Matt Berry and Lauren Foster Berry of Milford are the owners of Dahlia Restaurant (dahlianomadic.com, find them on Facebook and Instagram), a series of New England-inspired farm-to-table pop-up dinners they launched last month. Named after the couple’s daughter, Dahlia held its first dinner at Greenleaf in Milford on Sept. 27. A second event followed a week later, at The Birch on Elm in Manchester. Dahlia’s next event, a Halloween-themed dinner, is scheduled for Oct. 25 at Noodz on Elm Street in Manchester. Collaborative dinners are also planned for Nov. 15, with Camacho Knives & Leather in Manchester, and Dec. 6, with Dunk’s Mushrooms & Foraging in Brentwood. Previously, Matt and Lauren both worked at Greenleaf — he as chef de cuisine and she as a pastry chef.
What is your must-have kitchen item?
Lauren: Spoons, in different shapes and sizes, are essential for us, not only for cooking but also for plating. Finding a good spoon to cook with reinvigorates the passion for what we do.
What would you have for your last meal?
Matt: … All of our favorite bad foods. Smash burgers, mozzarella sticks, fried pickles, strawberry milkshakes, things like that.
What is your favorite local restaurant?
Matt: Definitely Otis [in Exeter]. [Owner and chef] Lee Frank is a really good friend of mine, and he’s been a great mentor for me as well. I worked under him as the sous chef. … Lee changes his menu every week, so going to eat there is kind of like putting your faith into his hands, which is an ideology we want to reflect in Dahlia. His clientele really trust his talent as a chef.
What celebrity would you like to see attending one of your dinners?
Matt: [Chef] Sean Brock, hands down. His passion for preserving crops and utilizing classic ingredients really inspired me on a personal level.
What is your personal favorite thing to cook?
Lauren: Mine has always been caramel corn. My earliest memory of being in the kitchen was with my mom, who would make big batches of it for friends and family in our area. The smells of popcorn and caramel are still really special to me and remind me of when I fell in love with cooking for the first time.
Matt: I always tend to come back to New Nordic cuisine. One thing we put on the menu a couple of times at Greenleaf and at Otis was aebleskiver, which is almost like a pancake dumpling cooked in a cast iron pan with divots in it. I also love gravlax, which is cured salmon.
What is the biggest food trend in New Hampshire right now?
Lauren: The farm-to-table trend is definitely really prevalent here right now. Over the last decade, so many more restaurants have focused on local ingredients, and customers have really embraced that as well. Patrons want to hear about the relationships you have, not only with the food but with the people growing it.
What is your favorite thing to cook at home?
Matt: I’m really passionate about making a really good bread. We have a couple of sourdough starters, and we both really like to experiment with different styles.
Lauren: For me, every time I’m cooking at home I always want to make soup. I like to eat soup all year round.
Birch flour biscuits Yields about 12 medium biscuits
250 grams (or about 2 cups) all-purpose flour 100 grams (or about ¾ cup) birch bark flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 tablespoon local maple syrup 2 teaspoons salt 85 grams (or about ⅓ cup) butter 177 grams (or about ¾ cup) buttermilk
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Set aside birch flour and combine rest of dry ingredients, whisking to combine. Using box grater, grate cold butter. Add to dry ingredients. Using hands or a food processor, mix together until butter is pea-sized and mixture looks like coarse wet sand. Whisk together birch flour and buttermilk in separate bowl. Drizzle over the top of butter and flour mixture, then gently knead to combine, being careful not to overwork dough. Turn dough out onto floured surface and work dough only until it comes together to form a rough ball. After sprinkling the surface of dough with flour, roll it out using a rolling pin to form a rectangle. Fold this in half, rotate rectangle 90 degrees, then flatten dough back out with heel of hands to not overwork dough and to keep biscuits tender. Repeat, folding, turning and pressing the dough back out three times. Using hands, press dough out to form one-inch-thick rectangle. Using two-inch round cookie cutter coated with flour, cut out biscuits and transfer to a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes, until light golden brown. Brush with melted butter and serve warm. To mill your own birch flour: Collect birch bark from white birch tree (only peel bark from recently fallen trees or collect pieces that have shed naturally — cream-colored pieces that are still pliable and not grey or brittle, and that are free from rot or bug holes). Submerge strips of bark in water. Bring to a boil; simmer for two hours. Dehydrate strips in the oven at the lowest setting overnight or in a dehydrator. Mill strips into flour in a food processor. Let spin until the bark has become very fine, then sift through a fine mesh strainer.
