Category: Food

The Weekly Dish 21/03/04

News from the local food scene

• Derry market to return this June: After taking a one-year hiatus last year due to Covid-19 concerns, the Derry Homegrown Farm & Artisan Market will return on June 2, according to a Feb. 22 press release issued by its board of directors. The market will be held rain or shine every Wednesday through Sept. 29 at 1 W. Broadway in Derry, and will feature a selection of local produce, fresh seafood and meats, eggs, gourmet cheeses, artisan breads and more. The board had made the unanimous decision to cancel last year’s market just one day before it was scheduled to begin for the season. “As this will be our first season under Covid conditions, the market may look somewhat different this year and masks will be required,” the press release read. “While we enjoy making this a fun community event, the health and safety of patrons, vendors and volunteers will be paramount this year.” Visit derryhomegrown.org.

• Meet the makers: Join the New Hampshire Food Alliance for a virtual tasting event as part of the 2021 New Hampshire Food System Statewide Gathering, to be held on Thursday, March 11, from 5:15 to 6:30 p.m. The event will highlight short presentations from three featured New Hampshire food producers — Wood Stove Kitchen, Winnipesaukee Woods Farm and Wayfarer Coffee Roasters — followed by a Q&A session about their items. The event is free and registration is open to the public. Visit nhfoodgathering.weebly.com/meet-nh-makers.html.

• From brunch to burgers: The Bedford Village Inn (2 Olde Bedford Way, Bedford) will hold its next Champagne brunch on Sunday, March 14, in its Great Hall, with multiple seating times throughout the day beginning at 9 a.m. The brunch will feature unlimited mimosas and a buffet that includes a raw bar, a chef-attended omelet station and a grand dessert buffet. The cost is $75 per person (21+ attendees only) and reservations are required. The Inn has also kicked off Burgerama for the month of March, featuring unique burger and slider specials in its Tavern all month long. Different burger specials are available on different days in March — visit orderbvi.com/burgerama to view the menu.

• LaBelle Winery presents kids’ cooking TV series: LaBelle Winery owner and winemaker Amy LaBelle has partnered with New Hampshire PBS to present a series of pre-recorded interactive cooking classes geared toward kids ages 6 to 16, according to a press release. The series, called Amy LaBelle’s Cooking with Kids, is hosted by LaBelle and available to view online. According to the release, the idea for the series stems from LaBelle’s love of cooking with her two sons, 13-year-old Jackson and 10-year-old Lucas. Since 2018 she has also hosted successful monthly hands-on cooking classes for kids at the winery’s Amherst location. Four online classes have been produced. Visit nhpbs.org/cookingwithkids. In a March 2 press release, LaBelle Winery also announced the name of its new restaurant opening later this year in Derry. Americus, which is due to open in mid-May, will feature a menu of New England contemporary farm-to-table cuisine with an international flair, according to the release.

Erofili Roesel

What is your must-have kitchen item?

Definitely a knife.

What would you have for your last meal?

A spaghetti and feta pizza. … It’s something we have on the menu that my mom created back in the day.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

We’ve been going to The Red Blazer [Restaurant and Pub in Concord] for the longest time. I get the chicken Parm there.

What celebrity would you like to see ordering from your restaurant?

Adam Sandler.

What is your favorite thing on your menu?

The cheese pizza is something we have all the time. I like simple stuff.

What’s the biggest food trend in New Hampshire right now?

The steak and cheese sub, just because it has so many variations, and the gyro also seems to be upcoming as well. We have a beef strip or a grilled chicken option for our gyros.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

I like a simple piece of grilled chicken with Greek olive oil, oregano and some lemon, and then some mashed potatoes.

Homemade grilled chicken and mashed potatoes
From the at-home kitchen of Erofili Roesel of Brookside House of Pizza in Loudon

3 pieces chicken breast, butterflied
5 russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
¼ cup milk
½ stick butter
Dash of fresh oregano
Pinch of salt
Pinch of pepper
1 fresh squeezed lemon
Greek olive oil

Cook chicken breasts on the stove top in a cast iron pan, with enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Add oregano, salt, pepper and lemon. Boil the peeled and cubed potatoes until soft. Blend potatoes with milk, butter, salt and pepper. (Optional: Add another squirt of lemon when chicken is done).

Food & Drink

Farmers markets

• Cole Gardens Winter Farmers Market is Saturdays, from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Cole Gardens (430 Loudon Road, Concord), now through April 17. Visit colegardens.com.

• Downtown Concord Winter Farmers Market is Saturdays, 9 a.m. to noon, in the Families in Transition building (20 S. Main St.). Find them on Facebook.

• Rolling Green Winter Farmers Market’s final dateis Saturday, Feb. 27, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Rolling Green Nursery (64 Breakfast Hill Road, Greenland). Visit rollinggreennursery.com.

• Salem Farmers Market is Sundays, from 10 a.m. to noon, inside the former Rockler Woodworking building (369 S. Broadway, Salem). Visit salemnhfarmersmarket.org.

