Category: Drink

Little Pink Houses

I have a theory that the greater the classic rock anthem, the less objective sense it makes.

Remember in seventh or eighth grade? That school dance? It was probably the third or fourth one that you had gone to, but this was the first time you were brave enough to dance with someone. And, of course, you waited until the very last song, which was — obviously — “Stairway to Heaven.”

It doesn’t matter if you are a man or a woman. Or whether you were a boy or a girl at the time. Even if you haven’t thought about that moment in years, it is etched in your memory. As are a series of questions you had at the time:

Geez, how long is this song? (Just over eight minutes.)

Is there something special I’m supposed to do with my feet? (No. You’re 13. Just stay upright.)

Can this person see how much I’m sweating? (Yes.)

What’s with this weird bit at the end, where the music goes from slow, to fast, then back to slow, just long enough to make dancing incredibly awkward? (Art.)

And most importantly:

What does that whole line about a bustle in your hedgerow and the May Queen mean? (Nobody knows.)

Great song.

No objective sense, whatsoever.

While this isn’t universal, I refer you to the entire catalog of Paul Simon — or for that matter, Toto.

All of which is pretty irrelevant, except to say that this week, when I saw a little pink house, it seemed important to memorialize it. And my faded youth.

Little Pink Houses

100 grams strawberries — fresh are good, but frozen might be even better; they break down better in a drink.

4 grinds black pepper

2 ounces gin

5 to 6 ice cubes

¼ ounce white balsamic vinegar — regular balsamic will work too, but your drink will end up looking a lot like root beer.

1 ounce strawberry syrup or 2 Tablespoons strawberry jam

~3 ounces plain seltzer

Muddle the strawberries and pepper in the bottom of a cocktail shaker. If you are using frozen strawberries, you might want to let them thaw slightly first.

Add gin, stir, then walk away for five minutes. This will give the gin time to extract some of the flavors from the berries and pepper.

Add ice, vinegar and syrup/jam.

Shake thoroughly.

Pour, unstrained, into a tall glass.

Top with seltzer, and stir gently.

Garnish with songs from your playlist that will drive your children from the house.

This is a refreshing, spring-like drink. It’s not too sweet, and the notes of black pepper and balsamic vinegar keep it from tasting domesticated. It’s an outstanding Zoom meeting book club drink, but also excellent for sitting on the porch and watching the bird bath. As John (still “Cougar” then) Mellencamp would say:

Aw, but ain’t that America for you and me

Ain’t that America, somethin’ to see, baby

Ain’t that America, home of the free, yeah

Little pink houses for you and me

Oh yeah, for you and me, oh

Great song. No objective sense.

Featured photo: Little Pink Houses. Photo by John Fladd.

Keeping the pace

Exeter Brewing Co. develops strong local following

For Justin Cooper and Eric Rackliffe of Exeter Brewing Co., slow and steady wins the race. Except there’s no race; it’s really just about enjoying the journey.

“We’ve just always had a plan to go at our own pace,” said Cooper, who started the Exeter-based brewery with Rackliffe about a year and a half ago, where they have since been pumping out an array of super hoppy IPAs. “We’re excited about the support we have. If we’re still having fun, we’re going to keep doing it. We keep asking ourselves that question … and the answer’s always been yes.”

The approach has worked as the brewery has developed a robust local following. You can only find Exeter Brewing Co. beers in a handful of locations, including Gerry’s Variety, On the Vine Marketplace and Blue Moon Evolution — and you should expect those establishments to sell out the day they receive shipments.

Don’t go to the brewery either, as it doesn’t have a retail operation or a taproom at this time. By the way, that’s just fine with Rackliffe and Cooper. Maybe someday they’ll expand, but for now, they’re good right where they are, they say.

Cooper and Rackliffe have known each other for more than 20 years. They were actually college roommates and both happened to spend time living in Colorado at the same time, which helped them stay connected. Cooper is from Vermont and Rackliffe is from Maine, and now they’ve landed right in the middle in the Granite State.

Rackliffe picked up the home brewing habit and the pair ultimately started brewing together. From there, they began sharing beer with friends and family and grew the effort until they effectively launched the brewing company at the Exeter Beer and Chili Festival in October 2019.

“It was such a success. We ran out of beer early,” said Cooper, who noted he and Rackliffe still work full-time outside of the brewery.

Let’s get to the beers.

“We tend to make beers we like to drink,” Cooper said.

