Food – Page 64

In the kitchen with Frank Barrese

Frank Barrese of Nashua is the executive chef of The 101 Grille (88 Shirking Road, Epping, 734-2273, the101grille.com), a new eatery that opened inside the Seacoast United sports complex last month. Currently open five days a week for dinner and on Saturdays for lunch, The 101 Grille features everything from snacks and appetizers to burgers, sandwiches and flatbreads, with a heavy emphasis on from-scratch cooking and locally sourced ingredients through the Three River Farmers Alliance. Barrese is originally from Port Chester, New York — he later moved to Fairfield County in southwestern Connecticut, eventually landing his first executive chef job at the former Picador restaurant in the town of New Canaan. Just prior to joining The 101 Grille, he worked as a chef on the campus of Emmanuel College in Boston for about two years.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

Tongs.

What would you have for your last meal?

Garlic noodles from this place in Charleston, South Carolina, called Pink Bellies, and probably a nice Kölsch.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

Smokehaus in Amherst. They do great barbecue. … I get the pulled pork with their tangy and spicy sauce.

What is your favorite thing on your menu?

It would be the nduja crostini. Nduja is a soft, very spicy Calabrian pork sausage, and Short Creek Farm [of Northwood] actually makes it in house. They source the peppers from Calabria, but everything else is local. … Nduja is something that you don’t see very often and the fact that I was able to find one that was made in New Hampshire was really exciting.

What celebrity would you like to see eating at The 101 Grille?

I’m going to say Bruce Willis. That would be pretty sweet.

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

Ghost kitchens are starting to become more and more prevalent, and I am a big fan of them.

What is your favorite thing to make at home?

Sourdough bread is probably my favorite. I’ve had the same sourdough starter for the last five years.

Grilled scallion chimichurri
From the kitchen of Frank Barrese of The 101 Grille in Epping (yields about two cups; great on grilled steak or vegetables, mixed with mayonnaise as a dipping sauce for fries, or on a sandwich or wrap)

1 shallot, finely chopped
1 tablespoon Aleppo chile pepper, or crushed red pepper
4 cloves garlic
½ cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
3 bunches of scallions, lightly brushed with oil, charred on the grill, then roughly chopped
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil

Combine all ingredients except extra virgin olive oil into a food processor and process until finely chopped. While food processor is running, add the extra virgin olive oil until well-incorporated. Store in an air-tight container.

Featured photo: Frank Barrese. Courtesy photo.

Say cheese

Prime Time Grilled Cheese opening restaurant in Manchester

Alex and Marcie Pichardo found success in 2018 with Prime Time Grilled Cheese, a Manchester-based food truck offering unique takes on the traditional grilled cheese sandwich. After more than three years of participating in public and private events, the couple is getting ready to expand their business in the form of a new brick-and-mortar restaurant.

On track to open on the corner of Hanover and Chestnut streets in the coming weeks, Prime Time Grilled Cheese will be sharing space with Sub Zero Nitrogen Ice Cream, the franchise’s first location in the Queen City.

Plans have been in the works for the restaurant since before the pandemic — the Pichardos took over the former storefronts of both Summer Pizza and Hien’s House of Tailoring, knocking down the wall separating the two units. The space will offer a fast casual atmosphere with both bar and table seating inside.

Cheddar, colby jack and Monterey Jack make up the base cheeses for each sandwich. Among the truck’s most popular options are grilled cheeses with Buffalo chicken, pulled pork, and jalapeno macaroni and cheese, and while you can expect those to be part of the menu at the restaurant, the larger space will give the Pichardos even more creative grilled cheese freedom.

“I think I counted about 20 different grilled cheeses,” Marcie Pichardo said. “We’re going to have a Philly cheese steak grilled cheese, a Mediterranean, a chicken Parm … and then we’re going to bring our old menu, so we’re going to have the tuna melt and the Super Sloppy Joe.”

Fueled by customer suggestions, there will also be special “grilled cheeses of the month.”

“Everyone has their own ideas where they would say, ‘That would be amazing in a grilled cheese,’ and so we want to interact with people and make it fun,” she said.

Other menu items will include flavored macaroni and cheese bowls, salads and a line of about four to five different soups, from chicken noodle to tomato or French onion. A few domestic and local craft beers will be on tap, and a small space for live local music is also planned.

Sub Zero Nitrogen Ice Cream came along when the Pichardos met Rita and Mark McCabe, the owners of the Nashua shop, while attending the same events as vendors. Although they will operate as two separate businesses, they will share the same seating area inside the restaurant.

The McCabes are natives of Pelham who first brought the franchise to the Granite State in 2014 after seeing it on the ABC series Shark Tank. They’re now the area developers of the brand for New England, helping franchisees open other shops in New Hampshire and Massachusetts.

Prime Time Grilled Cheese

An opening date is expected in early 2022 — the restaurant will also feature a new locally owned Sub Zero Nitrogen Ice Cream location under the same roof. Visit their website or follow them on social media for updates.

Where: 119 Hanover St., Manchester
Hours: TBA
More info: Visit primetimegrilledcheese.com, email primetimegrilledcheese@gmail.com or find them on Facebook and Instagram @primetimegrilledcheese

Featured photo: Ham and Cheese grilled cheese. Courtesy photo.

