A Cup of Delicious — 02/12/2026

on the cover

Yes, box of chocolates is standard, but maybe this Valentine’s Day you get your sweetheart a cup of chocolate. In this week’s issue, John Fladd looks at hot chocolate and its variations.

Also on the cover But first, vote! Vote now! Vote in Hippo’s Best of 2026 readers’ poll, where you can tell us where to get the best ice cream, cocktails and burgers — and rave about non-food faves. See hippopress.com for a link to the survey.

Michael Witthaus talks to The Community Players of Concord ahead of their production of Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson — Apt. 2B, a twist on classic Sherlock Holmes tales.

Read the e-edition

A graphic the shape of the state of New Hampshire, filled in with the New Hampshire flag made up of the crest of New Hampshire on a blue field.
Safety summits NH Recycles is offering three in-person Solid Waste Safety Summits and one webinar about lithium-ion battery safety open ...
A graphic the shape of the state of New Hampshire, filled in with the New Hampshire flag made up of the crest of New Hampshire on a blue field.
Recycling less As reported in a Feb. 3 online article by the New Hampshire Bulletin, data from the New Hampshire ...
The Big Story – Pats Lose Super Bowl: Sadly, the unexpected magic carpet ride of the 2025 Patriots season crash-landed ...
four women on stage wearing the same blue dress, sitting and standing on set for play about bridesmaids
Thursday, Feb. 12 The Alva de Mars Megan Chapel Art Center at Saint Anselm College in Manchester will hold an ...
take out cup of hot chocolate with crumb, sprinkle, and marshmallow toppings sitting beside tray of toppings set out for use
The joy of hot chocolate According to Catarina Mahoney, co-owner of Brookford Farm, it’s important to drink hot chocolate in ...
two actresses on stage set of indoor space, one wearing collared shirt and old fashioned vest with steampunk goggles on her head, fists up as if ready to box. The other actress dressed in black modern leather coat and looking on with dubious expression
Sherlock tale re-told in Ms. Holmes & Ms. Watson — Apt. 2B The game is afoot, and the many tropes ...
hand holding a medium sized plate with red ring around the edge and small shield painted in middle
Donna, My father owned a restaurant years and years ago, and we found these plates from Syracuse China, 11 of ...
Family fun for whenever Winter fun! • The Wilton NH Main Street Association will hold its Winter Fest on Saturday, ...
Red round icon that reads Weekly Dish
• Weather delay: The Fire on Main event hosted by 603 Brewery (42 Main St, Londonderry, 404-6123, 603brewery.com) originally scheduled ...
The vegan eatery finds a new brick and mortar home in Concord K.S. LeBlanc is happy to put down roots ...
Pile of assorted chocolate and sugar heart shaped Valentine's Day candy
Valentine’s Day leftovers — sweet! Liz Ryan is a reference librarian and the adult programming coordinator at the Derry Public ...
rectangular corner piece of baked dessert bar, chunks of fruit showing inside
8 Tablespoons (1 stick) butter, browned 3/4 cup (150 g) sugar 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup (120 g) ...
album covers for Amanda McCarthy, Looking For The Lightand Maria Schneider, American Crow
Amanda McCarthy, Looking For The Light (self-released) Surely you recognize this country-pop singer-songwriter’s name if you’ve followed New Hampshire music ...
Oscar documentaries
Many of this year’s Oscar-nominated feature-length (four of the five nominees) and short-film documentaries (three of the five) are available ...
book cover for The Emergency, by George Packer
(Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 401 pages) During the Covid-19 pandemic, George Packer often traveled between rural New York and New ...
Wind & Fire, Kool & the Gang and Wild Cherry. There will be winery selections, a full bar with themed ...
woman with short gray hair, wearing red glasses, holding guitar, in outdoor city space
The Livery welcomes Christine Tassan et les Imposteures With an infectious blend of swing music and jazz created by guitar ...

Kiddie Pool 26/02/12

Family fun for whenever

Winter fun!

