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 [email protected].
Steve Burke of Salem is the owner of B’s Grumman Grub ([email protected], and on Facebook @bsgrummangrub), a food truck offering comfort items like chili, burgers, wraps, subs, breakfast sandwiches, chicken finger dinners and more. An auto mechanic and garage manager by trade, Burke first got into the local food scene when he owned Steve’s Dirty Dawgs, a hot dog cart known for its loaded chili dogs. He found the truck that would become B’s Grumman Grub through a family friend, naming it after the Grumman vehicle manufacturer, and built it out over the course of a few years. The truck regularly appears at the Derry-Salem Elks Club (39 Shadow Lake Road, Salem) on Thursday evenings, and is available to book for private events of all sizes. Burke will also be attending the final date of the Pelham Farmers Market, on Saturday, Oct. 30, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. outside the First Congregational Church of Pelham (3 Main St.).
What is your must-have kitchen item?
It’s got to be a spatula, because we’re always on the grill flipping burgers, steak and cheeses and things like that.
What would you have for your last meal?
A hot Italian sausage sub with onions, peppers and Tabasco sauce.
What is your favorite local restaurant?
The only restaurant we ever really eat at is [New] Chief Wok, right here in Salem. … I’ve got to have the egg rolls, and I really like the lo mein as well.
What is your favorite thing on your menu?
I love my chili, since that’s kind of what started it all. … I also really like the chicken fajita wrap, which was something that my wife came up with.
What celebrity would you like to see ordering from your food truck?
I’m going to say Adam Sandler. I just feel like he would be a food truck type of guy.
What is the biggest food trend in New Hampshire right now?
It’s obvious to me that food trucks are the thing right now. They are everywhere. … Even before Covid, they were just blowing up and you see them more and more. Now people want them at their weddings, their graduation parties, their birthday parties, you name it.
What is your favorite thing to cook at home?
I really like a good tomato grilled cheese sandwich with extra sharp cheddar, beefsteak tomato, mayonnaise, salt and pepper.
Homemade chili From the kitchen of Steve Burke of B’s Grumman Grub in Salem
1 24-ounce can Hunt’s four-cheese sauce 1 24-ounce can red kidney beans (do not rinse) 1 12-ounce can baked beans 1 pound ground beef (cook and add with the fat; do not drain) 2 hot Italian sausages, cooked and sliced into half moons 2 medium white onions, cut into thin strips 1 red pepper, diced 1 yellow pepper, diced 1 green pepper, diced 1 chili pepper, sliced thin and diced 2 Tablespoons chili powder
Cook in a slow cooker on high to get it to temperature, then reduce to low and cook for six hours. Stir often and season to your liking. Add a pinch of garlic powder or Frank’s Red Hot to taste (optional). Add water if you like a thinner chili.
• More drive-thru Greek eats: If you missed the gyro and baklava pop-up at St. Philip Church in Nashua last week, Assumption Greek Orthodox Church (111 Island Pond, Manchester) will hold its next drive-thru food fest on Saturday, Oct. 30, from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Orders are being accepted for dinners of either dolmathes (stuffed grape leaves) with avgolemono sauce, or baked penne Parmesan, as well as cheese or spinach petas, baklava and koulourakia. This event is online pre-order and pickup only (stay in your car; no walk-ins). Order by Oct. 28. Visit foodfest.assumptionnh.org or call 623-2941.
• Fall, food and flannel: Throw on your favorite flannel shirt and head to The Barn at Bull Meadow (63 Bog Road) for the fourth annual Fall Festivus, a sampling event happening on Thursday, Nov. 4, from 6:30 to 10 p.m. One of the main fundraisers for the Junior Service League of Concord, Fall Festivus features a wide variety of craft beers, appetizers and desserts from area breweries and restaurants. Both sweet and savory items will be on the menu, from Buffalo chicken bites, brisket burnt ends and macaroni and cheese to mini cannolis, apple cider doughnuts and more. An evening of live music is also planned, in addition to a silent auction with a chance to win all kinds of prizes. Tickets are $35 per person at the door (event is 21+ only), with proceeds going to the Junior Service League of Concord, a volunteer organization supporting women and children in crisis. Visit jslconcord.org/events-cfvg, or, for more details on the event, check out our story on page 30 of the Hippo’s Oct. 21 issue.