Farmers markets • Concord Farmers Market is Saturdays, from 8:30 a.m. to noon, on Capitol Street in Concord (near the Statehouse), now through Oct. 31. Visit concordfarmersmarket.com. • Contoocook Farmers Market is Saturdays, from 9 a.m. to noon, at 896 Main St. in Contoocook, outdoors through at least Oct. 31. Find them on Facebook @contoocookfarmersmarket for updates. • Henniker Community Market is Thursdays, from 4 to 7 p.m., at Henniker Community Center (57 Main St.), through Oct. 29. Find them on Facebook @hennikercommunitymarket. • Milford Farmers Market is Saturdays, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at 300 Elm St. in Milford through Nov. 21. Visit milfordnhfarmersmarket.com. • Nashua Farmers Market is Sundays, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at City Hall Plaza (229 Main St.), through Oct. 18. Visit downtownnashua.org/local.
Featured Photo: Matt Berry and Lauren Foster Berry
On the menu of nearly every seafood restaurant and Irish pub in New Hampshire, fish & chips — featuring battered and deep-fried whitefish, usually haddock or cod, with french fries, coleslaw and tartar sauce — is a pair of quintessential New England comfort foods. Local chefs and restaurateurs talk about the way their fish & chips are prepared and how they put their own unique spins on the fried classic, from the type of fish to the batter they use.
Fresh catch
Haddock is far and away the most prevalent fish used for fish & chips in the Granite State. Janet Johnston of The Lobster Boat in Merrimack said not only is it a common whitefish found in the Northern Atlantic, but it’s also a great option due to its leanness and sweet flavor. The Lobster Boat gets fresh fish deliveries six days a week, its haddock already deboned and skinned.
“It holds together when you cook it and comes out real tender and flaky, making it really nice for fish & chips,” she said.
While cod is also an acceptable option, Johnston said its thicker and firmer texture compared to haddock makes it a better fish for grilling than frying.
Eric Griffin of Grill 603 in Milford, which also uses fresh New England haddock for its fish & chips, had been using cod before coming to New Hampshire four years ago. He previously owned and operated a restaurant in the Chesapeake Bay area of Virginia.
“In the South you really can’t get good fresh haddock,” Griffin said. “The natural sweet flavor and flaky texture of the fish, in my opinion, is superior to cod when you cook it just right.”
How the fish is cut up and portioned will depend on where you go. Some restaurants, like Surf in Nashua and Portsmouth, and Hooked in Manchester, serve up one large filet of haddock. Griffin said he likes to prepare it at Grill 603 a little differently.
“We actually cut ours into one- to one-and-a-half-ounce sized pieces, which allows the fish to cook very quickly and evenly,” he said. “A lot of people that come into the restaurant and order it sometimes aren’t prepared for that, but when they take a bite, it’s all over.”
More diverse than the fish itself is the way it’s battered and fried at each eatery in the state. The Lobster Boat, according to Johnston, has used a yellow corn flour-based batter for decades, while at Grill 603 Griffin has his own batter he gets imported from North Carolina.
“The batter we use is super light and flavorful, and very fine, which is why we cut up the fish the way we do when we fry it,” he said. “We also batter each portion to order.”
Michael Lyle, corporate chef of Michael Timothy’s Dining Group, said a tempura batter with gluten-free rice flour and water is used for the fish & chips available at Surf.
In Concord, The Barley House has its own curry beer batter for its fish & chips. Chef Jon Frobese said beer sourced from Concord Craft Brewing is added to the eatery’s tempura batter, as well as some curry powder to enhance its flavor and Smithwick’s Irish ale for added color.
