Category: Food

Plenty of fish

A look at the 33rd Hampton Beach Seafood Festival

By Katelyn Sahagian, Curt Mackail & Betty Gagne

[email protected]

Seafood is the main attraction at the Hampton Beach Seafood Festival, which will also feature more than 40 food trucks and demonstrations in the culinary tent by Wicked Bites.

There will also be approximately 70 local artisans selling their crafts; live music around the clock; a cornhole tournament; a road race and other family-friendly activities. The festival will have two main stages: the Beach Bar and the Seashell Stage. Instead of doing two bar locations like they have in the past, Bridle said, there will be one supersized bar.

“We call ourselves ‘the largest bar in New England’ on those days,” festival director Nicholas Bridle said. “It’s over 40,000 square feet of bar on the sand.”

The bar area will be family-friendly, like the festival overall, and will also be the site of the cornhole competition. Other new features this year include shuttle buses to transport visitors to the festival from parking lots, and a digital ticketing system.

Seafood galore

More than 25 food vendors are on the bill, many of them long-established local favorites.

“This will be our 20th year,” said Sylvia Cheever, owner of Rye Harbor Lobster Pound.

Cheever said she’s looking forward to entering her specialities in the judging competition and hopes to win again.

“Our traditional creamy New England clam chowder, our fluffy clam chowder that’s topped with lobster, our lobster roll and our lobster bisque always do well,” she said.

Through the past six years Rye Harbor Lobster Pound earned a winner or runner-up award eight times in three different categories.

Perennial local favorites including the North Hampton Fire Department, serving breakfast sandwiches for early goers, and Hampton’s Saint James Masonic Lodge No. 102, a former champ in the fried seafood category, are returning too.

Swell Oyster Co., the first-ever Hampton Harbor oyster farm and the only one in New Hampshire using a suspended aquaculture system, is back for its second year. Co-founder Russ Hilliard said the system produces consistent, deep, easily shucked shells with plump meat. The company harvested its first oysters in 2018.

“We’re very excited to be participating in the seafood fest again this year,” Hilliard said. “Our menu includes our Swell oysters in the half shell shucked to order. We’ll also offer grilled oysters with Rockefeller butter or our chipotle bourbon butter, grilled clams casino, and extra-large shrimp cocktail.”

Mexican food is showcased at Lupe’s 55 Cantina booth.

“The menu features first and foremost our signature haddock taco with fried haddock, house slaw in a crispy corn flour shell, cilantro, pico de gallo and Chef Nicki’s mango habanero salsa,” owner Nicole Leavitt said. “Other features are shrimp ceviche cocktail, elotes, a lobster empanada with lemon crema, and mangonadas. A mangonada is a great way to stay cool with a house-made Mexican chili sauce featuring lime salt, cinnamon, sugar and other secret spices layered in with a mango-style slushie served with a Tajin straw.”

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.

Shane’s Texas Pit BBQ, winner in the non-seafood category last year, 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.

When you’re ready for a sweet treat, several options fill the bill, including Clyde’s Cupcakes, Susie’s Sweets and the Boston Cannoli Co, which offers Little Italy-style crispy pastry shells stuffed with traditional ricotta fillings. But Boston Cannoli also pushes the established boundaries a bit with their ice cream, cheesecake and Oreo cannoli.

“A customer from New York City last year told us our cannoli are better than anything she’s ever had there,” said founder Peter Karras, who credits his standard recipes to his 1903 Sicilian forebears.

Clyde’s Cupcakes’ pink dessert truck stands out visually and for its scratch-made delectables. Individual cheesecakes served in a Mason jar, freshly baked shortcake topped with fresh strawberries and a scoop of ice cream, and hot apple crisp are all on the festival menu.

Grab a bite

One of the highlights of this year’s Hampton Beach Seafood Festival is the Wicked Bites culinary demos.

Wicked Bites (wickedbites.tv) is a well-known food show where the staff searches for the best food in the area, and during the festival some of the greatest chefs they’ve found will feature live cooking demonstrations in the culinary tent next to the Hampton Chamber of Commerce beach office.

“The Seafood Festival is always a great time, and the culinary tent is a fabulous part of the fun,” said Dyana Martin, who oversees the tent.

The tent is open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Visitors will be able to watch cooking demos and sample some of the food.

