Category: Featured Content

News & Notes 22/04/14

Covid-19 update As of April 4 As of April 11
Total cases statewide 303,010 304,365
Total current infections statewide 1,033 1,544
Total deaths statewide 2,452 2,459
New cases 829 (March 29 to April 4) 1,355 (April 5 to April 11)
Current infections: Hillsborough County 281 (as of Thurs., March 31) 421
Current infections: Merrimack County 87 (as of Thurs., March 31) 112
Current infections: Rockingham County 218 (as of Thurs., March 31) 284
Information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services.

Covid-19 news

State health officials reported 108 new cases of Covid-19 on April 11. The state averaged 200 new cases per day over the most recent seven-day period, a 49 percent increase compared to the week before. As of April 11 there were 10 people being treated for Covid in hospitals statewide.

New commission

Gov. Chris Sununu has signed an Executive Order establishing the Governor’s Commission on Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Stalking. According to a press release, the commission was a recommendation from the Task Force on Domestic Violence Cases in the New Hampshire Judicial Branch. It had previously stopped meeting in 2013. “We must keep victims safe and hold offenders accountable,” Sununu said in the release. “Combatting and preventing domestic violence, sexual assault and stalking remains a priority for my administration and I am looking forward to working with this group so that we can develop, support and implement initiatives that address the needs of victims and survivors.” The Commission consists of members of the state’s justice department, health and human services, law enforcement and other departments and organizations.

New laws

Gov. Chris Sununu signed seven bills into law on April 11. Among them are HB 1441, establishing a commission to organize the observance of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence; HB 589, requiring workers’ compensation to cover prophylactic treatment for critical exposure; and HB 102, establishing a commission to “study worldwide combined reporting method for unitary businesses under the business profits tax, and relative to the treatment of water or sewerage disposal utilities under the business profits tax.”

Youth literacy

The New Hampshire Department of Education has launched the Leaning Into Literacy initiative to help children advance their reading skills. According to a press release, the Granite State ranks high among students in the country for reading proficiency on the Nation’s Report Card, but there are still about 51 percent of fourth-grade students in the state who are not reading proficiently. “Encouraging children to have a healthy passion for reading will help them excel in school, support other areas of their learning and set them up for future success,” Frank Edelblut, commissioner of education, said in the release. “Strong literacy skills are vital for children, and are skills that are applicable throughout their entire lifetimes.” NHDOE’s Division of Learner Support is looking for proposals for capacity building literacy training for adults engaged in raising, working with or teaching New Hampshire children to be successful readers, including parents, guardians, certified educators, literacy coaches, curriculum coordinators, school administrators and reading and writing specialists. The trainings would aim to increase capacity for providing and overseeing reading instruction and structured literacy based on the science of how children learn to read. “A primary goal of the Leaning Into Literacy initiative is to train 4,500 individuals in the first year and 4,500 more individuals in the second year to help expand literacy training and boost the level of literacy support throughout the Granite State,” Edelblut said.

Child advocate

Cassandra Sanchez is the state’s new child advocate, replacing Moira O’Neill, who served as the state’s first ever child advocate since the Office of the Child Advocate began operating in January 2018. According to a press release, Sanchez comes from the Massachusetts Department of Children and Families as a supervisor in the Kinship unit. “The strategic planning process we undertook this past year with focus groups and stakeholder interviews taught us one important lesson,” O’Neill said in the release. “The Office belongs to the community. Their views and hopes for what the Office will achieve are aligned with statutory intent. They have identified strengths, articulated areas for improvement and agreed upon priorities. Cassandra Sanchez will be greeted with an exceptional staff and a committed, guiding and expectant constituency.”

Good Friday

The Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire’s Digital Mission will offer a walking Stations of the Cross in Manchester on Good Friday, April 15. According to a press release, the Stations of the Cross was created for pilgrims to Jerusalem to relive the suffering of Jesus Christ from his condemnation to his crucifixion and burial. The Manchester adaptation was created by Rev. Deacon Chris Potter, who is also a Manchester school board member. He will lead a procession to 14 stations representing suffering in the Manchester community and hope for its future, the release said. The event will begin at Grace Episcopal Church (106 Lowell St., Manchester) at 3 p.m., with the first stop at International Institute of New England (“Jesus is condemned”) and the last stop at Hartnett Lot (“Jesus is laid in the tomb”). Other stops include Central High School, Veterans Park and City Hall.

The owners of Woods Without Gile in Wilmot have been named New Hampshire’s 2022 Outstanding Tree Farmers of the Year. According to a press release, Ann and Marc Davis’s working forest implements the four pillars of the Tree Farm program: wood, water, wildlife and recreation. It is open to the public for cross-country skiing, fishing, hiking, hunting, horseback riding, snowshoeing and more, the release said.

New England activists held a Healing Ceremony at the Merrimack Station in Bow, the last coal plant in the region. According to a press release, nine activists decorated the fence with flowers and posters and performed the “Elm Dance,” a Latvian ceremony originally created for the healing of Chernobyl. The activists are a part of the No Coal No Gas campaign to close the Merrimack Station, the release said.

The University of New Hampshire at Manchester has a new scholarship for students enrolled in its psychology and neuropsychology programs, with awards up to $5,000 annually for full-time students. According to a press release, the university has partnered with Network4Health to provide the scholarship, an effort to address the workforce shortage in behavioral health fields that has “become increasingly dire.” The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that between 2020 and 2030 the number of behavioral health jobs will increase by 23 percent, the release said.

The wrong crib for this baby

by Jeff Rapsis

All politics is local — and our region’s inability to bring passenger rail back to Manchester, Nashua and the rest of the Merrimack Valley is a good example of that.

However, this old saying might offer the key to finally making progress, even as state lawmakers in Concord are maneuvering to ban using state money on the long-stalled project.

How? I think the issue is that in New Hampshire, as in most places in America, public transit projects such as this naturally fall to a state’s transportation department to plan and oversee.

But in the Granite State, a majority of residents feel they’ll see no real benefits from Manchester and Nashua joining Boston’s commuter rail network. Hence the opposition and inaction, even though civic officials in Manchester and Nashua, the state’s two largest cities, have pushed it for decades.

What to do? I think it’s time for leaders in the Merrimack Valley to recognize that the state DOT is simply the wrong crib for this baby. A majority of the state (and hence the Legislature, which funds the state DOT) will simply never be convinced to make the investment.

So instead, a group of civic leaders from Concord south to Nashua should band together and craft a plan to fund it on their own.

