Category: Food

Seafood Festival returns to Hampton Beach

By Curt Mackail
[email protected]

The Hampton Beach Seafood Festival keeps reaching higher. Now in its 34th year, the event has an all-time high of more than 50 food purveyors scheduled to line Ocean Boulevard, reports the Hampton Beach Chamber of Commerce. And a high-in-the-sky air show by New Hampshire›s own Rob Holland, a star pilot from Thunder Over New Hampshire, will have you looking up.

“We’re also bringing in more than 70 local artisans to showcase their crafts and products,” said Colleen Westcott, marketing director for the Hampton Beach Chamber of Commerce.

Bands are booked for continuous performances on two stages, and the festival boasts what it says is New England’s largest outdoor drinking establishment — albeit serving beer only under temporary tented cover.

Other entertainment includes a lobster roll eating contest, two cornhole tournaments, fireworks on Saturday at 8 p.m., the Harvard Pilgrim Seafood Fest 5K Road Race on Sunday, and a pop-up art gallery all days.

At the gallery site on the sand near the bar, you›ll be able to observe and greet painters creating new works. The artists’ paintings will be judged for prizes and auctioned on Sunday.

Seafood stars come out

Fresh seafood abounds with awards for the best bisques, chowders, lobster rolls, fried food and desserts, and best non-seafood dishes.

“This is the 20th year Rye Harbor Lobster Pound will be participating in the Hampton Seafood Festival,” said Lobster Pound owner Sylvia Cheever. “If you want award-winning soups and lobster rolls, we are your first stop.”
Their most famous dish is their award-winning fluffy chowder, a New England-style creamy clam chowder topped with lobster in a butter sherry sauce. This year they will offer a lobster quesadilla as well.

Last year Rye Harbor Lobster Pound took top prize for its chowder and was first runner-up in the lobster roll category. Winning the 2022 best lobster roll and best non-seafood item prizes, Pat’s World Famous, a self-proclaimed beach hot dog joint, returns this year with its eyes again on the prizes.

“Our seafood chowder is to die for and has been in the family for more than 50 years,” owner Pat Sullivan, who cheffed professionally before opening his beach food stand at 3 D St

Pat’s World Famous lobster rolls and their unique award-winning LobDog — a
hot dog topped with lobster, cheese sauce, potato sticks and scallions — will again be served along with other beach food at Pat’s festival booth.
Perennial local favorites also include the North Hampton Fire Department, serving breakfast sandwiches for early goers, and Hampton’s Saint James Masonic Lodge #102, a former champ in the fried seafood category.

Swell Oyster Co., a mollusk farming operation with its harvest area in Hampton Harbor, will be dishing oysters on the half-shell, shucked to order. Co-founder Russ Hilliard said the Swell suspended aquaculture system produces consistent, deep, easily shucked shells with plump meat.

“We’re very excited to be participating in the seafood fest again this year. In addition to fresh oysters, our menu includes two types of grilled oysters, classic Rockefeller style and a tasty chipotle bourbon sauced half-shell fresh off the fire. We’ll have extra-large shrimp cocktail too,” Hillyard said.

More than seafood

There are plenty of options if you’re not a seafood fan. Roast beef sandwiches, hot dogs, burgers, barbecue, gyros, french fries, pizza, pastry and desserts promise deliciousness too.

Shane’s Texas Pit BBQ, a past winner in the non-seafood category, is one vendor to look for if your taste runs to Austin-style smoked fall-off-the-bone meats and classic southern fixin’s on the side.

Mexican food is showcased at Lupe’s 55 Cantina booth. But don’t overlook its seafood. Last year Lupes 55 Cantina picked up a winning blue ribbon for its fried seafood and runner-up awards in the bisque and dessert categories.

“We always pride ourselves on bringing a unique vibe to the New England seafood scene with fresh, vibrant flavors of traditional Mexican ingredients fused with new ideas,” Lupes 55 Cantina owner Nicole Leavitt said.

“We’re taking some of Mexico’s favorite street foods and bringing them to Ocean Boulevard. We’ll be featuring classic elote served in a creamy cotija,” she said. “We also will serve lobster chowder topped with more lobster, corn and Mexican spices.”

Ronaldo’s Ristorante, an Italian dining room in North Hampton, makes its debut appearance at the festival this year.

“This year, Ronaldo’s Ristorante is excited to showcase an array of ravioli varieties at the festival,” said proprietor Paula Stanca.

Ronaldo’s Ristorante will also serve up homemade cannolis.

