Food – Page 33

Coal in one

Virtual golf and coal-fired pizza at new Salem eatery

A new full-service restaurant and bar now open in Salem is inviting you to enjoy pizza and appetizers out of a custom-built coal-fired oven, along with craft cocktails and the option to partake in games of virtual indoor golf or ax throwing with projected targets, all under one roof.

Par28, named after the state highway where you’ll find it, is also home to Rae’s Coal Fired. The business opened just before Thanksgiving inside the former Coca-Cola Bottling Co. plant, said Jim Tomacchio, who owns and runs it with three of his four sons, Jimmy, Joe and Paul.

Tomacchio’s oldest son Jimmy said he originally became interested in pizza when he and his wife ordered pies at restaurants down in New York and New Haven, Connecticut.

“I tried the pizza down there and didn’t think it was anything like the pizza around here,” he said. “My wife’s name is Rachel, and Rae was her nickname in college, so that’s how I got the name.”

Jimmy’s younger brothers Paul and Anthony happen to be executive co-chefs of Stacks, an eatery just over the state line in Haverhill, Mass., known for its craft sandwiches. Paul, who attended New England Culinary Institute, is also part-owner of Par28 and helps oversee the restaurant’s menu, Jimmy Tomacchio said.

“He’s the one that kind of brought my pizza ideas to life,” he said.

Pizzas are cooked from scratch using gas and anthracite coal in an oven that came all the way from Washington state and can reach up to 900 degrees in heat. Jimmy Tomacchio said the oven is so large it’s capable of cooking as many as 14 pizzas at a time in just three to four minutes.

Top sellers out of the gate have included the prosciutto and fig and the meatball and ricotta pizzas, as well as the Queen Bee — that one features hot honey, crushed red pepper and “cup-and-char” pepperoni, or smaller pepperoni pieces that form into cup shapes when cooked to trap the pie’s natural juices.

All pies come in 14-inch serving sizes, and you can even build your own by choosing from nearly two dozen topping options. House appetizers like the chicken wings and the garlic knots are also cooked in the coal-fired oven, Jimmy Tomacchio said, while the bar boasts a variety of local and regional beers on tap in addition to a line of specialty craft cocktails.

The virtual golf side of Par28 came when the Tomacchios decided to combine Jimmy’s pizza concept with Joe and Jim’s love of the sport.

“I’m an avid golfer. It’s my life, and I’ve always wanted a golf simulator in the house,” Joe Tomacchio said. “I was looking into it and never pulled the trigger. But now I don’t need one, because my dream absolutely came true.”

There are a total of seven TrackMan-brand golf simulators inside Par28 that visitors can use on an hourly basis, with more than 200 courses from around the world to play on.

“There are a whole ton of tour venues where the PGA players play. You can play those same courses here,” Joe Tomacchio said. “When you’re hitting, there’s a radar that’s behind you … that reads exactly how the ball spins and how far that ball is going to go, and it projects that onto the screen.”

Settings include everything from a traditional round of 18 holes to practicing your swing on the driving range, and there’s even an opportunity to hold tournaments.

In addition to the golf simulators, Par28 has a lounge area with eight ax throwing lanes and digitized targets, enabling you to play fun games like tic-tac-toe, connect four, duck hunt and many more.

“The golf was part of the original plan, and then once we came and saw how much space we had back there, we tried to figure out what else we could do,” Joe Tomacchio said.

With a large bar area surrounded by enlarged murals on the wall of the world’s famous golf course holes, Par28 is fast becoming a popular spot for golfers and foodies alike.

“Some people think that we’re just a sports venue, so we’ll get calls all the time [when people will] ask, ‘Can we just eat there or can we just sit at the bar?’ And yes, absolutely you can,” Jim Tomacchio said. “Yes, we do offer golf and ax throwing, but we also have food and drinks so you can just come in here and enjoy yourself.”

Par28 and Rae’s Coal Fired
Where: 23 S. Broadway, Salem
Hours: Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 8 a.m. to midnight, and Sunday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., according to the website
More info: Visit par28.com, find them on Facebook and Instagram @par28nh or call 458-7078

Featured photo: Photo by John McCarthy, JRM Photography.

Shop, sip and eat local

Loon Chocolate, 603 Charcuterie present holiday market

Nearly a year after opening their first joint retail shop in Manchester, Loon Chocolate and 603 Charcuterie are bringing more than two dozen other local businesses together for a special two-day holiday market. Happening inside the event space of The Factory on Willow on Saturday, Dec. 17, and Sunday, Dec. 18, the market will feature holiday shopping opportunities from purveyors selling everything from artisan foods to candles, jewelry and personal mementos, along with live music, a cash bar, photos with Santa Claus and more.

About 75 percent of the vendors are based within 20 miles of Manchester, according to Loon Chocolate owner and founder Scott Watson, who is organizing the market. The event is also unique for offering free admission and parking, thanks to a grant awarded by the city. Attendees are welcome to bring a non-perishable item to be donated to the New Hampshire Food Bank.

“It’s just a great opportunity for us to bring some small businesses together … and get them in front of some great customers. That was our thought process on the whole event itself,” he said.

Watson said he took to Instagram to accept applications for interested businesses to participate.

“We kind of took it in two different directions,” he said. “One was that it was first come, first served, but at the same time, not wanting large duplicates of vendors competing.”

The result is a diverse lineup of vendors with their own booths throughout the event space. The shop, Watson added, will be open both days and will offer gift-giving items of its own.

For Lindsey Bangs of I Whisked It, a home bakery based in Raymond, the market is the latest opportunity for you to order her homemade cocoa bombs, which she will offer in traditional, caramel and peppermint candy cane flavors. She also plans to sell cupcakes and — if time allows her to produce it, she said — a traditional German Christmas fruit bread called stollen.

Granite State Spice Blends, a Salem-based company offering small-batch herb and spice seasoning blends in a variety of flavors, will also be there. Owner and founder Matt Pierce said he individually toasts, muddles and grinds each one of his blends before it is packaged — his signature product is an all-purpose blend called the “SPOG” (with salt, pepper, onion and garlic as its ingredients), but he also dabbles in everything from a curry powder to an adobo seasoning.

Brandon Rainer and Lauren Lefebvre of The Potato Concept will be there too — the pop-up business, launched last year, has been a hit at area breweries and other expo-style events. They specialize in creative loaded russet baked potatoes, and will often have flavored options that rotate with the seasons. Additionally, Watson said the team at 603 Charcuterie plans to make some grab-and-go charcuterie cups and mini boards. A cash bar, meanwhile, will be overseen by Derry’s Appolo Vineyards, which will also serve beers from Rockingham Brewing Co.

Both days, Bradley Copper Kettle and Friends will perform live, and on Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Santa Claus will attend for photo opportunities with families. Then on Sunday, from noon to 2 p.m., Elsa from Frozen — portrayed by a local character actress — will visit. About every hour over each of the two days, Watson said, The Factory on Willow plans to hold tours.

Watson and 603 Charcuterie owner Theresa Zwart became the first commercial tenants of the building, a former shoe factory turned apartment and business complex, when they opened their retail store this past February. It serves as a one-stop shop for charcuterie boards utilizing local ingredients, and is now also home to Loon Chocolate’s bean-to-bar production facility.

“There’s a lot going on at The Factory … and this has been an opportunity to bring some people to the site so they can see what’s going on there, and maybe even find this little nook and cranny where there’s a chocolate factory and a charcuterie shop,” Watson said.

Holiday market, presented by Loon Chocolate and 603 Charcuterie
When: Saturday, Dec. 17, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 18, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: The Factory on Willow, 252 Willow St., Manchester
Cost: Free admission and parking (look for signs that direct you to the South Parking Lot); donations to the NH Food Bank are welcome
More info: Visit loonchocolate.com or 603charcuterie.com, or find them on Facebook and Instagram

Featured photo: Photo courtesy of 603 Charcuterie.

A lasting legacy

Republic Cafe, Campo Enoteca to be put up for sale as owners retire

By Matt Ingersoll

mingersoll@hippopress.com

They’ve been James Beard award semifinalists, TED Talk presenters and pioneers of the local food movement. They’ve owned several successful Manchester restaurants spanning more than 30 years, including the first to receive “certified local” status by the New Hampshire Farm to Restaurant Connection.

And now, chef Edward Aloise and his wife, Claudia Rippee, are stepping away from the kitchen.

“We figured we should go out on a high note. Kind of like Joe DiMaggio,” Aloise, a New York City native, joked during a recent phone interview with the Hippo. “It’s kind of bittersweet. Half of our lives have been here in Manchester, and more than half our lives have been in this industry. But it’s time. It’s time to get on and move on to whatever phase is next in our lives.”

The plan, Aloise said, is for Republic Cafe and Campo Enoteca — two separate restaurant concepts that he and Rippee have operated under the same roof at 969 Elm St. as the “Republic of Campo” since August 2020 — to remain open normal business hours through New Year’s Eve. The downtown storefront will then soon be put up for sale as the couple prepares to retire.

