Category: Featured Content

Love bites

Celebrate Valentine’s Day with a special dinner or sweet treat

Valentine’s Day is almost here, so if you’re looking for a local spot to dine out with your special someone (or get your meal to go), or you want to give the gift of gourmet chocolates or sweet treats like chocolate-dipped strawberries, check out this list of New Hampshire businesses working hard to help you mark the occasion.

Since Feb. 14 falls on a Tuesday this year, several local eateries are electing to celebrate Valentine’s Day the Saturday or Sunday before. Others are choosing to offer special menus on other days throughout the preceding week and weekend, or are opening their doors on weekdays they’re usually closed. Where applicable, we’ve indicated the exact dates for each. Chocolatiers, candy shops and bakers with special offerings of their own have also been included — just be sure to contact the establishment directly for the most up-to-date availability. For Seacoast-area venues, see the end of the online version of this round up at hippopress.com.

Did we miss any local restaurants offering special Valentine’s Day dinners that you know about? Tell us about it at food@hippopress.com and we can include a mention in the next issue.

• 603 Charcuterie (603charcuterie.com) is taking orders for a variety of specials for Valentine’s Day, including three-tiered charcuterie boards of New Hampshire-made cheeses and other products; four-, nine- or 18-sized packs of chocolate-covered strawberries; personalized heart-shaped wooden charcuterie boards, and do-it-yourself Valentine’s cookie kits. Pre-order online for pickup at The Factory on Willow (252 Willow St., Manchester) on Saturday, Feb. 11, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Sunday, Feb. 12, from noon to 3 p.m., or Monday, Feb. 13, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

• All Real Meal (87 Elm St., Manchester, 782-3014, allrealmeal.com) is taking orders for romantic five-course dinners for two, complete with reheating instructions, to be delivered to your door on Tuesday, Feb. 14. Included items are fresh baked rolls with lavender honey butter, butternut squash and bourbon bisque, winter salad with organic greens, spinach and berries, tender slow-cooked roast beef, Marry Me chicken, cheddar mashed potatoes, roasted veggies and red velvet cake and creme brulee cheesecake for dessert. The cost is $95 and orders are being accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.

• Alpine Grove Banquet Facility (19 S. Depot Road, Hollis, 882-9051, alpinegrove.com) will host a special Valentine’s Day candlelight dinner and dance on Saturday, Feb. 11, from 6 to 10:30 p.m. The five-course dinner will include assorted hors d’oeuvres, a seasonal house salad and strawberry lemon sorbet, followed by your choice of an entree (Champagne airline breast of chicken, duet of filet mignon and lobster tail crown cabernet sauvignon demi glace, scallops and shrimp in a savory white wine cream sauce, cedar plank-glazed Norwegian salmon or butternut squash ravioli with a Frangelico cream sauce) and dessert (petit fours or chocolate-covered strawberries). Along with the dinner, there will be a cash bar, and music and dancing beginning at 8 p.m. The cost is $160 per person before Feb. 5 and $180 after Feb. 5. Reservations are required.

• Atkinson Resort & Country Club (85 Country Club Drive, Atkinson, 362-8700, atkinsonresort.com) will hold a special Valentine’s Day Masquerade Ball on Saturday, Feb. 11, from 7:30 to 11:30 p.m. featuring a prime rib dinner buffet and live music by the Brandy Band. Tickets are $70 per person general admission and $175 VIP admission, which includes a complimentary bottle of Champagne and chocolate-covered strawberries. You can also order a Valentine’s package for $350, which includes a private table for two, an overnight stay at the resort and a complimentary breakfast for two at Merrill’s Tavern the next morning. Valentine’s Day specials at the restaurant will also include scallops and bacon, arancini, confit duck leg, veal osso buco, filet and lobster, profiteroles and raspberry and blood orange sorbet garnished with fresh mint.

• Averill House Vineyard (21 Averill Road, Brookline, 244-3165, averillhousevineyard.com) will host a special Valentine’s celebration featuring a five-course chocolate-infused dinner with wine pairings. Two nights are available — Saturday, Feb. 11, or Tuesday, Feb. 14, at 6:30 p.m. — with party sizes of up to three indoors or four to eight out on the vineyard’s gazebo or inside one of the igloos. Courses will include smoked salmon tartar, beet and fried goat cheese salad, lobster-stuffed ravioli, coffee and chocolate-crusted grilled petite sirloin and strawberry shortcake mousse for dessert. Tickets are $89 per person (event is 21+ only) and reservations are required.

• The Bakeshop on Kelley Street (171 Kelley St., Manchester, 624-3500, thebakeshoponkelleystreet.com) is taking orders for milk, white or semisweet chocolate-dipped strawberries, cherry chocolate cheesecake, chocolate molten lava cake, crispy cream puffs with fresh fruit, chocolate mousse gâteau, shortbread hearts, cupcakes (Champagne, chocolate raspberry, red velvet, chocolate truffle and merlot) and more. They’re also offering Valentine’s samplers, featuring truffles, cannoli and dip, chocolate-dipped strawberries, heart-shaped shortbread cookies, mini chocolate cupcakes with whipped cream dip and roses. The shop is normally closed on Tuesdays but will be open on Tuesday, Feb. 14, from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

• Bearded Baking Co. (819 Union St., Manchester, 647-7150; 580 Lafayette Road, Hampton, 601-6878; beardedbaking.com) is taking orders for 4-inch bento box mini heart cakes for Valentine’s Day (serving two — flavor options include chocolate, vanilla or red velvet) in addition to chocolate-covered strawberries in quantities of six or 12. Order by Feb. 7. Pickups will be on Saturday, Feb. 11. Both locations will also have a variety of seasonal grab-and-go items in store starting Feb. 11, like cupcakes, red velvet whoopie pies and red velvet cheesecake brownies.

• Bedford Village Inn (2 Olde Bedford Way, Bedford, 472-2001, bedfordvillageinn.com) will serve a special four-course prix fixe menu for Valentine’s Day on Tuesday, Feb. 14, with seating times from 5 to 9:30 p.m. The meal will include your choice of an appetizer (New Hampshire oysters, pancetta and pea arancini, steak tuna tartare miso butter poached hake or cauliflower bisque); a salad (Lola Rosa or Boston bibb); an entree (savory lobster risotto, grilled filet mignon, Dunk’s mushroom and spinach lasagna, New England seafood “Thai hot pot,” Vernon Family Farm chicken statler or herb-crusted lamb rack); and a dessert (red velvet cake, coffee creme brulee, lemon semifreddo, galette frangipane, chocolate financier, a sweet and salty dessert board for two, or the Inn’s famous sweetheart chocolate bag to share). The cost is $125 per person and reservations are required.

• Birch Wood Vineyards (199 Rockingham Road, Derry, 965-4359, birchwoodvineyards.com) will hold a special Valentine’s Day four-course dinner with wine pairings and a cocktail reception on Saturday, Feb. 11, from 5 to 9 p.m. Courses will include tomato basil soup, baby field greens with Craisins, candied walnuts, goat cheese and a raspberry honey vinaigrette, your choice of an entree (a duet of beef Wellington with baked stuffed shrimp soubise potatoes and lemon Parmesan asparagus, or eggplant Napoleon with quinoa salad, marinara, balsamic reduction and basil pesto), and dessert du jour. The cost is $90 per person ($115 per person with the wine pairings) and a cash bar will also be available. Reservations are required — tickets will remain on sale through Feb. 5.

