Author: Matt Ingersoll

Matt Ingersoll writes about all things food and drink, covering new restaurants and following the most delicious foodie trends in the state. Reach him at mingersoll@hippopress.com.

In the kitchen with Bradley Labarre

Bradley Labarre of Manchester is the new executive chef and program manager of the Recipe for Success culinary job training program at the New Hampshire Food Bank (700 E. Industrial Park Drive, Manchester, 669-9725, nhfoodbank.org), having assumed the role in early January. The free eight-week program helps people suffering financial hardships gain work in the food service industry in the state — students learn various skills such as nutrition, proper use of kitchen instruments and equipment, safe food handling and meal presentation. Labarre’s role with the Food Bank also involves coordinating food donations and managing its regular inventory of products, and he’s currently working on getting the Recipe for Success program accredited through the American Culinary Federation. A Queen City native, he’s been involved with the Food Bank as a volunteer for more than eight years, including as a participant in its annual Steel Chef Challenge.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

A very sharp knife.

What would you have for your last meal?

A perfect bowl of mushroom risotto, topped with an unctuous slab of nicely seared foie gras. … Of course, it would have to be followed by something sweet, so perhaps a nice slice of wild blueberry cheesecake or Blake’s brand Moose Tracks ice cream.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

At the top of my list right now is Greenleaf in Milford, with chef Chris Viaud. They are totally killing it over there. Every time we go there, our heads are exploding. … We love that place, and we love Chris too. He’s a super, super nice guy.

What celebrity would you like to cook for?

[Chefs] Alice Waters, Peter Hoffman or Dan Barber. I’ve been inspired by their farm-to-fork approach with food for years. … Cooking for any one of them would not only be an honor, but it would teach me so much about my deep-seated approach to cooking.

What is your favorite thing that you’ve ever cooked for the NH Food Bank?

One that really sticks out to me was the first meal we ever made for the Steel Chef challenge back in 2016, which was a beef tenderloin. Although it wasn’t the most difficult thing I ever made, it was one of the most memorable. Not only did I get to do this with my then future wife and a few friends, but this plate of food made such a difference in so many people’s lives.

What is the biggest food trend in New Hampshire right now?

Plant-based cooking. I’m noticing that more and more chefs are focusing more of their energy on plant-based foods made with care.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

Anything in my outdoor wood-fired oven. Specifically, though, I love a crisp, airy pizza topped with a few slices of fresh mozzarella, some spicy arugula and thinly sliced prosciutto. You can’t beat it. … [The oven] is handmade in Portugal and it weighs 1,300 pounds. I actually had to have a crane put it in my yard.

Wild mushroom risotto
From the kitchen of Executive Chef Bradley Labarre of the New Hampshire Food Bank

1 pound wild mushrooms
8 Tablespoons butter
2 small shallots, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 fresh thyme sprigs
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
¾ cup dry white wine
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
5 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1½ cups arborio rice
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Fresh parsley, minced (optional)

Warm broth over low heat in a small saucepan. In a heavy skillet, melt half of the butter over medium heat. Add mushrooms and shallots and saute until tender, about eight minutes. Add garlic, thyme sprigs, salt and pepper and stir for an additional minute. Remove mushroom mixture from pan and set aside. Add remaining butter to pan over medium heat. Once melted, add rice and stir until rice begins to look translucent. Add dry white wine and lemon juice and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly until the liquid is absorbed. Add mushroom stock or one cup of vegetable broth and stir until almost all of the broth is absorbed. Continue adding the broth one cup at a time and stir until the liquid is almost absorbed. Add mushroom mixture into the rice and stir to combine. Gently stir in the heavy cream and Parmesan cheese and cook for an additional five minutes on low heat. Transfer risotto to a serving bowl and top with freshly ground pepper, shaved Parmesan and fresh parsley if desired.

Featured photo: Bradley Labarre. Photo by Bruce Luetters of 3Sixty Photography.

Chili chowdown

Amherst chili cook-off and ice cream social returns

Local restaurants and home cooks will once again be vying for your palate with a warm bowl of chili during the sixth annual Amherst Fire & Ice. After its initial postponement last month, the friendly chili cook-off and tasting — which will also feature make-your-own ice cream sundaes to help you turn down the heat — returns to Amherst Middle School on Friday, March 11.

The cook-off is being organized by the Amherst Lions Club, and while the deadline to register as a chili entrant has passed, it’s open to the public for tasting. This will be the first in-person Amherst Fire & Ice in two years, following a pre-recorded “virtual” cook-off in 2021 when viewers had the opportunity to purchase chili recipes online from each of the entrants.

Chili makers will compete in three categories — individuals, restaurants and Lions Club members — as voted by tasters and a panel of judges, Amherst Lion Joan Ferguson said. (Editor’s note: This year’s judging panel includes Hippo writer Matt Ingersoll.) They’ll rate each entry on a scale of 1 to 10 on various criteria such as taste, smell, heat, presentation and creativity. David Mielke of Smokehaus Barbecue, a 2019 Amherst Fire & Ice champion, is a judge this year, and so is Dan DeCourcey, pitmaster of the Up in Your Grill barbecue food truck.

This year’s contenders will include Moulton’s Kitchen & Market of Amherst and Union Street Grill of Milford, as well as members of several local Lions Clubs like Amherst, Bedford and Merrimack. As in past years, there will be a diverse showing of traditional and non-traditional options to be served, Ferguson said, and you never know what types you may encounter. One of last year’s virtual cook-off winners, for instance, was a lamb chili with garbanzo beans and havarti cheese, while others have previously featured game meats like venison. Ferguson said at least one meatless option will be among the lineup of chilis to taste at this year’s cook-off.

“Attendees may eat as much as they want,” she said. “In addition … there will be cornbread, drinks and hot dogs [for those] who might not care for chili.”

Tasters will also get to vote on their favorite chilis. The chili entrant with the most votes in each category receives bragging rights for a year and their name engraved on a silver bowl.

After sampling chilis, attendees can enjoy their own made-to-order ice cream sundaes, featuring their choice of vanilla, chocolate or cookies and cream ice cream flavors, and additional toppings like strawberries, chocolate sauce, whipped cream, cherries or chocolate or rainbow sprinkles.

Members of Amherst Middle School’s music department will perform live. There will also be animal balloon demonstrations from Amherst’s Krickey the Clown, free eye screenings offered by the Amherst Lions Club, and — new to this year’s event — a kids’ coloring contest with prizes awarded to winners in three separate brackets: ages 11 to 15, 6 to 10 and 5 and under. The contest drawings can be downloaded from the Amherst Lions Club’s website or Facebook page.

“Copies of the images and crayons will be available … and may be completed before the winners are announced toward the end of the event,” Ferguson said.

6th annual Amherst Fire & Ice
When: Friday, March 11, 5 to 7 p.m.
Where: Amherst Middle School, 14 Cross Road, Amherst
Cost: $8 per person or $25 per family of four. Children under 5 receive free admission. Tickets can be purchased online, or cash is accepted at the door.
Visit: e-clubhouse.org/sites/amherstnh

Featured photo: Scenes from the 2019 Amherst Fire & Ice chili cook-off and ice cream social. Courtesy photo.

Ready for St. Patrick’s Day?

Where to get corned beef and cabbage, Irish-inspired treats and other specials

St. Patrick’s Day is just a week away, so if you’re looking to enjoy that ceremonial boiled corned beef and cabbage dinner, or you want to indulge in some Irish-inspired sweets, here’s a list of local restaurants, Irish pubs, bakeries and other businesses ready to help you mark the occasion.

• Alan’s of Boscawen (133 N. Main St., Boscawen, 753-6631, alansofboscawen.com) will have corned beef and cabbage available on Saturday, March 12, and from Thursday, March 17, through Saturday, March 19. Live entertainment will be provided by Those Guys on Saturday, March 12, and DJ Stretch on Friday, March 18.

• All Real Meal (87 Elm St., Manchester, 782-3014, allrealmeal.com) is taking orders for St. Patrick’s Day dinners for two, featuring slow-cooked corned beef, cabbage and vegetables, Guinness beef pot pie, loaded mashed potatoes, and Irish cream cheesecake and chocolate mint brownies for dessert. The cost is $75. Order as soon as possible (quantities are limited) for delivery on Wednesday, March 16.

• Amigos Mexican Cantina (20 South St., Milford, 673-1500, amigosmilford.com) will be open from noon to 9 p.m. on Thursday, March 17, serving multiple specials for St. Patrick’s Day, like slow-roasted corned beef dinners with carrots, potatoes and cabbage, “Emerald Isle Nachos,” which are topped with corned beef, sauerkraut, melted Swiss cheese and Thousand Island dressing, and Irish Car Bomb whoopies, featuring a Guinness chocolate cake and a Jameson whiskey and Bailey’s Irish cream buttercream filling.

