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.
• Mixing it up: Join Tuscan Market (9 Via Toscana, Salem) as it debuts a new four-week mixology and food pairing series, starting on Thursday, March 9, from 6 to 8 p.m., and continuing with class installments on March 23, March 30 and April 6. The first class will cover the world of syrups and how to create them from scratch, as well as which flavors and herbs pair well together. Participants will make their own cocktails using their syrups and have the opportunity to taste them with Tuscan Market’s chef-inspired artisan Italian food. The second class, on March 23, will cover how to infuse and smoke different ingredients from fruits to juices in your drinks, while classes on March 30 and April 6, respectively, will go over how to mix their cocktails and put the final touches on them with garnishes. The cost is $280 per person and includes access to all four classes in addition to food pairings, a bartender’s kit and a technique manual. Visit tuscanbrands.com.
• Bunny campaign: The Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary is selling chocolate Easter bunnies made by Granite State Candy Shoppe now through March 31 as part of its Bite Out of Hunger Campaign. The cost is $8.50 for an eight-ounce solid milk, white or dark chocolate bunny. Proceeds benefit The Salvation Army’s Kids’ Café program, which offers evening meals and recreation activities to local children and teens four days a week. Call Sylvia Crete at 490-4107 to order a bunny, or visit nne.salvationarmy.org/manchester to download the bunny order form. Bunnies may be picked up at The Salvation Army’s Manchester Corps (121 Cedar St.) during their business hours, any Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.
• Cheers to 100 years: Due to inclement weather on Feb. 23, Gibson’s Bookstore’s (45 S. Main St., Concord) author event featuring longtime New Hampshire radio personality Mike Morin has been postponed to Tuesday, March 14, at 6:30 p.m. Morin will present his newest book, If These Walls Could Talk: Celebrating 100 Years of the Red Arrow, America’s Most Beloved Diner, which details various stories and anecdotes that contribute to the original Red Arrow’s lasting legacy in Manchester’s culinary scene, from connections to celebrities like Adam Sandler and Kevin Costner to its reputation as a spot for presidential hopefuls over the past four decades. No admission to the event is required, and for those who can’t make it, signed copies of If These Walls Could Talk may be ordered online at gibsonsbookstore.com. For additional details on the Red Arrow’s 100th anniversary, check out our cover story that appeared in the Sept. 29, 2022, issue — go to issuu.com/hippopress.com to find the e-edition. The story starts on page 10.
• When life gives you lemons: Salem limoncello producer Fabrizia Spirits has established its own lemon grove in Sicily, Italy, according to a press release. “Considering our humble beginnings, peeling lemons in the garage of our parents’ home, this is a monumental achievement for the company,” Fabrizia Spirits co-owner and co-founder Phil Mastroianni said in a statement. “These lemons are grown in a perfect microclimate in southeastern Sicily near Europe’s largest active volcano, Mt. Etna. … We now control the fruit from orchard to bottle, and can ensure the highest-quality finished product.” According to the release, the lemons are hand-picked, cleaned and shipped directly to Fabrizia’s Salem facility before they are processed. The zest from the lemons are then infused in pure alcohol, while the remainder of the fruit is juiced to form the foundation of Fabrizia’s canned cocktails. Launched in 2008, Fabrizia Spirits has grown to become a leading purveyor of limoncello in the United States. Visit fabriziaspirits.com.
Rachel Mack and Sara Steffensmeier are the new owners of Laurel Hill Jams & Jellies (laurelhilljams.com), a Bedford-based producer of dozens of jams and jellies made from local fruits, wines and teas. The pair of sisters, who also happen to be next-door neighbors in Bedford, took over the business last month from founder Sue Stretch, who retired after 15 years. Stretch had previously worked as a teacher for more than four decades, and is also the former president of the Bedford Farmers Market. Working out of both of their home kitchens, Mack and Steffensmeier will continue to produce each of Stretch’s more than 50 flavors of jams and jellies, and have some of their own ideas in the pipeline as well.
What is your must-have kitchen item?
Rachel: My must-have in the kitchen is my sister. … I am just always happier and calmer when she is in the kitchen with me, and things just seem to go smoother. It is more than just having a second set of hands. It is more fun when we work in the kitchen together.
Sara: Probably my measuring scale. It helps me make sure I’ve got exactly the right amount of fruit to get the jam or jelly to set perfectly. And I like having my sister in the kitchen as well!
What would you have for your last meal?
Rachel: Some of my favorite food memories are from my aunt and uncle’s farm. My Aunt Barb is the most amazing gardener and cook. She uses produce from the farm and local meat whenever possible.
Sara: Good Mexican food. It’s a food that has always made me happy. Also, the calories don’t count in the last meal scenario!
What is your favorite local restaurant?
Rachel: I would have to say Moat Mountain [Smoke House & Brewing Co.] up in North Conway. It is relaxed and fun and feels very New Hampshire to me. … I don’t feel like a trip up to the mountains is complete until we’ve eaten there.
Sara: I lived in Nashua recently and was always looking for an excuse to go to YouYou [Japanese Bistro]. It’s delicious and is always a change from my home cooking.
What celebrity would you like to see trying one of your products?
Rachel: I know U2 isn’t the coolest band in the world anymore, but I am still a massive fan. So I would have to say I would probably freak out if I saw either Bono or The Edge trying our jams or jellies.
Sara: There’s no one in the world I could pick that would match the sheer super-fan delight Rachel would have if Bono tried her jam, so I’m going to clear the way on this one and let her have her dream.
What is your favorite jam or jelly that you offer?