• Bistro 603 (345 Amherst St., Nashua, 722-6362, bistro603nashua.com) will serve a special features menu for Valentine’s Day from Friday, Feb. 10, through Tuesday, Feb. 14, during which the eatery’s regular menus will also be available. Reservations can be made online or via phone.

• Bite Me Kupcakez (4 Mound Court, Merrimack, 674-4459, bitemekupcakez.com) is taking orders for a variety of specialty items for Valentine’s Day, like dairy-free breakfast in bed platters, featuring two Belgian waffles, two cinnamon buns, two doughnuts and fresh fruit available for waffle toppings. Also available to order are six-pack Valentine’s Day cupcakes, chocolate-covered strawberries or heart-shaped whoopie pies, cookie boxes, mini heart-shaped cakes, and an “ultimate Valentine’s Day” box, featuring two chocolate-covered strawberries, two cookies, two heart-shaped whoopie pies and two Valentine’s Day-themed cupcakes. Order by Feb. 3.

• Blue Bear Inn (534 Mountain Road, Francestown, 808-0174, bluebearinn.com) will serve a special five-course dinner with wine pairings for Valentine’s Day on Tuesday, Feb. 14 — courses will include marrow toast, oysters on the half shell, pasta nero di seppia (pasta with squid ink), braised beef short ribs and creme brulee. The cost is $135 per person and reservations are required.

• Buckley’s Market & Cafe (9 Market Place, Hollis, 465-5522, find them on Facebook @buckleysmarketcafehollis) is taking orders for heat-and-eat Valentine’s Day takeout dinner boxes for two, featuring a shrimp cocktail, a surf and turf entree with pan-seared filet mignon and crab cake, roasted potatoes, spinach, tomatoes, Madeira demi-glace and remoulade, chocolate and raspberry mousse cups garnished with fresh berries, and a bottle of Prima prosecco. The cost is $140 per box, or $125 without the bottle of wine. Order by Feb. 8. Pickups will be on Monday, Feb. 13, or Tuesday, Feb. 14, after 10 a.m.

• Caroline’s Fine Food (132 Bedford Center Road, Bedford, 637-1615, carolinesfood.com) is taking orders for romantic dinners for two, featuring your choice of an entree (beef tenderloin with a port demi glace, roasted duck breast with a cherry gastrique or horseradish-encrusted salmon), along with your choice of pot de creme or baby lemon cake for dessert. Sweet and savory dessert boards are also available to order a la carte. Order by Feb. 10.

• Chunky’s Cinema Pub (707 Huse Road, Manchester, 206-3888, chunkys.com) is teaming up with chef Keith Sarasin and his team at The Farmer’s Dinner for a five-course kitchen takeover dinner and screening of the 1998 Adam Sandler film The Wedding Singer, happening on Tuesday, Feb. 14. As of Jan. 24, tickets were still available — VIP ticket holders arrive at 5:30 p.m. for a “secret chef appetizer” and complimentary craft beer or wine. Non-VIP purchasers arrive at 6 p.m., with the movie starting at 7 p.m. Before the movie begins, Sarasin will speak about the locally sourced menu. The cost is $75 per person and includes both the dinner and the movie. Vegetarian and wine pairing options are also available.

• Colby Hill Inn (33 The Oaks, Henniker, 428-3281, colbyhillinn.com) will serve a special three-course prix fixe menu for Valentine’s Day on Sunday, Feb. 12, with seatings from 4 to 8 p.m. The meal will include your choice of a first course (coconut curried squash soup, New England seafood chowder, heirloom beet salad, organic frisee salad or potato, roast garlic and goat cheese pierogi or Dutch meatballs); an entree (roasted hen in citrus and bay leaves, Burgundy-braised lamb shank, seared tenderloin, heirloom squash and goat cheese maultaschen or pan-roasted Faroe Island salmon); and a dessert (chocolate fondue for two, chocolate trio, passion fruit panna cotta, caramelized pineapple brown butter cake or sorbet duo). The cost is $85 per person.

• Copper Kettle To Go (39 Main St., Wilton, 654-2631, copperkettletogo.com) will serve a special four-course meal for Valentine’s Day on Tuesday, Feb. 14, from 6 to 9 p.m. Courses will include minestrone soup, arugula winter salad, your choice of an entree (braised short ribs with mashed red potatoes and carrots, or homemade ricotta gnocchi with scallops in a lemon butter white wine sauce with capers); and two options to choose from for a dessert. The cost ranges from $64.95 to $68.95 per person (depending on which entree you choose), and specialty drinks can also be purchased at the time of seating.

• Cotton (75 Arms St., Manchester, 622-5488, cottonfood.com) will be celebrating Valentine’s Day with some seasonal specials on Tuesday, Feb. 14, and Wednesday, Feb. 15, from 5 to 8:30 p.m., in addition to its regular menu on both of those nights.

• The Cozy Tea Cart (249-9111, thecozyteacart.com) will hold a Valentine’s Day afternoon tea tasting on Sunday, Feb. 5, from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Gatherings at The Colonel Shepard House (29 Mont Vernon St., Milford). In addition to a selection of fine quality teas, there will be assorted tea breads, sandwiches and pastries, as well as chocolate-covered strawberries. The cost is $39.95 per person and reservations are required.

• The Crown Tavern (99 Hanover St., Manchester, 218-3132, thecrownonhanover.com) is taking a limited number of reservations for Valentine’s Day on Tuesday, Feb. 14, when it will serve its regular menus. The restaurant is also adding an additional day that week, and will be open regular hours on Monday, Feb. 13.

• Cupcakes 101 (132 Bedford Center Road, Bedford, 488-5962, cupcakes101.net) is celebrating Valentine’s Day with a variety of seasonally inspired items available for order or for pickup, like cake pop bouquets, chocolate-covered strawberries, chocolate-dipped Oreos, chocolate-covered pretzels, hot cocoa bombs and more. Call or email to place an order.

• Dancing Lion Chocolate (917 Elm St., Manchester, 625-4043, dancinglion.us) will hold a special Valentine’s edition of its “down and dirty” chocolate class for couples on Tuesday, Feb. 28, at 5 p.m. As of Jan. 25, signups were still available. Participants will get to taste chocolate during this hands-on class, learning tips and tricks about making chocolate ganache for truffles and taking home what they make. The cost is $350 per couple.

• Frederick’s Pastries (109 Route 101A, Amherst, 882-7725; 25 S. River Road, Bedford, 647-2253; pastry.net) is celebrating Valentine’s Day with all kinds of seasonally inspired sweets and treats, like Champagne tortes topped with chocolate-covered strawberries, as well as cookie kits, assorted heart-shaped cookies, Champagne cake truffles, chocolate lover’s cheesecake cups and more.

• Granite Restaurant & Bar (The Centennial Hotel, 96 Pleasant St., Concord, 227-9005, graniterestaurant.com) is accepting reservations for Valentine’s Day on Tuesday, Feb. 14, from 5 to 8:30 p.m., during which it will be serving its regular menu with some “romance-inspired” specials. Reserve online through OpenTable.

