Author: Matt Ingersoll

NOFA-NH’s annual winter conference returns (virtually)

Whether you’re looking for advice on how to grow your own organic food at home or you want to learn about the state’s many networks connecting consumers to the local food system, you’ll find those topics and more during the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Hampshire’s 19th annual winter conference. Normally a one-day event with more than 40 workshops, a keynote speaker and a Q&A session, this year’s conference will be held virtually over two days, on Saturday, Feb. 13, and Sunday, Feb. 14, featuring seven sessions on each day.

The theme of the conference is “cultivating stewardship,” with workshops that will cover topics such as soil health, herbalism and immune health, growing organic seeds and more.

“Farmers, gardeners, homesteaders and anyone who’s just interested in organic food and the sustainable food system in New Hampshire can attend,” said Nikki Kolb, operations manager for the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Hampshire.

Previous conferences have split the workshops into several tracks to choose from. But this time around, Kolb said, ticket holders have access to all 14 workshops — each is an hour long, beginning at 9 a.m. and with 15-minute intervals in between.

Notable speakers will include Maria Noel Groves, clinical herbalist at Wintergreen Botanicals in Allenstown and author of the book Grow Your Own Herbal Remedies. She’ll be leading a discussion about how simple herbs grown in your garden can benefit your immune system. Keith Morris of Willow Crossing Farm in Vermont is on the schedule to talk about growing organic fruit and nut trees, while regenerative farmer and author Acadia Tucker will explore the topic of container gardening at home, both indoors and outdoors.

“The whole conference is going to be livestreamed over Zoom, and each workshop incorporates a Q&A session, so you’ll be able to interact with the speaker during that period,” Kolb said. “Everyone will be emailed a link to access them. … They’ll also be recorded, so ticket holders will be able to go back and view them afterward if they can’t attend all of them.”

The workshops will conclude with a 90-minute keynote address on Sunday at 4:15 p.m., featuring Mukhtar Idhow, executive director of the Manchester-based Organization for Refugee and Immigrant Success, as the speaker. The organization also operates the Fresh Start Farms program, a collective brand of local farms run by new Americans.

An ongoing Green Market Fair is also usually held during the conference, featuring dozens of local craft vendors, demonstrations and other exhibitors. That too is going virtual this year, Kolb said — exhibitors’ listings are available to view on NOFA-NH’s winter conference web page.

“MainStreet BookEnds [in Warner] … has books published by several of the authors that we have speaking at the conference, and they’ve added other books for sale that fit under the umbrella of the discussions,” Kolb said. “Twenty percent of the proceeds of all books sold will go to the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Hampshire.”

19th annual NOFA-NH Winter Conference
When: Saturday, Feb. 13, and Sunday, Feb. 14; seven one-hour sessions will be held virtually over each day via Zoom, beginning at 9 a.m.; the keynote speaking event is Sunday, from 4:15 to 5:45 p.m.
Cost: $50 for NOFA-NH members, $60 for non-members; includes access to all workshops throughout each day, as well as the virtual Green Market Fair
Visit: nofanh.org/winterconference

Featured photo: Keynote speaker Mukhtar Idhow. Courtesy photo.

Industry East Bar opens in Manchester

Jeremy Hart and Dan Haggerty have around four decades of combined bartending experience across the Granite State. Now the two have gone into business together to open their own craft cocktail bar, complete with a rustic ambience and a unique food menu to match.

Industry East Bar, which opened Feb. 2 just a stone’s throw from Elm Street in Manchester, was in its planning stages well before the start of the pandemic. Hart and Haggerty first came across the vacant storefront on Hanover Street in mid-2019. During continually delayed renovations that lasted more than a full year, repurposed butternut wood was brought in for the bar, as well as additional wood paneling for the walls to give the bar rails a distinctive look.

According to Haggerty, the bar’s name comes from its development as a destination spot for professionals of all types of service industries to enjoy a meal or a cocktail at the end of the work day — the word “east” comes from its being on the east side of downtown.