• Holiday feasts: Join LaBelle Winery for its next “cooking with wine” classes, which will specialize in Thanksgiving recipes. Classes are scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 3, at the winery’s Amherst location (345 Route 101), and Wednesday, Nov. 10, at its Derry location (14 Route 111), from 6 to 7 p.m. each evening. Participants will learn how to make a variety of seasonal items perfect for a holiday feast, including cranberry cocktails, spiced cranberry sauce, apricot sage stuffing and autumn dessert favorites, and will also learn how to wet and dry brine a turkey. Wines will be either paired or prepared with each food item. Admission is $32.70 per person, including taxes, and pre-registration is required. Visit labellewinery.com.
• Greek eats and ABBA: Get your tickets now for a Mamma Mia! Greek dinner party, happening at Chunky’s Cinema Pub in Pelham (150 Bridge St.) on Sunday, Nov. 14. The doors will open at 6 p.m. with a five-course meal of authentic Greek options from Ya Mas Greek Taverna & Bar, whose chef will be taking over the kitchen for the evening. The eatery, which opened last year just down the street from the movie theater, imports about 40 percent of all of its foods directly from Greece, and also partners with local farms to offer its unique menu items. Following the meal will be a screening of Mamma Mia! The Movie at 7 p.m. Tickets are $75 and include the dinner and the movie. There will also be vegetarian and VIP wine pairing options. Visit chunkys.com/film/greek-dinner-party-mamma-mia.
• Ancient Fire closing: After nearly four years in business, Manchester’s Ancient Fire Mead & Cider will be closing its doors by the end of the year. “The pandemic ultimately got us,” read a recent statement from owners Jason and Margot Phelps on Ancient Fire’s website and social media pages. “The pandemic has been tough on everyone financially and psychologically … but the timing and sustained challenges have created a much riskier future proposition for us and our fledgling business, more risky than we have the appetite for right now.” According to the statement, Ancient Fire’s tap room hours will stay as they are into November, with the goal to complete table service and retail sales before mid-December. Ancient Fire opened in March 2018, offering a rotating lineup of ciders and draft and dessert meads. Visit ancientfirewines.com to read the full closing announcement.
How the versatility of agave is gaining tequila and mezcal a new following.
Eddie Leon of La Carreta in Derry and Londonderry is one of several Granite Staters who has flown down to Mexico to hand-select their own single-barrel tequilas. He first learned of the opportunity about eight years ago through a barrel buying program from Brown-Forman Corp., the owner of Tequila Herradura in Amatitán, Jalisco.
“We did it a few times with Herradura and it was very, very popular. … Then we opened it up to other brands like Patrón and Casa Noble,” Leon said. “People really liked the idea of being able to try something different that is not available in the normal stores.”
Over the years, pre-pandemic, Leon has since been joined by owners of some other local eateries and bars, including Cask & Vine in Derry, New England’s Tap House Grille in Hooksett, and 815 Cocktails & Provisions in Manchester. Even New Hampshire Liquor Commission spirits marketing and sales specialist Mark Roy has followed suit.
Agave plants are harvested in Mexico by farmers called jimadors. Photo by Eddie Leon.
The group lands and stays in the state capital of Guadalajara, taking day trips to nearby tequila distilleries. Tequilas are bottled before they cross the border, shipped to New Hampshire through a local broker and then purchased from the state to pour at each establishment.
“I’ve kind of become the tour guide for them, and I end up being the translator for a lot of things,” Leon said. “Guadalajara is actually the area where my parents came from originally, so it’s a really great experience. We’ve probably done at least eight or nine trips now.”
More and more premium barrel-aged selections of both tequila and its cousin, mezcal, have become available in New Hampshire in recent years, thanks to a continuously growing demand.