That means hoppy IPAs, like Swasey Daze, which is a big, juicy New England-style IPA with “flavors and aromas of pineapple, citrus, peach, passionfruit, apricot and a hint of watermelon,” says the brewery.

All of the brewery’s offerings are named after local historic landmarks and figures, such as Broadside Double IPA, named after Dunlap Broadsides, which printed copies of the Declaration of Independence, or Jailhouse Spring Pale Ale, named after a well-known freshwater spring in Exeter. Purple Dinosaur New England IPA gets its name from the “iconic spring-mounted purple dinosaur” situated in a local park.

The Oated Sleeper caught my attention, and is “probably the simplest oatmeal stout you can make,” Cooper said. The stout comes in at 9.4 percent ABV so watch out.

“That’s been my approach all along: keep it simple, stupid,” Rackliffe said. “We don’t have 10 hops in each beer. We have a max of three hops. It just lets the ingredients show and shine…. Keep it simple and let the beer speak for itself.”

Frankly, at a time when some of today’s beer choices are a bit over the top, that’s a refreshing approach.

When it comes to IPAs, Cooper said most of their beers do have that “forward-facing juice” but they do finish a little bitter, as the duo have an affinity to “old-school” IPAs: “the finish isn’t as sweet.”

Moving forward, they’ll just continue to pace themselves, and they’ll continue to look for ways to collaborate with the local community. They have plans to team up with a local coffee shop for one brew and they plan to team up with the fire department on another.

“We’re boot-strapping. There is no outside money or investment. If the market is responding favorably, we’ll respond,” Cooper said.

What’s in My Fridge
New World American IPA by Mayflower Brewing Co. (Plymouth, Mass.)
I opened my fridge and saw this one in there. I don’t know how it got there but I didn’t waste any time grabbing it. I’ve had this before but, candidly, I don’t remember it blowing me away previously. But this time, wow. It’s definitely got a tropical kick and just enough bitterness to balance that out. Excellent American IPA. Cheers!

Featured photo: Photo by Matt Ingersoll.

Bottle of red, bottle of white

Other wines to try at that Italian restaurant

“A bottle of red, a bottle of white; It all depends on your appetite; I’ll meet you anytime you want; In our Italian restaurant.” — Billy Joel, “Scenes from an Italian Restaurant”

Beginning as a melancholy tune, this song quickly accelerates into an exchange between friends or classmates on the short relationship of Brenda and Eddie. It then decelerates to a quiet end, with one of the two remarking, “I’ll meet you anytime you want / In our Italian restaurant.” It is a long song reflecting a comfortable conversation between those friends.

Italian culture is not only rich in history, food and wine; it is a culture of familiarity. We all look fondly back to our individual introductions to Italian culture with robust, red-sauced pasta. Italian food has become an American comfort food, enjoyed with friends and families over long conversations, perhaps about Brenda and Eddie. Therefore, isn’t it odd that when we think of Italian cuisine, only a few wines immediately come to mind: Chianti, pinot grigio, prosecco? There is a lot more to savor! In this column we will explore wines of two regions: Abruzzo and Molise. Lying east of Rome, beyond the Apennines, and along the coast of the Adriatic Sea, these two regions offer up wines of a special nature.

Our first wine, Umani Ronchi Vellodoro Terre di Chieti Pecorino IGT (available at the New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlets at $11.99), is a white wine from Abruzzo. This wine is made from 100 percent pecorino grapes, also known as “grape of the sheep,” deriving from its strong connection to sheep farming of the area. In the past, because of its high aroma concentration, good alcoholic content and acidic quality, it was used in blending to improve the quality of wines made from other varieties. This wine is a product of a project originating in 2005 and represents the winery’s work to discover and exploit Adriatic native varieties. The grapes are hand-picked and, after a light pressing, cooled in stainless steel tanks for two weeks. The wine does not undergo malolactic fermentation but rests in the stainless steel tanks for about four months in contact with its own yeasts before bottling.

The wine has a bright straw color with a floral nose of fresh lime blossoms, along with a bit of minerality. The nose persists to the tongue with an intense and pleasant freshness. This is a wine to be enjoyed with fish dishes, fresh cheeses, pasta, and legume soups of lentils, peas, bacon and onion. Served chilled it is a great counterpoint to the broad spectrum of these dishes, both delicate and robust.