The Weekly Dish 21/12/23

News from the local food scene

• Here’s to 2022: Depending on when you’re reading this, there may still be time to make a reservation for New Year’s Eve (Friday, Dec. 31) — check out our listings that ran in the Dec. 16 issue; they begin on page 30. You’ll find all kinds of unique ways local eateries will be ringing in the new year, from special multi-course meals to late-night buffets, parties, midnight Champagne toasts and more. A few restaurants will also be open for brunch on either New Year’s Day, Saturday, Jan. 1, or the following morning, Sunday, Jan. 2. Go to issuu.com/hippopress and click on the Dec. 16 issue to read the e-edition for free.

• Charcuterie and chocolate: Derry-based business 603 Charcuterie is teaming up with Loon Chocolate to launch a new shared storefront, set to open in early 2022 at The Factory on Willow (252 Willow St., Manchester), owner Theresa Zwart recently announced. Loon Chocolate owner and founder Scott Watson had previously announced plans to open his first retail space, which will almost triple the size of his current production facility. Zwart, meanwhile, is now planning on having all of the New Hampshire-made cheeses, meats and other products she features on her charcuterie boards available for sale at the space, as well as merchandise and charcuterie boxes to go. Since launching 603 Charcuterie in late 2020 as a small takeout ordering business, Zwart has gone on to teach charcuterie board-building classes and has also expanded into catering larger boards and grazing tables for weddings. Visit 603charcuterie.com or follow her on Facebook or Instagram for updates.

• A wine wonderland: New Hampshire Wine Week is right around the corner — tickets are available now to the 18th annual Easterseals Winter Wine Spectacular, happening on Thursday, Jan. 27, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the DoubleTree by Hilton Manchester Downtown (700 Elm St.). Acclaimed winemakers from all over the world travel to the Granite State to attend this expo-style event, which has grown over the years to have the largest gathering of wines in northern New England with more than 1,000 types available for sampling. In addition, the event features foods from more than a dozen local restaurants, as well as a silent auction and raffle and the opportunity to meet with and learn from more than 60 wine personalities. This will be the first in-person Winter Wine Spectacular since January 2020 — the pandemic forced its transition into a series of virtual tastings last year. Tickets are $65 for access to the grand tasting, or $135 for access to the Bellman Cellar VIP tasting room (limited availability), with proceeds benefiting Easterseals New Hampshire. For the most up-to-date details on New Hampshire Wine Week, which also includes bottle signings and wine tastings across the state, visit nhwineweek.com.

Sugar and spice

’Tis the season for holiday beers

I used to be obsessed with holiday brews. As in, there wasn’t enough holiday beer in the world to satisfy me.

There was just something about the slightly sweet, slightly spicy style that drew me in and helped me to appreciate the holiday season. Let’s be honest, we’d all like to be in a good mood for the holidays and the right beer can help. Why not have a beer that tastes like Christmas in a glass?

I’m calling it a style but I’m not sure you’ll find “holiday brew” listed in the dictionary of beer styles. To me, these are beers that can run across styles and to categorize them would be to ask yourself, “does this beer put me in the holiday spirit?” If you answer yes to a particular brew, then, bingo.

These are beers that tend to feature a hearty malt character amplified with cinnamon, brown sugar, peppermint, vanilla and nutmeg — and, I don’t know, maybe chocolate. You’ll find holiday beers that are wheat beers, amber lagers, stouts, porters, sours, brown ales, bocks and dunkels, and there is probably some brewer right now trying to offer patrons a holiday IPA.

I wasn’t alone in my obsession. To this day, one of my college buddies receives an annual shipment of Harpoon Winter Warmer from his mother on his doorstep in California.

Then again, holiday beers aren’t for everyone. I can never forget the look of utter disgust — classic bitter beer face — on an acquaintance’s face as he tried to get through a sip of some holiday beer, wondering aloud, “What is that?” (The “that” in holiday beers is always nutmeg.)

I’m not as obsessed with holiday beers as I used to be, probably in part because there’s just so much incredible craft beer available that it’s hard to be too focused on one style, regardless of the season. Plus, more and more craft brewers are cranking out delicious, decadent stouts boasting huge flavors of chocolate, coffee and vanilla that aren’t necessarily holiday brews but are awfully hard to ignore at this time of year.

For a while it at least seemed like craft brewers weren’t really exploring holiday beers in earnest. That might not be reality, but it seems to me the style has received much more attention from brewers in recent years. That’s good news.

Here are four New Hampshire-brewed holiday beers to enjoy right now.

Footy Pajamas Belgian Style Holiday Ale by Henniker Brewing Co. (Henniker)

Dark fruit, spices and brown sugar: you can sip this 8.7 percent ABV brew slowly by the fire and let the beer and the flames warm you right up.

Monks Vice Belgian Quad by Loaded Question Brewing Co. (Portsmouth)

This isn’t brewed specifically for the holidays as far as I know, but with big flavors of complex caramel up front, it seems perfectly suited to this time of year. The brewery says the finish is “reminiscent of crème brulée from black strap molasses.” This is another slow sipper you can savor with friends and family.

Smuttlabs Peppermint Porter by Smuttynose Brewing Co. (Hampton)

This is basically a glass full of peppermint patties.