“We’re definitely seeing a huge upswing,” Roy said of tequila sales in Liquor & Wine outlets. “I think when you ask a lot of people who say that they’ve had a bad experience in the past with tequila, it usually ends up being a lower end or even a mixto, which is technically a tequila but is sometimes a blend of liqueur and tequila with higher sugar. … So I really try to encourage people not to associate tequila with the experience they’ve had before and to try to reintroduce themselves and come into it with an open mind. It’s an incredible experience and I think people could be missing out on a category of spirits that they’ve kind of pushed to the side.”
As part of New Hampshire Distiller’s Week, returning for its third year, the Liquor Commission will host “Hold the Lime and Salt: Exploring Premium Tequila and Mezcal,” a tasting seminar on Wednesday, Nov. 3, at the Manchester Country Club in Bedford. The event will feature a panel of five brand ambassadors of premium tequilas and mezcals from multiple regions of Mexico.
Here, local restaurateurs and Distiller’s Week presenters talk about the types of tequilas and how they differ from mezcals.
“Ultima Palabra” cocktail Courtesy of Kendra Malone of the 7-20-4 Lounge in Londonderry
1½ ounces Casa Noble joven tequila ¾ ounce green Chartreuse liqueur ¾ ounce luxardo maraschino liqueur ¾ ounce lime juice
Shake and strain. Garnish with luxardo cherries.
Tequila time
Kurt Kendall of Twins Smoke Shop and the 7-20-4 Lounge in Londonderry, who has accompanied Leon on the trips to Mexico, agrees that tequila can be somewhat misunderstood.
“Tequila truly is a premium spirit that is meant to be sipped and enjoyed,” Kendall said. “We’ve turned on many customers that typically would enjoy Scotch or bourbon to these ultra-premium tequilas, and it really starts with a little bit of education to understand what it is, how to drink it properly and what you’re discovering. … Once people go through that little process, they become tequila sippers. It’s pretty amazing.”
Both tequila and mezcal are made from the agave plant, of which there are dozens of varieties that are indigenous to Mexico. The main difference between the two spirits, Leon said, is that tequila is made from only one species — the blue Weber agave, or agave tequilana. Mexican laws decree that tequila can only be made in certain regions of the country, he added, including in the state of Jalisco and a few limited areas in other states.
The agave plant can take anywhere from seven to 10 years to reach maturity. A farmer called a jimador harvests the plant by pruning it down to the piñas, or the agave hearts. Those hearts are then chopped up, cooked and juiced before the fermentation process begins.
There are four categories of 100 percent blue agave tequila: blanco (or silver), reposado, añejo and extra añejo. Their differences, Kendall said, have to do with how long each one is aged for.
A blanco or a silver is either unaged or aged for a very short time, depending on the brand, while a reposado could be aged anywhere from a few months to a year. Añejo tequilas are typically aged a minimum of one year and a maximum of three years, and the extra añejo can be aged for three years or longer to reach a greater complex flavor profile.
According to the website of the Tequila Regulatory Council, the governing body for tequila in Mexico, a blend of aged and unaged tequilas is known as a joven, which means “young” in Spanish. The aging process also gives each tequila a distinct color, ranging from a clear silver to a golden yellow, a lighter brown, and finally a dark amber.
Graciela González, a fourth-generation distiller and the brand ambassador of her family’s company, El Mayor tequila, will be one of the featured presenters at the New Hampshire Liquor Commission’s “Hold the Lime and Salt” seminar. El Mayor features a full line of tequilas, each of which is distilled with agave grown on its own plantation just outside of the city of Arandas.
To demonstrate the evolution of each of her family’s products, González said she plans to showcase El Mayor’s blanco, reposado and añejo tequilas. She’ll also be offering samples of a new cocktail they’ve never done before: a spiked tepache, featuring their añejo tequila as the base.
“It’s going to be very unique and very fresh,” she said of the cocktail. “We’re using pineapple and tamarind … so with the tamarind having a tart flavor and the pineapple being more on the sweet side, it balances out perfectly well.”