Rachel: We have so many amazing flavors, but if I could only ever eat one flavor again I would have to go with our Superb Strawberry Jam. When you start with good-quality strawberries and take your time to make a small batch of the jam, the flavors build into something amazing.
Sara: Tough question! I love the sweet-tartness of the raspberry, which I use in oatmeal and sometimes as a smoothie add-on.
What is the biggest food trend in New Hampshire right now?
Rachel: One thing that I love about the New Hampshire food scene is the farmers market culture in our state. Obviously farmers markets are not unique to New Hampshire, but our markets have a bit of magic that is missing from ones I have been to in other parts of the country.
Sara: I love how so many people I know grow their own fruits and veggies and have livestock! I think it’s cool that we’re connecting back in small and large ways with where our food comes from.
What is your favorite thing to make at home?
Rachel: I love to bake bread. Sourdough is my favorite!
Sara: Anything gluten-free. My options at the grocery store are limited in that regard, so I like exploring what I can create, that I can eat, in my own kitchen. … Plus, I need crackers and bread. They are great jam and jelly delivery systems!
Baked brie with Zetz Red Pepper Jam From the kitchen of Rachel Mack and Sara Steffensmeier of Laurel Hill Jams & Jellies
1 small brie wheel 1 4-ounce jar Laurel Hill Zetz Red Pepper Jam Cooking spray
Lightly spray a baking dish with the cooking spray. Place the brie wheel in the center of the dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. In a saucepan, heat the jam until melted. Spoon the jam over the baked brie prior to serving.
Featured photo: Rachel Mack (right) and Sara Steffensmeier, the new owners of Laurel Hill Jams & Jellies. Courtesy photo.
A new cafe and market now open in Bedford aims to be a one-stop shopping destination for a wide variety of New Hampshire-made goods, from jams, jellies and maple syrups to infused cooking oils, blended coffees and teas, chocolates and more.
Lighthouse Local, housed in the former Sweet Boutique space on Kilton Road, is also home to the Bedford Baking Co., which offers freshly baked breads and pastries alongside a menu of hot paninis and cold sandwiches. Both concepts arrived just after the new year, according to owner and longtime Bedford resident Linda Degler, who took over the space in September.
Degler, who also runs the Bedford Event Center and New Morning Schools, said the shop’s original conception stemmed from her enjoyment of baking. The idea to feature a retail area of local products, meanwhile, came from coordination with the nonprofit New Hampshire Made.
“I thought, ‘Yeah, we’re local and we’re small, but then so are they and so are they,’ and so why don’t we just bring them all together,” she said. “I mean, it’s basically like throwing a party. You have friends from this circle and friends from that circle and you introduce them and it’s fun.”
Out of the gate, the shop has retail products available for sale from companies like Ben’s Sugar Shack, Van Otis Chocolates, Laurel Hill Jams & Jellies, Monadnock Oil & Vinegar Co. and the Yankee Farmer’s Market. Degler noted that the shop is also the first brick-and-mortar account for 603 Perfect Blend, run by a Manchester-based husband and wife team that is known in the local farmers market circuit for their loose-leaf teas and gourmet flavored sugars.
For several of its featured products Lighthouse Local offers samples during business hours. Degler said she plans to continue growing the retail space with additional purveyors. Although most hail from the Granite State, she said she is open to having others from neighboring states.
“This started with New Hampshire Made, and now people are calling us,” she said.
On the bakery side, Degler has partnered with Trina Bird of the Bird Food Baking Co. to oversee pastries. Bird, of Goffstown, is perhaps best known locally for her craft doughnuts, of which she has made a countless number of wild flavors, as well as her cakes, cupcakes and cookies.
Degler has also recruited Natalie Camasso as an in-house baker; Fylisity Baker-Scott, who primarily runs the front; and Kyle Altman, a former manager at Mile Away Restaurant in Milford who created the shop’s lunch menu. Offerings to start have included a few sandwiches and paninis, with some fresh sides, like cranberry coleslaw, cucumber pesto, and mozzarella and tomato with a balsamic glaze.
As with the retail area, Degler’s goal is to grow the bakery arm of the business.
“I am interested in renting kitchen space … maybe to new bakers who want to get a foot in but maybe they don’t have a kitchen … and we’ll sell their products down here to get [them] started,” she said. “I’d like to find somebody who supplies breakfast pastries. That would be a really good addition here, especially with all the office buildings around.”
Lighthouse Local/Bedford Baking Co. Where: 21 Kilton Road, Bedford Hours: Wednesday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. More info: Visit lighthouse-local.com, or find them on Facebook @lighthouselocalcafe or on Instagram @lighthouselocal Suppliers interested in getting their products on the shelves of Lighthouse Local can contact owner Linda Degler directly at lindadegler@gmail.com.
Featured photo: Baked goods from Lighthouse Local. Photo by Linda Degler.
Annual tasting benefit moves back indoors for its 14th year
For one day only, Concord’s Bank of New Hampshire Stage will turn into a prime tasting destination for area soups, chowders and chilis. It’s time for SouperFest — the event, one of the chief fundraisers for the Concord Coalition to End Homelessness, returns on Saturday, March 4.
This will be the first SouperFest to take place indoors since 2019, and also the first time in its history that it’s happening inside of the concert venue. After the pandemic forced its cancellation in 2020, SouperFest transitioned outdoors to a mostly takeout format the following two years.
Unlike with those events, which encouraged pre-ordering your soup online, this year’s SouperFest will offer soups on a first-come, first-served basis at $5 each while they last.