The Great AK; Dunkles Bock with Gingerbread by Northwoods Brewing Co. (Northwood)

I haven’t tried this one but it is now on my list for the holidays. Tabbed as the brewery’s “ode to the Master Woodsman of the World,” the beer is brewed with gingerbread and actual gingerbread men, resulting in “aromas of dates, plums, toffee and cinnamon.” Frankly, it sounds delicious.

What’s in My Fridge
Samuel Adams Holiday White Ale by Boston Beer Co. (Boston) Probably 15 to 20 years ago, if a beer was described as “citrusy and hazy,” this is what you’d expect. Nowadays, someone says citrusy and hazy, and approximately 1,000 percent of the time that person is talking about an IPA. This is a delightful brew; flavored with holiday spices and orange peel, it has a smooth, festive flavor with borderline nonexistent bitterness you can enjoy all winter long. Cheers.

Featured photo: Footy Pajamas by Henniker Brewing Company. Courtesy photo.

Baked falafel burgers

Falafel is one of those dishes that seems like it’s healthy, but that isn’t always the case. Although falafel is mainly composed of garbanzo beans, quite often they are deep fried and topped with heavy sauces. Now, there is nothing wrong with a little decadence, but at this time of year there is so much indulgent eating, a healthier alternative is greatly appreciated.

Thus, today I have a recipe for baked falafel burgers. This simple-to-make dish is about as healthy as can be. There is no oil added to the burger, and they are baked instead of fried. However, all of this healthiness does not equal a boring dish. These burgers are bursting with flavor from the addition of two different fresh herbs as well as a dried spice.

Serve these “burgers” in a piece of pita bread and add lots of veggies, and you have an incredibly healthy meal. To keep it even healthier, skip mayonnaise and opt for something lighter, such as Buffalo sauce. You can even make your own two-ingredient condiment: 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt mixed with hot sauce (you choose the amount). This recipe should be enough to top all four falafel burgers.

Serve these falafel burgers with some baked green bean fries or a fruit salad, and you have a delicious, health-conscious meal for four!

Baked falafel burgers
Serves 4

15-ounce can garbanzo beans, rinsed & drained
½ cup fresh parsley
1 cup fresh cilantro
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons cumin
¼ cup walnuts
3 Tablespoons lemon juice
Salt & pepper
Optional:
Hamburger buns or pita bread
Lettuce, tomato and condiments

Combine garbanzo beans, parsley, cilantro, minced garlic, cumin and walnuts in the bowl of a food processor.
Add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, and pulse.
Add remaining lemon juice, 1 teaspoon at a time, blending until smooth.
Divide mixture into 4 equal portions, and form into patties.
Place on a small greased baking sheet.
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Remove falafel burgers from the refrigerator, and bake for 30 minutes.
Serve in a pita or on a bun with desired toppings and condiments.

Michele Pesula Kuegler has been thinking about food her entire life. Since 2007, the New Hampshire native has been sharing these food thoughts and recipes at her blog, Think Tasty. Visit thinktasty.com to find more of her recipes.

Photo: Baked falafel burger. Courtesy photo.

In the kitchen with Martin Kelly Jr.

Chef Martin Kelly Jr. oversees kitchen operations at Stones Social (449 Amherst St., Nashua, 943-7445, stonessocial.com), an eatery known for its creative comfort foods served in a casual, quick-service setting. Stones Social is the latest project of Stones Hospitality Group, which also owns two sister restaurants in Massachusetts — Cobblestones of Lowell, which has been serving elevated tavern fare since 1994, and Moonstones, a restaurant featuring globally inspired small plates that opened in Chelmsford in 2008. Originally from Tyngsborough, Mass., Kelly had been working at Moonstones for about two and a half years just prior to the pandemic when he was brought up to help open Stones Social in late June 2020. The menu includes everything from lighter bar snacks, soups and salads to burgers, wood-fired skillets and a wide array of house cocktails, plus “Throwback Thursday” wood-fired pizza specials and “Social Sunday” specials with smoked meats.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

A pair of tongs, and at least one dry towel. … I’m a little obsessed with dry towels. You can ask anybody that works with me.

What would you have for your last meal?

I’ll keep it simple and just say a whole steamed lobster and a whole lot more butter.

What is your favorite thing on the menu at Stones Social?

I’d say it’s a four-way tie. … I’m going to have to go with our Buffalo tenders, our Stones No. 1 Burger, the faux French dip sandwich, and either our half or full bucket of fried chicken.

What celebrity would you like to see eating at Stones Social?

This is an easy one. Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

The Nashua Garden on Main Street. I love that place. Their sandwiches are so abnormally large but they are always delicious.

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

Fast, quality comfort food, and that’s the atmosphere we’re trying to cultivate here. … We want food to be getting to the table fast, and for people to not even realize that it’s only been maybe four minutes since they were up at the counter to order it.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

A real simple dish that my mom made for me all the time, which is cajun shrimp, sausage and spinach sauteed over white rice. I could eat plates and plates of it.

Miso Sriracha sauce
From the kitchen of Martin Kelly Jr. of Stones Social in Nashua (great for dipping or as an add-on to burgers)

2 cups mayonnaise
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons miso paste
¼ cup Sriracha

Mix ingredients in a large bowl with a whisk until thoroughly combined.

