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We’re 20!

A look at Hippo’s beginnings in 2001 and at Hippo in 2020

Once we committed to publishing our first issue on January 4, 2001, we had to figure out the nuts and bolts of publishing: what would we include in that first issue, how to design it, how to organize the ads, how would we make sure there were as few errors as possible. The whole process of publishing, we were learning that first year. (See my Granite Views column on page 2 for more on the Hippo’s pre-print origins.)

DAN SZCZESNY (Hippo editor at the time and co-owner) Oh man, that first issue. What’s easy to forget looking back is that we were all pretty new to Manchester. In January of 2001, I had only been in New Hampshire for two years, in Manchester for less than that. But things were happening. The hockey rink was getting built, anchor businesses like Margaritas were starting to turn the downtown vibrant. It just felt like Manchester was on the move. So, deciding on that first cover and cover story, “Morning in Manchester,” was a pretty easy call.

We didn’t have a whole lot of space in those early days. Maybe 16 pages? So, the story was just a collection of things that made the city special, including some off the beaten path highlights. I remember writing about the Merci Boxcar up on the West Side, a block from where I was living.

We rented an office that was really just a closet in a downtown Manchester building. It was so small many of our meetings spilled into the hall. We placed two $500 desktop computers, loaded with a borrowed publishing program, next to each other so we could easily coordinate as we laid out the first issues. I think it’s fair to say we weren’t really ready to publish that first issue. So that second one came up on us fast. Jeff had an idea.

JEFF RAPSIS (Associate Publisher) I had just seen a year-end news story about an etiquette expert who ranked America’s 10 most polite cities. I was all about how good manners meant good business, especially in terms of visitors and conventions. So, with the new arena under construction and Manchester preparing to welcome more visitors, I suggested a light-hearted look at how the Queen City’s manners stacked up. With the clock already ticking for next week’s deadline, no one said no. So the next thing I knew I was at Manchester Airport with a photographer friend named Al Belote, us both pretending to be clueless tourists trying to get a cab to 1000 Elm St. to see how we visitors were treated. The cabbie was very helpful at our inane questions, but the big moment came when he asked for the fare. As a test, I handed him five $100 bills. He immediately handed back four of them and then carefully counted out $85 change, thus passing with flying colors. Also, because etiquette includes helping others in need, we staged a stunt where I filled up a giant satchel with paperback books, and then I repeatedly dumped the whole load in the middle of an Elm Street crosswalk to gauge the reaction.

That got us through week two, but during the first year there were more than a few cases of a planned cover story falling through at the last minute, and I’d be dragooned into writing something. It was a wild time when we were doing anything we could think of to keep the paper compelling.

Being a shoestring operation we couldn’t afford to hire reporters, so a lot of that first year was cajoling people to donate their time to write stories. The challenge with that is that publishing requires planning and deadlines and it’s, understandably, hard to get people who are volunteering their time to do either.

RAPSIS What is startling to me is how much came to be just on a whim. You and Dan were looking for content… so I suggested rather than fill it with traditional news or traditional opinion, you package perky insider commentary under a “Quality of Life” index, where we could quantify whether something was good or bad by adding or subtracting points. I’d seen a similar feature in one of the Philadelphia weeklies. And I remember this big serious discussion about how this would possibly work: who says start it at 50? Who decides how many points?

Roles in that first year were more blurred than they are now. In mid February 2001, I wrote a cover story about the dilapidated Valley Cemetery, which I lived across the street from at the time. It was and still is a beautiful example of cemeteries as a place for the living to enjoy. That story prompted a community group to form and raise funds to repair parts of the cemetery. We felt by telling these stories we were advocating for the city.

RAPSIS Another surprising, and gratifying, thing was to see a rich and vibrant city in the process of discovering itself. Few people realize that population-wise Manchester is the largest city in northern New England — much bigger than Burlington, Vermont, or Portland, Maine, or any other city north of Boston. And for years it had been home to a vibrant food and art scene that really hadn’t been covered or pulled together in any way. Even the small scale of what Hippo did at first was enough to really open people’s eyes to Manchester as a place that mattered. A lot of stuff was going on, all just waiting to be showcased in a publication intended to do just that. So for a while we ran extensive restaurant listings, just because that itself seemed newsworthy. And we’d hear about people like attorneys at Devine Millimet going on “Hippo lunches,” visiting places they’d never heard of that were listed in that week’s paper. Eventually, we started hearing from people who moved to Manchester in part because Hippo gave them confidence about the community’s quality of life. To think that the Hippo could have that much impact on people, and the region as a whole, is really rewarding to contemplate and makes it all worthwhile.

Through all that, the Hippo we know today started to take shape.

RAPSIS Even the paper’s name was a work in progress during the first year. It was originally called “HippoPress Manchester” (what a mouthful!) for most of the first year, then shortened to “HippoPress.” But quickly people (including us) began naturally referring to it simply as “The Hippo.” So in the fall of 2001 we changed the name on the front page to call it exactly that: The Hippo. So in a way, the community helped us find the publication’s true name.

We wrote about local rock bands, the city’s diners, neighborhood markets, places to hike, visual arts at the Currier, a new skate park, community singing groups, writer groups and anything else that told the story of Manchester.

RAPSIS It may seem unbelievable now, but at the time we started Hippo, Manchester was home base for not one but two full symphony orchestras: the professional New Hampshire Symphony Orchestra, and the New Hampshire Philharmonic, which gave talented amateurs a place to perform. (We also had two opera companies!) These institutions had been maintained for years by many of the city’s leading families: long-established professionals and business owners who would give generously to support outposts of high culture in the old mill town. As a classical music fan, I always thought this was a pretty cool aspect of the Queen City that was underappreciated. So in Hippo’s first month, when we were still scrambling to find and pull together stories worthy of the cover, it turned out one of the orchestras was seeking a new conductor. So I put on my classical music hat and dove into the scene, attending pre-concert receptions in the North End homes of supporters such as David and Barbara Stahl, hobnobbing with the musicians, and generally meeting with disbelief that a publication called “HippoPress” was doing a story on classical music in Manchester. It was the cover of our fourth issue, and it caused enough of a stir to establish Hippo as the source of classical music info in Greater Manchester. (Not that this was too hard.) But it showed us the value of taking the art scene seriously, as this added readership, which added to our credibility with advertisers. It wasn’t long before classical music became a regular beat in the early Hippo, which I covered like a sportswriter would cover the local baseball team — especially the New Hampshire Symphony’s search for a new conductor, which became like a slow-motion reality show. It was enough to push me back into making music myself: first, as a stunt, I joined the chorus of a local production of the opera Carmen, which resulted in a cover story showing an insider’s look at staging an opera at the Palace Theatre. To me, it was extremely gratifying to see Hippo’s classical music coverage find an audience and be appreciated by local musicians. Eventually, the paper’s coverage gradually broadened to include balanced coverage of all arts. We still report on classical music, but alas, the scene has changed: the New Hampshire Symphony and Granite State Opera closed in 2008, while the New Hampshire Philharmonic moved to Salem. Of the big four, only Opera NH continues to give local productions.

Though we focused on arts, food, entertainment and events, we also wanted to cover news that had fallen through the cracks of other media coverage. Jeff did this with a story on the Manchester Transit Authority.

RAPSIS This was one of our first actual attempts at “investigative” journalism, which showed clearly that each year Manchester’s city government was leaving hundreds of thousands dollars of federal public transit money on the table — instead of bolstering Manchester’s sorry bus system, it was going to North Country transport services because Manchester’s aldermen were too cheap to kick in the 20 percent seed money for the 80/20 match that covered urban transit subsidies. Funny thing was, this wasn’t intended as investigative journalism, but just as a look at the city’s neglected bus system and how to get the most out of it. Instead, once I started research it was so glaringly obvious that Manchester was turning up its nose every year at big money, we just had to go with that angle. I think the Mike Flint painting used for the cover was pure genius: an MTA bus careening out of control, with dollar signs exploding out of its exhaust pipe—that told the story better than any writer could do.

Back then if you wrote for Hippo you also probably delivered issues. Everyone was out delivering papers Wednesday night and Thursday. This lasted for years until we could finally afford a professional delivery staff. In the early days, John Fladd, an early Hippo writer, and current cocktail columnist, and friend, would help me with the downtown Manchester distribution. To do those deliveries you really needed two people — even in 2001. One would drive the car and count out the papers and the other would run the papers into the delivery location.

FLADD I jump out of the car and jog not-very-enthusiastically to the door of the bar. I go in and look around for a table near the back, without anyone sitting at it. I take three or four steps and drop the pile of papers on the table.”HIPpo Press!” I announce, then turn to leave the bar, which has gone momentarily silent. “We love you guys!” a man shouts from the other side of the room.

As the weeks went on in 2001 it got easier for us to publish. We were developing ways to handle all of the information that went into each paper. We got ahead enough to create a college guide and to plan a photo essay. We still struggled with deadlines and my personal health suffered as the paper took over every bit of my life. I think I gained 30 pounds that year and got very little sleep. But it was really fun.

After that first year, the paper grew, changed over the years, added professional staff — but to some extent the focus stayed the same: covering arts, entertainment and quality of life. In our 20th year we suddenly found ourselves back in a situation like 2001 — almost having to start from scratch with what we were covering and how we covered it. By the middle of March the very things that we cover, arts, entertainment, theater, music, restaurants, and events, had ground to a halt. How do you publish an arts and entertainment magazine when there aren’t a lot of arts and entertainment?

ANGIE SYKENY (Hippo’s arts reporter) On March 11 of last year, I emailed my editor to let her know that an event I was covering for the upcoming paper had been canceled out of caution about this “coronavirus thing.” I hope this isn’t going to become a trend. If things keep getting canceled, what am I going to write about? Within a week, all manner of routine had gone out the window, and I, the arts writer, found myself writing less about art and more about community health, emergency relief funds and remote education.

MEGHAN SIEGLER (Hippo’s managing editor) I remember going to your office on March 12 to tell you that I was starting to have concerns about events being canceled. How were we going to fill the paper if everything we wrote about was no longer happening? Things quickly went downhill after that conversation. The sheer number of “emergency!/help!/new plan!” emails flying back and forth between myself, Amy and our reporters and freelancers between March 12 and March 17 was insane. I sent one to my reporters that Saturday with the subject “Good news and bad news.” It was a detailed plan of all the changes we needed to make for the March 19 paper. The “good” news was that they could stop working on pretty much anything they had been working on. The bad news was that we needed to, very quickly, create content with the most up-to-date information — but that information was changing constantly.

AMY DIAZ (Hippo’s executive editor) On the morning of Friday, March 13, we were working on an issue with a cover story that involved different out-of-your-comfort-zone activities, all at venues out in the world. By the end of that day, a day full of canceled events, closed venues and notices of school closings, we realized that the entire paper, which by Friday is pretty close to being what you see when it hits stands the next week, would have to be redone. Even stories that could still run had to be reworked to acknowledge that a performance had been postponed or that an event was moving online.

SIEGLER The March 19 paper was essentially created in two work days. We came up with a “Viral NH” cover story that included pieces like “Social distancing and beer” (from Jeff Mucciarone) and “Self-isolation blues — and other local music to listen to at home” (from Michael Witthaus), plus a gigantic list of events that had been postponed or canceled that we had to keep adding to right up until we sent the paper to the printer.

MATT INGERSOLL (Hippo’s food reporter) Our annual coverage of New Hampshire Maple Weekend was the lead story in the Hippo’s food section when, seemingly overnight, the effects of the pandemic began to overspread the state. I received an email from my event contact on a Monday morning, the day before we were to go to print with that week’s issue, that Maple Weekend had been canceled. A complete rewrite of my story became necessary, with the focus switching from going out to enjoy a tour at your local sugarhouse to fun things you can do with local maple syrup in the safety of your own home kitchen.

Our advertising team faced the same challenge. We were past deadline when Gov. Chris Sununu issued a shutdown order that closed nearly 70 percent of the businesses, nonprofits and events that typically advertise. We started calling all of our advertisers asking them what they wanted us to do.

CHARLENE NICHOLS (Hippo’s advertising manager) It was the strangest feeling … one minute I’m selling and building ads and the next I’m killing them. It seemed to happen all at once. As a consultant, I felt desperate to help my businesses, whether to rewrite their messages and plans or to pull their ads completely. I was so worried about how they’d survive and then, later, as a salesperson, um, what’s going to happen to me? The Hippo?

DIAZ I am extremely proud of how everybody at the paper, the editorial and production staff but also our colleagues in advertising and distribution, came together and worked so hard through that first anxious weekend to produce that “Viral NH” issue.

On the ad and revenue side it was a pretty big hit — 65 percent of our revenue disappeared instantly. I wondered, can we even keep publishing? Should we shut down? But the more I thought about and sought out counsel, the more I realized that if we could we must publish. We had a job to do and our readers needed us to continue.

DIAZ As a paper whose primary mission is to help you find things to do and places to go, what do we focus on when everything is canceled and nothing is open? I thought that, whatever we did and however we went with the flow of events, our core should continue to be connecting readers to the scenes that have always been the most important to our coverage — the visual and performing arts, classical and popular music, books and the literary scene, nightlife, outdoor activities and the local food scene. And food — restaurants and their survival — was about to become one of the biggest stories, not just locally but nationally, of the economic impacts of the pandemic. I think it’s fitting that after that first Covid issue, our next two issues —“Keep Calm and Carry Out” and “Meanwhile, on the Farm” — focused on the adaptations of different aspects of the local food economy.

INGERSOLL Food-focused events scheduled for April, May and into the summer were being canceled or postponed one by one, having a dramatic effect on our coverage. In place of a weekend food festival or a restaurant grand opening, I’d instead write about a virtual or stay-at-home event, or I’d be covering the fallout of restaurants.

SIEGLER It hasn’t been all bad. Having a smaller staff has forced us all to redefine our roles to some degree; for me, that means that for the first time in years I’m doing some writing. Over the summer, for example, Amy asked if I’d be willing to write a cover story about running, and at first I said no. I read words and I fix words, but I had my doubts as to whether I could still write words. But Amy knows I’m kind of obsessed with running, and she probably knew that I’d eventually say yes specifically for that reason, which I did — and I kind of loved the whole experience. As it turns out, I’ve missed writing. So while the past year has taken me out of my comfort zone, I definitely don’t regret experiences like that.

Like many organizations out there the pandemic made things that had been routine much more difficult. On the distribution side, the folks that get out the Hippo each week, many of our drop locations were suddenly closed. My distribution manager kept calling me and saying we have a real problem here. He put a plan in place in a few days that shifted more copies away from the closed restaurants and cafes and into the supermarkets and our street boxes.

I can look back on 2020 and say that was a really horrible year, and it was. We say our revenue declined 65 percent and we had to lay off wonderful people. But I also look at it and say we survived and I’m so very grateful that our staff kept focused on putting out the best Hippo we could. This was also the first time in our 20 years that we asked readers to help financially contribute to Hippo either through a membership or donation. And they did and have continued to do so.

I don’t know if I’ll be here for our 40th anniversary, but someone will be. Southern New Hampshire continues to need professional independent food, news, arts and entertainment coverage. And we at Hippo will continue to provide that with the support of our staff, our community and our readers.

This story was possible with the generous financial support of Hippo readers. Hippo is very grateful to have the support of its readers. If you haven’t contributed yet, please consider a small contribution. Your contributions allow Hippo to write more stories and gets you access to additional stories and columns.

New Year’s eatings

Delicious ways to ring in 2021

Let’s face it — 2020 wasn’t the year any of us hoped for. So if you’re looking forward to ringing in 2021, check out this list of local restaurants offering special dine-in or takeout menus to help you celebrate.

• Amphora (55 Crystal Ave., No. 3, Derry, 537-0111, amphoranh.com) will serve a special prix fixe menu for New Year’s Eve on Thursday, Dec. 31, from 3 to 9 p.m., featuring one of two appetizers of your choice (double cream goat cheese in a pool of lamb sauce with chiffonade basil and pita chips, or shrimp cocktail with a spicy sauce); antipasto salad; an entree of your choice (deconstructed Beef Wellington or seafood risotto with a creamy Parmesan mushroom sauce); and a dessert (chocolate mousse or Champagne and berries). The cost is $46 per person (optional wine pairings are available) and reservations are encouraged. Amphora’s full menu will also be available for takeout and dine-in until 3 p.m.

• Angela’s Pasta & Cheese Shop (815 Chestnut St., Manchester, 625-9544, angelaspastaandcheese.com) will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 31.