A fishy history
The origin of fish & chips as we know it today can be traced back to mid-19th-century England — the National Federation of Fish Friers recognizes it as “the undisputed national dish of Great Britain” and a “cultural and culinary symbol” of the country, according to its website. Exactly when and where the first plate of fish & chips was ever consumed is where things get, well, fishy. According to The Oxford Companion to Food, an encyclopedia edited by Alan Davidson and published by Oxford University Press, claims of the dish’s invention have been made in both London and Lancashire, some 200 miles to the northwest, around the year 1860, although fried fish and cooked potatoes had both existed separately for a time before. The Wordsworth Dictionary of Culinary & Menu Terms, compiled by Rodney Dale, identifies “chips” as an English colloquial term for french fries.
Pretzel crusted fish & chips from Backyard Brewery & Kitchen. Photo by Matt Ingersoll.
From the late 1800s through about World War II, Davidson writes, the number of fish & chips shops steadily grew across England and Ireland by the thousands. Some merchants, he added, attempted to package and sell fish & chips in used newspapers as a way to keep costs down, although this practice was largely phased out by the 1960s for sanitary reasons.
Chipping in
Almost every New Hampshire eatery offering fish & chips will serve you the fish with a side of french fries, and usually a small bowl of coleslaw and tartar sauce for dipping.
The Lobster Boat, Johnston said, uses a soybean oil that’s changed out every day for frying. The coleslaw is also homemade every morning.
In Nashua, The Peddler’s Daughter hand-cuts all its own fries using fresh Idaho potatoes. Chef Jeff DiAntonio said each serving of fish & chips also comes with two jars each of house-made ketchup and lemon tartar sauce.
Just like with its haddock, Surf prepares its fries in a gluten-free-friendly deep fryer, serving its fish & chips with a side of house tartar sauce.
“We make our own mayonnaise, whipping egg yolks with olive oil, and then we fold in some onions, capers and parsley,” Lyle said.
Grill 603 also makes its own coleslaw and tartar sauce, Griffin said.
“We actually use dill relish for our tartar sauce, which gives it a nice tart, zingy flavor,” he said.
Where to get a plate of fish & chips
From house-battered haddock or cod to hand-cut fries and homemade tartar sauce, here are some restaurants, brew pubs and other businesses in southern New Hampshire that offer their own unique takes on fish & chips.
• 110 Grill (875 Elm St., Manchester, 836-1150; 27 Trafalgar Square, Nashua, 943-7443; 110grill.com) offers fish & chips on its entree menu, featuring North Atlantic cod fried in seasoned flour and served with french fries, tartar sauce and coleslaw.
• 1750 Taphouse (170 Route 101, Bedford, 488-2573, 1750taphouse.com) offers fried beer-battered haddock with hand-cut fries, coleslaw, tartar sauce and a lemon wedge.
• Auburn Tavern (345 Hooksett Road, Auburn, 587-2057, auburntavern.com) offers fresh fried haddock with french fries and coleslaw on its seafood menu.
• Backyard Brewery & Kitchen (1211 S. Mammoth Road, Manchester, 623-3545, backyardbrewerynh.com) uses pretzel-crusted haddock for its fish & chips, which is served over hand-cut fries with pickle slaw and handmade tartar sauce.
• The Barley House Restaurant & Tavern (132 N. Main St., Concord, 228-6363, thebarleyhouse.com) offers fish & chips featuring haddock fried in a curry beer batter and served with french fries, tartar sauce and coleslaw.
• The Beach Plum (3 Brickyard Square, Epping, 679-3200; 16 Ocean Blvd., N. Hampton, 964-7451; 2800 Lafayette Road, Portsmouth, 433-3339; thebeachplum.net) offers fried haddock with french fries, coleslaw and a dinner roll that’s available as a smaller basket or a larger dinner size.
• Buckley’s Great Steaks (438 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, 424-0995, buckleysgreatsteaks.com) offers fish & chips on its house specialties menu, with coleslaw and tartar sauce.
• Cactus Jack’s Grill & Watering Hole (1182 Union Ave., Laconia, 528-7800, cactusjacksnh.com) offers Jack’s fish & chips on its house specialties menu, featuring fried haddock, fries, fried onion, coleslaw and tartar sauce.
