Category: Food

Burgers, Tots and beyond

Woods Grille opens in Northwood

When The Stand Cafe closed its doors in Northwood earlier this year so its owners could pursue a coffee roasting venture elsewhere, Heather Heigis and her husband, Pete — the owners of the property since February 2021, which includes Heather’s real estate brokerage upstairs — saw a unique opportunity. For about five years before that, the restaurant space operated as Umami Farm Fresh Cafe, a spot lauded in the community for its creative burgers and cozy atmosphere.

“This is a building that we’ve loved since we were going to college at UNH,” said Heather Heigis, adding that her family has lived in Northwood since 1999. “We were common customers when Umami was here. It was always a great place to see our neighbors and bump into friends, and have a good meal. It was something that, when it went away, I think our town really missed.”

The vision of Woods Grille, now open in an all new revamped, rustic setting, is all about bringing back that vibe. The Heigises have recruited their own team that includes Mike Brieger and Lola Lamb, both of whom have a hand in creating the eatery’s final menu. Brieger, who serves as Woods Grille’s general manager, is a longtime friend of the couple with more than three decades of experience in the restaurant industry. Lamb, meanwhile, was a former employee of The Stand Cafe with a few additional years of her own spent working as a private chef.

With an interior space decked out in everything from the Heigises’ own former living room furniture to makeshift bar tops and tables using repurposed wood from downed trees in their backyard (caused by a microburst), Woods Grille is a restaurant literally built for comfort. A local artist was even brought in to paint a mural on the wall of shadowed trees under a blue sky.

“I wanted it to be warm and cozy, and the kind of place that somebody felt like they could have a beer and sit down and talk to their friend, and not feel like they’re trying to flip the table really fast,” Heather Heigis said, “and so, we were really going for that ski lodge, barn type of feel.”

Among the highlights of Woods Grille’s menu are the “gourmet grille-wiches.” They feature a total of nine signature sandwiches, all of which you can choose your own protein for, from a beef burger patty or grilled chicken to a veggie burger or portobello mushroom. If you simply can’t choose a specialty option — the “Woods-wich,” with blue cheese, bacon, sauteed mushrooms, caramelized onions and avocado, is a favorite of Lamb’s — you can build your own. All of the burgers and sandwiches have the option to substitute a gluten-free bun at no extra cost.

Woods Grille is also unique for not offering french fries — in fact, they don’t even have a frialator in their kitchen. Instead, they offer baked Tater Tots, complete with up to five signature dipping aiolis to choose from. You can order them as a side to your burger or sandwich, or on their own to share. Aioli flavors include basil, garlic, barbecue, chipotle and honey Dijon.

“I almost feel like we have gourmet Tater Tots now,” Heather Heigis said. “We find that people are coming back for them and they want a different aioli with them than the last time.”

Other items include house salads — with the option to turn each into a wrap — and tacos, which are filled with either grilled chicken or blackened mahi mahi in addition to cheese, shredded cabbage, diced tomato, pickled onions and avocado. Those come on either flour or corn tortillas.

Brownie ice cream sundaes and crustless cheesecakes with a berry sauce are among some of the featured desserts, and you can also fruit smoothies or milkshakes in a variety of flavors.

Woods Grille is currently open for lunch and dinner just from Friday through Sunday to start, but the goal, Heigis said, is to eventually expand the hours. They’re also working on building out the outside seating space directly adjacent to the restaurant.

Woods Grille
Where: 284 1st New Hampshire Turnpike, Northwood
Hours: Friday and Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday, 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. (extended hours likely coming soon)
More info: Visit woodsgrille.com, or find them on Facebook and Instagram @woodsgrille

Featured photo: Photo courtesy of Woods Grille.

Ryes to the occasion

Bread Makery now open in Salem

Andrey Bredstein found success in New Hampshire with his Russian baking business, Hidden Berry Cakes & Breads — he was perhaps best known for his rustic roadside trailer near the intersection of Routes 102 and 121 in Chester, where he lived until 2018. Now, after a short stint spent baking down in the Austin, Texas, area, Bredstein is back in the Granite State with an all new brick-and-mortar spot offering his own authentic Russian breads, tea cakes and pastries.