Our second wine, Di Majo Norante Sangiovese San Giorgio (originally pricedat $14.99, reduced to $12.99 at the New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlets), is, as its name implies, a 100 percent sangiovese from Molise. Until 1963 this region was joined to Abruzzo under the name of Abruzzi e Molise. Like Abruzzo, most of the country is mountainous, with its province of Campobasso running along its southern tier traversing from mountains to hills and on to the Adriatic Sea. The winery, Di Majo Norante, located in the coastal commune of Campomarino, has been making wine from grapes since 1800. The vineyard, of over 200 acres, produces wine from several varietals, including aglianico montepulciano, sangiovese, tintilia, falanghina, greco and moscato.

This sangiovese is harvested in October, aged in stainless steel and large oak barrels for six months, then spends three months in bottles to achieve a smoothness and softness while preserving the fruit-forward characteristic of sangiovese. The wine has a bright red color and a nose of cherry, Mediterranean herbs and leather. To the palate it is dry and mellow with smooth tannins. This is a wine to pair with antipasti, Bolognese sauces, game and ripe cheeses.

These wines are to be enjoyed with family and friends, over long conversations of reminiscences of shared experiences.

Mother’s Day Cocktails

In my experience, it is unwise to make broad generalizations about any group of women, but that said, it’s probably a good bet that this year, perhaps more than any other year, the moms of America could use a drink.

Let’s look at two hypothetical mothers, Jasmine and Kimberly:

Jasmine is a divorced mom of two young children, ages 5 and 3. She works full-time but has been “lucky” enough to be able to work from home for the past year or so. She gets up at 5 each morning to try to get some work done before Bruno, the 5-year-old, wakes up and wants breakfast prepared to very exact specifications. Failure to meet these specifications will result in angry denunciations, which will wake Pearl, the 3-year-old.

Jasmine needs a drink.

She needs something refreshing that will give her a brief moment of calm and grace.

A brief moment of calm

Ingredients:

1½ ounces very cold vodka

1 ounce rhubarb syrup (see below)

1 ounce fresh squeezed lime juice

5 drops rose water

4 ounces aggressively bubbly seltzer, like Topo Chico Mineral Water

Shake all ingredients except the seltzer over ice until very cold.

Strain into a delicate 8-ounce glass.

Top with seltzer.

Admire, maybe take a picture, stir, then drink.

This is a light, not-too-boozy cocktail that tastes pretty much how it looks — pink. The rhubarb syrup gives the drink a decisively pink color that blends with the seltzer to give it an ombre coloring. The rhubarb is delicately sour. The lime juice is citrusy but not too sweet. The rose water remains in the background, hinting at exotic secrets.

Rhubarb syrup

Ingredients:

Equal amounts (by weight) of frozen, chopped rhubarb and sugar

Pinch of salt

(Note on the rhubarb: When you make syrup from any fruit — or rhubarb, in this case — frozen fruit works better than fresh. The freezing process creates ice crystals, which pierce the cell walls, making the fruit more apt to weep. That would be a drawback in an application where you wanted pristine, lovely fruit, but it is an asset in situations like this one.)

Combine rhubarb, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat, until the rhubarb starts to give up its juice.

Mash the mixture with a potato masher.

Bring the mixture to a boil. Let it boil for 10 to 15 seconds, to ensure that the sugar has dissolved completely.

Remove from heat, cool, strain, bottle and label. Store in your refrigerator indefinitely.

Now, let’s consider Kimberly:

Kimberly is married and the mother of a sulky teenager. All things considered, she and her husband Albert get along pretty well, but after a year of being locked in a house with him seven days a week, she is getting ready to smother him in his sleep. Elizabeth, 14, insists on being called Wynter Storm. She has recently graduated from telling Kimberly how stupid she is in general to making very specific observations of her shortcomings. She is also, apparently, a recent convert to veganism, although she still eats bacon and ice cream.

Kimberly needs a drink.

A classic boilermaker

Ingredients:

1 bottle of beer

1½ to 2 ounces bourbon

Fill a glass — pretty much any glass — 3/4 of the way with beer. You might want to tilt the glass to minimize the head of foam on top, but maybe making a long, sudsy pour will feel a little like poking your finger in the eye of — well, somebody. You do you.

Fill a shot glass with bourbon.

Give the two glasses a steely-eyed stare.

Drop the shot glass full of bourbon into the beer

At this point I’d normally describe the subtle flavor notes of this cocktail to you, but if you’re drinking a boilermaker you probably know what you’re letting yourself in for. If you don’t, consider this a well-deserved adventure.

