Days Festival, intownconcord.org; 2018 festival is Thursday, June 21, through Saturday, June 23, on Main Street in downtown Concord

Best of Manchester: Glendi, stgeorgeglendi.com; 2018 festival is Friday, Sept. 14, through Sunday, Sept. 16, at St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral (650 Hanover St., Manchester)

Best of Nashua: Rock’n Ribfest, ribfestnh.com; 2018 festival is Friday, June 15, through Sunday, June 17, at Anheuser-Busch Brewery Tours (221 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack)

Best Wine-Related Event

Best: Easterseals Winter Wine Spectacular, held during New Hampshire Wine Week in January. This year’s event was Jan. 25 at the Radisson Hotel in Manchester.

Runner-up: Barrel tastings at Zorvino Vineyards, 226 Main St., Sandown, 887-8463, zorvino.com; Zorvino is open for tastings every day from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., except for some holidays, for $5 per person.

Honorable mention: National Drink Wine Weekend; 2018 event was held Feb. 17 and Feb. 18 and featured free wine tastings, door prizes and more. This year’s participating wineries were Winnipesaukee Winery (458 Center St., Wolfeboro), Copper Beech Winery (146 Londonderry Turnpike, Hooksett), Fulchino Vineyard (187 Pine Hill Road, Hollis), Moonlight Meadery (23 Londonderry Road, Londonderry), Appolo Vineyards (49 Lawrence Road, Derry) and Averill House Vineyard (21 Averill Road, Brookline).

Best Beer-Related Event

Best: Derry After Dark, derryafterdark.com; 2018 event is Saturday, Sept. 15, from 6 to 9 p.m. in downtown Derry

Runner-up: Rock’n Ribfest, ribfestnh.com; 2018 festival is Friday, June 15, through Sunday, June 17, at Anheuser-Busch Brewery Tours (221 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack)

Honorable mention: Gate City Brewfest & Wing Competition, gatecitybrewfestnh.com; 2018 festival is Saturday, Aug. 18, from 1 to 5 p.m. at Holman Stadium (67 Amherst St., Nashua)

FOOD PERSONALITIES

Best Bartender

Best of the best: Jim Gilbert, Wild Rover Pub, 21 Kosciuszko St., Manchester, 669-7722, wildroverpub.com (an Irish pub offering lunch and dinner options like burgers, sandwiches, soups, wraps, pub entrees and more, as well as dozens of beers and wines on tap)

Best of Concord: Corey Garland, The Barley House Restaurant & Tavern, 132 N. Main St., Concord, 228-6363, thebarleyhouse.com (a downtown restaurant that focuses on tavern-style eats, craft beer, whiskey and cocktails)

Best of Manchester: Patrick Graham, Romano’s Pizza of Litchfield, 27 Colby Road, Litchfield, 424-0500, romanosnh.com (Romano’s has been a staple of Litchfield for more than 20 years, offering a menu of Italian and American dinners, appetizers, salad and its renowned thin-crust pizzas, as well as a rotating seasonal menu)

Best of Nashua: Dave Bourgault, Tiebreakers Family Grille (at Hampshire Hills Athletic Club), 50 Emerson Road, Milford, 673-7123, ext. 232, hampshirehills.com (open at the Hampshire Hills Athletic Club in Milford every Wednesday through Saturday, with a menu featuring salads, pastas, pizzas, sandwiches and more)

Best Chef

Best of the best: Nicole Leavitt, Purple Finch Cafe, 124 S. River Road, Bedford, 232-1958, purplefinchcafe.com (features a menu of salads, soups, chilis, chowders, sandwiches and more, as well as shareable plates like Bavarian pretzel sticks, vegetable hummus and fiesta nachos)

Best of Concord: Corey Fletcher, Revival Kitchen & Bar, 11 Depot St., Concord, 715-5723, revivalkitchennh.com (a farm-to-table fine dining restaurant with menu options like cheese plates, small and large plates, and desserts)

Best of Manchester: Stuart Cameron, Hanover Street Chophouse, 149 Hanover St., Manchester, 644-2467, hanoverstreetchophouse.com (a steakhouse offering fine dining options like steaks, chops, fish, shellfish and a selection of more than 200 bottled wines)

Best of Nashua: Michael Buckley, Michael Timothy’s Dining Group (Buckley’s Bakery & Cafe, 436 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, 262-5929, buckleysbakerycafe.com; Buckley’s Great Steaks, 438 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, 424-0995, buckleysgreatsteaks.com; MT’s Local Kitchen & Wine Bar, 212 Main St., Nashua, 595-9334, mtslocal.com; Surf Restaurant, 207 Main St., Nashua, 595-9293, surfseafood.com)

Friendliest Barista

Best of the best: Caleb Parsons, Schoodac’s Coffee & Tea, 1 E. Main St., Warner, facebook.com/schoodacs (serves coffees and breakfast and lunch options).

Best of Concord: Natalie Witmer, Schoodac’s Coffee & Tea, 1 E. Main St., Warner, facebook.com/schoodacs

Best of Manchester: Jordan Tillery, The Local Moose Cafe, 124 Queen City Ave., Manchester, 232-2669, thelocalmoosecafe.com (offers coffees, espresso drinks and lattes, as well as a menu of sandwiches with locally sourced ingredients)

Best of Nashua: Lauren Morrow, Riverwalk Cafe & Music Bar, Nashua, 578-0200, riverwalknashua.com (offers live music, craft cocktails, coffees, sandwiches and more)

Best Waiter/Waitress

Best of the best: Crystal Cyr, The Pizza Man of Hooksett, 254 W. River Road, Hooksett, 626-7499, thepizzamandelivers.com (features a menu of pizzas, calzones, hot and cold subs, pasta dinners and more; also has locations in Manchester and Litchfield)

Best of Concord: Jonna Gaskell, Hermanos Cocina Mexicana, 11 Hills Ave., Concord, 224-5669, hermanosmexican.com (a Mexican restaurant offering a menu of appetizers, nachos, soups and a la carte options like burritos, chimichangas, tacos, enchiladas and more)