The Bread Makery, which opened last month in the nearby town of Salem, features all of the same menu items Bredstein has perfected over his years as a baker, from multiple types of freshly baked rye breads to traditional Russian baked goods like rum balls and wizard cakes. Breads are made fresh daily, and Bredstein even uses old Soviet-era standardized recipes. His bread baking journey began in 2002, when he moved to the United States from Moscow and found himself looking for a quality product that reminded him of home. Living in Texas at the time, when he couldn’t find a good loaf of bread, he began experimenting in his own kitchen.

“We started looking for options in baking ourselves. I don’t have any formal training as a baker. … I read books, I watched videos … [but] mostly I relied on my memory of taste,” Bredstein said. “I started making my own steps, and finally I was able to get a loaf that I like. Then our neighbors started asking, you know, ‘Can you bake me a loaf or two?’ And so we did that.”

Bredstein’s product lineup includes a white sandwich loaf, as well as three types of rye breads — a traditional Russian rye, a Jewish rye and a darker “special rye” made with rye malt called Borodinsky — that are unique for containing rye flour and using sourdough starters.

“The white bread we make early. I come in here at 6 [a.m.], so [by] 11-ish, we have a fresh white bread ready,” Bredstein said. “A rye bread we make later in the day, closer to the evening. … Until it’s cooled down inside, it’s not considered ready. So normally it’s ready at 11 at night and then we sell it the next morning. Its shelf life is long — it’s four or five days.”

In addition to his breads, Bredstein offers a selection of traditional Russian sweets regularly stocked in a pastry case. Among them is a wizard cake, a white cake with a custard filling and a chocolate glaze he equated to a Boston cream pie — it’s sold either by the slice or as a whole. You can also try rum balls, or bite-sized cakes that are mixed with cream, coated with cocoa butter and hand-shaped into the shape of a small potato. Tea cakes, the first product that Bredstein offered when he originally launched his business, are also regularly available at the Bread Makery. They feature dried fruit — traditionally raisins, although Bredstein admits he likes to fill his with dried cranberries — and are commonly enjoyed with a cup of hot tea.

A small retail area of the shop offers various items, like rye crisps — Bredstein slices down extra loaves of his Russian rye bread and slowly bakes them at a low temperature. They result in a crunchy snack that he said pairs well with beer or your favorite dipping sauce. Bredstein also sells three-pound bags of rye flour; imported bottles of kvass, a fermented drink popular in Russia and Ukraine; and cans of smoked sprats, small fish he said are similar to sardines.

“It’s made in the Baltic area, so Latvia, Lithuania [and] Estonia,” Bredstein said. “It’s [in] an oil, so when you put it on bread, it will soak a little bit in and it becomes a nice sandwich.”

In many ways, Bredstein is simply picking up where he left off a few years ago in Chester. In fact, he’s already seen customers walk through the door who ordered from him during his days on the trailer. Others are being introduced to his breads for the first time. But no matter who comes in to visit, Bredstein said he’s happy to back baking in the Granite State.

“Tastes are very different. When we lived in Chester, I would say maybe 80 percent of what we made was bread,” he said. “In Texas, nobody wanted bread … but they liked our pastries very much. Personally I’m most interested in making bread, especially rye bread.”

Bread Makery
Where: 115B Main St., Salem
Hours: Tuesday, noon to 6 p.m., and Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Closed on Sundays and Mondays.
More info: Visit breadmakery.com, find them on Facebook or call 912-7677

Featured photo: Borodinsky, or Russian “special rye” bread (right). Photo courtesy of Bread Makery in Salem.