• Auburn Pitts (167 Rockingham Road, Auburn, 622-6564, auburnpitts.com) will serve specials on corned beef dinners and Reuben sandwiches starting Wednesday, March 16, and going right through the weekend. They’ll also have live music and open mic jams all afternoon and evening starting at 2 p.m. on Thursday, March 17, hosted by Crazy Steve Butler and Stoned Wasp.

• Averill House Vineyard (21 Averill Road, Brookline, 244-3165, averillhousevineyard.com) will serve its annual St. Patrick’s Day mystery dinner, a four-course food and wine pairing event, on Thursday, March 17, at 5:30 p.m. The dinner includes four themed mystery dishes, along with wine selections from the vineyard. Tickets start at $69 per person.

• The Bakeshop on Kelley Street (171 Kelley St., Manchester, 624-3500, thebakeshoponkelleystreet.com) will be offering corned beef sandwiches featuring its own house dressing, sauteed cabbage on toasted garlic herb bread. They’re also offering special St. Patrick’s Day-themed decorative cookies, doughnuts and cupcakes.

• Belmont Hall & Restaurant (718 Grove St., Manchester, 625-8540, belmonthall.net) will be open until 8 p.m. on Thursday, March 17, serving special corned beef and cabbage plates with all the fixings.

• Bistro 603 (345 Amherst St., Nashua, 722-6362, bistro603nashua.com) will open at 11 a.m. on Thursday, March 17, celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with a special features menu in addition to its regular menus. Live music will begin at 8 p.m. that night and March Madness basketball games will also be on TV.

• Boston Bakes (Goffstown, find them on Facebook @bostonbakesnh) is taking orders for several St. Patrick’s Day-themed sweet treats, like macarons (flavors include Shamrock Shake, Lucky Charms and Bailey’s Irish coffee); cakes and cupcakes (flavors include mint chip, vanilla, chocolate and Funfetti); and vanilla sugar cookies decorated with green clovers and sprinkles.

• Buckley’s Market & Cafe (9 Market Place, Hollis, 465-5522, buckleysbakerycafe.com) is taking orders for St. Patrick’s Day dinner boxes for two, featuring slow braised corned beef with potatoes, cabbage, turnip and carrots; whole-grain mustard and horseradish sauces; Irish soda bread; and chocolate Guinness cupcakes with Bailey’s frosting. The cost is $60 and pickups will be on Thursday, March 17 (note: dinner boxes are being offered at the Hollis location only).

• Candy Kingdom (235 Harvard St., Manchester, 641-8470, candykingdom.shop) has a variety of St. Patrick’s Day-themed treats available at the shop, like chocolate coins, shamrock-shaped cookies with green sugar crystals and more.

• Casey Magee’s Irish Pub & Music Hall (8 Temple St., Nashua, 484-7400, caseymagees.com) will open its doors at 10 a.m. on Thursday, March 17, celebrating St. Patrick’s Day all day long with food and drink specials like corned beef and cabbage dinners, fish and chips, Reuben club sandwiches and green beer. A full schedule of live entertainment is planned throughout the day from noon to 11 p.m., featuring various solo musicians playing Irish music. Steve DeLuca will perform from noon to 3 p.m., followed by Kieran McNally from 4 to 7 p.m., and Quincy Lord from 8 to 11 p.m. Casey Magee’s owner and founder Matt Casey is also due to participate as the “official leprechaun” in the 25th annual Manchester St. Patrick’s Day parade, set to return on Sunday, March 27, for the first time since 2019. Visit saintpatsnh.com.

• Cruzin Cakes Shop (150 Broad St., Nashua, 882-1666, cruzincakesshop.com) is taking orders for St. Patrick’s Day-themed platters, featuring mini green velvet cupcakes, brownies, sugar cookies and chocolates. Order by March 12.

• The Derryfield Restaurant (625 Mammoth Road, Manchester, 623-2880, thederryfield.com) will be serving corned beef and cabbage dinners and corned beef sandwiches all day on St. Patrick’s Day. Live music will be featured by the local group D-Comp from 6 to 9:30 p.m.

• Dutch Epicure Bakery (141 Route 101A, Amherst, 879-9400, dutchepicurebakery.com) is celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with freshly baked Irish soda bread available every day through Saturday, March 19. Year-round, it’s also available every Friday and Saturday.

• Firefly American Bistro & Bar (22 Concord St., Manchester, 935-9740, fireflynh.com) will be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday, March 17, celebrating St. Patrick’s Day all day long with a full menu of Irish-inspired specialties in addition to its regular menu, like corned beef and cabbage, bangers and mash, a traditional Irish cod bake, a dark chocolate Guinness cheesecake and more. A special cocktail menu with handcrafted Irish-inspired options will also be available, and Guinness will be pouring all day.

• The Flight Center Taphouse & Eatery (1071 S. Willow St., Manchester, 952-4252, flightcenterbc.com) will serve a variety of Irish-inspired specialties on St. Patrick’s Day, like traditional corned beef and cabbage dinners and Reuben sandwiches, as well as Irish red ale and whiskey flights.

• Fody’s Great American Tavern (9 Clinton St., Nashua, 577-9015; 187½ Rockingham Road, Derry, 404-6946; fodystavern.com) will open at noon at its Derry location and at 3 p.m. at its Nashua location on St. Patrick’s Day. Food specials will include corned beef and cabbage, Reuben sandwiches and loaded Reuben hand-cut fries.

• Frederick’s Pastries (109 Route 101A, Amherst, 882-7725; 25 S. River Road, Bedford, 647-2253; pastry.net) is offering a variety of themed sweets and treats for St. Patrick’s Day, like shamrock cookies, “Pot of Gold” cakes, Bailey’s Irish cream tortes, and cupcakes with flavors like Guinness, confetti shamrock and mint chocolate chip.

• Georgia’s Northside (394 N. State St., Concord, 715-3189, georgiasnorthside.com) is taking pre-orders for a special St. Patrick’s Day pop-up menu, featuring items like traditional plates of corned beef and cabbage with mashed potatoes and Irish country bread, Guinness stew with tender braised steak, brown gravy and veggies, and homemade chocolate pudding topped with whipped Bailey’s Irish cream.

• The Goat Bar and Grill (50 Old Granite St., Manchester, 222-1677, goatnh.com) is celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with brunch all weekend, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day from Thursday, March 17, through Saturday, March 19. Live music and March Madness games on TV will also be featured each day.

• Granite State Candy Shoppe (13 Warren St., Concord, 225-2591; 832 Elm St., Manchester, 218-3885; granitestatecandyshoppe.com) has several St. Patrick’s Day-themed sweets and treats, like chocolate coins, chocolate foiled green hearts and shamrock cream gift boxes.

• Granite State Whoopie Pies (Goffstown, granitestatewhoopiepies.com) is taking orders for chocolate mocha Irish cream or chocolate and mint grasshopper whoopie pies for St. Patrick’s Day, available by the dozen as regular or miniature sizes. Orders are due by March 11, for pickup the following Wednesday through Saturday, between 7 a.m. and 1 p.m. at White Birch Eatery (571 Mast Road, Goffstown). Single-serve pies are also available for purchase there, as well as at Little Red Hen Farm & Homestead (85 Norris Road, Pittsfield). Find owner and founder Heather Pfeifer with her St. Patrick’s Day-inspired whoopie pies at Mountain Base Brewery (553 Mast Road, Goffstown) on Thursday, March 17, from 4 to 8 p.m.

• Holy Grail Food & Spirits (64 Main St., Epping, 679-9559, holygrailrestaurantandpub.com) will be serving food specials all day long for St. Patrick’s Day, like corned beef and cabbage, shepherd’s pie, bangers and colcannon (Irish mashed potatoes), Guinness beer and more. A full schedule of live local music throughout the day starts with Max Sullivan at 11:30 a.m., followed by Portsmouth Celtic band Penhallow in the afternoon and Karen Grenier at 7 p.m.

• Jamison’s Restaurant (472 Route 111, Hampstead, 489-1565, jamisonsrestaurant.com) is celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with several food specials on Thursday, March 17, such as boiled corned brisket dinners, Irish nachos and Reuben egg rolls. Reservations are being accepted for lunch. The New Hampshire Police Association Pipes & Drums will perform at 2 p.m. that day.