Best of Manchester: Tiffany Plagenza, The Puritan Backroom Restaurant, 245 Hooksett Road, Manchester, 669-6890, puritanbackroom.com (offers a menu of fried plates, burgers, sandwiches, soups, salads, pizzas and more)

Best of Nashua: Camden Kallfelz, Bar One, 40 Nashua St., Milford, 249-5327, facebook.com/baronenh (a women-run restaurant and bar with signature comfort food creations like truffle fries, duck confit poutine, chicken and waffles and flatbread pizzas)

EVENTS

Best Pop Culture Event

Best: Granite State Comicon, Saturday, Sept. 8, and Sunday, Sept. 9, at the Manchester Downtown Hotel (formerly the Radisson), 700 Elm St., Manchester. The event is New Hampshire’s largest comic convention, and 2018 will be its 16th year. Saturday admission is $25, Sunday is $20 and a weekend pass is $40. VIP tickets are $65. Visit granitecon.com.

Runner-up: Vinyl Night, every two months at Pipe Dream Brewing, 49 Harvey Road, Londonderry, and Romano’s, 27 Colby Road, Litchfield. It’s organized by local vinyl enthusiasts who have over 1,000 records. The last event was on April 8 at Pipe Dream. Find them on Facebook.

Honorable mention: ArtFront, at various locations in Manchester. There were two events in 2017 that lasted two or three days each. More events are being planned for 2018, dates TBD. They combine 2-D and 3-D works of art with modern dance. Find them on Facebook or at artfrontnh.com.

Best Film Event or Series

Best: SNOB Film Festival, Thursday, Nov. 8, through Sunday, Nov. 11, at Red River Theatres, 11 S. Main St., Concord. SNOB stands for Somewhat North of Boston. It’s one of the largest film festivals in the state with a long list of short narrative films, documentaries and independent feature-length films screened at the event. Visit snobfilmfestival.com.

Runner-up: Red Carpet Oscar Party at Red River Theatres, 11 S. Main St., Concord. This annual event is one of Red River’s biggest fundraisers. Attendees are given the red carpet treatment as they view the Academy Awards live at the cinema with catering provided by O Steaks & Seafood. The next event is scheduled to take place on Feb. 24, 2019. Tickets range between $55 and $65.

Honorable mention: New Hampshire Film Festival, Thursday, Oct. 11, through Sunday, Oct. 14, at various locations in downtown Portsmouth. Tickets for individual screening are $15, day passes range from $25 ro $40, weekend passes are $100 and VIP tickets are $225. Visit nhfilmfestival.com.

Best Community Event

Best of the best: Market Days Festival, held in downtown Concord every summer. This year will be the 44th annual festival on Thursday, June 21, through Saturday, June 23. Most of Main Street is closed off from vehicle traffic, and tents and booths are set up with food, shopping and free entertainment. It’s organized by Intown Concord and free to attend. Visit intownconcord.org.

Best of Concord: Fall Foliage Festival, held in downtown Warner every fall. The 71st annual festival will be held Friday, Oct. 5, through Sunday, Oct. 7. It features a 5K, vendors, carnival rides and food. Visit wfff.org.

Best of Manchester: Hippo de Mayo Taco Challenge (Taco Tour), held in downtown Manchester, is the largest Cinco de Mayo celebration in New England. This year’s event will take place on Thursday, May 3, from 4 to 9 p.m. Dozens of downtown restaurants will serve their own taco creations available for $2 each. It’s hosted by the Hippo. Visit hippodemayo.com.

Best of Nashua: Nashua Holiday Stroll, held in downtown Nashua, features music, food, shopping and live entertainment. It kicks off with a candlelight stroll down Main Street to a tree-lighting ceremony. This year’s 25th annual event is on Saturday, Nov. 24. The stroll begins at 5 p.m. and lasts until 10 p.m. but there will also be daytime activities from noon to 4 p.m.

Best Parade

Best: Fourth of July Parade in Amherst. Scheduled every July 4 at 10 a.m., it’s a festive and well-attended display of patriotism and civic engagement set in the picturesque center of Amherst. It’s a particularly big event during election years, when candidates for public office and their supporters make an appearance in the parade. Visit amherstnh.gov.

Runner-up: Christmas Parade in downtown Manchester. Usually scheduled for the first Saturday of every December, the Queen City’s Christmas Parade is the only parade in the state that takes place in the evening. It starts at 4 p.m. after the Santa Claus Shuffle kicks off, with various floats heading south along Elm Street. Visit intownmanchester.com.

Honorable mention: St. Patrick’s Day Parade, held in downtown Manchester. The largest St. Patrick’s Day celebration in the state, the parade runs along Elm Street every year. The next parade, which will be the 24th annual event, is scheduled for Sunday, March 24, 2019 at noon. The last event boasted pipe bands, gymnasts, clowns and monster trucks. Visit saintpatsnh.com.

Best Family/Kids Event

Best: Milford Pumpkin Fest, on Columbus Day Weekend in downtown Milford. See the giant pumpkins and enjoy craft fairs, talent shows, fireworks and a haunted trail. Contact the Granite Town Festivities Committee for more info at 508-954-2786.

Runner-up: Deerfield Fair, on Thursday, Sept. 27, through Sunday, Sept. 30, at the Deerfield Fairgrounds, 34 Stage Road, Deerfield. It’s one of the largest and most well-attended agricultural fairs in New Hampshire, with carnival rides, live entertainment, food and more. Visit deerfieldfair.com.

Honorable mention: Market Days Festival, held in downtown Concord every summer. This year will be the 44th annual festival, Thursday, June 21, through Saturday, June 23. Most of Main Street is closed off from vehicle traffic, and tents and booths are set up with food, shopping and free entertainment. It’s organized by Intown Concord and free to attend. Visit intownconcord.org.