But the pair’s decision to leave the business is not because their restaurants haven’t been doing well. On the contrary, in fact, both have remained as busy as ever. Aloise, who just celebrated his 69th birthday on Dec. 12, said he has plans to “resuscitate” their restaurant consulting company, E&C Hospitality and Consulting Services, while Rippee, an accomplished photographer and artist in her own right, aims to focus more on her craft.

“We are absolutely not running out of gas, but we do want to use what’s left in our tanks and go in a different direction,” Aloise said.

No matter what happens following the sale of the 969 Elm St. property, the fact remains that Aloise and Rippee will leave behind a decades-long legacy in the Queen City, a presence in the restaurant scene that will be missed by many. Here’s a look back on what they’ve accomplished.

From Colorado to Manchester

Aloise and Rippee met in Boulder, Colorado, of all places, back in the late 1970s.

“Claudia was a cocktail waitress and I was a bartender,” he said. “It was an over-the-bar love affair.”

They would end up getting married, continuing to work in the restaurant industry out west, in addition to a brief stint in Aloise’s home state of New York. Through a friend in Colorado with ties to the Massachusetts area, they soon found themselves moving to the seaside community of Gloucester. It was there that, Aloise said, they attempted twice to open their own restaurant concept, but they were unable at the time to acquire financing for it.

Another opportunity arose some 70 miles away in Manchester, where Aloise for a time worked as president of Hospitality Holdings Corp. But he and Rippee knew they still wanted to start their own restaurant concept. Eventually, they were able to put together a business plan that got financed and, in 1990, opened up Cafe Pavone in Manchester’s Millyard.

“There was no real Italian here at the time. What there was, was your basic red sauce, spaghetti and meatballs place,” Aloise said. “We brought in fresh pasta that we made daily. We were bringing in different regional Italian recipes as opposed to everything from Naples and Sicily. It had the first outside patio in the city [and] we had a wood grill, which was news to everybody. … It became a real central point for a lot of people in the city. Regular customers would have these little brass nameplates around the bar and we used to call it the Walk of Shame. That’s how people were identifying with it.”

Enjoying a 10-year run throughout the ’90s, Cafe Pavone was named for the Italian word meaning “peacock.”

“We wanted to bring a little bit of color, a little bit of life, a little bit of versatility to the city, and we thought the name stuck,” Aloise said.

Their success just a few years after opening Cafe Pavone led them to an opportunity to start a second restaurant concept at Manchester-Boston Regional Airport — known as the Milltowne Grille — in January 1994.

By 2000, they decided it was time for a change — Cafe Pavone was sold, and Aloise and Rippee would start E&C Hospitality and Consulting Services, an initiative that continued throughout most of that decade.

“The airport [restaurant] was extremely successful at that point, so we had a little bit easier life for a while,” Rippee said.

Fresh from the farm

As Aloise put it, he and Rippee soon “got the bug to do it again,” and that was when Republic Cafe would arrive at 1069 Elm St. in downtown Manchester in January 2010. But this restaurant would be a totally different concept, ushering in a new philosophy for several other New Hampshire eateries that would follow.

“I’m a pescatarian, and I said that if we do another restaurant, then I did not want to deal with any factory-farmed animal products,” Rippee said, “and so that’s how we got involved in looking for local producers.”

Today, Republic is renowned not only for its scratch-cooked kitchen and pan-Mediterranean cuisine, but also for its commitment to sourcing from local farmers. But it didn’t catch on right away; in fact, Aloise refers to the first year and a half or so of being open as a little rocky.

“People were not really ready for a pan-Mediterranean restaurant,” he said. “Twenty-eight countries touch the Mediterranean and Claudia and I researched recipes from all 28 of them.”

That all changed in 2012, when they achieved semifinalist status for Outstanding Restaurateur in that year’s James Beard Foundation awards.

“That was the trajectory that really took Republic into the stratosphere,” Aloise said.

That same year, both Aloise and Rippee gave a joint TED Talk presentation about the importance of farm-to-table restaurant practices. Their talk detailed many of the local farms they have worked with and the products they buy from each, as well as the process of how they are continuously in contact with them to help shape their restaurant menus. Many of the farmers, Rippee noted, have been working with them from the very beginning — the list can be viewed on Republic’s website.

“When you couple the farm-to-table concept with recipes coming from Morocco and Turkey and Greece and southern Italy, and even Egypt and Israel for that matter, it shocked some people, but then eventually people said, ‘Wow, I’m not eating a piece of salmon on a Caesar salad anymore,’ and that’s what happened,” Aloise said.

Aloise and Rippee continued to operate the Milltowne Grille simultaneously with Republic until 2014. But when Southwest Airlines announced it was leaving Manchester’s airport to become a carrier down in Boston, that was when they noticed a sharp drop in volume, Aloise said.

“It became a non-viable entity and our lease was up anyway, so we decided to move,” he said. “But we had employees that were there with us for a decade, and so we had that human capital and decided not to waste it.”

That April, Campo Enoteca opened its doors at 969 Elm St., just a two-minute walk south of Republic. As opposed to its Mediterranean counterpart, this was an Italian restaurant serving house pastas and small plates, but still in line with the farm-to-table theme.

The Republic of Campo

Republic celebrated its 10th anniversary in business in January 2020, releasing a special “meet the farmers” Q&A series to commemorate the milestone.

Two months later, on March 16, came Gov. Chris Sununu’s emergency order limiting all restaurants and bars in New Hampshire to takeout and delivery only in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Both Republic and Campo Enoteca initially joined the dozens of other local restaurants in offering a special takeout and delivery menu, but the decision was soon made to shut down operations at both for the remainder of the governor’s dine-in ban.

As the pandemic stretched into the summer, by mid-August it was determined that Republic’s physical plan would be incompatible with the spacing requirements.

“Inside, you had to have 6 feet between tables … but at Republic it was one long line of seating down the right-hand side of the building and an 18-seat bar,” Rippee said, “so we probably could’ve gotten maybe 20 seats out of 60 and comply with the Covid guidelines, and that would not have supported what it took to reopen that location.”

Instead, Aloise and Rippee decided to leave the 1069 Elm St. location altogether and move all of Republic’s operations under the same roof as Campo Enoteca.

“One of the benefits was that a lot of our staff, especially the kitchen staff, moved between both restaurants,” Aloise said. “Everybody was familiar with all of the menus, all the recipes, all the descriptions of the product or the style of cooking that I had, and so we sat down with [partner and manager] Peter [Macone] and my chef de cuisine at the time, and I said, ‘This is what I want to do, how do we do this,’ and everybody was on board immediately.”

In the two years since, they’ve successfully been able to offer two separate menus for both restaurants under one location — dubbed the “Republic of Campo.” Whether or not that concept will continue, Aloise said, is all up to the eventual purchaser.

As Aloise plans to hang up his apron, he remains optimistic about the future of the hospitality industry, but he does predict there will be many changes.

“I think what’s probably going to happen is that people are going to react to the market,” he said. “You’re going to see concepts that are less labor-intensive and concepts that are more cost-effective. You’re going to see less full-service. … Tablecloth restaurants, upscale restaurants are going to go the way of dinosaurs for the most part.”

Featured photo: Chef Edward Aloise and his wife, Claudia Rippee. Courtesy photo.

The Weekly Dish 22/12/15

News from the local food scene

• Festive eats: There may still be time to order your holiday dinners and desserts — check out our annual listings in the Hippo’s Dec. 8 issue; they begin on page 23. You’ll find a comprehensive list of local restaurants, bakeries and other businesses offering all kinds of specialty eats available to order, from entrees and sides to pies, cakes and other sweet treats. Some places are still accepting holiday orders now through the coming days, for pickup at designated times during the week of Christmas. Go to issuu.com/hippopress and click on the Dec. 8 issue to read the e-edition for free. Read on to page 26 of that week’s issue to find out which local restaurants are open for limited hours on either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, in addition to those that are serving special holiday dine-in meals.

• Last holiday market at the Y: The final date of the weekly Holiday Food & Arts Market at the YMCA Allard Center of Goffstown (116 Goffstown Back Road) is Saturday, Dec. 17, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Events in this series, which kicked off on Nov. 19, have included a different menu of lunch items and baked goods each week, along with a unique selection of themed crafts, all to benefit the Y’s Center for Older Adults. This weekend’s market is “sparkle season,” featuring winter apparel and accessories in addition to a variety of holiday cookies and treats. See the event page on Facebook @yallardcenter for more details.

• Share in the celebration: Join To Share Brewing Co. (720 Union St., Manchester) for its fourth anniversary party, happening on Saturday, Dec. 17, from 1 to 9 p.m. The brewery will have games and special birthday treats from Bearded Baking Co. all day long, in addition to face-painting and balloon twisting from 1 to 3 p.m. and live music from Ryan Gagne-Hall at 3:30 p.m. and from Songs with Molly at 6 p.m. Husband-and-wife team Aaron and Jenni Share officially opened To Share Brewing Co. on Dec. 15, 2018, in the space of a former electronics manufacturer on Union Street in Manchester. Visit tosharebrewing.com or find them on Facebook @tosharebrewingco and on Instagram @tosharebrewing.