Featured photo: Martin Kelly Jr. Courtesy photo.

New Year’s eats

Celebrate 2022 with a special meal or dining party

Ring in 2022 with a special multi-course meal, a midnight Champagne toast, or just a night out at one of these New Hampshire restaurants, bars and function centers open on New Year’s Eve, Friday, Dec. 31. A few local eateries are also open for brunch on either New Year’s Day, Saturday, Jan. 1, or the following morning on Sunday, Jan. 2. Did we miss any restaurants offering New Year’s specials? Let us know at food@hippopress.com.

• 815 Cocktails & Provisions (815 Elm St., Manchester, 782-8086, 815nh.com) will host a New Year’s Eve party on Friday, Dec. 31, at 9 p.m. Tickets are $150 and include drink and food specials, an open bar, an unlimited photo booth and a Champagne toast at midnight.

• 900 Degrees Neapolitan Pizzeria (50 Dow St., Manchester, 641-0900, 900degrees.com) will be open during its normal hours on Friday, Dec. 31, from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

• Alan’s of Boscawen (133 N. Main St., Boscawen, 753-6631, alansofboscawen.com) is holding a New Year’s Eve party on Friday, Dec. 31, featuring a buffet that will be served from 4 to 9 p.m., in addition to live music from Stray Dog. Tickets are $15.

• Auspicious Brew (1 Washington St., Suite 1103, Dover, 953-7240, auspiciousbrew.com) will hold a family-friendly New Year’s Eve party on Friday, Dec. 31, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Food will be available from Dos Mexican Eats and classic and hard kombuchas will be on draft. Tickets are $10 and will also include house made hot cocoa, craft opportunities, a festive photo station and more.

• The Barley House Restaurant & Tavern (132 N. Main St., Concord, 228-6363, thebarleyhouse.com) will be open during its normal hours on Friday, Dec. 31, from noon to 10 p.m.

• Bedford Village Inn & Restaurant (2 Olde Bedford Way, Bedford, 472-2001, bedfordvillageinn.com) will serve a special four-course prix fixe dinner menu on Friday, Dec. 31, with seatings from 4 to 9 p.m. The menu will include your choice of an appetizer (Dunk’s mushroom toast, yellowfin tuna poke, a Vermont cheese board, New England oysters, butternut squash risotto or lobster bisque); a salad (watercress and firecracker mizuna or Boston bibb); an entree (grilled filet mignon, smoked New Bedford sea scallops, Moroccan-spiced Australian grass-fed lamb rack, pan-seared Faroe Island salmon, cornbread-crusted Icelandic cod loin, Robie Farm pork tenderloin or maple-roasted acorn squash); and a dessert (midnight chocolate cake, peach Champagne sorbet, Godiva creme brulee, pumpkin cheesecake or apple raisin strudel). The cost is $95 per person. The BVI’s Lobby Bar will also be open on Friday, Dec. 31, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. A special brunch will then be served on Saturday, Jan. 1, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Lobby Bar will also be open that day, from 8 to 10:30 a.m. for breakfast and from 4 to 9 p.m. for lunch.

• Belmont Hall & Restaurant (718 Grove St., Manchester, 625-8540, belmonthall.net) will be open on Friday, Dec. 31, until 2 p.m.

• Bistro 603 (345 Amherst St., Nashua, 722-6362, bistro603nashua.com) will be open on Friday, Dec. 31, from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m., and on Saturday, Jan. 1, from 10 a.m. to close (likely around 10 p.m. for the kitchen and 11 p.m. for the bar). On Friday, Bistro 603 will host a New Year’s Eve Bash, featuring live music by the Massive Groove Band beginning at 9:30 p.m., as well as a special features menu, a late night buffet, a midnight Champagne toast and more.

• Buckley’s Great Steaks (438 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, 424-0995, buckleysgreatsteaks.com) will be open on both Friday, Dec. 31, and Saturday, Jan. 1, from 4 to 9 p.m. each evening.

• Cask & Vine (1 E. Broadway, Derry, 965-3454, caskandvine.com) is celebrating nine years in business with its annual end-of-year anniversary party on Friday, Dec. 31, beginning at 5 p.m. They’re taking reservations now for $25 per person, which will be applied to your bill at the end of the evening, with a complimentary toast at midnight. Go to caskandvine.com/nye.

• Castleton Banquet and Conference Center (58 Enterprise Drive, Windham, 898-6300, castletonbcc.com) will host a special New Year’s Eve party on Friday, Dec. 31, from 7 to 10 p.m., featuring a three-course meal, an open bar, a 50/50 raffle, a Champagne toast at midnight and more. Tickets are $200 (event is 21+ only).

• CJ’s Great West Grill (782 S. Willow St., Manchester, 627-8600, cjsgreatwestgrill.com) will be open on Friday, Dec. 31, until 10 p.m.

• Colby Hill Inn (33 The Oaks, Henniker, 428-3281, colbyhillinn.com) will serve a special New Year’s Eve sparkling wine dinner on Friday, Dec. 31, from 7 to 10:30 p.m. The six-course prix fixe meal will feature pairings of Sea Smoke wines — courses will include foie gras torchon, New Hampshire oysters, petite rabbit and mushroom cassoulet, petite tournedos with lobster tail, a white winter festival dessert featuring a coconut cup, white chocolate gelato and crisp meringue, and a plate of mignardises. The cost is $150 per person. Overnight packages at the Inn are also available, which will include a complimentary Champagne brunch and late night treats, as well as a late 1 p.m. checkout the next day.