Featured photo: Erofili Roesel

Coffee is brewing

Game of Thrones-inspired cafe now open in Amherst

A new cafe in Amherst is inviting you to transport to the lands of Westeros while enjoying locally roasted coffees, teas, breakfast burritos, baked goods and more. The 7Kingdoms Cafe, which arrived last month in the town’s Salzburg Square shopping center, is inspired by Game of Thrones, a favorite show of co-owners and sisters Kareya and Karina Flores. The casual spot features medieval cloth shields, gargoyle light fixtures, chess boards, books and other themed decor and some drinks with names that call to mind the popular HBO series.

Kareya Flores, whose family also owns El Arroyo Mexican Restaurant just a few doors down in the same plaza, said she and her sister became inclined to take over the space following the closure of its preceding business, Hodlbyte Coffee.

“We’ve been [at El Arroyo] since 2018 … and we always liked to walk over to that cafe to grab a coffee and relax. Our restaurant staff would also head over there on their breaks,” Flores said. “So once we saw that the landlord there was renting that area out, we wanted to see if we could get it up and running again.”

According to Flores, it was a conversation among family members about what the new cafe would be named that sparked the idea of a Game of Thrones theme.

“We were trying to think of what would be different,” she said. “My husband suggested that it would be neat to have that as a theme … and everything kind of evolved around that.”

The cafe features espresso drinks, in addition to hot or iced drip and nitro coffees, using beans roasted from A&E Coffee & Tea. Many of the options are named after Game of Thrones characters or places, like the “latte of Winterfell” made with Irish cream-flavored syrup, the “Cersei chai latte,” and the “mocha Stark,” with either white chocolate or regular cocoa. If you prefer your own unique coffee creation, there are several other flavors of syrups available, from vanilla, caramel and hazelnut, to tiramisu, amaretto, strawberry and raspberry. Other featured drinks are hot or iced teas, hot chocolate, freshly squeezed orange juice, and mixed refreshments with fruits like strawberries, passion fruit and mango.

Food options include several varieties of breakfast burritos premade the same day they are available, like those with Mexican chorizo sausage, jalapenos, scrambled eggs, cheese and house salsa. There are also paninis, like an Italian option with ham and salami, and a vegetarian option with mushrooms, tomatoes and romaine lettuce.

At the cafe’s counter is a display case of fresh baked goods, several of which are either prepared at El Arroyo or sourced from the Manchester-based Dulces Bakery. There you’ll find items like conchas (Mexican sweet bread), cuernitos (Mexican sweet croissants) and assorted cookies.

Flores said the 7Kingdoms Cafe is already fast becoming a regular stomping ground for local Game of Thrones fans.

“Some people have said that as soon as they heard the name they knew it was related to Game of Thrones and were very excited,” she said. “They love discussing the show.”

7Kingdoms Cafe
Where: 292 Route 101, Amherst
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
More info: Visit 7kingdoms-cafe.business.site, find them on Facebook @7kingdomscafe or call 213-5390

Comfort to go

Red Beard’s Kitchen offers ready-made farm-to-fork meals

From soup, chowder and chili to beef stew, veal Bolognese and shepherd’s pie, a new ready-made meal business is offering a variety of locally sourced comfort options, available at a few area farm stands and also via weekly pickups in Manchester.

Red Beard’s Beef Chili to go. Courtesy photo.

Known as Red Beard’s Kitchen, it’s the latest culinary project of Matt Provencher, who has held executive chef positions at multiple Granite State eateries over the years, most recently at The Foundry in Manchester. The business launched earlier this month with its first curbside pickups in front of the temporarily closed Noodz restaurant on Elm Street. For now, pickups will continue there every Saturday between 10 a.m. and noon.

“We’re working with local farms as much as we can,” said Provencher, who’s been putting out Red Beard’s Kitchen’s meals with the help of his wife, Dalila. “We’re dealing with New England Fishmongers for our scallops and haddock, and Bohanan Farm [in Hopkinton] for ground beef, dairy and cheese. … The goal is to do some self-distribution.”

Ordering is available through Red Beard’s Kitchen’s Facebook page and through its website. All items are sold frozen, with specific heating instructions depending on what you get. Most meals will serve two or three people per order

Some of Provencher’s hottest-selling items right out of the gate have been seafood chowder with scallops, haddock and veggies, and shepherd’s pie with ground beef. He has also done beef chili with kidney and pinto beans; veal Bolognese; split pea soup made with chicken stock, bacon and veggies; beef stew, and broccoli cheddar soup. Several of the meals, including the chili, the shepherd’s pie and the Bolognese, are gluten-free. Provencher has also tested the waters with different products and worked with potential items like meatloaf and meatballs.

In addition to ordering online for Saturday pickups at Noodz, you can get Provencher’s meals at a few local farm stands — he’s working with Vernon Family Farm in Newfields and Brookvale Pines Farm in Fremont, and will soon have his products available through the Three River Farmers Alliance, an online network linking customers to locally sourced food.

Red Beard’s Kitchen
To order, visit red-beards-kitchen.square.site, email [email protected] or find them on Facebook. Place orders for weekly pickups on Saturdays, between 10 a.m. and noon, at Noodz (968 Elm St., Manchester).