“Our homemade cannolis are prepared with a delicate, crispy shell and a velvety ricotta fillingt,” Stanca said.

Hampton Beach Seafood Festival
When: Friday, Sept. 8, through Sunday, Sept. 10. Hours are Friday noon to 9 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Where: Ocean Boulevard, fanning out from the center of Hampton Beach.
Tickets: $10. Tickets are available at the entrance gates or online at seafoodfestivalnh.com/tickets. Tickets do not include the cost of food and drink from vendors.
Parking and shuttle finder: First Student bus company offers free parking and shuttle service to the festival from in-town satellite parking lots. Organizers say shuttle service is the fastest, safest, and cheapest way to get to the festivities. Shuttle hours are Friday, Sept. 8, 4 to 10 p.m.; Saturday, Sept. 9, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sunday, Sept. 10, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. The last shuttle departs the festival at 10 p.m.
Satellite parking lots:
Friday, Saturday and Sunday
Town Hall Parking Lot, 100 Winnacunnet Road, Hampton
Municipal Parking Lot, High Street, Hampton
Hampton Park & Ride, Timber Swamp Road, Hampton
Friday after 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday
Center School, 53 Winnacunnet Road, Hampton
Hampton Marston School, 4 Marston Way, Hampton
Saturday and Sunday only
Winnacunnet High School Student Lot, 1 Alumni Drive, Hampton
Merrill Industrial Drive, Street numbers 1, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 10, Hampton

Featured photo: Courtesy photo.

Intown Concord sponsors food trucks for First Friday

This past May, Intown Concord started a new tradition with First Friday. On the first Friday of every month, businesses in downtown Concord are encouraged to stay open until 8 p.m. or later. Each month, Intown Concord sponsors one food truck to attend, previously Wicked Tasty Food Truck and The Sleazy Vegan. Next up, on Friday, Sept. 1, is One Happy Clam.

“In the past, people have made comments about Concord closing up early and how there wasn’t much to do in the evening here, so we thought to focus on an effort to get the businesses to do something special once a month to encourage people to come downtown,” said Jessica Martin, the executive director for Intown Concord. “We have been sponsoring a food truck to come … and we’re hoping long-term that more food trucks will come down.”

Derry native Rick Metts, who has been in the restaurant business for 50 years, established One Happy Clam in September 2021. He started out at McDonald’s in 1974 and worked there through high school and into college. Twelve years later Metts, along with a friend, bought Clam Haven in Derry, where he worked for 33 years along with his wife, daughters and grandson.

“I had always dreamed of owning a diner, and the food truck craze was starting [around] 2015, 2016, so I put that in the back of my mind to maybe pursue when I got out of Clam Haven,” Metts said.

In 2020 when he sold the restaurant, that’s exactly what he did with his wife, daughters and grandchildren. He bought a pre-built truck in August 2021, bought and sold the necessary equipment, and a month later, One Happy Clam was on the road. Along with seafood, they also serve hamburgers, hot dogs, sandwiches and more. Due to his time at Clam Haven, he already had a reputation in the community.

“They knew what we served at the restaurant, so I try to use the same suppliers and the same menu items,” he said. “There’s a consistency, so they know if it’s me this is what they’re going to get.”

Unable to attend First Friday in July because the truck needed a new transmission, Metts is eager to be involved in September.

“I’m looking forward to it,” he said. “It’s a little different market. They don’t know who I am up there, some might, most don’t, so we get a chance to make a good first impression.”

Martin says there’s been a great response from the downtown businesses, Gibson’s Bookstore, Homebody and Achromatic being among the ones that have taken part in the later hours.

Revelstoke has been having a DJ, Wine on Main has done a free wine tasting and Spruce Home has even given out free iced coffee and doughnuts.

“It’s been a little bit of a slow burn but we’re gaining momentum,” Martin said. “We’re trying to put some sort of musical act near the food truck so it’s kind of a nice vibe, people get their food, they can sit there and eat and listen to some entertainment at the same time.”

First Friday
When: The first Friday of every month. The next event is Friday, Sept. 1
Where: Downtown Concord
Cost: Free
This month’s First Friday is being billed as “Dogapalooza” highlighting the dog-friendly nature of downtown, according to an Intown newsletter which include a list of businesses that allow dogs either inside the business or outside leashed as well as which businesses offer treats or water.
Also this Ryan Deachman (pictured bottom right) from 6 to 7 p.m. at Bicentennial Square.

Featured photo:Courtesy photo.