• LaBelle Winery Derry (14 Route 111, Derry, 672-9898, labellewinery.com) will hold a special St. Patrick’s Day beer and wine pairing dinner in its vineyard ballroom on Saturday, March 12, at 6:30 p.m., featuring selections from Concord Craft Brewing Co., including the brewery’s new Cerevino, a red ale that was soured and fermented on grape pressings from LaBelle. Food courses will include amuse bouche (bangers and mashed pasties with onion gravy, potato leek soup with herb oil, your choice of one of two entrees (maple brown ale braised pork loin with colcannon Irish mashed potatoes and whiskey pickled mustard seeds, or pan seared cod with Cerevino-braised purple cabbage, Irish boxty potato and chive beurre blanc), and sticky toffee pudding for dessert. The cost is $75 per person plus tax (dinner is 21+ only). Then on Wednesday, March 16, LaBelle will hold the next installment of its Winemaker’s Kitchen cooking class series, which will dabble in Irish favorites. That class is set for 6 p.m. that evening, also at the winery’s Derry location — recipes to be discussed will include Irish lamb stew, bangers and mash and chocolate Irish cream truffles. The cost is $35 per person plus tax.

• McGarvey’s Saloon (1097 Elm St., Manchester, 627-2721, mcgarveysnh.com) will open its doors at 10 a.m. on Thursday, March 17, serving traditional Irish meals and Guinness beer all day long. Live entertainment will be provided by DJs Bernie and Erin Del Llano of Perfect Entertainment.

• Murphy’s Taproom (494 Elm St., Manchester, 644-3535, murphystaproom.com) will open at 6 a.m. on Thursday, March 17, for a St. Patrick’s Day breakfast. A full schedule of live music will be featured all day long, starting at 9 a.m. and going all the way through until 1 a.m. Corned beef and cabbage specials will be available all weekend.

• Nelson’s Candy & Music (65 Main St., Wilton, 654-5030, nelsonscandymusic.com) has multiple St. Patrick’s Day-themed sweets, like milk chocolate mold leprechaun pops, chocolate mold shamrock pops and more.

• New England’s Tap House Grille (1292 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, 782-5137, taphousenh.com) will serve a St. Patrick’s Day-themed specials menu from Thursday, March 17, through Saturday, March 19, featuring items like Reuben balls, corned beef and cabbage, Guinness stew, fish and chips, Guinness cake and Bailey’s Irish cream cheesecake.

• North Side Grille (323 Derry Road, Hudson, 886-3663, hudsonnorthsidegrille.com) will be offering traditional corned beef and cabbage plates with carrots and potatoes all week long, beginning on Tuesday, March 15, until they sell out. Other featured specialties available during St. Patrick’s Day week will include Irish poutine, Guinness lamb stew, soda bread, bangers and mash, beer-battered fish and chips, “pot of gold” macaroni and cheese, and Irish cream cheesecake, plus Guinness on draft, Smithwick’s Irish ale by the bottle and a lineup of Irish-inspired cocktails.

• Old School Bar & Grill (49 Range Road, Windham, 458-6051, oldschoolbarandgrill.com) will offer a variety of St. Patrick’s Day-inspired specials beginning Monday, March 14, like Guinness beef stew, Irish egg rolls featuring corned beef, cabbage, Swiss cheese and Thousand Island dressing, boiled dinners of corned beef and cabbage with turnip, parsnip, carrots and potatoes, Irish nachos with corned beef, sauerkraut and beer cheese, corned beef Reubens with homemade potato chips, and Bailey’s Irish cream cheesecake for dessert.

• Patrick’s Pub & Eatery (18 Weirs Road, Gilford, 293-0841, patrickspub.com) will open its doors at noon on Thursday, March 17, celebrating St. Patrick’s Day all day long with entree specials like a traditional corned beef and cabbage dinner with turnip, red bliss potato, carrots and locally made Irish soda bread, as well as bangers and mash and Guinness beef stew. Dessert specials will include Bailey’s Irish cream cheesecake and sticky toffee pudding, a house made authentic Irish recipe featuring a moist sweet cake with vanilla ice cream, caramel sauce and whipped topping. For drinks, green beer will be available upon request, or you can order specials like Patrick’s Pub’s own Slainte Irish red ale. Live music will be featured from noon to 7 p.m.

• The Peddler’s Daughter (48 Main St., Nashua, 821-7535, thepeddlersdaughter.com) will open its doors at 8 a.m. on Thursday, March 17, celebrating St. Patrick’s Day all day long with a Kegs and Eggs Irish breakfast until 3 p.m., corned beef dinners and other specials available from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and a full schedule of live entertainment, including a performance by the New Hampshire Police Association Pipes & Drums at 4 p.m.

• The Pint Publik House (1111 Elm St., Manchester, 206-5463, pintpublikhouse.com) will open earlier than normal, at 11 a.m. on St. Patrick’s Day, serving corned beef and cabbage specials.

• The Potato Concept (thepotatoconcept.com) is planning a special St. Patrick’s Day-themed food tour with several local breweries, where they will be featuring corned beef and cabbage loaded baked potatoes. Find them at Great North Aleworks (1050 Holt Ave., Manchester) on Sunday, March 13, from 12:30 to 5 p.m.; at Rockingham Brewing Co. (1 Corporate Park Drive, Derry) on Thursday, March 17, from 4 to 8 p.m.; and at Spyglass Brewing Co. (2 Townsend West, Nashua) on Saturday, March 19, from 2 to 6 p.m.

• Queen City Cupcakes (790 Elm St., Manchester, 624-4999, qccupcakes.com) is taking orders for several St. Patrick’s Day-inspired flavors of its gourmet cupcakes, like Lucky Charms, Shamrock Shake, green velvet and Guinness, as well as other regular favorites like vanilla bean, chocolate and peanut butter cup. Order by March 15 at noon. Pickups will be on Thursday, March 17, between 10:30 a.m. and 4 p.m.

• Salt Hill Pub (58 Main St., Newport, 863-7774; 1407 New Hampshire Route 103, Newbury, 763-2670; 2 W. Park St., Lebanon, 448-4532; 5 Airport Road, West Lebanon, 298-5566; salthillpub.com) will open at 9 a.m. on Thursday, March 17, celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with a traditional Irish breakfast at each of its locations. There will also be themed food and drink specials throughout the day and night, as well as a full lineup of live music (performances vary depending on the location).

• The Shaskeen Pub and Restaurant (909 Elm St., Manchester, 625-0246, shaskeenirishpub.com) will celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with its first pints at 6 a.m. on Thursday, March 17. Breakfast will continue to be served until 11 a.m., then they’ll switch over to a limited dinner menu with items like Guinness stew and corned beef. The kitchen will be open until 9:30 p.m. and the bar will close at 1 a.m. Live music will be featured in the back bar area, beginning around noon that day.

• Smoke Shack Cafe (226 Rockingham Road, Londonderry, 404-2178, smokeshackcafe.com) is taking pre-orders for a variety of specialty items for St. Patrick’s Day, including a la carte meats, like smoked corned beef, smoked sausage, pork belly and smoked chicken; sides, like colcannon (Irish mashed potatoes), brown sugar carrots, cabbage and pork belly saute, pea and onion saute, collard greens and macaroni and cheese; and meal packages, which include a choice of entree and sides. Pickups will be on Thursday, March 17 — schedule your desired pickup time when placing an order through the website.

• Soel Sistas Catering & Meal Prep (Nashua, 943-1469, soelsistas.com) is taking orders for braised corned beef and cabbage dinners for St. Patrick’s Day, with turnip, carrots and potatoes. Individual and family-style meals for a family of four are available, as well as chocolate Guinness cupcakes. Order by March 12.

• Strange Brew Tavern (88 Market St., Manchester, 666-4292, strangebrewtavern.com) will be celebrating St. Patrick’s Day all day long on Thursday, March 17. A full schedule of live local music acts is planned, beginning at 9 a.m. and through the afternoon and evening, including a performance by the New Hampshire Police Association Pipes & Drums at 7 p.m. Corned beef and cabbage, Guinness stew and other food specials will be served from noon to 11 p.m.

• Tailgate Tavern (28 Portsmouth Ave., Stratham, 580-2294, tailgatetavernnh.com) will serve a special St. Patrick’s Day menu all day long on Thursday, March 17, featuring items like corned beef brisket boiled dinners with cabbage, potatoes, carrots and turnips, as well as Reuben sandwiches, Irish shepherd’s pie, Guinness barbecue ribs, Bailey’s Irish cream bread pudding, and shamrock chocolate cream pie. Orders are also being accepted for family-style meals to go, feeding four to six people. Order by noon on Tuesday, March 15 for pickup until 5 p.m. on Thursday, March 17.