• Copper Door Restaurant (15 Leavy Drive, Bedford, 488-2677; 41 S. Broadway, Salem, 458-2033; copperdoor.com) will serve a special New Year’s Eve prix fixe dinner menu on Friday, Dec. 31, from 4 to 8 p.m. at both locations, featuring meals of two, three or four courses. Options include sesame tuna risotto, crispy pork and beef meatballs, fish chowder, sausage and kale soup, shaved Brussels sprout and arugula, grilled filet oscar, braised short rib, soy honey glazed salmon, seafood-stuffed haddock, truffled mushroom ravioli, duck confit risotto, sugar cookie cupcakes, German chocolate cake, and vanilla Funfetti cheesecake. The cost is $69 for a two-course meal, $79 for a three-course meal and $89 for a four-course meal. Reservations are highly recommended. The Copper Door’s regular menus will also be available from 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at both locations. Live music will be featured from 6 to 9 p.m.

• Copper Kettle To Go (39 Main St., Wilton, 654-2631, copperkettletogo.com) will serve a special New Year’s Eve buffet dinner on Friday, Dec. 31, at 8 p.m., featuring a dip station with Buffalo chicken, spinach and onion dips, as well as other items like crab rangoons, egg rolls, macaroni and cheese, butternut squash ravioli and more. Tickets are $40 per person and also include a Champagne toast at midnight.

• CR’s The Restaurant (287 Exeter Road, Hampton, 929-7972, crstherestaurant.com) will be open on Friday, Dec. 31, from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. for lunch and from 5 to 9:30 p.m. for dinner.

• The Crown Tavern (99 Hanover St., Manchester, 218-3132, thecrownonhanover.com) will be open on Saturday, Jan. 1, from 4 to 9 p.m. Reservations are recommended.

• Epoch Gastropub (The Exeter Inn, 90 Front St., Exeter, 778-3762, epochrestaurant.com) will be open on Friday, Dec. 31, from 3 to 9 p.m., serving a special New Year’s Eve prix fixe menu alongside its normal menu. The meal will include your choice of a first course (grilled local oysters or red beet salad), an entree (braised short rib, pan-seared salmon or beet rissoles), and a dessert (citrus creme brulee with fresh oranges, or dark chocolate mousse with candied walnuts and coffee ice cream). The cost is $55 per person.

• Fire and Spice Bistro (70 Route 108, Newfields, 418-7121, fireandspicebistro.com) will be open on Friday, Dec. 31, serving dinner from 4 to 10 p.m. Local acoustic guitarist Chris O’Neill will perform live from 5 to 10 p.m., and the bar will remain open until 12:30 a.m.

• Firefly American Bistro & Bar (22 Concord St., Manchester, 935-9740, fireflynh.com) will be open on Friday, Dec. 31, from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. On Saturday, Jan. 1, Firefly will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for brunch and from 4 to 9 p.m. for dinner.

• The Foundry Restaurant (50 Commercial St., Manchester, 836-1925, foundrynh.com) will be open on Friday, Dec. 31, from 4 to 9 p.m., and for brunch on Saturday, Jan. 1, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., featuring an all-you-can-eat buffet for $35 with prime rib, a build-your-own waffle bar, $5 mimosas, live music and more.

• Granite Restaurant & Bar (The Centennial Hotel, 96 Pleasant St., Concord, 227-9005, graniterestaurant.com) will be open during its normal hours on Friday, Dec. 31, from 5 to 9 p.m.

• LaBelle Winery Derry (14 Route 111, Derry, 672-9898, labellewinery.com) will hold a special three-course plated dinner and celebration for New Year’s Eve on Friday, Dec. 31, from 6 to 10:30 p.m. Seatings will take place in the vineyard ballroom, adjacent to Americus Restaurant, and the evening will also feature a live performance by the Freese Brothers Big Band and a stroll through LaBelle Lights. The meal will feature house-made pork dumplings, a baby kale salad with pomegranate seeds, blue cheese, roasted cashews and a winter citrus vinaigrette, a surf and turf entree of hoisin-glazed short rib and yuzu-glazed shrimp with baby bok choy and sticky rice cakes, and chocolate pot creme for dessert along with fortune cookies. The cost is $100 per person and includes the dinner, a greeting wine pass, access to a cash bar, and admission to LaBelle Lights after the live performance.

• Mile Away Restaurant (52 Federal Hill Road, Milford, 673-3904, mileawayrestaurantnh.com) will serve a multi-course meal for New Year’s Eve on Friday, Dec. 31, featuring your choice of an entree (sliced roasted tenderloin of beef, duck Grand Marnier, nut-crusted chicken, chicken piccata, pork forestiere, schweineschnitzel, roasted vegetable lasagna, baked stuffed Jumbo shrimp, baked stuffed scrod or maple-glazed salmon); and a dessert (chocolate mousse cake, flourless chocolate cake, bourbon bread pudding, cheesecake, lemon mascarpone cake, or sorbet). All dinners come with appetizers like tomato bisque, Swedish meatballs and a fresh fruit plate with sorbet (or you can substitute shrimp cocktail, escargots and onion soup gratinee), and a Caesar or garden salad. Entrees also include your choice of a baked potato, Swiss potato or rice pilaf, and your choice of butternut squash, pickled beets or applesauce.