• Making a difference: The Common Man restaurant group of New Hampshire has exceeded the $1 million goal of its Common Man Ukraine Relief Fund to benefit Ukrainian refugees, raising more than $2 million since its launch in May, according to a press release. Earlier this month, Common Man owner and founder Alex Ray traveled overseas to meet with Polish and Ukrainian Rotary representatives and other agencies working to provide relief to Ukrainian refugees who are fleeing the ongoing war in their home country. The Common Man also offered each of its restaurants as collection sites for donations of critical supplies. “We asked the people of New Hampshire for help, and their answer was overwhelming,” Ray said in a statement. “Ukrainians are headed into a brutally cold winter in already uncertain conditions … [and] your donations are providing warmth and sustenance. You are saving lives.” According to the release, donations to the relief fund will continue to be accepted through Dec. 31 — they can be made online at graniteuw.org, or by texting NH4UKRAINE to 41444.

Wine for the host

Give the gift of bubbles or reds

At this “most wonderful time of the year,” there will be plenty of dinners, parties and gatherings of all sorts, and you want to bring something special to the host, your favorite family member or good friends, but you may not know what they will be serving or where exactly their tastes may lie. I offer the following suggestions of a wine to bring along to your next event or to gift.

Nothing says celebration like Champagne! There are many to choose from, and they need not be expensive. Among the many offered, I recommend the Moët & Chandon Brut Impérial (available at the New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlets, priced at $44.99, reduced to $41.99). This is one of the most sought-after Champagne brands in the world, with almost three centuries of history behind it. The color is that of golden straw, with a very slight green highlight carried in the glass. To the eye it is, what else? Sparkling! The nose is full of green apples along with some citrus, minerality and the yeast of a fresh brioche. To the tongue there are notes of apple, peach and pear carried through on the fine, tiny bubbles. This is a wine to be savored with the best of company and should never make its way to the bar alongside the buffet.

Our next wine comes from the winery of Joseph Carr, the 2020 Josh Cellars Central Coast Pinot Noir, (available at the New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlets, priced at $17.49, reduced to $14.45). The color is a rich ruby red with slight blue notes. The nose has cherry and strawberry that carry through to the tongue, adding a bit of chocolate, ending with notes of smoke or leather, coming from the toasted oak. This is an all-around, all-purpose wine that can be paired with a roast turkey on the sideboard, or served alongside soft cheeses like brie and Comté, or stuffed mushrooms and roasted vegetables. This wine comes from prime pinot noir producing regions that include Arroyo Seco, Monterey and Santa Lucia.

Our third wine is a 2019 Decoy Red Wine (available at the New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlets, priced at $22.99, reduced to $19.99). This wine is a blend of 35 percent cabernet sauvignon, 27 percent merlot, 16 percent zinfandel, 8 percent petite sirah, 5 percent malbec, 5 percent petite verdot, 2 percent syrah and 2 percent carignan. With a deep red color, this wine has full aromas of blackberry, plum and dark cherries, with hints of spice. There are supple tannins in this full-mouth lush wine that is perfect for pairing with that prime rib holiday roast! While priced to be placed on that bar, alongside the buffet, this wine can be thoroughly enjoyed at an elegant dinner party.

Raspberry jalapeño spread

Another weekend, another social gathering, right? If it is an at-home occasion, you may need to bring an appetizer to share. Since we are all busy hustling and bustling, why not bring a homemade snack that is simple yet addictively delicious?

This recipe is a play on the ’80s classic of cream cheese topped with jam. However, it is a recipe with much more depth but not much more effort. First, we are starting with goat cheese. While cream cheese is nice and creamy, its flavor is one note. Goat cheese offers a nice bit of tanginess for the base. Then we get to control the flavor of the spread topping the goat cheese. Raspberries are the star, but there are other elements. Sugar is added to brighten the fruit. Feel free to add half the amount and check for sweetness levels. Finally, there is minced jalapeño. Nothing like a little heat to make a snack more memorable. Of course, you also can adjust the amount of heat. Like minimal heat? Use only half the jalapeño. Like a lot of heat? Include the ribs and seeds.

Now, the only decision you have to make is the type of crackers to serve with this spread. I personally like a whole-wheat cracker for the crunch and flavor, but the options are limitless.

Make the raspberry jalapeño spread early in the day and let it chill all day long. When it’s party time, simply pour it over your goat cheese, grab your crackers, and you’re ready to go!

Raspberry jalapeño spread
Serves 4-6

2 cups fresh or frozen raspberries
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 jalapeño, seeds and ribs removed
8 ounces goat cheese
Crackers

Combine raspberries and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat.
Stir occasionally, using some force to smash the raspberries.
Dice jalapeño finely.
When sugar is dissolved, add jalapeno.
After spread begins to boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the spread thickens.
Remove from heat; refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours.
Place goat cheese on a small serving plate; top with raspberry spread.
Serve with crackers.

Featured Photo: Raspberry jalapeño spread. Photo by Michele Pesula Kuegler.

In the kitchen with Carlos Dorado

Carlos Dorado of Hollis is the chef and owner of Effin Sauces Co. (effinsauces.com, and on Facebook and Instagram @effinsauces), a producer of an organic apple cider-based vinegar hot sauce made with bell and habañero peppers known as Sweet Lava. Originally from Spain, Dorado graduated from Johnson & Wales University with a culinary degree and would later go on to run a brick-and-mortar restaurant in Miami, Florida, called The Lunchbox — it was there, he said, that he started offering bottles of his sauce on each of the tables. After living in Florida for about a decade, Dorado relocated to the Granite State, where his wife Kaleigh was born and raised and where the family has resided since 2018. Bottles of Sweet Lava are produced in a local licensed commercial kitchen and sold at nearly two dozen farm stands, country stores and other businesses across southern New Hampshire. The Dorados are also working toward opening their own commercial facility, where they plan to expand the Effin Sauces product line.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

I have one knife that I only use for making the sauce. It’s a 10-inch Shun that I sharpen with a whetstone every time I’m going to start a batch. … I feel like a chef is as good as the sharpness of his knife.

What would you have for your last meal?

A few years ago I ate at this restaurant in Sicily, and [I had] a homemade pasta where they emulsified sea urchin with egg yolks. … That has been the best meal of my life, and so if I can ever have it again, it will be a dream come true.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

I have a few. … The first one is Yoshimama on Amherst Street [in Nashua]. … Any time you go there, you will eat well. The fish is always fresh and they are very polite and very nice. The second one is Greenleaf in Milford, because I really admire what [owner and chef] Chris Viaud is doing. He’s doing a great job and getting the recognition that he deserves. … Then the third one is the Michael Timothy [Dining] Group, because I really feel that that guy is the Midas around here. Everything that he touches turns into gold.

What celebrity would you like to see trying your Sweet Lava sauce?

Adam Sandler. I grew up watching his movies … and now I live in his home state, which I’ve always thought was so cool. I’ve always dreamed of him trying the sauce.

What is your favorite thing to make with your Sweet Lava sauce?

I love to make a very rich stir-fry … with anything that I can find, a fried egg on top and then the Effin Sauce on it. Delicious.

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

One thing that I really love about New Hampshire, which is really hard to find in the rest of the United States, is the culture of enjoying things that are locally produced.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

Every once in a while, I get a little nostalgic about Spain. I like to do what I call Spanish nights at home. … I’ll buy some shosito peppers, rub some tomato on toasted bread, [or] make a Spanish tortilla with potatoes. … Sometimes I manage to get lucky and find some octopus. We boil it and then serve it with olive oil, paprika and sea salt. Very simple, but delicious.

Shrimp taquitos
From the kitchen of Carlos Dorado of Effin Sauces Co.

3 small flour tortillas
8 ounces peeled and deveined shrimp
1 avocado
1 mango
Lime juice
White vinegar
Salt and pepper
Effin Sauces Sweet Lava hot sauce

Bring a pot of water to a boil, then add one tablespoon of white vinegar. Add the shrimp and turn down to simmer. Cook for around six minutes, depending on the size of the shrimp pieces. Transfer the shrimp to an ice bath to cool them down, then roughly chop them. Cut the mango and avocado into small-diced pieces. Combine the shrimp, avocado and mango in a bowl, then toss them with the lime juice, salt, pepper and Sweet Lava. Distribute the mix evenly on the tortillas and enjoy.

Featured photo: Carlos Dorado. Courtesy photo.

Gather around the table

Where to go to have a festive holiday feast

Several Granite State eateries will have their doors open for limited hours on Christmas Eve (Saturday, Dec. 24), and a couple of them plan to serve you on Christmas Day as well. Check out this list of where you can go to celebrate the holidays with a special festive feast. Did we miss any holiday meals that you know of happening at a local restaurant? Let us know at food@hippopress.com and we’ll include it in the next issue.