• The Town Cabin Deli & Pub (285 Old Candia Road, Candia, 483-4888, towncabin.com) will serve a variety of traditional Irish-inspired specials for St. Patrick’s Day, like corned beef and cabbage dinners and Guinness stew with bread bowls, and Guinness and Jameson will be flowing throughout the evening. St. Patrick’s Day meals will also be available to order for takeout from the deli.

• Up In Your Grill (Merrimack, upinyourgrill.com, and on Facebook @upinyourgrill) is taking pre-orders for corned beef dinners for one, with cabbage, potatoes and carrots. Pickups will be on Thursday, March 17, at Vault Motor Storage (526 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack). Schedule your pickup time between 4 and 7 p.m. when placing an order online (the link can be accessed through the Facebook page).

• Van Otis Chocolates (341 Elm St., Manchester, 627-1611, vanotis.com) has several St. Patrick’s Day-themed sweets and treats, like milk, white or dark chocolate leprechaun or shamrock molds, milk chocolate green foiled hearts, and a four-piece “lucky box” of Swiss fudge and truffles.

• The Village Trestle (25 Main St., Goffstown, 497-8230, villagetrestle.com) will be serving multiple St. Patrick’s Day specials all day long in addition to its regular full menu, like corned beef and cabbage with potatoes and carrots, corned beef Reubens and Guinness beef stew. Drink specials will include Green Tea cocktails, featuring Jameson whiskey, peach schnapps, and sour mix, served straight up or on the rocks. Live music from Jennifer Mitchell will be featured from 6 to 9 p.m. that evening.

• The Wild Rover Pub (21 Kosciuszko St., Manchester, 669-7722, wildroverpub.com) will open its doors at 6 a.m. on Thursday, March 17. They’ll be celebrating St. Patrick’s Day all day long, starting with a breakfast buffet, followed by traditional corned beef and cabbage dinners, Guinness specials and more.

• Zorvino Vineyards (226 Main St., Sandown, 887-8463, zorvino.com) will serve a special Irish-inspired four-course dinner in honor of St. Patrick’s Day, scheduled for Friday, March 18, at 6:30 p.m. Following a small appetizer of Irish soda bread, meal courses will include grilled asparagus and artichoke salad, Jameson and cracked mustard crusted Atlantic salmon, a “deconstructed” Guinness stew featuring stout braised prime beef, root vegetable hash, caramelized pearl onion, English roasted potatoes and charred baby carrots, and Irish coffee bread pudding for dessert. The cost is $65 per person.

Featured photo: Corned beef and cabbage from The Shaskeen Pub and Restaurant in Manchester. Courtesy photo.

The Weekly Dish 22/03/10

News from the local food scene

• Beer and chocolate: Join Millyard Brewery (25 E. Otterson St., Nashua) for a beer and chocolate pairing featuring selections from Loon Chocolate. The event was postponed from last month due to weather, but has now been rescheduled for Friday, March 18, at 6:30 p.m. Attendees will choose four beers to sample, and each will be paired with a piece of chocolate to complement and contrast their flavors. Staff from both Millyard Brewery and Loon Chocolate will be on hand to talk about the unique similarities between crafting beer and creating small-batch chocolate from bean to bar. Tickets are $12 per person — attendees will be entered into a drawing to win a special chocolate and beer gift basket. Loon Chocolate, founded by former craft brewer Scott Watson, opened its first retail storefront in Manchester in mid-February. Visit millyardbrewery.com or loonchocolate.com for more details on either company’s offerings.

• Spirits of community: Get your tickets now for Crafts, Drafts and Barrels, an annual tasting benefit featuring local foods, beers, wines and spirits that’s scheduled for Friday, March 18, at 6 p.m. at the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center (2 Institute Drive, Concord). The tasting is presented by Concord Hospital Trust in partnership with Martignetti Companies of New Hampshire, according to a press release — attendees can sample food from local restaurants paired with beer, wine, spirit or mocktail options from breweries, vineyards and distilleries both in the state and around the world. Participating eateries will include The Common Man, O Steaks & Seafood, Angela’s Pasta & Cheese Shop, Gibson’s Cafe and others. Tickets start at $75 per person general admission (event is 21+ only), with proceeds benefiting the Concord Hospital Cardiovascular Institute. Visit giveto.concordhospital.org.

• Local chef up for national award: Milford chef Chris Viaud has been nominated as a semifinalist in the 2022 James Beard Foundation awards under the “Emerging Chef” category, alongside other esteemed chefs from across the country, according to a press release. The category is the new name for the Foundation’s former “Rising Star” award, one of several, including “Outstanding Restaurateur” and “Best New Restaurant.” Viaud competed on the Bravo series Top Chef last year — he’s the owner and executive chef of Greenleaf, a farm-to-table restaurant in Milford, where he also hosts an ongoing series of Haitian dinners with his family under the name Ansanm. “I am truly humbled by the recognition and nomination from the James Beard Foundation,” he said in a statement. “It has been a dream of mine to be represented among some of the best talents in the country.” Winners will be celebrated at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony on June 13 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

• Red Arrow turning 100: The Red Arrow Diner is celebrating its 100th year of business in Manchester with special commemorative plans all throughout 2022, according to a press release. The 24-hour diner first opened in the Queen City back in October 1922. To celebrate the milestone, it’s offering monthly menu discounts all year long that correspond to popular foods of each decade over the past century. The month of March, for instance, features a macaroni and cheese bar with one free topping to honor the 1930s, while April’s special will be a 1940s-style meatloaf dinner and May’s special a 1950s-style tuna melt. Belgian waffles popularized throughout the 1960s will be available with one free topping throughout the month of June. According to the release, the specials will be honored at all four Red Arrow Diner locations, in Manchester, Concord, Londonderry and Nashua. The diner will also be conducting a Facebook campaign to honor a total of 100 other local businesses and is asking followers for nominations in any industry. Visit redarrowdiner.com/100 for more details.

In the kitchen with Matt Romano

Matt Romano of Manchester is the owner of Grace’s Kitchen Pizza Truck (find them on Facebook @graceskitchen603), which launched last fall. Named after Romano’s paternal grandmother, a major influence on his life and cooking, Grace’s Kitchen Pizza Truck features a menu of specialty pizzas available in a variety of flavors, as well as other items like hand-breaded chicken tenders, loaded Tater Tots, french fries and fried Oreos. The truck has parked at multiple spots across southern New Hampshire, like J&F Farms in Derry and Over the Moon Farmstead in Pittsfield, as well as in the Merrimack Valley and North Shore areas of Massachusetts. Romano is also booked to appear at several upcoming festivals this spring and summer, including Intown Concord’s annual Market Days Festival this June. Weekly posts on the truck’s whereabouts are updated on its Facebook page. Grace’s Kitchen Pizza Truck is also available to book for private events and parties.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

I would say a ladle. Especially with pizza, a ladle is very important when it comes to spreading on the sauces, and then I also use it for other menu items, whether it’s covering chicken tenders in Buffalo sauce or teriyaki sauce, or covering tater tots in cheese or gravy.

What would you have for your last meal?

My mom’s macaroni pie. It’s a recipe that’s been passed down a couple of generations, starting with my nana, down to my mom, and now I’ve been tweaking it.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

The Crazy Noodle [House] in Londonderry. The food there is awesome, it’s always so fresh, and the service is always great. … I take my niece and nephew there usually about once a month or so, and they love it.

What celebrity would you like to see ordering from your truck?

Jon Favreau. He had that movie, Chef, which revolves around a food truck, and he’s got a great TV show on Netflix too that’s based off of that.

What is your favorite thing on your menu?

That would be one of our specialty pizzas, which is called the Mac 10. It’s a spinoff of a fast food favorite with a little bit of a kick. … We do 19-inch round pizzas and we sell them by the slice.

What is the biggest food trend in New Hampshire right now?

I don’t know if it’s just me being new to the market, but it seems like food trucks are on fire this year. … The reason why I got into them was because I love how they give people a chance to really show off their menu to a large crowd in a small area. You go to a food truck festival and you can choose from 20 to 30 different types of food … and each chef is homing in on whatever they want and making it the best that it can possibly be.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

I love making my own Greek marinated chicken and making some sort of kebab or healthy salad with it from scratch.