The Weekly Dish 22/09/01

News from the local food scene

• Get your Greek feast: Join Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church (68 N. State St., Concord) for its next boxed Greek dinner to go, a drive-thru takeout event, on Sunday, Sept. 11, from noon to 1 p.m. Now through Wednesday, Sept. 7, orders are being accepted for boxed meals featuring dinners of Greek pork roast, spinach pita, roasted potatoes, carrots and a roll for $20 per person. The event is drive-thru and takeout only — email [email protected] or call 953-3051 to place your order. The church is also planning similar takeout and pickup meals over the next few months, including meatballs with rice on Oct. 9, stuffed peppers on Nov. 3 and cheese pitas with a Greek vegetable medley on Dec. 11. Visit holytrinitynh.org.

• Fresh from the market: The third and final scheduled Mums Pop Up Market, a small pop-up farmers market presented by Manchester Grows in partnership with other local nonprofits, is happening on Thursday, Sept. 8, from 4 to 7 p.m. Local vendors selling art, freshly grown produce and other items will be set up by the intersection of Union and Spruce streets in the Queen City. Similar markets were also held on Aug. 11 and Aug. 25. Email [email protected] for more details on vendors, or visit manchesternhgrows.org.

• Celebrate with lobster: Makris Lobster & Steak House (354 Sheep Davis Road, Concord) is planning its first annual Lobster Palooza on Saturday, Sept. 3, from 1 to 10 p.m. The end-of-summer celebration will take place in the eatery’s backyard beach and tiki area, featuring a wide array of lobster and beer specials, along with live music, giveaways, a 50/50 raffle, and a Sam Adams Oktoberfest stein hoisting challenge at 7:30 p.m. Visit eatalobster.com or check out the Facebook event page for more details.

• Hot sauce fest a success: More than 2,000 “fiery folks” attended the first annual New England Hot Sauce Fest at Smuttynose Brewery Co. in Hampton on July 30, which collectively raised nearly $10,000 for its two beneficiary organizations, according to a press release. The event featured more than 25 craft hot sauce companies from across New Hampshire and other New England states, along with several food trucks and craft and specialty vendors. Canadian celebrity competitive eater Mike Jack of Mike Jack Eats Heat even consumed 60 Carolina Reaper peppers (the world’s hottest pepper), beating his own personal record. “Our goals were to raise money for our local ocean-conservation beneficiaries, and to put New England on the map as an up and coming spicy region,” event organizer Gabe DiSaverio of The Spicy Shark said in a statement. “We are so thrilled to raise money for Blue Ocean Society and Seacoast Science Center, each receiving $4,417.” Plans are already underway for the festival to return for a second year, on July 29, 2023. “We plan on keeping the same formula that made Year 1 such a success, and we’ve got a bunch of new spicy surprises in the works as well!” DiSaverio said. Visit newenglandhotsaucefest.com.

Summer spritzers

Lighten up your wines with a little fizz

The kids will soon be returning to school, but that doesn’t mean summer is over! Summer is a mindset, and if we truly work at it, we can have summer last until the beginning of October. Let’s be realistic! This summer we have experienced some record temperatures and drought conditions. And there doesn’t appear to be an end in sight, anytime soon. What does this mean? We can continue to enjoy our patios and decks, and meals from the grill with ingredients that came from the farmers markets, such as zucchini, fresh corn, paired to fish and chicken. Or we can enjoy those fresh tomatoes in salads or gazpacho!

What better beverage to enjoy with these light meals than spritzers?

What are spritzers, and where did they come from, and what have they become? One story is that they originated with the mid-19th-century occupation of Venice by the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Troops stationed in Venice sought to soften their wine by adding a “splash or spritz” of recently invented carbonated water, or soda water. Venetians embraced this and substituted prosecco for some of the soda water, adding slices of citrus — oranges, lemons and limes. This was expanded with the introduction of Aperol to the mix. Whether or not there is truth in this historical account matters not. The evolution of this concoction continues, much to our delight, because no matter how you drink a spritzer, whether traditionally over ice, or as an Aperol Spritz, it a delicious way to cool off during the summer.