• Ashworth by the Sea (295 Ocean Blvd., Hampton, 926-6762, ashworthhotel.com) will host a socially distanced New Year’s Eve dinner on Thursday, Dec. 31, at 5 p.m. featuring party favors, a Champagne toast, rock ’n’ roll bingo and more. Overnight packages with a Champagne and mimosa breakfast on New Year’s Day are also available.

• Bad Lab Beer Co. (460 High St., Somersworth, 842-5822, badlabbeer.com) will serve its third annual New Year’s Day brunch on Friday, Jan. 1, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Reservations are currently being accepted with an hour-and-a-half time slot for each.

• Bedford Village Inn (2 Olde Bedford Way, Bedford, 472-2001, bedfordvillageinn.com) will serve a four-course prix fixe dinner for New Year’s Eve on Thursday, Dec. 31, with seatings from 4:30 to 9:30 p.m., in its dining room. The menu will feature appetizers (lobster bisque, yellowfin tuna poke, braised beef cheek, New England oysters, capon terrine, and warm Maplebrook Farm burrata); salads (baby kale and watercress salad, or Boston bibb and radicchio salad); entrees (grilled filet mignon, smoked New Bedford sea scallops, grass-fed lamb rack, pan-seared salmon, Northern lobster risotto, pork chop, or pierogi and fall vegetables); and desserts (Earl Grey cheesecake, lemon verbena creme brulee, strawberry Champagne sorbet, ginger pear torte or mudslide cake). The cost is $75 per person and reservations are required.

• Bistro 603 (345 Amherst St., Nashua, 722-6362, bistro603nashua.com) will open at 11 a.m. on both Thursday, Dec. 31, and Friday, Jan. 1, serving its full menu with family-style options also available.

• Buba Noodle Bar (36 Lowell St., Manchester, 935-7864, bubanoodle.com) will be open from 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 31, and from 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 1.

• Buckley’s Great Steaks (438 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, 424-0995, buckleysgreatsteaks.com) is taking reservations now for New Year’s Eve, serving its regular menu with specials on Thursday, Dec. 31, from 4 to 9 p.m.

• Cafe El Camino (134 Newton Road, Plaistow, 974-1652, cafeelcamino.com) is taking orders for a variety of specialty “crowd pleaser platters,” including empanada platters, rice platters, chicken or pork platters and more. Orders must be picked up by Thursday, Dec. 31, at 3 p.m.

• Cask & Vine (1½ E. Broadway, Derry, 965-3454, caskandvine.com) is taking reservations now for New Year’s Eve, Thursday, Dec. 31. Deposits of $25 per party are being accepted, which will be applied to your bill for the evening and will include a Champagne toast at midnight.

• Cava Tapas & Wine Bar (10 Commercial Alley, Portsmouth, 319-1575, cavatapasandwinebar.com) will serve a special four-course menu for New Year’s Eve on Thursday, Dec. 31, with multiple options to choose from, like yellowfin tuna poke, butternut squash soup, farro and golden raisin salad, crisp pork belly, foie gras, beef short rib, Parisian herb gnocchi, crisp Brussels sprouts, pistachio cake, dulce de leche, dark chocolate pot de creme and more. Reservations are required.

• Colby Hill Inn (33 The Oaks, Henniker, 428-3281, colbyhillinn.com) will hold a special New Year’s Eve wine dinner on Thursday, Dec. 31, from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m., featuring a six-course meal with wine pairings, live music and more. Items to be served will include foie gras torchon, New Hampshire oysters, Moroccon-spiced rack of lamb, seared sea scallops, and petite rabbit and mushroom cassoulet. The cost is $180 per person. Overnight packages with a complimentary Champagne brunch are also available.

• Copper Door Restaurant (15 Leavy Drive, Bedford, 488-2677; 41 S. Broadway, Salem, 458-2033; copperdoor.com) will serve a special prix fixe dinner for New Year’s Eve on Thursday, Dec. 31, beginning at 4 p.m., with live music from 6 to 9 p.m. Costs vary depending on the courses you choose ($69 for a two-course meal, $79 for a three-course meal and $89 for a four-course meal). Featured options include herb-crusted scallops, truffled mushroom risotto, fish chowder, wild mushroom bisque, braised lamb shank, sesame-crusted tuna, crispy honey chicken, seafood casserole, roasted vegetable ravioli, caramel apple pie and chocolate raspberry cheesecake. Reservations are highly recommended and will be accepted through 8 p.m.

• Copper Kettle To Go (39 Main St., Wilton, 654-2631, copperkettletogo.com) is taking orders for heat-and-serve eggroll party platters for New Year’s Eve, featuring flavors like steak and cheese, chicken Parm and eggplant Parm, as well as various dipping sauces. Order by Dec. 27.

• Cotton (75 Arms St., Manchester, 622-5488, cottonfood.com) will be serving its regular menu on Thursday, Dec. 31, from 4 to 9 p.m., with special additions that will include an appetizer, a salad, two entrees and two desserts, all priced a la carte.

• CR’s The Restaurant (287 Exeter Road, Hampton, 929-7972, crstherestaurant.com) will serve its regular dinner menu, with holiday specials, on Thursday, Dec. 31, from 5 to 9:30 p.m. Reservations are required.

• Flannel Tavern (345 Suncook Valley Road, Chichester, 406-1196, flanneltavern.com) will ring in the new year in style with classic cocktails from the Rat Pack era. Join them on Thursday, Dec. 31, from 5 p.m. to midnight for a special menu, a charcuterie board, live music and a Champagne toast. The cost is $10 per person. Formal dress is encouraged but not required.

• Giorgio’s Ristorante & Bar (270 Granite St., Manchester, 232-3323; 707 Milford Road, Merrimack, 883-7333; 524 Nashua St., Milford, 673-3939; giorgios.com) is taking orders for holiday variety boxes for New Year’s, which feature your choice of smoked pork rack chop with apple chutney, garlic roasted prime rib with au jus and horseradish cream, or seafood lasagna, with sides like sweet and Yukon gold whipped potatoes, traditional stuffing and roasted Brussels sprouts. Order by Dec. 28 at noon. Pickups are on Thursday, Dec. 31, from noon to 5 p.m.

• Greenleaf (54 Nashua St., Milford, 213-5447, greenleafmilford.com) is taking reservations now for a special New Year’s Eve dinner on Thursday, Dec. 31, with seatings at 6 p.m., 7:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. Course options will include charred broccoli and ricotta tortellini, turkey roulade, cast iron roasted rib-eye, pan seared scallops, pink Champagne macarons, chocolate Yule logs and more. The cost is $89 per person, or $120 per person with an optional wine pairing. Reservations with a 50 percent deposit are required.

• LaBelle Winery (345 Route 101, Amherst, 672-9898, labellewinerynh.com) is taking orders for New Year’s Eve catering packages available in two sizes, feeding six to eight people, or 12 to 14 people. Each package includes an artisan cheese and charcuterie display, bacon-wrapped scallops, coconut shrimp, pesto Parmesan arancini, curried chicken salad, phyllo cups and beef tenderloin canape. Optional wine add-ons are also available. Pickups are on Thursday, Dec. 31, on the hour from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. LaBelle is also taking reservations for a New Year’s Eve Experience dinner on Thursday, Dec. 31, featuring sparkling wine and smoked salmon salad with seared sea scallop and winter citrus vinaigrette as a specialty first course.

• Mile Away Restaurant (52 Federal Hill Road, Milford, 673-3904, mileawayrestaurant.com) will serve a multi-course meal for New Year’s Eve on Thursday, Dec. 31, featuring your choice of an entree (sliced roasted tenderloin of beef, duck grand marnier, nut-crusted chicken, chicken pesto, pork Dijonnaise, wienerschnitzel, vegetarian acorn squash, 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, sorbet or tiramisu cake). All dinners come with appetizers like New England clam chowder, Swedish meatballs and a fresh fruit plate with sorbet (or you can substitute for 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) is taking reservations now for New Year’s Eve, serving its regular menu with specials on Thursday, Dec. 31, from 4 to 9 p.m.

• Otis (4 Front St., Exeter, 580-1705, otisrestaurant.com) has limited space available for a special five-course dinner with Champagne for New Year’s Eve on Thursday, Dec. 31, at 5 p.m., 7 p.m. or 9:30 p.m. The cost is $75 per person and reservations are required.

• The Peddler’s Daughter (48 Main St., Nashua, 821-7535, thepeddlersdaughter.com) is taking reservations for New Year’s Eve on Thursday, Dec. 31, beginning at 4 p.m. Various specials will be served, like creamy baked potato soup, crabmeat stuffed mushroom, baked seafood casserole, a roast beef dinner with oven-roasted winter vegetables, and several wines and desserts.

• Raleigh Wine Bar + Eatery (67 State St., Portsmouth, 427-8459, raleighwinebar.com) will serve a socially distanced New Year’s Eve dinner on Thursday, Dec. 31, with seatings at either 6:30 p.m. or 8:30 p.m. The dinner will feature four courses with optional wine pairings and is $85 per person.

• The Red Arrow Diner (112 Loudon Road, Concord, 415-0444; 137 Rockingham Road, Londonderry, 552-3091; 61 Lowell St., Manchester, 626-1118; 149 Daniel Webster Hwy., Nashua, 204-5088; redarrowdiner.com) takes orders for its homemade cakes and pies at all of its locations. Flavors include apple, blueberry, pumpkin, chocolate cream, brownie cream and more. Online orders must be placed at least 24 hours in advance of pickups.

• Roundabout Diner & Lounge (580 Route 1 Bypass, Portsmouth, 431-1440, roundaboutdiner.com) will host a “Social Distance Social” New Year’s Eve comedy show on Thursday, Dec. 31, at 8 p.m. (doors open at 7 p.m.). Tickets start at $119 per couple and include a Champagne toast and dinner for two, with a shared appetizer, two entrees and two homemade desserts. Tickets of $199 per couple also include an overnight stay at the Best Western Hotel next door.

• Stones Social (449 Amherst St., Nashua, 943-7445, stonessocial.com) will serve a special menu for New Year’s Eve on Thursday, Dec. 31, available for takeout, delivery or dine-in. Items include Thai wings, pork dumplings, mushroom ramen, Asian short rib, spicy edamame, tempura shrimp, vegetable fried rice and a few specialty cocktails, like a pomegranate sparkler and a creamsicle martini. Reservations are recommended for dine-in.

• Surf (207 Main St., Nashua, 595-9293, surfseafood.com) is taking reservations now for New Year’s Eve, serving its regular menu with specials on Thursday, Dec. 31, from 4 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) is taking orders for ready-to-heat and ready-to-make meal packs for New Year’s Eve, which include two Lunetta Prosecco Splits, espinaca and chips, sesame chicken, vegetable stir-fry, Korean barbecue lettuce wraps, brownie bites and chocolate chip cookies, plus a set of two 2021 party hats, beads and horns. Order by Dec. 28. Pickups are on Thursday, Dec. 31, from noon to 3 p.m.

Have a festive feast

Where to order your holiday meals and desserts

From specialty entrees to fresh baked sweet treats, check out this list of local restaurants, bakeries and caterers to place your order with this holiday season.

• All Real Meal (87 Elm St., Manchester, 782-3014, allrealmeal.com) is taking orders now for full Christmas dinners that feed either three to four or six to seven people. Dinners include slow-cooked turkey breast with gravy, cranberry almond green beans, creamy mashed potatoes, homestyle cornbread, pecan pie cheesecake and bacon herb hash brown quiche. Place orders as soon as possible. Curbside pickups and contact-free deliveries will be on Wednesday, Dec. 23.

• Angela’s Pasta & Cheese Shop (815 Chestnut St., Manchester, 625-9544, angelaspastaandcheese.com) is taking orders for a variety of items for the holidays, including dinner side dishes prepared fresh, like caramelized Brussels sprouts, potatoes Lyonnaise with roasted garlic, and glazed carrots with ginger butter and green onions; assorted breads and dinner rolls from Iggy’s Bakery; and savory items like pork pie. Order by Dec. 19 at 4 p.m. (pre-pay only). Pickups are on Wednesday, Dec. 23, or Thursday, Dec. 24.

• The Bakeshop on Kelley Street (171 Kelley St., Manchester, 624-3500, thebakeshoponkelleystreet.com) is taking orders for several items for the holidays, including pies (apple, pumpkin, chocolate cream, coconut cream, banana cream, Key lime, Dutch apple, pecan, lemon meringue, German chocolate pecan, cherry and more); as well as assorted pastry trays, cookie trays, yule logs, cinnamon rolls, coffee cakes and holiday cream tarts.

• Bite Me Kupcakez (4 Mound Court, Merrimack, 674-4459, bitemekupcakez.com) is taking orders for several cakes, pies, and platters for the holiday season. Cake flavors include chocolate flourless torte, strawberry shortcake, chocolate whipped cream cake, six-inch cheesecakes and dairy-free double-layer red velvet, chocolate and vanilla cakes. Pie flavors include apple, triple berry and pumpkin. Platters include a brunch option with coffee cake, muffins and doughnuts, and a dessert option with cupcakes, brownies and cookies. Order by Dec. 16. Pickups are on Wednesday, Dec. 23, and Thursday, Dec. 24.

• The Black Forest Cafe & Bakery (212 Route 101, Amherst, 672-0500, theblackforestcafe.com) is taking orders for several items for the holidays, including sweet pies (apple, Dutch apple, cranberry apple, pecan and chocolate cream); cakes (coconut, carrot, chocolate mousse and Black Forest gateaux); assorted holiday cookies, quiches and tarts; cookie baskets; scratch-made dips and spreads (spinach chipotle dip, herbed goat cheese spread and Southern pimiento cheese); and entrees (chicken and creamy mushroom thyme sauce, slow-braised beef brisket, Italian sausage, vegetarian or butternut squash lasagna, and chicken and sun-dried tomato penne). Order by Dec. 19 at 8 p.m. Pickups are available through 3 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 24.

• Blue Loon Bakery (12 Lovering Lane, New London, 526-2892, blueloonbakery.com) is taking orders for various flavors of pies (apple, apple crumble, pecan, maple pumpkin and apple cranberry galette); breads (baguettes, sourdough, multigrain or brioche rolls); savory quiches (ham and Gruyere or spinach and feta); and other assorted pastries and desserts, like take-and-bake sticky buns, caramels, cinnamon rolls, cookie platters and gingerbread tree kits. Order by Dec. 21. Pickups are on Thursday, Dec. 24, from 8 a.m. to noon.

• Buckley’s Bakery & Cafe (436 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, 262-5929; 9 Market Place, Hollis, 465-5522; buckleysbakerycafe.com) is taking orders for a variety of holiday-themed cakes, like gingerbread spice cake and dark chocolate peppermint cheesecake, as well as traditional or peanut butter Yule logs, eight-inch pies (apple, Key lime or chocolate cream), and assorted loaves, rolls and party trays. Order by Dec. 20.

• Cafe El Camino (134 Newton Road, Plaistow, 974-1652, cafeelcamino.com) is taking orders for a variety of specialty “crowd pleaser platters” for the holidays, including empanada platters, rice platters, chicken or pork platters and more. Orders must be picked up by Thursday, Dec. 24, at 3 p.m.

• Caroline’s Fine Food (132 Bedford Center Road, Bedford, 637-1615, carolinesfood.com) is taking orders for a variety of specialty items to go, including appetizers, like artisan cheeses with fruit and cured meats, poached shrimp with a traditional cocktail sauce, and smoked salmon terrine; entrees, like turkey ballotine stuffed with savory sausage herb stuffing, and roasted beef tenderloin with horseradish cream sauce; and sides, like garlic mashed potatoes, roasted Brussels sprouts with Parmesan and thyme, roasted butternut squash and sauteed haricot verts with slivered almonds. Order by Dec. 18 at 6 p.m. Pickups are on Wednesday, Dec. 23.

• Cherry Bomb Cookie Co. (Exeter, find them on Facebook @cherrybombcookieco) is taking orders for a variety of specialty Christmas cookies and do-it-yourself cookie kits and houses. The shipping deadline for orders is Dec. 18.