Easy chicken broccoli alfredo casserole
Courtesy of Matt Romano of Grace’s Kitchen Pizza Truck

1 pound chicken breast, cut into one-inch pieces
2 broccoli crowns, chopped
1 pound penne or similar pasta
3 cups alfredo sauce
2 cups ricotta
2 cups mozzarella
¼ cup grated Parmesan
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Boil pasta to al dente. Saute chicken in a pan. Combine chicken, pasta, broccoli, alfredo sauce and ricotta in a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Add mixture to a casserole dish. Layer mozzarella and then Parmesan on top of the casserole. Bake for 40 minutes or until the top begins to brown.

Featured photo: Matt Romano. Courtesy photo.

The Weekly Dish 22/03/03

News from the local food scene

• Make it maple: It’s New Hampshire Maple Month, and several farms and sugarhouses across the Granite State will once again be welcoming visitors for multiple weekends of tours, demonstrations, tastings and family activities, all revolving around local maple syrup production. At Ben’s Sugar Shack (83 Webster Hwy., Temple), for instance, maple sugaring tours start the weekend of Saturday, March 5, and Sunday, March 6, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with free tours of the premises beginning every 15 minutes. Samples will be provided and items will be available inside the gift shop, including everything from maple syrup to maple cotton candy, fudge, roasted nuts, doughnuts and more. For a walk back through time, check out one of the sugar camp hiking tours being offered at Canterbury Shaker Village (288 Shaker Road) on Saturdays, March 12, March 19 and March 26, at 1 p.m. Local land surveyor Mark Stevens will lead guests on a tour to the Shakers’ remote sugar camp, where they produced maple syrup each year. A full list of local sugarhouses participating in New Hampshire Maple Month (including New Hampshire Maple Weekend, set for Saturday, March 19, and Sunday, March 20) can be found on the New Hampshire Maple Producers Association website at nhmapleproducers.com.

• Bowlfuls of deliciousness: The ninth annual soup/chili/chowder cook-off is happening at Epsom Central School (282 Black Hall Road, Epsom) on Monday, March 7, from 5 to 7 p.m. Dozens of local soup, chili and chowder makers will participate in this friendly competition to raise money for various student activities at the school. Winners from each of the three categories receive a “Souper Bowl” trophy, and the top vote getter also wins a $50 Visa gift card. Two People’s Choice recipients from each category are awarded ribbons. The cost to attend the cook-off as a taster is $8 for adults and $6 for kids ages 10 and under, and includes access to up to 10 four-ounce sampling cups for adults and up to five samples for kids, along with sides of cornbread. Tickets will be sold at the door while supplies last. For more details, see “9th annual ECS Soup/Chili/Chowder Cook-off” on Facebook, or find our story about the event on page 25 of the Hippo’s Feb. 10 issue.

• New date for Amherst chili cook-off: A new date has been set for the Amherst Lions Club’s annual Fire & Ice chili cook-off and ice cream social, which was originally scheduled for Feb. 4 but postponed due to rising Covid numbers. Amherst Lion Joan Ferguson said the event will now be held on Friday, March 11, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Amherst Middle School (14 Cross Road). This will be the first in-person cook-off in two years following last year’s pre-recorded “virtual” event. Local restaurateurs and community members compete for the title of the best chili in one of three categories, and winners are awarded an engraved trophy and bragging rights for a year. Admission is $8 for adults and free for kids under 5, or $25 per family of four, with proceeds benefiting local charities selected by the Lions Club. Visit e-clubhouse.org/sites/amherstnh or follow them on Facebook @amherstnhlionsclub.

• Spring into healthy eating: Local Baskit (10 Ferry St., Suite 120A, Concord) is offering its next Instant Pot series, a seven-week program featuring various pressure cooker meals, from the week of March 7 through April 18. The theme is “spring and speed,” with quick and healthy options designed for those with busy and active lifestyles. The seven-week series includes all of the pre-measured (and, in some cases, pre-chopped) ingredients for each meal, along with complete instructions and a tested recipe serving three to five. Meals include teriyaki chicken, butternut squash farro risotto, lemon mustard chicken with potatoes, vegan white bean stew, cashew chicken, curried spring vegetable potato chaat, and fig and pig quiche. The cost is $64 for the full seven weeks. Dinners can be picked up at Local Baskit or can be delivered to select towns on Tuesdays or Wednesdays — visit localbaskit.com for the full list of drop-off locations.

• Tastes from the trucks: Tickets to this year’s Great Bay Food Truck Festival will go on sale beginning Monday, March 7. The second annual event will return for the first time since 2019 on Saturday, May 7, from noon to 5 p.m. at Stratham Hill Park (270 Portsmouth Ave., Stratham). The rain-or-shine festival is being organized by the Stratham Parks and Recreation department in conjunction with the Exeter Area Chamber of Commerce, and will feature dozens of food trucks and vendors, as well as lawn games, live music and more. Admission starts at $5, while all available foods and drinks are priced per item Visit greatbayfoodtruckfestival.com.

Whoopie!

A deep dive into the nostalgic treat and its many sweet variations

It started as a way to raise money for her daughters’ synchronized swim teams — Heather Pfeifer of Goffstown made whoopie pies and presented them at bake sales to rave reviews. Eventually, she began serving pumpkin maple whoopie pies at the annual Goffstown Pumpkin Regatta; last year she sold out of nearly 1,000 before the event was over.

“People [in town] were going up to me and being like, ‘Are you the pumpkin maple whoopie pie lady?’ or they’d say, ‘They’re so good, where can I get them?’” Pfeifer said, “and I was just like, ‘Well I don’t know, I can bake some if you want.’ … I was cooking out of my kitchen for fun, but so many people were requesting where they could get them. So I started pursuing that.”

Pfeifer is now the owner and founder of Granite State Whoopie Pies and takes weekly pre-orders of the nostalgic treat in all kinds of flavors. She works out of the prep kitchen at White Birch Eatery in Goffstown, mostly on Mondays and Tuesdays when it’s closed for the day, and accepts requests to make any of her whoopie pies gluten-free, dairy-free or vegan.

Photo courtesy of Granite State Whoopie Pies of Goffstown.

With a regular offering of classic chocolate and vanilla or peanut butter, as well as two new special flavors released every two weeks, Pfeifer is proving that the whoopie pie can lend itself to all sorts of fun variations. Currently, she’s celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with chocolate and mint grasshopper and chocolate mocha Irish cream whoopie pies, while other flavors she’s previously dabbled in have included black forest, milk and cookies, red velvet, and peanut butter and jelly. Sometimes she’ll incorporate local ingredients — her maple bacon whoopie pie, for instance, featured bacon crumbles from Shaker Road Provisions of Loudon, while just last month she made chocolate milk stout whoopie pies using the Summit stout from Goffstown’s Mountain Base Brewery.

“I have a list of probably about 50 or 60 flavors … and more come to mind every day,” she said.

Similar whoopie pie flavor experimentations have been going on in the kitchen of Angela’s Pasta & Cheese Shop in Manchester. There you’ll find all kinds of whoopie pie flavors on the shelf, and you never know what bakers Laura and Adam Rexford will come up with next, like lemon poppy strawberry, Fireball whiskey pumpkin, tiramisu, pineapple upside-down cake and more.

“This year, people have been buying whoopie pies like crazy,” Laura Rexford said. “I can’t tell if it’s that we’re being more adventurous with flavors, or if people just want more comfort foods. … I feel like a whoopie pie is so much easier to eat than a cupcake, because of the distribution of cake to frosting. It’s almost like a sweet hamburger. The frosting is more contained.”

From the treat’s delicious creamy filling to the cakes surrounding it — which Pfeifer calls the “whookies,” or “whoopie cookies” — we take a look at how some local whoopie pies are made, and also attempt to trace back its origins as a New England staple.

Flavors and fillings

Today, the most common whoopie pie filling features a vanilla or marshmallow buttercream. Jordyn Hotchkiss of The Cat’s Pajamas, a home bakery based in Weare, said hers have a mixture of butter, confectioner’s sugar, marshmallow Fluff and a little bit of vanilla. The filling for her peanut butter whoopie pies uses those same ingredients, in addition to creamy peanut butter, kosher salt and milk — both flavors are stocked weekly at the Weare Real Food Farmers Market.

Pfeifer’s whoopie pies, meanwhile, have a roux-based filling, or a milk and flour thickener that’s mixed with granulated sugar, vanilla, butter, Crisco and a little bit of salt.

“I would equate the flavor … to almost like a Devil Dog,” she said. “The granulated sugar actually melts right into the roux … and what it does is it whips up so nice and fluffy, but it’s not overpoweringly sweet. … It creates this very light and creamy filling. It’s a more traditional way, but it’s not the most common way because it’s not the most shelf-stable.”