“Even before we wrote the business plan, we knew we wanted it to be a place that’s super laid back and unpretentious to anyone that comes in,” he said. “We wanted it to be nice, but not too nice where you feel like you need to wear a suit or anything. … Just a super-cool place with high-quality cocktails and wicked awesome food. That was our main goal.”

The bartending duo recruited Jeff Martin, formerly the sous chef at The Birch on Elm, to oversee the food menu. There’s no hood system in the kitchen, so they can’t serve any fried or sauteed items; instead, Martin has been working on a menu of charcuterie boards, flatbread pizzas, paninis, and shareable plates, from duck confit-stuffed popovers to braised short rib toast points.

“We’re also going to be doing things like shrimp cocktail, beef or tuna tartares, ceviche, oysters, some crudos … and gourmet hot dogs,” Haggerty said. “We’ve done a kimchi dog with gochujang sauce and our housemade pickles and sesame seeds. … Jeff is really good at making his own mignonettes, sauces and aiolis and just making everything taste great.”

Some featured desserts that Industry East has introduced right out of the gate have been a brownie sundae trifle with chocolate mousse and whipped cream, and a s’mores sundae with a graham cracker crumble, bruleed marshmallow and chocolate drizzle.

As for the cocktails, that menu combines modern takes on the classics with all kinds of experimental concoctions, all using syrups, juices and other ingredients made in house. The Gentleman’s Choice, for example, incorporates orange and carrot flavors with vodka or mezcal, while the Participation Trophy is a cocktail featuring Branca Menta and vodka, with flavors of strawberry and lemon.

“My approach is … that I never try to think of something,” Haggerty said. “You just kind of play with it and then maybe you add something in or take something out. … There are some things, though, that you just can’t mess with, so we’ll definitely always have the classics, your Old Fashioneds, your Manhattans, things like that.”

Industry East can sit about 20 people at a time with social distancing regulations in place, including nine at the bar and additional tabletop seating. By the spring and into the summer, Haggerty said, outdoor seating will also be available, both right outside the front of the bar and under the adjoining alcove next door.

Industry East Bar
Where: 28 Hanover St., Manchester
Hours: Tuesday through Saturday, 5 p.m. to midnight (may be subject to change)
More info: Visit industryeastbar.com, find them on Facebook and Instagram, or call 456-7890

Featured photo: Industry East Bar co-owner and bartender Jeremy Hart serves a cocktail. Courtesy photos.

A deep dive into the steak bomb and its many variations

What is a steak bomb? Visit nearly every pizza or sub shop across New Hampshire and you’ll find this as an option on the menu. Most shop owners leave little debate as to what makes up this sub’s core ingredients: grilled steak, usually shaved, tossed together with onions, green or red peppers, and mushrooms.

“It’s really just a steak and cheese [sub] … [but] with extra toppings,” said Mikhail “Mikey” Bashagurov, owner of Mikey’s Roast Beef & Pizza in Hooksett.

Then there are variations, including the type of cheese used and the type of bread. The bomb gets really fancy when you start adding toppings, like Genoa salami or pepperoni, or hotter ingredients, like jalapenos, banana peppers or hot pepper relish.

Salami? Jalapenos?

The steak bomb sub is the flagship menu item of Danelly’s Subs and Pizza in Nashua, which has been in business since 1960. Danelly’s manager Christopher Smith said the sub, known simply as the “Bomb” on its menu, continues to be among the shop’s top-selling options.

“A lot of places that serve them with salami will shred it so that it gets mixed in with everything else,” Smith said, “but here, our Genoa salami is left as whole slices that we put on the top of the sub. What that does is it prevents the cheese from sticking to the paper when you unwrap it.”

The steak bombs available at Danelly’s come in eight-inch, 10-inch or jumbo 30-inch-sized sub rolls, delivered fresh at the shop six days a week from the Boston-area Piantedosi Baking Co. In lieu of mushrooms, the subs also feature tomatoes added to the grill.

“Once everything is shredded and all of the veggies are mixed in, then we kind of line everything up in a straight line on the roll, put some provolone cheese on top and then a layer of salami on top of that,” Smith said. “The cheese melts and the steam from the meat warms up the salami.”