• The Common Man (25 Water St., Concord, 228-3463; 304 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, 429-3463; 88 Range Road, Windham, 898-0088; Lakehouse Grille, 281 Daniel Webster Hwy., Meredith, 279-5221; 10 Pollard Road, Lincoln, 745-3463; 21 Water St., Claremont, 542-6171; Foster’s Boiler Room, 231 Main St., Plymouth, 536-2764; 60 Main St., Ashland, 968-7030; Lago, 1 Route 25, Meredith, 279-2253; Italian Farmhouse, 337 Daniel Webster Hwy., 536-4536; Airport Diner, 2280 Brown Ave., Manchester, 623-5040; Tilt’n Diner, 61 Laconia Road, Tilton, 286-2204; 104 Diner, 752 Route 104, New Hampton, 744-0120; thecman.com) is taking orders for holiday meals for one or for four. Choose from either glazed ham or herb-roasted prime rib; both dinners come with mashed potatoes, sweet potato casserole, pesto green beans, maple-roasted Brussels sprouts, Parmesan-crusted dinner rolls, sweet bread, apple crisp and cinnamon whipped cream. Other a la carte options available to add to your order include spinach-artichoke dip and crackers, peel-and-eat shrimp cocktail, cheese lasagna, macaroni and cheese and pecan pie. Order by Dec. 18. Pickups are on Wednesday, Dec. 23.

• Copper Kettle To Go (39 Main St., Wilton, copperkettletogo.com) is taking orders for a several specialty treats and baked goods, like pecan pie, Nutella pie, cold brew coffee pie, gingerbread cream pie, pistachio cream pie, Andes candy brownies, red velvet trifles, coffee cakes, and assorted muffins (flavors include blueberry and chocolate chocolate chip). Order by Dec. 20. Pickups are on Thursday, Dec. 24, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

• Crémeux French Patisserie (707 Milford Road, Merrimack, cremeuxfrenchpatisserie.com) is taking orders for a variety of French breads and desserts, like chocolate sponge cake, dark chocolate crémeux, mousse chocolat praline, choux filled with vanilla creme patisserie, chocolate chip brioche, cranberry walnut brioche, organic sourdough boule and more. Order by Dec. 19.

• Crosby Bakery (51 E. Pearl St., Nashua, 882-1851, crosbybakerynh.com) is taking orders for several baked goods for the holiday season, including pies (apple, apple crumb, blueberry, pecan, pumpkin, mincemeat, cherry, banana cream, coconut cream, chocolate cream, lemon meringue and more); as well as assorted rolls, breads, cakes, cookies, and savory items, like gorton, meat pie and salmon pie. Order by Dec. 22.

• The Crust & Crumb Baking Co. (126 N. Main St., Concord, 219-0763, thecrustandcrumb.com) is taking orders for a variety of treats for the holidays, include cinnamon or pecan sticky buns, old-fashioned sour cream coffee cakes, butter or Shaker squash rolls, flourless chocolate torte, and several flavors of pies (apple streusel, blueberry crumb, forest berry crumb, maple bourbon pecan, chocolate cream and maple cream) and quiches (bacon cheddar and tomato and three-cheese). Order by Dec. 18.

• Culture (75 Mont Vernon St., Milford, 249-5011, culturebreadandsandwich.com) is taking orders for various breads, like sourdough loaves and dinner rolls, as well as pecan pies (whole or by the slice), holiday cheesecakes, cranberry galettes, holiday cookie trays, and cocoa bombs available in various flavors, from milk, white or dark chocolate to cookies and cream, gingerbread or peppermint. Order by Dec. 19. Pickups are on Thursday, Dec. 24, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• Ding Dong Deliver (dingdongdeliver.com) is a ghost kitchen powered by Great New Hampshire Restaurants, which owns T-Bones Great American Eatery, CJ’s Great West Grill and the Copper Door restaurants. Featured items for the week of Christmas include prime rib, ham or roast tenderloin dinners, each with mashed potatoes, butternut squash, and bread and butter, as well as multiple flavors of pies, like apple, pumpkin, pecan and blueberry. Order by Dec. 18 at noon. Deliveries and pickups are on Wednesday, Dec. 23.

• The Foundry Restaurant (50 Commercial St., Manchester, 836-1925, foundrynh.com) is taking orders for Christmas dinners to go, featuring your choice of either roast ham with pineapple raisin relish, or baked haddock with Ritz crackers, lemon and white wine. Each entree comes with bread and butter, scalloped potatoes, honey-roasted carrots and parsnips, green bean almondine, walnut brioche stuffing, and a mixed green salad with red wine vinaigrette. Other a la carte items available to order include appetizers, like stuffed mushrooms, bacon-wrapped blue cheese-stuffed dates, shrimp cocktail, Swedish meatballs with ginger blueberry jam, bacon-wrapped scallops, and pork pie with homemade gravy; and desserts, like Mississippi mud pie, raspberry cheesecake and gingerbread cake with cream cheese frosting. Order by Dec. 20. Pickups are on Thursday, Dec. 24, from 10 a.m. to noon.

• Frederick’s Pastries (109 Route 101A, Amherst, 882-7725; 25 S. River Road, Bedford, 647-2253; pastry.net) is offering several specialty treats for the holidays, include wreath cakes, gingerbread cookie kits, Grinch cupcakes, cheesecake samplers, chocolate-covered Oreo and graham cracker trays, Christmas Yule logs and more.

• Giorgio’s Ristorante & Bar (270 Granite St., Manchester, 232-3323; 707 Milford Road, Merrimack, 883-7333; 524 Nashua St., Milford, 673-3939; giorgios.com) is taking orders for holiday variety boxes for Christmas, which feature your choice of smoked pork rack chop with apple chutney, garlic roasted prime rib with au jus and horseradish cream, or seafood lasagna, with sides like sweet and Yukon gold whipped potatoes, traditional stuffing and roasted Brussels sprouts. Also available are Christmas Eve seafood feast boxes, with items like crab cakes and lemon aioli, lobster bisque, and Ritz baked haddock with lobster sauce. Order by Dec. 21 at noon. Pickups are on Thursday, Dec. 24, from noon to 8 p.m.

• Granite State Candy Shoppe (832 Elm St., Manchester, 218-3885; 13 Warren St., Concord, 225-2591; granitestatecandyshoppe.com) has several holiday-themed candies available for purchase, like Christmas-colored malt balls, peppermint or wintergreen candy canes, candy cane caramels, salted caramel or peppermint cocoa bombs, sour gummy Santas and more.

• Grasshoppers Garden Center (728 River Road, New Boston, 497-5788, grasshoppersgardencenter.com) is taking orders for multiple flavors of pies, including apple, apple cherry, blueberry, chocolate maple pecan, mincemeat and eggnog. Order by Dec. 11.

• Greenleaf (54 Nashua St., Milford, 213-5447, greenleafmilford.com) is taking orders for Christmas dinners to go, featuring your choice of pink peppercorn and rosemary glazed ham, roasted chicken or prime rib. All dinners come with mashed potatoes, honey-glazed carrots, green bean almondine and mixed greens. Other a la carte options available to order include homemade sourdough loaves, homemade dinner rolls with butter, pecan pie (whole or by the slice), holiday cheesecake (whole or by the slice), pear and cranberry galette, chocolate cake slices with chocolate buttercream, assorted holiday cookies, cocoa bombs in a variety of flavors, and creative wine pairing cocktail kits. Order by Dec. 19. Pickups are on Thursday, Dec. 24, from noon to 2 p.m.

• Hart’s Turkey Farm Restaurant (233 Daniel Webster Hwy., Meredith, 279-6212, hartsturkeyfarm.com) is taking orders for family meals to go, featuring your choice of turkey, ham or prime rib, plus a la carte options like gravy, stuffing, butternut squash, whipped potatoes, turkey pies, sliced turkey by the pound, soups and chili, rolls and cornbread. Pickups will be available through Thursday, Dec. 24, from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• Harvey’s Bakery and Coffee Shop (376 Central Ave., Dover, 742-6029, harveysbakery.com) is taking orders for multiple items for the holidays, including gingerbread cookies, deluxe cookie trays, fruit cakes, dessert cakes and more. Order by Dec. 19.

• It’s All Good in the Kitchen (184 N. Broadway, Salem, 458-7434, itsallgoodgf.com) is taking orders for a variety of sweet treats and desserts for the holidays, like tiramisu, strawberry or plain cheesecakes, chocolate peppermint rolls, cinnamon rolls, assorted cookie trays, whoopie pies, apple cider doughnuts and cupcakes. Savory items are also available to order, like lasagna, baked macaroni and cheese and chicken pot pie. Order by Dec. 19.

• jajabelles (143 Main St., Nashua, 769-1873, jajabelles.com) is taking orders for a variety of Greek pastries for the holidays, like lamb- and beef-filled grape leaves, spanakopita, finikia, kourambiethes and baklava, as well as a variety of sweet treats and desserts. Order by Dec. 18. Pickups are on Thursday, Dec. 24, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• Just Like Mom’s Pastries (353 Riverdale Road, Weare, 529-6667, justlikemomspastries.com) is taking orders for several sweet treats for the holidays, like red velvet, chocolate mousse or cranberry orange white chocolate cakes, traditional Yule logs, dessert bowls, cheesecakes (gluten-sensitive white chocolate raspberry with cinnamon walnut crust, or Oreo cookies and cream cheesecake), pies (cran-raspberry apple crumb or Kahlua black bottom), platters with mini whoopie pies, finger pastries or holiday cookies, coffee cakes, dinner rolls, quiches, and breakfast pastries, like cinnamon buns, turnovers, muffins and croissants. Order by Dec. 19.

• LaBelle Winery (345 Route 101, Amherst, 672-9898, labellewineryevents.com/catering) is taking orders for several items for Christmas, available in servings of six to eight people or 12 to 14 people, like assorted artisan cheeses, shrimp cocktails, mashed potatoes, maple sweet potatoes, roasted Brussels sprouts, honey-glazed carrots and cinnamon maple bread pudding for dessert.

• McNulty & Foley Caterers (124 E. Hollis St., Nashua, 882-1921, mcnultycatering.com) is taking orders for various individual or family-sized dinners, including those with slow-roasted sirloin of beef or sweet and spicy glazed ham, along with Delmonico potatoes, green beans, glazed carrots and rolls. Other a la carte options include baked lasagna with meat sauce or vegetable lasagna, whipped bliss potatoes, green bean casserole and pork pie. There are also desserts, like grapenut custard pudding, chocolate cream pie, lemon meringue pie and an assorted cookie platter. Order by Dec. 18. Pickups are on Thursday, Dec. 24, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• Mr. Mac’s Macaroni & Cheese (497 Hooksett Road, Manchester, 606-1760; 2600 Lafayette Road, Portsmouth, 380-7916; 440 Middlesex Road, Tyngsboro, Mass., 978-939-6227; 175 Littleton Road, Westford, Mass., 978-392-9495; mr-macs.com) is taking orders for both hot-and-ready and take-and-bake trays of macaroni and cheese, as well as macaroni salads, assorted green salads, desserts and more. Placing orders at least 24 hours in advance is appreciated. Order by Dec. 22 and get a 10 percent discount on all holiday trays.

• New England’s Tap House Grille (1292 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, 782-5137, taphousenh.com) is taking orders now for French-Canadian holiday meat pies, made with pork, beef, potatoes, celery, onions and garlic in a house-made crust. Pickups are available at various times on Wednesday, Dec. 23, and Thursday, Dec. 24, for Christmas, and on Wednesday, Dec. 30, for New Year’s.

• Popovers on the Square (11 Brickyard Square, No. 23, Epping, 734-4724; 8 Congress St., Portsmouth, 431-1119; popoversonthesquare.com) is taking orders for a variety of items for the holidays, including its signature pies (apple, apple crumb, pecan, pumpkin, chocolate cream, coconut cream and Key lime), as well as Christmas cookies, fruit or mint Oreo cheesecakes, fruit tarts and holiday-decorated vanilla or chocolate cupcakes. Order by Dec. 20.

• The Post Restaurant (125 Fisherville Road, Concord, 228-0522; 58 N. Main St., Concord, 227-6686; postrestaurantnh.com) is offering heat-and-serve Christmas meals to go, featuring your choice of carved turkey and gravy or spiral cut ham. Each meal comes with homemade stuffing, herbed mashed potatoes, green beans, butternut squash, cranberry sauce, a dinner roll and your choice of a dessert (Yule log slice, glazed butter rum cake slice, cheesecake slice or apple pie slice). Pickups are on Thursday, Dec. 24, from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• Presto Craft Kitchen (168 Amory St., Manchester, 606-1252, prestocraftkitchen.com) is offering its entire menu cold for pickup on either Tuesday, Dec. 22, or Wednesday, Dec. 23, in addition to several specialty desserts, like Oreo truffles, freshly filled cannolis, cookie trays, and pies (flavors include banana cream, coconut cream, cannoli cream, cookies and cream and chocolate cream). Order by Dec. 20.

• Queen City Cupcakes (790 Elm St., Manchester, 624-4999, qccupcakes.com) is taking orders for a variety of festive flavors of homemade cupcakes, including eggnog, chocolate-covered cherry, coconut snowball, gingerbread whoopie, white peppermint and Cadbury Christmas creme. Order by Dec. 21. Pickups are on Thursday, Dec. 24, from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• The Red Blazer Restaurant & Pub (72 Manchester St., Concord, 224-4101, theredblazer.com) is taking orders for a variety of take-and-bake items for the holidays, including with turkey, stuffed chicken breast, ham, chicken cordon bleu and seafood newburg, as well as homemade desserts, like tiramisu, carrot cheesecake, Almond Joy cake, caramel gingerbread cake, peanut butter mousse cake, chocolate mousse trifle, pistachio eclairs, whoopie pies and more. Order by Dec. 21. Pickups are on Thursday, Dec. 24.

• Revival Kitchen & Bar (11 Depot St., Concord, 715-5723, revivalkitchennh.com) is taking orders for holiday take-and-bake meals for two, with options that include seafood newburg, beef tenderloin roast or chicken cordon bleu. All entrees come with bacon potato casserole, Dijon- and thyme-glazed root vegetables, house salad, bread and butter and a cookie tin. Order by Dec. 19. Pickups are on Wednesday, Dec. 23, or Thursday, Dec. 24, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

• Tailgate Tavern (28 Portsmouth Ave., Stratham, 580-2294, tailgatetavernnh.com) is taking orders for heat-and-serve meals for four to six people, featuring items like various appetizers, soups and salads to choose from, as well as entrees, like baked brown sugar and pineapple ham, slow-roasted turkey with dark meat and gravy, or marinated and roasted pork tenderloin; and desserts, like house-made apple crisp or white chocolate bread pudding. Order by Dec. 20 at 2 p.m.

• Trombly Gardens (150 N. River Road, Milford, 673-0647, tromblygardens.net) is taking orders for a variety of flavors of fresh pies from the Saxy Chef of Antrim, like apple, blueberry, chocolate maple pecan, mincemeat and more. Holiday meals are also available for ordering, like turkey roulade with sausage cranberry stuffing, or family-sized lasagnas, as well as add-on sides, like sauteed apples or green bean almondine. Order your pies by Dec. 13 and your meals by Dec. 14.

• Tuscan Market (63 Main St., Salem, 912-5467, tuscanbrands.com) is taking orders from its special holiday catering menu, which include full dinners of either turkey, ham or standing rib roast that serve to six to eight people. Each comes with its own selection of sides, depending on the main course option you choose. Other a la carte order options include sides, like Jumbo shrimp with cocktail sauce, roasted cauliflower, mascarpone whipped potatoes and porcini mushroom ciabatta stuffing; and desserts, like tiramisu, assorted Italian cookies and biscotti, flourless chocolate torte and individual cannolis or cheesecakes. Order by Dec. 22. Pickups are on Thursday, Dec. 24, from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

• Van Otis Chocolates (341 Elm St., Manchester, 627-1611, vanotischocolates.com) has several seasonal treats available just in time for the holidays, like candy cane pretzel twists, candy cane Swiss fudge, and milk, dark or white chocolate mold candy canes and red-nosed reindeer pops.

• Yankee Farmer’s Market (360 Route 103 E., Warner, 456-2833, yankeefarmersmarket.com) is taking orders for specialty holiday roasts, like smoked ham, turkey, beef tenderloin, leg of lamb and Buffalo tenderloin. Pickups are from Thursday, Dec. 17, through Thursday, Dec. 24.

Out on holiday

Where to dine out this Christmas Eve or Christmas Day

If you want to take a break from cooking at home, check out this list of where to enjoy a holiday feast this Christmas Eve, Thursday, Dec. 24, or Christmas Day, Friday, Dec. 25. Some local eateries are also featuring their own specialty meals in the days leading up to the holiday.

Special meals

• A Feast of the Seven Fishes menu at Jamison’s (472 Route 111, Hampstead, 489-1565, jamisonsrestaurant.com) will be available from Wednesday, Dec. 16, through Saturday, Dec. 19. You can enjoy all seven dishes for $50 and wine pairings for $30, or purchase them a la carte.