Spiked tepache Courtesy of Graciela González, fourth-generation distiller and brand ambassador of El Mayor tequila in Jalisco, Mexico
2 ounces El Mayor añejo tequila 1 ounce pineapple juice 1 ounce tamarind syrup 2 dashes Angostura bitters
All about mezcal
Leon remembers a time in the not so distant past when he could find only one brand of mezcal in the entire state. Now he estimates there to be well over 20 of them across store shelves.
“We’re starting to carry more because there has definitely been a growing call for it,” he said.
Even though mezcal is an agave-based spirit just like tequila, there are several distinct differences between the two. While tequila is made only from the blue Weber agave variety, mezcal can be made from combinations of dozens of other agave species, all with their own sizes, flavor profiles, growing conditions and maturation periods.
Piñas, or agave hearts, are cooked in an underground pit oven or above ground and covered with dirt, giving mezcal its distinct smoky flavor. Photo by Eric Timmerman.
A majority of mezcal comes from the state of Oaxaca, several hundred miles southeast of Jalisco, but agave varieties used to make the spirit are also known to grow in Durango, Guerrero, Zacatecas and a few other states. Eric Timmerman, national sales manager of the Sonoma, California-based 3 Badge Mixology, will be participating in the “Hold the Lime and Salt” Nov. 3 seminar with selections of the company’s Bozal mezcal brand.
“A lot of people think about mezcal as a smoky tequila. … Tequila for the most part is done in steam and ovens and autoclaves … but mezcal primarily is done in an underground pit oven, or above ground and covered with dirt. It’s almost like barbecue, is what I like to equate it to,” Timmerman said. “Those piñas are roasting slow and low and they are absorbing that smoke, so that’s why obviously mezcal has that smokier profile.”
Mezcal is also known for being much older than tequila, dating back at least to 9th- or 10th-century Oaxaca with the Zapotec culture, Timmerman said. Many of the practices that have been in place for hundreds of years are still in use today for Bozal products, including the use of the tahona, a stone wheel pulled in a circle by a donkey or horse to mash the agave hearts.
“It truly is one of the last handmade spirits in the world,” Timmerman said.
About 90 percent of all of the mezcal coming to the United States is crafted using the espadín agave plant, a variety characterized by its rich, smoky flavor profile, according to Timmerman. Bozal mezcal products, however, are distilled with all kinds of other agave species. Its Ensamble mezcal, for instance, features a blend of espadín, barril and Mexicano agave plants, while the Cenizo mezcal comes from a variety that grows in cool conditions and high altitudes in Durango.
During the seminar, Timmerman said he plans to showcase a Oaxacan margarita using
Bozal Ensamble mezcal, a riff on the classic cocktail with a bit of smokier profile.
“Obviously, everyone loves a good margarita and it’s such a universal cocktail, so we’re going to show them how it’s done with mezcal versus tequila,” he said.
Bozal Oaxacan margarita Courtesy of Eric Timmerman of 3 Badge Mixology in Sonoma, California
Add all ingredients in a shaker filled with ice. Shake for 10 seconds and strain into a double rocks glass over ice. Garnish with sal de gusano (agave worm salt) and a dehydrated citrus wheel.
Your guide to Distiller’s Week
Eighth annual Distiller’s Showcase of Premium Spirits
When: Thursday, Nov. 4, 6 to 8:30 p.m.
Where: DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown, 700 Elm St., Manchester
Cost: $60 per person; “sip and stay” packages are also available to purchase through the hotel
Visit: distillersshowcase.com
Event is 21+ only.
More New Hampshire Distiller’s Week happenings
The third annual New Hampshire Distiller’s Week will take place from Monday, Nov. 1, through Friday, Nov. 5 — check out this list of events and happenings for the week. For the most up-to-date calendar of Distiller’s Week events, visit distillersshowcase.com/events or follow New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlets on Facebook @nhliquorwine.
Distiller’s Week. Matthew Lomanno Photography.