“The audience can watch the food being prepared live, and there’s also a television screen and camera that are set up to show a bird’s eye view of the preparation,” Martin said. “After the food is cooked, myself along with a group of volunteers pass out samples to the spectators. Afterward, the audience has a brief time to talk to the chefs via questions and answers about the food that was prepared and their methods of cooking.”

The tent will feature eight chefs on Saturday and five on Sunday. Most of the chefs are local, and they love to entertain the audience with their skills and their recipes.

“The chefs are animated and creative,” Martin said. “The crowd loves them, and they love the crowds.”

She encourages people to come early to get a seat inside the tent.

“The tent fills quickly, and there are always people standing outside of the tent to look on, but they may or may not get a chance at trying a dish because there are so many people there,” she said.

Hampton Beach Seafood Festival
Where: Ocean Boulevard (Route 1A North), Hampton Beach. Street will be closed to vehicle traffic and transformed into a pedestrian mall. Free parking at designated locations (see “Parking” box) is available, with shuttle service to the festival.
When: Friday, Sept. 9, noon to 9 p.m.; Saturday, Sept. 10, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Sunday, Sept. 11, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Price: $24 for full weekend, $8 per day. Digital tickets can be purchased in advance online under the “Admissions” section of the website.
More info: seafoodfestivalnh.com

Featured photo: Hampton Beach Seafood Festival. Courtesy photo.

The Weekly Dish 22/09/08

News from the local food scene

• Chili chowdown: Join The Goat Bar and Grill (50 Old Granite St., Manchester) for its first annual chili cook-off on Monday, Sept. 12, at 6 p.m., to raise money for the New Hampshire State Firemen’s Association. Attendees will get to try a variety of locally made chilis and vote on their favorite. Trophies will be awarded for the best chilis, and live music will also be featured during the cook-off. All chili entries must be submitted prior to the start of the event. Visit goatnh.com/manchester.

• Island tastes: The Somersworth Indonesian Festival returns to downtown Somersworth for its ninth year on Saturday, Sept. 10, from noon to 6 p.m. The event features traditional Indonesian cuisine, along with an array of live cultural performances and a parade that highlights Indonesia’s seven main islands. The festival is organized by Indonesian Community Connect, a Somersworth-based nonprofit that hosts other similar fundraising events throughout the year. Visit indonesianconnect.org.

• Flavors of India: Authentic food and live performances are the highlights of the Indian Heritage Fest, which returns to Lowell Heritage State Park (160 Pawtucket Blvd., Lowell, Mass.) on Saturday, Sept. 10, from noon to 6 p.m. The signature event of the Gurjar Association of New England, Indian Heritage Fest features the opportunity to try a variety of freshly prepared Indian options from local vendors, along with live music and dancing, various children’s activities and prizes. Visit gurjar.org.

• Food trucks at the Village: Head to Tuscan Village (9 Via Toscana, Salem) for a food truck festival on Saturday, Sept. 10, from 4 to 8 p.m. A wide variety of eats from local food trucks will be available, and live music is expected for the duration of the event. Visit tuscanvillagesalem.com.

• Smoked to perfection: Long Blue Cat Brewing Co. (298 Rockingham Road, Londonderry) is scheduled to host its annual BBQ & Brews event on Sunday, Sept. 11, at 1 p.m. General admission is $29 and grants attendees access to an all-you-can-eat menu of barbecue favorites, including slow-smoked meats raised locally and eating spent grains from Long Blue Cat’s beers. Tickets are $40 for VIP admission and come with two draft pours. Live music will also be featured. Visit longbluecat.com.

• Historical brews: Join the Pelham Public Library (24 Village Green) for “Brewing in New Hampshire: An Informal History of Beer in the Granite State from Colonial Times to the Present,” a program scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 13, at 6:30 p.m., in partnership with New Hampshire Humanities. Presenter Glenn Knoblock will explore the history of the state’s beer and ale brewing industry from colonial days to today’s modern breweries and brew pubs. The program is available as an in-person or virtual presentation. Visit nhhumanities.org.

Gins and tonic

I remember the first time I drank a gin and tonic.

It was my first week at college. There was some sort of reception with an open bar. (The drinking age in Vermont was 18 at the time — a fact that led to a great many questionable decisions over the next few years.) Being 18, I had never actually ordered a cocktail from a bartender before, and I was flying blind. At some point, I had heard someone mention something called a gin and tonic, and it sounded like something a grownup would order, so that’s what I ordered.