• Feast of the Seven Fishes at Bedford Village Inn (2 Olde Bedford Way, Bedford, 472-2001, bedfordvillageinn.com) will be on Thursday, Dec. 17, from 6 to 10 p.m. In addition to a chef-attended pasta station and an Italian dessert station, the dinner will feature several house fish dishes, like haddock puttanesca with roasted Yukon potatoes; oysters on the half shell with cocktail sauce, citrus mignonette, horseradish and lemon; grilled calamari salad with pickled vegetables, radicchio and arugula; and lobster- and crab-stuffed sole with shaved fennel salad and blood orange butter. Tickets are $85 per person and reservations are required (dinner is 21+ only and tables are limited to a maximum of six guests each).

• Enjoy a Polar Express family brunch at LaBelle Winery (345 Route 101, Amherst, 672-9898, labellewinerynh.com) on either Sunday, Dec. 20, or Thursday, Dec. 24, from 10 a.m. to noon. Each meal will feature items like assorted muffins, scones and rolls, salads, fruit, specialty casseroles and more, plus a full cash bar, live readings of “’Twas the Night Before Christmas” with Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus, and a screening of the family holiday film The Polar Express. Ticket price breakdowns are $22.99 per person (tickets are sold by the table only, with a maximum of six guests per table).

• At The Grazing Room at the Colby Hill Inn (33 The Oaks Henniker, 428-3281, colbyhillinn.com) a Christmas Cheer menu is available for takeout, as well as limited in-house dining, now through Dec. 20 (except for Dec. 14 and Dec. 15), and then again on Dec. 21, Dec. 22 and Dec. 26. Seatings are between 4 and 8:30 p.m. The three-course prix fixe menu features your choice of a first course, an entree and a dessert, plus additional appetizers to share (see website for the full menu). The cost is $65 per person.

• Feast of the Seven Fishes at Tuscan Kitchen (67 Main St., Salem, 952-4875, tuscanbrands.com) is on Thursday, Dec. 24, featuring items like baccala soup, grilled octopus and calamari, lobster and shrimp tagliatelle and herb-crusted cod. The cost is $65 per person, or $85 with wine pairings.

• Christmas Eve Dinner at Bedford Village Inn (2 Olde Bedford Way, Bedford, 472-2001, bedfordvillageinn.com) is happening on Thursday, Dec. 24, with seatings from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the dining room. The three-course prix fixe menu will be followed by a dessert buffet and a cash bar in the Great Hall. Items will include lamb and potato gnocchi, black garlic French onion soup, rosemary and thyme marinated filet mignon, Jumbo shrimp and New Bedford sea scallops, savory mushroom Wellington and juniper and anise-cured Long Island duck breast. A separate children’s menu will also be served, featuring items like macaroni and cheese, chicken fingers and more. The cost is $89 for adults and $49 for kids ages 10 and under. Reservations are required.

• Christmas Eve Dinner at Copper Door Restaurant (15 Leavy Dr., Bedford, 488-2677; 41 S. Broadway, Salem, 458-2033; copperdoor.com) will feature a special prix fixe menu beginning at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 24. The cost varies ($59 for two courses, $69 for three courses and $79 for four courses). Items include coffee-crusted pork chop, garlic Parmesan salmon, truffled mushroom ravioli, barbecue pork flatbread, crispy lemon Brussels sprouts, caramel apple pie and chocolate raspberry cheesecake. Reservations will be accepted through 8 p.m.

• Christmas Dinner at Salt Kitchen & Bar (Wentworth by the Sea, 588 Wentworth Road, New Castle, 373-6566, saltkitchenandbar.com) is on Friday, Dec. 25, from 1 to 8 p.m. The four-course menu will feature mini deviled eggs, plus your choice of either winter root bisque or bitter greens salad; an entree (steak au poivre, maple-brined turkey, butternut squash ravioli or pan-seared sea scallops); and a dessert (eggnog cheesecake or gingerbread pudding). The cost is $64.95 per person ($25.95 for kids under 12).

• Christmas Dinner at The Wild Rose Restaurant (Stonehurst Manor, 3351 White Mountain Highway, North Conway, 356-3113, stonehurstmanor.com) is on Friday, Dec. 25, from 2 to 8 p.m., featuring your choice of an appetizer (grilled brie, duo of crab cakes, shrimp cocktail or bacon-wrapped scallops); a Caesar salad; an entree (maple-brined turkey, prime rib of beef, grilled rack of lamb, grilled vegetables, oven-roasted half duckling or pan-seared North Atlantic salmon); and a dessert (triple chocolate torte, bourbon pecan ice cream with caramel, or blueberry cheesecake). The cost is $68 per person.

Open on Christmas Day

• Bedford Village Inn (2 Olde Bedford Way, Bedford, 472-2001, bedfordvillageinn.com) will be open for breakfast from 8 to 10:30 a.m. in its lobby bar, and from 1 to 9 p.m. for lunch and dinner, serving its full menu with some specials. The tavern and dining room will be closed.

• Lakehouse Grille (281 Daniel Webster Hwy., Meredith, 279-5221, thecman.com) will be open from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Open on Christmas Eve

• 900 Degrees Neapolitan Pizzeria (50 Dow St., Manchester, 641-0900, 900degrees.com) will be open from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

• Alan’s of Boscawen (133 N. Main St., Boscawen, 753-6631, alansofboscawen.com) will be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

• Belmont Hall & Restaurant (718 Grove St., Manchester, 625-8540, belmonthall.net) will be open from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• The Black Forest Cafe & Bakery (212 Route 101, Amherst, 672-0500, theblackforestcafe.com) will be open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• The Coach Stop Restaurant & Tavern (176 Mammoth Road, Londonderry, 437-2022, coachstopnh.com) will likely be open until 8 p.m.

• CJ’s Great West Grill (782 S. Willow St., Manchester, 627-8600, cjsgreatwestgrill.com) will be open from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• Hart’s Turkey Farm (233 Daniel Webster Hwy., Meredith, 279-6212, hartsturkeyfarm.com) will be open from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• KC’s Rib Shack (837 Second St., Manchester, 627-7427, ribshack.net) will be open from noon to 6 p.m.

• LaBelle Winery (345 Route 101, Amherst, 672-9898, labellewinerynh.com) will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Las Olas Taqueria (356 Lafayette Road, Hampton, 967-4880; 30 Portsmouth Ave., Exeter, 418-8901; lasolastaqueria.com) will be open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• The Red Blazer Restaurant and Pub (72 Manchester St., Concord, 224-4101, theredblazer.com) will be open until 8 p.m.

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

Hillbilly Elegy (R)

Hillbilly Elegy (R)

J.D. Vance’s popular 2016 memoir gets the awards-season glossy movie treatment in the Ron Howard-directed Hillbilly Elegy.

Neither of the movie’s two lead actresses, Glenn Close and Amy Adams, has won an Oscar despite multiple nominations for each. Perhaps the desire to rectify this is why J.D. (played by Gabriel Basso as an adult and Owen Asztalos as a kid) feels like a lesser character in what is technically his own life story.

After a scene of young J.D. and his summers spent in Kentucky, his family’s ancestral home, the movie jumps to adult J.D., now a law student at Yale. He’s trying to get a summer gig at a fancy law firm in D.C. to be near his girlfriend, Usha (Freida Pinto), when he gets a call from his sister, Lindsay (Haley Bennett), letting him know that their mom, Bev (Adams), has overdosed on heroin and is in the hospital. Lindsay, the mom of three kids and with her own job, needs help figuring out how to take care of Bev. As J.D. drives back to Ohio, where his mom and sister live, we get flashbacks to his childhood — his mom’s volatility, her and J.D.’s relationship with her parents, Mamaw (Close) and Papaw (Bo Hopkins), and later her struggles with drugs. There is a bit of This Is How People Live Here posturing about Middletown, Ohio, where J.D. and his family live, and rural Kentucky — and Yale, actually, where everybody reminds me of The Simpsons parodies of upper-crusters.

This movie is a whirlwind of wigs and accents and “Most Acting over Best Acting” but the biggest problem with it is, I think, a focus problem. The interesting story here is the story of three women — Mamaw, her daughter Bev and her daughter Lindsay — and the choices they made. Because J.D. is the nominal center of the story, though, we get flat versions of these women. The movie presents very little depth on their inner lives, their choices, the circumstances they dealt with and who they are as people. We get wisps of their story and hints of their thinking but only through J.D.’s eyes.

And, sure, a valid criticism of my criticism is that this isn’t Lindsay’s story (or Bev’s or Mamaw’s), it’s J.D.’s and so we’re naturally going to get his viewpoint. Unfortunately, the movie puts Adams and Close in the spotlight — they are the big names and they are the ones doing the heavy lifting, so the thinness of their characters is all the more noticeable. And, though he is the narrator and center of this biography, J.D. isn’t all that well-rounded either; the big events in his life seem to be presented largely in montage. The movie doesn’t even do a great job with filling in the details of its setting. Instead of getting a rich story with a strong sense of place populated with fully realized people, we get a list of life events and people presented more as types.

The movie begins and ends with photographs of Vance’s family (or, in the case of the beginning photographs that seem to go back into the 1800s, maybe they’re just families like his, I don’t know) and these still photos by themselves offer a more interesting glimpse into the lives of people in the region, just as the modern photos of Vance’s mother and sister and the few sentences on title cards about them offer a wider window on them than the movie we just watched. I feel like there are interesting stories to be told about this family and the history of the region and maybe Vance’s book tells him but this movie doesn’t. C

Rated R for language throughout, drug content and some violence, according to the MPA on filmratings.com. Directed by Ron Howard with a screenplay by Vanessa Taylor (from the book by J.D. Vance), Hillbilly Elegy is an hour and 57 minutes long and distributed by Netflix.

Featured Photo: Hillbilly Elegy (R)

Best Of 2017

The results are in! Throughout February, you voted for your favorite things about southern New Hampshire, from your favorite breakfast to your favorite place to take visiting relatives.

After hand-counting your votes, we now present you with the results, which include return champions as well as first-time winners.

Put them all together and you have a great resource of the best things to see and do right where you live. (Descriptions of the locations mentioned here are based on information available on their websites. Call ahead to verify they have the dish, salon service or fitness class you’re looking for.)

You also came up with some fantastic responses to “Best thing we forgot to ask about” — you’ll find stories about the Top 3 in these pages.

Once you’re done perusing this list, keep an eye out for our annual magazine, coming out in May, where we’ll expand on some of the people and places that make southern New Hampshire a great place to live.

The Arts

Best Performing Arts Venue

Best of the Best: The Palace Theatre, 80 Hanover St., Manchester, 668-5588, palacetheatre.org (The 890-seat venue is more than 100 years old and is best known for its mainstage professional productions and Palace Youth Theatre company. In addition, it hosts musical and comedy acts and film screenings. The next mainstage musical is Saturday Night Fever April 14 through May 6.)

Best of Concord: Capitol Center for the Arts, 44 S. Main St., Concord, 225-1111, ccanh.com (The arts venue contains the 1,304-seat Chubb Theatre, Governor’s Hall and the adjacent Kimball House. The venue sees Broadway national shows; concerts; and HD screenings of the Met, the National Theatre and Bolshoi Ballet. The next big production is Pippin Thursday, May 11.)

Best of Manchester: Tupelo Music Hall, 10 A St., Derry, 437-5100, tupelohall.com (The recent move from Londonderry enables tiered seating but with dancing and tables on the lowest level. It sees concerts and comedy events every weekend. Melissa Etheridge performs April 26.)

Best of Nashua: The Amato Center for the Performing Arts, 56 Mont Vernon St., Milford, 672-1002, svbgc.org (Built in 2005 around the former home of the American Stage Festival, the 460-seat theater houses the Riverbend Youth Company and the Riverbend School of Theater Arts plus productions by the Milford Area Players; the next big one is Seussical May 4 through May 7.)

Best Art Gallery

Best of the Best: McGowan Fine Art, 10 Hills Ave., Concord, 225-2515, mcgowanfineart.com (The contemporary gallery features work by New England artists of various media, styles and price ranges. Owner and director Sarah Chaffee celebrates her 20th year as the gallery director with a show, “Twenty Years of a Singular Vision,” on view through April 28 and a reception Friday, March 31, from 5 to 7 p.m.)

Best of Concord: Mill Brook Gallery & Sculpture Garden, 236 Hopkinton Road, Concord, 226-2046, themillbrookgallery.com (It’s perhaps best known for its summer outdoor sculpture exhibit, but owner Pam Tarbell also curates several indoor exhibitions each year with work by New England artists in all media, including sculpture, paintings, jewelry, etc. It opens for the season May 4.)

Best of Manchester: Studio 550 Art Center, 550 Elm St., Manchester, 232-5597, 550arts.com (It’s primarily a ceramics studio for beginner and advanced artists, but the space sees monthly rotating curated or non-curated shows. On view now through April 25 is “Upcycled Art: A New Life for Old Things.”)

Best of Nashua: Wild Salamander Creative Arts Center, 30 Ash St., Hollis, 465-9453, wildsalamander.com (The art center is primarily for classes, workshops and summer camps but also hosts art shows almost every month. On view April 1 through April 22 is “Dueling Landscapes: Traditional vs. Industrial” with work by Stephen L. Previte.)

Best Art in a Public Space

Best of the Best: Downtown Concord (The newest pieces include the sculpture of a boy with a turtle by Beverly Benson Seamans on South Main St. Other downtown art includes the Eagle Square gateway tree sculpture, the new Haley Rae Martin mural created by local high school students, located on the CVS on Main Street, and the statues and memorials on the State House lawn, including Gen. John Stark, Daniel Webster and Franklin Pierce, among others.)

Best of Concord: Concord Arts Market, Bicentennial Square, concordartsmarket.net (It happens almost every Saturday from June 3 through Sept. 30 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Bicentennial Square, hosting local artists selling art, crafts, jewelry and more.)

Best of Manchester: Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St., Manchester, 669-6144, currier.org (Outside are four sculptures: “Fusion II,” a stainless steel piece by George Sherwood, “Thank You Silence” and “Bench #XIII,” both by Gary Haven Smith, and “Origins,” a bright red and black piece by Mark di Suvero. Inside are permanent and rotating art exhibitions; on view now are “Deep Cuts: Contemporary Paper Cutting” and “Soo Sunny Park: BioLath.”)

Best of Nashua: Downtown Nashua (Downtown contains a variety of murals and sculptures courtesy of Positive Street Art, City Arts Nashua and the Nashua International Sculpture Symposium. The most recent addition is a mural on Main St. honoring famous Hollywood flicks, like It’s A Wonderful Life and The Blob; you can find all the city’s downtown murals and sculptures at downtownnashua.org/live/cultural-groups/. Three artfully-decorated downtown pianos will also be installed for the spring season starting May 6, one confirmed for Bicentennial Park, the other locations TBD.)

Shopping

Best Florist

Best of the Best: Cobblestone Design Company, 89 Fort Eddy Road, Concord, 228-5980, cobblestoneflorist.com

Best of Concord: D. McLeod Florist, 49 S. State St., Concord, 225-3721, dmflowers.com

Best of Manchester: Chalifour’s Flowers, 46 Elm St., Manchester, 623-8844, chalifours.com

Best of Nashua: Fortin Gage Flowers & Gifts, 86 W. Pearl St., Nashua, 882-3371, fortingage.com

Best Independent Clothing Store

Best of the Best: Gondwana & Divine Clothing Co., 13 N. Main St., Concord, 228-1101, clothingnh.com (More than 100 lines of women’s clothes, jewelry and accessories, made in the U.S. or purchased fair trade.)

Best of Concord: Indigo Blues & Co., 902 Main St., Contoocook, 660-9290, indigobluesandco.com (Women’s jeans boutique with other clothes, jewelry and accessories.)

Best of Manchester: Alapage, 25 S. River Road, Bedford, 622-0550, alapageboutique.com (Contemporary upscale women’s boutique with clothing, jewelry, accessories and a “jeans bar,” with an extensive denim selection.)

Best of Nashua: Fresh of Nashua, 178 Main St., Nashua, 821-9888, freshofnashua.com (Upscale women’s fashion apparel and accessory boutique.)

