Category: Food

Empanellie’s opens in Nashua

Steps away from Main Street, a new eatery now open in downtown Nashua is serving up authentic Puerto Rican cuisine, including made-to-order hot pressed sandwiches, loaded french fries and an eclectic assortment of sweet and savory empanadas.

Empanellie’s, which arrived last month near the corner of Main and West Pearl streets, also features a daily Latin food buffet and a selection of locally sourced cold desserts. Owner Nelson Mercado, who was born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and came to Nashua at the age of 6, said the restaurant gets its name by combining the word “empanada” with the name of his mother, Nellie, who is one of several celebrated cooks in his family.

Mercado, who also owns Made Men Barbershop & Lounge a few blocks down the same street, said talks to open an empanada restaurant originated last year with his clients as a great addition to the growing diversity in Nashua. He began renovating the empty storefront that would become Empanellie’s just before the onset of the pandemic, briefly pausing on the project for a few months before jumping back in.

The first things you may notice when you walk into Empanellie’s are its bright warm colors and vibrant aesthetics — Mercado said they represent the uplifting of cities and neighborhoods in Puerto Rico that were affected by recent natural disasters like Hurricane Maria. Much of the restaurant’s featured decor is also representative of different traditions on the island.

Empanellie’s general manager, Francisco “Franky” Arocho, who is also from Puerto Rico and has been in New Hampshire for nearly a decade, said the empanadas are among the top sellers. Each empanada shell is six inches wide when folded and a couple of inches thick, stuffed with anything from beef or chicken with cheese to all kinds of experimental fillings. One such option that has been popular lately, he said, has been the pastelón empanada.

“Pastelón is basically a lasagna, but made out of sweet plantains. If you’re Puerto Rican then you always ate that when you were a kid at home,” Arocho said. “We decided to incorporate that inside of an empanada, so it’s a mixture of beef, cheese and sweet plantains.”

A buffet offering various meats, rices, fruits, vegetables and more is also available with an always changing menu of items sold by the pound.

“I think if you grab a little bit of everything, the most you’ll pay is probably $14,” Arocho said. “It’s not a set menu either. It can change every day, but we try to have what sells the most.”

Other items are made to order, like the sandwiches — those options include a traditional Cubano with ham, pork, Swiss cheese, pickles and mustard; a tripleta, or a three-meat blend of chicken, pork and steak that’s topped with potato sticks, cheese and a house sauce; and a jibarito, or a sandwich made with flattened plantains in place of the bread.

“The jibarito is a very famous sandwich from Puerto Rico,” Arocho said. “We smash the plantains, fry them up and then add lettuce, tomato, cheese and whatever meat you like.”

Empanellie’s also serves alcapurrias, a popular Puerto Rican fritter dish featuring mashed green bananas stuffed with meat and served with a house dipping sauce; and papas locas, or loaded french fries with chicken, pork, steak, barbecue sauce, cheese and hickory-smoked bacon. Similar dishes can be prepared with sweet plantains in place of the fries.

For dessert, you’ll find some flavors of sweet empanadas like strawberry and Nutella, apple pie, and guava and cream cheese, plus a collection of items sourced from Dulces Bakery of Manchester. The tres leches, for instance, are cakes soaked in three different types of milk, topped with homemade whipped cream and served in refrigerated single-portion cups. They come in a variety of flavors, from vanilla and salted caramel to Nutella, guava, pineapple, and dulce de leche.

Eventually, Arocho said, they hope to expand their menu offerings to include breakfast empanadas and sandwiches, and they’d like to feature live music.

Empanellie’s
Where: 83 W. Pearl St., Nashua
Hours: Tuesday through Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 6 p.m. (hours may be subject to change)
More info: Follow them on Facebook and Instagram @empanellies or call 417-7875. A website is expected to be launched soon.

Feautred photo: Photo courtesy of The Flight Center Taphouse & Eatery

News from the local food scene

• Cheers to beers: Breweries all over the Granite State are celebrating New Hampshire Craft Beer Week, which kicked off on Wednesday, April 7, and will continue all the way through Saturday, April 17. Be sure to check in with your favorite breweries on their websites or social media channels — many will showcase special beer releases and host virtual or in-person trivia nights, live music performances and other events — or visit nhbrewers.org for the most up-to-date happenings. Our coverage of Craft Beer Week can also be found on page 30 of The Hippo’s April 1 edition.