Pfeifer described her “whookies” as a thicker version of a muffin top, with a proper consistency resembling a brownie batter and a total baking time of around 10 to 12 minutes. Her roux is made first so that it has time to cool down once the cakes are baked.

Depending on the flavor she’s working with, additional ingredients are added to either the cakes or the filling. As for the diet-friendly options, she’ll substitute oat milk and plant-based butter for the dairy-free pies, and Bob’s Red Mill brand 1-to-1 flour blend for the gluten-free pies.

Photo courtesy of Angela’s Pasta & Cheese Shop in Manchester.

At Angela’s, classic chocolate and vanilla or peanut butter whoopie pies are always in stock, each of which is made with a house buttercream recipe. Those are sold individually, or you can try one of the shop’s themed duo packs — last month’s, dubbed “The Romance Package,” featured candied maple bacon and raspberry Frangelico-flavored whoopie pies. Currently available is the “Luck of the Irish” whoopie pie duo, with crème de menthe and milk chocolate Irish cream flavors. The shop also puts out bite-sized miniature whoopie pies in an assortment of flavors, sold in packs of a dozen each.

“Those have had a huge response,” Rexford said. “I think people feel a little less guilty about the mini whoopie pies, because you can just pop them in your mouth. They’re like little Munchkins.”

In Hooksett, The Cake Fairy has been baking whoopie pies since before it even had a storefront, back when it had a booth at the Deerfield Fair, manager Brianna Lucciano said.

“My mom would make these behemoth whoopie pies, like the size of a man’s hand, and people would walk around the fair with them, and others would say, ‘Oh, my gosh, where did you get that?’” she said. “It got to the point where we’d get a delivery, and people were just taking them out of the box because we couldn’t even get them on the table fast enough.”

They no longer sell at the fair, but you can still get that familiar gigantic “Deerfielder” whoopie pie at the bakery, along with a few smaller sizes. In addition to the classic, there’s a Funny Bone whoopie pie with a chocolate cake and peanut butter filling, and a Boston cream whoopie pie with a vanilla cake, chocolate ganache and a custard buttercream.

Photo courtesy of The Cannoli Stop at The Candy Shop in Concord.

At The Cannoli Stop at The Candy Shop in Concord, owner Melinda Sergi has a regular assortment of fillings for her whoopie pies, from vanilla or chocolate cream to raspberry, peanut butter or pistachio. But she also takes things a step further by making whoopie pies with any one of the shop’s more than 50 flavors of cannoli fillings — those options run the gamut from cake batter and cookie dough to red velvet, bubble gum, cotton candy, salted caramel and more.

Lemon cake whoopie pies are part of the regular lineup of products at Fabrizia Lemon Baking Co., an online-only bakery based in Salem featuring uniquely crafted limoncello-infused treats. Also in Salem, Chatila’s Sugar Free Bakery offers an assortment of sugar-free and dairy-free whoopie pie flavors using a fluffy French creme-based filling.

Competing claims

Multiple U.S. states claim to be the birthplace of the original whoopie pie. Two of those states in particular — Pennsylvania and Maine — are notably linked by their Amish heritage, Pfeifer said.

While there are several theories, according to at least one edition of The Oxford Companion to American Food and Drink, an encyclopedia edited by Andrew F. Smith and published by Oxford University Press, it’s generally accepted that the first whoopie pie originated around the era of the Great Depression. The story goes that the cakes were made from a leftover batter, contributor Susan McLellan Plaisted writes, and, according to Amish legend, kids would find the cream-filled treats in their lunch bags and yell “whoopie!” with delight, giving them their name.

A bakery in Lewiston, Maine, called Labadie’s claims to be “the home of Maine’s first whoopie pie,” with a recipe dating back to 1925, according to its website. Another possible clue into how the treat became so popular in New England involves the Massachusetts-based Durkee Mower Co., the manufacturer of marshmallow Fluff. According to its website, an episode of a 1930s weekly radio show called “Flufferettes” promoted The Yummy Book, a book of various recipes using Fluff as the cornerstone ingredient — one of those was, of course, for whoopie pies.

Photo courtesy of Sully’s Superette in Allenstown.

But who exactly was the first to create the sweet treat, and where, is likely lost to history.

“It’s like saying who made pizza first,” Lucciano said. “In reality, it’s a form of chocolate cake and a delicious filling. We all had the same ingredients, but whose grandmother did it first?”

Both Pennsylvania and Maine hold annual whoopie pie festivals — Maine’s is set to return on June 25 to the town of Dover-Foxcroft, featuring samples from various bakers across the state, while Pennsylvania’s is held at the Hershey Farm Restaurant & Inn in Lancaster County in September. Since 2011, the whoopie pie has been honored as Maine’s official “state treat.”

While there are no large whoopie pie-centered festivals in the Granite State, Pfeifer does have a few upcoming local appearances where you can go to enjoy her whoopie pies. Find her at Mountain Base Brewery on Thursday, March 17, from 4 to 8 p.m., serving her classic, peanut butter, grasshopper and Irish cream flavors. Then on Saturday, March 19, she’ll be participating in the Downtown Concord Winter Farmers Market from 9 a.m. to noon. More events are in the works for the coming weeks and months.

Whoopie pies at home

A simple whoopie pie recipe uses ingredients easily within reach in your kitchen.

“It’s a process … because you have the two separate parts of it,” Hotchkiss said. “I use Crisco, sugar, eggs, milk, vanilla, flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa powder and a little bit of salt, and that’s just for the cake itself. … The oven actually gets preheated to 425, so it’s a bit of a hotter bake, and they only have to bake for about 10 minutes each.”

When baking them at home, Hotchkiss said, it’s important to make sure the cakes are spaced out enough so that they don’t spread into each other. She places either a silicone baking sheet or a piece of parchment paper on the baking pan to prevent sticking and help with their removal.

“Generally, once I get the cake part of it all done, I let them cool for a few minutes and then I start with my filling,” she said, “because they need to be fully cooled before you put them together; otherwise the filling will just start to melt. … Personally, I love having Fluff in them.”

Rather than spreading the filling over both cake halves, Hotchkiss said she likes to scoop it on just one and pushes the two parts together to finish the whoopie pie.

“It just makes for a good ratio, in my opinion,” she said. “Everyone has their own viewpoint of how much cream to cake there should be … but for the most part they’re relatively even.”

The pies remain fresh when wrapped for roughly a week, or you can freeze them.

“A friend of mine actually discovered that they freeze really well, so that was good to find out,” Hotchkiss said. “So if you don’t want to eat them right away, they can go in the freezer and then, when you’re ready to eat it, it will thaw out no problem.”

Where to get whoopie pies

Check out this list of local bakeries, shops, homestead bakers and other businesses offering homemade whoopie pies, from the classic chocolate and vanilla or peanut butter to all kinds of unique flavors. Some have them on hand all the time, while others will rotate their whoopie pies out with other pastries and treats from their bakery case — be sure to contact each establishment directly for the most up-to-date availability on their products.

• Angela’s Pasta & Cheese Shop (815 Chestnut St., Manchester, 625-9544, angelaspastaandcheese.com) offers both large-sized whoopie pies and mini pies that are sold by the dozen, and you never know which flavors bakers Laura and Adam Rexford will be working on next. Classic and peanut butter are usually available, while other options have included lemon poppy strawberry, Fireball whiskey pumpkin, tiramisu, pineapple upside-down cake and more. Angela’s has also recently begun offering themed duo packages of whoopie pies — the current one available, a St. Patrick’s Day-themed duo called “Luck of the Irish,” features crème de menthe and milk chocolate Irish cream flavors.

• Baked Downtown Cafe & Bakery (1015 Elm St., Manchester, 606-1969; 249 Sheep Davis Road, Concord, 856-8871; bakeddowntown.com) offers classic, peanut butter and seasonal whoopie pie flavors.

• The Bakeshop on Kelley Street (171 Kelley St., Manchester, 624-3500, thebakeshoponkelleystreet.com) offers classic and brown sugar maple whoopie pies, as well as several specialty flavors throughout the year, like pumpkin, red velvet, pineapple upside-down cake and a Bailey’s-filled chocolate Guinness whoopie pie for St. Patrick’s Day.

• Bearded Baking Co. (819 Union St., Manchester, 647-7150, beardedbaking.com) offers multiple sweets treats out of its bakery case, usually including whoopie pies.

• Benson’s Bakery & Cafe (203 Central St., Hudson, 718-8683, bensonsbakeryandcafe.com) offers classic whoopie pies, in addition to seasonal specials for flavors.