• MT’s Local Kitchen & Wine Bar (212 Main St., Nashua, 595-9334, mtslocal.com) will be open on both Friday, Dec. 31, and Saturday, Jan. 1, from 4 to 9 p.m. each evening.

• New England’s Tap House Grille (1292 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, 782-5137, taphousenh.com) will hold a special New Year’s Sunday brunch on Sunday, Jan. 2, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., featuring a prime rib and turkey carving station, build-your-own omelets and crepes, a raw bar, and a bloody mary and mimosa bar. The cost is $29 for adults and $14.95 for kids.

• Osteria Poggio (18 Main St., Center Harbor, 250-8007, osteriapoggio.com) will host a special New Year’s Eve gala on Friday, Dec. 31, at 7 p.m., featuring passed appetizers, Prohibition-style cocktails, music, dancing, a photo booth and prosecco toast. Tickets are $40 per person.

• Piccola Italia Ristorante (815 Elm St., Manchester, 606-5100, piccolaitalianh.com) will be open on Friday, Dec. 31, from 4 to 10 p.m., and on Saturday, Jan. 1, from 4 to 9 p.m.

• Raleigh Wine Bar + Eatery (67 State St., Portsmouth, 427-8459, raleighwinebar.com) will serve a special four-course New Year’s Eve dinner on Friday, Dec. 31, with optional wine pairings. Two seatings are available, at 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Featured items to choose from will include endive salad, elk tartare, roasted squash, coal-roasted quail, root vegetable gratin, magret duck breast, coal-roasted sea bass, chocolate cake, and crème fraîche cake with pistachio praline. The cost is $120 per person with Champagne toast (additional $45 if wine pairings are included). Reservations require a $25 deposit per person.

• The Red Blazer Restaurant & Pub (72 Manchester St., Concord, 224-4101, theredblazer.com) will be open on Friday, Dec. 31, until 7 p.m.

• Saddle Up Saloon (92 Route 125, Kingston, 347-1313, saddleupsaloonnh.com) will host a special New Year’s Eve party on Friday, Dec. 31. Dinner will be served at 7 p.m., featuring your choice of prime rib, half-roasted chicken or baked haddock (each entree also comes with mashed potatoes and veggies). Local cover band Bite the Bullet will then perform from 8:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. The cost is $50 per person and also includes a Champagne toast at midnight, followed by a pizza buffet.

• The Shaskeen Irish Pub and Restaurant (909 Elm St., Manchester, 625-0246, shaskeenirishpub.com) will host a special New Year’s Eve party on Friday, Dec. 31, featuring a buffet from 8 to 10 p.m., a midnight Champagne toast, and music by Chris Bennett, a.k.a. DJ Myth. The cost is $50 per person.

• Stalk Restaurant (286 Central Ave., Dover, 343-2600, stalkrestaurant.com) will host a special five-course prix fixe menu for New Year’s Eve on Friday, Dec. 31, with two seatings available (5 to 5:30 p.m. for the first seating and 7:45 to 8:15 p.m. for the second seating) with two and a half hours allotted per reservation. A variety of items will be available to choose from, like pan-seared scallop, red beet salad, Atlantic cod chowder, udon noodles, duck confit ravioli, pinot-braised short rib and more. The cost is $85 per person and includes complimentary prosecco. Wine pairings and cocktails are also available at an additional cost.

• Surf Restaurant (207 Main St., Nashua, 595-9293; 99 Bow St., Portsmouth, 334-9855; surfseafood.com) will be open on Friday, Dec. 31, and Saturday, Jan. 1, from 4 to 9 p.m. both evenings, at its Nashua location. Its Portsmouth location will be open on Friday, Dec. 31, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and on Saturday, Jan. 1, from 3 to 9 p.m.

• 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 on Friday, Dec. 31, until 10 p.m., at all of its locations.

• The Wild Rose Restaurant (Stonehurst Manor, 3351 White Mountain Hwy., North Conway, 356-3113, thewildroserestaurant.com) will serve a special New Year’s Eve dinner menu on Friday, Dec. 31, with seatings at 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. The meal includes your choice of an appetizer (bacon-wrapped scallops, shrimp cocktail, Jonah crab cakes, forest mushroom pot sticker, or crab and lobster bisque); a Caesar salad; your choice of an entree (pit smoked and aged prime rib of beef, lobster ravioli, filet of cod with a lobster cream sauce, grilled New York strip steak, crispy half-roasted duck, shrimp, scallops, lobster and Jonah crab meat in a garlic basil Parmesan cream sauce, or grilled rack of Australian lamb); and a dessert (blueberry cheesecake, flourless double dark chocolate torte, limoncello cake or vanilla creme brulee). The cost is $78 per person and also includes signature sourdough bread, a seasonal vegetable, and coffee and tea.

• XO Bistro on Elm (827 Elm St., Manchester, 560-7998, xobistronh.com) will be open during its normal hours on Friday, Dec. 31, from noon to 10 p.m. They’ll also be open on Saturday, Jan. 1, from 4 to 10 p.m.