• Granite State Candy Shoppe (13 Warren St., Concord, 225-2591; 832 Elm St., Manchester, 218-3885; granitestatecandyshoppe.com) is celebrating Valentine’s Day with all kinds of seasonal sweets and treats, like assorted chocolate heart boxes, freshly dipped strawberries in white, dark or milk chocolate, rose- or heart-shaped chocolate pop molds and more. Strawberries are available to order for in-store pickup only — they’ll be available for pickup on Monday, Feb. 13, or Tuesday, Feb. 14, after noon and should be consumed within two days.

• Greenleaf (54 Nashua St., Milford, 213-5447, greenleafmilford.com) is celebrating Valentine’s Day with a special five-course prix fixe tasting menu from chefs Chris Viaud and Justin O’Malley, which will be available on Friday, Feb. 10, Saturday, Feb. 11, Monday, Feb. 13, and Tuesday, Feb. 14. Menu courses will include spiced hamachi with cranberry ponzu and sesame puffed rice; beet gnocchi with duck confit, mushrooms, spinach and a whipped lemon ricotta; chicken milanese with arugula pistou, mache, pickled fennel and spiced pistachios; grilled New York strip with potato croquette, Gruyere cheese, carrot, parsnip, romaine and a beet foam sauce; and red velvet cake with pink peppercorn meringue, passion fruit, semifreddo spiced chocolate and cocoa lace tuile. The cost is $125 per person, or $155 with optional wine pairings. Greenleaf’s regular a la carte menu will also be available on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, although on Tuesday, Feb. 14, only the prix fixe Valentine’s Day menu will be served. Reserve online through Tock.

• Hanover Street Chophouse (149 Hanover St., Manchester, 644-2467, hanoverstreetchophouse.com) may be fully booked on Tuesday, Feb. 14, for Valentine’s Day, but they have added an additional day — Monday, Feb. 13 — when a limited amount of reservations are being accepted. Reserve online through OpenTable to see the most up-to-date available times.

• The Hills Restaurant (Hampshire Hills Athletic Club, 50 Emerson Road, Milford, 673-7123, hampshirehills.com/the-hills-restaurant) will host a special Valentine’s Day dinner and dance event on Saturday, Feb. 11 — a three-course meal will be served from 5:30 to 7 p.m., followed by dancing and lessons from 7 to 10 p.m with the Royal Palace Dance Studio. Dinner courses will include smoked sugar beet and heart of palm with scallion, arugula and a charred citrus vinaigrette; your choice of an entree (red wine-braised pork osso buco, or roasted root vegetable tart); and vanilla bean cheesecake with red berry coulis and blush chantilly cream for dessert. Tango and bachata performances and lessons will follow, in addition to some time for open dancing. The cost is $80 per person ($75 for Hampshire Hills members). Reserve online through Resy.

• LaBelle Winery Derry (14 Route 111, 672-9898, labellewinery.com) will host a special Valentine’s soiree dinner and dance party on Saturday Feb. 11, from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. The evening will include a three-course dinner featuring a green salad with roasted root vegetables and a molasses red wine vinaigrette; your choice of an entree (chicken cordon bleu with mustard and Gruyere cheese, herbed duchess potatoes, braised kale and lemon veloute, or za’atar dusted cauliflower steak) and chocolate pot de creme with whipped cream and a chocolate-covered strawberry. Jazz cover group the KTO Band will perform live, and the dance floor will be open during the evening. A full bar will be featured, with wine, cocktails, beer and non-alcoholic beverages available for purchase. Tickets are $80 per person (event is 21+ only) and reservations are required.

• Luna Bistro (254 N. Broadway, Salem, 458-2162, luna-bistro.com) will serve a special Valentine’s Day four-course dinner with wine pairings, live music, comedy and dancing — it’s all happening on Tuesday, Feb. 14, from 6 to 9 p.m. Courses will include grilled hearts of romaine with chilled crab meat, Parmesan wafer and passion fruit vinaigrette; pappardelle with guanciale, shallots, roasted garlic cognac cream sauce and grated Parmesan; Tuscan pork skewers with zucchini, squash, bell pepper, red onion and tomato and mushroom polenta; and chocolate lava cake with fresh whipped cream and chocolate-covered strawberries for dessert. All courses will be accompanied by Banfi wines. The evening will include live music by Joey Canzano, singing love songs from Elvis, Neil Diamond and others, along with comedy from Jason Merrill and magic by Phil Volonino. The cost is $125 per person.

• Michaela’s Sweets Gluten Free Bakery (Hooksett, michaelassweets.com) is taking orders for several specialty items for Valentine’s Day, including cupcakes and whoopie pies (strawberry, red velvet, Valentine funfetti, chocolate-salted caramel and white chocolate raspberry); cake pops, available by the dozen or two dozen (chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, red velvet, Valentine funfetti and white chocolate); and brownie bites, available via half- or full-sized trays (chocolate fudge, Valentine funfetti, white chocolate chip and chocolate raspberry). All of their treats are produced in their celiac-friendly home kitchen — you can order by filling out a form online through the website or requesting items via phone. A 48-hour ordering notice is appreciated, and local pickups and deliveries are available.

• Mola Foods (9 Simon St., Nashua, 877-593-8157, molafoods.com) will hold a special Taste of Africa Valentine’s Day celebration on Tuesday, Feb. 14, at 6:30 p.m. — as of Jan. 25, tickets were still available. Guests will be treated to a culinary tour of Cameroon, Ethiopia and Morocco, and the dishes will be paired with wine from Brookline’s Averill House Vineyard. Live music will be provided by Rabihah Shabazz. The cost is $50 per person and the dress code is semi-formal.

• Pearls Candy & Nuts (58 Range Road, Windham, 893-9100, pearlscandynh.com) is celebrating Valentine’s Day with specialty sweets and treats like gourmet chocolate heart boxes, conversation hearts, red- or silver-foiled milk chocolate hearts and more.

• Presto Craft Kitchen (168 Amory St., Manchester, 606-1252, prestocraftkitchen.com) is taking orders for four-course Valentine’s Day dinners for two, featuring charcuterie boxes of domestic and imported cheeses, Italian meats, berries, crackers and other accompaniments, along with your choice of a salad (Caesar, field green with vinaigrette or caprese with balsamic Greek); an entree (sirloin Marsala over penne, chicken Parmesan over penne, heart ravioli with vodka sauce, shrimp scampi over linguine, roast filet with mushroom risotto and roasted Brussels sprouts, or cranberry cornbread-stuffed chicken and gravy with roast potato and carrots); and two desserts (triple chocolate cake, tiramisu, red velvet cake, Snickers cheesecake, chocolate-covered berries, lemon mascarpone cake, pistachio cake, macaroons and strawberry New York cheesecake). You can also order some a la carte desserts, like jumbo chocolate-covered strawberries, giant breakable chocolate hearts filled with desserts and candies, mini red velvet cake, Oreo cheesecake truffle pops and chocolate-covered Oreos. Order by Feb. 8. Pickups will be on Friday, Feb. 10, or Monday, Feb. 13.