“The pre-orders made it very, very difficult, because we had a lot of individuals that didn’t pre-order that were walking up … and we’d have to count how many outstanding orders there still were,” said Greg Lessard, CCEH’s director of housing initiatives. “I always like to have extra but you just never know how many folks will turn up that day, and how hungry they are.”
Eleven Concord establishments have donated a soup, chowder or chili to be served by volunteers during the fundraiser. The flavors are diverse, ranging from a vegetarian split pea soup courtesy of O Steaks & Seafood to beef and turkey chilis from The Common Man and Georgia’s Northside, respectively. There’s also going to be a turkey pot pie soup from The Red Blazer and a butternut squash soup from The Centennial Hotel’s Granite Restaurant & Bar, among others.
“We encourage them all to make something different,” Lessard said. “Every one of the restaurants that had done it for the last two years stepped up, and we actually picked up a few.”
Attendees can get their eight-ounce cups of soup to go — along with complimentary rolls and water — or grab a seat at the venue to listen to RoZweLL, a rock cover group set to perform.
“The thought is that they will come and see acquaintances, have some soup and listen to the band,” Lessard said. “The lounge area upstairs is open for our guests as well.”
As soups will be served until they sell out, Lessard said getting to the event early is a good idea.
“We anticipate that most folks will be there … right at opening,” he said. “Some soups will be more popular than others. … If folks are getting hungry and there’s a line that’s taking a few minutes, they will have the opportunity to select from two soups while they’re in line inside.”
The Coalition has already raised more than $60,000 through its dozens of business sponsorships, and all SouperFest proceeds will go directly toward its programs.
14th annual SouperFest When: Saturday, March 4, noon to 2 p.m. Where: Bank of New Hampshire Stage, 16 S. Main St., Concord Cost: $5 per soup (no pre-orders); soups are available first-come, first-served while they last Visit: concordhomeless.org/souperfest Cash and credit cards will be accepted at the door, in addition to donations benefiting the Concord Coalition to End Homelessness.
Featured soups
• The Barley House Restaurant & Tavern (beef barley soup) • The Common Man (beef and bean chili) • Concord Food Co-op (clam chowder) • Concord Hospital and Karner Blue Café (broccoli cheddar soup) • Georgia’s Northside (Santa Fe turkey chili) • Granite Restaurant & Bar (butternut squash soup) • Hermanos Cocina Mexicana (creamy mushroom soup) • O Steaks & Seafood (vegetarian split pea soup) • Revival Kitchen & Bar (mushroom beef and barley soup) • The Red Blazer Restaurant & Pub (turkey pot pie soup) • The Works Cafe (lentil soup)
Featured photo: Concord’s SouperFest tasting benefit returns on Saturday, March 4, moving back indoors after taking place outside the last two years, as pictured above. Photos by Mulberry Creek Imagery.
• Liquid gold: 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. A full list of local sugarhouses participating inthe month (which includes New Hampshire Maple Weekend, set for Saturday, March 18, and Sunday, March 19) can be found on the New Hampshire Maple Producers Association website at nhmapleproducers.com.
• Let the Guinness flow: Join The Peddler’s Daughter (48 Main St., Nashua) for its annual Guinness beer dinner on Wednesday, March 8, at 6:30 p.m. The meal will feature multiple food courses with Guinness beer pairings, like salmon rillettes (poached and smoked salmon combined with house mayonnaise and Guinness brown bread); free range eggs with sage sausage and panko crumbs, and Guinness-braised short rib of beef with a forest mushroom saffron risotto. Branded Guinness souvenirs, raffle prizes and giveaways will also be featured. Tickets are $65 per person and can be purchased online at Eventbrite. Be on the lookout next week for more St. Paddy’s Day-related happenings at area bars and restaurants in our annual listings.
• Get your Greek eats: Join Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church (68 N. State St., Concord) for its next boxed Greek dinner to go, a drive-thru takeout event on Sunday, March 12, from noon to 1 p.m. Now through Wednesday, March 8, orders are being accepted for boxed meals featuring dinners of vegetarian dolmades (stuffed grape leaves) with spanakopita (spinach pie) and a bread roll for $20 per person. The event is drive-thru and takeout only — email ordermygreekfood@gmail.com or call 953-3051 to place your order. You can also pay online by clicking “Contribute to Holy Trinity” on the church’s website and following the prompts. The revival of the church’s annual Greek food festival, meanwhile, remains tentatively scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 30. Visit holytrinitynh.org.
• Turning up the heat: Portsmouth hot sauce maker The Spicy Shark recently announced the launch of the latest addition to its “6-Fin” series — the Mako Snake. According to a press release, the new sauce became available Feb. 15. The Indian-inspired Mako Snake is a masala-based sauce, made with ghost pepper, Carolina reaper and habanero. According to the release, the sauce’s name and creature, a mythical half shark, half snake, were chosen to represent the “unique and intense” levels of heat and flavor. See thespicyshark.com to find out where you can find the company’s sauces.
On the streets of Jalisco, Mexico, in the small town of Degollado, three generations of family members prepare large simmering pots of juicy, tender slow-stewed meat known as birria. The dish is cooked for several hours before generous heaping ladlefuls are served on plates to patrons, featuring a homemade mole sauce, salsa and a side of corn tortillas.
Crowds gather for a plate of birria — pronounced “beer-ryah,” and traditionally made with goat meat — from the family of Jose “El Chino” Reyes. Although Reyes continues to vend with his own father and son, one of his other children found restaurant job opportunities in the United States and eventually made his way to southern New Hampshire.