• Casey Magee’s Irish Pub & Music Hall (8 Temple St., Nashua, 484-7400, caseymagees.com) offers Guinness-battered fried cod for its fish & chips entree, served with house fries, homemade coleslaw, tartar sauce and a lemon wedge.
• CJ’s Great West Grill (782 S. Willow St., Manchester, 627-8600, cjsgreatwestgrill.com) offers haddock fried in a tempura batter for its fish & chips, which are served with fries, onion rings, coleslaw and tartar sauce.
• Clam Haven (94 Rockingham Road, Derry, 434-4679, clamhaven.com) is expected to remain open for the season through Oct. 31. The eatery offers several fried fish plates like haddock, clams, scallops, and lobster tails, served with french fries, onion rings and coleslaw.
• Copper Door Restaurant (15 Leavy Dr., Bedford, 488-2677; 41 S. Broadway, Salem, 458-2033; copperdoor.com) offers fish & chips on its lunch menu, featuring haddock with a tempura breading, house fries, coleslaw and remoulade.
• Cork N Keg Grill (4 Essex Dr., Raymond, 244-1573, corknkeggrill.com) offers fish & chips, hand-breaded and served with coleslaw and tartar sauce.
• Diz’s Cafe (860 Elm St., Manchester, 606-2532, dizscafe.com) offers fish & chips that feature deep fried and breaded Atlantic haddock, served with french fries and house-made tartar sauce.
• Downtown Cheers Grille & Bar (17 Depot Road, Concord, 228-0180, cheersnh.com) offers deep fried and lightly breaded haddock on its entree menu, served with french fries, coleslaw and tartar sauce.
• The Farm Bar and Grille (1181 Elm St., Manchester, 641-3276, farmbargrille.com) offers fish & chips that feature more than half a pound of haddock per order, fried and lightly breaded, and served over a bed of waffle fries and house-chopped slaw.
• Firefly American Bistro & Bar (22 Concord St., Manchester, 935-9740, fireflynh.com) uses beer-battered local whitefish for its fish & chips, which are served with french fries, coleslaw and tartar sauce.
• The Flying Goose Brew Pub & Grille (40 Andover Road, New London, 526-6899, flyinggoose.com) uses beer-battered haddock filet for its fish & chips, which are served over pub fries with coleslaw and tartar sauce.
• Fody’s Great American Tavern (9 Clinton St., Nashua, 577-9015; 187½ Rockingham Road, Derry, 404-6946; fodystavern.com) uses beer-battered cod for its fish & chips, which are served with hand-cut fries and tartar sauce.
• The Foundry Restaurant (50 Commercial St., Manchester, 836-1925, foundrynh.com) offers tempura-battered fish & chips with coleslaw and tartar sauce.
• Giorgio’s Ristorante & Bar (270 Granite St., Manchester, 232-3323; 707 Milford Road, Merrimack, 883-7333; giorgios.com) offers the Greek fish & chips, which feature beer-battered haddock over Greek fries, topped with arugula, caper and lemon butter.
• Goldenrod Restaurant (1681 Candia Road, Manchester, 623-9469, goldenrodrestaurant.com) offers a haddock plate on its entree menu, served with french fries and coleslaw.
• Grill 603 (168 Elm St., Milford, 213-6764, grill603.com) uses fresh New England haddock for its fish & chips that is dry breaded Carolina style and served with gourmet fries and coleslaw.
• Holy Grail Food & Spirits (64 Main St., Epping, 679-9559, holygrailrestaurantandpub.com) offers golden fried beer-battered haddock loins, served with homemade chips.
• Hooked Seafood Restaurant & Ignite Bar & Grille (110/100 Hanover St., Manchester, 644-0064, hookedonignite.com) offers fish & chips that feature deep fried haddock, french fries, tartar sauce and coleslaw.
• Jamison’s (472 Route 111, Hampstead, 489-1565, jamisonsrestaurant.com) offers fresh haddock for its fish & chips, which include hand-cut fries, slaw and house tartar sauce.