• Bite Me Kupcakez (4 Mound Court, Merrimack, 674-4459, bitemekupcakez.com) has a variety of pastries and sweet treats out of its bakery case, usually including whoopie pies.

• The Black Forest Cafe & Bakery (212 Route 101, Amherst, 672-0500, theblackforestcafe.com) offers classic whoopie pies, as well as seasonal specials.

• Buckley’s Bakery & Cafe (436 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, 262-5929; 9 Market Place, Hollis, 465-5522; buckleysbakerycafe.com) offers whoopie pies with whipped marshmallow frosting at both locations.

• The Cake Fairy (114 Londonderry Turnpike, Hooksett, 518-8733, cakefairynh.com) offers whoopie pies in a variety of flavors, like classic, Funny Bone, Boston cream and more, all in several sizes. The “Deerfielder” size is a throwback to the bakers’ days selling oversized whoopie pies at the Deerfield Fair, manager Brianna Lucciano said.

• Candia First Stoppe Country Store (285 Old Candia Road, Candia, 483-4888, candiafirststop.com) offers classic whoopie pies in small and medium sizes, as well as larger whoopie pies that are made to order.

• The Cannoli Stop at The Candy Shop (239 Loudon Road, Concord, 224-9706, thecannolistop.com) offers whoopie pies with a variety of fillings, from vanilla or chocolate cream to raspberry, peanut butter or pistachio. You can also order whoopie pies with any one of the shop’s more than 50 cannoli fillings, like cookie dough, red velvet or salted caramel.

• The Cat’s Pajamas (available at the Weare Real Food Farmers Market, 65 N. Stark Hwy., Weare, catspajamasnh@gmail.com, and on Facebook @catspajamasnh) offers classic and peanut butter whoopie pies, as well as a pumpkin whoopie pie that’s available seasonally.

• Chatila’s Sugar Free Bakery (380 S. Broadway, Salem, 898-5459, sugarfreebakery.net) has several sugar-free whoopie pie options, like classic, pumpkin spice, red velvet and more.

• Crosby Bakery (51 E. Pearl St., Nashua, 882-1851, crosbybakerynh.com) has whoopie pies available most days, as part of its lineup of freshly baked pastries and sweet treats.

• The Crust and Crumb Baking Co. (126 N. Main St., Concord, 219-0763, thecrustandcrumb.com) usually offers three or four whoopie pie flavors to choose from daily, like classic and salted caramel, as well as a blueberry cake with lemon filling and a raspberry cake with coconut filling. Ice cream-filled whoopie pies are also available seasonally.

• Dulces Bakery (87 Amherst St., Manchester, 606-2613, find them on Facebook @dulcesbakerynh) offers multiple options on its pastry menu, usually including whoopie pies.

• Duston’s Bakery & Deli (153 Portland Ave., Dover, 742-2506, dustonsmarket.com) has classic whoopie pies, as well as pumpkin seasonally, in addition to a few other flavors.

• Fabrizia Lemon Baking Co. (Salem, fabrizialemonbakingcompany.com) offers lemon cake whoopie pies, baked with Fabrizia Spirits limoncello worked into the batter. They’re wrapped two per pack and available for online ordering only.

• Frederick’s Pastries (109 Route 101A, Amherst, 882-7725; 25 S. River Road, Bedford, 647-2253; pastry.net) offers several flavors of whoopie pies, including dark chocolate and chocolate chunk cookie. Miniature whoopie pies are also available.

• Good to the Last Krumb (Hudson, find them on Facebook @goodtothelastkrumbnh) offers multiple sweet treats available for pre-order, including whoopie pies. They can also usually be found at Mack’s Apples (230 Mammoth Road, Londonderry) and Estey’s Country Store (9 Old Nashua Road, Londonderry).

• Granite State Whoopie Pies (Goffstown, granitestatewhoopiepies.com) offers classic and peanut butter whoopie pies, as well as a selection of two specialty flavors that rotate out every two weeks, available for pre-order by the dozen as regular or miniature sizes. Currently available are chocolate and mint grasshopper and chocolate mocha Irish cream whoopie pies. Any flavor can also be made gluten-free, dairy-free or vegan. Weekly orders are due by Friday for pickup the following Wednesday through Saturday, between 7 a.m. and 1 p.m., at White Birch Eatery (571 Mast Road, Goffstown). Single-serve pies are also available for purchase there, as well as at Little Red Hen Farm & Homestead (85 Norris Road, Pittsfield). Find owner and founder Heather Pfeifer with her whoopie pies at Mountain Base Brewery (553 Mast Road, Goffstown) on Thursday, March 17, from 4 to 8 p.m., and at the Downtown Concord Winter Farmers Market (7 Eagle Square) on Saturday, March 19, from 9 a.m. to noon.

• Harvey’s Bakery and Coffee Shop (376 Central Ave., Dover, 742-6029, harveysbakery.com) offers several specialty pastries and sweet treats, including whoopie pies.

• It’s All Good in the Kitchen (184 N. Broadway, Salem, 458-7434, itsallgoodgf.com) is a specialty gluten-free bakery offering a wide array of treats, usually including whoopie pies.

• Just Like Mom’s Pastries (353 Riverdale Road, Weare, 529-6667, justlikemomspastries.com) offers dozens of traditional and specialty whoopie pie flavors and flavor combinations.

• Klemm’s Bakery (29 Indian Rock Road, Windham, 437-8810, klemmsbakery.com) offers a wide array of pastries and sweet treats daily, usually including whoopie pies.

• Purple Finch Cafe (124 S. River Road, Bedford, 232-1953, purplefinchcafe.com) offers several specialty flavors of whoopie pies that are usually rotated out, from chocolate chip with vanilla to red velvet, maple cream and more.

• The Red Arrow Diner (61 Lowell St., Manchester, 626-1118; 112 Loudon Road, Concord, 415-0444; 137 Rockingham Road, Londonderry, 552-3091; 149 Daniel Webster Hwy., Nashua, 204-5088; redarrowdiner.com) offers classic whoopie pies, as well as red velvet and pumpkin whoopie pies that are available seasonally.

• The Red Blazer Restaurant & Pub (72 Manchester St., Concord, 224-4101, theredblazer.com) offers both large and small whoopie pies on its dessert menu, as well as a whoopie pie cake on its bakery menu, featuring chocolate cake layered with the classic whoopie pie filling and finished with chocolate ganache and a white chocolate drizzle.

• Sully’s Superette (39 Allenstown Road, Allenstown, 485-9955; 10 N. Mast St., Goffstown, 497-8176; sullyssuperette.com) offers classic whoopie pies at both locations.

• Wild Orchid Bakery (836 Elm St., Manchester, 935-7338, wildorchidbakery.com) has a rotating selection of pastries and sweet treats out of its bakery case, including whoopie pies.

• Zizza Authentic Pizzeria (653 Elm St., Milford, 249-5767, zizzapizza.com) offers multiple flavors of whoopie pies on its dessert menu.

Featured photo: Funny Bone whoopie pies from The Cake Fairy in Hooksett. Courtesy photo.

In the kitchen with Matt McCormack

Matt McCormack is the new executive chef of the Granite Restaurant & Bar (The Centennial Hotel, 96 Pleasant St., Concord, 227-9005, graniterestaurant.com), which reopened in late October after an 18-month hiatus. Born and raised in Nashua, McCormack got his start in the industry early as a teenager — he worked his way up the ladder across several local eateries, like MT’s Local Kitchen & Wine Bar in Nashua and the Mile Away Restaurant in Milford. When the Granite Restaurant reopened, McCormack was part of a team that worked under then executive chef Charlie Lavery, serving all new globally inspired and locally sourced dinner, dessert and brunch menus. He took over as executive chef shortly after Lavery’s recent departure and has now introduced his own menu — highlights include lamb Bolognese with handmade pappardelle and house lemon ricotta; red wine-braised short ribs and spaetzle with a black garlic sour cream; and mandilli di seta (“silk handkerchief” pasta) with Genovese pesto sauce and Parmigiano-Reggiano.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

My go-to item, and my favorite thing to have in the kitchen, is definitely the KitchenAid. … It has a very high capability to do a lot of different things.

What would you have for your last meal?

My last meal would be a raw beef salad. They do a raw beef salad at Central Provisions up in Maine, and I’ve gone there and ordered two for myself. It’s to die for.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

Surf in Nashua. Their sushi program over there is fantastic. It’s the best in the city for sure, and it would compete with a lot of others in New Hampshire.

What celebrity would you like to see eating in your restaurant?

Growing up, I always watched Giada De Laurentiis, and I may have a crush on her. … She is amazing, so if I could have anybody come in to eat at my restaurant, it would be her.