Featured photo: A brief moment of calm. Photo by John Fladd.

Brews and beyond

New craft beer shop opens in Hudson

Cousins Jay Parajuli and Bik Basnet love trying new kinds of craft beers and had often talked about how to turn that hobby into a business. Then one weekend last fall, Parajuli said, he was en route to another cousin’s home in Hudson when he noticed construction of the town’s new Flagstone Crossing retail plaza.

“We saw the ‘for lease’ sign … and literally jumped into it right there,” he said. “I was working at a family business, a convenience store down in Massachusetts, and with Covid and everything it was tough to stay afloat. The overheads were high to maintain employees. … So we got out of that business and just kind of said this was the right time to get into something we like doing.”

Hudson Brews, which opened on April 16, is New Hampshire’s newest spot to get local and regional craft beers, ciders and hard seltzers, with a constantly rotating selection, Parajuli said, based on both seasonal supply and customer demand.

The shop’s interior is custom-built, featuring two sets of coolers near the front that are dedicated just to single-serve cans and bottles. Beer lovers who want to try single selections of more than one type of craft brew can also create their own custom four-pack carrier at a discount.

“I’m a buyer myself, and I will go to a store and try a four-pack if they don’t have singles … [but] I don’t want to end up spending $20 on something that I didn’t like,” Parajuli said. “So that was the concept. We put out singles of every possible thing that we have … so that people can try it, and if they like it, then they’ll go for the four-pack.”

Past the single selections are dozens of additional offerings in an aisle running near the back of the shop. Most of the coolers are labeled by their state of origin — beers from New Hampshire and Massachusetts make up several of them, including ones from popular local breweries like Concord Craft Brewing, Henniker Brewing Co. and 603 Brewery in Londonderry, as well as harder-to-find selections like from Coos Brewing Co. in Colebrook. Beers from other New England states are available, and there are coolers designated for regional and international options, and craft ciders and seltzers. In addition to its many beers, Hudson Brews sells a limited selection of glassware, canned cocktails and energy drinks, as well as cigars and CBD products.

Parajuli said he’s already had conversations with customers about what types of beers they want to see at the shop.

“We want to talk to people, [and] we want to get involved in the community,” he said. “It’s fantastic when you see people are happy that you have a product they are looking for.”

Hudson Brews
Where: 6 Flagstone Drive, Unit C, Hudson
Hours: Daily, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.
More info: Find them on Facebook and Instagram @hudsonbrews, or call 417-5528

Featured photo: Photo by Matt Ingersoll.

Meals with mom

Brunches, special menus and more for Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day is fast approaching — check out this list of brunches, dinners and special menus at local restaurants and function centers. Most dine-in events are planned for Mother’s Day (Sunday, May 9) unless otherwise specified, while a few local businesses are planning takeout specials. Do you know of an eatery offering Mother’s Day specials that’s not on this list? Let us know at food@hippopress.com.

• 110 Grill (875 Elm St., Manchester, 836-1150; 27 Trafalgar Square, 943-7443; 136 Marketplace Blvd., Rochester, 948-1270; 2 Portwalk Place, Portsmouth, 373-8312; 19 Portsmouth Ave., Stratham, 777-5110; 250 N. Plainfield Road, W. Lebanon, 790-8228; 110grill.com) is taking reservations for a Mother’s Day brunch at all of its locations, including those in New Hampshire. In addition to its full menu, several specials will be available from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., like breakfast tacos, chicken and waffles, steak and egg Benedict, apple cider doughnut French toast, and brunch cocktails like bloody marys, double espresso martinis and adult mocha iced coffees.

• 603 Charcuterie (Derry, 603charcuterie.com) is taking orders for several Mother’s Day charcuterie board specials, including those with specialty meats and cheeses, but also some dessert options like macarons, chocolate-covered strawberries and more. Pickups will be at Creative Chef Kitchens (35 Manchester Road, Derry) on Friday, May 7, from 3 to 6 p.m.; Saturday, May 8, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sunday, May 9, from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., depending on which charcuterie option you choose.

• Alan’s of Boscawen (133 N. Main St., Boscawen, 753-6631, alansofboscawen.com) will serve a Mother’s Day brunch buffet from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., featuring items like fresh fruit, assorted cheeses and crackers, pastries, scrambled eggs, homefries, bacon and sausage; plus lunch options like roast turkey with stuffing, crabmeat stuffed haddock, and a carving station with roast leg of lamb, prime rib and Virginia baked ham. Call for reservations.

