Category: Food

Spring into deliciousness

Great New England specialty food and artisan show returns

More than 150 exhibitors will gather inside the Hampshire Dome in Milford for the Great New England Spring Specialty Food & Artisan Show — now in its sixth year, the two-day event is a prime destination for food lovers, with all kinds of products available for sale and sampling. It’s happening on Saturday, April 15, and Sunday, April 16, and will also feature live music, food trucks outside, children’s activities, door prize-winning opportunities and more.

A wide variety of sweet and savory items will be available for attendees to try, from honeys, maple products, jams and drink infusions to hot sauces, chocolates, toffees, spice blends, seasonings, salad dressings and much more.
“We really do try to stick to our model of ‘Never the same show twice, but always just as nice,’ and it’s the truth,” show organizer Jody Donohue of GNE Events said. “We’re always changing it up for people, so that every time they come, there’s a variety of different items.”

With Donohue’s recent expansion of the company’s annual events to the Seacoast, she said she has been able to reach a wider range of participating exhibitors. As a result, many of those area artisans and specialty food makers will be coming to Milford for the first time.

“It will be really nice for them to get a new audience, as well as those that attend to see new exhibitors,” she said.

Queen of Whoopies, a multiple first-prize award winner at the annual Maine Whoopie Pie Festival, is expected to attend.

“Her recipe is like how the old Devil Dogs were,” Donohue said. “They are huge whoopie pies, bigger than the palm of your hand.”

The Chocolate Butcher, meanwhile, will be there with its chopped chocolates and truffles.

“They sell more chunks or pieces of chocolate, so you can melt them down for baking purposes as well as just eating them right from the bag,” Donohue said. “We also have the Mill Fudge Factory coming, and then we have Seacoast Pretzel Co., so you can get boxed pretzel nuggets or you can get the regular braided soft pretzel, which is also larger than life.”

This is also the first year 603 Charcuterie will be participating; Donohue said their team will be there offering samples of New Hampshire products as seen on their featured boards, and will provide a demonstration on how to put a board together.

Craft beer and wine will be available for sampling in addition to the food, and a number of other booths will be there, selling home decor, soaps, candles, personal care products and more.

While most of the vendors will be indoors, Donohue said a couple of food trucks and other purveyors will be parked outside the Hampshire Dome, including a coffee truck and a barbecue truck. Live local music will also be featured, both inside and outside.

Attendees will have a chance to win a $100 cash door prize, while $200 worth of scratch tickets — two packages of $100 each — will also be raffled off.

New to this year’s show will be a coloring crayon station for kids, while Donohue said there will also be face painting and cookie decorating.

“We’re keeping it fun, giving the artisans new audiences and giving everybody something to do to get out of the house,” Donohue said.

Sixth annual Great New England Spring Specialty Food & Artisan Show
When: Saturday, April 15, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday, April 16, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Where: The Hampshire Dome, 34 Emerson Road, Milford
Cost: General admission tickets are $5 per person, valid for both days. Tickets are available in advance online or at the door (free for attendees ages 14 and under). Foods are priced per item.
Visit: gnecraftartisanshows.com/april-spring-show to purchase tickets

Featured photo: Courtesy photo.

The Weekly Dish 23/04/13

News from the local food scene

• Cheers! The final days of this year’s New Hampshire Craft Beer Week are ahead, as the state’s Brewers Association’s campaign wraps up on Saturday, April 15. There’s still time to participate in several Association-sponsored events, like the inaugural downtown Nashua craft beer tour. Participants can visit each of the Gate City’s six downtown craft breweries through Sunday, April 16, for access to special food and beverage deals, available with a special stamp book. Tickets are $30 per person and also include commemorative pint glasses — see downtownnashua.org/beertour. Visit nhbrewers.org for more Craft Beer Week details, and be sure to save the date for the Brewers Association’s annual Keep NH Brewing Fest, which returns to the Everett Arena Waterfront Park in Concord on Saturday, July 8.

• Cooking for a cause: Join the Nashua Center for its 20th annual Taste of the Towns, a food and wine tasting and benefit auction happening on Thursday, April 20, at 6 p.m. at LaBelle Winery Derry (14 Route 111). The evening will feature options from a variety of local restaurants coming together for a good cause, as well as several special items to be auctioned off. Single tickets start at $75 per person, with proceeds benefiting the Nashua Center, now in its 50th year of providing services to local children and adults with disabilities or acquired brain disorders. Purchase tickets online at nashuacenter.org.