This would require the creation of an entity similar to a tax increment financing district, but on a larger scale. It might function like a regional planning agency, but with the power to propose and implement taxes or other funding mechanisms (subject to voter approval) to raise revenue for restarting and operating passenger rail.

It wouldn’t be easy. But the Merrimack Valley is the most heavily populated area of New Hampshire, home to 561,000 of the state’s 1.3 million residents. It boasts the state’s largest concentration of business activity.

Surely this area on its own could generate the estimated $300 million all-in investment needed to extend passenger rail north from Lowell, Mass., and the annual subsidy of about $13 million.

In return, we’d reap the benefits of improved access to Boston, the region’s economic hub.

And here’s an idea to start you thinking: Why not impose a $5 fee on anyone boarding a Boston Express Bus to Logan Airport, with the revenue earmarked for passenger rail?

Jeff Rapsis, a Bedford resident, is Associate Publisher and a co-founder of the Hippo.

Brotherly love

Kevin and Michael Bacon perform in Plymouth

The Bacon Brothers are a prolific band — 11 studio albums since forming in the late ’90s, a live record and a hits collection — but there’s really not a Bacon Brothers sound. Kevin Bacon, who writes most of the band’s lyrics, attributes this to their being lifetime students at the College of Musical Knowledge.

“We’ ve lived long enough to have absorbed a lot of different … styles that have continued to grow through the years,” the actor and musician said in a recent joint interview with his brother Michael, a composer. When writing, he said, “We’re thinking about the way the song could sound, as opposed to thinking of a way to fit the song into the Bacon Brothers.”

Thus, there’s a world of difference between the Opry-ready “Picker” and “British Invasion,” which sounds plucked from a 1964 episode of Shindig. Both are from 2020’s The Way We Love, a record that is musically diverse but is also a concept record about love in its many forms.

“Our concept is usually do we have enough songs that we really like to make a 10- or 11-song record,” Michael said.

“Most bands have a certain kind of consistency, but it’s just not what we do,” Kevin added.

One of the best tracks on the new disc “Corona Song,” a tribute to their parents that’s both sweet and humorous; Kevin sings about missing them, while also being grateful they aren’t around to see the pandemic’s dumber moments.

“People get awards and they’ll say, ‘I know my dad’s up there watching, and he would be so happy for me’ — but there’s got to be other times,” he said. “Nobody ever says, ‘I’m so glad my dad’s not up there watching me as I get hauled off to jail.’”

After a handful of one-off gigs over the past two years, The Bacon Brothers are at last back on the road with a tour that stops at Plymouth’s Flying Monkey on April 14. The show will span their catalog and offer a few new selections.

“We have a really nice five-song EP coming out we’re really excited about,” Michael said. “Everything’s sort of falling into place again for us, which is a great feeling.”

One of their few appearances was Sept. 11, 2021, where they performed the moving remembrance song “Unhappy Birthday” in front of New York City’s Freedom Tower.

“Kevin and I both spent more of our lives in New York than out of New York, and that was a special experience,” Michael said. Kevin wrote it at the one-year anniversary of the terrorist attacks. “I think it’s the best 9/11 song, and it’s also eminently updatable. Because we’re always living with that.”

During lockdown, Kevin and wife Kyra Sedgwick had a novel way of maintaining harmony in their three-decade-plus marriage. They’d each retreat to separate areas of their Connecticut home, meeting around noon and again at day’s end.

“It’s a very high-class problem when you have enough rooms in your house that you can go off and be in your own space, come back together for lunch and then say goodbye until cocktail hour,” Kevin said.

Michael stays busy with his film scoring business, and he continues to provide the music for Henry Louis Gates’ series Finding Your Roots, which he’s done for 15 years — including a 2012 episode where his brother and wife learned they were distant cousins.

“It’s a dream job, I’m very lucky to have it,” he said. “It’s an incredible show.”

On the segment where Kevin and Kyra discovered their genealogical connection, the two also learned about a history of abolitionism in their family — along with an opposing fact.

“They also found out that we had a slave owner, and what was shocking to me is he was a Quaker,” Kevin said. “We’d always thought of the Quakers as leaning towards abolition [and] an understanding of the horror of slavery.”

Kevin’s busy acting career continues apace.

“I just finished up Season 3 of City on a Hill, which is on Showtime,” he said. “I think we’re going to be on in June, although I’m not exactly sure of the date. I did a film with Kyra in Rhode Island [Space Oddity] that’s hopefully coming out soon. It has a nice New England angle.”

The Bacon Brothers
When: Thursday, April 14, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Flying Monkey Movie House & Performance Center, 39 S. Main St., Plymouth
Tickets: $65 and $69 at flyingmonkeynh.com

Featured photo: Michael and Kevin Bacon. Photo credit Charles Chessler.

Try it and buy it

Made in New Hampshire Expo returns

By Alexandra Colella

listings@hippopress.com

The Made in New Hampshire “Try it and Buy it” expo is right around the corner — the event is due to return to the DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown from Friday, April 8, through Sunday, April 10, and will feature all kinds of local foods, drinks, clothing, jewelry and more.

Now in its 26th year, the three-day expo attracts thousands of attendees. It’s the only one of its kind to showcase an entire lineup of products and services made right in the Granite State, said organizer Heidi Copeland, publisher of Business NH magazine and owner of EventsNH.

“We love to highlight that we were all about buying local before buying local was cool,” she said. “Also, this is a show where you can test drive your purchases before you buy them.”

Similar to the most recent Made in New England Expo, held in December, many businesses that will be sharing their products were launched post-pandemic and are therefore newcomers. Food companies have their biggest showings at this event. Beccari Chocolate, for example, will be presenting their handmade chocolate, while Thistle’s All Natural has a showing of its own homemade zucchini salsas and Maple Nut Kitchen has its own granola.

Other featured vendors at this year’s expo include Sunshine Baking, a New Hampshire company offering freshly baked shortbread cookies that launched last year and made its debut at the last Made in New England Expo. They’re expected to introduce some new cookie flavors at the event. Loon Chocolate, a producer of small-batch bean-to-bar chocolates that opened its first dual retail and production space in Manchester in early February, will also be attending, as well as Critical Mass Coffee, which has multiple bagged blends of organic fair trade coffee, and Destination India, a downtown Derry restaurant and newcomer to the expo.

A returning feature to the event will be a libation station, where of-age attendees will have the chance to sample all kinds of craft beers and wines New Hampshire has to offer.

In addition to specialty foods and drinks, companies will be selling everything from jewelry, clothing and personal care products to crafts, paintings, photo prints and more.