• Rambling House Food & Gathering (57 Factory St., Suite A, Nashua, 318-3220, ramblingtale.com) is hosting the second installment of its Legends & Lore Storyteller Series, “Legends of Love,” on Wednesday, Feb. 15, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. The evening will include your choice of selections from the eatery’s full winter dinner menu, followed by a special appearance from humorist and author Simon Brooks, beginning at 8 p.m. Tickets are $40 per table for two and reservations are required.

• Ruby Cakes (Milford, ruby-cakes.com) is taking orders for specialty flavors of cakesicles, including red velvet cake with a cream cheese frosting and chocolate cake with a chocolate frosting, as well as “hot choc-sicles” (milk chocolate shells filled with hot cocoa mixes and mini marshmallows — simply stir into a cup of warm milk). Orders can be placed through Feb. 13 and are available for collection between Friday, Feb. 10, and Tuesday, Feb. 14 — select your pickup date and time during the checkout process. Alternative pickup dates and times can also be arranged via the contact page (the order confirmation provides the address for pickups).

• Sweet Treats by Emilee (Milford, find them on Facebook and Instagram) is celebrating Valentine’s Day with a variety of specialty sweets and treats available for preorder, like heart-shaped decorated and bagged sugar cookies, milk chocolate saltine toffee, brownie or chocolate chip cookie dough-flavored cakesicles, Oreo cookie chocolate-dipped lollipops, traditional or heart-shaped hot cocoa bombs, jumbo breakable hearts and more. Order by Feb. 7. Pickups will be available at the Manchester Craft Market (inside the Mall of New Hampshire, 1500 S. Willow St., Manchester) after Feb. 9. See manchestercraftmarket.square.site for a full list of offerings.

• Van Otis Chocolates (341 Elm St., Manchester, 627-1611, vanotis.com) is taking orders for milk, white or dark chocolate-dipped strawberries (available for in-store pickup only — ordering at least 48 hours in advance is required and consuming within 24 hours of pickup is recommended). The shop is also celebrating Valentine’s Day with items like assorted chocolate heart boxes, jumbo marshmallow hearts, “I Love You” chocolate-dipped Champagne bottles, black forest Swiss fudge, strawberry Swiss fudge and more. Order by Monday, Feb. 13, at 10 a.m. to ensure local delivery on Tuesday, Feb. 14. To arrive within New England, order by Feb. 7 at 10 a.m. To arrive outside of New England, order by Feb. 2 at 10 a.m.

• Vine 32 Wine + Graze Bar (25 S. River Road, Unit 107, Bedford, 935-8464, vinethirtytwo.com) is offering a special Date Night package for guests on Tuesday, Feb. 14, or Wednesday, Feb. 15 — reservations for 5:30 or 7:30 p.m. are available for those two dates. The package includes two $25 wine cards (to access the onsite self-serve wine bar), along with a five-item cheese and charcuterie board, and a chocolate fondue or chocolate chip cookie skillet. The regular menu will also be available for add-ons.

• Wolfe’s Tavern (The Wolfeboro Inn, 90 N. Main St., Wolfeboro, 569-3016, wolfestavern.com) is celebrating Valentine’s Day with a special three-course prix fixe menu on Tuesday, Feb. 14. Courses include your choice of Caesar salad or tomato boursin soup, along with an entree (filet mignon or pan-seared chicken) and dessert (chocolate lava cake or raspberry creme brulee). The cost is $55 per couple. Reserve online through OpenTable.

Seacoast Valentine’s Day Places

• CR’s The Restaurant (287 Exeter Road, Hampton, 929-7972,  crstherestaurant.com) is taking reservations for Valentine’s Day on Tuesday, Feb. 14, serving their most popular menu items with some specials. Local musician Bob Tirelli will be playing in the lounge starting at 6 p.m.

• Epoch Gastropub (The Exeter Inn, 90 Front St., Exeter, 778-3762,  epochrestaurant.com) is accepting reservations for Valentine’s Day on Tuesday, Feb. 14, from 5 to 8 p.m., during which it will be serving its regular menu with some specials. Reserve online through OpenTable.

• Fresh AF Bakeshop (34 Church St., Kingston, 642-8609,  freshafbakeshop.com) is taking orders for a variety of specialty items for Valentine’s Day, including sweetheart cakes (strawberry crunch, red velvet berry or triple chocolate); 6-inch double-layer strawberry shortcakes; 6-inch deep-dish pies for two (chocolate pudding, banana pudding, classic cherry, half baked or caramel apple crumb); macarons, by the dozen or half-dozen (chocolate-covered strawberry, Boston cream, chocolate brownie, red velvet Oreo, raspberry cheesecake or chocolate-salted caramel); and other treats, like chocolate-covered strawberries (available by the dozen or half-dozen); cherry cordials, flourless chocolate tortes and strawberry shortcake-stuffed doughnuts. All Valentine’s Day items are available through Feb. 12, for pickup in store during normal business hours, or third-party delivery through DoorDash, UberEats or Postmates (subject to availability).

• Huckleberry’s Candies (293 Lafayette Road, Hampton, 926-5061,  huckleberryscandies.com) is celebrating Valentine’s Day with seasonal sweets and treats, like milk chocolate foil hearts, jelly bean hearts, conversation hearts, specialty boxed truffles and more.

• La Cascade du Chocolat (109 Water St., Exeter; 214 State St., Portsmouth; 777-5177; lacascadeduchocolat.com) is celebrating Valentine’s Day with heart-shaped bonbons, available in eight-, 16- or 21-piece quantities and a variety of flavors (passionfruit and coconut, strawberry and dark chocolate, cinnamon hot chocolate and more); milk, dark or white chocolate “el-love-phants”; dark hot chocolate hearts for two; and limited-edition roses-and-strawberries dark or white chocolate bars.

• Street Exeter (8 Clifford St., Exeter, 580-4148, streetfood360.com) will serve a special five-course prix fixe dinner menu for Valentine’s Day on Tuesday, Feb. 14, in addition to its regular menu. Courses will include whipped feta with roasted beets, walnuts, olive oil and a warm pita; arugula salad with fennel, citrus, pine nuts and a blood orange vinaigrette; arancini mushroom risotto with provolone, mozzarella and a red sauce; house-made sun-dried tomato pesto pasta with Parmigiano Reggiano and Italian bread crumbs; and chocolate panna cotta with raspberries and whipped cream for dessert. The cost is $65 per couple and reservations can be made via phone.

Featured photo: Cakesicle from Ruby Cakes.

Opening day for new show

Nashua playwright’s production comes to the Concord stage

At the Hatbox in Concord, the community theater troupe Lend Me a Theatre is preparing the first production of The World Was Yours, by Nashua playwright William Ivers. Matthew Parent, director of The World Was Yours, said he was extremely excited to bring this play to life.

“It’s a great story about the value of art and what people think of art and whose opinion about art is right or not,” Parent said. “It’s this debate, and you can extract that to be about anything, not just art.”

This isn’t the first of Ivers’ plays to be produced, but it is the first time Lend Me a Theatre has produced an original and independent text.