Our first beverage is a nod to what is traditionally thought of as the true spritzer: white wine, soda water, sliced citrus fruit, all served on ice. We chose the 2017 Bonny Doon Vineyard Le Cigare Blanc Beeswax Vineyard Arroyo Seco, available at the New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlets, originally priced at $26, reduced to $12.99. A blend of 55 percent grenache blanc and 45 percent roussanne, it has a lemon-yellow color with a slight green tinge. To the nose, one would expect citric notes, but this wine has herbal notes, as well. To the tongue, the wine maintains those citric rind notes but there is also the addition of quince with a slight nuance of melon. It is a wine that can handle the addition of orange and lime slices and has enough body to accept the addition of seltzer and still hold a presence. This wine hails from the Beeswax Vineyard in the Arroyo Seco region of Monterey County, east of the Santa Lucia Mountains and north of King City, California. The Santa Lucia Mountains shield this area from the cool Pacific Coast winds, resulting in vines with exceedingly deep roots, imparting a minerality to the wine not found in the grapes grown on the ocean side of the mountainous range.

Our second beverage is a novel creation, the Domaine Chandon Garden Spritz, available at the New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlets at $20.99. The wine is a blend of chardonnay, pinot noir and semillon grapes grown at an altitude of 3,000 feet at their estate in Mendoza, Argentina. It is made by the slow-ferment long Charmat method, trapping the naturally occurring carbonation in large steel tanks. Bitters made from the zest of Valencia oranges, steeped in grape brandy, to which Quassia amara, chamomile, cardamom, and black pepper are added, result in this delightfully unique and refreshing sparkling wine cocktail. Domaine Chandon is marketing this concoction as a spritzer. Perhaps a bit of a reach, it is nonetheless worth trying, poured over ice with a citrus garnish. At 11.5 percent alcohol, it is more alcoholic than the spritzer made with seltzer, resulting in a fuller feel to the mouth of its citric notes, spiciness and sweetness, along with the bitterness of liquor made from the oranges and amara. This is definitely a thirst-quencher that is summer “light and bright.” This is a creation that begs to be tried before summer leaves us and the air becomes crisp with shorter days and crisp nights.

So, personalize your favorite white wine by turning it into a summer-light spritzer, or try this industry pioneer, the Garden Spritz. After all, summer in New Hampshire is way too short to not enjoy it to its fullest with these wonders of the palate.

Featured photo. Courtesy photo.

Blueberry pie parfait

Summer is full of all sorts of treats. Whether it’s a freshly made peach crisp, s’mores at the bonfire, or ice cream from the local stand, there are many delicious desserts to enjoy. However, you may be wanting something to satisfy your sweet tooth while also keeping your eating healthier. How about a blueberry pie parfait?

With blueberries and yogurt as the two main ingredients, you are off to a good start. A little bit of graham cracker crumbs adds some nice crunch and pie-like quality, and the sprinkles are pure fun. Feel free to skip the sprinkles if you don’t have any. As to the blueberries, wild blueberries are best, whether they are fresh or frozen. They are the most flavorful blueberry. If you can’t find those, regular blueberries make a decent substitute.

When making these parfaits, I wholeheartedly encourage you to use a half pint jar. They make the dessert look really appealing. If you don’t have any on hand, find a similarly sized container that will work for layering.

As the summer winds down in New Hampshire, so does the blueberry season. If you’re fortunate enough to have wild blueberry bushes nearby, go and pick some for this recipe!

Blueberry pie parfait
Serves 2

2/3 cup wild blueberries (thawed, if using frozen)
2 teaspoons sugar divided
2 graham cracker squares
1½ cups vanilla yogurt
Rainbow sprinkles

Place blueberries in a small bowl, and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sugar; stir to combine.
Place graham crackers in a resealable bag and gently pound to make crumbs.
Add the other teaspoon of sugar to graham cracker crumbs.
Using two half-pint jars or similarly sized dishes, put ¼ cup yogurt in the bottom of each.
Divide graham cracker crumbs into two portions, and sprinkle evenly over each yogurt.
Top each parfait with another ¼ cup of yogurt.
Divide the blueberries and top each of the yogurts.
Top each parfait with ¼ cup of yogurt.
Finish each parfait with a shake or two of rainbow sprinkles.
Eat, or cover and refrigerate.