Made in New Hampshire Expo
When: Friday, April 8, 1 to 7:30 p.m., Saturday, April 9, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday April 10, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Where: DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown (Expo Center), 700 Elm St., Manchester
Cost: $10 for adults, $9 for seniors ages 65 and over, $3 for kids ages 2 to 12 and free for kids under 2 ($3 per child under 2 if bringing a stroller into the hall). Tickets are only available at the door (cash or check only).
More info: Visit madeinnhexpo.com or follow them on Facebook @madeinnhexpo

Featured photo: Made in NH Expo. Photo by Matthew Lomanno Photography.

Feasts on Easter

Brunch buffets, special meals and sweet treats for Easter Sunday

Easter Sunday is right around the corner (Sunday, April 17), so if you’re looking for a local place to enjoy a brunch buffet, or you want to bring home your Easter meals or desserts this year, check out this list of restaurants, function halls, bakeries and churches offering all kinds of specialty items. We also included candy and chocolate shops that have you covered for those Easter baskets and other sweet treats, as well as a few Easter-themed events like classes and tastings happening over the next several days. Did we miss anyone that’s serving an Easter brunch or specials menu? Let us know at food@hippopress.com.

• 110 Grill (875 Elm St., Manchester, 836-1150; 27 Trafalgar Square, Nashua, 943-7443; 19 Portsmouth Ave., Stratham, 777-5110; 103 Hanover St., Portsmouth, 373-8312; 136 Marketplace Blvd., Rochester, 948-1270; 250 N. Plainfield, West Lebanon, 790-8228; 110grill.com) will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, April 17, serving a variety of specials for Easter like breakfast tacos, chicken and waffles, lemon beignets and more.

• Alan’s of Boscawen (133 N. Main St., Boscawen, 753-6631, alansofboscawen.com) will serve an Easter brunch buffet on Sunday, April 17, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., which will include a wide array of breakfast items from pancakes and pastries to bacon, sausage, eggs, home fries and a chef-attended omelet station. There will also be multiple carving stations offering meats like roast leg of lamb, sliced prime rib of beef and Virginia baked ham, as well as options like chicken piccata, tortellini alfredo and crabmeat-stuffed haddock. Call to make a reservation. Additionally, Alan’s is offering special Easter dinners for takeout, with appetizer options that include baked stuffed artichoke hearts, jumbo shrimp cocktail and bacon-wrapped scallops, and entree options that include broccoli tortellini alfredo, baked honey ham and sliced filet mignon.

• All Real Meal (87 Elm St., Manchester, 782-3014, allrealmeal.com) is taking orders for family-style Easter feasts serving either two or four people, featuring marinated baked turkey, glazed baked ham, homestyle mashed potatoes, cranberry apple stuffing, almond green beans, homestyle cornbread and mixed berry cheesecake. The cost is $65 per meal for two and $110 per meal for four. Local deliveries and curbside pickup are available on Saturday, April 16.

• Angela’s Pasta & Cheese Shop (815 Chestnut St., Manchester, 625-9544, angelaspastaandcheese.com) is taking orders for a variety of items for Easter, including freshly baked breads, savory pies and quiches, entrees, sides and desserts and sweet treats like cakes and pies. Order by April 8. Pickups will be on Saturday, April 16, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• Assumption Greek Orthodox Church (111 Island Pond Road, Manchester, 623-2045, assumptionnh.org) will hold a walk-in Easter bake sale on Saturday, April 16, from 9 a.m. to noon inside its church hall. Spinach and cheese petas, Easter bread and Greek cookies and pastries like baklava, kourambiethes, finikia and koulourakia will all be available.

• Atkinson Resort & Country Club (85 Country Club Drive, Atkinson, 362-8700, atkinsonresort.com) will serve a special Easter brunch on Sunday, April 17, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Options will include a carving station with items like smoked ham and hand-carved prime rib; breakfast items like chef-attended omelet and waffle stations, bagels, Danishes, croissants, eggs, bacon, sausage and French toast; a salad station with multiple options like caprese, Caesar and tortellini pasta salads; entrees, like baked haddock with breadcrumbs, eggplant Parmesan with a smoked tomato marinara, and apple Calvados grilled chicken; and desserts, like flourless chocolate torte, blueberry coffee cake and other assorted cakes and cookies. The cost is $80 for adults, $30 for kids ages 3 to 10 and free for kids under 3.

• The Bakeshop on Kelley Street (171 Kelley St., Manchester, 624-3500, thebakeshoponkelleystreet.com) is taking orders for pies (flavors include chocolate cream, lemon cream, coconut cream, Key lime, lemon meringue, banana cream, Raspberry Cloud and Grasshopper); six-inch layer cakes (flavors include lemon, coconut, carrot cake and cannoli); as well as assorted Easter cookie trays, and other themed specials, like an Easter egg bread and a one-layer carrot cake topped with a layer of cheesecake. Order by April 15. Pickups will be on Saturday, April 16, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. (the shop will be closed on Easter Sunday).

• Bearded Baking Co. (819 Union St., Manchester, 647-7150, beardedbaking.com) is taking orders for specialty cakes (flavors include carrot cake with cream cheese frosting and coconut lemon cake with a bird nest decoration); cupcake boxes (flavors include grapefruit poppy seed, mocha raspberry, carrot, Cadbury egg, pistachio honey rose and limoncello margarita); vegan cake doughnuts (cinnamon sugar or lemon blueberry); and gluten-free Parisian tortes. Order by April 10. Pickups will be on Friday, April 15, or Saturday, April 16.

• Bedford Village Inn (2 Olde Bedford Way, Bedford, 472-2001, bedfordvillageinn.com) will serve a special three-course pre-fixe Easter dinner on Sunday, April 17, in its restaurant. Choose your first course (Heron Pond Farm carrot bisque, New England clam chowder, pea tendril and watercress or prosciutto and asparagus salads); your entree (grilled tournedos of beef, pistachio and matcha crusted Icelandic cod loin, North Country Smokehouse ham, braised spring lamb shank, pan seared Faroe Island salmon or stuffed zucchini); and your dessert (Neapolitan ice cream, lemongrass creme brulee, black rice pudding, German chocolate cake or raspberry mousse dome). The cost is $75 for adults and $39.95 for kids ages 10 and under.

• Belmont Hall & Restaurant (718 Grove St., Manchester, 625-8540, belmonthall.net) will serve a special Easter brunch buffet on Sunday, April 17, with seatings at 9:30 and 11:30 a.m. in its hall. Walk-ins are welcome in the dining room until 2 p.m., for breakfast only.