• Ya Mas Greek Taverna & Bar (125 Bridge St., Pelham, 635-4230, yamasgreektaverna.com) is throwing a special New Year’s Eve dinner party just down the street at Chunky’s Cinema Pub (150 Bridge St.), alongside a screening of the 2013 film The Great Gatsby, scheduled for Friday, Dec. 31, at 9 p.m. The evening will include a five-course menu, followed by a Champagne toast and a big-screen viewing of the Times Square ball drop at midnight. The cost is $90 per person and includes the dinner, the movie and the toast (optional wine pairings are also available at an additional cost).

• Zachary’s Chop House (4 Cobbetts Pond Road, Windham, 890-5555, zacharyschophouse.com) will be open on Friday, Dec. 31, from 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Featured photo: Courtesy photo.

Rooted in deliciousness

Vegan coffee and breakfast cart launches in Manchester

When Madeline Rossi and her wife Olivia Lenox bought a small mobile food trailer over the summer, their original plan was to bartend at weddings. That all changed when the Manchester couple learned about a new food truck park and residency being planned for The Factory on Willow, a newly unveiled apartment complex from an old Queen City shoe factory.

Breakfast “buzzito,” featuring house made plant-based maple “sausage,” tofu scramble and house made cashew cheddar. Photo courtesy of New Roots Coffee Cart.

New Roots Coffee Cart, now open Monday through Friday, became the first vendor to sign up for the pilot program. Rossi and Lenox partner with several local businesses to create a menu that’s 100-percent vegan, featuring coffees and teas, pastries, and breakfast and lunch options made from scratch. It’s also an extension of their plant-based meal prep business, New Roots Meals, which offers weekly deliveries of items from a rotating menu.

Rossi and Lenox are no strangers to food trucks — though both are New England natives, the pair met while working at a food truck pod in Portland, Oregon, where Lenox at the time had co-owned Flourish Plant-Based Kitchen with a friend. They launched New Roots Meals in late 2020 after returning east to be closer to family members.

All of their meals are cooked on Sundays at Jerome’s Deli in Manchester, which Rossi and Lenox continue to rent out as a commissary space. Orders placed by Friday at 8 p.m. through their meal prep business are delivered on Mondays within a 30-mile radius of Manchester and on Tuesdays on the Seacoast, between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. each day. The menu changes bi-weekly.

“We do coffee strictly at the truck, and then have two constant breakfast items. Those are prepped every week at Jerome’s and brought to the truck, and they are also on our breakfast menu for meal prep,” Rossi said. “Our lunch specials are also prepped at Jerome’s but then those are only at the food truck. So basically there’s a bit of crossover in both areas.”

Orange cinnamon oat milk matcha latte, with vegan cranberry orange scone sourced from Seacoast baker Nommunism. Photo courtesy of New Roots Coffee Cart.

The truffle hash, one of the regular breakfast options available on the cart and among its top sellers, features tempeh “bacon” from BOStempeh of Somersworth, along with truffle russets, black beans, pickled red onions, chives and a cilantro-garlic aioli. You can also order a breakfast “buzzito” that’s available all the time, which has plant-based maple “sausage,” a tofu scramble and a house-made cashew-based cheddar wrapped up in a flour tortilla.

“The lunch specials always change … and it’s just whatever we decide we want to make for that week,” Lenox said. “It’s always a panini because we have a panini press.”

In preparation for the cart’s launch, Rossi and Lenox received training from A&E Coffee & Tea, whose drinks they now carry with oat, soy and coconut milks and several house-made syrups.

“[A&E] helped us pick a house blend, which was really cool,” Lenox said. “We also started wholesaling from The Local Moose. They just started to roast their own beans too.”

The cart’s menu also features bagels sourced from Bagel Alley of Nashua, and a variety of croissants, scones, doughnuts and more from Nommunism, a Seacoast-based pastry company.

Rossi said their next step is to expand New Roots in the form of a brick-and-mortar cafe by next spring. They envision offering espresso drinks and more vegan menu items at that space, and even possibly hosting open mic nights, vegan documentary screenings and other events.

“We’ve definitely fallen in love with coffee … and so I think we’re looking to do kind of like a cafe vibe, but more with a lot of food options,” Rossi said.

New Roots Coffee Cart

Where: The Factory on Willow, 252 Willow St., Manchester
Hours: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. (online ordering for pickup also available)
More info: Visit newrootsmeals.com/coffeecart or follow them on Facebook and Instagram @newrootscart

Featured photo: Peppermint mocha, with house blend A&E iced coffee, house made peppermint and mocha syrup, plant-based milk, coconut whipped cream and a cacao nib and candy cane topping. Photo courtesy of New Roots Coffee Cart.

The Weekly Dish 21/12/16

News from the local food scene

• Season’s eatings: There may still be time to order your holiday dinners and desserts — check out our listings in the Dec. 9 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. 9 issue to read the e-edition for free.

• Cheers to three years: Join To Share Brewing Co. (720 Union St., Manchester) for its third anniversary party, happening on Saturday, Dec. 18, from 1 to 9 p.m. The brewery will have several new beer releases, desserts and games, and will host live music from 3 to 8 p.m., featuring Alli Beaudry, Paul Nelson, Ryan Gagne-Hall and Kevin Horan. 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 and Instagram @tosharebrewing.