• Enjoy a special chef’s Christmas cheer menu at Colby Hill Inn (33 The Oaks, Henniker, 428-3281, colbyhillinn.com) during several designated days in December with seatings from 4 to 8:30 p.m. The gardens will be professionally lit with holiday decorations, and the multi-course menu will feature a variety of a la carte items to choose from. The Colby Hill Inn is also hosting a Christmas high tea event on Sunday, Dec. 18, beginning at 12:30 p.m. The cost is $60 per person and includes a first round of mimosas, followed by your choice of holiday-inspired cocktails or the famous “Cosmic Christmas punch.” All attendees will receive free entry to the Inn’s Winter Wonderland Barn Market, held the same day from noon to 7 p.m. and featuring local crafters and live music.

• A Feast of the Seven Fishes at Bedford Village Inn (2 Olde Bedford Way, Bedford, 472-2001, bedfordvillageinn.com) will be on Thursday, Dec. 22, from 5 to 9 p.m. in its great hall. The dinner will be served buffet-style with several chef-attended stations, featuring items like fra diavolo, lobster and crab-stuffed sole, baked clams casino, hake puttanesca, a pasta station with various sauce options and accompaniments and an Italian dessert station with tiramisu, cannolis, chocolate mousse cups, biscotti, Italian cookies and other assorted treats. A cash bar will also be available. The cost is $95 per person (21+ guests only) and reservations are required.

Special Christmas Eve meals

• Christmas Eve Dinner at Bedford Village Inn (2 Olde Bedford Way, Bedford, 472-2001, bedfordvillageinn.com) is happening on Saturday, Dec. 24, with seatings from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. A three-course prix fixe menu will be served in the Inn’s dining room, followed by a grand dessert buffet and cash bar in its great hall. The menu will feature your choice of an appetizer (pistachio and chevre croquettes, braised lamb and ricotta ravioli, crispy calamari, Dunk’s Mushrooms bisque, seared scallop “BLT” or black garlic French onion soup); a salad (local kale and Swiss chard or chicory and beet); and an entree (grilled filet mignon, Robie Farm pork tenderloin, herb-grilled swordfish loin, short rib pappardelle, savory mushroom Wellington, rosemary-rubbed Christmas rib roast or New England seafood pot au feu). The cost is $110 for adults and $55 for children ages 10 and under. The Inn’s Trattoria Fondi will also be open for breakfast from 8 to 10:30 a.m. and for dinner from 4 to 9 p.m. on Christmas Eve, serving its regular menu in addition to some specials.

Special Christmas Day meals

• Christmas Day Buffet at Salt Kitchen & Bar (Wentworth by the Sea, 588 Wentworth Road, New Castle, 373-6566, saltkitchenandbar.com) is happening on Sunday, Dec. 25, with seatings from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in its ballroom. The menu will include deluxe chilled salads, a New England raw bar, fresh seasonal fruit displays, a Belgian waffle station, an artisan cheese display, a deluxe carving station with herb-crusted prime rib, seasonally composted hot entrees, an Italian antipasto station and a Christmas dessert display. The cost is $89.95 per person and $26.95 for children under 12.

• Christmas Dinner at Salt Kitchen & Bar (Wentworth by the Sea, 588 Wentworth Road, New Castle, 373-6566, saltkitchenandbar.com) is on Sunday, Dec. 25, with seatings from 1 to 9 p.m. The three-course holiday menu will feature signature options like sous vide New York strip steak, seared scallops, brown butter-roasted halibut and wild mushroom ravioli. The cost is $69.95 per person and $26.95 for children under 12.

• Christmas Dinner at The Wild Rose Restaurant (Stonehurst Manor, 3351 White Mountain Hwy., North Conway, 356-3113, thewildroserestaurant.com) is on Sunday, Dec. 25, with seatings from 2 to 8 p.m. The four-course dinner includes your choice of appetizer and Caesar salad, along with your choice of an entree, the eatery’s signature sourdough bread, seasonal vegetables, dessert, coffee and tea. Available appetizers include scallops wrapped in bacon, shrimp cocktail, Jonah crab cakes or apple cider pumpkin bisque. Available entrees include roasted turkey, aged and pit-smoked prime rib of beef, the Wild Rose (shrimp, scallops, lobster and Jonah crab meat served with a garlic basil Parmesan cream sauce and tossed with house tomato rose fettuccine), grilled rack of lamb, filet of cod with a lobster cream sauce, roasted half duck, Faroe Island salmon or pumpkin ravioli. Featured desserts will be flourless double dark chocolate torte, vanilla bean creme brulee, blueberry cheesecake and chef-made caramel pecan ice cream. The cost is $78 per person and reservations are required.

Open on Christmas Eve

• 900 Degrees Neapolitan Pizzeria (50 Dow St., Manchester, 641-0900, 900degrees.com) will be open until 6 p.m.

• Airport Diner (2280 Brown Ave., Manchester, 623-5040, thecman.com) will be open from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Alan’s of Boscawen (133 N. Main St., Boscawen, 753-6631, alansrestaurant.com) will be open until 6 p.m.

• Americus Restaurant (LaBelle Winery, 14 Route 111, Derry, 672-9898, labellewinery.com) will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• The Bar (28 Burnham Road, Hudson, 943-5250, find them on Facebook @thebar.hudson) will likely be open until about 7 p.m.

• The Barley House Restaurant & Tavern (132 N. Main St., Concord, 228-6363, thebarleyhouse.com) will be open until 5 p.m.

• The Bistro at LaBelle Winery (345 Route 101, Amherst, 672-9898, labellewinery.com) will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Buckley’s Great Steaks (438 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, 424-0995, buckleysgreatsteaks.com) will be open from 4 to 8 p.m., serving its regular menu in addition to some seasonal specials. Reservations are being accepted now.

• Chez Vachon (136 Kelley St., Manchester, 625-9660, chezvachon.com) will be open from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• CJ’s Great West Grill (782 S. Willow St., Manchester, 627-8600, cjsgreatwestgrill.com) will be open until 5 p.m.

• The Common Man (25 Water St., Concord, 228-3463; 304 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, 429-3463; 88 Range Road, Windham, 898-0088; 10 Pollard Road, Lincoln, 745-3463; 60 Main St., Ashland, 968-7030; thecman.com) will be open from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Christmas Eve at its Concord and Merrimack locations, with gift card sales available until 4 p.m. The Lincoln and Windham locations will be open that day for gift card sales only (from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Lincoln and from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Windham). The Common Man’s Company Store in Ashland will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., while its Claremont restaurant will be closed.

• Copper Door Restaurant (15 Leavy Drive, Bedford, 488-2677; 41 S. Broadway, Salem, 458-2033; copperdoor.com) will be accepting reservations until 8 p.m. at both locations.

• CR’s The Restaurant (287 Exeter Road, Hampton, 929-7972, crstherestaurant.com) will be open from 4 to 8:30 p.m., serving an a la carte menu with holiday specials and its most popular dinner items. Reservations are required.

• The Derryfield Restaurant (625 Mammoth Road, Manchester, 623-2880, thederryfield.com) will be open until 6 p.m.

• Epoch Gastropub (The Exeter Inn, 90 Front St., Exeter, 778-3762, epochrestaurant.com) will be open during its normal dinner hours, from 5 to 9 p.m.

• The Farm Bar & Grille (1181 Elm St., Manchester, 641-3276, farmbargrille.com) will be open until 3 p.m.

• The Flying Goose Brew Pub & Grille (40 Andover Road, New London, 526-6899, flyinggoose.com) will be open until 5 p.m.

• Foster’s Boiler Room (231 Main St., Plymouth, 536-2764, thecman.com) will be open from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., for dinner and gift card sales.

• Fratello’s Italian Grille (155 Dow St., Manchester, 624-2022, fratellos.com) will be open until 8 p.m.

• Friendly Red’s Tavern (22 Haverhill Road, Windham, 437-7251, friendlyredstavern.net) will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

• Giorgio’s Ristorante & Bar (270 Granite St., Manchester, 232-3323; 524 Nashua St., Milford, 673-3939; 707 Milford Road, Merrimack, 883-7333; giorgios.com) will be open until 4 p.m. at all three locations.

• Granite Restaurant & Bar (The Centennial Hotel, 96 Pleasant St., Concord, 227-9005, graniterestaurant.com) will be open for dinner from 4 to 8 p.m.

• Hanover Street Chophouse (149 Hanover St., Manchester, 644-2467, hanoverstreetchophouse.com) will be open from noon to 3 p.m., serving its regular menu.

• Lakehouse Grille (281 Daniel Webster Hwy., Meredith, 279-5221, thecman.com) will be open from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

• MT’s Local Kitchen & Wine Bar (212 Main St., Nashua, 595-9334, mtslocal.com) will be open from 4 to 8 p.m., serving its regular menu in addition to some seasonal specials. Reservations are being accepted now.