In the play, three artists compete for the same grant: aging art professor Adley Schwartz, his young student Joy and guerilla graffiti artist Z-Jones, according to a press release. Watching the action from the ether are Bob Ross, Salvador Dali and Andy Warhol, the release said.

Parent, who is a new member to Lend Me a Theatre, said having an original play be his directorial debut is extremely exciting. He said it’s incredible that he is allowed a chance to put his own spin on the text, to work with the Ivers to realize his vision, and to work with actors to breathe life into characters that have never been portrayed before.

Even though this is the first performance of The World Was Yours, Parent said there is a very good chance that it won’t be the last. This show will have a reading done in New York City, and it has gathered interest from the Royal Court Theatre in London.

“It’s unusual for a community theater or nonprofessional theater to do new plays,” Parent said. “Usually they do shows that have been published and done before. In that respect, [The World Was Yours] is brave.”

The World Was Yours
What: Original play by New Hampshire playwright William Ivers produced by Lend Me a Theatre
Where: Hatbox Theatre, 270 Loudon Road in Concord
When: Friday, Feb. 3, through Sunday, Feb. 19, with shows on Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m.
Tickets: $22 for adults, $19 for seniors and students
More info: hatboxnh.com

Featured photo: Courtesy photo.

Dive in

Hit the indoor pool for fun and exercise

Who says having fun in the water has to be a summer-only activity?

Even in the dead of winter, there are several local spots to enjoy a bit of water fun indoors. We look at where to go to get in the pool for exercise, improve your swimming skills or try some surfing or boogie boarding — yes, indoors. Dig out that swimsuit and make a plan for a day in the water.

Water wonderland

Find a summertime oasis at an indoor aquatic center

By Katelyn Sahagian

ksahagian@hippopress.com

Surfing in the wintertime is no longer restricted to tropical vacations, thanks to SkyVenture NH’s aquatic attraction Surf’s Up. Laurie Greer, who co-owns the Nashua facility with her husband, Rob, said she wanted to bring year-round waves to the Granite State.

“We can do everything from knee high to a 6-foot standing barrel,” Greer said, adding that people love to come and watch the surfers as much as they surf themselves. “Kick your shoes off and bring your flip-flops. It’s … a tropical paradise.”

Surf’s Up uses a device called a SurfStream. The wave machine fills a small pool with about a foot of water, which is then propelled at a speed of about 14 miles per hour to create a variety of waves. The Greers had specialized surfboards made and gathered up boogie boards. They heated the water to 80 degrees to create their own summertime oasis.

indoor swimming pool with lanes
The Workout Club’s aquatic center in Salem. Courtesy photo.

While it seemed easy enough to get going for people who are experienced on surfboards, Greer saw that some newer surfers needed an extra hand. Now, SkyVenture offers help to the newer surfers from the staff of surf instructors.

“The program we have is called ‘surf assist,’” she said. “An instructor … will set [a visitor] up and the other will help them up on the wave. Once [the visitor is] stable, they’ll let go. They basically are your personal coach on the waves.”

Surf’s Up is the largest SurfStream in the world, measuring in at a length of 32 feet. The attraction is more than just a fun way to get out energy, Greer said — it’s also used by professional surfers and wake surfers to practice during the winter months. Pro wakesurfer Jake Caster got started using Surf’s Up as his training ground, while YouTuber and award-winning surfer Jamie “JOB” O’Brien has also used the facility.

Each session at Surf’s Up lasts 15 minutes, Greer said.

“Fifteen minutes doesn’t sound like a lot, but it’s a lot,” she said. “In the ocean, you’d be lucky to get 10 seconds to catch a ride.”

While kids as young as 4 or 5 years old can go on Surf’s Up, sometimes indoor swimming fun can look a bit more like a traditional waterpark. Over at The Workout Club in Salem, there’s a kid-friendly water wonderland known as the SplashZone that’s available for use in addition to the facility’s regular lane swimming.

“We have wonderful aquatics that are broken into three segments,” said Laurie Moran, The Workout Club’s aquatics director. The segments are lane swimming, family swimming and the SplashZone, which has wade-in water activities and swim areas, water sprinklers, a mushroom-cap fountain and a 75-foot water slide. On the other side of the complex you’ll find a wade pool for toddlers and a family swimming pool for fun.

When parents and older siblings need a break from the pool fun, they can take time in the spa, a hot tub for visitors ages 16 and older. The water can get up to 104 degrees with jets to help massage sore muscles.

Moran said that the aquatics center is a place for everyone in the family to have a good time and get some energy out.

“This is a place where parents and kids can get exercise,” she said, jokingly adding, “Afterward, kids are really tuckered out, and when they’re tired they’re less work to take care of.”

Indoor water fun

This list has a selection of places that are free or offer day passes to use their facilities.

Dover public pool
9 Henry Law Ave., 516-6441, dover.nh.gov
The public pool is open daily, with different programs scheduled each day. A single day pass costs $5 for resident adults and $3 for resident children and seniors, and $7 for non-resident adults and $4 for non-resident children and seniors. There are discounted packages available for a multi-day pass. See the website for the full schedule.

Envy Sports Club
298 Queen City Ave., Manchester, 703-5303, envysportsclubs.com
The Envy Splash Lounge is not only an indoor pool but also has a cinema, music, parties, food and drinks. Kids and parents can join Envy for a live DJ at the Kids Glow Party every Saturday night from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $12 per person and can be purchased online.

SkyVenture NH
100 Adventure Way, Nashua, 897-0002, skyventurenh.com
SkyVenture is open Wednesday through Friday, 2 to 8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pricing for Surf’s Up starts at $45 for a 15-minute session, followed by $22.50 for each additional session. Private sessions are also available — book online through their website.

The Workout Club
16 Pelham Road, Salem, 894-4800, theworkoutclub.com/salem
The SplashZone is open daily from noon to 4 p.m. The water slide will only be operational during the weekends, when a lifeguard is on duty in that area. The cost is $20 for non-members ages 13 and up and $10 for non-members.

Making a splash

Get fit in the pool, from aquatics classes to swim lessons

By Mya Blanchard and Matt Ingersoll

listings@hippopress.com

Between frigid temperatures and the depths of snow, it can be hard to find ways to stay active in the dead of winter. Indoor swimming and water exercise programs are great year-round alternatives to what are traditionally warm-weather activities — and they’ve been steadily growing in popularity post-pandemic.

“There’s definitely been a good uptick in the amount of interest the last three years,” said Matthew Chabot, owner of Somerset Swim & Fitness in Nashua, which offers swimming lessons for kids and adults, in addition to aqua aerobics for its members six days a week. “To be honest, we’ve quadrupled the amount of lessons on a yearly basis that we’re doing now from what we were doing pre-Covid.”

The interest in indoor pools also grows this time of year at the Hampshire Hills Athletic Club in Milford, according to aquatics director Jasmine Bishop.

young boy having fun swimming in indoor pool with pool noodle
Photo courtesy of the YMCA of Greater Nashua.

“I think after Christmastime, it’s a real big turning point, and our pools start to get busier because people are thinking of activities that they can do with their kids, or they’re thinking of different ways to cross-train when they can’t be out on the roads running or biking,” Bishop said. “A lot of people will hop in [the pool] and do PT [physical therapy] if they are trying to recover from something. … Or even if it’s icy outside, they’ll get into the water and walk, and that adds resistance and they’re still getting their steps in.”