• Bite Me Kupcakez (4 Mound Court, Merrimack, 674-4459, bitemekupcakez.com) is taking orders for various cake flavors for Easter, including chocolate flourless torte, strawberry shortcake and chocolate whipped cream cake, as well as dairy-free loaves (flavors include banana, lemon blueberry and banana chocolate chip) and dairy-free cakes (flavors include double-layer carrot, Boston cream pie and pineapple upside-down cake). Vegan cookies (chocolate chip or oatmeal cranberry) can also be ordered by the dozen, and cupcakes are available by request. Order by April 9.

• The Black Forest Cafe & Bakery (212 Route 101, Amherst, 672-0500, theblackforestcafe.com) is taking orders for pies (flavors include apple, Dutch apple, strawberry rhubarb, cherry, chocolate cream or Grasshopper); cakes (flavors include lemon daisy, chocolate mousse, coconut or carrot); and a variety of other specialty pastries and sweets, like hummingbird cupcakes, lemon curd tarts, and themed shortbread cookies like eggs, chicks and bunnies. Order by April 13 at 6 p.m. Pickups will be on Friday, April 15, and Saturday, April 16.

• Buckley’s Bakery & Cafe (436 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, 262-5929, buckleysbakerycafe.com) and Buckley’s Market & Cafe (9 Market Place, Hollis, 465-5522) are taking orders for eight-inch cakes (flavors include carrot, double chocolate, gluten-free lemon blueberry, and a hummingbird cake featuring bananas, pineapple, pecans and cinnamon); eight-inch pies (flavors include chocolate cream, Key lime, mixed berry crumble and lemon meringue); assorted pastries, like dessert trays, breakfast trays and Easter macarons; and other items like Parker house rolls, raspberry almond crumb cake and cinnamon rolls with a cream cheese frosting. Order by April 13.

• Buckley’s Great Steaks (438 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, 424-0995, buckleysgreatsteaks.com) will be open on Sunday, April 17, from noon to 5 p.m., serving its regular menu with Easter specials.

• The Cake Fairy (114 Londonderry Turnpike, Hooksett, 518-8733, cakefairynh.com) is taking orders for pies (flavors include banana cream, chocolate cream and lemon cream), as well as Easter cupcakes and cookies, cheesecakes, eclairs, whoopie pies and a special kids’ Easter basket featuring a variety of treats along with two crafts and a coloring booklet. Order by April 9. Pickups will be on Saturday, April 16, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Candy Kingdom (235 Harvard St., Manchester, 641-8470, candykingdom.shop) has a variety of specialty treats available now for Easter, like solid chocolate bunnies, chocolate Easter baskets, chocolate Easter foils, boxed foil eggs and more.

• Caroline’s Fine Food (132 Bedford Center Road, Bedford, 637-1615, carolinesfood.com) is taking orders for family-style meals for Easter with packages serving either four or eight people. Options include maple-glazed pork loin or pan seared lemon rosemary chicken breast, and each comes with shallot whipped potatoes, lemon honey caramelized carrots and sauteed asparagus. Caroline’s is also offering a menu of brunch items, like prosciutto-wrapped asparagus, ham, Swiss and spinach or caprese quiches, and house-made lemon poppyseed or blueberry scones. Order by April 13 at 2 p.m. Pickups will be on Friday, April 15, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

• Castleton Banquet & Conference Center (58 Enterprise Drive, Windham, 898-6300, castletonbcc.com) is taking orders for special dinner packages to go for Easter, featuring either spiral glazed ham or roast leg of lamb with herbs (each serves 8 to 10 people and features a lineup of sides like potatoes, carrots and rolls). A variety of a la carte items are also available to order, like sides by the quart (honey-glazed carrots, green beans almondine, au gratin potatoes, garlic and chive whipped potatoes and rosemary red bliss potatoes, to name a few); hors d’oeuvres by the dozen (like scallop and bacon skewers, crabmeat-stuffed mushrooms, asparagus and Asiago phyllo wraps, smoked Gouda macaroni and cheese bites and almond raspberry brie tarts); and sweet items, like carrot cake and New York-style cheesecake. Order by April 13 at noon. Pickups will be on Saturday, April 16, from 9 a.m. to noon.

• The Coach Stop Restaurant & Tavern (176 Mammoth Road, Londonderry, 437-2022, coachstopnh.com) is taking reservations for Easter at either noon or 3 p.m. on Sunday, April 17, and they’ll also be offering takeout and local delivery, serving a special menu with items like chicken Marsala, roast prime rib of beef, seafood linguine alfredo, baked haddock, baked stuffed shrimp, veal oscar, broiled salmon, and lobster macaroni and cheese with cracker crumbs.

• Colby Hill Inn (33 The Oaks, Henniker, 428-3281, colbyhillinn.com) will serve a special three-course prix-fixe dinner menu for Easter on Sunday, April 17, with seatings between noon and 5 p.m. and takeout also available. Options include farmers cheese and charcuterie boards, plus your choice of a first course (lemon chicken noodle soup, mushroom and buttermilk soup, spring greens and Easter radish salad, baby dandelion salad or red beet deviled eggs); an entree (Greek-style roast leg of lamb in oregano and garlic, maple and cider mustard glazed ham, prime rib smoked with pink peppercorn and rosemary, day boat scallops, rabbit pot pie or carrot spaetzle); and a dessert (maple walnut carrot cake, strawberry rhubarb pie, lavender creme brulee, a sorbet duo with Meyer lemon and raspberry chambord flavors, or an Easter chocolate trio featuring Belgian chocolate mousse, white chocolate bark and a chocolate peanut butter egg). The cost is $65 per person.

• The Common Man (25 Water St., Concord, 228-3463; 304 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, 429-3463; 88 Range Road, Windham, 898-0088; Lakehouse Grille, 281 Daniel Webster Hwy., Meredith, 279-5221; 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; Camp, 298 Daniel Webster Hwy., Meredith, 279-3003; Italian Farmhouse, 337 Daniel Webster Hwy., Plymouth, 536-4536; Airport Diner, 2280 Brown Ave., Manchester, 623-5040; Tilt’n Diner, 61 Laconia Road, Tilton, 286-2204; 104 Diner, 752 Route 104, New Hampton, 744-0120; thecman.com) is taking orders for special Easter dinners to go, featuring oven roasted ham with a honey Dijon glaze, creamy leek scalloped potatoes, sweet potato casserole, sun-dried tomato pesto green beans, maple-roasted Brussels sprouts, house baked rolls and sweet breads. Dinners for four, as well as individual sized meals, are available. Other a la carte side offerings include prime rib with au jus and creamy horseradish sauce (feeds four to six), asparagus with Bernaise, mascarpone whipped potatoes and rosemary, The Common Man’s signature macaroni and cheese, and homemade 10-inch cheesecakes. Order by April 11. Pickups will be on Saturday, April 16. Additionally, all six Common Man restaurants, as well as the Italian Farmhouse, will be serving their dinner menu with Easter specials on Sunday, April 17, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Foster’s Boiler Room, Lago, and the Lakehouse Grille will all be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. that day, and Lakehouse will also be serving breakfast that morning from 7 to 10 a.m. The Airport Diner, the Tilt’n Diner and the Route 104 Diner will be open during their normal hours. Reservations are recommended at all locations.