• Get on board: Saturday, April 15, is the last day the 603 Charcuterie shop inside The Factory on Willow (252 Willow St., Manchester) will be open, as the company undergoes a transfer of ownership. A 75 percent off “everything must go” sale applies to all remaining in-store products from Thursday, April 13, through Saturday, April 15, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., which include many of the local cheeses, meats and other accoutrements commonly seen at the company’s charcuterie board-building classes at area breweries and wineries. On March 22, 603 Charcuterie announced in a social media post that the business will be taken over by Leah and Tom Bellemore, who own Vine 32 Wine + Graze Bar in Bedford. Classes, according to the post, will resume at the end of May under the new ownership, with future available dates to be posted within the next couple of weeks. See 603charcuterie.com or follow them on Facebook and Instagram for updates.

• From Nashua to Africa: Save the date for the next Taste of Africa event happening at Mola Foods (9 Simon St., Nashua) on Friday, April 21, at 6:30 p.m. Guests will be taken on a culinary tour of African nations like Cameroon, Somalia and Senegal, and featured dishes will be paired with wine from Brookline’s Averill House Vineyard. Vegan and gluten-free options are also available to those with dietary restrictions upon request, and there will be live music from singer-songwriter Ruby Shabazz. A native of Cameroon, Mola Foods owner and founder LaFortune Jeannette Djabea debuted her Taste of Africa lunch and dinner series last year to consistent success, with events continuously selling out at her Nashua shop. Tickets are $60 per person and there is a semi-formal dress code. Purchase them online at molafoods.com.

• Wine and a show: Head to Lake Park at Tuscan Village (9 Via Toscana, Salem) for an outdoor spring wine fest on Friday, April 21, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The event will feature more than 30 different types of wine available to taste, alongside appetizer samples from Tuscan Market, live music and more. Tickets are $45 per person (event is 21+ only) — purchase them online at tuscanbrands.com.

Fig and cheese tarts smothered with bacon

Since this recipe starts with figs, I know some people may look away. However, I am hoping the phrase “smothered with bacon” keeps most of you reading. Figs may not always sound appealing, but in this recipe I am pretty sure they are going to be a hit.

Although I am a fan of all figs, dried or fresh, I think what makes this recipe such a success is that the fig used in this recipe is actually fig preserves. You may wonder what you will do with the remainder of the jar after making this recipe, but the answers are many. First, you could make multiple batches of this recipe. Second, you could serve it as a condiment with a charcuterie tray. Third, it makes a great topping for toast, biscuits and more.

Now that I have you assured on your purchase of fig preserves, the other ingredients are pretty straightforward. I do have to let you know that it did take some searching to find the phyllo cups. My regular grocery store doesn’t seem to carry them anymore, but another one did. For those of you new to phyllo cups, you will find them in the dessert portion of the freezer area.

For the bacon in this recipe, I used regular sliced, as I wanted it to be extra crispy. However, if you prefer your bacon to be heartier, a thick-sliced version will work as well.

These tarts can be served straight from the oven. (Just don’t burn the roof of your mouth!) They also work well either at room temperature or cold. If you won’t be serving them immediately, be sure to store them in your refrigerator in a covered container.

Fig and cheese tarts smothered with bacon
Makes 15

5 strips bacon
15 phyllo cups
4 ounces goat cheese
4 1/2 Tablespoons fig preserves

An hour before cooking, place goat cheese on the counter to soften.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Heat a large frying pan over medium heat.
Add bacon, cooking until crispy (about 5 minutes).
Transfer bacon to a paper-towel lined plate.
Place unfilled phyllo cups in a mini muffin pan or on a baking sheet, and bake for 2 minutes.
While they bake, combine goat cheese and fig preserves in a small bowl, stirring until well distributed.
Remove cups from the oven.
Divide cheese mixture evenly among the cups.
Return the cups to the oven, and bake for 5 minutes.
While cups bake, dice bacon.
Remove tarts from the oven, and top with bacon.

Featured photo: Fig and cheese tarts smothered with bacon. Photo by Michele Pesula Kuegler.

In the kitchen with Kevin Anctil

Kevin Anctil of Litchfield is the owner and pitmaster of Smokin’ Spank’s Barbecue (smokinspanks.com, and on Facebook and Instagram @smokinspank), a 22-foot food trailer he launched last fall. Anctil, who is affectionately known in his college friend circle as “Spank,” describes his concept as traditional Southern barbecue, but with some New England roots. His brisket, for instance, is smoked Texas-style with salt and pepper in tribute to his own travels, while other items include maple baby back ribs that are finished with maple syrup as a glaze. Anctil grew up on family-owned farmland in Lewiston, Maine, where his late grandfather was revered in the community for his barbecued chicken. He even pays homage to his family’s roots on the trailer, using the same original basting sauce and finishing sauce recipes for his own barbecue chicken, as well as a custom-built pit that implements the same type of sandwich grating techniques his grandfather once employed. Find Smokin’ Spank’s in the parking lot of New England Small Tube Corp. (480 Charles Bancroft Hwy., Litchfield) most Sundays, from 1 to 5 p.m. Online pre-orders are often also available.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

I guess I’d have to say my smokers. That’s really where the magic happens. If I didn’t have my smokers, I’m just another kitchen.