It was cold and clean and tasted like pine needles and magic.

Gin is like that. It is so aromatic that it easily evokes sense memories:

That time you were invited to a party on a yacht. The sound of soft music and clever conversation.

The smell of cigarette smoke and your uncles accusing each other of cheating at poker every Christmas.

Sitting on the veranda of the officer’s club in the jungles of Burma after playing a few chukkers of polo in the tropical heat, hoping to stave off malaria.

Well, your memories will be specific to you, obviously.

But most gin and tonics taste pretty much the same, right? We all have our own individual memories, but they’re all centered on more or less the same taste, yes?

That would be true, if any two gins tasted the same. There are some that are close in flavor, but others are staggeringly different. Gin is a neutral grain spirit (vodka, in other words) that has been infused with botanical ingredients — think herbs, roots, flowers, etc. The most common of these is juniper berries — that’s where the pine taste comes from — but different recipes might have very different supporting botanicals, and a few omit the juniper altogether.

The recipe for a classic gin and tonic is deceptively simple: 2 ounces of gin, 4 or 5 ounces of tonic water, ice and a squeeze of lime. Boom! About as easy as it gets — no shaking, no mess, 30 seconds or so of concentration, and you’re ready to build some new neural pathways in your hippocampus.

But four different gins might give us four different pathways into the forests, deserts and Victorian lilac gardens of your mind.

Gin No. 1 – Uncle Val’s Botanical Gin

I don’t know who Uncle Val is, or even whose uncle he is, but he knows how to make a gin. There are two varieties of Uncle Val’s, a botanical one and a “restorative” one. I eagerly anticipate trying the restorative one — I could frankly use some restoration — but we are talking about the botanical variety right now.

Earlier this year I got to check off a bucket list item and went to an actual fancy speakeasy, where extremely talented bartenders will talk to you very earnestly about strange and exotic cocktails.

“What am I tasting?” I asked. “The rosemary? Is it the beets?”

“Well, I hope you can taste those, but it’s the gin.”

“No, I think it’s the rosemary.”

My new friend didn’t bother arguing but poured about a quarter of an ounce of Uncle Val’s into a cordial glass and slid it across the bar to me.

He was right. It was the gin. It is very good gin.

In a gin and tonic, Uncle Val’s has a round, floral taste. There are times when you get a G&T in your hands, it is gone in two or three minutes, and your wife has switched you over to diet soda. With this gin, you find yourself sipping enthusiastically but slowly. It is complex enough that even if you aren’t a gin snob you will spend a very long time trying to identify the background flavors.

Good luck with that.

Gin No. 2 – Drumshanbo Gunpowder Irish Gin

A few months ago I went to an event hosted by the Irish Whiskey Council that presented a bunch of New Hampshire liquor people with five or six Irish alcohols. While not a whiskey, this gin was far and away my favorite part of the presentation, with the possible exception of taking a morning off from work to drink Irish alcohol in the first place.

Drumshanbo has a sharper, slightly more medicinal flavor. There are definitely some background flavor notes, but it has a crisp, dry taste that plays really well with the lime. This is the gin and tonic to seal an important business deal.

Or maybe to propose to someone.

Gin No. 3 – Djinn Spirits Distilled Gin

I stumbled across this local gin — it’s made in Nashua — almost completely by accident. I was looking for a gin to pair with a really aggressive flavor — goat cheese, in this case — and this was recommended to me. The theory was that it had so many exotic ingredients that at least one or two of them would pair with whatever you might try to build a flavor bridge to.

It makes a truly excellent gin and tonic.

This is another one of those gins that you might find yourself sipping slowly and thoughtfully, as you try to identify the background flavors you are tasting. A friend and I put a solid half-hour into it and finally — after detouring into some increasingly bizarre stories (including one about Elias “Lucky” Baldwin, the man blamed with introducing peacocks as an invasive species to California. A fascinating man. Look him up.) — decided that maybe maybe we were tasting green apples. This isn’t to say that this gin actually has any green apples in it; that’s what we thought we tasted.

Gin No. 4 – Collective Arts Lavender and Juniper Gin

Let’s say you’ve had a rough week. Not terrible — no literal fires or death or actual hair pulling — but a real grind to get through. Let’s further say that you’ve decided that you would benefit from a little self-care — a small moment of grace and kindness to yourself.

This is the gin and tonic that will help center you before a weekend of mowing or back-to-school shopping or intramural lacrosse.