ENTERTAINMENT & OUTINGS

Best Self-Guided Tour

Best: Andres Institute of Art, 98 Route 13, Brookline, 673-8441, andresinstitute.org

Runner-up: Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St., Manchester, 669-6144, currier.org

Honorable mention: Strawbery Banke Museum, 14 Hancock St., Portsmouth, 433-1100, strawberybanke.org

Best Place to Take Your Kids

Best of the best: Canobie Lake Park, a permanent amusement park, 85 N. Policy St., Salem, 893-3506, canobie.com

Best of Concord: Krazy Kids, an indoor play center and party venue, 60 Sheep Davis Road, Pembroke, 288-7529, krazykids.com

Best of Manchester: Cowabungas, an indoor inflatable playground, 1328 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, 625-8008, 725 Huse Road, Manchester, 935-9659, mycowabungas.com

Bests of Nashua: Launch Trampoline Park, 17 Tanguay Ave., Nashua, 318-7600, launchnashua.com

Best Place to Take Visiting Relatives

Honorable mention: Canterbury Shaker Village, 288 Shaker Road, Canterbury, 783-9511, shakers.org. A museum preserving an original Shaker village built in 1792 that includes 25 restored and four reconstructed buildings where visitors can learn about Shaker life. It opens to the public on May 5, open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. From Sept. 3 to Oct. 28 it’s open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Best Place to Kill an Hour

Best: Downtown Concord, settled in 1725 and named Concord 40 years later, the current state capital has a quaint New England-style Main Street with many shops and restaurants and the home of the country’s largest state legislature, the New Hampshire Statehouse. The downtown area was recently redesigned with wider sidewalks, lamp posts and several outdoor sculptures.

Runner-up: Gibson’s Bookstore, 45 S. Main St., Concord, 224-0562, gibsonsbookstore.com. Founded in 1898, Gibson’s is the oldest continuously running retailer in Concord. In 2013 it moved to its current location and increased in size. It partners with True Brew Barista to provide café services.

Honorable mention: Downtown Portsmouth, an historic seaport and a popular summer tourist destination. The downtown area is characterized by its old brick buildings and sidewalks. It also has a vibrant restaurant and brewery scene.

THE ENTERTAINERS

Best Local Band

Best: Hunter, alternative rock, huntertheband.com. The band has a new album release concert on Friday, April 13, at 7 p.m. at The Bounty in Nashua.

Runner-up: Miketon and The Night Blinders, folk rock, miketon.net. The band’s next show is on Tuesday, April 17, at 8:30 p.m. at Great Scott in Allston, Mass.

Honorable mention: Brooks Young Band, blues rock, brooksyoungband.com. The band’s next local show is on Friday, June 8, at 8 p.m. at The Colonial Theatre in Keene, opening for Three Dog Night.

Best Local Solo Performer

Best: Brad Bosse of Hooksett, acoustic/rock, facebook.com/BradBosseMusic. His next local show is on Friday, April 13, at 8 p.m. at Stumble Inn in Londonderry.

Runner-up: Ryan Williamson of Concord, acoustic singer-songwriter, rwilliamsonmusic.com. His next local show is on Tuesday, April 17, at 5 p.m. at Gould Hill Farm in Contoocook.

Honorable mention: Tristan Omand of Manchester, Americana, tristanomand.com. His next local show is on Thursday, April 12, at 7 p.m. at the Common Man in Windham.

Best Local Comedian

Best: Nick Lavallee, theotherdude.com. His next local show is on Saturday, April 21, at 9 p.m. at Chunky’s Cinema Pub in Nashua.

Runner-up: Juston McKinney, justonmckinney.com. His next local show is on Saturday, April 28, at 8 p.m. at the Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord.

Honorable mention: Paul Landwehr, paullandwehr.com. His next local show is on Wednesday, April 25, at 9 p.m., at The Shaskeen in Manchester.

Media Personality Who Gets You Through Your Morning

Best: Greg Kretschmar, host of Greg and the Morning Buzz, Rock 101 WGIR-FM/100.3 WHEB-FM, morningbuzz.com. Show airs weekdays from 5:30 to 10 a.m.

Runner-up: Erin Fehlau, weekday morning and afternoon news anchor for WMUR Channel 9 news, wmur.com. Newscasts are live at 5 a.m., 6 a.m. and noon.

Honorable mention: Nazzy, host of The Morning Wake Up, 98.3 WLNH-FM, wlnh.nh1media.com. Show airs weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m.

Best Local Sports Team

Best: New Hampshire Fisher Cats, AA affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays Major League Baseball team, nhfishercats.com. The 2018 season home opener is on Friday, April 13, at 6:35 p.m. against the Hartford Yard Goats. Home field is at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium in Manchester.

Runner-up: Manchester Monarchs, East Coast Hockey League affiliate of the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings, manchestermonarchs.com. The next season begins in the fall. Home ice is at the SNHU Arena in Manchester.

Honorable mention: University of New Hampshire Wildcats men’s hockey team, NCAA Division I, nhwildcats.com. Home ice is at the Whittemore Center Arena at UNH in Durham.

Local Celebrity You Most Want to Have a Beer with

Best: Fritz Wetherbee, author and television personality, best known for his segment Fritz Wetherbee’s New Hampshire on WMUR’s N.H. Chronicle

Runner-up: Chris Sununu, Governor of New Hampshire

Honorable mention: Dean Kamen, inventor and entrepreneur best known for inventing the Segway

PETS

Best Doggie Day Care

Best of the best: American K9 Country, 336 Route 101, Amherst, 672-8448, americank9country.com

Best of Concord: Pembroke Animal Hospital, 13 Sheep Davis Road, Pembroke, 228-0019, pembroke-animal-hospital.com

Best of Manchester: All Dogs Gym & Inn, 505 Sheffield Road, Manchester, 669-4644, alldogsgym.com

Best of Nashua: Superdogs Daycare, 637 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, 424-1515, superdogsdaycare.com

Best Dog Groomers

Best of the best: Sarah’s Paw Spa, 8 Birch St., Derry, 512-4539, sarahspawspa.com

Best of Concord: Bark Now! Dog & Cat Grooming, 237 S. Main St., Concord, 229-3700, barknow.com

Best of Manchester: Ruff to Fluff Dog Grrrooming, 1238 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, 669-1955, rufftofluff.com

Best of Nashua: Cloud K9, 385 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, 424-6166, cloudk9.net

Best Place to Walk Your Dog

Best of the best: Benson Park, 19 Kimball Hill Road, Hudson. Formerly the site of Benson’s Wild Animal Farm, it’s a 166-acre municipal park in Hudson with trails, a 9/11 memorial, dog park and Little Free Library.