At Los Reyes Street Tacos & More, which opened inside Derry’s Hillside Plaza last April, Manchester couple Jose Reyes and his wife, Isabel, honor his family’s tradition with simple flavors of authentic Mexican street food. Birria is among their most popular items, and while you won’t find it with goat meat, you can try quesabirrias, or birria tacos inspired by the traditional stew and featuring beef, cheese, onion, cilantro and consommé, or the stewed broth, for dipping.
Los Reyes co-owner Jose Reyes’s family are birria street vendors in Degollado, Jalisco, Mexico. Courtesy photos.
It’s a dish that has steadily gained traction across Granite State restaurant menus just in the last couple of years. Isabel Reyes said she believes that’s in part due to the viral nature of social media — the striking golden-red color of the taco shell and the oozing melted cheese look delicious in the many attractive, shareable photos that we eat with our eyes.
Birria tacos start with a simmering pot of slow-stewed meat. After cooking for several hours, the meat (and sometimes also cheese) is stuffed into a corn tortilla, topped with cilantro and onions and thrown on the grill.
The golden-red color of these tacos comes from grilling the tortilla with a coating of consommé from the meat it was stewed in. Being able to dip them in a cup of that same consommé for extra flavor, Reyes said, also makes for a new and unique way to eat tacos for many.
“I feel like everybody at some point … definitely needs to try birria at least one time in their life. It will maybe make you feel like you literally went to eat in Mexico, because it’s a whole experience,” Reyes said. “We do notice a lot of people that come in love to take pictures of the birria and post them on social media. … People love to take pictures of their food, and it’s definitely helped us, because a lot people, if you post a picture of the birria, they’d be like, ‘Oh my God, those look delicious, where did you get them?’”
Amanda Portillo, who runs Rico’s Burritos food truck with her husband, Danilo, also surmised the popularity of birria tacos has largely spread due to social media and word of mouth. The truck, which can often be found at Griffin Park in Windham, introduced birria tacos on the menu as a special last fall to resounding success.
“At first it was once in a while, but [they’ve been] in such popular demand that we have to make them much more often than before,” Portillo said. “It’s a unique entree, and the texture with the broth is different from most Mexican food, so people are drawn to it.”
In Milford, Rosana Vargas of Taco Time decided she would try and make quesabirrias at the suggestion of a customer, who was visiting the state from California. Today they’re among the eatery’s top-selling menu items — taco lovers sometimes travel from miles away to try them.
“People try it for the first time and they just get hooked,” Rosana’s husband, Rey Vargas, said. “We have people that don’t even try anything else on the menu except that.”
With differing variations in their own right depending on where you go, here’s a closer look at one of New Hampshire’s hottest taco trends and where you can try an order of birria.
Simmered to perfection
Jalisco, Reyes said, is a Mexican state best known for three things: mariachi, tequila and birria.
“Birria would be the process of how it’s prepared, versus the meat,” she said. “Birria can be any meat, but goat and sheep were the first two that originated in Mexico. … It’s most commonly served for brunch … [and] was not served in a taco the way it is served now.”
Because it’s common for Mexican street vendors to serve corn tortillas with a plate of birria on the side, Reyes said, some people like to scoop the tortilla into the meat and juices like a spoon. Quesabirria tacos, as they’re known today, became widely associated with the cuisines of southern California, and Tijuana, a city in northwestern Mexico just south of San Diego.
Featured on the menu at the Reyes family’s Derry restaurant are Chino’s birria tacos. The slow-stewed beef uses a house recipe combining various methods and ingredients from Jose Reyes’s family with those of his own. He even has a special pot he bought from Mexico that is specifically used for stewing the birria.
The beef, typically mixed with several spices and dried chiles, is simmered for several hours until it’s very tender. The consommé provided with the tacos for dipping, meanwhile, is itself the same broth from that stew that is normally strained and set aside.
Quesabirria plate from Taco Time Cocina & Cantina Mexicana in Milford. Courtesy photo.
“It’s like a ritual. You literally have to put a lot of time into it,” Reyes said of cooking birria. “The stewing itself takes us about four hours, but the whole process altogether is about six hours, because you have to prepare it and marinate it beforehand.”
Birria tacos are always made with corn tortillas — that’s simply because they crisp up better on the grill when assembled compared to their flour counterparts. Like for most traditional Mexican street tacos, Reyes said theirs are then topped with onions and cilantro. Melted cheese is available as an added option.
“A lot of people think quesabirria … is a quesadilla with the birria, but it’s not. It’s still the tacos, but just with cheese,” she said. “That’s why I ended up changing the menu. I left them as Chino’s birria tacos, and I just say you can upgrade it as a quesabirria, with cheese. It was just sometimes confusing having to explain the difference. … It doesn’t [traditionally have cheese], but I feel like cheese just makes everything better.”
Trends and variations
Although just about every birria taco you’ll find in New Hampshire uses corn tortilla shells, there are still all kinds of subtle variations to discover in how they are prepared.
“[Birria] is not something that repeats. Usually the seasoning and the broth recipe changes from family to family and from restaurant to restaurant,” said Louie Rodriguez, whose wife, Karen Lopez, owns Iguana’s Restaurant & Bar in Manchester. “The consommé is very unique from restaurant to restaurant as well.”
Iguana’s is notable for combining Mexican cuisine with that of Lopez’s native country of Honduras. The eatery opened in the former Granite State Escape storefront on Maple Street in late 2021.