What makes it so special? The lavender.

I know: Lavender is tricky. Not enough of it, and it hides in the background and doesn’t bring anything to the party. Too much of it, and suddenly you’re at a fancy-soap-in-your-grandmother’s-bathroom party. This gin gets it just right. It’s soothing, civilized and — kind, if that makes any sense. It takes you by the hand and lets you know that you are strong and attractive enough to handle whatever is waiting for you after dinner.

Featured photo. Gin and Tonic. Photo by John Fladd.

Fully loaded Tater Tot waffles

Summer is winding down, which means many things. First, school will begin soon or already has. Second, football season (a.k.a. snack season) is almost here. Third, cooler temperatures will arrive, which means, most importantly, it’s time for more cooking and baking.

This perfect-for-fall recipe is a combination of comfort food and indulgence. Many of my recipes are about being healthy, but this one focuses on filling your stomach in the most delightful way. It also is centered around pre-made ingredients, making it a simple way to snack.

When shopping for ingredients, there are a few notes. A leaner ground beef is key to a less greasy snack. The marinara can be whatever type you prefer — plain, meat sauce, veggie-filled, etc. For the mozzarella, part skim or whole milk both work. I didn’t set an amount because everyone has their own amount of cheese they prefer. The last two ingredients are optional, but they do add nice notes. The sour cream provides a bit of acid, and the scallions are a hint of freshness for a heavier snack.

These waffles can be sliced into quarters and shared. Alternatively, each waffle can be an individual serving for a snack of supreme indulgence. If you opt to serve them whole, be careful when removing them from the baking sheet. The waffles require two spatulas to transfer them without breaking.

Fully loaded Tater Tot waffles
Makes 2

½ pound 90% lean ground beef
1½ cups marinara
4 cups Tater Tots, defrosted
shredded mozzarella
sour cream, optional
scallions, optional

Cook ground beef in a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat.
Remove from heat and drain on paper towels.
Combine marinara and cooked hamburger in a saucepan over medium-low, stirring occasionally until warm.
Preheat broiler, move one rack to highest position.
Spray the bottom of a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray.
Preheat waffle maker according to directions.
Place approximately 2 cups Tater Tots in waffle maker, dispersing evenly.
Cook following manufacturer’s instructions until crispy.
Transfer Tater Tot waffle to baking sheet.
Repeat with remaining Tater Tots.
Divide sauce and meat between the two waffles.
Sprinkle with as much cheese as you like!
Broil for about 1 minute, keeping a close eye to avoid burning.
Garnish with sour cream and/or scallions, if desired.

Featured Photo: Fully loaded Tater Tot waffles. Photo by Michele Pesula Kuegler.

In the kitchen with Leah Borla

Leah Borla of Weare is the owner of Sweet Love Bakery (20 Main St., Goffstown, 497-2997, sweetlovebakerynh.com), which opened in early May. The small-batch bakeshop offers a daily assortment of fresh items like muffins, cinnamon rolls, doughnuts, cookies, cupcakes and cheesecakes, and also accepts specialty cake and cookie platter orders for weddings, birthday parties and all other types of events large and small. In addition to its sweet indulgences, the bakery partners with A&E Coffee & Tea to feature a lineup of coffees and specialty hot and iced teas. Espresso drinks and freshly baked breads are among some items Borla said she hopes to add to the bakery’s menu soon.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

My KitchenAid. I call her Big Red. She’s my sidekick — I couldn’t do it without her.

What would you have for your last meal?

Anything that is a carbohydrate — a bread or a pasta. … I am a penne person, because it holds on to the good stuff.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

Stark House Tavern in Weare. They have the best wings.

What celebrity would you like to see ordering from your bakery?

Because my husband is a Seattle native, and I spent 27 years out there, I’d have to say Dave Grohl. He is just the nicest guy and he’s really down to Earth.

What is your favorite thing on your menu?

My cheesecake, definitely. Basically, if you can think of a flavor, I can put it in a cheesecake. My favorite flavor is lemon.

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

I do see an uptick of food trucks, which I think is great, because out on the West Coast they’ve been doing them forever.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

Pasta. I love the versatility of it. My kids will disagree with me, but I think you can have pasta every night of the week and it’s never the same.