Best of Concord: White Park, 1 White St., Concord. In the winter, the 20-acre park offers a sledding hill and skating rink. In the summer, visitors come for its baseball field, basketball court, picnic shelter, playground, pool, soccer field and walking trails.

Best of Manchester: Livingston Park, Hooksett Road, Manchester. It offers a baseball diamond, playground, pool, soccer field, running track, picnic shelter and Dorrs Pond, which you can fish during the summer and skate during the winter.

Best of Nashua: Mine Falls Park, Whipple Street, Nashua. The 325-acre park includes forest, wetlands and open fields. It’s bordered on the north side by the Nashua River.

NIGHTLIFE

Best Bar for Live Music

Best of the best: The Shaskeen, 909 Elm St., Manchester, 625-0246, theshaskeenpub.com. They offer live music on Tuesday nights at 9 p.m., and Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights at 9:30. The Not Fade Away Band is playing on Friday, April 13.

Best of Concord: Area 23, 254 N. State St., Concord, 552-0137, thearea23.com. They have live music every Friday and Saturday night at about 8:20 p.m. with no cover charge. Good Lord the Liftin’ is playing on Friday, April 13 and three bands are playing 60 minute sets at Night of the Hooligans on Saturday, April 14.

Best of Manchester: The Derryfield Restaurant, 625 Mammoth Road, Manchester, 623-2880, derryfieldrestaurant.com. Live music is offered every Friday and Saturday night. Last Kid Picked is playing Friday, April 13 and Chad LaMarsh Band is on Saturday, April 14.

Best of Nashua: Riverwalk Cafe & Music Bar, 35 Railroad Square, Nashua, 578-0200, riverwalknashua.com. They offer live music every Thursday through Sunday. On Thursday, April 12, the Ali McGuirk Band is playing at 8 p.m., on Friday, April 13, The A-Beez is performing at 8 p.m., on Saturday, April 14, Mr. Nick & the Dirty Tricks are playing at 8 p.m., and on Sunday, April 15, the Squeezebox Stompers are performing at 7 p.m. Cover charges vary.

Best Bar with an Outdoor Deck

Best of the best: The Derryfield Restaurant, 625 Mammoth Road, Manchester, 623-2880, derryfieldrestaurant.com (the deck opens when the golf course opens, usually around April, when the ground is dry).

Best of Concord: Downtown Cheers Grille & Bar, 17 Depot St., Concord, 228-0181, cheersnh.com (the deck opens when the weather warms up).

Best of Manchester: Murphy’s Taproom, 494 Elm St., Manchester, 644-3535, murphystaproom.com (the deck opens when the weather is consistently warm).

Best of Nashua: The Pasta Loft, 241 Union Square, Milford, 672-2270, pastaloft.com (the deck will open once the snow has melted. Pasta Loft also has a location in Hampstead at 220 E. Main St.).

Best Pub

Best of the best: The Shaskeen, 909 Elm St., Manchester, 625-0246, theshaskeenpub.com

Best of Concord: The Barley House, 132 N. Main St., Concord, 228-6363, thebarleyhouse.com

Best of Manchester: Wild Rover Pub, 21 Kosciuszko St., Manchester, 669-7722, wildroverpub.com

Best of Nashua: The Peddler’s Daughter, 48 Main St., Nashua, 821-7535, thepeddlersdaughter.com

Best Sports Bar

Best of the best: Billy’s Sports Bar and Grill, 34 Tarrytown Road, Manchester, 622-3644, billyssportsbar.com

Best of Concord: The Draft Sports Bar and Grill, 67 S. Main St., Concord, 227-1175, draftsportsbar.com

Best of Manchester: Thirsty Moose Taphouse, 795 Elm St., Manchester, 792-2337, thirstymoosetaphouse.com (Thirsty Moose Taphouse also has locations in Portsmouth at 21 Congress St., in Dover at 83 Washington St. and in Exeter at 72 Portsmouth Ave.).

Best of Nashua: O’Brien’s Sports Bar, 118 Main St., Nashua, 718-8604, obrienssportsbar.com

Best Pub Trivia Night

Best of the best: Every Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m. with Steve Erdody at The Pasta Loft, 241 Union Square, Milford, 672-2270, pastaloft.com

Best of Concord: Every Friday at 9 p.m. at Downtown Cheers Grille & Bar, 17 Depot St., Concord, 228-0181, cheersnh.com

Best of Manchester: Every Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. The Farm Bar & Grille, 1181 Elm St., Manchester, 641-3276, farmbargrille.com

Best of Nashua: Every Tuesday at 8:30 p.m. (arrive at 8 to get a spot) at The Peddler’s Daughter, 48 Main St., Nashua, 821-7535, thepeddlersdaughter.com

Best Karaoke Night

Best of the best: Yee Dynasty Chinese Restaurant, 830 S. Willow St., Manchester, 625-5500, yeedynasty.com (karaoke is seven nights a week at 9:30 p.m.)

Best of Concord: Beijing & Tokyo, 61 S. Main St., Concord, 228-0888, beijingtokyoconcordnh.com (karaoke is Friday and Saturday night at 9 p.m.)

Best of Manchester: McGarvey’s Saloon, 1097 Elm St., Manchester, 627-2721, mcgarveysnh.com (karaoke is every night at 9:30 p.m.)

Best of Nashua: Fody’s Great American Tavern, 9 Clinton St., Nashua, 577-9015, fodystavern.com (karaoke is on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 p.m.)