The Weekly Dish 21/02/25

News from the local food scene

• More drive-thru Greek meals: Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church (68 N. State St., Concord) will hold its next boxed Greek dinner to go event on Sunday, March 7, from noon to 1 p.m. Now through March 3, orders are being accepted for boxed meals, featuring Greek beef stew with orzo, Greek salad and a dinner roll, for $15 per person. The event is drive-thru and takeout only — email [email protected] or call 953-3051 to place your order. The church has a few other similar upcoming events planned, like a baked haddock dinner on April 25 and a chicken souvlaki meal on May 16. Visit holytrinitynh.org.

• Bite Out of Hunger: Now through March 25, the Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary is selling chocolate Easter bunnies, made by Granite State Candy Shoppe, as part of its Bite Out of Hunger Campaign. The cost is $8.50 for an eight-ounce solid milk, white or dark chocolate bunny. Proceeds benefit The Kids’ Café, which offers children and teens meals and recreation activities four evenings a week. To order a bunny, call Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary publicity chairwoman Sylvia Crete at 490-4107.

• B’s Tacos expands to Manchester: Londonderry-based food truck B’s Tacos has opened a new brick and mortar location on Manchester’s West Side, at 372 Kelley St. According to owner and founder Ken Spilman, who has operated B’s Tacos since 2013, the new location has allowed him to expand his menu offerings. You can still get six-inch tacos, in crispy corn or soft flour tortillas, as well as 12-inch burrito and rice bowls, in a variety of fillings, like slow-cooked pork, ground beef, pork and chorizo sausage, grilled chipotle garlic steak, fried chicken tender and more. There are also taco salads, quesadillas, and sides like beans, chicken fingers and avocado fries. While it is now open in Manchester Tuesday through Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., B’s Tacos will continue to operate as a food truck at the BP Gas Station (2 Mohawk Drive, Londonderry) from May to October. Visit nhtacotruck.com.

• LaBelle taps new culinary chief: LaBelle Winery recently announced the addition of industry veteran Peter Agostinelli to its culinary team, according to a press release. A 1998 culinary arts graduate from Newbury College in Brookline, Mass., Agostinelli is no stranger to the local food scene — his resume includes stints at the Bedford Village Inn, the Exeter Inn, Grill 23 & Bar in Boston and many other acclaimed eateries. He will oversee all of LaBelle’s food and beverage operations at its Amherst and Portsmouth locations, as well as its newest spot due to open in Derry later this year. “Peter’s expertise in the industry and depth of knowledge and experience will allow him to continue to elevate LaBelle’s culinary-related programs to a place we’ve always envisioned them going — and then some,” winery owner and founder Amy LaBelle said in a statement.

Jason Duffy

Jason Duffy is the executive chef of Bistro 603 (345 Amherst St., Nashua, 722-6362, bistro603nashua.com), which opened last August. Born in Brighton, Mass., and raised on Cape Cod, Duffy got his start in the industry at the age of 14 as a dishwasher at the Chart Room restaurant before moving up the ranks there over the course of a decade. He and owner Jeff Abellard are also part of a close-knit restaurant team that has run Bistro 781 on Moody Street in downtown Waltham, Mass., since 2015. Like its predecessor, Bistro 603 features an eclectic menu of items out of a scratch kitchen, ranging from small shareable plates to larger meals with optional wine pairings.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

Tongs, a side towel and a knife. You can get most things done as long as you have that stuff on hand. … The tongs are like extensions of my hand. I do a million things with them.

What would you have for your last meal?

Probably a big crab boil, with corn on the cob and whatever shellfish I can get.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

In N Out Burritos [in Nashua] has great aguachile. It’s basically heavily marinated citrus-spiced shrimp. We also recently went out to Michael Timothy’s [Local Kitchen & Wine Bar] for my birthday, which is a really cool place.

What celebrity would you like to see eating at your restaurant?

I am a book nerd at heart. I would love to have Stephen King in here.

What is your favorite thing on your menu?

Our braised short ribs. It has tender fall-apart beef, our house made gnocchi, truffled mushroom cream sauce and roasted Brussels sprouts. It’s one of our biggest sellers. Every part of it just always comes out great and consistent.

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

Scratch-made comfort food with a twist. … We can spend all day coming up with all sorts of intricate stuff, [but] I try not to use all sorts of terms on the menu that people wouldn’t recognize. We’ve noticed that the recognizable stuff sells tremendously at the outset, but as you build a client base and people know who you are then they start to trust you more.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

I love all kinds of soups. I’ll spend a couple of days making a really nice chicken stock.

Smoked tomato chimichurri
From the kitchen of Chef Jason Duffy of Bistro 603 in Nashua

1 cup smoked tomatoes (halved and smoked at 200 degrees for two hours)
1 tablespoon raw garlic
1 tablespoon raw shallot
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
½ tablespoon dry oregano
½ tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 cup vegetable oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine everything but the oil in a blender and puree. While running the blender, trickle in the oil to emulsify it all together. According to Duffy, the chimichurri is great as a sauce or a marinade for meats.

Featured photo: Jason Duffy

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