• Atkinson Resort & Country Club (85 Country Club Drive, Atkinson, 362-8700, atkinsonresort.com) will serve a Mother’s Day brunch buffet from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., featuring a waffle station and made-to-order omelet station; a carving station with items like prime rib, ham and apple-cured turkey; breakfast items, like pastries, bacon, sausage and homefries; lunch entrees, like sweet and spicy chicken, baked haddock, and smoked Gouda and white cheddar macaroni and cheese; and desserts, like chocolate mousse, tiramisu, cheesecake lollipops and assorted cookies and brownies. Reservations are required.

• Averill House Vineyard (21 Averill Road, Brookline, 244-3165, averillhousevineyard.com) will serve a high tea Mother’s Day brunch from 10 a.m. to noon, featuring a pre-set four-course brunch, a cup of tea, a tasting flight of four wines per guest (must be 21+) and a souvenir glass. 

• The Bakeshop on Kelley Street (171 Kelley St., Manchester, 624-3500, thebakeshoponkelleystreet.com) will be open on Mother’s Day from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Place any pickup orders by May 6.

• Bedford Village Inn (2 Olde Bedford Way, Bedford, 472-2001, bedfordvillageinn.com) will serve a Mother’s Day brunch in its Great Hall featuring a grand buffet from 9:30 a.m. to 2:15 p.m., followed by a special three-course prix fixe dinner menu served in its dining room from 2 to 7 p.m. The brunch buffet will have chef-attended Belgian waffle and omelet stations, plus a charcuterie and cheese display, hand-carved meats to order like North Country Smokehouse ham and herb-crusted slow-roasted beef, and assorted soups, salads and breakfast options. The three-course dinner will include your choice of an appetizer (roasted poblano pepper and corn chowder, potato and leek bisque, Dowie Farm pea shoots or panzanella); an entree (grilled tournedos of beef, Scottish salmon filet, milk-fed veal loin medallions, smoked Kurobuta pork loin, garlic and herb tri-colored quinoa with vegetables, or grilled swordfish loin); and a dessert (carrot cake, chocolate beet cake, vanilla bean creme brulee, or passionfruit cream pavlova). Reservations are required for both.

• Birch Wood Vineyards (199 Rockingham Road, Derry, 965-4359, birchwoodvineyards.com) will serve a Mother’s Day brunch with two available seatings, at 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Several plated meals are available to choose from, including a biscuit and gravy plate, a French toast plate, a broccoli and cheddar frittata plate, a chicken picatta plate, a haddock plate, a short rib plate and an eggplant Napoleon plate. All breakfast entrees are served with fruit salad and lunch entrees with mixed green salad and raspberry vinaigrette — all plates also come with a variety of fresh baked breads, either milk, juice or coffee, and a trio of desserts. Reservations are required.

• Buckley’s Great Steaks (438 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, 424-0995, buckleysgreatsteaks.com) is taking reservations for Mother’s Day, from 1 to 6 p.m., serving its regular menu with specials. Call during business hours or make your reservation online.

• Clam Haven (94 Rockingham Road, Derry, 434-4679, clamhaven.com) has customizable options from its new catering menu, featuring items like shrimp or lobster tail cocktail, platters of seafood sliders, chicken fingers, hot dogs, burgers and fish tacos, and party-sized options of steam lobster or classic New England clambakes with several sides.

• The Coach Stop Restaurant & Tavern (176 Mammoth Road, Londonderry, 437-2022, coachstopnh.com) will serve a special Mother’s Day menu, with dine-in reservations accepted for 11:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m. or 5:30 p.m., as well as pre-order takeout and free delivery. Selections include appetizers like crab cakes, spinach and artichoke dip, bacon-wrapped scallops and French onion soup, and entrees like baked haddock, roasted prime rib of beef, chicken Marsala, chicken and broccoli alfredo and seafood linguine alfredo.

• Colby Hill Inn (33 The Oaks, Henniker, 428-3281, colbyhillinn.com) will serve a special three-course prix fixe menu for Mother’s Day, with seatings at noon, 1 p.m., 2:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. Choose your own first course (English pea, spring leek and ham soup, creamy scallop and tomato bisque, market greens salad, organic spinach salad or spring tempura); main entree (Cornish hen au vin, San Francisco cioppino, house-made saffron tagliatelle pasta, petite leg of lamb, bison short rib Wellington, wiener schnitzel or pan-roasted monkfish and lobster); and a dessert (coconut lime tart, mimosa brulee, chocolate cake with mocha buttercream, profiterole trio or mignardises). Other a la carte extras include oysters on the half-shell, smoked salmon pierogi and farmer’s cheese and charcuterie boards.