• Johnson’s Seafood & Steak (1334 First New Hampshire Turnpike, Northwood, 942-7300, find them on Facebook @johnsonsnorthwood) offers fish & chips that feature hand-battered haddock filet and homemade tartar sauce.
• Lakehouse Tavern (157 Main St., Hopkinton, 746-1800, lakehousetavern.com) offers beer-battered haddock for its fish & chips, with fries, coleslaw and tartar sauce.
• The Lobster Boat Restaurant (453 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, 424-5221; 273 Derry Road, Litchfield, 882-4988; lobsterboatrestaurant.com) offers fish & chips available in small or large sizes on its menu, featuring golden fried haddock with a side of coleslaw.
• The Lobster Claw (4 S. Main St., Derry, 437-2720, lobsterclaw2.com) offers a variety of fried seafood dinners, with options like haddock, flounder, clams, scallops and more. Each dinner is served with french fries and coleslaw.
• Main Street Grill and Bar (32 Main St., Pittsfield, 435-0005, mainstreetgrillandbar.com) uses beer-battered fried haddock for its fish & chips, which are served with french fries, coleslaw and tartar sauce.
• Makris Lobster & Steak House (354 Sheep Davis Road, Concord, 225-7665, eatalobster.com) offers a variety of fried seafood plates in its own homemade batter, with options like haddock, shrimp, scallops, clams and oysters. Each is served with fries and slaw, and there are optional replacement sides like onion rings, Cajun fries and sweet potato fries.
• Murphy’s Taproom (494 Elm St., Manchester, 644-3535, murphystaproom.com) uses red ale-battered haddock for its fish & chips, which are served with coleslaw and tartar sauce.
• Murphy’s Taproom & Carriage House (393 Route 101, Bedford, 488-5975, murphystaproom.com) offers fish & chips on its entree menu, which feature Samuel Adams-battered haddock, house fries, toasted fennel slaw and tartar sauce.
• New England’s Tap House Grille (1292 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, 782-5137, taphousenh.com) uses beer-battered haddock for its fish & chips, which are served with seasoned french fries, coleslaw and tartar sauce.
• Newick’s Lobster House (317 Loudon Road, Concord, 225-2424; 431 Dover Point Road, Dover, 742-3205; newicks.com) offers a variety of fried seafood plates, served with either chips or fries, including haddock, scallops, clam strips and coconut shrimp.
• The Peddler’s Daughter (48 Main St., Nashua, 821-7535, thepeddlersdaughter.com) offers beer-battered fish & chips, which feature fresh haddock loins cut up in house and fried, then served with house cut fries, homemade lemon tartar sauce and ketchup, and malt vinegar.
• The Red Blazer Restaurant and Pub (72 Manchester St., Concord, 224-4101, theredblazer.com) offers fish & chips that feature hand-breaded haddock and are served with french fries, coleslaw and homemade tartar sauce.
• Rocco’s Pizza Bar & Grill (297 Derry Road, Hudson, 577-9866, roccospizzanh.com) uses hand-battered haddock for its fish & chips, which are served with french fries and coleslaw.
• The Shaskeen Pub and Restaurant (909 Elm St., Manchester, 625-0246, theshaskeenpub.com) uses beer-battered haddock filets for its fish & chips, which are served with shoestring fries, house slaw and tartar sauce. You can also switch out the fries for roasted root vegetables or smashed potatoes.
• Shopper’s Pub + Eatery at Indian Head (18 Lake Ave., Manchester, 232-5252, shoppersmht.com) offers fish & chips on its entree menu, which include lightly battered haddock served with fries and slaw.
• Stark House Tavern (487 S. Stark Hwy., Weare, 487-6002, starkhousetavern.com) uses beer-battered haddock for its fish & chips, which are served with hand-cut fries and slaw.
• Surf Restaurant (207 Main St., Nashua, 595-9293; 99 Bow St., Portsmouth, 334-9855; surfseafood.com) offers fish & chips on its entree menu, featuring haddock filet fried in a crispy tempura batter, and served with coleslaw and fries.