Easy homemade scones
From the kitchen of Leah Borla of Sweet Love Bakery in Goffstown

2½ cups flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
6 Tablespoons butter
1 egg
¾ cup sugar
½ cup whole milk, buttermilk, half-and-half or heavy cream

Combine flour, sugar and baking powder. Cut in butter and egg until incorporated into the dry mix. Add whole milk, buttermilk, half-and-half or heavy cream just enough to wet the dry ingredients. Pat into a circle and cut how you like. Bake for 20 to 28 minutes. If adding fruit like berries, use less liquid so it’s not too gooey and hard to work with.

Featured photo: Leah Borla, owner of Sweet Love Bakery in Goffstown. Courtesy photo.

Burgers, Tots and beyond

Woods Grille opens in Northwood

When The Stand Cafe closed its doors in Northwood earlier this year so its owners could pursue a coffee roasting venture elsewhere, Heather Heigis and her husband, Pete — the owners of the property since February 2021, which includes Heather’s real estate brokerage upstairs — saw a unique opportunity. For about five years before that, the restaurant space operated as Umami Farm Fresh Cafe, a spot lauded in the community for its creative burgers and cozy atmosphere.

“This is a building that we’ve loved since we were going to college at UNH,” said Heather Heigis, adding that her family has lived in Northwood since 1999. “We were common customers when Umami was here. It was always a great place to see our neighbors and bump into friends, and have a good meal. It was something that, when it went away, I think our town really missed.”

The vision of Woods Grille, now open in an all new revamped, rustic setting, is all about bringing back that vibe. The Heigises have recruited their own team that includes Mike Brieger and Lola Lamb, both of whom have a hand in creating the eatery’s final menu. Brieger, who serves as Woods Grille’s general manager, is a longtime friend of the couple with more than three decades of experience in the restaurant industry. Lamb, meanwhile, was a former employee of The Stand Cafe with a few additional years of her own spent working as a private chef.

With an interior space decked out in everything from the Heigises’ own former living room furniture to makeshift bar tops and tables using repurposed wood from downed trees in their backyard (caused by a microburst), Woods Grille is a restaurant literally built for comfort. A local artist was even brought in to paint a mural on the wall of shadowed trees under a blue sky.

“I wanted it to be warm and cozy, and the kind of place that somebody felt like they could have a beer and sit down and talk to their friend, and not feel like they’re trying to flip the table really fast,” Heather Heigis said, “and so, we were really going for that ski lodge, barn type of feel.”

Among the highlights of Woods Grille’s menu are the “gourmet grille-wiches.” They feature a total of nine signature sandwiches, all of which you can choose your own protein for, from a beef burger patty or grilled chicken to a veggie burger or portobello mushroom. If you simply can’t choose a specialty option — the “Woods-wich,” with blue cheese, bacon, sauteed mushrooms, caramelized onions and avocado, is a favorite of Lamb’s — you can build your own. All of the burgers and sandwiches have the option to substitute a gluten-free bun at no extra cost.

Woods Grille is also unique for not offering french fries — in fact, they don’t even have a frialator in their kitchen. Instead, they offer baked Tater Tots, complete with up to five signature dipping aiolis to choose from. You can order them as a side to your burger or sandwich, or on their own to share. Aioli flavors include basil, garlic, barbecue, chipotle and honey Dijon.

“I almost feel like we have gourmet Tater Tots now,” Heather Heigis said. “We find that people are coming back for them and they want a different aioli with them than the last time.”

Other items include house salads — with the option to turn each into a wrap — and tacos, which are filled with either grilled chicken or blackened mahi mahi in addition to cheese, shredded cabbage, diced tomato, pickled onions and avocado. Those come on either flour or corn tortillas.

Brownie ice cream sundaes and crustless cheesecakes with a berry sauce are among some of the featured desserts, and you can also fruit smoothies or milkshakes in a variety of flavors.

Woods Grille is currently open for lunch and dinner just from Friday through Sunday to start, but the goal, Heigis said, is to eventually expand the hours. They’re also working on building out the outside seating space directly adjacent to the restaurant.

Woods Grille
Where: 284 1st New Hampshire Turnpike, Northwood
Hours: Friday and Saturday, 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday, 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. (extended hours likely coming soon)
More info: Visit woodsgrille.com, or find them on Facebook and Instagram @woodsgrille

Featured photo: Photo courtesy of Woods Grille.

Stay in the loop!

Get FREE weekly briefs on local food, music,

arts, and more across southern New Hampshire!