• The Common Man (25 Water St., Concord, 228-3463; 304 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, 429-3463; 88 Range Road, Windham, 898-0088; 10 Pollard Road, Lincoln, 745-3463; 21 Water St., Claremont, 542-6171; Foster’s Boiler Room, 231 Main St., Plymouth, 536-2764; 60 Main St., Ashland, 968-7030; Lago, 1 Route 25, Meredith, 279-2253; Italian Farmhouse, 337 Daniel Webster Hwy., Plymouth, 536-4536; Lakehouse Grille, 281 Daniel Webster Hwy., Meredith, 279-5221; Camp, 300 Daniel Webster Hwy., Meredith, 279-3003; Airport Diner, 2280 Brown Ave., Manchester, 623-5040; Tilt’n Diner, 61 Laconia Road, Tilton, 286-2204; Route 104 Diner, 752 Route 104, New Hampton, 744-0120; thecman.com) will be serving its dinner menus, with Mother’s Day specials. Hours vary depending on the location, and reservations are recommended. Each location is also offering a Mother’s Day meal for four to go, which includes an appetizer of spinach artichoke dip and crackers, braised beef short ribs with mashed potatoes and pesto green beans, house-baked rolls and blueberry breakfast bread, and strawberry shortcake. An optional a la carte side offering of the Common Man’s signature macaroni and cheese is also available. Order by May 3. Pickups will be on Saturday, May 8.

• Copper Door Restaurant (15 Leavy Drive, Bedford, 488-2677; 41 S. Broadway, Salem, 458-2033; copperdoor.com) will serve a special prix fixe menu for Mother’s Day, beginning at 4 p.m., with two-course, three-course and four-course menu options. Items to choose from include sirloin spring rolls, roasted poblano and corn chowder, slow-roasted prime rib, twin filet mignon, shrimp gnocchi, ginger haddock, limoncello cupcakes and strawberry cheesecake. Call to make a reservation.

• Cotton (75 Arms St., Manchester, 622-5488, cottonfood.com) will be open from noon to 5 p.m. on Mother’s Day. Reservations are accepted online through OpenTable.

• CR’s The Restaurant (287 Exeter Road, Hampton, 929-7972, crstherestaurant.com) will be open from noon to 5 p.m. on Mother’s Day, serving specials along with some of its popular dinner entrees. Call to make a reservation.

• The Crown Tavern (99 Hanover St., Manchester, 218-3132, thecrownonhanover.com) is accepting Mother’s Day reservations for both indoor and outdoor dining, from noon to 3:30 p.m.

• The Crust & Crumb Baking Co. (126 N. Main St., Concord, 219-0763, thecrustandcrumb.com) will be open on Mother’s Day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Place any pickup orders as soon as possible.

• Dahlia Restaurant (dahlianomadic.com) has a limited number of tickets left for a Mother’s Day brunch from noon to 3 p.m., in collaboration with Enna Chocolate (152 Front St., Exeter). Reservations are required and can be made online.

• The Derryfield Restaurant (625 Mammoth Road, Manchester, 623-2880, thederryfield.com) will serve a Mother’s Day brunch buffet, with seatings every half hour from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will be an omelet station, a carving station with slow-roasted prime rib and oven-baked ham, assorted salads, baked goods and pastries, and a dessert station with a variety of mini pastries. The main buffet line will have breakfast options like bacon, sausage, corned beef hash, French toast, scrambled eggs and home fries. Call to make a reservation.

• Fratello’s Italian Grille (155 Dow St., Manchester, 624-2022, fratellos.com) will serve a variety of Mother’s Day specials at its Manchester location, like baked stuffed haddock, seafood fra diavolo, roasted vegetable salmon, chicken capri, chicken Parmesan, pan-seared duck breast, beef tenderloin, baked stuffed shells and more. Call to make a reservation.

• Georgia’s Northside (394 N. State St., Concord, 715-9189, georgiasnorthside.com) is taking orders for a surf and turf special for Mother’s Day, featuring chargrilled 8-ounce New York strip steak, a lobster roll, creamy macaroni and cheese and Brussels sprouts. Order online for pickup on Sunday, May 9, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

• Giorgio’s Ristorante & Bar (270 Granite St., Manchester, 232-3323; 524 Nashua St., Milford, 673-3939; 707 Milford Road, Merrimack; giorgios.com) will be serving brunch specials on Mother’s Day from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., in addition to its regular menus, at its Manchester and Milford locations.