Other shops don’t include salami or other less traditional toppings, but if you want them, just ask. Mikey’s Roast Beef & Pizza’s basic steak bomb is either shaved steak or steak tips, along with peppers, mushrooms, onions and American cheese, but they’ll add whatever you’d like.

“Personally, my favorite way is with cut up bacon to match the texture, and with barbecue sauce,” Bashagurov said.

Still, he said, the core ingredients are what matter most.

“It’s a very simple sandwich, so the best way to make it great is to pay attention to great ingredients,” Bashagurov said. “We use fresh veggies and fresh shaved steak. I shave mine from a New York strip loin, which is a really good cut of meat.”

Steak bombs are also one of the more popular sandwich options at each of The Common Man Roadside locations, which include two on either side of Interstate 93 in Hooksett, as well as in Plymouth and Manchester. The sub features shaved sirloin steak, American cheese, green peppers, sauteed onions and bacon bits, according to Bill Boynton, director of public relations and community engagement for Granite State Hospitality, which owns each store.

Where the sub came from, as well as how and when the term was coined, is unclear. John Constant of Constantly Pizza in Concord said that the steak bomb, even though it’s closely associated with New England, could have been an offshoot of the Philly cheesesteak sandwich.

“We do them with a seasoning blend that we make here, on a sub roll, a wrap or what’s called a homemade pocket, which is a pita bread that we make in house,” Constant said.

Your steak bomb, your way

If you prefer your subs with an extra kick, some shops, like Ciao’s Pizza in Nashua, offer “atomic” steak bombs, featuring hot pepper relish, banana and jalapeno peppers and hot sauce with the steak and cheese. Danelly’s, according to Smith, also has an option specific to its bombs known as “the works,” with mayonnaise, pickles and “hots,” or hot pepper relish.

But even if you come across a sub shop that doesn’t explicitly mention the term “steak bomb” on its menu, chances are you can still order one. That’s the beauty of being able to customize your sub, said Jeremy Nadeau, proprietor of Nadeau’s Subs, which opened in sixth location on Jan. 20 inside McLaughlin’s Country Market in Concord. Nadeau’s also has a shop in Exeter and four in Manchester, the oldest of which has been in operation since 1969.

“If you were to ask 10 people what a steak bomb is, you may very well get 10 different variations,” Nadeau said, “so instead, we just say ‘steak and cheese’ and we let you build your bomb. … We have people come in and get a steak bomb and it’s different for every person.”

Since every sub at Nadeau’s is custom made to order, there’s no official set standard for steak bombs — you can choose from shaved steak or steak tips, a sub roll, pita pocket or wrap, American, Swiss or provolone cheese, and a variety of condiments, veggies and other add-ons.

In Amherst, Bentley’s Roast Beef is another shop that doesn’t advertise any of its sub options as “steak bombs,” although you will find an option there that is similar and unique.

“We sell a lot of steak and cheese [subs], probably more than 50 a day,” Bentley’s owner Ali Ewiess said. “We actually take our fresh roast beef, shred it and cook it on the grill with green peppers, sauteed onions, melted American cheese, mayonnaise and our homemade barbecue sauce. … We don’t buy frozen steak.”

Where to get a steak bomb

While this is not a complete list of restaurants in the Granite State offering steak bomb subs, here’s a snapshot of some of the places that offer their own unique takes on the classic New England staple, from hotter options like “atomic” steak bombs, to steak bomb pizzas, calzones, omelets and more.

• 7 Star Pizza & Restaurant (235 Main St., Nashua, 889-8810, sevenstarpizzaandrestaurant.com) offers steak bomb subs in two sizes, with mushrooms, onions, peppers, ham, salami and pepperoni. There’s also the “cherry bomb” sub, featuring barbecue sauce and hot cherry pepper relish, and large or small steak bomb pizzas.

• Atkinson House of Pizza and Roast Beef (51 Island Pond Road, No. 2172, Atkinson, 489-1879, atkinsonhouseofpizza.com) offers a steak bomb sub with grilled mushrooms, peppers, onions, cooked salami and melted American cheese. Other steak sandwich options include a steak and egg sub.