Best Independent Jewelry Store

Best of the Best: Capitol Craftsman & Romance Jewelers, 16 & 18 N. Main St., Concord, 224-6166, capitolcraftsman.com

Best of Concord: Speer’s Fine Jewelry, 24 N. Main St., Concord, 224-1582, speersfinejewelry.com

Best of Manchester: Bellman Jewelers, 1650 Elm St., Manchester, 625-4653, bellmans.com

Best of Nashua: Scontsas Fine Jewelry & Home Decor, 169-173 Main St., Nashua, 882-3281, scontsas.com

Best Independent Shoe Store

Best of the Best: Alec’s Shoes, 1617 Southwood Drive, Nashua, 882-6811, alecs-shoes.com

Best of Concord: Joe King’s Shoe Shop, 45 N. Main St., Concord, 225-6012, joekings.com

Best of Manchester: Benton Shoe Co., 814 Elm St., Suite 102, Manchester, 644-2550, bentonshoeco.com

Best of Nashua: The Shoebox, 17 Route 101A, Amherst, 672-6570, shoeboxnh.com

Best Secondhand Store

Best of the Best: Mother & Child Clothing and Gifts, 135 Route 101A, Amherst, 886-6727, mothersays.shoprw.com

Best of Concord: OutFITters Thrift Store Boutique, 20 S. Main St., Concord, 219-0027, outfittersnh.org (Its second OutFITters Thrift Store is in Manchester at 394 Second St.)

Best of Manchester: Deja Boutique, 553 Mast Road, Goffstown, 222-7000, dejaboutiquenh.simpl.com

Best of Nashua: Dress 2 Impress Consignment, 650 Amherst St., Nashua, 589-9536, dress2impressconsignment.com

Fitness

Best Gym

Best of the Best: Get Fit NH, 287 S. Main St., Concord, 344-2651, getfitnh.com (In addition to its coached workouts, the gym offers nutrition coaching, sport-specific training and small group training. Its second location is in Epsom at 167 New Orchard Road.)

Best of Concord: Concord YMCA, 15 N. State St., Concord, 228-9622, concordymca.org (Membership comes with classes like spinning, yoga, pilates and Zumba, water exercise courses for adults and seniors and exercise machinery.)

Best of Manchester: Executive Health & Sports Center, 1 Highlander Way, Manchester, 668-4753, ehsc.com (It has a second location in Hooksett at 1328 Hooksett Road.)

Best of Nashua: Dynamic Strength and Conditioning, 115 Northeastern Blvd., Nashua, 882-2348, dynamicsc.com (Private group training facility aimed at training everyone from beginners to athletes, with everything from fitness to nutritional training.)

Best Workout Class

Best of the Best: “Small Group Training” at Get Fit NH, 287 S. Main St., Concord, 344-2651, getfitnh.com (One-hour class occurs most mornings and evenings during the week and comprises strength and metabolic training.)

Best of Concord: “Jeremy’s Boot Camp” atJeremy’s Boot Camp, 153 Manchester St., Suite 3 and 4, Concord, 721-2830, jeremysbootcamp.com (Combination of strength and high-intensity interval training.)

Best of Manchester: “Jazzercise” at Jazzercise Manchester Fitness Center, 32 Hayward St., Manchester, 624-9122, jcls.jazzercise.com/facility/jazzercise-manchester-fitness-center (Jazzercise classes are based in jazz and aerobics and occur early- and mid-morning and most evenings during the week.)

Best of Nashua: “Adult Group Training” at Dynamic Strength and Conditioning, 115 Northeastern Blvd., Nashua, 882-2348, dynamicsc.com (The one-hour sessions occur Monday through Friday in the early morning, mid-day and evening, plus Saturday mornings, and focus on all aspects of fitness, from mobility to strength training.)

Best Yoga Studio

Best of the Best: YogaBalance, 135 Hooksett Road, Manchester, 625-4000, yogabalance.info

Best of Concord: Ohana Yoga, 44 Cedar St., Contoocook, 748-1539, ohanayoganh.com

Best of Manchester: Mountain Base Yoga, 3 Church St., Goffstown, 660-0823, mountainbaseyoga.com

Best of Nashua: NH Power Yoga, 704 Milford Road, Merrimack, 594-2494, nhpoweryoga.com

Fix It

Best Car Repair Shop

Best of the Best: Duncan’s European Automotive, 3 Liberty Drive, Londonderry, 434-5769, duncansauto.com

Best of Concord: Weed Family Automotive, 124 Storrs St., Concord, 225-7988, weedfamilyautomotive.com

Best of Manchester: Black Widow Customs, 51 Kosciuszko St., Manchester, 624-0400, blackwidowcustoms.com

Best of Nashua: Gurney’s Automotive Repair, 83 Broad St., Nashua, 886-5800, gurneysautomotive.com (Gurney’s Automotive has a second location in Milford at 419 Elm St.)

Beauty

Best Barbershop

Best of the Best: The Polished Man, 707 Milford Road, Unit 3A, Merrimack, 233-8685, thepolishedmannh.com

Best of Concord: Lucky’s Barbershop & Shave Parlor, 50 S. State St., Concord, 715-5470, luckysbarbershop.biz (Its second location is in Portsmouth at 801 Islington St., Suite 28.)

Best of Manchester: Handsome Devil’s Barber Shop & Shave, 1100 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, 232-7024, handsomedevilsnh.com

Best of Nashua: Wilfred’s Barbershop, 90 W. Pearl St., Nashua, 880-8805, wilfredsbarbershop.com

Best Salon

Best of the Best: Salon K, 18 Pleasant St., Concord, 225-0099, salonkconcord.com

Best of Concord: Creative Color & Cuts Salon and Day Spa, 259 S. Main St., Concord, 228-1158, creativecolorandcuts.com

Best of Manchester: 5 Diamond Salon, 915 Holt Ave. Suite 4, Manchester, 459-3367, 5diamondsalon.com

Best of Nashua: Fancy Nancy’s Elite Hair Designers Salon & Day Spa, 295 DW Highway, Nashua, 891-0202, fancynancyssalon.com

Best Spa

Best of the Best: Serendipity Day Spa, 23 Sheep Davis Road, Pembroke, 229-0400, serendipitydayspa.com

Best of Concord: Salon K, 18 Pleasant St., Concord, 225-0099, salonkconcord.com

Best of Manchester: Renew MediSpa, 29 Indian Rock Road, Windham, 894-0070, renewmedispa.com

Best of Nashua: Innovations The Salon & Spa, 228 Naticook Road, Merrimack, 880-7499, innovationsnh.com

Best Tattoo Shop

Best of the Best: Spider-Bite Tattoo & Body Piercing, 179 Elm St., Manchester, 645-1449, spider-bite.com

Best of Concord: Arrows & Embers Tattoo, 117 Manchester St., Concord, 988-6067, arrowsandemberstattoo.com

Best of Manchester: Tattoo Angus, 1279 S. Willow St., Manchester, 935-9398, tattooangus.com

Best of Nashua: Precision Body Arts, 3 Elm St., Nashua, 889-5788, precisionbodyarts.com

Best restaurants

Best Restaurant Overall

Best of the Best: The Tuckaway Tavern & Butchery,58 Route 27, Raymond, 244-2431, thetuckaway.com. The menu features traditional American pub fare with a modern twist and a focus on fresh ingredients. Favorites include their burgers, mac and cheese and steak tips.

Best of Concord: The Barley House, 132 N. Main St., Concord, 228-6363, thebarleyhouse.com. Known for their burgers and french fries, The Barley House offers upscale pub cuisine and comfort food favorites with a wide selection of craft beer and whiskeys. (The Barley House also has a location at 43 Lafayette Road in North Hampton.)

Best of Manchester: Republic, 1069 Elm St., Manchester, 666-3723, republiccafe.com. The cafe features eclectic Mediterranean cuisine with a farm-to-table, seasonal focus. Menu items include paninis and flatbreads, unique vegan and vegetarian dishes, creative cocktails and more.

Best of Nashua: MT’s Local Kitchen & Wine Bar, 212 Main St., Nashua, 595-9334, mtslocal.com. MT’s offers fine dining in a casual atmosphere and features a menu of New American cuisine with a variety of entrees, wood-grilled pizzas and wines.

Best New Eatery

Best of the Best: Gale Motor Co. Eatery, 36 Lowell St., Manchester, 232-7059, galemotoreatery.com. Opened April 2016. The menu features culinary fusion cuisine with tapas and shareable plates and inventive craft cocktails. (A new Gale Motor Co. “Pit Stop” location is set to open at Mel’s Funway Park in Litchfield in early April.)

Best of Concord: Revival Kitchen & Bar, 11 Depot St., Concord, 715-5723, revivalkitchennh.com. Opened January 2017. Revival presents reimagined New England and Old World classic dishes with a farm-to-table focus.

Best of Manchester: The Birch on Elm, 931 Elm St., Manchester, 782-5365, facebook.com/thebirchonelm. Opened September 2016. Serves globally inspired small- and medium-sized plates and handcrafted classic cocktails with a twist.

Best of Nashua: Bar One, 40 Nashua St., Milford, 249-5327, facebook.com/baronenh. Opened June 2016. The gastropub features New American and elevated tavern cuisine centered around unique craft cocktails.

Best Fine Dining Restaurant

Best of the Best: Hanover Street Chophouse, 149 Hanover St., Manchester, 644-2467, hanoverstreetchophouse.com

Best of Concord: Granite Restaurant & Bar, located at The Centennial Hotel, 96 Pleasant St., Concord, 227-9000, graniterestaurant.com

Best of Manchester: Copper Door Restaurant, 15 Leavy Drive, Bedford, 488-2677, copperdoorrestaurant.com (a second Copper Door location is set to open later this year at 41 South Broadway in Salem)

Best of Nashua: Buckley’s Great Steaks, 438 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, 424-0995, buckleysgreatsteaks.com

Best Pub

Best of the Best: The Shaskeen, 909 Elm St., Manchester, 625-0246, theshaskeenpub.com

Best of Concord: The Barley House, 132 N. Main St., Concord, 228-6363, thebarleyhouse.com (The Barley House also has a location at 43 Lafayette Road in North Hampton)

Best of Manchester: The Wild Rover, 21 Kosciuszko St., Manchester, 669-7722, wildroverpub.com

Best of Nashua: The Peddler’s Daughter, 48 Main St., Nashua, 821-7535, thepeddlersdaughter.com

International cuisine

Best Asian Restaurant

Best of the Best: Lilac Blossom, 650 Amherst St., Unit 22, Nashua, 886-8420; 385 E. Dunstable Road, Nashua, 888-9588, lilacblossomrestaurant.com

Best of Concord: Siam Orchid Thai Bistro, 12 N. Main St., Concord, 228-1529, siamorchid.net

Best of Manchester: Asian Breeze, 1328 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, 621-9298, asianbreezenh.com

Best of Nashua: Sweet Ginger, 6 Dobson Way, Merrimack, 424-8035, sweetgingerthai.com

Best Italian Restaurant

Best of the Best: Angelina’s Ristorante Italiano, 11 Depot St., Concord, 228-3313, angelinasrestaurant.com

Best of Concord: Fratello’s Italian Grille, 799 Union Ave., Laconia, 528-2022, fratellos.com (Fratello’s also has locations in Manchester and Nashua)

Best of Manchester: Fratello’s Italian Grille, 155 Dow St., Manchester, 624-2022, fratellos.com

Best of Nashua: Fratello’s Italian Grille, 194 Main St., Nashua, 889-2022, fratellos.com

Best Mexican/Latin American

Best of the Best: La Carreta Mexican Restaurant, 1875 S. Willow St., Manchester, 623-7705; 545 Daniel Webster Highway, Manchester, 628-6899, lacarretamex.com (La Carreta also has locations in Derry, Nashua and Londonderry)

Best of Concord: Hermanos Cocina Mexicana,11 Hills Ave., Concord, 224-5669, hermanosmexican.com

Best of Manchester: La Carreta Mexican Restaurant, 35 Manchester Road, Suite 5A, Derry, 421-0091, lacarretamex.com

Best of Nashua: La Carreta Mexican Restaurant, 139 Daniel Webster Highway, Nashua, 891-0055, lacarretamex.com

More eateries

Best Barbecue

Best of the Best: KC’s Rib Shack, 837 Second St., Manchester, 627-7427, ribshack.net

Best of Concord: Smokeshow Barbeque, 89 Fort Eddy Road, Concord, 227-6399, smokeshowbbq.com

Best of Manchester: Goody Cole’s Smokehouse, 374 Route 125, Brentwood, 679-8898, facebook.com/goodcoles

Best of Nashua: Riverside Barbeque Co.,53 Main St., Nashua, 204-5110,riversidebarbeque.com

Best Diner

Best of the Best: Red Arrow Diner, 61 Lowell St., Manchester, 626-1118, redarrowdiner.com (Red Arrow also has locations in Milford and Londonderry; a new location in Concord is set to open this year)

Best of Concord: Tilt’n Diner, 61 Laconia Road, Tilton, 286-2204, thecman.com/restaurants/tilton-diner

Best of Manchester: Airport Diner, 2280 Brown Ave., Manchester, 623-5040, thecman.com/restaurants/airport-diner

Best of Nashua: Red Arrow Diner, 63 Union Square, Milford, 249-9222, redarrowdiner.com

Best Restaurant for Kids

Best of the Best: Tucker’s, 1328 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, 206-5757, tuckersnh.com (Tucker’s also has locations in Concord and New London)

Best of Concord: Tucker’s, 80 South St., Concord, 413-5884, tuckersnh.com

Best of Manchester: Puritan Backroom, 245 Hooksett Road, Manchester, 669-6890, puritanbackroom.com

Best of Nashua: Tiebreakers Family Grille/Wickets on the Green, located at Hampshire Hills Athletic Club, 50 Emerson Road, Milford, 673-7123, hampshirehills.com (Wickets is outdoor dining open May through September)

Best Seafood Restaurant

Best of the Best: Surf Restaurant, 207 Main St., Nashua, 595-9293, surfseafood.com (Surf also has a location at 99 Bow St. in Portsmouth)

Best of Concord: Makris Lobster & Steak House, 354 Sheep Davis Road, Concord, 225-7665, eatalobster.com

Best of Manchester: Hooked Seafood Restaurant, 110 Hanover St., Manchester, 606-1189, hookedonignite.com

Best of Nashua: The Lobster Boat Restaurant, 453 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, 424-5221, lobsterboatrestaurant.com (Lobster Boat also has locations at 273 Derry Road in Litchfield and 75 Portsmouth Avenue in Exeter)

Best Steakhouse

Best of the Best: Hanover Street Chophouse, 149 Hanover St., Manchester, 644-2467, hanoverstreetchophouse.com

Best of Concord: O Steaks & Seafood, 11 S. Main St., Concord, 856-7925, magicfoodsrestaurantgroup.com/osteaks (O Steaks & Seafood also has a location at 62 Doris Ray Court in Laconia)

Best of Manchester: The Tuckaway Tavern & Butchery,58 Route 27, Raymond, 244-2431, thetuckaway.com

Best of Nashua: Buckley’s Great Steaks, 438 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, 424-0995, buckleysgreatsteaks.com

Drinks

Best Beer Selection

Best of the Best: New England’s Tap House Grille, 1292 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, 782-5137, taphousenh.com

Best of Concord: The Barley House, 132 N. Main St., Concord, 228-6363, thebarleyhouse.com (There’s another location at 43 Lafayette Road in North Hampton)

Best of Manchester: Thirsty Moose Taphouse, 795 Elm St., Manchester, 792-2337, thirstymoosetaphouse.com (Also has locations at 21 Congress St. in Portsmouth and 83 Washington St. in Dover)

Best of Nashua: The Flight Center, 97 Main St., Nashua, 417-6184, flightcenterbc.com

Best Beer Shop

Best of the Best: Bert’s Better Beers, 1100 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, 413-5992, bertsbetterbeers.com

Best of Concord: Concord Craft Brewing Co.,117 Storrs St., Concord, 856-7625,concordcraftbrewing.com

Best of Manchester: Lazy Dog Beer Shoppe, 27 Buttrick Road, Londonderry, 434-2500, lazydogbeer.com

Best of Nashua: The Beer Store, 433 Amherst St., Nashua, 889-2242, thebeerstorenh.com

Best NH Brewery

Best: Able Ebenezer Brewing Co., 31 Columbia Circle, Merrimack, 844-223-2253, ableebenezer.com. The Ale Room is open for tasting and tours Monday through Friday, 4 to 8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, noon to 8 p.m. Beers are offered at numerous southern New Hampshire restaurants and bars and at select specialty beer stores.