• Murphy’s Taproom (494 Elm St., Manchester, 644-3535, murphystaproom.com) will be open from 11:30 a.m. to 1 a.m.

• Murphy’s Taproom & Carriage House (393 Route 101, Bedford, 488-5975, murphystaproom.com) will be open until 8 p.m.

• The Pasta Loft Restaurant & Brewing Co. (241 Union Square, Milford, 672-2270, pastaloft.com) will be open until 7 p.m.

• The Puritan Backroom Restaurant (245 Hooksett Road, Manchester, 669-6890, puritanbackroom.com) will be open until 4 p.m. both inside the restaurant and for takeout.

• The Red Arrow Diner (61 Lowell St., Manchester, 626-1118; 137 Rockingham Road, Londonderry, 552-3091; 112 Loudon Road, Concord, 415-0444; 149 Daniel Webster Hwy., Nashua, 204-5088; redarrowdiner.com) will be open during its regular business hours at all four locations — the Manchester location is open 24 hours, while the Concord location is open from 5:30 a.m. to midnight, and the Londonderry and Nashua locations are both open from 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

• The Red Blazer Restaurant and Pub (72 Manchester St., Concord, 224-4101, theredblazer.com) will be open until 6 p.m., according to function coordinator Tamra Burke.

• Route 104 Diner (752 Route 104, New Hampton, 744-0120, thecman.com) will be open from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Second Brook Bar & Grill (1100 Hooksett Road, Unit 111, Hooksett, 935-7456, secondbrook.com) will be open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., while the bar will remain open until 5 p.m. that evening.

• Surf Restaurant (207 Main St., Nashua, 595-9293, surfseafood.com) will be open from 4 to 8 p.m., serving its regular menu in addition to some seasonal specials. Reservations are being accepted now for any size party.

• 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) will be open until 5 p.m. at all of its locations.

• Temple Street Diner (200 Temple St., Nashua, 521-7133, templestreetdiner.com) will be open from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., and will also be accepting special orders for lamb shank, baked ham or 12-ounce boneless steak dinners.

• Tilt’n Diner (61 Laconia Road, Tilton, 286-2204, thecman.com) will be open from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• The Wild Rose Restaurant (Stonehurst Manor, 3351 White Mountain Hwy., North Conway, 356-3113, thewildroserestaurant.com) will be serving its regular dinner menu from 5 to 8 p.m.

• The Wild Rover Pub (21 Kosciuszko St., Manchester, 669-7722, wildroverpub.com) will be open until 7 p.m.

• Zachary’s Chop House (4 Cobbetts Pond Road, Windham, 890-5555, zacharyschophouse.com) is scheduled to be open its regular hours, from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Open on Christmas Day

• Murphy’s Taproom (494 Elm St., Manchester, 644-3535, murphystaproom.com) will open at 5 p.m. that evening.

• The Red Arrow Diner (61 Lowell St., Manchester, 626-1118; 137 Rockingham Road, Londonderry, 552-3091; 112 Loudon Road, Concord, 415-0444; 149 Daniel Webster Hwy., Nashua, 204-5088; redarrowdiner.com) will be open during its regular business hours at all four locations — the Manchester location is open 24 hours, while the Concord, Londonderry and Nashua locations are all open from 5:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Featured photo: Courtesy photo.

Home for the holidays

Where to get your full meals, desserts and more to go

Whether you’re bringing home festive pies and cookies or a full holiday feast, local restaurants, caterers, bakeries and other businesses have you covered.

• All Real Meal (87 Amherst St., Manchester, 782-3014, allrealmeal.com) is taking orders for Christmas meals in two sizes (serving four or eight people) — they include slow-cooked turkey breast with gravy, brown sugar ham, cranberry almond green beans, creamy mashed potatoes, homestyle cornbread, pecan pie cheesecake and bacon herb hash brown quiche for Christmas morning. Ordering early is requested, as quantities are limited. Orders will be delivered fresh to your door on Friday, Dec. 23.

• Ansanm (20 South St., Milford, 554-1248, ansanmnh.com) is inviting you to enjoy a taste of Haiti at home with its holiday dinner menu. Entrees available to order include poule nan sos (stewed chicken), janbon (pineapple-glazed ham), griot (fried pork) or legumes (stewed vegetables) — each comes with rice and mixed vegetables, and a mixed greens salad with tomatoes, peppers, shallots and a citrus vinaigrette. You can also order various items a la carte, like macaroni au gratin (baked macaroni), bannann peze (fried plantains) and djon djon mushroom rice; as well as desserts, like gateau anana (pineapple upside-down cake) and gateau au beurre (Haitian pound cake). Order by Dec. 20. Pickups will be on Friday, Dec. 23 — all orders will be served cold with reheating instructions at the time of pickup.

• Ayottes Market (100 River Road, Hudson, 883-5235, ayottesmarket.com) is taking orders for pies for the holidays (flavors include apple, blueberry, chocolate cream, pecan and pork), as well as homemade breads (banana, cranberry and zucchini). Order by Dec. 14.

• The Bakeshop on Kelley Street (171 Kelley St., Manchester, 624-3500, thebakeshoponkelleystreet.com) is taking orders for several seasonal items for the holidays, including hot cocoa pie, eggnog cake and Yule logs, in addition to a variety of scratch-baked fruit pies, pastries and more. Order by Dec. 18. Pickups will be on Saturday, Dec. 24, from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.

• 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 a variety of specialty seasonal items for the holidays, including cakes (red velvet cake, Santa’s milk and cookies cake, dark chocolate peppermint cheesecake, and hot cocoa or peppermint white chocolate Yule logs); as well as eight-inch pies (pecan, apple or chocolate cream), Parker house rolls or gingerbread loaves, and assorted breakfast or pastry trays. Additionally, Buckley’s of Hollis is taking orders for appetizers (shrimp cocktail platters, petit crab cakes, raspberry baked brie, antipasto vegetables, New England baked stuffed clams and spinach artichoke dip) and meats (cranberry and apple-stuffed boneless pork chops, boneless prime rib roast, filet mignon or crab-stuffed shrimp). Order by Dec. 18.

• Brookdale Fruit Farm (41 Broad St., Hollis, 465-2240, brookdalefruitfarm.com) is taking orders for scratch-baked pies for the holidays, with flavors that include apple, pecan, pumpkin, blueberry and more. The farm stand will be open until 6 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 24.

• Brothers Butcher (8 Spit Brook Road, Nashua, 809-4180; 142 Lowell Road, Hudson, 577-1130; brothers-butcher.com) is taking orders for several types of roasts for the holidays, including boneless prime rib and tenderloin and strip loin roasts, in addition to spiral hams, stuffed pork loin (with traditional bread stuffing or apple cranberry stuffing), boneless pork loin and gravies sold by the quart (port wine demi glaze, au jus, pork and beef gravy or turkey gravy). Pickups will be on Thursday, Dec. 22, and Friday, Dec. 23, as well as Saturday, Dec. 24, until 1 p.m.

• The Cake Fairy (114 Londonderry Turnpike, Hooksett, 518-8733, cakefairynh.com) is taking orders for pies (eclair, apple and chocolate cream), small chocolate whoopie pies, cheesecakes (plain, strawberry and peppermint bark), assorted cookie trays, Danishes, breakfast breads and jumbo butter cookies. Order by Dec. 17. Pickups will be on Saturday, Dec. 24, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and first-come, first-served items will also be available out of the bakery case.

• Caroline’s Fine Food (132 Bedford Center Road, Bedford, 637-1615, carolinesfood.com) is taking orders for a variety of specialty items to go for the holidays, including appetizers (smoked salmon terrine, pizzetti with port-poached figs, Gorgonzola and balsamic glaze, brie en croute with raspberry and thyme, artisan cheeses with fruit and cured meats, and poached shrimp with a traditional cocktail sauce); entrees (pork ballantine stuffed with savory sausage, herb and apple stuffing, or roasted beef tenderloin with a horseradish cream sauce); and sides (garlic mashed potatoes, butternut squash, roasted Brussels sprouts with Parmesan and thyme, carrot confit, sauteed haricot verts with slivered almonds or apple cider reduction). Order by Dec. 16 at 3 p.m. Pickups will be on Friday, Dec. 23, from noon to 3 p.m.

• Cherry Bomb Cookie Co. (Exeter, find them on Facebook @cherrybombcookieco) is taking orders for a variety of specialty decorated sugar cookies, with seasonal designs that include Santa Claus, gingerbread men, snowflakes, sleighs, Christmas trees and more. Ordering is available through Dec. 23, but recommended by Dec. 19 to ensure shipping before the Christmas holiday.