What would you have for your last meal?

A homegrown tomato sandwich. If you’re feeling fancy, you might do it on toast or with a little olive oil, some basil or something like that.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

I want to shout out the entire Litchfield food scene here. There’s a lot of stuff going on locally in town. … We’ve got Tammaro’s Cucina, which is a new Italian place, and Romano’s Pizza who has been around longer. We’ve got Day of the Dead doing fantastic Mexican, and then the Bittersweet Bake Shoppe does some fantastic desserts.

What celebrity would you like to see ordering from your food trailer?

I’m going to date myself a bit, but Ray Bourque. He was the legendary captain of the Boston Bruins when I was growing up. … He was just the pinnacle of an athlete to me, both within his sport and just being a gentleman and a classy guy and role model. … I know he’s a foodie too … so it would be pretty cool to be able to serve him some barbecue.

What is your favorite thing on your menu?

That would be my brisket. … The only things that go on my brisket are salt, pepper and smoke, and I serve it to you sliced fresh to order. You do get some Texas table sauce along with your order, if you choose to use it or not.

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

Poutine seems to be making a comeback, and I’m here for it!

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

If I’m cooking for myself, then a ridiculously big steakhouse-style steak dinner, [with a] baked potato, a big, thick steak and spinach — the works. If I’m cooking for the family, chicken soup. I do a chicken soup that takes me like two days to cook. It’s phenomenal.

Texas table sauce
From the kitchen of Kevin Anctil of Smokin’ Spank’s Barbecue in Litchfield

2 cups ketchup
1 cup white vinegar
1 lemon (juice and zest of)
½ cup white onions, grated

Combine all of the ingredients in a sauce pan and heat over medium heat, until it just begins to boil around the edges. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. For a smoother sauce, use an immersion blender, or allow to cool and transfer to a blender. For the best results, allow it to sit overnight in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Serve at the table, allowing your guests to add to a smoked meat for a tangy counterpunch.


Featured photo: Kevin Anctil, owner and pitmaster of Smokin’ Spank’s Barbecue. Courtesy photo.

The legacy continues

New ownership but familiar dishes at Campo Enoteca

Three months after Campo Enoteca founders Edward Aloise and Claudia Rippee announced their retirement, a new owner has stepped in to carry on the pioneering couple’s legacy. Nashua native Eric Maxwell acquired the downtown farm-to-table Italian restaurant earlier this year, reopening its doors on March 16 and retaining much of its original staff.

For guests, especially loyal fans of Campo who have frequented the restaurant since its 2014 opening, the new ownership is welcome news. That’s because Maxwell said he plans to keep the menus the same, while also expanding the options and even adding a separate lunch menu soon.

“I come from an Italian family with a lot of restaurants in the Ohio and western Pennsylvania areas, so it’s always been sort of my dream to have an Italian spot locally,” Maxwell said.

Aloise and Rippee originally opened Campo Enoteca on the heels of closing the Milltowne Grille — the latter enjoyed a highly successful 20-year run at Manchester-Boston Regional Airport. At the time of its opening, Campo was just a two-minute walk south of Republic Cafe, which opened four years earlier and would soon achieve recognition as the first New Hampshire eatery to receive “certified local” status by the New Hampshire Farm to Restaurant Connection.

Then came the pandemic, ultimately prompting Aloise and Rippee to make the decision to move all of Republic’s operations under the same roof as Campo. For more than two years thereafter, they operated as the “Republic of Campo,” offering two separate menus under one roof.

In December, the couple announced that, after a career spanning more than three decades in Manchester eateries, they would be stepping away from the kitchen. They put the restaurant up for sale, and Maxwell, who has a background in food manufacturing, decided to “jump on it.”

“I had been to Campo probably half a dozen times … and that concept really fit who I was,” he said. “When it went up for sale, the writing was kind of on the wall. … I had wanted to mirror something like that, but I couldn’t believe that it was that — one of the restaurants that I absolutely loved.”

Maxwell recruited his sister, Erin Convery, who has front end experience at local restaurants, to run Campo’s day-to-day operations as general manager. All of the eatery’s bartenders and waitstaff have returned, he added, as have a few members of the kitchen staff.

“Peter [Macone], the old GM, has actually been working with my sister, basically making the introductions to all the farms and the vendors, so [the ownership transition] has definitely been very smooth,” Maxwell said. “We’ll expand with some personal family touches, but we won’t get rid of anything that was on the menu before. The Republic recipes will also be on the menu.”