• T-Bones Great American Eatery (25 S. River Road, Bedford, 641-6100; 404 S. Main St., Concord, 715-1999; 39 Crystal Ave., Derry, 434-3200; 77 Lowell Road, Hudson, 882-6677; 1182 Union Ave., Laconia, 528-7800; 311 S. Broadway, Salem, 893-3444; t-bones.com) uses crispy haddock for its fish & chips, which are served with coleslaw and tartar sauce.
• Tailgate Tavern & Marketplace (28 Portsmouth Ave., Stratham, 580-2294, tailgatetavernnh.com) uses North Atlantic haddock filets for its fish & chips, which are hand-dipped in a house made tempura batter and golden fried, then served with fries and coleslaw.
• Tandy’s Top Shelf Pub (1 Eagle Square, Concord, 856-7614, tandyspub.com) offers a fried haddock platter on its entree menu, served with fries and coleslaw.
• The Town Cabin Deli & Pub (285 Old Candia Road, Candia, 483-4888, towncabin.com) offers fish & chips on its seafood menu, featuring deep fried and battered haddock filet served with coleslaw and hand-cut fries.
• The Tuckaway Tavern & Butchery (58 Route 27, Raymond, 244-2431, thetuckaway.com) offers buttermilk fish & chips with fries, slaw and New England tartar sauce.
• Zachary’s Chop House (4 Cobbetts Pond Road, Windham, 890-5555, zacharyschophouse.com) offers lightly fried fish & chips with fresh cod.
• Drive-thru Greek eats: Assumption Greek Orthodox Church (111 Island Pond Road, Manchester) will hold a drive-thru food fest on Saturday, Oct. 24, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., rain or shine. Now through Oct. 21, orders are being accepted for a variety of fresh Greek eats, including lamb/beef or chicken gyro plates with fries, spinach petas, and several pastries and sweets, like baklava, koulourakia (crisp braided butter cookies), kourambiedes (butter cookies in powdered sugar) and loukoumades (fried dough sprinkled with syrup and cinnamon). Pre-paying online is required (no walk-ins). To place your order, visit foodfest.assumptionnh.org.
• Spooky servings: Get your tickets now for a Monster Mash dinner at LaBelle Winery (345 Route 101, Amherst) on Saturday, Oct. 31, from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. The Halloween-themed event will feature a plated multi-course dinner, with items like artisan breads and whipped butter, mini bowls of pumpkin bisque, ricotta pumpkin cannelloni in a sage brown butter sauce, herb roasted Statler breast of chicken with pumpkin pilaf, and a meringue ghost tartlet for dessert. There will also be themed cocktails at the bar, a costume contest and dancing. Tickets are $69 per person (event is 21+ only). Visit labellewinerynh.com.
• Final outdoor markets: The final day of the Nashua Farmers Market’s summer season is scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 18, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at City Hall Plaza (229 Main St.), while several other outdoor markets in the Granite State are set to conclude not long after. The Henniker Community Market, for instance, will wrap up its season on Thursday, Oct. 29, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Henniker Community Center (57 Main St.). Then on Saturday, Oct. 31, from 8:30 a.m. to noon the Concord Farmers Market will hold its last date of the season on Capitol Street. The Milford Farmers Market, meanwhile, is scheduled to continue outdoors a bit later into the fall, through Saturday, Nov. 21, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at 300 Elm St. in Milford (across the street from the New Hampshire Antique Co-op).
• Farewell to The Seedling: Another Granite State eatery has permanently closed its doors due to complications posed by the pandemic. The Seedling Cafe & Catering in Merrimack, which suspended operations back in March, announced in an Oct. 1 Facebook post that it will not be reopening. Owner Karen Theriault had purchased the cafe, which was in Nashua at the time, in late 2016 before moving it to the lobby of the Residences at Daniel Webster in Merrimack in the spring of 2018. “I truly expected to reopen and had been planning to do just that, but sadly it will not happen,” Theriault wrote, going on to thank her customers for their loyalty and to encourage people to support small businesses whenever possible.