• The Wilton NH Main Street Association will hold its Winter Fest on Saturday, Feb. 14, with ice carving in Main Street Park from 1 to 4 p.m.; a campfire with s’mores and hot cocoa from noon to 4:30 p.m.; a winter market at Wilton Town Hall, and a chili cookoff potluck from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Wilton Community Center, all according to a post on the Association’s Facebook page.

• The Squam Lakes Association Winterfest will take place Saturday, Feb. 14, from noon to 3 p.m. at 534 Route 3 in Holderness, according to squamlakes.org. The day will include a chili cookoff, winter mini golf, sledding, ice skating, a campfire with hot cocoa and s’mores, a Squam Lakes Natural Science Center Discovery Table and more, according to the website.

• And speaking of the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center, 23 Science Center Road in Holderness, this weekend’s Wild Winter Walk takes place Sunday, Feb. 15, with 90-minute sessions at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.The walks are geared to ages 6 and up; see nhnature.org to register.

Valentine fun

• Bookery, 844 Elm St. in Manchester, will hold a Valentine’s Day themed storytime and craft for the book The Day It Rained Hearts by Felicia Bond on Saturday, Feb. 14, at 11:30 a.m. Reserve a spot at bookerymht.com.

• Valentine’s Day — Saturday, Feb. 14 — is also Second Saturday at the Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St. in Manchester, when admission is free for New Hampshire residents. This Saturday, the Creative Studio artmaking activity will feature heart collages and runs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., according to the Currier’s In Focus newsletter. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. See currier.org.

On the court

• It’s another weekend of SNHU Penmen basketball with the women’s team playing Adelphi University at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 14, at Stan Spiro Field House at Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester. The men’s team will take on Adelphi at 3:30 p.m. Both teams will take on Franklin Pierce University in games on Wednesday, Feb. 18 — women at 5:30 p.m. and men at 7:30 p.m. See snhupenmen.com.

This Week 26/02/12

Thursday, Feb. 12

The Alva de Mars Megan Chapel Art Center at Saint Anselm College in Manchester will hold an opening reception for its new exhibition “Still Waters, Deep Reflections: The Art of Evelin Bodfish Bourne” on Thursday, Feb. 12, 6 to 8 p.m. The show will be on display Feb. 13 through May 8. See anselm.edu and click on “The Arts.”

Friday, Feb. 13

The Majestic Theatre (880 Page St., Manchester, 669-7469, majestictheatre.net) presents Always a Bridesmaid, a comedy about the perils of keeping teenage promises — in this case for a group of friends to attend each other’s weddings, even 30 years later. Performances will be tonight at 7 p.m.; tomorrow, Saturday, Feb. 14, at 2 and 7 p.m., and Sunday, Feb. 15, at 2 p.m. Tickets are $20 through the Majestic’s website.

Saturday, Feb. 14

It’s Backyard Winter Bird Survey Weekend! Today and tomorrow observe and report species of birds you see in your backyard to the New Hampshire Audubon to help track winter bird popoulartions, according to nhaudubon.org, where you can find instructions on how to register and log your results.

Saturday, Feb. 14

Enjoy a Valentine’s Day Evening with Elvis (performer Robert Black) at Fulchino Vineyard (187 Pine Hill Road, Hollis, 438-5984, fulchinovineyard.com). Doors open at 5 p.m. and the show starts at 6 p.m. A special menu will be available. Tickets are $29 through the Vineyard’s website.

Saturday, Feb. 14

The Nashua Center for the Arts (201 Main St., Nashua, 800-657-8774, nashuacenterforthearts.com) presents Emo Night Brooklyn tonight at 8 p.m. This is an 18+ late-night DJ-based dance party featuring emo and pop-punk jams. Tickets start at $26 through the Center’s website.

Sunday, Feb. 15

The Aaron Tolson Institute of Dance presents Lily’s Pad today at 4 p.m. at the Dana Center for the Humanities (Saint Anselm College, 100 Saint Anselm Drive, Manchester, anselm.edu) featuring Lily Booker and her three-piece jazz band on her journey through rhythm and tap dance. Tickets are $34 through the Dana Center’s website.