At Hampshire Hills, one lane of a five-lane lap pool is always open to members — according to the club’s website, it’s open seven days a week throughout each day and can be reserved for swimmers up to four days in advance. Bishop added that, for adults, the club’s aquatics programs are more fitness-oriented and include everything from strength and tone workouts to those that promote proper joint and muscle alignment.

“We have an arthritis class, we have a Water in Motion [class] … and a lot of other different options, and generally those run Monday through Friday,” she said. “We have our family pool and that’s where our aqua classes run. Then we have our hot tub, which is a nice addition after you’ve been in a class or [you’ve been] swimming laps. … We see all different types of fitness levels.”

In business in the Gate City for more than two decades, Somerset Swim & Fitness is known for focusing on one-on-one private lessons for swimmers, regardless of one’s membership status with the club. It’s also one of the only spots around with a heated saltwater pool, a safer and more natural alternative, Chabot said, to one filled with chlorine. In addition to lessons, the club does offer open swimming hours to members seven days a week at various times over several hours, and there are membership rates available for open swim in the pool only. Aqua aerobics classes, meanwhile, are available and great for building strength and improving flexibility.

“All of our instructors are WSI [Water Safety Instructor, through the American Red Cross] certified. A lot of them have competitive swimming backgrounds,” Chabot said.

Lessons at the club are offered daily, and swimmers are usually guided to enroll in at least one lesson per week. A majority of swimmers, Chabot said, are kids and teens up to 15 years old, although lessons are available to all ages.

“We focus on … more of the beginner to the intermediate [swimmer],” he said. “Getting that individual, whether it’s the parent [who] wants their child to be comfortable and have those water safety skills, or if it’s an older child or an adult, then we’re basically helping them get over any fear they may have or getting them comfortable so that they feel they can swim. … Between the swim director who runs the program, or the individual instructors, they’ll more or less observe in the first session to get an idea of where the person is at.”

Group swimming lessons for kids and teens are also available at Hampshire Hills, with the next eight-week session running from March 6 through April 29. For younger swimmers, Bishop said, the benefits of enrolling in lessons range from basic water safety to building or boosting confidence.

toddler wearing wet suit and goggles, sitting on steps to indoor swimming pool
NH Swim School co-owner Tyler Smirnioudis’s daughter, Sofia. Courtesy photo.

“It’s a huge life skill that kids should know,” she said, “and then from there, you can work on fitness or you can swim for fun. Whatever you want to do, there are so many avenues that it can take you through.”

The YMCA of Greater Nashua also offers group swimming lessons, in addition to private lessons and daily guest passes for people to access the facility’s swimming pools, according to chief community relations officer Elizabeth Covino. Lessons are offered all year long, with the next program session beginning Feb. 6. At Granite YMCA, meanwhile (which includes the YMCA of Downtown Manchester, the YMCA of Concord and the YMCA Allard Center of Goffstown), day passes to use the pools are also complimentary for first-time visitors, followed by up to five paid visits.

In the Concord area, Karen Jenovese and her stepdaughter, Tyler Smirnioudis, have operated the NH Swim School for more than a decade. Both with backgrounds in competitive swimming — Smirnioudis is also a lifeguard instructor and Jenovese a swimming coach — the two developed their own methods of teaching that allow kids to progress faster and at their own pace.

“A lot of other places rely on floatation devices when teaching kids how to swim … and that can make the process take a lot longer,” Smirnioudis said. “We don’t use any floatation in our swimming lessons and our class sizes are very small compared to other programs … so that really helps make a difference with our kids learning to swim.”

The school provides lessons for children and adults. When deciding which lesson to sign up for, one must consider a swimmer’s age and skill level.

Those age 6 months to 3 years old can start with parent-and-child classes. These lessons familiarize children with the water and teach them developmental skills, like swimming on their front and back, floating and going under the water. Next up is Level 1, which teaches children how to swim independently. The following levels build on these skills and teach core strokes. “Our goal is for all the kids to continue swimming until they get to our developmental swim team,” Smirnioudis said.

Where to find indoor swimming lessons and aquatics programs
Here are some local health clubs and other organizations offering either private or group swimming lessons for kids and adults, as well as some open swimming opportunities and fitness-oriented aquatics classes.

Where to find indoor swimming lessons and aquatics programs

Envy Sports Club
298 Queen City Ave., Manchester, 703-5303, envysportsclubs.com
When: Classes for kids and adults run on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays at various times throughout the day, depending on the class. Aquatics programs are also available.
Cost: $169 for members and $199 for non-members, either for eight weeks with one class per week or four weeks with two classes per week. Membership rates start at $39 per month to use the pool only.

Executive Health & Sports Center
1 Highlander Way, Manchester, 668-4753, ehsc.com
When: Classes are held Sundays through Saturdays at various times, depending on the class (no classes during school vacation weeks or holiday weekends). The next session for swimming lessons runs from March 4 through April 16, with registration opening Feb. 6 at 5 a.m. Group aquatics programs, meanwhile, are available Monday through Friday at 9 a.m. and Saturday at 10 a.m.
Cost: $69 for members, and $119 for non-members for swimming lessons

Hampshire Hills Athletic Club
50 Emerson Road, Milford, 673-7123, hampshirehills.com
When: Group lessons are held weekdays from 4 to 6 p.m., and on Saturday mornings. The next eight-week session runs from March 6 through April 29, with registration due March 4 (private lessons are currently not available). One lane of a five-lane lap pool is also open to members — according to the club’s website, it’s open seven days a week throughout each day and can be reserved for swimmers up to four days in advance. Aquatics classes, meanwhile, are offered seven days a week at various times — see website for details.
Cost: Ranges from $96 to $136 for the eight-week swimming lesson program, depending on the swimmer’s membership status.

NH Swim School
96 N. State St., Concord, 724-3106, nhswimschool.com
When: Classes are offered weekly, Sunday through Saturday, depending on the class.
Registration opens Feb. 4 for the NH Swim School’s next session, which begins in March.
Cost: Ranges from $175 to $230

Peak Swim Center
45 Mountain Road, Brookline, 978-337-6717, peakswimcenter.com
When: Coached swimming sessions are available seven days a week; see website to book a time.
Cost: $90 per 45-minute coached swimming session, or $100 per 60-minute session

SafeSplash Swim School
Hosted at the Holiday Inn, 2280 Brown Ave., Manchester, 945-1844, safesplash.com
When: Classes are offered on Sundays, at various times between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m.; and on Wednesdays, at various times between 4 and 7 p.m.
Cost: Ranges from $88 to $308, depending on the type of class and the length of each session.