• Chez Vachon (136 Kelley St., Manchester, 625-9660, chezvachon.com) is taking orders for pies (flavors include chocolate cream, apple, pumpkin, blueberry, Key lime, banana cream, lemon meringue and more, as well as savory pork or salmon pies) and cakes (flavors include strawberry cream, pistachio cream, apple spice, chocolate cream, cookies and cream and more). Order by Dec. 20.

• 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; Airport Diner, 2280 Brown Ave., Manchester, 623-5040; Tilt’n Diner, 61 Laconia Road, Tilton, 286-2204; Route 104 Diner, 752 Route 104, New Hampton, 744-0120; thecman.com) is taking orders for special holiday feasts to go, featuring your choice of glazed ham or herb-roasted prime rib dinners that serve four to six people — each comes with mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, pesto green beans, maple-roasted Brussels sprouts, Parmesan-crusted dinner rolls, sweet bread and cheesecake with mixed berry compote. Additional items are also available to order a la carte, like spinach-artichoke dip and crackers, peel-and-eat shrimp cocktail, roasted turkey breast, green bean casserole, glazed baby carrots, Common Man macaroni and cheese, pecan pie, and a quart of Common Man-made vanilla ice cream. Order by Dec. 18. Pickups will be on Friday, Dec. 23, or Saturday, Dec. 24, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

• Copper Kettle To Go (39 Main St., Wilton, 654-2631, copperkettletogo.com) is taking orders for Christmas ham dinners with all the fixings, including mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, green beans and dinner rolls, with two sizes available (serving two to four people or four to six people). You can also order pies in a variety of flavors (pecan, coconut custard or blueberry cream cheese pie), as well as assorted muffins, cinnamon rolls and steak and cheese egg rolls. Order by Dec. 20. Pickups will be on Saturday, Dec. 24, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

• Crosby Bakery (51 E. Pearl St., Nashua, 882-1851, crosbybakerynh.com) is taking orders for eight-inch or 10-inch pies (flavors include apple, apple crumb, blueberry, banana cream, cherry, coconut cream, chocolate cream, coconut meringue, mince, pumpkin and pecan); assorted rolls and breads, with the option to add whipped butter or maple cinnamon butter; savory specialties, like gorton, meat pie, salmon pie, sandwich platters, Boston baked beans and potato or macaroni salads; and seasonal holiday specialties, like six-inch Yule log cakes, seven-inch Boston cream pie, frosted angel cakes, pastry and cookie platters and more. Order by Dec. 20 at 6 p.m. Pickups will be on Saturday, Dec. 24, from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• The Crust & Crumb Baking Co. (126 N. Main St., Concord, 219-0763, thecrustandcrumb.com) is taking orders for six-inch or nine-inch pies (flavors include pumpkin, Key lime, vegan gluten-free blueberry coconut crisp, Black Forest, apple streusel, forest berry crumb, maple bourbon pecan, chocolate cream, maple cream and coconut cream); cakes (flourless chocolate torte, chocolate raspberry layer cake, hazelnut Boston cream pie and eggnog rum mousse cake); cheesecakes (chocolate mint or vanilla); tarts (fresh fruit or mocha turtle); assorted pastries and breakfast items (cinnamon buns, sour cream coffee cakes, scones, dark gingerbread tea cake and more); and some savory items (French Canadian tourtiere, pork pie with apple, rosemary and sweet potato, broccoli pepper jack quiche, spinach, tomato and feta quiche or bacon cheddar quiche). Order by Dec. 15. Pickups will be on Thursday, Dec. 22, Friday, Dec. 23, or Saturday, Dec. 24 — indicate your pickup time when placing your order.

• Dancing Lion Chocolate (917 Elm St., Manchester, 625-4043, dancinglion.us) has all kinds of specialty chocolate bars available in the shop, as well as bonbon sharing boxes, drinking chocolate and other products. The shop also offers holiday croissants, which can be reserved online for pickup on Tuesday, Dec. 20, from 2 to 5 p.m.

• The Flying Butcher (124 Route 101A, Amherst, 598-6328, theflyingbutcher.com) is taking orders for a variety of holiday roasts, in addition to boneless leg of lamb, boneless turkey breast and various a la carte sides, like maple bourbon sweet potatoes, cilantro lime asparagus, garlic pepper green beans, roasted root vegetables, horseradish cream sauce and more. Order by Dec. 20 at 6 p.m. Pickups will be on Thursday, Dec. 22, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Friday, Dec. 23, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday, Dec. 24, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• Frederick’s Pastries (109 Route 101A, Amherst, 882-7725; 25 S. River Road, Bedford, 647-2253; pastry.net) is taking orders for a variety of specialty seasonal items for the holidays, including decorated Christmas cookies, cinnamon cranberry cookies, gingerbread cookie kits, assorted chocolates, cheesecake samplers, Christmas Yule log cakes, gingerbread tortes, fruit turnover trays and more. The whole menu will be available to order online, in store or via phone until Dec. 15. Beginning Dec. 16, there will be a limited holiday menu only, and online ordering will also end on Dec. 15. Pickups will be on Friday, Dec. 23, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday, Dec. 24, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• The Fresh Chef Press (775 Canal St., Manchester, 716-7197, freshchefmp.com) is taking orders for a variety of specialty items for the holidays, including honey-baked spiral-cut ham, Italian sausage stuffed mushrooms and prosciutto-wrapped asparagus, as well as nine-inch quiches (plain, veggie, bacon and veggie, bacon and cheddar or ham and swiss), cookie platters, cheesecake bites and more. Order by Dec. 16.

• Giorgio’s Ristorante & Bar (270 Granite St., Manchester, 232-3323; 524 Nashua St., Milford, 673-3939; 707 Milford Road, Merrimack, 883-7333; giorgios.com) is offering its full regular catering menu for the holidays, through about Dec. 20, owner George Sklavounos said.

• Granite State Candy Shoppe (13 Warren St., Concord, 225-2591; 832 Elm St., Manchester, 218-3885; granitestatecandyshoppe.com) offers a variety of seasonal sweet treats around the holidays, like milk, dark and white chocolate Santa Claus molds, cake bites, advent calendars, cocoa bombs and more.

• Greenleaf (54 Nashua St., Milford, 213-5447, greenleafmilford.com) is taking orders for special holiday dinners to go, featuring your choice of peppercorn and rosemary-glazed ham, roasted chicken breast with chimichurri, beef tenderloin with roasted garlic jus or cauliflower steak with pumpkin hummus and roasted vegetables. All non-vegan dinners come with potatoes au gratin, spiced glazed petite carrots, and seasonal mixed greens with a cranberry sage vinaigrette. You can also add house-made brioche Parker house dinner rolls (with or without whipped molasses honey butter) and desserts, like holiday Yule log slices and apple galettes with salted caramel. Order by Dec. 20. Pickups will be on Friday, Dec. 23 — all orders will be served cold with reheating instructions at the time of pickup.

• Hart’s Turkey Farm Restaurant (233 Daniel Webster Hwy., Meredith, 279-6212, hartsturkeyfarm.com) is taking orders for family meals for the holidays that include your choice of whole roasted turkey with gravy, prime rib au jus or baked ham — each is available in multiple serving sizes (feeding two to six or six to 10 people, as well as 10 to 14 for the turkey dinner) and comes with whipped potatoes, butternut squash, green beans, dinner rolls and your choice of a dessert pie, along with some additional accoutrements depending on the meal package you choose. Order by Dec. 20. Curbside pickups will be on Saturday, Dec. 24, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and individual dinners will also be offered for takeout from the regular menu.

• Harvey’s Bakery & Coffee Shop (376 Central Ave., Dover, 742-6029, harveysbakery.com) is taking orders for a variety of seasonal items, like gingerbread cookies, festive cakes and cupcakes, traditional fruit cake, Christmas tree Danishes, pork and chicken pies, filled finger rolls, petit fours, brownies, cream puffs and more. You can also order eight-inch or 10-inch pies (flavors include apple, pumpkin, pecan, cherry, chocolate cream, coconut cream, banana cream and more) and assorted dinner rolls available by the dozen. Order by Dec. 15.

• Local Baskit (10 Ferry St., Suite 120A, Concord, 219-0882, localbaskit.com) is taking orders for some specialty appetizer to-go kits, as well as “season’s eatings” hostess gifts and “grazing baskits.” Order the grazing baskits by Dec. 21. The appetizer kits can be ordered through Dec. 22, or until they sell out. Season’s eatings hostess gifts, meanwhile, will be available to order until Local Baskit closes for the day on Saturday, Dec. 24, at 1 p.m.

• Loon Chocolate (The Factory on Willow, 252 Willow St., Manchester, loonchocolate.com) has all of its artisan chocolate products available for sale inside the shop it shares with 603 Charcuterie, which is open Thursday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Loon Chocolate and 603 Charcuterie are also hosting a special holiday market on Saturday, Dec. 17, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 18, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., when more than two dozen local and regional vendors will be showcasing their products.