Wednesday, Feb. 18

The Poetry Society of New Hampshire will host an Afternoon of Poetry at Gibson’s Bookstore (45 S. Main St., Concord, 224-0562, gibsonsbookstore.com) today from 4:30 to 6 p.m., featuring poet Liane St. Laurent. An open mic will follow her reading. Visit psnh.org/events.

Save the Date! Saturday, Feb. 21
Musical Fusion act Black Violin will perform Saturday, Feb. 21, at 7:30 p.m. at the Nashua Center for the Arts (201 Main St., Nashua, 800-657-8774, nashuacenterforthearts.com). For nearly two decades Black Violin has been merging string arrangements with modern beats and vocals. Their 2019 album release, Take the Stairs, earned a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album, and the band recently received a Grammy nomination for the track “The Message” as Best Americana Performance, in collaboration with The Blind Boys of Alabama. Tickets start at $57 through the Center’s website.

Featured photo: Majestic Theatre presents the comedy Always a Bridesmaid. Courtesy photo.

Quality of Life 26/02/12

Recycling less

As reported in a Feb. 3 online article by the New Hampshire Bulletin, data from the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services suggests that New Hampshire residents recycle less than had been previously thought. The calculations that Environmental Services had previously used to estimate how much material from transfer stations is recycled had to be adjusted to avoid double-counting. The most recently published data indicates that “about 16.7% of the material that municipal transfer stations reported handling in 2024 was ultimately diverted for recycling, according to the recalculated percentages,” the New Hampshire Bulletin story read. The story also said, “Since 2020, the proportion of municipal waste sent for recycling has dropped by about four percentage points, according to the department.”

QOL score: -1

Comment: To read the most recent statewide recycling data, search online for “2023-2024 NH Biennial Solid Waste Report.”

Measles vaccination rate is spotty

As reported by NHPR in a Feb. 2 online article, a recent study suggested that because of New Hampshire’s relatively low vaccination rate, it is at a higher risk of a future measles outbreak. “New England is faring better than the rest of the country when it comes to measles vaccinations,” the article read, “but a new study from Boston Children’s Hospital’s finds that New Hampshire’s vaccination rate is a little lower than the rest of the region.”

QOL score: -1

Comment: The NHPR story reported that: “According to the study, Merrimack County shows a vaccination rate of 65% for children 5 and under, where Hillsborough County is 74%.” Search online for, “Parental Factors Associated With Measles” to read the study.

Plows getting plowed into

On Feb. 7, according to the New Hampshire Department of Transportation in an early afternoon post on its Facebook page, “Today alone, four NHDOT plows have been hit while crews were working to keep roads safe. Our crews are out there for you, help us keep them safe.”

QOL score: -1

Comment: NHDOT warned, “If you’re out driving, please slow down for weather conditions, move over for stopped vehicles on the side of the road, give plow crews plenty of space, and leave extra distance between vehicles.” To view real-time traffic conditions, see NewEngland511.org.

QOL score last week: 53

Net change: -3

QOL this week: 50

What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire?

Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

News & Notes 26/02/12

Safety summits

NH Recycles is offering three in-person Solid Waste Safety Summits and one webinar about lithium-ion battery safety open to solid waste and recycling facility operators and staff, local firefighters, municipal and town employees and interested residents, according to an email from nhrecycles.org. Choose an in-person event in Laconia on Thursday, Feb. 12; New London on Thursday, March 19, or Keene in July, the email said. The in-person summits run from 9 to 11:30 a.m. with light refreshments and travel stipends are available for some municipal employees, the email said. The webinar is slated for Monday, April 6, from noon to 1:30 p.m., the email said. See the website to register.

Services fair

The Moore Center will host a free transition fair on Thursday, Feb. 12, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. at its offices at 195 McGregor St. in Manchester, for individuals of all ages and abilities with services and resources for those with disabilities (including developmental or intellectual disabilities and acquired brain disorders), according to a press release. The agencies, representing resources available in Greater Manchester and across New Hampshire, include those offering support related to education, employment, health care, housing and community life, the press release said. “The event is free and open to residents of Auburn, Bedford, Candia, Goffstown, Hooksett, Londonderry, Manchester and New Boston. Students interested in careers in human services are also encouraged to attend,” the release said. Call 603-206-2814 or see moorecenter.org.