Best Comedy Night

Best: Wednesday nights at The Shaskeen, 909 Elm St., Manchester, 625-0246, theshaskeenpub.com

Runner-up: Tupelo Music Hall, 10 A St., Derry, 437-5100, tupelomusichall.com. National acts, booked by comic Mike Smith, appear on the second Friday of the month. The next one’s April 13, starring Christine Hurley, Mitch Stinson and Brian Higginbottom.

Honorable mention: Thursday nights at 8:45 p.m. at Strange Brew, 88 Market St., Manchester, 666-4292, strangebrewtavern.net

Best Date Place

Best of the best: Mint Bistro, 1105 Elm St., Manchester, 625-6468, mintbistronh.com

Best of Concord: Angelina’s Ristorante Italiano, 11 Depot St., Concord, 228-3313, angelinasrestaurant.com

Best of Manchester: Bedford Village Inn & Restaurant, 2 Olde Bedford Way, Bedford, 472-2001, bedfordvillageinn.com

Best of Nashua: Bar One, 40 Nashua St., Milford, 249-5327, find them on Facebook.

Best Place to Go Dancing

Best: The Derryfield Restaurant, 625 Mammoth Road, Manchester, 623-2880, derryfieldrestaurant.com

Runner-up: Club Manchvegas Bar and Grill, 50 Old Granite St., Manchester, 222-1677, clubmanchvegas.com

Honorable mention: Whiskey’s 20, 20 Old Granite St., Manchester, 836-5251, whiskeys20.com

OUTDOORS

Best Local Hiking Trail

Best of the best: Mine Falls Park, Whipple Street, Nashua. The 325-acre park includes forest, wetlands and open fields. It’s bordered on the north side by the Nashua River. There are about eight miles of walking trails in the forest.

Best of Concord: Oak Hill Trails of Shaker Road, Concord. There are approximately seven miles of trails north of Turtle Pond.

Best of Manchester: Lake Massabesic, Route 101, Exit 2, Bypass 28, Manchester, 624-6444, manchesternh.gov. There are several marked trails that range in length from half a mile to over three miles.

Best of Nashua: Beaver Brook, 117 Ridge Road, Hollis, 465-7787, beaverbrook.org. It features 35 miles of trails along more than 2,000 acres of forest, wetlands and fields.

Best Farm for Pick-Your-Own

Best of the best: Lull Farm, 65 Broad St., Hollis, 465-7079, livefreeandfarm.com. They have apples and pumpkins available for picking, as well as strawberries.

Best of Concord: Carter Hill Orchard, 73 Carter Hill Road, Concord, 225-2625, carterhillapples.com. Visitors can pick apples, peaches, blueberries and raspberries.

Best of Manchester: Mack’s Apples, 230 Mammoth Road, Londonderry, 800-479-6225, macksapples.com. They have pumpkins and apples available for picking.

Best of Nashua: Brookdale Fruit Farm, 41 Broad St., Hollis, 465-2240, brookdalefruitfarm.com. Visitors can pick apples, pumpkins, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, cherries and strawberries.

Best City Park

Best of the best: White Park, 1 White St., Concord. In the winter, the 20-acre park offers a sledding hill and skating rink. In the summer, visitors come for its baseball field, basketball court, picnic shelter, playground, pool, soccer field and walking trails.

Best of Concord: Rollins Park, 116 Broadway St., Concord, 225-8690, concordnh.gov (parking is at 33 Bow St., Concord). It features walking trails, a full-sized playground, baseball, softball and field hockey fields, and the city’s largest public pool, which is open during the summer.

Best of Manchester: Livingston Park, Hooksett Road, Manchester. It offers a baseball diamond, playground, pool, soccer field, running track, picnic shelter and Dorrs Pond, where you can fish during the summer and skate during the winter. There’s also a 1-mile trail around the pond.

Best of Nashua: Greeley Park, 100 Concord St., Nashua, 589-3370, nashuanh.gov. A 125-acre park that extends from the Merrimack River to Manchester Street. Aside from hills for sledding, there are also sports fields for playing baseball, softball, as well as a tennis court and other features.

Best State Park

Runner-up: Pawtuckaway State Park, 128 Mammoth Road, Nottingham, 895-3031, nhstateparks.org. It features more than 5,000 acres of land and hiking trails.

Honorable mention: Wellington State Park, 614 W. Shore Road, Bristol, 744-2197, nhstateparks.org. It features volleyball and horseshoe courts, and a peninsula nature trail with picnic areas, fishing areas and more.

Best Sledding Hill

Best of the best: Derryfield Country Club, 625 Mammoth Road in Manchester, (derryfieldgolf.com, 669-0235). A hill at the course off Mammoth Road is a popular sledding destination. (Note: Derryfield Park, not far away on Bridge Street in Manchester, also has a large hill with sledding potential.)

Best of Manchester: Mack’s Apples, 230 Mammoth Road, Londonderry, 800-479-6225, macksapples.com. Multiple hills around the property are available for sledding.

Best of Nashua: Roby Park, Spit Brook Road, Nashua, 589-3370, nashuanh.gov. A large hill behind the park is often used for sledding.

Best Bike Trail/Spot for a Bike Ride

Best of Concord: WOW Trail, can be accessed behind the train station in downtown Laconia. WOW stands for Winnipesaukee, Opechee, Winnisquam, the three lakes connected by the paved 10-foot-wide rail trail.

Best of Manchester: Windham Rail Trail, accessed at the Windham Depot in Windham. This 4.1-mile trail is the anchor section of the Granite State Rail Trail.

Best of Nashua: Nashua River Rail Trail, in Nashua. It connects the Gate City to Ayer, Massachusetts, with over 12 miles of paved rail trail.

Best Annual Footrace

Best of the best: The Payson Center for Cancer Care Rock‘N Race, a 5K starting at the Statehouse Plaza on Main Street, Concord. The race is on Thursday, May 17, this year. Proceeds benefit the Concord Hospital Trust. Visit giveto.concordhospital.org.

Best of Concord: Wicked FIT 5K Runs in Concord and Wolfeboro. The races benefit Families in Transition. The Concord race is on Saturday, Oct. 27, at 9:30 a.m. at Rollins Park. The Wolfeboro race is on Saturday, Sept. 29, at 10:30 a.m. at the Abenaki Ski Area.