• Copper Door Restaurant (15 Leavy Drive, Bedford, 488-2677; 41 S. Broadway, Salem, 458-2033; copperdoor.com) will be open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Easter Sunday, April 17, serving its brunch menu from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Easter specials available all day, like steak and cheese frittata, lamb sliders, a pitmaster glazed ham dinner, artichoke-crusted halibut, and “Bedrock” waffles, featuring Fruity Pebbles cereal, sliced strawberries, whipped cream, maple syrup and applewood-smoked bacon. The Copper Door’s regular menus will also be available.

• Copper Kettle To Go (39 Main St., Wilton, 654-2631, copperkettletogo.com) is taking orders for Easter ham dinners serving either four or six people, which are served with potatoes, glazed carrots and rolls. Other items available to order include cinnamon rolls, spinach and feta croissants, apple fritters and jumbo blueberry muffins. Pickups will be on Saturday, April 16.

• Crosby Bakery (51 E. Pearl St., Nashua, 882-1851, crosbybakerynh.com) is taking orders for eight-inch or 10-inch pies in a variety of flavors (apple, blueberry, chocolate cream, lemon meringue, banana cream and more); as well as savory specialties, like meat pie, gorton or salmon pie; sandwich platters, Parker house rolls, cinnamon rolls, and pastries, like muffins, doughnuts and Danishes. Order by April 13 for pickup on Friday, April 15, or by April 14 for pickup on Saturday, April 16.

• The Crust & Crumb Baking Co. (126 N. Main St., Concord, 219-0763, thecrustandcrumb.com) is taking orders for pies (flavors include apple streusel, forest berry crumb, maple bourbon pecan, lemon meringue, blueberry crumb, gluten-free almond oat crust, Key lime, chocolate cream, maple cream and coconut cream); quiches (flavors include red pepper and pepper jack cheese, asparagus, onion and feta, bacon, broccoli and Swiss or sausage and cheddar); and other assorted items, like hot cross buns, cinnamon buns, coffee cakes, biscuits, spring cupcakes, cheesecake, fruit tarts and more. Order by April 9. Pickups will be on Saturday, April 16.

• Cruzin Cakes Shop (150 Broad St., Nashua, 882-1666, cruzincakesshop.com) is taking orders for a variety of specialty items for Easter, like themed cakes, cupcakes and platters, as well as breakable chocolate bunnies and Portuguese sweet bread. Order by April 9.

• The Derryfield Restaurant (625 Mammoth Road, Manchester, 623-2880, thederryfield.com) will serve a special Easter brunch buffet on Sunday, April 17, with seatings every half hour from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The cost is $31.95 for adults, $29.95 for seniors and $18.95 for kids under 12 and reservations are strongly recommended.

• Epoch Gastropub (The Exeter Inn, 90 Front St., Exeter, 778-3762, epochrestaurant.com) will serve a special Easter brunch on Sunday, April 17, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., featuring a protein station with slow-roasted sirloin and roasted mushroom jus, and North Country steamship ham with pumpernickel, sage, blue cheese stuffing and bechamel. Other items will include brioche French toast, bacon, sausage, cauliflower bisque, cavatelli with broccoli raab, smoked salmon, a local cheese and charcuterie spread with house-made sesame crackers, and assorted seasonal desserts. The cost is $60 for adults and $25 for kids and reservations are encouraged.

• Firefly American Bistro & Bar (22 Concord St., Manchester, 935-9740, fireflynh.com) will serve an Easter brunch on Sunday, April 17, featuring specials in addition to its regular brunch menu all day long. Reservations are strongly suggested.

• The Flying Goose Brew Pub & Grille (40 Andover Road, New London, 526-6899, flyinggoose.com) will be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday, April 17, serving Easter specials all day long. Walk-ins are welcome.

• Fratello’s Italian Grille (155 Dow St., Manchester, 641-6776, fratellos.com) will serve a special Easter buffet in its ballroom on Sunday, April 17, with seatings at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. In addition to an egg and omelet station, there will be a carving station with slow-roasted prime rib au jus and garlic rosemary-crusted leg of lamb with mint jus, as well as other items like Belgian waffles, bacon, sausage, baked ham with a brown sugar glaze, chicken piccata and more. The cost is $39 for adults and $18.95 for kids ages 4 to 11. Reservations are required.

• Frederick’s Pastries (109 Route 101A, Amherst, 882-7725; 25 S. River Road, Bedford, 647-2253; pastry.net) offers a variety of seasonal sweets and treats for Easter, like bunny cookie kits, rabbit ear cupcakes, speckled robin’s egg cakes, bunny buttercream fudge bars and more.

• Fresh AF Bakeshop (34 Church St., Unit 4, Kingston, 642-8609, freshafbakeshop.com) is taking orders for cupcakes (flavors include carrot, funfetti, chocolate, lemon, cookies and cream, coconut cream, and vegan and gluten-free vanilla or chocolate); six- or eight-inch layer cakes (flavors include carrot, lemon raspberry and chocolate salted caramel); shortcakes, featuring fresh whipped cream, house strawberry jam and fresh strawberries (small serving four to six; medium serving six to 10); macarons (flavors include carrot cake, lemon meringue pie, Cadbury egg, strawberry cheesecake, mixed berry, salted caramel, or dairy-free coconut cream or cookies and cream); as well as fresh cream puffs (chocolate-covered and traditional powdered sugar), buttercream cookies, and breakfast items, like croissants, take-and-bake cinnamon buns, and strawberry shortcake-stuffed doughnuts. Order by April 9. Pickups will be on Saturday, April 16. On Thursday, April 14, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., Fresh AF Bakeshop will host a BYOB Easter-themed cupcake decorating class at The Factory on Willow (252 Willow St., Manchester). The cost is $75 per person and all skill levels are welcome. Charcuterie boards from 603 Charcuterie’s store will be available for purchase.