Somerset Swim & Fitness
2 Somerset Parkway, Nashua, 595-4160, somersetsf.com
When: Private lessons are available seven days a week; call to schedule a time. In addition to lessons, the club does also offer open swimming hours to members seven days a week at various times over several hours, in addition to aqua aerobics classes. Membership rates are available for open swim in the pool only.
Cost: Membership rates vary; call for details

YMCA Allard Center of Goffstown
Granite YMCA, 116 Goffstown Back Road, Goffstown, 497-4663, graniteymca.com
When: Swimming programs are held at various dates and times throughout the week — see program brochure for the full schedule. Open swimming hours vary and can be viewed online graniteymca.com on a week-to-week basis, Monday through Saturday.
Cost: Varies, depending on the swimmer’s age and membership status. Day passes to use the pool are also complimentary for first-time visitors, followed by up to five paid visits ($10 for adults, $5 for adolescents and teens and $3 for younger kids)

YMCA of Concord
Granite YMCA, 15 N. State St., Concord, 228-9622, graniteymca.com
When: Swimming programs are held at various dates and times throughout the week — see program brochure for the full schedule. Open swimming hours vary and can be viewed online graniteymca.com on a week-to-week basis, Monday through Saturday.
Cost: Varies, depending on the swimmer’s age and membership status. Day passes to use the pool are also complimentary for first-time visitors, followed by up to five paid visits ($10 for adults, $5 for adolescents and teens and $3 for younger kids)

YMCA of Downtown Manchester
Granite YMCA, 30 Mechanic St., Manchester, 623-3558, graniteymca.com
When: Swimming programs are held at various dates and times throughout the week — see program brochure for the full schedule. Open swimming hours vary and can be viewed online graniteymca.com on a week-to-week basis, Monday through Saturday.
Cost: Varies, depending on the swimmer’s age and membership status. Day passes to use the pool are also complimentary for first-time visitors, followed by up to five paid visits ($10 for adults, $5 for adolescents and teens and $3 for younger kids)

YMCA of Greater Nashua
24 Stadium Drive, Nashua, 882-2011, nmymca.org
When: Swimming lessons are offered all year long; the next program session begins Feb. 6. Daily guest passes are also available for people to access the Y’s swimming pools. Indoor pools are located at the Nashua YMCA (24 Stadium Drive, Nashua) and the Westwood Park YMCA (90 Northwest Blvd., Nashua). Lanes are available for open swim on various days and times — the full schedule is regularly updated at nmymca.org.
Cost: Daily passes are $15 per adult and $5 per child per day.

Featured photo: Courtesy photo.

News & Notes 23/02/02

Rental assistance

New Hampshire has received nearly $3.6 million from the U.S. Department of Treasury through the Emergency Rental Assistance program to assist New Hampshire renters with rent and other housing expenses, including energy and utility costs. According to a press release, the supplemental funds were allotted in response to an appeal made by the New Hampshire congressional delegation in October after the U.S. Treasury announced that New Hampshire would not receive additional resources to continue the program beyond Dec. 29, and New Hampshire Housing was forced to put the program on pause. “The housing crisis continues to be a top challenge facing Granite Staters, with particularly brutal consequences during the intense winter season,” U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, who led the delegation, said in the release. More than $230 million in assistance was provided to more than 23,000 households across the state through the Emergency Rental Assistance Program from when it was launched in March 2021 to when it was put on pause in October 2022. Visit nhhfa.org/emergency-rental-assistance for updates and to apply for assistance.

Covid detection

Data from New Hampshire’s wastewater surveillance for detecting Covid levels is now available to the public on a new online dashboard at covid19.nh.gov/wastewater-surveillance. Because the virus can be shed in wastewater, viral fragments in community-wide samples collected from wastewater treatment facilities can be used to track trends in levels of the virus over time. The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services’ Division of Public Health

Services launched the program in December as a potential tool to monitor the virus in New Hampshire communities and issue earlier warnings to the public about rising levels, according to a press release. The dashboard cautions against using the current data to inform public health as several months of data are required for accurate interpretation and establishing trends.

New shelters

Manchester homelessness initiatives are working to open two 24-hour emergency shelters following the City’s eviction of a large homeless encampment at Manchester and Pine streets that left about 50 people with nowhere to live, WMUR reported. The YCWA will oversee the reopening of the Tirrell House on Brook Street to provide 14 to 16 beds for women, and the City will oversee the other shelter, which will provide 40 beds for men and women. The City-run shelter is expected to be open until April while the YCWA is seeking to keep the Tirrell House open permanently. The City set up a temporary warming station at the William Cashin Senior Activity Center on Douglas Street in early January, and that operation will be moved to the City-run shelter once the shelter opens, according to the article.

Hiring freeze

Dartmouth Health, New Hampshire’s largest private employer, has instituted a hiring freeze and plans to conduct a job review process as it looks to close a $120 million budget gap by the end of September, NHPR reported. All open positions at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center and the Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinics, as well as job changes, such as employee transfers, adjustments, promotions and filling positions after an employee leaves, will be subject to review. The system currently employs about 12,000 people and had more than 1,000 job openings listed last month, most of which were for nursing and allied health positions.

Back to normal

The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services has announced that Medicaid eligibility and enrollment will resume regular, pre-pandemic operations beginning on April 1, according to a press release. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act has allowed all Medicaid recipients to retain their health coverage during the pandemic since March 2020. In the coming months, the Department will be reaching out to those approximately 102,000 beneficiaries currently protected under this coverage to assess their eligibility to continue being covered by Medicaid beyond April 1. “It will be important for Medicaid beneficiaries to watch their mail, email and texts for notices from DHHS and complete their Medicaid renewals in order to avoid a gap in their health coverage,” DHHS Medicaid Director Henry Lipman said in the release.

Tea Talks

The Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire’s 2023 Elinor Williams Hooker Tea Talks Series, titled “Bringing it Back: Conversations We Still Need,” begins with its first program, “Before European Contact: Changing the Ways We Present Our History,” on Sunday, Feb. 5, from 2 to 3:30 p.m., virtually and in person at the Portsmouth Public Library (175 Parrott Ave.). According to a press release, the talks explore the history and lived experience surrounding current issues in the Black, Indigenous, People of Color community and provide a safe space for conversation about race, equity, social justice and belonging. Other talks in the series will include “The Paradox of Education for Black and Brown Children” on Feb. 12; “Beyond Forty Acres: Land Ownership and Black Wealth” on Feb. 19; “Shades of Black: Connected by Color, Culture, and Community” on Feb. 26; “Exploring the Heart of Cross-Racial Conversation” on March 5; and “Youth to Power: Black Female Activists” on March 12. Registration is required. Visit blackheritagetrailnh.org/elinor-williams-hooker-tea-talks-2023.

Meredith Village Savings Bank has donated $10,000 to the Meredith Sculpture Walk (meredithsculpturewalk.org) for the walk’s 10th year. According to a press release, this year’s walk will feature more than 30 sculptures. The sculptures can be seen year-round in downtown Meredith.

A new state historical highway marker has been placed on Route 9 in Barrington noting “The Balch Household Graves.” According to a press release, the reinterred gravesites in Pine Grove Cemetery are that of Rev. Benjamin Balch (1743–1815), the first chaplain of the Continental Navy, and a formerly enslaved woman named Aggie (ca. 1740–c.1840), who became known as the town nurse. A map of New Hampshire’s historical highway markers is available at nh.gov/nhdhr.

SEE Science Center presents Science on Tap on Tuesday, Feb. 7, at 6 p.m. at Stark Brewing Co. in Manchester (500 Commercial St.). The topic will be the present and future of organ transplants. Nick Rinella, associate scientist at the Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute in Manchester, will be a panelist. Admission is free. RSVP at see-sciencecenter.org/adults.