What is your favorite thing on your menu?

I would say my favorite item … is the red wine-braised short ribs. It’s a dish that I’ve really kind of homed in on as a chef in the last few years, and it’s one that I know people are going to respond well to.

What is the biggest food trend in New Hampshire right now?

I would say farm-to-table and the locality and seasonality. … Using local farms is so cool because I think it’s a great engaging point for the servers to talk with the customer … so they get to know where their food is coming from, but they also feel like they are putting value into the economy in their area.

What is your favorite thing to make at home?

Making a cheesecake at home is the best. … My mom’s recipe is an Italian cheesecake that has ricotta and sour cream.

Halibut with saffron Israeli couscous
From the kitchen of executive chef Matt McCormack of the Granite Restaurant & Bar in Concord

For the halibut:
Maldon salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste
2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Fresh squeezed lemon to finish

Sear halibut filets. Heat a large skillet on high for two minutes, then add extra virgin olive oil. Introduce the fish (in a single layer; do not overlap) and sear for three to four minutes. Gently flip over filets using a spatula and continue to sear for another two to four minutes, until the fish is cooked through. Finish with fresh lemon.

For the couscous:
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
⅓ cup minced shallot
⅓ red bell pepper, diced in small pieces
2 Tablespoons minced garlic
⅛ teaspoon saffron
1½ cup Israeli couscous
2 cups vegetable broth (more if needed)
1 Tablespoon lemon zest, finely grated
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
¼ cup basil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Heat extra virgin olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Introduce shallot, red pepper, garlic and saffron. Cook while stirring gently for two to three minutes, until the onions and garlic are translucent (not brown). Stir in couscous and stir for one minute longer, until evenly coated with oil. Add broth and bring to a boil. Cover, decrease heat to low and simmer for 12 minutes, until tender.

Combine zest, lemon juice, basil and extra virgin olive oil with the couscous, and season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking for two minutes while stirring — couscous should be tender and fluffy, not brothy and wet. If it is too dry, add two tablespoons of butter or broth.

Featured photo: Matt McCormack. Courtesy photo.

Tasty tapas

Luna Bistro coming to Salem

Luna Bistro will be Salem’s first tapas and wine bar, according to owner Kori Doherty, whose goal is to create a space with a relaxing vibe featuring good drinks, locally sourced shareable plates, live music, comedy shows and more.

“It’s going to be more of a night-out type of experience as opposed to just somewhere you would go to eat and then leave,” Doherty said. “The menu itself is all shareable plates, so there will be no entrees … and we’re probably going to have four to five different cocktails that will rotate. … I really want it to be a place where you can have a good glass of wine or a beer and a bunch of really good appetizers, maybe watch a show or listen to a band, and just not feel rushed.”

Short rib flatbread (left), created in Luna Bistro’s test kitchen. Courtesy photos.

Doherty has teamed up with executive chef Mark Filteau, a local industry veteran, to help design and finalize Luna Bistro’s menu. Filteau, of Hudson, previously served as the executive chef of NoLo Bistro & Bar inside the former Stonehenge Inn & Spa in Tyngsboro, Mass. He has also worked culinary stints at the Atlantic Grill in Rye and the Wentworth by the Sea in Portsmouth.

“We connected. He really liked my idea and he’s had tapas experience,” she said. “He’ll also be working on taking care of the specials and handling the kitchen and the staff in there.”

The food menu, Doherty said, is broken up into multiple categories from meat and seafood options to dips, spreads and flatbreads, all designed to be shared among guests.

“Everything is going to be made here, nothing frozen,” she said. “Everything is also going to be locally sourced as much as possible. … We’ve got some duck and goose on there, some arancini, mushroom tarts, roasted chickpeas, [and] short ribs, which are one of my personal favorites.”

Craft beers will also be local, mostly sourced within New England. Doherty said she hopes to offer a mix of popular options and lesser-known brews that people are willing to try.

“We’re going to do beer flights and wine flights,” she said, “and wine and beer nights as well, so we’ll bring in vendors from different breweries and wineries, they can come in and talk about them and then they’ll be paired with some of the tapas that we have for that night.”

At just over 5,000 square feet, Luna Bistro has a capacity of 136 seats dispersed across all kinds of arrangements, from a traditional dining area with booths and tables to a lounge area near the performance stage with couches and a fireplace. More seating areas will be available at the bar next to a wall of televisions, as well as on a large newly built outdoor patio.

“The stage is where we’ll have acoustics, and we’re going to do pianos on Sundays, so it’s more of a low-key, classy vibe,” Doherty said. “Outside is where we’ll do the bands.”

Luna Bistro
An opening date is coming soon. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram for updates.

Where: 254 N. Broadway, No. 101, Salem
Anticipated Hours: Monday and Thursday, 4 to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 3 to 11 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 8 p.m. Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays for private events and functions (hours may be subject to change).
More info: Find them on Facebook and Instagram @lunabistro.tapasbar

Featured photo: Pomegranate pistachio crostini, created in Luna Bistro’s test kitchen. Courtesy photos.

Flavors of Jalisco

Los Reyes Street Tacos & More to open in Derry

Jose Reyes of Manchester comes from multiple generations of street food vending in Mexico — his father, grandfather and brother all continue to serve birria, or slow-stewed meat, on the streets of Reyes’s home state of Jalisco. With more than a decade of combined kitchen experience across multiple local Mexican eateries, from La Carreta to Puerto Vallarta, Jose Reyes and his wife Isabel are now honoring his family’s tradition with their first restaurant as owners.

Los Reyes Street Tacos & More, on track to open soon at the Hillside Plaza in Derry, will offer simple flavors of authentic Mexican street food, Isabel Reyes said.

“We didn’t want to just be ‘Los Reyes Mexican Restaurant.’ We really want to be known for our street tacos,” she said. “We’re going to have a menu section of different salsas and … they’re all going to have a little description and their own amount of kick to them.”

Co-owner Jose Reyes’s brother, father and grandfather are street vendors in Degollado, Jalisco, Mexico. Courtesy photo.

The eatery will operate in a mostly fast casual type of environment, with an open kitchen near the front and an advanced online ordering system expected to be implemented. Street tacos, quesadillas, burritos and bowls will all come with a variety of filling options, like carnitas, grilled chicken, chorizo, barbacoa beef, haddock, shrimp or sauteed veggies.

Other menu options the couple has in store include a Southwest chicken salad; Mexican street corn, either roasted or unroasted with lime, cotija cheese and a special cream sauce; and sopes, which Isabel Reyes described as being topped similar to tostadas, featuring refried beans, lettuce, tomato, cheese, sour cream and the desired filling, but with a fried masa, or corn, base.

Co-owner Jose Reyes’s brother, father and grandfather are street vendors in Degollado, Jalisco, Mexico. Courtesy photo.

Birria, Isabel Reyes said, is most commonly served on a plate in the form of goat meat. You won’t find goat on their menu, but you will be able to try quesabirras, inspired by the traditional stew and featuring beef, onion, cilantro and a side of consommé, or the stewed broth.

“It’s slow-stewed, so basically it’s cooked for six to eight hours until it’s very tender, and then it’s mixed in with different spices,” she said. “The consommé is basically the same stew that helped cook the meat, so we give you that to dip it in and it gives it that extra flavor.”

For dessert, Los Reyes will be offering items like churros and xangos, or cheesecake chimichangas. They’re also partnering with Dulces Bakery of Manchester to source their tres leches, or cakes soaked in three different types of milk that are then topped with homemade whipped cream and served in refrigerated single-portion cups. They come in a variety of flavors.

Drinks will feature selections of both domestic and Mexican imported beers, along with some local craft brew options, and flavors of agua fresca, a light fruit drink popular in Mexico.

Isabel Reyes said food specials will likely be added to the menu on a rotating basis.

“We may add new plates or new desserts maybe every three months or so, just to throw something out there and change it up,” she said. “We have a lot of ideas, and [Jose] loves to try to learn new and different things.”

Los Reyes Street Tacos & More
An opening date is expected to be announced soon. Visit their website or follow them on social media for updates.

Where: 127 Rockingham Road, Unit 15, Derry
Anticipated hours: Monday through Saturday; hours TBA but will be open for both lunch and dinner service (closed on Sundays)
More info: Visit losreyesstreettacos.com, or find them on Facebook @losreyestacosnh or on Instagram @losreyestacos_nh

Featured photo: Isabel and Jose Reyes, owners of Los Reyes Street Tacos & More. Photo by Matt Ingersoll.

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