• Greenleaf (54 Nashua St., Milford, 213-5447, greenleafmilford.com) is serving a special Mother’s Day brunch menu that will be available for both dine-in and takeout. Brunch plates will include eggs with bacon or sausage, home fries and English muffin toast; Culture’s honey wheat French toast with local maple syrup and whipped molasses honey butter; and buttermilk waffles with rhubarb compote, chantilly cream and local maple syrup. There will also be assorted appetizers, like local cheese boards, smoked pea and mint soup, and house made burrata. Dine-ins will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with reservations accepted online through OpenTable. If ordering takeout, orders must be placed by May 6.

• Hart’s Turkey Farm Restaurant (233 Daniel Webster Hwy., Meredith, 279-6212, hartsturkeyfarm.com) is taking orders for family-sized meals for Mother’s Day, with options like whole roasted turkey, slow roasted prime rib or baked ham. Each comes with whipped potatoes, butternut squash, green beans and dinner rolls. Dessert choices also include apple pie, blueberry pie and chocolate cream pie.

• The Homestead Restaurant & Tavern (641 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, 429-2022, homesteadnh.com) will serve a variety of specials for Mother’s Day, with seatings from noon to 6 p.m. Items will include roast prime rib of beef, broiled haddock, grilled swordfish, chicken cordon bleu, New York sirloin, chicken marsala and more. Call to make a reservation.

• LaBelle Winery (345 Route 101, Amherst, 672-9898; 14 Route 111, Derry; labellewinerynh.com) will serve a special Mother’s Day brunch buffet at both locations, with reservations accepted through OpenTable. Options will include assorted pastries and fruit displays, chef-attended omelet stations and build-your-own berry shortcake stations, breakfast items like baked stuffed banana brioche French toast, applewood smoked bacon and pork sausage, and lunch items like herb-roasted filet of cod, garlic and rosemary chicken breast and orzo salad with red wine balsamic vinaigrette. LaBelle Winery’s Amherst location is also taking orders for heat-and-serve take-home meal packages, with options like whole wheat rolls with red wine honey butter, petite greens salad, brown sugar glazed ham with golden raisin chutney, roasted potatoes and lemon asparagus, and strawberry shortcake with chantilly cream for dessert.

• Mile Away Restaurant (52 Federal Hill Road, Milford, 673-3904, mileawayrestaurantnh.com) will serve special dinners for Mother’s Day that include your choice of an appetizer, salad, entree or dessert, available for dine-in or takeout. Appetizers include ham minestrone, Swedish meatballs and fresh fruit plates with sorbet, with the option to substitute those for shrimp cocktail, escargots or onion soup. Salads include Caesar or garden options, with blue cheese, house ranch, raspberry vinaigrette or balsamic dressing. Available entrees include sliced roast sirloin, pork Madagascar, chicken Florentine, piccata Milanese, baked stuffed jumbo shrimp, maple salmon, baked scrod, vegetarian baked eggplant Parmesan and wienerschnitzel. All entrees come with your choice of a baked potato, Swiss potato or rice pilaf, and your choice of green bean Provencal, maple-glazed carrots, pickled beets or applesauce. Available desserts include Snickers pie, tiramisu cake, sorbet, bread pudding, cheesecake, chocolate ganache cake, lemon mascarpone cake and chocolate mousse cake.

• MT’s Local Kitchen & Wine Bar (212 Main St., Nashua, 595-9334, mtslocal.com) is taking reservations for Mother’s Day, from 1 to 6 p.m., serving its regular menu with specials. Call during business hours or make your reservation online. Outdoor dining will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

• New England’s Tap House Grille (1292 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, 782-5137, taphousenh.com) will serve a special Mother’s Day brunch, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

• The Old Salt Restaurant at Lamie’s Inn (490 Lafayette Road, No. 9, Hampton, 926-8322, oldsaltnh.com) will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Mother’s Day, serving specialty items like roast prime rib dinners, artichoke and mascarpone agnolotti, baked stuffed haddock, boiled lobster dinners, and grilled salmon with lemon dill butter sauce, plus desserts like raspberry white chocolate cheesecake, Boston cream pie, carrot cake and strawberry shortcake.