Runner-up: 603 Brewery, 12 Liberty Drive, Londonderry, 630-7745, 603brewery.com. The brewery has an on-site tasting bar with a view of the brewing area open Thursday and Friday, 4 to 8 p.m.; Saturday, noon to 8 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. Tours are offered on Saturdays. Beers are available at select food markets, convenience stores and specialty beer shops in Derry, Londonderry and Manchester.

Honorable Mention: Henniker Brewing Co.,129 Centervale Road, Henniker, 428-3579, hennikerbrewing.com. The tap room is open Monday through Friday, noon to 6 p.m., and Saturday, noon to 4 p.m. Tours are offered on Saturdays. Beers are available at many bars and restaurants, specialty beer shops, food markets and convenience stores in New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Maine.

Best Cocktail

Best of the Best: Mudslide, Puritan Backroom, 245 Hooksett Road, Manchester, 669-6890, puritanbackroom.com. The original Mudslide has Baileys Irish Cream, Kahlua Coffee Liqueur and vodka. Variations include mudslides with other flavors (Almond Joy, cherry, churro/cinnamon, espresso, Milky Way and Snickers) and ones highlighting other liquors (Captain Morgan Spiced Rum, Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey, Jack Daniel’s Whiskey and Jack Daniel’s Honey Whiskey).

Best of Concord: Margarita, Hermanos Cocina Mexicana,11 Hills Ave., Concord, 224-5669, hermanosmexican.com. The original Hermanos Margarita has white tequila and triple sec. Variations include margaritas with different flavors (pomegranate, amaretto, raspberry, orange) and ones highlighting different brands of tequila (Cuervo, 1800, Horni, Patron, Sauza). There are also specialty margaritas substituting other liquors for tequila, including the citrus vodka-based Citrita (with triple sec) and Aligarita (with Alize), the limon rum-based Limonrita and the Key Lime, which has vanilla vodka and a splash of club soda.

Best of Manchester: Moroccan Old-Fashioned, Republic, 1069 Elm St., Manchester, 666-3723, republiccafe.com. The drink has straight rye, Berber spiced syrup and orange oil.

Best of Nashua: Espresso Martini, Giorgio’s Ristorante & Bar, 707 Milford Road, Merrimack, 883-7333, giorgios.com. (Giorgio’s also has locations at 524 Nashua St. in Milford and 270 Granite St. in Manchester.) The drink is made with Giorgio’s secret blend.

Best Cup of Coffee

Best of the Best: True Brew Barista and Cafe, 3 Bicentennial Square, Concord, 225-2776; 45 S. Main St., Concord, 715-5833, truebrewbarista.com

Best of Concord: Schoodacs Coffee & Tea, 1 E. Main St , Warner, 456-3400, schoodacs.com

Best of Manchester: Cafe la Reine,915 Elm St., Manchester, 232-0332, cafelareine.com

Best of Nashua: A&E Coffee Roastery & Tea, 135 Route 101A, Amherst, 578-3338, aeroastery.com (A&E also has a cafe location at 1000 Elm St. in Manchester)

Best NH Hard Liquor

Best: Flag Hill Distillery & Winery, 297 N. River Road, Lee, 659-2949, flaghill.com. Visiting and tasting hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., with tours offered on Saturdays and Sundays. Flag Hill spirits include General John Stark Vodka, Karner Blue Gin, Flag Hill White Rum, Flag Hill Spiced Rum, Sugar Maple Liqueur, Cranberry Liqueur, Blueberry Liqueur, Raspberry Liqueur, White Mountain Moonshine, Graham’s Grappa and Josiah Bartlett Barrel Aged Apple Brandy. Liquor is available at select NH Liquor & Wine Outlet locations and New Hampshire restaurants and bars.

Runner-up: Stark Vodka by Stark Brewing Co., 500 Commercial St., Manchester, 625-4444, starkbrewingcompany.com. Tours are offered by appointment. Vodka is available at select NH Liquor & Wine Outlet locations and New Hampshire restaurants and bars. Stark is also currently aging a bourbon which will be released later this year.

Honorable Mention: Djinn Spirits, 2 Townsend West, Suite 9, Nashua, 262-1812, djinnspirits.com. Visiting hours and tours are held Saturday and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. Djinn liquors include Krupnik Spiced Honey Liqueur, Single Malt Whiskey, Beat 3 White Whiskey, Beat 3 Reserve Whiskey and Distilled Gin. Liquor is available at select NH Liquor & Wine Outlet locations and New Hampshire restaurants and bars.

Best NH Tasting Room

Runner-up: LaBelle Winery, 345 Route 101, Amherst, 672-9898, labellewinerynh.com. Visiting and tasting hours are Monday and Tuesday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with tours offered on Saturday and Sunday.

Honorable Mention: Great North Aleworks, 1050 Holt Ave., Unit 14, Manchester, 858-5789, greatnorthaleworks.com. The tasting room is open Thursday and Friday, 3 to 7 p.m., Saturday, noon to 6 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 4 p.m., with tours offered on Saturdays.

Best Restaurant Wine List

Best of the Best: Bedford Village Inn, 2 Olde Bedford Way, Bedford, 472-2001, bedfordvillageinn.com

Best of Concord: O Steaks & Seafood, 11 S. Main St., Concord, 856-7925, magicfoodsrestaurantgroup.com/osteaks (O Steaks & Seafood also has a location at 62 Doris Ray Court in Laconia)

Best of Manchester: Cask and Vine, 1.5 E. Broadway, Derry, 965-3454, caskandvine.com

Best of Nashua: MT’s Local Kitchen & Wine Bar, 212 Main St., Nashua, 595-9334, mtslocal.com

Best NH Winery

Best: LaBelle Winery, 345 Route 101, Amherst, 672-9898, labellewinerynh.com. Visiting and tasting hours are Monday and Tuesday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Wednesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with tours offered on Saturday and Sunday. Wines are available at NH Liquor & Wine Outlet, Hannaford, Shaw’s and Market Basket stores as well as independent food markets and wine shops throughout the state.

Runner-up: Zorvino Vineyards, 226 Main St., Sandown, 887-8463, zorvino.com. Tastings and tours are offered daily from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wines are available at NH Liquor & Wine Outlet, Hannaford, Shaw’s and Market Basket stores as well as independent food markets and wine shops throughout the state.

Honorable Mention: Flag Hill Distillery & Winery, 297 N. River Road, Lee, 659-2949, flaghill.com. Visiting and tasting hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., with tours offered on Saturdays and Sundays. Wines are available at NH Liquor & Wine Outlet stores and select New Hampshire food markets, bars and restaurants.

Delicious dishes

Best Bagels

Best of the Best: Bagel Cafe, 373 Hanover St., Manchester, 647-2233, nhbagelcafe.com (Bagel Cafe also has a location at 19 S. River Road in Bedford)

Best of Concord: The Works Bakery Cafe, 42 N. Main St., Concord, 226-1827, worksbakerycafe.com (The Works also has locations at 5A Mill Road Plaza in Durham and 9 Congress St. in Portsmouth)

Best of Manchester: Brooklyn Bagel House, 11 Manchester Road, Derry, 432-3300, brooklynbagelrestaurant.com

Best of Nashua: Bagel Alley, 1 Eldridge St., Nashua, 882-9343, find them on Facebook

Best Breakfast

Best of the Best: Tucker’s, 1328 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, 206-5757, tuckersnh.com (Tucker’s also has locations in Concord and New London)

Best of Concord: Tucker’s, 80 South St., Concord, 413-5884, tuckersnh.com

Best of Manchester: Purple Finch Cafe, 124 S. River Road, Bedford, 232-1953, purplefinchcafe.com

Best of Nashua: The Riverhouse Cafe, 123 Union Square, Milford, 249-5556, theriverhousecafe.com (The Riverhouse also has a location at 4 Slip Road in Greenfield)

Best Burgers

Best of the Best: The Barley House, 132 N. Main St., Concord, 228-6363, thebarleyhouse.com (The Barley House also has a location at 43 Lafayette Road in North Hampton)

Best of Concord: Vibes Gourmet Burgers, 25 S. Main St., Concord, 856-8671, vibesgourmetburgers.com

Best of Manchester: The Tuckaway Tavern & Butchery,58 Route 27, Raymond, 244-2431, thetuckaway.com

Best of Nashua: Papa Joe’s Humble Kitchen, 237 South St., Milford, 672-9130, papajoeshumblekitchen.com

Best Burrito

Best of the Best: Dos Amigos Burritos, 26 N. Main St., Concord, 410-4161, dosamigosburritos.com (Dos Amigos also has locations at 286 Central Ave. in Dover and 107 State St. in Portsmouth)

Best of Concord: Hermanos Cocina Mexicana,11 Hills Ave., Concord, 224-5669, hermanosmexican.com

Best of Manchester: La Carreta Mexican Restaurant, 1875 S. Willow St., Manchester, 623-7705; 545 Daniel Webster Highway, Manchester, 628-6899, lacarretamex.com (La Carreta also has locations in Derry, Nashua and Londonderry)

Best of Nashua: California Burritos,101 Factory St., Nashua, 718-8745, facebook.com/californiaburritosnh

Best Clam Chowder

Best of the Best: Collins Brothers Chowder Co.,59 Temple St., Nashua, 883-2347, collinsbrotherschowder.com

Best of Concord: Newick’s Lobster House, 317 Loudon Road, Concord, 225-2424, newicks.com (Newick’s also has a location at 431 Dover Point Road in Dover)

Best of Manchester: Lobster Tail Restaurant,4 Cobbetts Pond Road, Unit 2, Windham, 890-5555, facebook.com/lobstertail

Best of Nashua: Surf Restaurant, 207 Main St., Nashua, 595-9293, surfseafood.com (Surf also has a location at 99 Bow St. in Portsmouth)

Best French Fries

Best of the Best: Republic, 1069 Elm St., Manchester, 666-3723, republiccafe.com

Best of Concord: The Barley House, 132 N. Main St., Concord, 228-6363, thebarleyhouse.com (The Barley House also has a location at 43 Lafayette Road in North Hampton)

Best of Manchester: Caesario’s, 1057 Elm St., Manchester, 669-8383, caesariospizza.com

Best of Nashua: Tiebreakers Family Grille/Wickets on the Green, located at Hampshire Hills Athletic Club, 50 Emerson Road, Milford, 673-7123, hampshirehills.com

Best Menu Item

Best of the Best: Chicken Tenders, Puritan Backroom, 245 Hooksett Road, Manchester, 669-6890, puritanbackroom.com

Best of Concord: Garlic Chicken Nachos, Hermanos Cocina Mexicana,11 Hills Ave., Concord, 224-5669, hermanosmexican.com

Best of Manchester: Fat Boy Steak Tips, The Tuckaway Tavern & Butchery,58 Route 27, Raymond, 244-2431, thetuckaway.com

Best of Nashua: Carmen Fries, Tiebreakers Family Grille/Wickets on the Green, located at Hampshire Hills Athletic Club, 50 Emerson Road, Milford, 673-7123, hampshirehills.com

Best Mac & Cheese

Best of the Best: Mr. Mac’s Macaroni & Cheese, 497 Hooksett Road, Manchester, 606-1760, mr-macs.com (Mr. Mac’s also has a location at 2600 Lafayette Road in Portsmouth)

Best of Concord: O Steaks & Seafood, 11 S. Main St., Concord, 856-7925, magicfoodsrestaurantgroup.com/osteaks (O Steaks & Seafood also has a location at 62 Doris Ray Court in Laconia)

Best of Manchester: The Tuckaway Tavern & Butchery,58 Route 27, Raymond, 244-2431, thetuckaway.com

Best of Nashua: The Homestead Restaurant & Tavern, 641 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, 429-2022, homesteadnh.com (The Homestead also has a location at 1567 Summer St. in Bristol)

Best Pizza, Takeout

Best of the Best: Alley Cat Pizzeria, 486 Chestnut St., Manchester, 669-4533, alleycatpizzerianh.com. Delivery available.

Best of Concord: Constantly Pizza, 39 S. Main St., Concord, 224-9366; 108 Fisherville Road, Penacook, 227-1117, constantlypizza.net. Delivery available.

Best of Manchester: The Pizza Man, 254 W. River Road, Hooksett, 626-7499, thepizzamandelivers.com. Delivery available. (The Pizza Man also has a location at 850 E. Industrial Park Drive in Manchester)

Best of Nashua: Espresso Pizza, 85 Main St., Nashua, 889-9826, find them on Facebook. Delivery available.

Best Pizza, Dine-In

Best of the Best: 900 Degrees Neapolitan Pizzeria, 50 Dow St., Manchester, 641-0900, 900degrees.com (900 Degrees also has a location in Brickyard Square at 24 Calef Highway in Epping)

Best of Concord: Tilton House of Pizza, 298 Main St., Tilton, 286-7181, find them on Facebook

Best of Nashua: Pig Tale Restaurant, 449 Amherst St., Nashua, 864-8740, pigtalerestaurant.com

Best Salads

Best of the Best: Live Juice, 5 S. Main St., Concord, 226-3024, livejuicenh.com

Best of Concord: Downtown Cheers Grille & Bar, 17 Depot St., Concord, 228-0180, cheersnh.com

Best of Manchester: Puritan Backroom, 245 Hooksett Road, Manchester, 669-6890, puritanbackroom.com

Best of Nashua: Pressed Cafe, 108 Spit Brook Road, Nashua, 718-1250, pressedcafe.com

Best Sandwich

Best of the Best: Korean Pork Tenderloin Burrito, Wellington’s Marketplace, 124 N. Main St., Concord, 715-1191, wellingtonsmarketplace.com

Best of Concord: Roast Beef, Beefside Restaurant, 106 Manchester St., Concord, 228-0208, beefsidenh.com

Best of Manchester: Steak and Cheese Sub, Sub Station, 1292 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, 625-1800, substationhooksett.com

Best of Nashua: Big Poppy, Nashua Garden, 121 Main St., Nashua, 886-7363, facebook.com/thenashuagarden603. Hot sandwich includes turkey, pepperoni and Muenster cheese.

Best Subs

Best of the Best: Nadeau’s Subs, 776 Mast Road, Manchester, 623-9315; 100 Cahill Ave., Manchester, 669-7827; 805 Canal St., Manchester, 644-8888; 1095 Hanover St., Manchester, 606-4411, nadeaussubs.com (Nadeau’s also has locations at 81 S. Main St. in Concord and 48 Portsmouth Avenue in Exeter)

Best of Concord: Cimo’s South End Deli, 250 South St., Concord, 856-8020, find them on Facebook

Best of Manchester: Sub Station, 1292 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, 625-1800, substationhooksett.com

Best of Nashua: Bill Cahill’s Super Subs, 8 Kimball Road, Hudson, 882-7710

Food shops

Best Bakery

Best of the Best: Bread & Chocolate, 29 S. Main St., Concord, 228-3330, find them on Facebook.

Best of Concord: Crust & Crumb, 126 N. Main St., Concord, 219-0763, thecrustandcrumb.com

Best of Manchester: Klemm’s Bakery, 29 Indian Rock Road, Windham, 437-8810, klemmsbakery.com

Best of Nashua: Buckley’s Bakery & Cafe, 436 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, 262-5929, buckleysbakerycafe.com

Best Butcher Shop

Best of the Best: The Tuckaway Tavern & Butchery, 58 Route 27, Raymond, 224-2431, thetuckaway.com

Best of Concord: Concord Beef & Seafood, 75 S. Main St., Concord, 226-3474, find them on Facebook.

Best of Manchester: Mr. Steer, 27 Buttrick Road, Londonderry, 434-1444, mrsteermeats.com

Best of Nashua: The Flying Butcher, 124 Route 101A, Amherst, 598-6328, theflyingbutcher.com

Best Neighborhood Market

Best of the Best: Sully’s Superette, 10 N. Mast Road, Goffstown, 497-8176, sullyssuperette.com

Best of Concord: Quality Cash Market, 11 Eastman St., Concord, 225-9661, qualitycashmarket.com

Best of Manchester: Angela’s Pasta and Cheese Shop, 815 Chestnut St., Manchester, 625-9544, angelaspastaandcheese.com

Best of Nashua: Jeannotte’s Market, 2 Courtland St., Nashua, 882-0161, find them on Facebook.