Best of Manchester: The 26th Annual Cigna/Elliot Corporate Road Race in downtown Manchester. Scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 9, this 5K race along Elm and Canal streets is the largest 5K in the state, with more than 6,000 registrants each year. Visit elliothospital.org/website/cigna.

Best of Nashua: The 13th Annual Hollis Fast 5K in Hollis. The race is at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 14, at Hollis Brookline Middle School, 25 Main St., Hollis. The proceeds help fund local educational scholarships. Visit hollisfast5k.com.

LIFE IN NH

Best Community Service Non-Profit

Best: Families In Transition, 122 Market St., Manchester, 641-9441, fitnh.org. It provides safe, affordable housing and social services to individuals and families who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, enabling them on a path of self-sufficiency.

Runner-up: SHARE Outreach, 1 Columbus Ave., Milford, 673-9898, sharenh.org. It provides emergency and ongoing support in the form of food, clothing, financial assistance and local resources to individuals and families in need in Milford, Amherst, Brookline and Mont Vernon.

Honorable mention: Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of New Hampshire, 138 Coolidge Ave., Manchester, 626-4600, casanh.org. It recruits, trains and supervises volunteers who serve as advocates for abused and neglected children in the state court system, helping the children find safe and permanent homes.

Best Historical Site or Museum

Best of the best: Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St., Manchester, 669-6144, currier.org. The internationally renowned art museum was founded in 1929 and features American and European paintings, sculptures, photographs and more by notable artists.

Best of Manchester: Millyard Museum, 200 Bedford St., Manchester, 622-7531, manchesterhistoric.org/millyard-museum. This museum, operated by the Manchester Historic Association, features permanent and rotating exhibits pertaining to Manchester history.

Best of Concord: New Hampshire Historical Society, 30 Park St., Concord, 228-6688, nhhistory.org. The museum features an extensive collection of archives and objects related to New Hampshire history.

Best of Nashua: Monson Center, Federal Hill Road, Milford, 224-9945, forestsociety.org/property/monson-center. The historical site features preserved remnants of a colonial settlement that existed from 1737 to 1770.

Coolest-looking Building

Best of the best: New Hampshire Statehouse, 107 N. Main St., Concord, nh.gov. The building is distinguished by its iconic golden dome.

Best of Concord: Gasholder House, South Main Street, Concord, concordnh.gov. The round brick building used from 1888 to 1952 to store gas is one of the last structures of its kind in the country.

Best of Manchester: Black Widow Customs, 51 Kosciuszko St., Manchester, 624-0400, blackwidowcustoms.com. The brick building which houses the automotive shop features the back of a car jutting out from above the garage door entry.

Best of Nashua: Hunt Memorial Building, 6 Main St., Nashua, nashuanh.gov. The Gothic style building, formerly used as a library, was built in 1903 by New Hampshire architect Ralph Adams Cram.

Best thing about living in NH

Best: Our seasons! All of them, even winter (though winter by itself did not get so many votes; perhaps winter was what the person was thinking of when they voted “seasons, even if the worst is the longest.”) Fall got the most votes of any individual season.

Runner-up: The state’s landscape and natural beauty. Readers sang the praises of our beaches, mountains, forests, hiking trails and lakes. “The most beautiful sites in the world,” is how one voter put it.

Honorable mention: The people and community. As one voter said “They are passionate about sports and politics, love the outdoors, and they will always lend a hand to their neighbor. Live free or die!”

Quality of Life 6/4/2020

Hooray for history

The Hopkinton Historical Society’s Putney Hill Cemetery Walk has been honored by the American Association for State and Local History with an Award of Excellence, “the most prestigious recognition for achievement in the preservation and interpretation of state and local history,” according to a press release from the association. The Putney Hill Cemetery Walk, performed last October, is a theatrical production about the people who were — and were not — buried in the town’s earliest cemetery. It featured local actors who portrayed 26 former Hopkinton residents, telling a story of Hopkinton’s past. DVD copies of the cemetery walk are available from the society.

Comment: In more good news for the Hopkinton Historical Society, it has received a $10,000 grant as part of the CARES Act. “Given the pandemic, …. we have been unable to open our summer exhibit and hold its associated programs, or hold our regular fundraisers,” Executive Director Heather Mitchell said in a press release. “This grant will help us rework our traditional summer exhibit into a driving tour and also help mitigate some of the losses from our fundraisers.”

All aboard for even more history!

Seven railroad depots in Warner will be featured in the first online presentation in a new series called All Aboard! Economic, Social and Environmental Change During New Hampshire’s Railroad Era, according to a press release from the Warner Historical Society. The discussion will focus on the politics behind the depots’ locations, as well as the people who laid the tracks and worked at the stations. The free presentation will be held on Zoom on Thursday, June 11, at 7 p.m. and will offer the opportunity to ask questions and chat with the presenters, who are from the Warner Historical Society. To register and receive instructions for how to join the presentation, email info@warnerhistorica.org.

Comment: All Aboard! Economic, Social and Environmental Change During New Hampshire’s Railroad Era is a free series that explores the impact of the railroad on rural New Hampshire towns, with support from the New Hampshire Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities. Visit nhmuse.org.

Just plane fun

The Aviation Museum of New Hampshire’s Around the World Flight Adventure received national recognition recently when it was featured in Newsweek magazine, according to a press release from the museum. The online education program is a virtual flight that took off from New Hampshire on May 1 and is circling the globe, flying over landmarks like Stonehenge, Buckingham Palace and the Eiffel Tower. Newsweek featured the flight as one of five ways to celebrate Memorial Day via livestream, as the C-47 transport plane simulator — a vintage 1930s aircraft — flew over the beaches at Normandy, where the D-Day landings took place in 1944. The program was recently awarded a $5,000 CARES grant from New Hampshire Humanities, which will help it continue the flight into the summer. According to the release, the museum is expected to open later this summer, at which time the plane will return. Visit aviationmuseumofnh.org for all archived and future flights.