• Beefside Restaurant (106 Manchester St., Concord, 228-0208, beefsidenh.com) offers a steak bomb sub on its menu, featuring four ounces of beef with onions, peppers, mushrooms, cheddar cheese and hand-cut salami. Other options include a barbecue beef brisket bomb, served with beer battered fries.

• Bentley’s Roast Beef (134 Route 101A, Amherst, 883-2020, bentleysroastbeef.com) has various steak sub options, including one with char-grilled marinated steak tips.

• Bill Cahill’s Super Subs (8 Kimball Hill Road, Hudson, 882-7710, find them on Facebook @billcahills) is a local shop known for its large-portioned sub options, including the steak bomb but also the Italian bomb, which has salami, hot ham, mortadella and provolone cheese, cooked on the grill with peppers and onions.

• Blue House Roast Beef & Pizza (21 Birch St., Derry, 818-4363, bluehousederry.com) offers various subs on its menu, including a steak bomb but also a larger super steak bomb and an egg bomb.

• Bobola’s Restaurant (9 Simon St., Nashua, 577-1086, bobolasrestaurants.com) offers a steak bomb omelet, featuring shaved steak with peppers, onions, mushrooms and your choice of cheese.

• The Bridge Cafe on Elm (1117 Elm St., Manchester, 647-9991, thebridgecafe.net) offers a steak bomb quesadilla, featuring onions, peppers, mushrooms, marinated grilled steak, salsa, sour cream, black beans and cheese.

• Brookside Pizza (563 Route 106 N, Loudon, 783-4550; 151 Manchester St., Concord, 224-6905; brooksidepizza.com) offers a traditional steak bomb, as well as the Brookside bomb, with sausage, pastrami, steak, onions, peppers, mushrooms, condiments and American cheese.

• Ciao’s Pizza & Subs (495 Amherst St., Nashua, 889-3111, ciaospizza.com) has various “bomb” options under its sub menu, like a traditional steak bomb, and an “atomic” steak bomb with hot relish, jalapeno, banana peppers and hot sauce.

• The Common Man Roadside Market & Deli (1805 S. Willow St., Manchester, 210-2801; 530 W. River Road, Hooksett; 25 Springer Road, Hooksett, 210-5305; 484 Tenney Mountain Highway, Plymouth, 210-5815; thecmanroadside.com) offers a steak bomb with shaved sirloin, American cheese, green peppers, sauteed onions and bacon bits on a sub roll. There’s also a “chicken bomb,” featuring the same ingredients, but with grilled chicken instead of steak.

• Constantly Pizza (39 S. Main St., Concord, 224-9366; 108 Fisherville Road, No. 3, Penacook, 227-1117; constantlypizza.net) offers various “bomb” options on its sub menu, like a traditional steak bomb, a “chicken bomb” and a “pastrami bomb,” which has grilled onions, peppers, mushrooms, Swiss cheese and mustard. The eatery also does a steak bomb pizza with a savory cheese sauce.

• Courthouse Pizza (147 W. Pearl St., Nashua, 882-7200, courthousepizzanashua.com) has a foot-long steak bomb sub, featuring onions, green peppers, bacon, salami, tomatoes and mushrooms.

• Danelly’s Subs and Pizza (87 Allds St., Nashua, 882-6820, danellys.com) offers various types of “bomb” options on its sub menu, including a steak bomb, as well as a ham bomb, which replaces the salami slices with ham.

• Famous Village Pizza (116 Main St., Pembroke, 485-8940, famousvillagepizza.com) offers a traditional steak bomb, as well as a sausage bomb, both of which come in two sizes.

• Giovanni’s Roast Beef & Pizza (14 Broad St., Nashua, 882-5757; 379 S. Willow St., Manchester, 644-5757; 141 Main St., Salem, 894-6003; 207 Rockingham Road, Londonderry, 434-9021; 209 W. River Road, Hooksett, 935-9820; giovannis.biz) has various sub options on its menu, including a steak bomb that comes in two sizes.

• Great American Subs (44 Nashua Road, No. 3, Londonderry, 434-9900, greatamericansubsnh.com) offers various steak subs on its menu, including a 21-inch steak bomb, an Italian steak sub with marinara sauce and provolone cheese, and a Greek steak sub with olives, Greek dressing and feta cheese.