Valerie Roulo of Raymond is the owner of Love & Joy Vegan Sweets (loveandjoyvegansweets.com, and on Facebook and Instagram @lovejoyvegansweets), a homestead baking business she started in August that specializes in unique vegan desserts. Named after Roulo’s two dogs, Marley Love and Willow Joy, the business offers a menu of sweet treats available for ordering online, like multiple flavors of macarons and truffles, oat hemp seed bars, chewy chocolate chunk cookies, cashew-based raspberry lemon entremets, pecan shortbread bars, and vanilla custard Napoleons. An advance notice of 24 to 48 hours is requested for all orders, which are typically available for curbside pickup at a designated spot. You can also find Roulo’s macarons on the menu at Col’s Kitchen (55 S. Main St., Concord).
What is your must-have kitchen item?
It would be my KitchenAid mixer.
What would you have for your last meal?
Vegan nachos, with salsa, jalapenos, black beans and vegan sour cream.
What is your favorite local restaurant?
I have two. Col’s Kitchen in Concord is one, and then the other would be The Hungry Caterpillar food truck. I like the “plantarella” sticks, which are basically kind of like mozzarella sticks.
What celebrity would you like to bake something for?
[Celebrity chef] Paul Hollywood, from The Great British Bake Off.
What is your favorite thing on your menu?
Probably the macarons, because they are a lot of fun to make and they took me months to master. The shell is an almond-based cookie and then the flavor is whatever you put inside of it, usually any kind of buttercream flavor.
What is the biggest food trend in New Hampshire right now?
People [are] becoming more interested in plant-based meals. I also think the grocery stores are starting to offer a lot more plant-based foods.
What is your favorite thing to cook at home?
I like to make a nice hearty vegetable soup and a crusty bread.
Chocolate chickpea brownies From the kitchen of Valerie Roulo of Love & Joy Vegan Sweets in Raymond
1 can chickpeas 4 tablespoons cocoa powder ⅓ cup flour 3 tablespoons non-dairy milk 3 tablespoons nut butter of choice 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoon baking powder ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon baking soda ½ cup sugar ½ cup vegan chocolate chips Nuts (optional)
Drain and rinse beans. Preheat oven to 340 degrees. Grease or line an 8-inch pan. Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor until completely smooth. Spread into pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips (and nuts, if using) on top. Bake on the center rack for 14 minutes, then chill the still underbaked brownies until firm.
For Jeanne Foote and her husband, Tom, who grew up in the North End of Manchester, opening their newest restaurant just over the town line in Hooksett is a homecoming of sorts. In fact, Second Brook Bar & Grill, a casual comfort and homestyle eatery that opened last month, is named after the nearby brook by the railroad tracks that they frequented as high school students. “Second Brook, for me, was about making lifelong friends and good memories, and that’s what we’re trying to do here,” Foote said. “New friends are coming in, old friends are coming in. … It’s like a class reunion here every other day of the week. It’s so much fun.” Foote spent more than a decade working at The Puritan Backroom and at Billy’s Sports Bar before going to Durham to open Bella’s Casual Dining in 2012. On Christmas Day last year, just months after Bella’s closed its doors, she said, she was en route picking up Chinese food to her son’s house when she noticed the vacant building space that would become Second Brook Bar & Grill, which was most recently occupied by DC’s Tavern. “We had a concept in mind,” she said, “but then Covid hit, so we had time to think about what we really wanted, what our name was going to be, and who we were going after.” Jackson Poulson, who worked at The Country Tavern in Nashua before its permanent closure in May, was brought on as head chef to help construct the eatery’s menu. Many of Second Brook’s tables and booths also come from The Country Tavern, Foote said. “[Poulson] had some really good recipes, and I had some really good recipes from Bella’s, so we just kind of collaborated,” she said. The boneless chicken tenders, for instance, are hand-tossed and deep fried, and available as plain, barbecue, Buffalo or garlic Parmesan flavors. The appetizer menu also contains popular staples like shepherd rolls with an au jus demi-glaze, pan seared scallops with a bacon lemon butter sauce, eggplant Napoleon with pesto alfredo and deep fried Buffalo chicken balls. All soups and chowders are made in house, like the Cajun shrimp chowder and the French onion soup. The menu also features fresh pasta dishes and plated entrees, like Bella’s chicken pot pie with carrots, peas and corn; the baked stuffed Jumbo shrimp with homemade stuffing; and the pulled pork casserole with onion straws, mashed potatoes and cheddar cheese. The corned beef Reuben is one of the leading sellers on the menu’s sandwich section, according to Foote, but other options include a crispy coconut chicken wrap with house honey mustard Craisins, almonds and goat cheese; a barbecue pulled pork burger with cheddar cheese, coleslaw and pickle chips; a beer battered fish fillet served on a grilled brioche roll with lettuce; and a vegetarian wrap with roasted zucchini, squash, mushrooms and eggplant. Second Brook’s bar menu has more than a dozen domestic and local craft beers, as well as some white and red wines and all types of specialty cocktails. Between two and three lunch and dinner specials are also usually available per day, Foote said. Featured desserts are a brownie sundae and a New York-style cheesecake with strawberries, although you might see some specials there too.