• Gauchos Churrascaria Brazilian Steak House (62 Lowell St., Manchester, 669-9460, gauchosbraziliansteakhouse.com) will serve a special Easter brunch on Sunday, April 17, with seatings at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. In addition to rodizio meats served tableside, there will be a breakfast buffet, a market table of fresh sides, a ham carving station and a selection of pastries, yogurts, parfaits and more. The cost is $39.99 for adults and $14.99 for kids ages 6 to 10. Gauchos will also be open for dinner from 4 to 8 p.m. on Easter Sunday.

• Granite State Candy Shoppe (13 Warren St., Concord, 225-2591; 832 Elm St., Manchester, 218-3885; granitestatecandyshoppe.com) has a variety of specialty treats available now for Easter, like baskets of all sizes filled with assorted chocolates and candies, as well as smaller individual items, like mini milk chocolate peanut butter eggs, milk chocolate yellow Peeps, chocolate bunny pops and all kinds of other unique chocolate molds.

• Granite State Whoopie Pies (Goffstown, granitestatewhoopiepies.com) is taking orders for special carrot cake-flavored whoopie pies for Easter, available by the dozen as regular or miniature sizes. Orders are due by April 9, for pickup the following Wednesday through Saturday, during open hours at White Birch Eatery (571 Mast Road, Goffstown).

• Greenleaf (54 Nashua St., Milford, 213-5447, greenleafmilford.com) is taking orders for a special Easter Sunday takeout dinner, featuring your choice of protein (North Country Smokehouse honey peppercorn glazed ham, Lull Farm chicken breast or Northeast Family Farm beef tenderloin), each of which is served with roasted garlic and herb baby potatoes, honey-glazed carrots, spring mix salad with green goddess dressing and strawberry shortcake. Other available add-ons include housemade Parker house dinner rolls, whipped molasses honey butter, and a strawberry shortcake trifle with vanilla pastry cream. Order by April 14 at 3 p.m. Pickups will be on Saturday, April 16, from 5 to 8 p.m.

• Hanover Street Chophouse (149 Hanover St., Manchester, 644-2467, hanoverstreetchophouse.com) is taking reservations for Easter Sunday, April 17, between noon and 3:30 p.m., serving its regular menu with specials.

• Harvey’s Bakery & Coffee Shop (376 Central Ave., Dover, 742-6029, harveysbakery.com) is taking orders for all kinds of specialty items for Easter, including fruit and cream pies, dinner rolls, and specialty cakes. Most pies are available in eight-inch or 10-inch sizes, while the rolls are sold by the dozen.

• The Hills Restaurant (Hampshire Hills Athletic Club, 50 Emerson Road, Milford, 721-0444, hampshirehills.com/the-hills-restaurant) will serve a special Easter brunch buffet on Sunday, April 17, from 8 a.m. to noon, featuring a brown sugar ham carving station, a build-your-own bloody mary and mimosa bar, and other items like scrambled eggs, French toast, waffles, bacon, sausage, muffins, fruit and more. The cost is $25 for adults and $12 for kids. Reservations are required.

• The Homestead Restaurant & Tavern (641 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, 429-2022, homesteadnh.com) will serve a specials menu for Easter on Sunday, April 17, featuring items like roast prime rib of beef, chicken cordon bleu, chicken broccoli alfredo, veal oscar, baked stuffed haddock, roasted rack of lamb, broiled salmon, shrimp and scallop risotto and more.

• Jamison’s Restaurant (472 Route 111, Hampstead, 489-1565, jamisonsrestaurant.com) is taking reservations for Easter Sunday, April 17, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., featuring a selection of specials that includes slow-roasted prime rib, pesto-crusted lamb leg, oven-roasted turkey breast, glazed spiral ham and stuffed haddock. Jamison’s full regular menu will also be available.

• Just Like Mom’s Pastries (353 Riverdale Road, Weare, 529-6667, justlikemomspastries.com) is taking orders for cakes (flavors include carrot, coconut and gluten-free almond flour chocolate cake); pies (chocolate cream and lemon meringue); cupcakes (carrot and red velvet); cookies (Easter decorated, meringue, jam thumbprints and chocolate-dipped coconut macaroons); quiches (ham and cheese, leek, roasted pepper and mushroom, and broccoli cheddar); and other assorted pastries and breads, including brioche aux herbes (enriched brioche loaf bread with Gruyere, sage, parsley and garlic). Cookie, brownie, pastry or whoopie pie platters are also available upon request.

• KC’s Rib Shack (837 Second St., Manchester, 627-7427, ribshack.net) is taking reservations now for its annual Easter buffet on Sunday, April 17, from noon to 6 p.m., featuring bacon Sriracha deviled eggs and fruit salad to start; a variety of meats, like pit ham, beef brisket, pulled pork, spare ribs, smoked chicken and sausage chunks; and sides, like green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, baked beans, macaroni and cheese, corn casserole, coleslaw, apple sauce and cornbread. A dessert station will also be included. The cost is $30 for adults, $14 for kids ages 5 to 10 and free for kids under 5.

• LaBelle Winery (345 Route 101, Amherst; 14 Route 111, Derry; 672-9898, labellewinery.com) will serve a grand brunch buffet on Easter Sunday, April 17, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., featuring your choice of chicken, baked filet of cod or brown sugar ham, plus a chef-attended omelet station, cinnamon French toast casserole, eggs and home-fried potatoes, roasted asparagus, assorted pastries and freshly sliced fruit. The cost is $75 per person, $26 for kids ages 4 to 12 and free for kids ages 3 and under, and coffee, tea and assorted juices are included in the ticket price. Wine, cocktails, beer and other non-alcoholic beverages will be available for purchase.

• Loon Chocolate (The Factory on Willow, 252 Willow St., Manchester, loonchocolate.com) has an assortment of Easter-themed sweets in addition to its regular hand-crafted bean-to-bar chocolates. Its new retail shop is open Thursday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Makris Lobster & Steak House (354 Sheep Davis Road, Concord, 225-7665, eatalobster.com) will serve a special Easter buffet on Sunday, April 17, with seatings on the hour between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. There will be a carving station with roast sirloin of beef and glazed ham, plus a variety of fresh seafood, including seafood stuffed sole, blackened salmon and seafood Newburg. Other featured options will be grilled lamb and beef souvlaki, pasta primavera, chicken Marsala, and an assorted dessert table. The cost is $29.99 per person and kids ages 10 and under eat for half off the price. Reservations are required.

• McNulty & Foley Caterers (124 E. Hollis St., Nashua, 882-1921, mcnultycatering.com) is taking orders for various heat-and-eat items for Easter, including dinners, like glazed baked ham, spinach and feta cheese stuffed chicken, and homemade baked lasagna; and sides, like green bean casserole and delmonico potatoes. Desserts are also available, like lemon squares and pistachio brownie trifles. Pickups will be on Saturday, April 16, from noon to 2 p.m.