Not only does Iguana’s serve birria tacos with shredded beef, but additionally it offers birria taco options with chicken and lamb. Rodriguez noted that even the ingredients and the time necessary for cooking the meat will vary among those three. Lopez will simmer the chicken for one hour, while the beef is simmered for five hours and the lamb for seven hours.
“She recovers some of the fat, and she makes it part of the recipe for the broth that the tortillas are dipped in, in order to grill it,” Rodriguez said. “She uses the fat that [is released] from the meat itself … and that’s what helps make it crispy.”
Birria tacos with lamb, from Iguana’s Restaurant and Bar in Manchester. Photo by Matt Ingersoll.
Taco lovers often have their own preferences and ways of eating birria, especially when it comes to the provided cups of consommé, Rodriguez said.
“Some people dip the taco in it, and some people don’t, as a matter of fact,” he said. “Some people love it just crispy like that and they don’t want to touch the consommé at all. But then, you get others that ask for a bowl of it and they just dunk that thing in like they’re dunking a doughnut in milk.”
Over at Lounge 38 Bar & Grill in Nashua, owner Vince Villafan said his birria tacos feature yellow corn tortillas and a melted three-cheese mozzarella blend. Three tacos are served per order with a side of rice and some consommé.
“Many people get full with the birria taco plate, but we do also offer them individually,” he said.
Villafan added that he has noticed more and more of his customers trying birria tacos for the first time.
“I think people have seen pictures and they are really intrigued by it and want to try it,” he said, “but they’ll still ask, like, ‘Hey, what actually is this that I’m eating?’ So there is a lot of information that we give out to people when they are ordering.”
Birria: beyond the tacos
Birria doesn’t have to be just about tacos — some Granite State eateries will utilize the same stewed beef on other menu items as well. Derry’s Los Reyes Street Tacos & More, for example, offers birria burritos with Mexican rice and refried pinto beans, as well as loaded birria fries — those are topped with a cheese dip, an avocado salsa, sour cream and Southwest pico de gallo.
“The birria burrito is a huge hit,” co-owner Isabel Reyes said. “We grill it the same way as the tacos.”
Birria ramen from Lounge 38 Bar & Grill in Nashua. Courtesy photo.
In Litchfield, Day of the Dead Mexican Taqueria offers pizza birria that’s great for sharing. According to owner and founder Karina Flores, the pizza birria is very similar to the tacos but features two large flour tortillas that are stuffed with birria meat, cheese, cilantro and onions, all grilled and smothered with the birria broth. The tortillas are then cut into triangles.
Even birria ramen is a thing — you can get a bowl of that at Lounge 38 Bar & Grill in Nashua.
“We love ramen noodles ourselves here, and so we thought why not cook those same noodles in the birria broth,” Lounge 38 owner Vince Villafan said. “The beef is the same, but we’re just essentially cooking the noodles inside the broth after the meat has already been cooked … and then we just throw on the cheese, onions and cilantro.”
Where to get birria tacos
Birria tacos (also frequently known as quesabirria when you add cheese) have popped up on menus of many local restaurants and food trucks. Here’s a list of places where you can get them in southern New Hampshire — some offer them all the time, while others will serve them as specials on select days, or only on certain days of the week. Do you know of an eatery in the Concord, Manchester or Nashua areas offering birria tacos that we may have missed? Tell us about it at food@hippopress.com.
Baja Tacos and Burritos 494 Amherst St., Nashua, 417-5532, bajatacosburritos.com Birria tacos are regular menu staples of this Nashua eatery, featuring three per order on homemade corn tortillas, with consommé available for dipping.
Cinco’s Cantina 1 Brickyard Square, Suite 9, Epping, 734-2191, cincoscantina.com Cinco’s Cantina’s Epping restaurant is the second of two owned by brothers Crescencio and Miguel Alberto Tellez, who opened the first one in downtown Dover in late 2014. Birria tacos are served a la carte, featuring stewed beef topped with freshly sliced radishes, onions and cilantro, and served with lime wedges and salsa.
Day of the Dead Mexican Taqueria 454 Charles Bancroft Hwy., Litchfield, 377-7664, find them on Facebook @dayofthedeadtaqueria A stone’s throw from Mel’s Funway Park in Litchfield, Day of the Dead is owned and operated by Karina Flores and her family, who also run Monarquia Mexican Restaurant in Amherst’s Salzburg Square shopping center. Birria tacos are among the most popular dishes at Day of the Dead, which also offers pizza birria.
El Ranchito Bar & Grill 44 W. Hollis St., Nashua, 864-8157, elranchitobarandgrillnh.com Birria tacos are among the most popular menu staples at El Ranchito — they feature corn tortillas with slow-braised beef, and a side of consommé for dipping.
Iguana’s Restaurant and Bar 245 Maple St., Manchester, 935-8917, find them on Facebook @iguanasrestaurantandbar Iguana’s Restaurant & Bar opened in the former Granite State Escape space on Maple Street in Manchester in November 2021, its menu featuring a combination of authentic Mexican and Honduran dishes. In addition to quesabirria tacos with shredded beef, Iguana’s regularly offers chicken and lamb options — all come three per order with a side of consommé.
La Carreta Mexican Restaurant 545 Hooksett Road, Manchester, 628-6899; 1875 S. Willow St., Manchester, 623-7705; 44 Nashua Road, Londonderry, 965-3477; 35 Manchester Road, Derry, 421-0091; lacarretamex.com Both Manchester La Carreta Mexican Restaurants offer quesabirrias, featuring slow-stewed beef topped with cilantro and onion and served with a side of consommé. La Carreta’s Londonderry and Derry locations, meanwhile, offer them on Wednesdays only.