• National Hockey League Hall of Famer and Belfour Spirits owner-operator Ed Belfour will participate in multiple bottle signing and tasting events this week, including at New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlet No. 38 (100 Rotary Way, Portsmouth) on Tuesday, Nov. 2, from 5 to 7 p.m., and at New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlet No. 50 (294 Daniel Webster Hwy., Nashua) on Wednesday, Nov. 3, from 5 to 7 p.m. Admission is free, and bottles of Belfour’s rye and Texas pecan-finished bourbon will be available for purchase.
• Get your tickets before they’re gone to a Casa Noble tequila dinner scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 2, at 6 p.m. at The Birch on Elm (931 Elm St., Manchester). The dinner will feature five courses paired with Casa Noble tequila-infused cocktails. Tickets are $99 per person. Visit thebirchonelm.com/tequiladinner to make reservations.
• The Birch on Elm is also hosting a New Riff Distilling Kentucky bourbon dinner on Wednesday, Nov. 3, at 5 p.m., another five-course meal prepared by chef Nick Provencher that will feature cocktail pairings from New Riff bourbons. Tickets are $99 per person. Visit thebirchonelm.com/bourbondinner to make reservations.
• The New Hampshire Liquor Commission will host Hold the Lime and Salt: Exploring Premium Tequila and Mezcal on Wednesday, Nov. 3, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Manchester Country Club (180 S. River Road, Bedford). Five leading industry experts will present their tequilas and mezcals during this exclusive seminar-style tasting. Each panelist will talk about three of their products and offer a signature cocktail sample during the event’s reception. At the conclusion of the seminar each product that was presented will be available for purchase. Tickets are $60 per person and can be purchased through Eventbrite.
• Brain Brew Custom Whiskey founder and former Nashua resident Doug Hall will host a seminar at New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlet No. 50 (294 Daniel Webster Hwy., Nashua) on Wednesday, Nov. 3, at 6 p.m. Participants will learn about the history of whiskey, how New Hampshire wood is used in different products and the use of woodcraft finishing. Featured products will include Dexter three wood straight bourbon whiskey, Paddle Wheel triple oak bourbon, and Brain Brew’s custom bourbon blending kit. Tickets are $12 and can be purchased through Eventbrite.
The Distiller’s Showcase
First introduced in 2013, the Distiller’s Showcase of Premium Spirits is now the flagship event of New Hampshire Distiller’s Week and one of the largest tasting events for spirits on the East Coast. After the pandemic caused it to transition into a series of virtual tastings in 2020, the Showcase is back in full force — the event returns for an 8th year on Thursday, Nov. 4, from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at the DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown.
“We’re hoping to get back to some sense of normalcy,” said Mark Roy, spirits marketing and sales specialist for the New Hampshire Liquor Commission. “We were blown away by the response to some of the virtual programs last year, [but] the goal is to go back to the regular forte of the Showcase and the different events leading up to it.”
Roy said the idea of the event came after he attended the Winter Wine Spectacular, normally held in late January. Like during its Wine Week counterpart, brand ambassadors and industry leaders from all over the world come to the Showcase to present their products. Attendees are given a program booklet with a full map of the dozens of tables of spirits that are featured, totaling more than 700 premium whiskeys, bourbons, tequilas, rums, vodkas, gins and other spirits to try. Because of the large volume of products available, Roy said, it’s always a good idea to go into the Showcase with a game plan, by seeking out what you may be most interested in or curious about.
This is the first year that Eric Timmerman, national sales manager of the Sonoma, California-based 3 Badge Mixology, will be participating. He’ll talk about and offer samples of the company’s lineup of products, which include Uncle Val’s botanical gin, Benjamin Chapman whiskey and Kirk and Sweeney rum, in addition to its Bozal mezcal and Pasote tequila.
“As much as I enjoy doing talks on Zoom, there’s still something to be said about being able to have those conversations with people and seeing their reactions when they try the samples,” Timmerman said. “[The Showcase] is a really great opportunity to try a lot of really great products that are on the market … and it gives people a chance to experience things that they may not necessarily have otherwise tried. So we’re excited to be part of it.”