• Mile Away Restaurant (52 Federal Hill Road, Milford, 673-3904, mileawayrestaurantnh.com) is taking reservations now for Easter, offering special meals that include your choice of one appetizer, salad, entree and dessert. Menu staples include appetizers like tomato bisque, Swedish meatballs, fresh fruit plates with sorbet; Caesar salad or garden salad with blue cheese, house ranch, raspberry vinaigrette or balsamic dressing; entrees like roast leg of lamb, honey-glazed ham, pork forestiere, chicken pesto, piccata milanese, maple salmon, broiled scrod, schnitzel or vegetarian baked eggplant Parmesan; and desserts like carrot cake, tiramisu cake, sorbet, bread pudding, cheesecake, chocolate ganache cake, lemon mascarpone cake and chocolate mousse cake.

• Mr. Mac’s Macaroni & Cheese (497 Hooksett Road, Manchester, 606-1760, mr-macs.com) is taking orders for its take-and-bake macaroni and cheese in a wide variety of flavors, which can be shipped nationwide. Order by April 12 to have it delivered by Easter Sunday.

• MT’s Local Kitchen & Wine Bar (212 Main St., Nashua, 595-9334, mtslocal.com) will be open on Sunday, April 17, from noon to 5 p.m., serving its regular menu with Easter specials.

• Nelson’s Candy and Music (65 Main St., Wilton, 654-5030, nelsonscandymusic.com) has a variety of specialty treats available now for Easter, like chocolate mold bunny pops, and cream eggs, with flavors like chocolate fudge, peanut butter, coconut and raspberry.

• Popovers on the Square (11 Brickyard Square, Epping, 734-4724; 8 Congress St., Portsmouth, 431-1119; popoversonthesquare.com) is taking orders for Easter egg cakes, featuring a chocolate cake filled with chocolate mousse, glazed with ganache and decorated with spring flowers; and lemon mascarpone cream-filled vanilla cakes with lemon buttercream. Other items include vanilla or chocolate Easter-decorated cupcakes (can be ordered gluten-free), and Easter bunny or spring chick sugar cookies. Order by April 10 at 8 p.m.

• Presto Craft Kitchen (168 Amory St., Manchester, 606-1252, prestocraftkitchen.com) is taking orders for a variety of specialty items for Easter, including dinners, like wood-fired lamb tips, brown sugar glazed ham, shrimp and scallop scampi, and pizzagaina, or a large quiche-like ricotta-based pie filled with Italian meats. Sweeter items are available too, like giant breakable chocolate eggs, Easter egg cakesicles (flavors include carrot cake or funfetti), carrot patch (chocolate-covered strawberries in Oreo “dirt”), fresh-filled cannolis and assorted Italian cookie platters. Order by April 11. Pickups will be on Friday, April 15, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and on Saturday, April 16, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• Queen City Cupcakes (790 Elm St., Manchester, 624-4999, qccupcakes.com) is taking orders for an assortment of specialty themed cupcake flavors for Easter, like carrot cake and Cadbury cream egg, as well as others like blackberry truffle, chocolate salted caramel, raspberry linzer cookie, strawberry shortcake, vanilla bean and more. Order by April 13 at noon. Pickups will be on Saturday, April 16, from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Rig A Tony’s Italian Takeout (254 Wallace Road, Bedford, 262-1244; 13 Rockingham Road, Windham, 685-8122; 34 South Ave., Derry, 404-6315; rigatonysitalian.com) is taking orders for Easter dinners featuring spiral ham or roasted porchetta, pasta margarita, house mashed potatoes, roasted carrots, string beans almondine and sweet rolls. Other available a la carte items include chicken or eggplant Parm, traditional lasagna, shrimp scampi, wedding soup, and sweets like cannolis, homemade Italian cookies, or chocolate cream or Maine blueberry pies. Order by April 13.

• Salt Kitchen & Bar (Wentworth by the Sea, 588 Wentworth Road, New Castle, 373-6566, saltkitchenandbar.com) will serve a special Easter brunch buffet on Sunday, April 17, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., featuring a farm-fresh egg and omelet station, a Belgian waffle station and a ham carving station, as well as a New England raw bar, an artisan cheese display, a variety of hot entrees, a dessert display and more. The cost is $89.95 per person and $26.95 for kids under 12.

• Simply Delicious Baking Co. (176 Route 101, Bedford, 488-1988, simplydeliciousbakingco.com) is taking orders for carrot cake, lemon bars, almond biscotti, lemon blueberry scones and other specialty items for Easter. Order by April 13. Pickups will be on Saturday, April 16, from 8 a.m. to noon.

• Smoke Shack Cafe (226 Rockingham Road, Londonderry, 404-2178, smokeshackcafe.com) is taking orders for a variety of specialty catering packages for Easter that include your choice of smoked ham or prime rib, along with two to six sides (macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, peas, corn saute, brown sugar carrots, green beans and broccoli saute), six to 12 pieces of cornbread, and a half- to a full-sized salad tray. Smoked ham and smoked prime rib are also both available as a la carte options. Order by April 12. Pickups will be on Sunday, April 17.

• St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church (1160 Bridge St., Manchester, 625-6115, stnicholasgreekchurch.com) is holding a Greek Easter bake sale, taking pre-orders for pastry platters featuring baklava, koulourakia and kourambiethes. Orders are being accepted until April 10 or while supplies last.

• Sweet Boutique (21 Kilton Road, Bedford, 222-1521, visitsweetboutique.com) has a variety of specialty hand-crafted treats available now for Easter, like milk, dark and white chocolate bunny molds, candy-filled chocolate “smash eggs” and more.

• Tammaro’s Cucina (469 Charles Bancroft Hwy., Litchfield, 377-7312, tammaroscucina.com) is taking orders for a variety of Easter specials, available in half- or full-sized trays. Options include pizzagaina (Italian meat pie), sweet ricotta pie, Easter bread, assorted Easter cookies and more. Order by April 13.

