Author: Matt Ingersoll

Crack’d Kitchen & Coffee coming to Salem

Inspired by their love of breakfast sandwiches, Alan Frati and Danny Azzarello found success in 2019 with Crack’d Kitchen & Coffee, a fast casual concept specializing in locally roasted coffees, smoothies, bowls and eclectic breakfast options like loaded hash browns and egg sandwiches with creative toppings. After two years in Andover, Mass., Crack’d will open a second spot in Frati’s hometown of Salem on Monday, April 19.

“We felt like there was a big opportunity to kind of do a chef-driven breakfast concept that could be done fast. That was really the foundation for what we did,” Frati said. “Our bacon is local from North Country Smokehouse here in New Hampshire, our eggs are all cage-free and organic, our bread is baked fresh daily and delivered seven days a week. … We wanted to find a concept that fit into people’s hectic lifestyles but wasn’t full of frozen, processed foods.”

Frati and Azzarello, along with their respective wives, Meghan and Emma, who also have hands in the business, had been looking at a few other potential spots in Salem to expand. Then early last fall, Azzarello said, he and Frati were approached by Jay Gee’s Ice Cream on South Broadway — the Wayback Burgers restaurant in the adjoining storefront next door, they learned, had closed and would not be reopening.

Other than being in a slightly smaller space than its Massachusetts counterpart, Crack’d will carry much of its established brand to Salem with a few of its own touches unique to the Granite State. The eatery features an open-kitchen concept, plus a high-stool breakfast bar overlooking the window and a large outdoor patio space.

“We definitely love the fact that we can appeal to everybody,” Frati said of the menu. “Our chef-driven breakfast sandwiches are sort of our core items, and those are very indulgent … but we have healthier options too, so grain bowls, salads, smoothies, things like that.”

Egg sandwiches are available all day. They can be anything from a simple bacon, egg and cheese sandwich on a brioche bun or bagel, to more elevated options like the Porker, featuring house sausage, maple mustard and caramelized onions; and the Early Bird, which has roasted turkey, Swiss cheese and a house sauce called “Bam” sauce.

“Every single item has a story or something looped to it. It’s not just on there because we need it,” Azzarello said. “The Bam sauce originated late one night. It was probably 1 o’clock in the morning and we were trying to create a sauce that kind of replicated almost like a Russian or Thousand Island dressing. We mixed our ketchup, maple mustard and honey Sriracha and then added some mayo and relish. We tasted it and we were like, ‘Bam, this is it!’”

There are also specialty breakfast sandwiches of the month — Frati said the first one out of the gate at the new Salem location will likely feature flavors inspired by Cinco de Mayo.

The lunch menu at Crack’d includes burgers, sandwiches, grain bowls featuring a quinoa rice blend, and “mac bowls” that are made with egg noodles and a house cheese sauce.

Smoothies, teas and espresso drinks are all part of the drinks menu. Coffees, including several of their own proprietary blends, are sourced from Hometown Coffee Roasters of Manchester.

“We have something like 35 different options that you can get,” Frati said. “We do some real fun stuff like cereal milk, which is Cinnamon Toast Crunch that’s steeped in milk overnight. We use that to make some really creative and fun drinks.”

Crack’d Kitchen & Coffee
Opening Monday, April 19. Visit their website or social media channels for updates.
Where: 327 S. Broadway, Salem
Anticipated hours: Monday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
More info: Visit crackdkitchen.com, find them on Facebook and Instagram @crackdkitchen or call 212-1511

Feautred photo: The Live Free or Die breakfast sandwich. Photos courtesy of Crack’d Kitchen & Coffee.

News from the local food scene

• Greek meals to go: Join Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church (68 N. State St., Concord) for its next boxed Greek dinner to go event on Sunday, April 25, from noon to 1 p.m. Now through April 21, orders are being accepted for boxed meals, featuring baked haddock, rice pilaf, a vegetable and a dinner roll, for $20 per person. The event is drive-thru and takeout only — visit holytrinitynh.org, email ordermygreekfood@gmail.com or call 953-3051 to place your order. Assumption Greek Orthodox Church (111 Island Pond, Manchester) is also hosting its next drive-thru food fest on Saturday, April 25, from noon to 2:30 p.m., with orders being accepted now through April 21. That menu will feature baked haddock dinners with rice pilaf, Greek-style peas and carrot medley, plus other available a la carte items like spinach petas and pastry platters featuring baklava and assorted cookies. This event is also pickup only (stay in your car; no walk-ins). Visit foodfest.assumptionnh.org.

• Tastee Kone reopens this week: Soft-serve ice cream shop Tastee Kone (272 Route 101, Amherst) will reopen for the season on Friday, April 16, owner Jill Jones confirmed. In addition to 30 different flavors of soft-serve, including chocolate, vanilla and chocolate and vanilla twist, Tastee Kone also serves hot dogs and all types of sundaes and razzles, or soft-serve flavors mixed with a variety of candied ingredients. One of the most popular offerings, Jones said, is the almond milk swirl, a vegan alternative with different flavors changing every three days. Tastee Kone is open Monday through Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday from 2 to 8 p.m. Find them on Facebook or call 203-3270.