• Mr. Mac’s Macaroni & Cheese (497 Hooksett Road, Manchester, 606-1760, mr-macs.com) accepts orders for both hot-and-ready and take-and-bake trays of macaroni and cheese, as well as macaroni salads, assorted green salads, desserts and more. Placing orders at least 24 hours in advance is appreciated.

• New England’s Tap House Grille (1292 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, 782-5137, taphousenh.com) is taking orders for several seasonal items for the holidays, including traditional French-Canadian meat pies, 10-inch carrot cake or apple crumb cheesecake, and dinner rolls by the dozen or by the half-dozen. Order by Dec. 16. Pickups will be on Friday, Dec. 23, or Saturday, Dec. 24, by 5 p.m.

• Osteria Poggio (18 Main St., Center Harbor, 250-8007, osteriapoggio.com) is taking orders for a variety of seasonal flavors of pies for the holidays, like eggnog, white chocolate peppermint cream, spiced cranberry apple and pumpkin pecan. Other items available to order in their Christmas to-go package include deviled eggs, pineapple candied pork belly, sweet potato casserole, five-cheese baked macaroni and cheese, white balsamic roasted Brussels sprouts, cauliflower au gratin, brown butter carrots and caramelized onions and mushrooms. Order by Dec. 18.

• Queen City Cupcakes (790 Elm St., Manchester, 624-4999, qccupcakes.com) is taking orders for all kinds of seasonally inspired gourmet cupcake flavors, like chocolate-covered cherry, candy cane creme, gingerbread snickerdoodle, eggnog, red velvet Oreo and coconut snowball, as well as vegan and gluten-free gingerbread spice cupcakes. Order by Dec. 21. Pickups will be on Saturday, Dec. 24, from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• The Red Arrow Diner (61 Lowell St., Manchester, 626-1118; 137 Rockingham Road, Londonderry, 552-3091; 112 Loudon Road, Concord, 415-0444; 149 Daniel Webster Hwy., Nashua, 204-5088; redarrowdiner.com) is taking orders for its specialty homemade desserts for the holidays, including multiple flavors of 10-inch pies, double-layer cakes, “Dinah fingers” (homemade Twinkies), eclairs, whoopie pies and more. Orders can be placed online with at least a 24-hour notice in advance of pickup.

• Roundabout Diner & Lounge (580 Route 1 Bypass, Portsmouth, 431-1440, roundaboutdiner.com) is taking orders for special Christmas dinners to go, featuring your choice of bacon-wrapped pork loin, spiral ham, roasted chicken or baked haddock. You can also order various items a la carte, like Italian or barbecue meatballs, fowl balls (smoked chicken wrapped in bacon), smoked scallops wrapped in bacon, crab cakes with remoulade and stuffed mushroom caps; and assorted cakes and pies (pie flavors include banana cream, coconut cream, apple, chocolate cream, Key lime, pecan, blueberry and German chocolate, while cake flavors include strawberry cream, caramel toffee, coconut cream, chocolate mousse, Oreo Black Forest and chocolate peppermint). Pickups will be on Friday, Dec. 23, and Saturday, Dec. 24, and will be served cold with reheating instructions.

• Simply Delicious Baking Co. (176 Route 101, Bedford, 488-1988, simplydeliciousbakingco.com) is taking orders for several sweet treats for the holidays, like cherry crumb pie, chocolate cherry cake, carrot cake and salted cinnamon chip cookies, as well as breakfast items like traditional coffee cake and cranberry orange scones. Order by Dec. 17.

• Slightly Crooked Pies (Bedford, slightlycrookedpies.com) is taking orders for a variety of flavors of scratch-made pies for the holidays, including apple, pecan, cherry, blueberry, maple blueberry and chocolate bourbon pecan, in addition to some specialty options, like Sweater Weather (apple and pear with cinnamon and cardamom) and Christmas (apple, cranberry and pecan with orange zest and cloves). Pickups will be on Friday, Dec. 23 — see website or email crookedpies@gmail.com to arrange a pickup time.

• Smoke Shack Cafe (226 Rockingham Road, Londonderry, 404-2178, smokeshackcafe.com) is taking orders for special holiday dinner packages to go, featuring smoked ham, salad, cornbread and your choice of sides (mashed potatoes, butternut squash, brown sugar carrots, macaroni and cheese, green beans, corn saute and gravy), available in two sizes (serving six to eight people or eight to 12 people). You can also order various meats a la carte, like smoked ham, bacon-wrapped turkey breast with jalapeno and sausage stuffing, and smoked prime rib au jus; as well as nine-inch holiday pies (flavors include apple, cranberry, pumpkin or chocolate cream). Order by Dec. 20. Pickups will be on Friday, Dec. 23, from 2 to 7 p.m., or on Saturday, Dec. 24, from 9 a.m. to 1:45 p.m.

• Sweet Caroline (28 Homestead Place, Alton, 875-0263, sweetcarolinebakerynh.com) is taking orders for a variety of specialty cakes and desserts for the holidays, including Yule logs, carrot cakes, Holly Jolly red velvet cakes, raspberry mocha white cakes, and assorted cookie platters and holiday cakes. You can also order 10-inch pies — flavors include apple, blueberry, pecan, chocolate cream, pumpkin and lemon meringue. Order by Dec. 13.

• Sweet Love Bakery (20 Main St., Goffstown, 497-2997, sweetlovebakerynh.com) is taking orders for pies (apple, pecan, pumpkin and chocolate creme); cheesecakes (white chocolate peppermint, gingerbread, eggnog, maple bourbon pecan and Bailey’s); cakes (peppermint mocha, eggnog, carrot, gingerbread and red velvet); cookies (candy cane, gingerbread, molasses, chocolate chip, sugar and snickerdoodle); and assorted dinner rolls (white, wheat, and garlic herb). Pickups will be on Thursday, Dec. 22, and Friday, Dec. 23, from 9 to 11 a.m.

• Tammaro’s Cucina (469 Charles Bancroft Hwy., Litchfield, 377-7312, tammaros.com) is taking orders for half-sized (feeds six to eight people) and full-sized (feeds 12 to 14 people) trays of home-cooked Italian meals for the holidays, from meat or cheese lasagna to spaghetti and meatballs, chicken or eggplant Parmesan and more. Order by Dec. 18.

• The Traveling Foodie (Merrimack, jrmcateringllc.com) is taking orders for pies (flavors include apple, apple crumb, pumpkin and pecan), charcuterie boards, and cookie and brownie platters. A 72-hour advance notice is requested, with free deliveries to the Nashua and Merrimack areas.

• Tuscan Market (9 Via Toscana, Salem, 912-5467, tuscanbrands.com) is taking orders for several special dinner packages for the holidays, featuring whole roasted turkey, leoncini ham or standing rib roast — each comes with an assortment of sides, complete heating instructions and a meat thermometer, and serves six to eight people. You can also order various in-house butchered meats a la carte, antipasti options; sides, like risotto stuffed peppers, jumbo shrimp with cocktail sauce, mascarpone whipped potato, balsamic roasted carrots and pecorino-stuffed artichokes; and various pastries and desserts, from tiramisu squares and assorted cannolis to traditional ricotta pie and flourless chocolate torte. Ordering with at least a three-day notice is appreciated. Pickups will be available through Saturday, Dec. 24.

• Twelve 31 Events (261 Main St., Tilton; 100 N. Main St., Concord, 818-0012; twelve31events.com) is taking orders for assorted Italian cookies for the holidays, available to reserve now for any day up to Saturday, Dec. 24. Flavors include anisette, ginger, pistachio macaroons, honey walnut and chocolate espresso cookies.

• Van Otis Chocolates (341 Elm St., Manchester, 627-1611, vanotis.com) offers a variety of seasonal sweet treats around the holidays, like chocolate mold Santas, boots and snowmen, peppermint twist bites, white chocolate kettle corn and more. A 2-foot-tall, 13-pound chocolate Santa is also being raffled off online — the winner will be chosen on Dec. 22 and must be available to pick up in store on Saturday, Dec. 24.

• Wicked Good Butchah (209 Route 101, Bedford, 488-5638, wickedgoodbutchahnh.com) is taking orders for boneless and bone-in prime rib roasts, lamb roasts, beef tenderloin, and boneless and stuffed pork loin, as well as Boar’s Head sweet sliced hams. Orders will be accepted right up until Christmas Eve, but ordering as soon as possible is recommended to ensure you get what you want.

Featured photo: Courtesy photo.

Gifts for foodies

Delicious gift-giving ideas this holiday season

Make it a holiday season to remember for the foodie in your life, with anything from a specialty gift box of local products to sweet treats like cocoa or tea bombs, cakesicles or even chocolate candy-filled gingerbread “smash” houses. Whether you’re looking for something to ship and be enjoyed later, or a centerpiece to be the hit of your next holiday party, there are all kinds of delicious gift-giving ideas this season.