• Presto Craft Kitchen (168 Amory St., Manchester, 606-1252, prestocraftkitchen.com) is taking orders for a variety of specialty sweets for Mother’s Day, including jumbo chocolate-covered strawberries, hand-filled cannolis (a dozen per order), cheesecake-filled chocolate hearts, and Oreo cheesecake cake-sicles (a half dozen per order). Order by May 2. Pickups will be on Friday, May 7, and Saturday, May 8.

• The Red Blazer Restaurant & Pub (72 Manchester St., Concord, 224-4101, theredblazer.com) will be open its normal Sunday hours on Mother’s Day, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., serving its regular menu with a few specials like prime rib. Seating will be on a first-come, first-served basis and takeout will be available via online ordering only (no phone orders).

• The Republic of Campo (969 Elm St., Manchester, 666-3723, republiccafe.com; campoenoteca.com) is accepting Mother’s Day reservations beginning at 4 p.m., with full menus available from both restaurants in addition to locally sourced specials.

• Roundabout Diner & Lounge (580 U.S. Highway 1 Bypass, Portsmouth, 431-1440, roundaboutdiner.com) will serve an all-you-can-eat Mother’s Day brunch buffet, accepting reservations from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Featured items are built-your-own omelettes, Belgian waffles, bacon, sausage, cinnamon bun French toast, a seasoned prime rib carving station, baked haddock and more. Other house Mother’s Day specials available on the menu will include brie grilled cheese, pork belly Benedict, Italian sausage scramble and chocolate-covered cherry pancakes.

• SALT Kitchen & Bar (Wentworth by the Sea, 588 Wentworth Road, New Castle, 373-6566, saltkitchenandbar.com) will serve a special multi-course menu for Mother’s Day, featuring your choice of a first course (scallop escabeche, lobster bisque or spring lettuce); an entree (sous vide Atlantic salmon, sliced New York strip, chicken Marsala or English pea ravioli); and a dessert (chocolate tiramisu, lemon meringue cheesecake or strawberry rhubarb crostata. Call to make a reservation.

• Simply Delicious Baking Co. (176 Route 101, Bedford, 488-1988, simplydeliciousbakingco.com) is taking orders for hand-dipped chocolate-covered organic strawberries for Mother’s Day. Order by May 5. Pickups will be on Saturday, May 8, from 8 a.m. to noon.

• Surf Restaurant (207 Main St., Nashua, 595-9293; 99 Bow St., Suite 200W, Portsmouth, 334-9855; surfseafood.com) is taking reservations for Mother’s Day from 1 to 6 p.m., serving its regular menu with specials. Call during business hours or make your reservation online. The bar and outdoor dining will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.

• The Village Trestle (25 Main St., Goffstown, 497-8230, villagetrestle.com) will be open from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Mother’s Day, serving its full menu along with a special featuring a lobster roll, fries and coleslaw. Live acoustic music with Bob Pratte and Lisa Marie will be from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.

• Wolfe’s Tavern (Wolfeboro Inn, 90 N. Main St., Wolfeboro, 569-3016, wolfestavern.com) will serve a special Mother’s Day menu from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., featuring items like croissant French toast, pan-bronzed chicken breast, grilled herb-marinated pork tenderloin, and caramelized onion and goat cheese deep dish quiche. Call or book your reservation online.

• Woodstock Inn Brewery (135 N. Main St., North Woodstock, 745-3951, woodstockinnbrewery.com) is offering a “Mother of all Brunches” package for Mother’s Day, including a weekend room special and a buffet from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. that will feature an omelet bar, a waffle bar, a carving station with ham and prime rib, and other items like eggs Benedict, salmon, vegetable lasagna and assorted desserts. Brunch reservations are accepted but not required.

• XO on Elm (827 Elm St., Manchester, 560-7998, xoonelm.com) will be open from 2 to 7 p.m. on Mother’s Day. Call or make your reservation online through OpenTable.

• Zachary’s Chop House (4 Cobbetts Pond Road, Windham, 890-5555, zacharyschophouse.com) will serve a Mother’s Day breakfast buffet from 8 to 11 a.m., followed by other Mother’s Day specials beginning 11 a.m. Call to make a reservation.

• Zorvino Vineyards (226 Main St., Sandown, 887-8463, zorvino.com) will serve a Mother’s Day brunch buffet with seatings at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m. There will be assorted breakfast items, soups, salads, carving stations, desserts and more. Call or book your reservation online. 

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