Los Primos Mexican Restaurant 3 Amherst Road, Merrimack, 420-8860, losprimosmexnh.com This Merrimack restaurant opened in late January 2020, in the former space of a D’Angelo sandwich shop. Birria tacos and quesadillas are available.
Los Reyes Street Tacos & More 127 Rockingham Road, Unit 15, Derry, 845-8327, losreyesstreettacos.com Los Reyes co-owner Jose Reyes of Manchester comes from multiple generations of street food vending in Mexico — his father, grandfather and brother all continue to serve traditional goat birria on the streets of his family’s home state of Jalisco. The Derry restaurant, which opened in April 2022, honors Reyes’s family’s traditions with Chino’s birria tacos (the name borrowed from his dad’s nickname), featuring slow-stewed beef in corn tortillas with cilantro, red onions and consommé on the side. You can also turn them into quesabirrias by adding cheese, or try other related items like the birria burrito or the loaded birria fries.
Lounge 38 Bar & Grill 38 E. Hollis St., Nashua, 459-8314, lounge38restaurant.com This Nashua restaurant, which opened in October 2020, blends traditional Mexican and Puerto Rican cuisines for many of its menu items. The birria taco plate features three fried tortillas filled with slow-stewed beef, cheese, onions and cilantro, served with Spanish rice and consommé on the side for dipping. Single birria tacos are also available a la carte, while other birria-inspired dishes include burritos, quesadillas and even birria ramen noodles.
Mi Jalisco Restaurante Mexicano 300 S. Willow St., Manchester, 606-2184, mijaliscomanchester.com Quesabirria tacos are among the many grilled taco options at this Manchester eatery, served with rice, beans and pico de gallo.
Nuevo Vallarta Mexican Restaurant 791 Second St., Manchester, 782-8762, vallartamexicannh.com Birria menu options at Nuevo Vallarta include three birria tacos per order — topped with cilantro and onions and served with rice, beans and consommé for dipping — along with birria burritos and quesadillas.
Puerto Vallarta Mexican Grill 865 Second St., Manchester, 935-9182, vallartamexicannh.com Like its sister establishment, Nuevo Vallarta, this Manchester eatery offers birria burritos and quesadillas, in addition to birria tacos topped with cilantro and onions, and served with rice, beans and consommé for dipping.
Rice & Beans 603 288 N. Broadway, Unit D, Salem, 890-1626, find them on Facebook @riceandbeans603 Longtime Manchester-area food trucker Tony Elias took over this Salem restaurant, his first brick-and-mortar location as owner, in mid-January. Birria tacos prepared with traditional Puerto Rican spices are among his regular menu items, in addition to empanadas and sandwiches.
Rico’s Burritos Food Truck 475-4898, ricosburritosfoodtruck.com Plaistow couple Danilo and Amanda Portillo launched this food truck last summer. Rico’s Burritos gets its name both in inspiration from their son, Ricardo, and for the Spanish word meaning “tasty” or “delicious.” The truck has a regular presence at venues across northern Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire, perhaps most notably at Griffin Park (101 Range Road, Windham). Birria tacos are offered on the truck as a special, featuring three per order with a few freshly cut lime wedges and consommé for dipping.
Riviera Nayarit 116 W. Pearl St., Nashua, 521-8602, riverianh.com Named after the popular tourist destination off the Pacific coast of Mexico, Riviera Nayarit opened on West Pearl Street in Nashua in March 2021. Individual birria tacos featuring slow-stewed beef are available a la carte.
Taco Time Cocina & Cantina Mexicana 11 Wilton Road, Milford, 554-1424, tacotimenh.com Rosana Vargas and her husband, Reymundo “Rey,” are the owners of Taco Time, originally launched as a food trailer in 2018. Since then, Taco Time has expanded into a brick-and-mortar restaurant, which opened in January 2021 near the Milford and Wilton town line. Taco Time’s quesabirria plates are among their more popular menu items, featuring grilled corn tortillas of tender braised beef with cilantro and onions, and a side of consommé for dipping.
Taqueria Y Pastelitos To Go 917 Valley St., Manchester, 232-3348, taqueriaypastelitos.com Three birria tacos come per order from this Manchester restaurant, featuring marinated beef topped with cilantro and onions. They can also be ordered as meals with rice and beans.
Tim’s Drunken Sauces and Rubs 244 Elm St., Milford, 967-4242, find them on Facebook @timsdrunkensauces Parked outside of DHR Fabrications in Milford, this food trailer usually serves quesabirria tacos four days a week, from Thursday through Sunday.
Sue Poulin is the co-owner of Bouillon Bistro (123 Union Square, Milford, 718-3305, bouillonbistro.com), known for its rotating menu of scratch-made artisan soups, chowders and stews. Poulin left her corporate career to purchase Wicked Pissah Chowdah, at the time located on South Street just off the Milford Oval, from founder Ellen Muckstadt in June 2020. She and business partner Lisa Gamache have also since opened a second location in Townsend, Mass. Last October, Bouillon Bistro of Milford reopened in its current spot on the opposite end of the Oval — the restaurant is unique for featuring a different lineup of six home-cooked options every single day.
What is your must-have kitchen item?
One thing that I never thought I would ever have … is this big paddle. It’s probably eight inches wide and 24 inches long, and it’s great because it scrapes the bottom of the pot as you’re making your mirepoix in the beginning and all the butter and the vegetables. It grabs all of that before any burning happens. … This paddle has really become the be-all, end-all tool in the kitchen. A spoon never really does the job.