• Spring into deliciousness: Local gourmet food products, cookbooks for sale and onsite food trucks will all be part of the Great New England Spring Specialty Foods & Artisan Show, a two-day rain or shine event happening on Saturday, April 10, and Sunday, April 11, at the Hampshire Dome (34 Emerson Road, Milford). In addition to more than 100 booths featuring artisan and food vendors both indoors and outdoors, the show will feature live music, cash door prizes, raffles and more. Tickets are $5 per person (free for kids ages 14 and under) and are valid for both days — show times are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday. Visit gnecraftartisanshows.com.

• LaBelle Market coming soon: LaBelle Winery owners Amy LaBelle and her husband Cesar Arboleda recently announced the name of their new culinary market and gift shop coming soon to Derry. LaBelle Market, according to a press release, is scheduled to open by mid to late May in the space that formerly housed the onsite pro shop of Brookstone Events & Golf (14 Route 111, Derry). “The concept … came about after many years of traveling in the United States and abroad,” LaBelle said in a statement. “I often visited markets selling incredibly fresh, local and unique products, and always found shopping at them to be fun and inspiring.” According to the release, the market will feature prepared and made-to-order foods, including baked goods, specialty sandwiches, salads, grain bowls and wood-fired pizzas. Grocery items will include assorted breads, artisanal cheeses and prime cuts of beef. The market, which is adjacent to the new Americus Restaurant, will be open seven days a week, from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., with both indoor and outdoor seating available. Visit labellewinerynh.com for updates on its opening.

• NOCA to introduce new flavors: Spiked still water company NOCA, launched in 2019 by University of New Hampshire graduates and friends Alex Febonio, Galen Hand and Richard Roy, has announced plans to move its production to the Granite State and will also be releasing new flavors in April, according to a press release. The original product line of NOCA, which stands for “no carbonation,” features three flavors of filtered water with a fermented cane sugar base: dragon fruit mango, watermelon lime and triple berry, all with an ABV of 4.5 percent, according to the NOCA website. The new flavors, which are expected to roll out this month, will include pineapple, cherry, peach, lime and lemon, according to the release.

News from the local food scene

• Get ready for Easter: Visit hippopress.com for our annual Easter listings (available for free to everybody thanks to our members and supporters), which include details on local restaurants and function centers serving special brunches or dinner menus, as well as bakers, chocolatiers and candy makers offering unique creations of their own. Easter Sunday is April 4; for the most up-to-date availability, check the websites or social media pages of restaurants, bakeries and function centers, or call them directly.

• Shop local: There’s a new indoor spot to get some local products like fresh veggies, breads, baked goods, honeys, gifts and other non-perishables and handcrafted items. The Weare Real Food Market opened March 15 and is now open seven days a week, at 65 N. Stark Hwy. in Weare, owner Marek Rivero confirmed. The market’s mission, Rivero said, is to present a venue where local farmers, crafters and artisans can come together to provide products directly to the Weare community. The market is open Monday through Friday, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Visit wearerfm.com or follow them on social media.

• Temporary takeout change: Great New Hampshire Restaurants, the local group that encompasses all T-Bones, CJ’s Great West Grill and Copper Door restaurants in the state, announced last week it has temporarily suspended takeout services on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, from 5 to 8 p.m., across all of its locations, including online ordering and phone-in orders during those times. “Takeout has become so busy during these up-times that it is impeding our ability to serve in-house guests at the level we demand of ourselves,” reads a March 26 company statement released on its newsletter and social media channels. Takeout will still be available outside of those hours as Great New Hampshire Restaurants continues to prioritize the increasing return of indoor and outdoor dining.

• Ribfest update: For the second year in a row, the Great American Ribfest & Food Truck Festival will not be taking place during its normal Father’s Day weekend timeframe, nor will it be happening at Anheuser-Busch Brewery in Merrimack, according to a statement recently issued on the event’s website and Facebook pages. Organizers hope to have the festival at a new location sometime later this year, but according to the statement, “negotiations are taking longer than expected.” The three-day event, which typically features local and regional barbecue vendors and food trucks, as well as live music, a beer station and a variety of family-friendly activities, was postponed multiple times in 2020 before it was ultimately canceled. Updates on the status of a 2021 festival will be made as they become available at greatamericanribfest.com.