Other participants will include National Hockey League Hall of Famer Ed Belfour, who owns and operates Belfour Spirits; Graciela González, a fourth-generation distiller and the brand ambassador of El Mayor tequila in Jalisco, Mexico, who will be one of the five panelists at the Hold the Salttequila and mezcal seminar the evening before; and Tim Smith, founder of Tim Smith Spirits and star of the Discovery Channel reality series Moonshiners.
The Showcase wouldn’t be complete without its lineup of Granite State spirits purveyors, either — Charles “CJ” Lundergan of Steadfast Spirits Distilling Co. in Concord will be pouring his moonshine-mixed cocktails at the event for the first time, while Brian Ferguson of Flag Hill Distillery & Winery in Lee is also expected to return with his bourbon and rye whiskeys.
More than two dozen New Hampshire restaurants and catering companies will have tables of their own, offering various hors d’oeuvres and appetizers. Several are first-time participants, including Manchester’s Elm House of Pizza, and Red Beard’s Kitchen, a takeout business that chef Matthew Provencher launched earlier this year featuring ready-to-eat comfort meals. Returning businesses will be The Crown Tavern, the Hanover Street Chophouse, The Common Man, Stark Brewing Co., and Twins Smoke Shop and the 7-20-4 Lounge.
If you sample something during the Showcase and decide you want a whole bottle of it, you can purchase it at the conclusion of the event and arrange to pick it up at any one of the 68 New Hampshire Liquor and Wine Outlet stores in subsequent days. The hotel is also once again offering “sip and stay” packages, which include tickets to the event along with a room.
Proceeds from the Showcase will benefit the New Hampshire Food Bank, a new partner for 2021. Last year the New Hampshire Food Bank distributed more than 17 million pounds of food to its hundreds of partner agencies statewide. Executive director Eileen Liponis said there were 71 mobile food pantries held in 2020 — compared to only around a half dozen during a normal year pre-pandemic — serving just under 30,000 New Hampshire families.
“We’re extremely delighted to be part of such a premier event, and we think it’s very important to come out and support the New Hampshire Liquor Commission,” Liponis said. “I think if there’s one thing that Covid may have given us as a silver lining, it’s that our biggest enemies are always shame and stigma. … I think in everyone’s social circle they saw someone being challenged by the effects of the pandemic on them … and I hope that because of that we have more empathy for the fact that food is a basic necessity we all deserve.”
Featured photo:Spiked Tepache Courtesy ofGraciela González, fourth-generation distiller and brand ambassador of El Mayor tequila in Jalisco, Mexico.
Leo Short and his wife Shannon of Milford are the owners of Sammich NH (sammichnh.com, and on Facebook @sammichnh), a food truck specializing in made-to-order hot and cold sandwiches they launched late last month. Popular sandwiches include the house pastrami Reuben with Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, spicy bread and butter pickles and Russian dressing on marble rye; the Speziato, featuring Italian cold cuts, mozzarella, pickled red onion and hot cherry peppers on focaccia; and the hickory smoked pulled pork sandwich, which has freshly sliced jalapenos, cilantro and a spicy barbecue aioli, served on a ciabatta roll. Soups, chili and other comfort foods will soon be added to the menu as well. Originally from Connecticut, Leo Short has decades of industry experience, most recently as the chef of St. Joseph Hospital in Nashua for nearly five years. Find Sammich NH at 589 Elm St. in Milford every Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Saturdays from 7 a.m. to noon, for breakfast sandwiches and other items.
What is your must-have kitchen item?
A good, sharp knife.
What would you have for your last meal?
It would be vanilla Swiss almond ice cream from Kimball [Farm] in Jaffrey.
What is your favorite local restaurant?
Here in town, it would be Union Street Grill [in Milford]. Fantastic breakfast and fantastic people.
What celebrity would you like to see ordering from your food truck?
Danny DeVito.
What is your favorite thing on your menu?