• Hollis House of Pizza (22 Ash St., Hollis, 465-7200, hollispizza.com) offers steak bomb subs with either steak tips or shaved steak, and American, Swiss, cheddar or provolone cheese.

• Hot Stone Pizzeria (174 Eddy Road, Manchester, 518-5020, hotstonepizzeria.com) offers a traditional steak bomb sub, as well as a steak bomb pizza with peppers, onions, mushrooms and cheese.

• Jitto’s Super Steak (3131 Lafayette Road, Portsmouth, 436-9755, jittosrestaurant.com) has various “bomb” options, like steak bombs, “super steak specials,” with extra steak and extra cheese, and chicken bombs. Steak bomb pizzas are also available.

• Joey’s Diner (1 Craftsmen Lane, Amherst, 577-8955, joeysdiner.com) offers a steak tip bomb sub with peppers, onions, mushrooms and American cheese.

• Mikey’s Roast Beef & Pizza (21 Londonderry Turnpike, Hooksett, 623-0005, mikeysroastbeefandpizza.com) offers steak bombs with mushrooms, peppers, onions and American cheese, and your choice of either shaved steak or steak tips. You can make it a chicken bomb by substituting grilled chicken for the steak.

• Nadeau’s Subs (776 Mast Road, Manchester, 623-9315; 100 Cahill Ave., Manchester, 669-7827; 673 Hooksett Road, Manchester, 644-8888; 1095 Hanover St., Manchester, 606-4411; 48 Portsmouth Ave., Exeter, 580-4445; 11 Eastman St., Concord, 715-1474; nadeaussubs.com), while not explicitly stating it has “steak bombs” on its menu, makes all of its subs customizable to order with your choice of veggies, condiments and other add-ons.

• Naji’s Pizza (109 Route 101A, Amherst, 886-5543, najispizza.com) offers various “bomb” options on its sub menu, like a traditional steak bomb, an “atomic” steak bomb with hot relish, jalapenos, banana peppers and hot sauce, and pastrami or roast beef bombs.

• Nashua House of Pizza (40 E. Hollis St., Nashua, 883-6177, nashuahouseofpizza.com) offers a “Texas-style” barbecue steak bomb on its sub menu.

• Pizza 911 (108 Webster St., Manchester, 625-2201; 401 S. Willow St., Manchester, 782-5443; 742 Mast Road, Goffstown, 232-7767; pizza911nh.com) has various steak sub options; the “Bomb Squad” for example, features shaved steak, mushrooms, green peppers, onions, Genoa salami and American cheese, while “The Boyz in Blue” has shaved steak, Buffalo chicken tenders, provolone cheese and blue cheese dressing.

• Pizza Express (245 Maple St., No. 2, Manchester, 647-7885, pizzaexpressmanchester.com) and Pizza Express II (865 Second St., Manchester, 222-1212, pizzaexpress2.com) offer various steak subs with Syrian bread on its menu, including a steak bomb with mushrooms, peppers, onions, cheese, bacon and salami.

• Presto Craft Kitchen (168 Amory St., Manchester, 606-1252, prestocraftkitchen.com) has a steak bomb option on its “stick” sandwich menu, featuring sauteed onions, peppers, mushrooms, salami, American cheese and mayonnaise.

• Professor’s Pizza and Sports Pub (290 Derry Road, Hudson, 883-0100, professorspizza.com) offers steak sandwiches with shaved steak or steak tips. The steak bomb includes American cheese, peppers, onions, mushrooms, salami and pepperoni.

• The Red Arrow Diner (61 Lowell St., Manchester, 626-1118; 137 Rockingham Road, Londonderry, 552-3091; 112 Loudon Road, Concord, 415-0444; 149 Daniel Webster Hwy., Nashua, 204-5088; redarrowdiner.com) offers a steak bomb with shaved steak, or you can make it a chicken bomb by substituting grilled chicken tenders for the steak.