Instead of removing any staple items, Maxwell plans to only add to the existing menu, perhaps most notably when it comes to Campo’s house-made pastas.

“Lunch will be kind of a new concept,” he said. “It will be pick your stuffed pasta, pick your sauce, pick your salad or whatever, so you can come in and get cheese ravioli [or] beef ravioli and whatever sauce you want to try with it. That will cater toward the lunch menu side of things.”

Lunch is available on Fridays and Saturdays for now, but Maxwell said the plan is to also be open on Sundays in the coming weeks. As they were under Campo’s previous ownership, dine-in reservations are available, as well as online ordering and curbside pickup.

Campo Enoteca
Where: 969 Elm St., Manchester
Hours: Tuesday through Thursday, 4 to 9 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, noon to 9 p.m. Expanded hours likely coming soon and will include Sundays
More info: Visit campoenoteca.com, find them on Facebook and Instagram @campoenoteca or call 625-0256

Featured photo: Photos courtesy of Campo Enoteca.

Any way you slice it

Fresh pies and good times at South Manchester pizzeria

A South Manchester pizzeria is proving that good vibes don’t have to stop with freshly baked pies. It’s also a place where you can pick up and play the electric guitar, sing tunes from a jukebox connected to your phone, flex your mental muscles during trivia night and sip cocktails reminiscent of Capri Sun, Bomb Pops and other nostalgic childhood favorites.

It’s all part of a unique experience Gregg Joseph aims to bring to his customers at Clemento’s Pizzeria & Brew. He took over ownership of the eatery last year after previously working in the corporate world. He operates it with his wife, Estella, along with help from the couple’s children.

Joseph was born and raised in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and came to the United States as a teenager. He first lived in Miami for a time before coming up to Massachusetts and later New Hampshire.

Pizza pies are baked fresh to order every day, with thin crusts and hand-rolled doughs Joseph said are characteristic of a traditional New York-style.

black man wearing suit jacket posing with light skinned black woman in their restaurant
Clemento’s of Manchester’s owner-operator Gregg Joseph and his wife, Estella. Courtesy photo.

“We have the open kitchen concept, so you see your pizza being made right in front of you,” he said. “You’re seeing your dough getting stretched, [and] you’re seeing the onions getting chopped to be put on your pizza right then and there.”

Since assuming ownership, Joseph has incorporated some of the flavors he enjoyed back home on some of his specialty pizza toppings. Gregg’s Caribbean Jerk Special, for instance, is a pie topped with jerk sauce, chicken, green and banana peppers, onions, jalapenos and mushrooms. Almost any pie can also be baked using a gluten-free crust.

Rounding out the food menu are calzones, hot and cold subs — Joseph recommends the meatball sub, featuring handmade meatballs from his wife — appetizers, like deep-fried chicken wings, cheesy garlic bread and fried pickle chips; and scratch-made desserts, from fried dough to fried brownie and cheesecake bites.

Clemento’s boasts a lineup of nearly two dozen domestic and local craft brews, in addition to an extensive offering of craft cocktails Joseph said his wife will often experiment with.

“People know what a cosmo is, and what a Manhattan is, so we like to have a little twist on some things,” he said.

The Twisted Capri Sun, for example, features a dark rum, shaken with banana liqueur, peach schnapps, pineapple juice and a splash of strawberry puree. Blueberry vodka, lemonade, blue Curaçao and Razzmatazz liqueur make up the Bomb Pop cocktail, named after the popular treat you commonly see off of an ice cream truck’s menu.

The eatery’s interior dining space is small, but Joseph still manages to offer entertainment every night throughout the week. Monday nights feature open mic comedy with a rotating group of regional comedians. On Tuesdays it’s all about the karaoke — the pizzeria has a TouchTunes jukebox you can use directly from your phone. Wednesdays are trivia nights with Clemento’s regular Benji Day; Thursdays are game nights and Fridays are open mic music nights.

“If you open a restaurant in Haiti, people … are coming for the different activities that you’re offering, and that’s sort of the same model that I’m trying to bring here,” he said. “Sometimes people don’t even come in for the food. They’re coming because there’s a smile. … If you like open mic comedy, I got you. You want to play guitar, I have one I can plug in for you right now. Sooner or later, I’ll find something that you’ll like and you’ll just keep coming back.”

Clemento’s Pizzeria & Brew
Where: 1875 S. Willow St., Manchester
Hours: Monday through Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Closed on Sundays.
More info: Visit clementospizzeriabrew.com, find them on Facebook @clementosmanchester or call 782-8450
Takeout and delivery services are also available through GrubHub, DoorDash and UberEats.

Featured photo: Photos courtesy of Clemento’s Pizzeria & Brew in Manchester.

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