Comment: Nearly 1,000 people watched the Memorial Day livestream; according to the press release, one viewer commented that it was “the best way to honor the men and women on Memorial Day that I have ever spent. I am privileged to fly along.”

Staying safe

New Hampshire has been named the eighth safest state in America in 2020, according to a WalletHub study. The rankings were released June 2 as part of National Safety Month. The study looked at data that ranged from assaults per capita to coronavirus support. The Granite State ranked second in assaults per capita, third in murders and non-negligent manslaughters per capita, eighth in loss amounts from climate disasters per capita, 13th in share of uninsured population and 19th in job security, according to the study.

Comment: All six New England states made it into the Top 10, with Maine and Vermont at No. 1 and No. 2, respectively.

QOL score: 63 (the score is temporarily suspended, but QOL will still be keeping tabs on New Hampshire’s well-being each week)

What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire? Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

Socially Distanced Summer Camp

How Summer Camps are trying to find a way to keep fun in the season.

Camps have been given the green light to open on June 22, but they won’t look the same as years past, with some going virtual and others making modifications to meet safety guidelines — and some not opening at all.

Also on the cover, Game Changer Sports Bar and Grill opens in Londonderry, p. 18. Fire pits are better with beer, p. 24. And stand-up comedy comes out of quarantine, p. 30.

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The State of Summer Camps

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Live Summer Music

The Tupelo Drive-In Experience got the live outdoor music party started, and local restaurants are joining in on a smaller scale as they start offering shows alongside outdoor dining — so while most big tours and concert series have been canceled or postponed, you can still get your live music fix this summer.

Also on the cover, Manchester native Tyler Spindel has a new hit on Netflix, p. 6. Get your next dessert from a food truck in Nashua or your next bottle of wine from a new shop on Main Street in Concord, p. 14. And get your puzzle on with all kinds of options, starting on p. 27 in the nite section.

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Home

At the drive-in

Tupelo Music Hall resumes events in novel way

By Michael Witthaus
mwitthaus@hippopress.com

Though the entire economy was rocked, the Covid-19 pandemic hit the live entertainment industry like a hurricane. It was the first to close and will likely wait the longest for a return. Tupelo Music Hall owner Scott Hayward met the coming storm as he stepped off a plane on March 12 and immediately began to cancel and reschedule shows, wondering what things would look like on the other side of the crisis.
To keep his employees working, Hayward pivoted to food service and making his excess inventory of critical supplies like toilet paper and hand sanitizer available to those who needed it. With social distancing rules in place, indoor concerts at his 600-plus-seat Derry venue were a long way off, but the self-described “entrepreneurial realist” began to think of another way to bring music and comedy to the region. If he couldn’t welcome crowds inside, why not do it outside, in the parking lot?
With cars occupying every other spot and patrons sitting in lawn chairs, The Tupelo Drive-In Experience opened May 16. It was, according to a reporter from the Washington Post who traveled to Derry for the opening, the first live concert event since the pandemic shutdown began in mid-March. The drive-in was also featured prominently in a recent Rolling Stone article.
Singer-guitarist Tim Theriault, a familiar figure on the local nightclub scene and a veteran of tours with Godsmack frontman Sully Erna, played two sets. Every day more shows are announced. The calendar is filling up, even as the near-term future of Tupelo Music Hall’s main room remains uncertain. Hayward talked about the “new” venue and the challenging road ahead, in a recent phone interview.

You’re staying busy?
Yeah, I’ve never been so busy to make so little money, but at least we’re doing something.

Well, good on you for doing enough to keep your employees working and keep live music out there for people to enjoy. How did the first show go?
It went great, it was a home run. … It was a little bit of a Herculean effort between everyone who worked with and for me to get all the systems in place and make it work. But everything went fine, it all came together and we opened [May 16] and said, well, let’s see how it goes. Honestly, we’re gonna change a couple of things, but they’re so minor. People were great; they all stayed in their spots and were enjoying themselves, and it was a fantastic day. You couldn’t ask for better weather.

The sound was a real trick with the delay and FM — your reputation has always been great sound, so you must be your own worst critic. How did you feel listening back?
We couldn’t take our sound system … outside because the boxes are too small. We need a sound system that you don’t hear in Londonderry but everybody in the parking lot can hear it when it’s really windy. That’s where it gets a little crazy. So we worked with Ultrasound. They’re a West Coast company, but they’ve always had an East Coast presence with the guy who does my PA stuff. That was dialed in, they had the plans, and they literally made a system for my parking lot. When we were tuning it up the Thursday before the show we knew it was going to sound good, but it sounded better than we had anticipated.

You had a guy come in and weld some special mounts?
Yeah, the infrastructure we had to do just for the sound system, we built the whole stage over the entrance, we put a back curtain on that had custom graphics, we had to install the correct bracket, everything was cut and welded and then had to be painted and everything for the show. So it was a busy week before the first show, we were putting a lot of things together. I couldn’t be happier with how the sound system came out. Also, we’re streaming things to the Derry radio station, broadcasting through that, and I sat in my son’s car during the show on Saturday, and I had the radio on and rolled down the windows — I wanted to see if there was a disconnect [or] delay with the timing, and there really was none. [For] people that want to stay in their cars, it’s great. It’s a really good broadcast.

What other shows are on the horizon?
We do a lot of tributes that always sell out for us, so we’re going to do them with an entire weekend. So in June, Tusk the Fleetwood Mac band, we’re doing them for two days; Kashmir, which is Led Zeppelin; EagleMania, and we’re currently working on a lot of stuff. After that Washington Post article I’m getting contacted from people all over the country, it’s crazy. … My plan is to do five to six shows a week. We’re not going to do multiple bands in a day, just for safety. But we have performers who will do three in one day, [at] noon, three and six o’clock.

Having comedy is great too.
Yeah, I think that’s going to be cool. You know, I think that we can do almost everything we do inside, outside. We really have to keep bands to a five- or six-piece to meet the distancing guidelines for them, but besides that, I don’t see a lot of limitations. The only limitation we really have is weather.