My personal favorite is our chicken cutlet, [which has] roasted peppers, provolone cheese, greens and prosciutto. It’s a twist on a sandwich I had at a deli down in my old stomping grounds in Connecticut, at a place called Gaetano’s.
What is the biggest food trend in New Hampshire right now?
I think it’s finding a niche or something that’s missing, not necessarily a specific type of food. There’s a lot of good stuff out there, and a lot of people who do something outside the box or reinvent the classics.
What is your favorite thing to cook at home?
We love to cook breakfast, be it hash and eggs, bacon and eggs, or baking scones. … My wife is the baker in the family, and she’s tremendous.
Bacon and cheddar scones Courtesy of Leo and Shannon Short of Sammich NH, sammichnh.com
1 stick cold unsalted butter 2½ cups flour 1 Tablespoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt ¼ cup sugar ½ cup milk ¼ cup chopped cooked bacon ¼ cup shredded white cheddar cheese
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Combine butter and flour until the butter is the size of peas. Incorporate the baking powder, salt and sugar into the flour and butter mixture. Add milk, bacon and cheese to dry ingredients and mix gently until incorporated. If sticky, add another tablespoon of flour. Fold dough over twice and cut into approximately eight pieces. Bake on parchment paper or a lightly oiled cookie sheet for 12 to 15 minutes.
It’s been a full year since St. Philip Greek Orthodox Church in Nashua has had any type of food festival or takeout event, but the demand for more has never gone away. On Saturday, Oct. 23, the church will welcome foodies back for a one-day-only drive-thru gyro and baklava pop-up.
“We know just from conversations with our friends and neighbors here in Nashua that this is something that has really been missed in the community. It’s very much a tradition for people,” said Christina Eftimiou, who is co-chairing the pop-up with fellow parishioner Tina Alexopoulos. “This is our first foray into co-chairing an event like this, and so far the support has been great.”
Unlike at other pandemic-era Greek food events you may have attended, this one does not require any pre-ordering. Visitors can simply arrive at the church between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m.
“It’s going to be like ‘Welcome to St. Philip, how may I take your order?’” Alexopoulos said.
On the menu will be gyro sandwiches, featuring a combination of lamb and beef, homemade tzatziki sauce, lettuce, tomato, onion and crumbled feta cheese wrapped in pita bread. Each gyro order also comes with a bag of chips and bottled water, Coke, Diet Coke or Sprite for a drink.
Sold separately will be a four-pack serving of baklava made using an old church recipe.
“We don’t purchase anything and bring it in,” Alexopolous said. “We’re known for offering everything homemade and fresh, so the baklava is all being prepared by us within a week [of the pop-up], and the gyros are made on the grill right then and there.”
In preparation for the pop-up, Eftimiou said she and Alexopolous looked at gyro and baklava sales from St. Philip’s previous festivals, and they also also reached out to other local church communities that have put on similar takeout events with success.
“We saw how they were run and knew that we could take them on as well,” she said.
Plans are still up in the air to have St. Philip’s Greek food festival return to its traditional in-person format in May 2022, but Eftimiou said another pop-up featuring Greek cookies and pastries is already in the works, likely to take place near the holiday season.
“Beyond just baklava, we’re hoping to also have a few other pastries available for people who want to have a plate of them around their Christmas or Hanukkah tables, or if they want to ship them to a loved one,” she said.
Gyro & Baklava Pop Up
When: Saturday, Oct. 23, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Where: St. Philip Greek Orthodox Church, 500 W. Hollis St., Nashua Cost: $10 for a gyro sandwich with chips and a drink; $12 for a four-pack of baklava (drive-thru only; no pre-orders necessary) Visit: nashuagreekfestival.com
Junior Service League of Concord presents annual Fall Festivus
After its cancellation in 2020, Fall Festivus returns in a new location to showcase an array of craft beers, appetizers and desserts from local breweries and restaurants.