• Tiffany’s Cafe & Catering (542 Mast Road, No. 6, Goffstown, 627-6622, find them on Facebook @tiffanyscafecatering) is taking orders now for Easter dinners, featuring either roast beef or honey-baked ham with pan gravy for an entree, as well as soups and salads (chicken lemon rice soup, Italian wedding soup, garden salad and spinach salad); and sides (scalloped potatoes, roast red bliss potatoes, sweet potato casserole, holiday corn and Italian green beans). Other available a la carte offerings include devilled eggs, cheese and fruit trays with assorted crackers, pigs in a blanket, quiches, cupcakes and pies (flavors include banana cream, chocolate cream, coconut cream and pistachio cream). Order by April 15. Pickups will be on Saturday, April 16, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• Trombly Gardens (150 N. River Road, Milford, 673-0647, tromblygardens.net) is taking orders for special Easter dinners featuring sugar-glazed ham with pineapple mustard gravy, mashed potatoes, maple carrots, green bean casserole and house rolls. Each side is also available a la carte at an additional cost. Order by April 10. Pickups will be on Saturday, April 16, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

• Tuscan Market (9 Via Toscana, Salem, 912-5467, tuscanbrands.com) is taking orders for several specialty packages for Easter, featuring your choice of bone-in spiral ham, boneless roast leg of lamb or carved roast turkey breast, each of which are served with sides and Italian wine pairings, with enough food to feed six to eight people. Other available a la carte options include half-trays of lasagna, pizzagaina (Italian meat pie), risotto and sausage stuffed bell peppers, and desserts, like limoncello tiramisu, flourless espresso cake, Italian Easter breads and more. Order at least two days in advance of picking up.

• Van Otis Chocolates (341 Elm St., Manchester, 627-1611, vanotis.com) has a variety of specialty treats available now for Easter, like milk, dark or white chocolate bunny molds, chocolate cream eggs with fillings like butter cream, coconut cream, cookie dough, caramel, Swiss fudge and raspberry fudge, and multiple sizes of Easter baskets and buckets filled with assorted chocolates and candies.

• WineNot Boutique (25 Main St., Nashua, 204-5569, winenotboutique.com) will hold a special Easter-themed grand tasting of wines on Saturday, April 9, from 1 to 6 p.m., the first storewide walk-around event at its new location. A diverse selection of more than a dozen wines will be offered. Admission is free — see the event pages on Facebook or Eventbrite for details.

• Wolfe’s Tavern (The Wolfeboro Inn, 90 N. Main St., Wolfeboro, 569-3016, wolfestavern.com) will serve a special Easter brunch on Sunday, April 17, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., featuring items that will include roasted tomato bisque, herb-crusted leg of lamb, grilled flank steak, cedar salmon, assorted homemade desserts and more. The cost is $50 for adults and $20 for kids.

• Woodstock Inn Brewery (135 Main St., North Woodstock, 745-3951, woodstockinnbrewery.com) will serve a special Easter brunch buffet on Sunday, April 17, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. In addition to omelet and waffle bars, there will be a carving station with ham and prime rib, and other items like eggs Benedict, vegetable lasagna, salmon, assorted desserts and more. The cost is $29.99 for adults and $18.99 for kids under 12.

• Ya Mas Greek Taverna & Bar (125 Bridge St., Pelham, 635-4230, yamasgreektaverna.com) will serve a special Easter brunch buffet just up the road at Chunky’s Cinema Pub in Pelham (150 Bridge Street) on Sunday, April 17, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will be a wide variety of breakfast and lunch items available, including a made-to-order create-your-own omelet station, a brioche French toast station and a prime rib carving station, plus Greek options like spanakopita, tiropita and stuffed grape leaves, as well as an artisan cheese and charcuterie spread, and desserts and sweet treats, like baklava, lemon tarts, strawberry shortcake and more. The cost is $49 for adults and $19 for kids. Reservations are required.

Featured photo: Courtesy photo.

Multicultural watercolors

Nashua exhibition represents faces from around the globe

Kavitha Chandrasekaran has painted every single day since she moved to Nashua three years ago, and now she’s sharing the products of that devotion in a solo exhibition at the Nashua Public Library.

“This is my first [show],” Chandrasekaran said. “I can’t believe I’ve created so many paintings.”

“Faces in Watercolors,” on display through April 30, features portraits of people from Africa, Vietnam, Thailand and India; the latter is Chandrasekaran’s homeland. She moved to the U.S. in 2013, first to Atlanta, then New York, finally landing in Nashua due to her husband’s job change.

Chandrasekaran said it was boredom that prompted her to pick up a paintbrush.

“When I came to Nashua my kids were very small, so I couldn’t get a full-time job,” said Chandrasekaran, who has a master’s in human physiology. “But when they napped I had some time.”

painting of three young boys, smiling
“Those Eyes.” Watercolor by Kavitha Chandrasekaran.

It was the first time Chandrasekaran had tried painting; previously the only art she’d done was drawing back in her early school days. She started by teaching herself how to paint with acrylics.

“[Then] I started exploring watercolor [and spent] hours scrolling on Instagram — Instagram made me try watercolor,” she laughed.

Chandrasekaran said she loves the way you can’t predict exactly how the watercolor effect is going to look when she’s working on the backgrounds for her portraits, but there’s a more practical reason why she’s stuck with watercolors.

“I don’t need lots of supplies, so when my kids wake up I can just pack up and put things away,” she laughed.

People’s faces resonate with Chandrasekaran in a way that landscape painting hasn’t; she’s tried the latter, but she said that after 10 or 15 paintings, she still didn’t like how they turned out.

Her desire to create a custom calendar with images of her children drew her into portraiture. She didn’t know how to draw figures, so she studied and taught herself the basics, then started to learn how to tell a story through the faces she paints.

“The eyes are very important to me because that is the most expressive part of a face,” she said.

For this exhibition, some of the portraits are based on photos she found on Instagram and was given permission to paint. Some she picks as a reference to start with and changes a little bit so they have their own unique look. The photos of Indigenous people in particular caught her eye.

“These photos were very expressive, and I got very attracted to their jewelry and [accessories],” Chandrasekaran said.

During this time when she hasn’t been able to travel to India, or anywhere really, for a couple of years, Chandrasekaran said immersing herself in the faces of people from around the globe has been a comfort. She is hoping, though, that she will be able to introduce her kids, who are 6 and 4, to India this summer. But for now, she’s embracing the cultures of Nashua.

“This is a foreign land to me, but I made it my home,” she said.

Chandrasekaran plans to keep painting and wants to try to submit some of her work to more galleries and become more familiar with the local art scene.

“The painting is what now keeps me going every day,” she said. “This is something that I enjoy and want to [continue to] explore.”

“Faces in Watercolors”
Where: The gallery at Nashua Public Library, 2 Court St.
When: Now through April 30 any time the library is open
Meet the artist: There will be an artist’s reception on Thursday, April 14, from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
Visit: nashualibrary.org

Featured photo: “Akha.” Watercolor by Kavitha Chandrasekaran. Courtesy photo.

Stay in the loop!

Get FREE weekly briefs on local food, music,

arts, and more across southern New Hampshire!