Second Brook Bar & Grill Where: 1100 Hooksett Road, Unit 111, Hooksett Hours: Monday, and Wednesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Closed on Tuesdays. More info: Visit secondbrook.com, find them on Facebook and Instagram @secondbrookbarandgrill or call 935-7456
Featured photo: Seafood sampler with shrimp, haddock and scallops baked in white wine and butter. Courtesy photo.
NH Fisher Cats present food truck and fireworks festival
Fisher Cats food truck and fireworks festival. Courtesy photo.
The New Hampshire Fisher Cats haven’t played a single game this year, but their front office has made good use of Northeast Delta Dental Stadium throughout the summer, holding socially distanced high school and college graduation ceremonies, live rock concerts, cornhole tournaments and a fashion show. On Saturday, Oct. 10, they’ll add a food truck festival to the mix, featuring eats from several local and regional trucks, followed by an Atlas Fireworks show in the evening.
“It’s from 1 to 6 p.m., and then the fireworks are at 6:30 p.m., [but] you don’t have to stay the whole time,” Stephanie Fournier, director of hospitality and special events for the Fisher Cats, said. “We’re actually going to give people wristbands when they come in, so if you want to come for lunch, leave and then come back for the fireworks, you can.”
The festival will feature a combination of returning trucks from previous years, like Empanada Dada, a Lowell, Mass.-based Cuban food truck serving fresh beef and chicken empanadas, and a few newcomers to the food truck scene. The Gyro Spot on Elm Street in Manchester, for example, announced the launch of a food truck offering its fresh gyros back in July. They’ll be there, as will Ben & Jerry’s, which also recently introduced a truck.
Other participating vendors include Dudley’s Concessions, offering chicken tenders, fries, burgers and similar comfort options, and the Jackson Effie Coffee Cabin, a Massachusetts-based purveyor of small-batch coffees and espresso drinks.
Usually a two-day event, the team’s third annual festival had originally been scheduled for August. Fournier said seating will be available in some of the stadium seats, as well as at designated socially distanced sitting areas in the outfield using chalked 10×10 squares. People are encouraged to bring blankets and pillows, but no outside chairs are allowed. Masks and face-coverings are also required at the entry gate.
Third annual Fisher Cats Food Truck and Fireworks festival When: Saturday, Oct. 10; food trucks will be serving on the field from 1 to 6 p.m.; fireworks show begins at 6:30 p.m. Where: Northeast Delta Dental Stadium, 1 Line Drive, Manchester Cost: $10 general admission (free for children ages 3 and under); food and drinks are priced per item Visit: nhfishercats.com
Participating food trucks Ben & Jerry’s (benjerry.com) Dudley’s Concessions (find them on Facebook) Dudley’s Fried Dough (find them on Facebook) Empanada Dada (empanadadada.com) The Gyro Spot (thegyrospot.com) Jackson Effie Coffee Cabin (coffeecabinma.com)
Featured photo: Fisher Cats food truck and fireworks festival. Courtesy photo.