The event, a fundraiser for the Junior Service League of Concord, is coming back for its fourth year on Thursday, Nov. 4, this time at The Barn at Bull Meadow. Originally planned as a much smaller gala, the Fall Festivus has consistently grown over its short lifespan, first taking place at the warehouse of Lakes Region Tent & Event for two years before moving to the Eagle Square Atrium in downtown Concord in 2019.
The Barn at Bull Meadow is only a year old — the 7,000-square-foot wedding and event center was built from the ground up and completed last fall. Attendees of this year’s Fall Festivus are encouraged to wear their favorite flannel to go with the center’s rustic barn setting.
“The venue itself is gorgeous,” JSL special events co-chair Sarah Vaida said. “I think it provides us with a lot of room. … Nobody will have to leave one section to go to another. They’ll be able to hear the bands and be near the food all at the same time.”
Both sweet and savory items will be on the menu to try. Georgia’s Northside of Concord, for instance, will have macaroni and cheese, brisket burnt ends and chicken, while the Washington Street Cafe will offer a hummus and pita tray. The Common Man will have assorted dips and crackers, and Live Juice is expected to bring a few types of salads.
Great Events Catering of NH, the parent company of Fratello’s Italian Grille and The Homestead Restaurant & Tavern, is serving Buffalo chicken bites and mini cannolis. Other offerings will include fresh apple cider doughnuts from the New Hampshire Doughnut Co., a sampler tray of desserts from The Cannoli Stop at The Candy Shop, and hot mulled cider from The Works Cafe.
As for the beers, Vaida said nearly a dozen Granite State beverage purveyors will pour samples during the event, like Lithermans Limited Brewery of Concord, Out.Haus Ales of Northwood, Rockingham Brewing Co. of Derry and others.
“They typically will bring a bestseller from the brewery and then maybe one other [beer] that they are trying to advertise,” Vaida said. “We will have a cash bar as well, so if people aren’t finding something they like, they can get whatever they want to drink there.”
Flag Hill Distillery & Winery of Lee will be there too, as well as Cathedral Ledge Distillery, an organic distillery and tasting room that opened in North Conway last year.
Local bands Sunday Ave and David Shore’s Trunk of Funk will each perform sets. A silent auction is also planned, featuring a chance to win a variety of items from gift certificates to day passes and tickets for all types of venues across New Hampshire.
Proceeds benefit the Junior Service League of Concord, a women-run volunteer organization now in its 91st year supporting women and children in the community in crisis.
Participating local food and beverage vendors
• Aissa Sweets (Concord, aissasweets.com) • Backyard Brewery & Kitchen (Manchester, backyardbrewerynh.com) • The Cannoli Stop at The Candy Shop (Concord, thecannolistop.com) • Cathedral Ledge Distillery (North Conway, cathedralledgedistillery.com) • The Common Man (Concord, thecman.com) • Concord Craft Brewing Co. (Concord, find them on Facebook @concordcraftbrewing) • Flag Hill Distillery & Winery (Lee, flaghill.com) • From the Barrel Brewing Co. (Derry, drinkftb.com) • Georgia’s Northside (Concord, georgiasnorthside.com) • Great Events Catering of NH (greateventsnh.com) • Lithermans Limited Brewery (Concord, lithermans.beer) • Live Juice (Concord, livejuicenh.com) • New Hampshire Doughnut Co. (Concord, nhdoughnutco.com) • Out.Haus Ales (Northwood, outhausales.com) • Rockingham Brewing Co. (Derry, rockinghambrewing.com) • Spyglass Brewing Co. (Nashua, spyglassbrewing.com) • Washington Street Cafe & Catering (Concord, washingtonstreetcatering.com) • White Birch Brewing (Nashua, whitebirchbrewing.com) • The Works Cafe (Concord, workscafe.com)
4th annual Fall Festivus When: Thursday, Nov. 4, 6:30 to 10 p.m. Where: The Barn at Bull Meadow, 63 Bog Road, Concord Cost: Early-bird rates are $25 per person or $80 per four. Tickets are $35 per person at the door. Visit: jslconcord.org/events-cfvg Event is 21+ only. Flannel attire is encouraged.