• Rocco’s Pizza Bar and Grill (297 Derry Road, Hudson, 577-9866, roccospizzanh.com) offers steak bombs and chicken bombs featuring teriyaki chicken.

• Romano’s Pizza (27 Colby Road, Litchfield, 424-0500, romanosnh.com) offers various steak sandwiches on its menu, with either shaved steak or marinated steak tips.

• Simon’s Pizza & Roast Beef (2626 Brown Ave., Manchester, 623-2900, simonspizzaandroastbeef.com) offers a traditional steak bomb, as well as a teriyaki steak and cheese sub.

• Sub Station (1292 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, 625-1800, substationhooksett.com) offers its signature sub known as the “Torpedo,” which features custom blended shaved steak, grilled with peppers, onions, mushrooms, cooked salami and melted American or provolone cheese.

• Suppa’s Pizza (5 Lawrence Road, Salem, 328-5460, suppaspizzasalem.com) has various steak sub options, including the eatery’s signature steak bomb, and a “cherry bomb” sub with provolone cheese, barbecue sauce, hot peppers and tomato sauce. Steak bomb pizzas are also available.

• Tessi’s Pizzeria (15 Ermer Road, Salem, 893-2818, tessispizzeria.com) offers a steak bomb calzone with sauteed onions, peppers, mushrooms and salami, in addition to various steak sub options, and even a chicken kabob bomb with lettuce, tomatoes, feta cheese and house dressing.

• TJ’s Deli & Catering (2 Pittsburgh Ave., Nashua, 883-7770, tjsdeliandcatering.com) offers various sub options, including steak bombs, egg bombs and grilled chicken bombs.

• USA Subs (66 Crystal Ave., Derry, 437-1550, usasubs.com) offers various sub options available in three sizes, like a steak bomb with peppers, onions, mushrooms, cooked salami and American or provolone cheese. You can also substitute the meat for mesquite barbecue or teriyaki steak.

• Val’s Pizza and Subs (75 Route 13, Brookline, 672-9600, valspizzaandsubs.com) offers various “bomb” options on its sub menu, like steak bombs, chicken bombs or sausage link bombs.

• Vintage Pizza (241 Candia Road, Manchester, 518-7800, vintagepizzanh.com) offers a traditional steak bomb with grilled onions, peppers, mushrooms and American cheese, or you can make it a chicken bomb by substituting the steak for grilled chicken.

• Wilton House of Pizza (28 Forest Road, Wilton, 654-2020, wiltonhouseofpizza.com) has steak bombs and chicken bombs, both of which are available in two sizes and come with sauteed onions, peppers, mushrooms and cheese.

• Yianni’s Pizza (410 S. River Road, Unit 9, Bedford, 624-5700, yiannispizzanh.com) has various steak sub options, like a steak bomb with grilled onions, mushrooms and peppers, served on an Italian roll.

“Bombs” beyond the steak sub
The term “steak bomb” doesn’t always have to be in reference to subs. Constantly Pizza, for instance, offers a steak bomb pizza that uses American cheese as the base and is topped with shaved steak, onions, peppers, mushrooms and mozzarella. You can also get it as a calzone.
In downtown Manchester, The Bridge Cafe on Elm Street features a steak bomb quesadilla on its lunch menu, which features marinated grilled steak in addition to peppers, onions, mushrooms, salsa, sour cream, cheese and black beans. Steak bomb omelets are even a menu item, at Bobola’s Restaurant in Nashua and Dracut, Mass.
If you love the combination of peppers, onions and mushrooms but want something other than steak, several eateries serve “chicken bombs,” which most often will swap it out for grilled chicken. Constantly Pizza also offers a “pastrami bomb” as a sub, pizza or calzone, which adds Swiss cheese and mustard to the mix of veggies, while Danelly’s has a “ham bomb” sub.
“The ham bomb is one that’s a bit counter-intuitive, because it replaces the salami, not the steak, but it’s an option that a lot of people like,” Smith said. “We’ve gotten orders for Italian bombs, and we do also have one customer who regularly comes in and orders a roast beef bomb.”

Featured photo: Steak bomb sub from The Common Man Roadside Deli & Market. Courtesy photo.