Douglass Day

The Nashua Public Library, 2 Court St. in Nashua, will participate in the Douglass Day Transcribe-a-Thon on Friday, Feb. 13, from 12:30 to 3 p.m. celebrating the Feb. 14 chosen birthday of Frederick Douglass by creating transcriptions related to Black history, according to nashualibrary.org. According to DouglassDay.org, “This year we are going to be transcribing a vast new collection of records on the Colored Conventions movement. Our transcriptions will range across dozens of states and stretch from the start of the movement in 1830 through the turn of the 20th century.” The library is closed on Fridays but staff will let participants into the library from noon to 12:45 p.m., the library’s website said. BYO laptop or tablet if you have one; the event will feature birthday cake, the website said.

Film fest

Tickets for the 18th annual New Hampshire Jewish Film Festival go on sale on Sunday, Feb. 15, at nhjewishfilmfestival.com. The festival will kick off Sunday, March 15, and the first in-person screening will be of Elie Wiesel: Soul on Fire at the Rex Theatre in Manchester. In-person and virtual screenings continue through Sunday, March 29, and the festival will feature 13 feature films and four short films, according to a press release. Screenings will take place in Manchester, Concord, Portsmouth, Hanover and Keene, according to the website, where individual tickets and ticket packages will be available for purchase.

First Congregational Church in Concord will hold a Mardi Gras Jazz Sanctuary Service on Sunday, Feb. 15, at 2:30 p.m. featuring music “rooted in early jazz, gospel and blues traditions,” according to a press release. See jazzsanctuary.com.

Etz Hayim Synagogue, 1½ Hood Road in Derry, will hold a mah jongg tournament on Sunday, April 26, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., according to an event email. The entry fee is $30; sign up by April 12. “There will be four rounds of game play, four games per one-hour round,” the email said. The day will feature prizes, raffles, refreshments and more; register at etzhayim.org/mah-jongg-tournament.

The Concord Coachmen Chorus will send a barbershop quartet and a red rose to your Valentine’s Day sweetheart in and around Manchester and Concord on Friday, Feb. 13, and Saturday, Feb. 14. Go to concordcoachmen.org and click on “Singing Valentines” to see available time slots.

Nashua Community Arts and Spectacle Live will present the Navy Band Northeast Pops Ensemble on Wednesday, March 18, at 7 p.m. at the Nashua Center for the Arts. Tickets are free, first come first served. Reserve tickets at nashuacenterforthearts.com.

Nachos — 02/05/2026

on the cover

Layers of comfort and joy — that is John Fladd’s description of nachos, that food that can be a snack, a meal, a party or a dessert depending on how you construct it. Ahead of a weekend when you might be looking to feed a crowd, John gets advice on building a great plate of nachos.

Also on the cover Vote! Vote now! Vote in Hippo’s Best of 2026 readers’ poll, where you can make your opinions known on such issues as where to get the best pizza, tacos, burgers, cookies, chicken tenders and more — plus non-food faves. See hippopress.com for a link to the survey.

In food, John gets the details on the Fire on Main — a bonfire and block party held by the 603 Brewery and slated for Saturday, Feb. 7, in Londonderry. See the story on page 18.

Read the e-edition

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Greater Nashua Mental Health In a Facebook post on Feb. 2, Greater Nashua Mental Health said that the 440 Amherst ...
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Experts weigh in on this fully loaded party-ready snack Nachos might be the most social food; they are meant to ...
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Family fun for whenever Valentine’s fun The Children’s Museum of New Hampshire, 6 Washington St. in Dover, childrens-museum.org, will hold ...
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Bonfire block party at the 603 “When you drive by,” Kellyn Thompson said, “there’s a big field out behind the ...
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