What would you have for your last meal?
Prime rib, medium rare, with au jus, a baked potato with all the fixings, and a side of any kind of vegetable.
What is your favorite local restaurant?
I think that Buckley’s does such a phenomenal job. … I like to use their Hollis bakery, and I’m really impressed by what they do there.
What celebrity would you like to see eating in your restaurant?
I do love myself a good John Mayer song. … So I think if he came in, had some soup and played some acoustic music for us, then that would be a great day.
What is your favorite thing on your menu?
For soup, the beef barley is my ultimate favorite. There’s just so much flavor in that one, and it’s so hearty. … Then for non-soup, it’s the braised beef Ragu, which is chuck roast meat in a tomato sauce, and it’s processed over a long period of time and all that juice is then poured into the pot. It’s so good.
What is the biggest food trend in New Hampshire right now?
We get so many requests daily [to] offer more gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options. … Whereas those options were things that only a handful of people used to request in the past, now the tides have turned where that’s the majority.
What is your favorite thing to cook at home?
I find that because I blend so many things together in the pots at work, that when I cook at home I like to keep it very simple. So I’ll typically do something like a chicken, rice and vegetable dinner, or a filet mignon with a potato side or a vegetable side.
Lemon chicken orzo (broth finish) From the kitchen of Sue Poulin of Bouillon Bistro in Milford
½ stick butter 1 teaspoon black pepper 2 bay leaves 3 cups chopped onions 3 cups chopped celery 3 cups chopped carrots 10 cups chicken stock Dry chicken bouillon to taste 3 cups cooked cubed chicken 3 cups baby spinach Zest of 1 whole lemon Juice of 1 lemon
In a pot, combine the butter, black pepper, bay leaves, onions, celery and carrots and saute until softened. Add the chicken, chicken stock, chicken bouillon, spinach, lemon zest and lemon juice. Simmer on low until the temperature reaches 165 degrees. Serve with orzo noodles.
Featured photo: Sue Poulin of Bouillon Bistro in Milford. Courtesy photo.
New life has been breathed into a Nashua restaurant building that has sat dormant for more than three years. The Hidden Pig opened Feb. 9 in the former Riverside Barbeque Co. storefront on Main Street, bringing with it a thoughtfully crafted menu of gourmet burgers, sandwiches, rice bowls, doughnuts and even bacon boards — yes, boards filled with juicy slabs of candied bacon.
The eatery may be new to the Granite State, but it’s actually the second Hidden Pig location for owner Phil Bentham II, a native of Methuen, Mass., who opened the first one in downtown Haverhill in 2018. Bentham, who’s been working in the industry practically his entire life, got his start at Salvatore’s Italian Restaurant in Lawrence, which was also where he would meet future Hidden Pig head chef Brandon Allardice.
Unexpected and consistent success in Haverhill would soon open the doors for Bentham — along with his wife, Ashley, who mostly handles operations and marketing — to look into the possibility of a second spot. Through a Realtor friend, he learned of an available restaurant space overlooking the Nashua River. It had last been occupied by the Riverside Barbeque Co., which closed in December 2019 after a nearly decade-long run.
Doughnut board. Courtesy photo.
At nearly 4,000 square feet, The Hidden Pig’s Nashua restaurant more than doubles the size of its Massachusetts counterpart, with completely renovated interior dining and bar areas.
“The ‘hidden’ part of the name is a play coming from the idea of being a hidden gem north of Boston,” Bentham said, “and then we started incorporating little bits of bacon in all of our food, kind of like they are ‘hidden,’ almost.”
While some barbecue-inspired items like burnt ends and pulled pork are offered, Bentham said The Hidden Pig is not a barbecue restaurant; rather, he categorized the concept as more of a gastropub with particular focuses on burgers and local craft beer — and, of course, bacon. Lots of bacon. Look no further for it than the bacon board, which comes with a homemade bacon shallot jam and baguette crostinis; or any one of the burgers, most of which are topped with bacon or pork belly, or have a bacon-infused aioli or jam.
“We try to be a bacon- and a gourmet burger-focused restaurant, for sure,” Bentham said. “We try not to get too weird with the burgers, but we do do some funky stuff. … Our most popular burger … is called the Big Bad Wolf. It’s got a blueberry jam spread on there, mixed with a maple bacon aioli, and then it’s got a piece of pork belly and cheddar cheese.”
The Hidden Pig is also known for its Sunday brunches — those menu items are available from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with highlights including Fruity Pebbles chicken and waffles, and Reese’s “overload” buttermilk pancakes. Doughnuts are a huge deal too, from maple bacon glazed to Oreo and Reese’s flavors, and even a “Dunkaroonut” with animal crackers and sprinkles.
“We do a doughnut board with a big handle … and we decorate it with four, five, six doughnuts on there,” Bentham said. “We put it right in the center and people just go to town on it.”
The craft beer side is where Bentham said The Hidden Pig’s Nashua restaurant will mostly differ from Haverhill, and that’s because he is looking to incorporate more New Hampshire brews on tap. For the past few years, he has worked with Ali and Rob Leleszi of Rockingham Brewing Co. in Derry to brew a house New England-style double IPA that also comes canned.
The restaurant is open six nights a week, with the bar usually staying open an hour later than the kitchen, depending on the night.
“If there’s a good crowd, we’ll continue to stay open,” Bentham said. “There’s not really much up here, I feel, as far as on a Sunday evening, so hopefully we can change that.”