• Festive cookies: BB Take Home Kitchen (633 Maple St., Contoocook) will hold its second annual Christmas cookie market on Saturday, Dec. 18, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. (or until they sell out). Visitors will be able to come and choose from more than 15 varieties of homemade decorative cookies to create their own gift boxes, plus a “Grinch box” that’s available for pre-order, featuring a dozen pre-selected and packaged cookies like chocolate chip, molasses, sugar and oatmeal raisin. BB Take Home Kitchen is also taking orders now for holiday pastry boxes for pickup on Dec. 22 or Dec. 29 — those items will include Danishes, croissants, doughnuts and the eatery’s famous cinnamon rolls. Visit bbtakehomekitchen.com.

• Bacon, beer and ribs to return: Two popular summer food festivals in the Granite State have new dates for 2022, according to recent announcements from their organizers. The New Hampshire Bacon & Beer Festival is due to return for its sixth year on Saturday, June 4, at Anheuser-Busch Brewery (221 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack) and tickets are available now. The 21+ event pairs all kinds of craft brews with specialty food items from local restaurants using bacon from North Country Smokehouse, all to benefit the High Hopes Foundation of New Hampshire. Visit nhbaconbeer.com. Tickets are also on sale now for the highly anticipated return of the Great American Ribfest & Food Truck Festival, set for Friday, July 15, through Sunday, July 17, also at Anheuser-Busch. That event has not been held since the summer of 2019 — local barbecue vendors, live musicians and more will all get together that weekend to raise money for the Merrimack Rotary Club. Visit greatamericanribfest.com.

Bubbles for the holidays

Celebrate with some sparkling wine

As the song goes, it is “the most wonderful time of the year!” as we partake of seemingly endless gatherings, indulging in calorie-laden savories and sweets to bring on those well-intended New Year’s resolutions.

What is the perfect beverage to go with all sorts of food? Bubbles, or more specifically, my favorite — Champagne! There are other sparkling wines, cava from Spain, prosecco from Italy, but Champagne has a well-deserved cache. And thanks to Champagne houses like Mumm, Taittinger, and Moët et Chandon, we can savor sparkling blends made in America in Méthode Traditionnelle manner, that is by double fermentation, at a fraction of the price we pay for imported Champagne. So, when you buy a bottle of Mummthat is produced in Napa, California, the label cannot contain language referring to “Methode Champenoise” as it does on the imported bottle. However, the production is the same.

Champagne can be paired to appetizers, including caviar and moderately spicy Asian food. It is excellent with chicken, seafood (especially oysters or lobster), eggs, hollandaise sauce, foie gras, gravlax and smoked salmon. It is among the most versatile of wines, whether it is brut (dry), demi-sec (sweet) or doux (sweetest). It can be blanc de blanc, made with 100 percent chardonnay grapes, or blanc de noirs, made with 100 percent pinot noir grapes. When preparing carpaccio, very rare beef, ham, prosciutto or rare lamb, a rosé, made with pinot noir and/or pinot meunier grapes, is a tasting adventure not to be missed.

Our first wine is Champagne Pommery Brut Royal, regularly priced at $44.99, on sale at $36.99, at the New Hampshire Liquor and Wine Outlets. Located in Reims, wool trader Alexandre Pommery’s widow, Louise, inaugurated the Champagne house in the mid-19th century. Per the website, she initiated the idea of storing wines in temperature-controlled caves carved from the chalk deposits of the region. An innovator, she created the first brut Champagne in 1874 — a dry version of the wine when Champagnes were largely much sweeter than they are today. A blend of grapes from 40 selected villages in the Côte des Blancs and Montagne de Reims and other areas in the Champagne region, this wine is produced from 35 percent chardonnay, 35 percent pinot noir and 30 percent pinot meunier. Its color is pale gold, with an abundance of tiny bubbles. Its nose is of yellow to green apple, some citrus and vanilla. Its taste is very “fruit-forward” with notes of apple, with a very soft creamy long finish. As a dry wine, it pairs well with appetizers, creamy dishes, seafood and shellfish.

Our second wine is Domaine Carneros Brut, by Taittinger,regularly priced at $29.99, on sale at $25.95, at the New Hampshire Wine & Liquor Outlets. Domaine Carneros was established in 1987 when Claude Taittinger selected a 138-acre parcel in the heart of Carneros, California, to grow and produce a sparkling wine made in the Méthode Traditionelle manner. The winery, pictured on the label, is modeled after the grand châteaux of France. All the wines produced at the winery hail from the Carneros appellation, with 100 percent of the fruit coming from the six estate vineyards of the chateau, now comprising 400 acres.

A blend of 53 percent pinot noir, 44 percent chardonnay and 3 percent pinot gris, this sparkler is aged nearly four years in the bottle. Fruity and balanced in acidity, it offers rich notes of pear, green apple and melon that contrast against notes of praline and toasted almonds.

This holiday season, celebrate with a wine that can traverse all your culinary delights, from appetizers to desserts. Explore this bubbling creation of that Benedictine monk, Dom Perignon. Legend has it that upon his discovery, he was quoted as saying, “Come quickly! I am drinking the stars!” Indeed, he was! And so can you!