• Anniversary brews: Derry’s Daydreaming Brewing Co. (1½ E. Broadway) is celebrating its first full year in business with the release of its Anniversary Ale on Friday, April 16, at 4 p.m., featuring a blend of its Russian imperial stout, barleywine and Belgian strong dark ale that has been aged in a whiskey barrel. Owner and founder Andy Day will also be presenting a new beer series this week based on a Dungeons & Dragons campaign — Fierce Princess, a German Pilsner brewed with rye and spicy peppers, will roll out on Thursday, April 15, at 4 p.m., followed by three more releases in the series expected to be ready every four months. Visit daydreaming.beer. In Manchester, Candia Road Brewing Co. (840 Candia Road) is releasing a crushable session IPA called Lil’ Conez on Saturday, April 17, at noon, a collaborative brew with Bill and Alli Seney of the Manchvegas Brew Bus in celebration of the bus’s third anniversary. Visit candiaroadbrewingco.com.

• Gibson’s selling Bread & Chocolate gift certificates: Gibson’s Bookstore in Concord is helping to sell gift certificates redeemable at its Main Street neighbor Bread & Chocolate, which is expected to remain closed through at least the end of this month following an unexpected family medical emergency. You can visit gibsonsbookstore.com/bread-chocolate-gift-certificate to purchase a gift certificate in multiple amounts from $5 to $200 per recipient. Certificates will be mailed to you, with all of the money collected going toward Bread & Chocolate. The downtown bakery, which has long been a spot known for its cakes, tarts, Danishes, cookies and other pastries, has been closed since late March. Follow Bread & Chocolate on Facebook @breadandchocolateconcordnh for updates on their reopening plans.

Empanellie’s opens in Nashua

Steps away from Main Street, a new eatery now open in downtown Nashua is serving up authentic Puerto Rican cuisine, including made-to-order hot pressed sandwiches, loaded french fries and an eclectic assortment of sweet and savory empanadas.

Empanellie’s, which arrived last month near the corner of Main and West Pearl streets, also features a daily Latin food buffet and a selection of locally sourced cold desserts. Owner Nelson Mercado, who was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and came to Nashua at the age of 6, said the restaurant gets its name by combining the word “empanada” with the name of his mother, Nellie, who is one of several celebrated cooks in his family.

Mercado, who also owns Made Men Barbershop & Lounge a few blocks down the same street, said talks to open an empanada restaurant originated last year with his clients as a great addition to the growing diversity in Nashua. He began renovating the empty storefront that would become Empanellie’s just before the onset of the pandemic, briefly pausing on the project for a few months before jumping back in.

The first things you may notice when you walk into Empanellie’s are its bright warm colors and vibrant aesthetics — Mercado said they represent the uplifting of cities and neighborhoods in Puerto Rico that were affected by recent natural disasters like Hurricane Maria. Much of the restaurant’s featured decor is also representative of different traditions on the island.

Empanellie’s general manager, Francisco “Franky” Arocho, who is also from Puerto Rico and has been in New Hampshire for nearly a decade, said the empanadas are among the top sellers. Each empanada shell is six inches wide when folded and a couple of inches thick, stuffed with anything from beef or chicken with cheese to all kinds of experimental fillings. One such option that has been popular lately, he said, has been the pastelón empanada.

“Pastelón is basically a lasagna, but made out of sweet plantains. If you’re Puerto Rican then you always ate that when you were a kid at home,” Arocho said. “We decided to incorporate that inside of an empanada, so it’s a mixture of beef, cheese and sweet plantains.”

A buffet offering various meats, rices, fruits, vegetables and more is also available with an always changing menu of items sold by the pound.

“I think if you grab a little bit of everything, the most you’ll pay is probably $14,” Arocho said. “It’s not a set menu either. It can change every day, but we try to have what sells the most.”

Other items are made to order, like the sandwiches — those options include a traditional Cubano with ham, pork, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard; a tripleta, or a three-meat blend of chicken, pork and steak that’s topped with potato sticks, cheese and a house sauce; and a jibarito, or a sandwich made with flattened plantains in place of the bread.

“The jibarito is a very famous sandwich from Puerto Rico,” Arocho said. “We smash the plantains, fry them up and then add lettuce, tomato, cheese and whatever meat you like.”

Empanellie’s also serves alcapurrias, a popular Puerto Rican fritter dish featuring mashed green bananas stuffed with meat and served with a house dipping sauce; and papas locas, or loaded french fries with chicken, pork, steak, barbecue sauce, cheese and hickory-smoked bacon. Similar dishes can be prepared with sweet plantains in place of the fries.

For dessert, you’ll find some flavors of sweet empanadas like strawberry and Nutella, apple pie, and guava and cream cheese, plus a collection of items sourced from Dulces Bakery of Manchester. The tres leches, for instance, are cakes soaked in three different types of milk, topped with homemade whipped cream and served in refrigerated single-portion cups. They come in a variety of flavors, from vanilla and salted caramel to Nutella, guava, pineapple, and dulce de leche.

Eventually, Arocho said, they hope to expand their menu offerings to include breakfast empanadas and sandwiches, and they’d like to feature live music.

Empanellie’s
Where: 83 W. Pearl St., Nashua
Hours: Tuesday through Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 6 p.m. (hours may be subject to change)
More info: Follow them on Facebook and Instagram @empanellies or call 417-7875. A website is expected to be launched soon.

Feautred photo: Photo courtesy of The Flight Center Taphouse & Eatery