Featured Photo: Blueberry pie parfait. Photo by Michele Pesula Kuegler.

In the kitchen with Rachel Manelas

Rachel Manelas is the owner of Riverwalk Cafe & Music Bar (35 Railroad Square, Nashua, 578-0200, riverwalknashua.com), which she purchased from longtime owners Steve and Jane Ruddock in April. A Pelham native, Manelas studied baking and pastry arts at Johnson & Wales University before going on to attend Italy’s Florence University of the Arts. Around April 2020, while working as a line cook at Windham Junction, she started an online bakery through Instagram called Life’s What U Bake Of It — that business has since evolved into a website (lifeswhatubakeofit.com) with its own online ordering system for specialty cakes, freshly baked cookies, themed French macarons and more, all available for pickup at Riverwalk. Manelas’s plans as the storefront’s new owner include an expanded focus on scratch-made pastries, as well as an evening menu, all while continuing to offer fresh breakfast and lunch options and house-roasted coffees. A space adjoining the cafe that recently became available will soon be home to a larger kitchen.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

Definitely a spatula, a whisk and a scale. [For] all my recipes, I scale. It makes everything a lot more accurate.

What would you have for your last meal?

Chocolate chip cookies. I could live off of them — they are my weakness!

What is your favorite local restaurant?

I am a huge Italian lover. Tuscan [Kitchen in Salem] usually has a good menu. … Surf [in Nashua] is also really good, and then Pressed [Cafe] is another place in my realm. Watching them start in Nashua and grow has been really cool. … I really like Fody’s [Tavern] a lot too. I work late a lot and they’re right next door, so I’ll go and pick up some food there.

What celebrity would you like to see eating at Riverwalk Bakery & Cafe?

Massimo Bottura. He’s a three-Michelin-star Italian chef, and he just seems like the sweetest, most gentle soul. And his food is really delicious. … I ate at his restaurant, Osteria Francescana in Italy, for my birthday in 2020 and it was amazing.

What is your favorite thing on your menu?

I would say for lunch, the Southwest chicken salad wrap … and then for breakfast, it’s The Feta [sandwich] or the granola with fruit and yogurt, because we make the granola ourselves and it’s really yummy.

What is the biggest food trend in New Hampshire right now?

I would say avocado toasts and bowls have both been really popular. … I’ve added avocado toast here, and I definitely want to be able to do more things like that.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

I love to do homemade pastas. Gnocchi is probably my favorite thing to make, especially with potatoes.

Sweet potato gnocchi with butter and sage sauce
From the kitchen of Rachel Manelas of Riverwalk Bakery & Cafe in Nashua

For the gnocchi:
1 kilogram sweet potatoes
250 grams flour (preferably double zero pasta flour)
1 egg yolk

Bake or boil the potatoes until fully cooked (with a fork pierced through). If baking, 400 degrees for just under an hour, depending on the potatoes’ size, is recommended. Immediately peel the potatoes and mash them while hot. Let the potatoes cool. Once cold, add the yolk and then incorporate the flour. Working in pieces, roll the dough into logs about a half-inch long. Cut into rectangular pieces — ¾ inch to 1 inch — and roll each gnocchi until round. Once round, use a fork or gnocchi board to add texture. To cook the gnocchi, bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook until the gnocchi floats to the top, which should take around a minute or two.

For the butter and sage sauce:
125 grams butter
5 sage leaves
Salt
Pepper
Paprika
Garlic
Parmesan cheese

Melt the butter in a saucepan, then add in the sage and slightly fry. Add the gnocchi to the pan with a little bit of pasta water. Season with salt, pepper, paprika and garlic to taste. Remove from the pan and serve with grated Parmesan cheese.

Featured photo: Rachel Manelas, owner of Riverwalk Bakery & Cafe in Nashua. Courtesy photo.

Stay in the loop!

Get FREE weekly briefs on local food, music,

arts, and more across southern New Hampshire!