Sweets

Best Candy/Chocolate Shop

Best of the Best: Granite State Candy Shoppe, 13 Warren St., Concord, 225-2591, granitestatecandyshoppe.com

Best of Concord: Kellerhaus, 259 Endicott St. North, Weirs Beach, 366-4466, kellerhaus.com

Best of Manchester: Van Otis Chocolates, 341 Elm St., Manchester, 627-1611, vanotischocolates.com

Best of Nashua: Nelson’s Candies, 65 Main St., Wilton, 654-5030, nelsonscandieswilton.com

Best Cupcakes

Best of the Best: Queen City Cupcakes, 790 Elm St., Manchester, 624-4999, qccupcakes.com

Best of Concord: Concord Food Co-op, 24 S. Main St., Concord, 225-6840, concordfoodcoop.coop

Best of Manchester: Carina’s Cakes, 38 Crystal Ave., Derry, 425-9620, find them on Facebook.

Best of Nashua: Frederick’s Pastries, 109 Route 101A, Amherst, 882-7725, pastry.net

Best Desserts

Best of the Best: Bread & Chocolate, 29 S. Main St., Concord, 228-3330, find them on Facebook.

Best of Concord: Crust & Crumb, 126 N. Main St., Concord, 219-0763, thecrustandcrumb.com

Best of Manchester: Carina’s Cakes, 38 Crystal Ave., Derry, 425-9620, find them on Facebook.

Best of Nashua: Buckley’s Bakery & Cafe, 436 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, 262-5929, buckleysbakerycafe.com

Best Locally Made Donuts

Best of the Best: Klemm’s Bakery, 29 Indian Rock Road, Windham, 437-8810, klemmsbakery.com

Best of Concord: Brothers Donuts & Deli, 426 Central St., Franklin, 934-6678, find them on Facebook.

Best of Manchester: The Local Moose Cafe, 124 Queen City Ave., Manchester, 232-2669, thelocalmoosecafe.com

Best of Nashua: Crosby Bakery, 51 E. Pearl St., Nashua, 882-1851, crosbybakerynh.com

Best Ice Cream

Best of the Best: Hayward’s Homemade Ice Cream, 7 Daniel Webster Highway, Nashua, 888-4663, haywardsicecream.com

Best of Concord: Arnie’s Place, 164 Loudon Road, Concord, 228-3225, arniesplace.com

Best of Manchester: Puritan Backroom, 245 Hooksett Road, Manchester, 666-9893, puritanbackroom.com

Best of Nashua: King Kone, 336 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, 420-8312, find them on Facebook.

Best Whoopie Pies

Best of the Best: Crust & Crumb, 126 N. Main St., Concord, 219-0763, thecrustandcrumb.com

Best of Concord: Gould Hill Farm, 656 Gould Hill Road, Contoocook, 746-3811, gouldhillfarm.com

Best of Manchester: Carina’s Cakes, 38 Crystal Ave., Derry, 425-9620, find them on Facebook.

Best of Nashua: Buckley’s Bakery & Cafe, 436 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, 262-5929, buckleysbakerycafe.com

Locally grown

Best Farm Stand

Best of the Best: Lull Farm, 65 Broad St., Hollis, 465-7079, livefreeandfarm.com

Best of Concord: Dimond Hill Farm, 315 Hopkinton Road, Concord, 496-8218, dimondhillfarm.com

Best of Manchester: LaValley Farms, 1801 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, 485-3541, lavalleyfarms.com

Best of Nashua: Fitch’s Corner, 182 Center Road, Milford, 801-8368, find them on Facebook.

Best Farmers Market

Best: Concord Farmers Market. It begins Saturday, May 6 and is open every Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to noon on Capitol Street, Concord

Runner-up: Salem Farmers Market. It is open year-round every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 14 Main St., Salem, until Sunday, May 7, when it moves to 224 N. Broadway, Salem.

Honorable Mention: Bedford Farmers Market. It begins June 6 and is open every Tuesday from 3 to 6 p.m. at 190 Meetinghouse Road, Bedford.

Best NH-Made Food Product

Best: Laurel Hill Jams and Jellies of Bedford, available at their home address at 47 Birchwood Circle, Bedford, Bedford Fields Garden Center & Home Decor, the Farm & Flower Market in Manchester, several other stores and online at laurelhilljams.com. Check the website for more locations and call 472-5388 for more info.

Runner-up: Blackwater Mustard of Contoocook, available at local farm stands, small markets and delis around southern New Hampshire. You can also purchase at blackwatermustardco.com. Contact blackwater.mustard@gmail.com or call 746-2349 for more info.

Honorable Mention: Parker’s Maple Barn of Mason maple syrup, available at their gift shop at 1316 Brookline Road, Mason, or online at parkersmaplebarn.com.

Entertainment

Best Radio Show

Best: Greg and the Morning Buzz, Rock 101 WGIR-FM/100.3 WHEB-FM, airs weekdays from 5:30 to 10 a.m., hosted by Greg Kretschmar, morningbuzz.com

Runner-up: The Exchange, New Hampshire Public Radio (NHPR), 89.1 FM Concord/Manchester, 88.3 FM Nasua, airs weekdays live from 9 to 10 a.m. and re-airs at 8 p.m., hosted by Laura Knoy, nhpr.org.

Honorable Mention: New Hampshire in the Morning, 95.7 WZID-FM, airs mornings from 5 to 10 a.m., hosted by Neal White and Marga Bessette, wzid.com

Best Radio Station

Best: 95.7 WZID-FM, today’s variety, wzid.com

Runner-up: New Hampshire Public Radio (NHPR), airs local and national news and programming from NPR and other public radio stations on various frequencies around the state, including 89.1 FM Concord/Manchester and 88.3 FM Nashua. Visit nhpr.org.

Honorable Mention: Rock 101 WGIR-FM, Manchester’s rock station, rock101fm.com

Best Local Movie Theater

Best: Red River Theatres, 11 S. Main St., Concord, 224-4600, redrivertheatres.org. A three-screen cinema that shows independent films, classics, foreign films, cult favorites and local projects.

Runner-up: Chunky’s Cinema Pub, 151 Coliseum Ave., Nashua, 880-8055, chunkys.com. A unique movie-viewing experience offering leather reclining seats from Lincoln Town Cars with food and drink table service during first-run major motion pictures.

Honorable Mention: Wilton Town Hall Theatre, 40 Main St., Wilton, 654-3456, wiltontownhalltheatre.com. An arthouse theater located in an old town hall building that shows a combination of modern indie flicks and classics.

Best Bookstore/Comic Book Store

Best of the Best: Gibson’s Bookstore, 45 S. Main St., Concord, 224-0562, gibsonsbookstore.com

Best of Concord: Main Street BookEnds of Warner, 16 E. Main St., Warner, 456-2700, mainstreetbookends.com

Best of Manchester: Double Midnight Comics, 245 Maple St., Manchester, 669-9636, dmcomics.com

Best of Nashua: The Toadstool Bookshop, 614 Nashua St., Lorden Plaza, Milford, 673-1734, roadbooks.com

Best Community Event

Best: Market Days Festival, held in downtown Concord every summer, features food, shopping and free entertainment. This year’s festival is Thursday, June 22, through Saturday, June 24. Hosted by Intown Concord, intownconcord.org.

Best of Concord: Warner Fall Foliage Festival, held in downtown Warner every fall, is a free, family-friendly event that highlights rural life and colorful foliage. The Festival features live entertainment, parades, a 5K, amusement rides and food. This year’s event goes from Friday, Oct. 6, through Sunday, Oct. 8, wfff.org.

Best of Manchester: Hippo de Mayo Taco Challenge, held in downtown Manchester, is the largest Cinco de Mayo celebration in New England. Dozens of restaurants create their own unique tacos that visitors can try for $2 each. This year’s event will be on Thursday, May 4 (always the first Thursday of May). Hosted by the Hippo, hippodemayo.com.

Best of Nashua: Winter Holiday Stroll, held in downtown Nashua, features music, food, shopping, live entertainment and a candlelight stroll down Main Street. This year’s stroll is on Saturday, Nov. 25. Hosted by Great American Downtown Nashua, downtownnashua.org.

Best Food Event

Best of the Best: Hampton Beach Seafood Festival. With more than 150,000 annual attendees, it’s the largest seaside festival in New England and features seafood from more than 60 restaurants, plus family activities. This year’s festival is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 8, through Sunday, Sept. 10, at Ocean Boulevard on Hampton Beach, hamptonbeachseafoodfestival.com.

Best of Concord: Market Days Festival, held in downtown Concord every summer, features food, shopping and free entertainment. This year’s festival is Thursday, June 22, through Saturday, June 24. Hosted by Intown Concord, intownconcord.org.

Best of Nashua: Rock’n Ribfest. A celebration of ribs and barbecue food made by nationally renowned smokers and local restaurants. The festival, put on by Rotary Club of Nashua West, also features live concerts, a road race, hot air balloon rides and more. This year’s event is scheduled for Friday, June 16, through Sunday, June 18, at the Anheuser-Busch Brewery, 221 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, ribfestnh.com, rotarynashuawest.com.

Best Place to Take Your Kids

Best of the Best: Cowabungas, an indoor inflatable playground. 1328 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, 625-8008, mycowabungas.com

Best of Concord: Krazy Kids, an indoor play center and party venue, 60 Sheep Davis Road, Pembroke, 228-7529, gokrazykids.com

Best of Manchester: SEE Science Center, an interactive science museum modeled after the Exploratorium in San Francisco, 200 Bedford St., Manchester, 669-0400, see-sciencecenter.org

Best of Nashua: Nuthin’ But Good Times!, an indoor playground and party venue, 746 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, 429-2200, nuthinbutgoodtimes.com

Best Place to Take Kids on a Rainy/Snowy Day

Best of the Best: Cowabungas, an indoor inflatable playground, 1328 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, 625-8008, mycowabungas.com

Best of Concord: Krazy Kids, an indoor play center and party venue, 60 Sheep Davis Road, Pembroke, 228-7529, gokrazykids.com

Best of Manchester: SEE Science Center, an interactive science museum modeled after the Exploratorium in San Francisco, 200 Bedford St., Manchester, 669-0400, see-sciencecenter.org

Best of Nashua: Nuthin’ But Good Times!, an indoor playground and party venue, 746 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, 429-2200, nuthinbutgoodtimes.com

Best Place to Take Visiting Relatives

Best: Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St., Manchester, 669-6144, currier.org. An art museum founded in 1929 that features European and American paintings, decorative arts, photographs and sculptures, including works by Picasso, Monet, O’Keeffe and other notable artists.

Runner-up: Anheuser-Busch Brewery, 221 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, 595-1202, budweisertours.com. The center of Northeast operations for beer production and distribution for brands like Budweiser and the home of the famous Budweiser Clydesdales. Tours are available Thursday through Monday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., after April 14, tours are available daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and between September and December tours are offered daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Biergarten is open Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Honorable Mention: Canterbury Shaker Village, 288 Shaker Road, Canterbury, 783-9511, shakers.org. A museum preserving an original Shaker village built in 1792 that includes 25 restored and four reconstructed buildings where visitors can learn about Shaker life. Museum exhibit and tours open this year on May 6 and is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Oct. 27. Guided tours are available on Oct. 28 and 29 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on weekends in November from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (including Friday Nov. 24). The museum store is open April 1 through May 5 Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. From May 6 through Oct. 27, the store is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and between Oct. 28 and Dec. 23 it’s open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Closed on Thanksgiving.

Pets

Best Pet Store

Best of the Best: Woof Meow Family Pet Center, 19A Manchester Road, Derry, 965-3218, woofmeownh.com

Best of Concord: Sandy’s Pet Food Center, 141 Old Turnpike Road, Concord, 225-1177, sandyspetfood.com

Best of Manchester: Friendly Pets, 40 Concord Road, Lee, 868-1800, friendlypets.com (Its second location in Exeter at 81 Portsmouth Ave. at is set to open later this spring.)

Best of Nashua: Pet’s Choice, 454 DW Highway, Merrimack, 424-7297, petschoicenh.com

Best Doggie Day Care

Best of the Best: Woof Woof Doggie Daycare Boarding & Training, 47 Rockingham Road, Windham, 890-6239, woofwoof.net

Best of Concord: Paws on Pine, 913 Pine St., Contoocook, 568-4022, pawsonpinenh.com

Best of Manchester: The Barking Dog Ltd., 208 Londonderry Turnpike, Hooksett, 222-2275, thebarkingdog.com (There are also locations in Derry at 210 Rockingham Road and Exeter at 7 Beech Hill Road.)

Best of Nashua: Superdogs Daycare, 637 DW Highway, Merrimack, 424-1515, superdogsdaycare.com

Best Place to Walk Your Dog

Best of the Best: Benson Park, 19 Kimball Hill Road, Hudson (Formerly the site of Benson’s Wild Animal Farm, it’s a 166-acre municipal park in Hudson housing trails, a 9/11 memorial, dog park and Little Free Library.)

Best of Concord: White Park, 1 White St., Concord (In the winter, the 20-acre park houses a sledding hill and skating rink, and in the summer, visitors come for its baseball field, basketball court, picnic shelter, playground equipment, pool, soccer field and walking trails.)

Best of Manchester: Livingston Park, Hooksett Road, Manchester (It houses a baseball diamond, playground, pool, soccer field, running track, picnic shelter and Dorr’s Pond, which you can fish in during the summer and skate on during the winter.)

Best of Nashua: Mine Falls Park, Whipple St., Nashua (The 325-acre park includes forest, wetlands and open fields and is bordered on the north by the Nashua River.)

Nightlife

Best Bar For Live Music

Best of the Best: TheShaskeen, 909 Elm St., Manchester, 625-0246, theshaskeenpub.com

Best of Concord: True Brew Barista, 3 Bicentennial Square, Concord, 225-2776, truebrewbarista.com (It also has a location inside Concord’s Gibson’s Bookstore at 45 S. Main St.)

Best of Manchester: Strange Brew Tavern, 88 Market St., Manchester, 666-4292, strangebrewtavern.net

Best of Nashua: Riverwalk Cafe & Music Bar, 35 Railroad Square, Nashua, 578-0200, riverwalknashua.com

Best Bar With Outside Deck

Best of the Best: The Derryfield Restaurant, 625 Mammoth Road, Manchester, 623-2880, thederryfield.com (The deck opens when the adjacent golf course is open — typically in April, when the ground is dry.)

Best of Concord: Downtown Cheers Grille & Bar, 17 Depot St., Concord, 228-0180, cheersnh.com (It opens when the weather warms up.)

Best of Manchester: Murphy’s Taproom, 494 Elm St., Manchester, 644-3535, murphystaproom.com (The deck opens when the weather is consistently warm.)

Best of Nashua: The Pasta Loft, 241 Union Square, Milford, 672-2270, pastaloft.com (Its deck will open once the snow has melted. Pasta Loft also has another location in Hampstead at 220 E. Main St.)

Best Sports Bar

Best of the Best: Billy’s Sports Bar and Grill, 34 Tarrytown Road, Manchester, 622-3644, billyssportsbar.com

Best of Concord: The Draft Sports Bar and Grill, 67 S. Main St., Concord, 227-1175, draftsportsbar.com

Best of Manchester: Thirsty Moose Taphouse, 795 Elm St., Manchester, 792-2337 (Thirsty Moose Taphouse also has locations in Portsmouth at 21 Congress St. and Dover at 83 Washington St.)

Best of Nashua: Tilted Kilt Pub, 345 Amherst St., Nashua, 204-5531, tiltedkilt.com

Best Pub Trivia Night

Best of the Best: Monday nights at TheShaskeen, 909 Elm St., Manchester, 625-0246, theshaskeenpub.com (Trivia starts at 7:30 p.m., with a maximum of six to a team.)

Best of Concord: Tuesday nights at Area 23, 254 N. State St., Concord, 552-0137, thearea23.com (Trivia starts at 7 p.m., no team size limit.)

Best of Manchester: Wednesday nights at The Farm Bar & Grille, 1181 Elm St., Manchester 641-3276, farmbargrille.com (Trivia starts at 8:30 p.m., with a maximum of six people per team.)

Best of Nashua: Tuesday nights at The Peddler’s Daughter, 48 Main St., Nashua, 821-7535, thepeddlersdaughter.com (Trivia starts at 8:30 p.m.; there’s no team size limit, and you can sign up the night of.)

Best Karaoke Night

Best of the Best: Yee Dynasty Chinese Restaurant, 830 S. Willow St., Manchester, 625-5500, yeedynasty.com (Karaoke is seven nights a week from 9:30 p.m. to 1 a.m.; sign up is at the door.)

Best of Concord: Beijing & Tokyo, 61 S. Main St., Concord, 228-0888, beijingtokyoconcordnh.com (Karaoke is Friday and Saturday night at 9 p.m.)

Best of Manchester: McGarvey’s Saloon, 1097 Elm St., Manchester, 627-2721, mcgarveysnh.com (Karaoke is every day except Monday night at 9:30 p.m.)