The Hidden Pig Where: 53 Main St., Nashua Hours: Tuesday through Thursday, 5 to 10 p.m.; Friday, 5 to 11 p.m.; Saturday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (brunch only) and 3 to 9 p.m. (dinner only) More info: Visit thehiddenpig.com, find them on Facebook and Instagram or call 402-9640
• African eats at the library: Join the Nashua Public Library (2 Court St.) for a Taste of Africa on Saturday, Feb. 25, from 2 to 4 p.m., featuring LaFortune Jeannette Djabea of Mola Foods. Attendees will have the chance to immerse themselves in African culture and cuisine, sampling small plates of food hailing from different parts of the continent while enjoying music and meeting Djabea. A native of Cameroon, Djabea founded Mola Foods in 2016, and expanded her brand of globally inspired spice blends and chili relishes in the form of a retail store front, tasting room and commercial kitchen, which opened at 9 Simon St. in Nashua in February 2021. Since debuting them last April, her Taste of Africa lunch and dinner series has been wildly successful, with events continuously selling out at her shop. The Feb. 25 event is free and sponsored by the Friends of the Nashua Public Library, but registration is required. Vegan options are also available for attendees. Visit nashualibrary.org.
• Almost time for ice cream: Brookline soft-serve ice cream stand Sundae Drive (346 Route 13) will hold its opening day of the 2023 season on Saturday, Feb. 25, according to a recent post on its Facebook page. Since 2018, the Route 13 ice cream stand near the Brookline and Milford town line has been known for its rotating flavors of soft-serve, in addition to its seasonally inspired themed sundaes — last year, for instance, they offered a special “red, white and blue” strawberry shortcake sundae for Memorial Day weekend, featuring vanilla soft-serve with fresh strawberries, blueberries, whipped cream and sprinkles. According to the post, Sundae Drive is also now booking events for the 2023 season, like birthday parties, weddings and work gatherings. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram @sundaedrivenh or call 721-5209 for details on their specials.
• Drink wine, win a prize: There’s still plenty of time to participate in the New Hampshire Winery Association’s annual Wine Trail for a chance to win prizes. Through April, participants can visit 10 or more Granite State locations on the trail and collect “stamps” in their passports. Each year, the Association holds a drawing to select prize winners. Available prizes include a $250 gift certificate redeemable at any of the member wineries; a one-night stay at RiverCrest Villas in Epping, and two tickets to a wine tasting at neighboring Flag Hill Distillery & Winery in Lee; and a $50 gift certificate to Fire & Spice Bistro in Newfields. Passports are available at any of the wineries on the tour, or they can be downloaded at nhwineryassociation.org. Mail them no later than May 15 at Squamscott Winery (P.O. Box 1050, Newfields) to be included in the drawing.
Justin O’Malley is the chef de cuisine of Greenleaf (54 Nashua St., Milford, 213-5447, greenleafmilford.com), a seasonally inspired farm-to-table restaurant that opened in May 2019. O’Malley grew up in Lowell, Mass., getting his start in the restaurant industry at age 16 as a dishwasher. It was while working at Papa Razzi in Burlington, Mass., that he first met Greenleaf owner and founder Chris Viaud. After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America — and completing an externship cooking in the owners’ suite of Fenway Park in Boston — O’Malley worked at North Andover Country Club for about a year before coming to New Hampshire to join the staff of Greenleaf in August 2021. There he worked his way up the ranks, assuming the role of chef de cuisine in January.
What is your must-have kitchen item?
It’s probably the Vitamix [blender], with all of the purees and different things that I like to do.
What would you have for your last meal?
I would go with a traditional omakase, which is basically like a chef’s table for sushi.
What is your favorite local restaurant?
Probably the Nashua Garden. Every time I’ve been there, they make a solid sandwich.
What celebrity would you like to see eating at Greenleaf?
Kid Cudi [rapper Scott Mescudi].
What is your favorite thing on your menu?
Duck in general is one of my favorite things to mess around with. It goes really well with sweeter flavors.
What is the biggest food trend in New Hampshire right now?
I think I’ve seen a short rib [dish on] every menu [at every restaurant] that I’ve been out to.
What is your favorite thing to cook at home?
Usually something pretty simple. Fried rice is always nice — it’s quick and easy, it’s just kind of tossing everything in a pan.
Roasted garlic mashed potatoes From the kitchen of Justin O’Malley, chef de cuisine of Greenleaf in Milford
For the roasted garlic: 1 bulb garlic 1 teaspoon olive oil 1 pinch each salt and pepper Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut the top off the bulb of garlic, exposing the cloves. Place the bulb on a sheet of aluminum foil and season with olive oil, salt and pepper. Wrap the bulb tightly in foil and roast in the oven until soft and well browned (about one hour).
For the mashed potatoes: 2 pounds russet potatoes ¼ cup unsalted butter 2 cups warm milk 1 bulb roasted garlic Salt and white pepper to taste
Peel the potatoes and cut them into 1-inch pieces. Place the potatoes into a pot with enough cold water to cover. Season the water with a heavy pinch of salt and place on the stove set to high heat. When the water starts to boil, reduce the heat to medium. Simmer until soft (about 15 minutes). Strain the potatoes and return them to the pot. Place the pot back on the stove over medium-low heat to dry the potatoes (about one to two minutes). Add the butter and roasted garlic. Mash using your favorite method (a potato masher or fork will work). Slowly add the milk until your desired consistency is reached. Season with salt and white pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
Featured photo: Justin O’Malley, chef de cuisine of Greenleaf in Milford. Courtesy photo.