Enjoy it later

Great for colleagues, teachers, neighbors or perhaps a friend at an upcoming Yankee Swap, gift boxes and baskets are the perfect ways to discover all kinds of locally made goodies. Jessica Moores of the Manchester Craft Market, Mall of New Hampshire (1500 S. Willow St.), recently organized an entire table setup inside the shop featuring bundled gifts from many of her sellers, from jams and jellies to cooking spices, soup kits, salsas, coffees and more.

In Bedford, head to the Educational Farm at Joppa Hill (174 Joppa Hill Road, theeducationalfarm.org), where they are selling specialty gift boxes in two sizes containing a variety of New Hampshire-made and other regional products. According to farm stand manager secretary Mandy Underwood, they can be ordered through Dec. 22 for pickup, and custom gift boxes can also be put together if you’d like a certain theme.

Other local businesses have gift boxes available to order directly on their websites to be shipped. Salem’s Cucina Aurora Kitchen Witchery (cucinaaurora.com) has a gift set of its infused olive oils, featuring 12-ounce bottles of its roasted garlic and rosemary oregano oils packaged with a free recipe booklet. Owner Dawn Hunt, who is the author of Kitchen Witchcraft for Beginners, her newest cookbook, released earlier this year, also offers a larger gift set that additionally comes with a wooden cooking spoon, a risotto mix, a garlic and herb dip mix and an herb and seasoning mix. Both also have the option of including a holiday card for your gift recipient.

For the spicy food lover, The Spicy Shark of Portsmouth (thespicyshark.com) has a gift box containing 5-ounce bottles of each of its six craft hot sauces — they vary in intensity, ranging from products made with jalapeno and chipotle peppers to habanero, Scotch bonnet and ghost peppers, as well as Carolina Reapers, which were recognized in 2017 by Guinness World Records as the hottest in the world. Smokin’ Tin Roof (smokintinroof.com), based in Manchester, similarly offers gift boxes containing bottles of its ghost pepper-based sauces, sometimes also accompanied by products like a bacon stout mustard and a Buffalo-style sauce. They even now sell mango habanero cotton candy in collaboration with Sillie Puffs (silliepuffs.com).

And speaking of sweets, there’s so much to discover for those looking to indulge. Fabrizia Lemon Baking Co. of Salem (fabrizialemonbakingcompany.com) is offering holiday gift boxes containing all kinds of limoncello-infused goodies added to its product line since its late 2020 launch, from limoncello cookies and biscotti to truffles, blondies, lemon loaf, hard candies and even lemon popcorn. They can be picked up at Fabrizia’s Salem facility (2 Industrial Way) or shipped nationwide with the option to write up a personalized holiday note at checkout.

For other sweet tastes that are uniquely New Hampshire, Ben’s Sugar Shack of Temple (bensmaplesyrup.com) has gift boxes of its maple syrup and other assorted maple-infused products, from maple cream and buttermilk pancake mix to gluten-free maple kettle corn and pure maple candy. Specialty candy stores like Van Otis Chocolates (vanotis.com) and Granite State Candy Shoppe (granitestatecandyshoppe.com) have gift boxes of their own, featuring items like assorted caramels, nuts, chocolate bars and Swiss fudge in several different flavors.

Enjoy it now

If you’re looking for a tasty hostess gift to share with other guests at a holiday party or gathering, local restaurants, caterers and other businesses have you covered. Tilton’s Twelve 31 Events, for instance, which also recently opened a cafe in downtown Concord (100 N. Main St.), is taking orders for its scratch-baked Italian Christmas cookies. They’re scheduled to be available for pickup and delivery starting Dec. 8 and right through Christmas Eve, Twelve 31 owner Melissa Dolpies said. Visit twelve31.events/christmascookies to order a dozen or more cookies — flavors include anisette, soft gingerbread, pistachio macaroons, dark chocolate espresso and snowballs, or traditional butter cookies that are rolled in powdered sugar.

“The typical dozen that people can get is an assortment of all of the cookies, but you can certainly mix and match or request one or two of whatever combination you’d like,” Dolpies said. “They come in a pretty little box, and they make great gifts. I’ve had people get them for employees, for teachers, for co-workers. They’re really appropriate for any kind of occasion.”

The Traveling Foodie (jmcateringllc.com), a food truck and catering company based at Anheuser-Busch Brewery in Merrimack, also has cookie gift trays and mixed cookie platters available on its holiday catering menu. Chef and owner Jamie Mandra said orders can be placed until Dec. 18 for a free delivery to the Nashua and Merrimack areas on Dec. 22. Options will include mixed sugar cookies and chocolate chip peanut butter kisses, or you can order brownies.

For some savory hostess gift ideas, check out the appetizer to-go kits being offered by Local Baskit (localbaskit.com) — featuring your choice of a set of miniature quiches with a goat cheese honey filo and cranberry dip, or dumplings and vegetable spring rolls with a sweet spicy soy sauce, each kit’s items are ready to pop right into the oven. This year, in addition to her custom charcuterie and cheese boards under her Grazing Baskits line, Local Baskit owner Beth Richards also has “Season’s Eatings” hostess gift packages, which come with a bottle of red or white wine, cheese and crostini — the prices for each package vary depending on your choices.

In Manchester, Loon Chocolate (loonchocolate.com) and 603 Charcuterie (603charcuterie.com) are gearing up for a two-day holiday market inside their facility at The Factory on Willow (252 Willow St.) on Saturday, Dec. 17, and Sunday, Dec. 18, when more than two dozen local vendors will be showcasing their products. In the meantime, you can visit their onsite joint shop every Thursday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., which offers a variety of New Hampshire-made cheeses, jams, crackers, mustards and other artisan foods. You can also buy locally built charcuterie boards — courtesy of Andy Pearl of Souhegan Wood Designs of Amherst — in all kinds of shapes, sizes and designs, or even gift a custom-made charcuterie board, gift basket or class certificate, Theresa Zwart of 603 Charcuterie said.

Explosive flavors

Cocoa bombs were all the rage during the 2020 holiday season and, two years later, are continuing to stick around. A trend that originally went viral on TikTok back in the fall of that year, these small hollow balls of chocolate are most often created using silicone molds, and are usually filled with miniature marshmallows or flavored mixes. Pouring hot milk or water over the bombs causes them to “explode” with flavor inside your mug.

For Lindsey Bangs of I Whisked It (iwhiskedit.com), a home baker based in Raymond, cocoa bombs are among her most popular seasonal items. Hers is among the participating businesses at The Factory on Willow’s holiday market, where she will be offering cocoa bombs in traditional, caramel and peppermint candy cane flavors. She’ll also be at New Hampshire Audubon’s Holiday Craft Fair on Saturday, Dec. 10, at the McLane Center (84 Silk Farm Road, Concord).

In addition to her flavors Bangs has played around with different types of silicone molds for her cocoa bombs, from those in the shape of Christmas trees to reindeer- and ball-shaped ornaments.

“I have a lot of people who are buying [cocoa bombs] from me this year because last year they had it on Christmas Eve with their family, and their kids are asking for it again, or people need something for a Secret Santa gift or a Yankee Swap gift, and so they are getting the nicer boxes. … I have little plastic boxes that have bows on them that I can put them in,” Bangs said.

cake covered in chocolate and decorated with sprinkles on a popsicle stick — *Cakesicles from The Cake Fairy in Hooksett. Courtesy photo.*

Pastry chef Emilee Viaud of Milford started her business, Sweet Treats by Emilee (find her on Facebook and Instagram), at the height of the cocoa bomb trend. She has since branched out to all kinds of cocoa bomb flavors and even recently started dabbling in tea bombs, which you can get at the Manchester Craft Market, as well as at Junction 71 (707 Milford Road, Merrimack) and Locally Handmade (80 Premium Outlets Blvd., Merrimack). Find Viaud also at Great New England Holiday Shopping Extravaganza on Friday, Dec. 9, and Sunday, Dec. 10, at the Hampshire Dome (50 Emerson Road, Milford).

Tea bombs, Viaud said, are essentially a cup of tea’s counterpart to a cocoa bomb. They feature a sugar sphere that’s filled with a tea bag, edible glitter and flowers. She has more than 10 flavors, ranging from passion tea and Earl Grey to green tea, chamomile and more.

Another item Viaud is featuring this year includes chocolate candy-filled “smash” houses — similar to the breakable chocolate hearts she sold during Valentine’s Day, you simply take a small wooden mallet that they come with to smash open the house, revealing candy inside.

Cakesicles, or fun takes on cake pops crafted in the shape of a popsicle mold, are also having a moment as popular treats. Brianna Miller, whose mother, Lisa Lucciano, owns The Cake Fairy in Hooksett, said it’s likely a nostalgic factor that makes them resonate with so many people.

“It reminds me personally of the bars you’d get off the ice cream trucks as little kids,” she said.

In addition to lemon, funfetti and chocolate peanut butter-dipped cakesicles, The Cake Fairy rolls out a special peppermint dust-flavored cakesicle around the holiday season.

Featured photo: Cocoa bombs from I Whisked It, based in Raymond. Courtesy photo.

Category: Food