Homecoming

Blues Fest debuts at Rex

The first New England Blues Festival was a modest one-off featuring regional bands, including Mr. Nick & the Dirty Tricks, led by organizer Nick David. Buoyed by its success, David brought it back the following year and soon was attracting national talent like Chicago heavy-hitter Nick Moss, and the event scaled to multiple venues.

The annual show has attracted a bevy of talent over the years, including Muddy Waters’ son Big Bill Morganfield. David’s former group Mr. Nick & the Dirty Tricks backed him up in 2018. “I get goosebumps talking about it,” David recalled in 2019, “because that’s as close as I’ll ever get to playing with Muddy.”

David always hoped the show would stop in his hometown of Manchester; that will finally happen on Sunday, Jan. 29, on the stage of the Rex Theatre. “I’ve been talking to the Rex off and on for the last few years,” David said by phone recently. “I really like the venue a lot.”

The 13th festival features four guitar heroes. There’s headliner Mike Zito, Moss, playing for his fourth time, Roberto Morbioli, and Paul Size, the latter a member of David’s latest group, and concert house band, The Wicked Lo-Down.

Size is a legend in the blues rock world dating back to his stint in L.A.-by-way-of-Texas band The Red Devils, whose early ’90s residency at the gritty King King club attracted movie stars and music legends. They made an album with Mick Jagger that was never released (one cut was on Jagger’s Very Best compilation), and backed Bruce Willis on his Return of Bruno LP. Rick Rubin produced their lone live album, in 1995.

The Wicked Lo-Down grew out of a fruitful collaboration in late 2019 between David, Size and another guitarist, later replaced by Jeff Berg and augmented by a rhythm section of Nick Toscano and Mike Law. Hobbled by lockdown, they made an album, We Hot, in mid-2020 that stayed shelved for almost two years before its release last November. It’s a barn-burner, with a churning title cut and the Blasters-adjacent “Lena” among the standouts.

They’re now gigging and shopping the record to labels, including Zito’s moniker Gulf Coast. David met the guitarist in 2021 at the White Mountain Boogie & Blues Festival. Zito passed on releasing it, even though he reportedly “loved” the album, according to David. “Nobody was willing to sign us because we weren’t out there gigging … how are they going to make money off us if we’re not playing? Who knows who we are?”

Zito has had a string of blues chart-topping albums in the recent past, beginning with 2018’s First Class Life and a Chuck Berry tribute collection that had assistance from Joe Bonamassa, Walter Trout, Robben Ford, Luther Dickinson and Sonny Landreth. Zito’s most recent disc, Resurrection, received a Blue Music Award last year for Best Blues Rock Album.

The chat with Zito did get David a headliner for his festival, which has two Massachusetts dates, Salisbury and Norwood, along with Hartford, Connecticut, before its New Hampshire finale. “Mike and I have some stuff in common,” David said. “He was into doing it, so we were able to get it together this year.”

Morbioli is an Italian guitarist who comes Stateside once a year. David met him over a decade ago when he appeared on John Guregian’s Blues Deluxe radio show. “It was on the UMass Lowell radio station,” David explained. “I was living there with my wife at the time, and she spoke fluent Italian. We went down there, hung out and played a few songs. We’ve been friends ever since.”

Finally, along with his status as a fest perennial, Moss created an interesting conundrum for David from the time they met.

“I got confused for him often; we’re both similar-looking,” he reported of the guitarist, who rose to fame with Nick Moss & the Pop Tops. “We both had big greasy pompadours, and we’re big guys named Nick. I saw a picture of him once and thought he was me. I was like, why do I have a guitar in my hand? Oh, it’s because that’s not me.”

13th Annual New England Winter Blues Festival
When: Sunday, Jan. 29, 8 p.m.
Where: The Rex Theatre, 23 Amherst St., Manchester
Tickets: $23 at palacetheatre.org

Featured photo: Mike Zito. Photo by Scott Lukes.

Missing (PG-13)

A teen uses location services, street cams and Colombian Taskrabbit to search for her mother in Missing, a lightweight thriller.

June (Storm Reid), 18, is on eyeroll-whatever terms with her mother, Grace (Nia Long), as Grace heads from their L.A.-area home to vacation in Colombia with her boyfriend Kevin (Ken Leung). The vacation falls on Father’s Day, a tough time as June’s dad James (Tim Griffin) died when she was little. June is no more interested in Kevin’s awkward beginnings of some discussion about his feelings for her mom than she is in Grace’s blah blah blah about safety. She just wants Grace out the door so her friend Veena (Megan Suri) can come over with a big box full of cheap booze purchased with the money Grace Venmo-ed June “for emergencies.” I guess needing booze for the friends hanging out at your parent-free house for a week, culminating in a rager the night before mom is slated to return, is, like, a hosting emergency. The only oversight June has is a brief visit from Heather (Amy Landecker), her mother’s friend, who seems a little too fond of Kevin.

The Sunday morning Grace is set to arrive, a hungover June wakes up late and rushes to the airport to meet her. She waits — and waits and waits but neither her mother nor Kevin get off the plane. When June calls the hotel in Colombia she is able, with some help from some quick Google translations, to figure out that while Kevin and Grace are no longer there, their suitcases and other items still are. June calls the embassy but finds it closed and the hotel won’t send her the security footage over the internet. Via the Colombian version of Taskrabbit, she hires Javi (Joaquim de Almeida) to go to the hotel to get the footage. He doesn’t find that but does find other clues to where the couple may have gone.

As Missing’s present-day scenes begin, June and her friends are watching Unfiction, a true crime show. Using some of the techniques of that show, Veena and June figure out how to find street footage that might give more information about her mother’s trip and even her relationship with Kevin. Against the advice of Agent Park (Daniel Henney) at the Embassy, who is all “evidence we can use in court,” June worms her way into Kevin’s Gmail account and starts to learn more about her mother’s boyfriend. She also gets access to the location services that give her more clues about where they really went.

Some of the same people involved in this movie were also involved in Searching, a 2018 movie seen almost entirely through a variety of screens (phone, computer, etc.) where John Cho searches for his teen daughter. Though this movie isn’t quite as stuck to screens, we are learning and searching and seeking largely through June’s computer searches and phone calls with occasional news reports and “live” scenes worked in. The movie edits these pieces together in a way that keeps things moving. I wouldn’t say this particular puzzle is super-complicated or all that twisty — there are several twists that the movie drops enough clues on that it feels a little pokey how long it takes June to figure them out. But Reid, who carries the action with her worried face, is a compelling enough lead character that the movie never really feels slow.

Missing maybe makes little nods toward saying something about our constant surveillance, our very unprivate notions of privacy and the true crime industrial complex. But mostly it is a fun enough thriller that moves along at a brisk enough pace. B

Rated PG-13 for some strong violence, language, teen drinking and thematic material, according to the MPA on filmratings.com. Directed by Nick Johnson and Will Merrick with a screenplay by Will Merrick & Nick Johnson, Missing is an hour and 51 minutes long and is distributed by Sony.

Featured photo: Missing

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