Yeah, but the stage is covered and people can listen in their cars if it rains.
But there are no sides — it’s an open roof and the stage will get wet. So we need to put some temporary roll-down sides for bad weather. One thing at a time.

The Washington Post story said Tupelo Drive In was the first of its kind in the country. Is that true?
Well, the writer was talking to me about that … and he said there was supposed to be some show on Friday that was canceled by the governor [Travis McCready’s appearance in a Fort Smith, Arkansas, church was moved from May 15 to May 18] and another one that was going to happen at 6 in Missouri. So he said since yours started at noon, I can confirm that you’re the first in the country.

I know some are going to be happening, like Pat Green in the parking lot of the Texas Rangers stadium.
Definitely this outdoor thing is going to catch on. … I mean, I don’t think we’re the first ones to have the idea, but we are the first to implement it.

How would you describe your time leading up to this moment when the pandemic shut everything down, doing other things in lieu of music?
Well, the knee-jerk reaction was it was all about essential business. Since our food and beverage business is a completely separate entity, that allowed us to stay open. So I thought, we need to pay some people here so let’s do whatever we can, and people gave us a lot of donations and it worked out great, you know? It was eight weeks of doing that, a lot of work for a little bit of money, but it paid my kitchen staff. To me that’s time well spent, and while we’re doing that we’re researching all the systems. It took a month just to figure out how to deal with working with the town for the broadcast and that we didn’t have any issues with delay, all these little things that we had to do, we had all these projects that had to come together at the same time. Then we’re doing what every other venue is — rescheduling shows and trying to answer the question, how is this going to go? We don’t really know, obviously, but we’re doing what we can to find out.

Main room shows are still listed on the Tupelo website. Will some of them happen in the Drive-In?
We’re not moving any shows to the drive-in. The shows we have inside are based on contracts that were negotiated months and months ago. Some a year ago. … What we’re able to do [outside] right now is get people who are willing to say, hey, I live three hours away and I can come and play. We’re lucky because we have nationally touring artists who live around here. Johnny A, Gary Hoey, Adam Ezra — they can go all over the United States and get gigs. Those are the easy ones, the people who live close and they want to work and we work with them anyway and it’s fantastic to get them. We’re not going off a show we already booked — it’s a brand new model.

There are indoor shows scheduled at Tupelo from July to November and beyond. What’s your hope for them?
We opened the outdoor venue because I plan on needing to do outdoor shows until fall. We’re moving indoor shows week by week — my goal is to reschedule everything.

The notion that the government can tell everyone to reopen — I heard you say in an interview that just because you’re told it’s OK, that doesn’t mean you will.
Luckily, they’re not going to do that, but if the State of New Hampshire said, hey, you can put 500 people in a room, I’m not doing it. Even if they open venues this summer, we’re not going to be able to, for two reasons. One, if it’s not safe, I’m not going to do it. The other is all the tours are gone — they’ve all been canceled. Down the road, I see possibly — it depends on the second wave — but if things go well this summer I can conceivably see venues [opening], I can see that happening. I don’t see people going to shows and lifting up a mask to drink a beer. I wouldn’t do that, though I’m sure some people will. I personally don’t think that is the future of this. I might be wrong. That’s why we did the outdoor thing. It’s limited on how many people we can put outside, but that’s OK. People weren’t wearing masks in my parking lot, but they were outside and 20 feet from each other with a car between them.

It sounds like there’s a lot of upside even if there’s uncertainty stretching out to the end of the year. Would you call yourself an optimist in terms of what the coming months offer for you and your business?
I would categorize myself as an entrepreneurial realist. Necessity is the mother of invention. People are going to have to think of ways for people to have entertainment that are safe and also meet the state guidelines so you don’t get shut down. It’s kind of that simple. I think a lot more people are going to do the outdoor venue thing. I think if they do, that’s great. I can’t possibly meet all the entertainment needs of New Hampshire. I would like to see other venues do what we’re doing. We’re in the business of providing entertainment for people and people are missing it something horrible. I think as things open up a little bit we’ll be able have small outdoor concerts where there are people and not so many cars. It would be great if this summer we could have concerts in parks where people spaced out blankets 20 feet from each other. Space the blankets out. Spray paint lines in the grass and tell people to plop down in the square. I think that’s where we’ll end up, but who knows? No one has definitive information on this virus and what it’s going to look like in four months.

Well, hopefully someone will open Checkerboard Field.
It would be easy to do. To me, I think that could be something to open up places like Prescott Park, that whole series. The problem is if people have already canceled shows for the summer, what do you do? It’s a hell of a position to be in. Whether you agree if we should be open or closed, you still need access to artists.

Yes, but as you say, we have a rich regional scene. One woman at the show said she didn’t even know Tim Theriault, she just wanted to see a concert.
That was my original thought. Tim’s no slouch, he’s one of the better musicians in this whole area, but that doesn’t make him well-known. What I knew was if I put him on the stage, they’d come because they want to do something and I also know they’d become Tim Theriault fans because he’s so good. As a promoter, you just have to have confidence that the artist is going to be good.

The most promising thing is it will develop the regional music scene because even if tours are canceled, people that are here that want to play, can.
That’s exactly what I think. There are a lot of great musicians out there that are local. Being an artist and getting on stage is as much luck as it is talent. This might open up an opportunity for a lot of those local people to get on smaller stages and it will actually be enjoyable to be out there sitting in the sun and listening to some music.

Tupelo Drive-In Experience – Upcoming Shows
Where: Tupelo Music Hall, 10 A St., Derry
Tickets: $75 per car at tupelohall.com
Saturday, May 30: Jimmy Lehoux (noon & 3 p.m.)
Sunday, May 31: The Weeklings, Beatles Tribute (noon & 3 p.m.)
Saturday, June 6, and Sunday, June 7: Foreigners Journey (noon & 3 p.m.)
Sunday, June 14: Johnny A. (noon & 3 p.m.)

Author: admin

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At the drive-in

Tupelo Music Hall resumes events in novel way

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