Best of Nashua: Grand Buffet, 350 Amherst St., Nashua, 881-9799, 350grandbuffet.com (Karoake is Friday and Saturday from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.)

Best Date Place

Best of the Best: 815 Cocktails and Provisions, 815 Elm St., Manchester, 782-8086, ivotewet.com

Best of Concord: Angelina’s Ristorante Italiano, 11 Depot St., Concord, 228-3313, angelinasrestaurant.com

Best of Manchester: Mint Bistro, 1105 Elm St., Manchester, 625-6468, mintbistronh.com

Best of Nashua: Stella Blu, 70 E. Pearl St., Nashua, 578-5557, stellablu-nh.com

Outdoors

Best Local Hiking Trail

Best of the Best: Mine Falls Park, Whipple Street, Nashua, 589-3400, ext. 5005, nashuanh.gov. A 325-acre park that includes about eight miles of walking trails in the forest, as well as wetlands and open fields, in the heart of the Gate City, near the Nashua River.

Best of Concord: Marjory Swope Park, Long Pond Road, Concord, 225-8515, concordnh.gov. A two-mile loop near Penacook Lake.

Best of Manchester: Lake Massabesic, Route 101, Exit 2, Bypass 28, Manchester, 624-6444, manchesternh.gov. Several marked trails that range in length from a half mile to more than three miles.

Best of Nashua: Beaver Brook, 117 Ridge Road, Hollis, 465-7787, beaverbrook.org. Features 35 miles of trails along more than 2,000 acres of forest, wetlands and fields.

Best City Park

Best of the Best: White Park, 1 White St., Concord, 225-8690, concordnh.gov. A 20-acre park with features that include White Park Pond, an ice skating rink during the winter months, and the Monkey Around Playground, the largest playground in the Capital City.

Best of Concord: Rollins Park, 116 Broadway St., Concord, 225-8690, concordnh.gov (parking is at 33 Bow St., Concord). Features walking trails, a full-sized playground, baseball, softball and field hockey fields, and the city’s largest public pool, open during the summer months.

Best of Manchester: Livingston Park, Hooksett Road, Manchester, 624-4444, manchesternh.gov. The park features a baseball diamond, a soccer field, walking paths, a running track and two playgrounds. A recently constructed swimming pool is also available during the summer months.

Best of Nashua: Benson Park, 19 Kimball Hill Road, Hudson, 880-1600, hudsonnh.gov. Features more than 150 acres of land and includes ponds, walking trails in the woods, a playground and a dog park.

Best State Park

Best: Bear Brook State Park, 61 Deerfield Road, Allenstown, 485-9869, nhstateparks.org. The largest developed state park in New Hampshire, with more than 10,000 acres of land and 40 miles of trails.

Runner-up: Pawtuckaway State Park, 128 Mountain Road, Nottingham, 895-3031, nhstateparks.org. Features more than 5,000 acres of land and hiking trails.

Honorable Mention: Wellington State Park, 614 West Shore Road, Bristol, 744-2197, nhstateparks.org. Features volleyball and horseshoe courts, and a peninsula nature trail with picnic areas, fishing areas and more.

Best Sledding Hill

Best of the Best: Derryfield Country Club, 625 Mammoth Road, Manchester, 669-0235, derryfieldgolf.com. A popular hill for sledding next to the golf course.

Best of Concord: White Park, 1 White St., Concord, 225-8690, concordnh.gov. A sledding hill is located within the park.

Best of Manchester: Mack’s Apples, 230 Mammoth Road, Londonderry, 434-7619, macksapples.com. Multiple hills around the property are available for sledding.

Best of Nashua: Roby Park, Spit Brook Road, Nashua, 589-3370, nashuanh.gov. A large hill behind the park is often used for sledding.

Best Local Ski Hill

Best: Pats Peak Ski Area, 686 Flanders Road, Henniker, 428-3245, patspeak.com. Features 28 trails and slopes, 11 chair lifts, and one of the highest capacity computer-controlled snowmaking systems in the Northeast.

Runner-up: McIntyre Ski Area, 50 Chalet Court, Manchester, 622-6159, mcintyreskiarea.com. Features 200 vertical feet of terrain, nine skiing trails and an eight-lane snow tubing park.

Honorable Mention: Crotched Mountain, 615 Francestown Road, Bennington, 588-3668, crotchedmountain.com. Features 100 acres of skiing terrain, with 25 trails and three terrain parks.

Best Golf Course

Best: Derryfield Country Club, 625 Mammoth Road, Manchester, 669-0235, derryfieldgolf.com. Derryfield is a public golf course. Rates are $43 for 18 holes everyday and $27 for 9 holes. Additional fees apply for golf carts.

Runner-up: Beaver Meadow Golf Course, 1 Beaver Meadow Drive, Concord, 228-8954, beavermeadowgolfcourse.com. Beaver Meadow is open to the public and offers walk-in rates and seasonal memberships. 2017 rate information TBA.

Honorable Mention: Manchester Country Club, 180 S. River Road, Bedford, 624-4096, manchestercountryclub.com. Manchester Country Club is open to the public but requires memberships to use the facilities. A variety of memberships are available that include access to golf courses and events, player development and indoor simulator and more.

Favorite Farm

Best: Lull Farm, 65 Broad St., Hollis, 465-7079, livefreeandfarm.com, grows a variety of fruits and vegetables, like apples, kiwi, potatoes, carrots, zucchini and more.

Runner-up: Sunnycrest Farm, 59 High Range Road, Londonderry, 432-7753, sunnycrestfarmnh.com, has pick-your-own apples, strawberries, blueberries and cherries, as well as a farmers market with fruits, vegetables, milk, honey, syrup and more.

Honorable Mention: J&F Farms, 108 Chester Road, Derry, 437-0535, jandffarms.com, produces fruits, vegetables, beef, eggs and more.

Food Personalities

Best Bartender

Best of the Best: Jack Wholey, Republic, 1069 Elm St., Manchester, 666-3723, republiccafe.com

Best of Concord: Jonathan Emmons, The Barley House Restaurant & Tavern, 132 N. Main St., Concord, 228-6363, thebarleyhouse.com

Best of Manchester: Patrick Graham, Romano’s Pizza, 27 Colby Road, Litchfield, 424-0500, romanosnh.com

Best of Nashua: Michael Day, Giorgio’s Ristorante & Bar, 707 Milford Road, Merrimack, 883-7333, giorgios.com

Best Chef

Best of the Best: Bobby Marcotte, The Tuckaway Tavern & Butchery, 58 Route 27, Raymond, 244-2431, thetuckaway.com

Best of Concord: Corey Fletcher, Revival Kitchen & Bar, 11 Depot St., Concord, 715-5723, revivalkitchennh.com
Best of Manchester: Edward Aloise, Republic, 1069 Elm St., Manchester, 666-3723, republiccafe.com

Best of Nashua: Kimmy Lavoie, Bar One, 40 Nashua St., Milford, 249-5327, find them on Facebook at facebook.com/baronenh

Best Waiter/Waitress

Best of the Best: Josee Bilodeau, Republic, 1069 Elm St., Manchester, 666-3723, republiccafe.com

Best of Concord: Bill Wishart, Revival Kitchen & Bar, 11 Depot St., Concord, 715-5723, revivalkitchennh.com
Best of Manchester: Sarah Archambault, The Wild Rover, 21 Kosciuszko St., Manchester, 669-7722, wildroverpub.com
Best of Nashua: Amanda Hudon, Tiebreakers Family Grille, Hampshire Hills Athletic Club, 50 Emerson Road, Milford, 673-7123, ext. 232, hampshirehills.com

Health & Beauty Personalities

Best Fitness Instructor

Best of the Best: Nancy Carlson (who coaches Athlete Academy), Get Fit New Hampshire, 287 S. Main St., Concord, and 167 New Orchard Road, Epsom, 344-2651, getfitnh.com

Best of Concord: Jeremy Woodward (who coaches boot camp), Jeremy’s Boot Camp, 153 Manchester St., Concord, 721-2830, jeremysbootcamp.com

Best of Manchester: Nancy Brodeur, Jazzercise Manchester Fitness Center, 32 Hayward St., Manchester, 624-9122, jcls.jazzercise.com/facility/jazzercise-manchester-fitness-center

Best of Nashua: Matt Skeffington, Dynamic Strength & Conditioning, 115 Northeastern Blvd., Nashua, 882-2348, dynamicsc.com

Best Hair Stylist

Best of the Best: Kae Mason, Salon K, 18 Pleasant St., Concord, 225-0099, salonkconcord.com

Best of Concord: Denise Jewell, Salon K, 18 Pleasant St., Concord, 225-0099, salonkconcord.com

Best of Manchester: Samantha Courtois, 5 Diamond Salon, 915 Holt Ave., No. 4, Manchester, 459-3367, 5diamondsalon.com

Best of Nashua: Erin Crowley, Fancy Nancy’s Elite Hair Designers, 295 Daniel Webster Highway, Nashua, 891-0202, fancynancyssalon.com

Best Barber

Best of the Best: Rick Lindof, The Polished Man, 707 Milford Road, Unit 3A, Merrimack, 233-8685, thepolishedmannh.com

Best of Concord: Josh Craggy, Lucky’s Barbershop & Shave Parlor, 50 S. State St., Concord, 715-5470, luckysbarbershop.biz

Best of Manchester: Josh Smith, Handsome Devil’s Barbershop & Shave, 1100 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, 232-7024, handsomedevilsnh.com

Best of Nashua: Hannah Coleman, The Polished Man, 707 Milford Road, Unit 3A, Merrimack, 233-8685, rlcuts.com

Friendliest Dentist

Best of the Best: Dr. Elizabeth Spindel (Elizabeth Spindel, D.M.D.), 862 Union St., Manchester, 669-9049, elizabethspindel.com

Best of Concord: Dr. Ray Orzechowski (R. Orzechowski Jr. D.M.D. General Dentistry) 280 Pleasant St., Concord, 228-4456

Best of Manchester: Dr. John J. Ahern (Ahern, Nichols, Ahern, Hersey & Butterfield Family Dentistry), 30 Pinkerton St., Derry, 432-5039, ahearn-nichols.com

Best of Nashua: Dr. Harvey Weener (Landmark Dental Care), 283 Broad St., Nashua, 882-7312, landmarkdentalnashua.com

Notable Locals

Best Mechanic

Best of the Best: Justin Lemay, Black Widow Customs, 51 Kosciuszko St., Manchester, 624-0400, blackwidowcustoms.com

Best of Concord: Ryan Arsenault, Pellerin Motorsports, 219 Pembroke St., Pembroke, 210-1637, pellerinmotorsports.com

Best of Manchester: Ralph Brutus, Brutus Auto Repair & Service, 148 Merrimack St., Manchester, 624-8881, brutusauto.com

Best of Nashua: Nathan Fogg, Nathan Fogg’s Auto, 475 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, 670-4986, nathanfoggsauto.com

Best Teacher

Best of the Best: Carole Bilodeau (first grade), Epping Elementary School, 17 Prospect St., Epping

Best of Concord: Emily Crompton (physical education), Coe-Brown Northwood Academy, 907 1st New Hampshire Turnpike, Northwood

Best of Manchester: Jeffrey Normandin (English), Manchester Memorial High School, 1 Crusader Way, Manchester

Best of Nashua: Amanda Eaton (first grade), Clark-Wilkins Elementary School, 80 Boston Post Road, Amherst

Entertainers

Best Local Band

Best: Miketon & The Night Blinders (folk-country), miketon.net

Runner-up: Pat & the Hats (rock-pop), patandthehats.com

Honorable Mention: enCircle (alternative-progressive rock), encircleband.com

Best Local Solo Performer

Best: Brad Bosse of Milford (acoustic-rock), facebook.com/bradbossemusic. Next local show is at Fratello’s in Nashua on Friday, March 31, at 6:30 p.m.

Runner-up: Ryan Williamson of Concord (acoustic-rock), rwilliamsonmusic.com. Next local show is at Telly’s in Epping on Friday, March 31, at 7 p.m.

Honorable Mention: Tristan Omand of Manchester (Americana), tristanomand.com. Next local show is at The Country Spirit in Henniker on Friday, March 31, at 8:30 p.m.

Best Local Comedian

Best: Nick Lavallee, theotherdude.com. Next local show is at the Shaskeen in Manchester on Wednesday, April 26, at 9 p.m.

Runner-up: Juston McKinney, justonmckinney.com. Next local show is at the Capitol Center for the Arts in Concord on Saturday, May 6, at 8 p.m.

Honorable Mention: Greg Boggis of Milford, facebook.com/GBoggis. Boggis is the host of The Boggis Hour, which airs on Access Nashua (Channel 96 in the Nashua area). He also appears at the Thursday Comedy Nights at Fody’s in Nashua; the next one is Thursday, March 30, at 8 p.m..

Best Local Radio Show Host

Best: Greg Kretschmar from Greg and the Morning Buzz, Rock 101 WGIR-FM/100.3 WHEB-FM, morningbuzz.com. Show airs weekdays from 5:30 to 10 a.m.

Runner-up: Laura Knoy from The Exchange, New Hampshire Public Radio (NHPR), 89.1 FM Concord/Manchester/88.3 FM Nashua, nhpr.org. Show airs weekdays from 9 to 10 a.m. and re-airs at 7 p.m.

Honorable Mention: Nazzy from Morning Wake Up, 98.3 WLNH-FM, wlnh.nh1media.com. Show airs weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m.

Best Local NH Sports Team

Best: New Hampshire Fisher Cats, Manchester-based AA affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays Major League Baseball team, miilb.com. The 2017 season home opener is Thursday, April 6, against the Binghamton Mets. Home field is Northeast Delta Dental Stadium, 1 Line Drive, Manchester.

Runner-up: Manchester Monarchs, Manchester-based East Coast Hockey League affiliate of the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings, manchestermonarchs.com. The next and final two home games of the season are Saturday, April 1, and Sunday, April 2, against the Elmira Jackals. Home ice is at the SNHU Arena, 555 Elm St., Manchester.

Honorable Mention: Nashua Silver Knights, Nashua-based Futures Collegiate Baseball League team, nashuasilverknights.com. The 2017 season home opener is Friday, June 2, against the Pittsfield Suns. Home field is Holman Stadium, 67 Amherst St., Nashua.

Local Attractions

Best Historical Site or Museum

Best of the Best: Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St., Manchester, 669-6144, currier.org. An internationally renowned art museum founded in 1929 that features American and European paintings, sculptures, photographs and more.

Best of Concord: Canterbury Shaker Village, 288 Shaker Road, Canterbury, 783-9511, shakers.org. One of the original Shaker museums that has since turned into a museum preserving several of the original buildings.

Best of Manchester: Millyard Museum, 200 Bedford St., Manchester, 622-7531, manchesterhistoric.org/millyard-museum. This museum is operated by the Manchester Historic Association and features exhibits pertaining to the Queen City’s history.

Best of Nashua: Monson Center, Federal Hill Road, Milford, 224-9945, forestsociety.org/property/monson-center. The site of an early colonial settlement in the mid-1700s that has since been preserved.

Coolest-looking Building

Best of the Best: New Hampshire Statehouse, 107 N. Main St., Concord, nh.gov. The oldest statehouse in the United States in which the state legislature still sits in its original chambers, the capitol building first opened in 1814. Tours for the NH State house can be booked online at gencourt.nh.state.us or by calling the Visitor Center at 271-2154.

Best of Concord: Gasholder House, South Main St., Concord, concordnh.gov. One of 11 known gasholder houses in the United States built in the 1800s to store gas surrounded by an iron gasholder, the Gasholder House is a round brick building that was used from 1888 to 1952 and is the last structure of its kind in the U.S. still containing its original gasholder. It has not been in service for decades.

Best of Manchester: Black Widow Customs, 51 Kosciuszko St., Manchester, 624-0400, blackwidowcustoms.com. A family-owned company selling Jeep and off-road parts, the brick building features the back of a car jutting out from above the garage door entry.

Best of Nashua: Hunt Memorial Building, 6 Main St., Nashua, nashuanh.gov, is a former library that was recently renovated for office space and event rentals.

Best Thing About Living in NH

Best: Natural beauty and splendor. The beauty of New Hampshire and its lakes, mountains and coast ranked high on why people love living here. “Breathtaking views,” “Beautiful state for camping, hiking, skiing,” “Clean air and open spaces,” “Mountains, ocean, city, farmland all within an hour or so,” were some of the raves.

Runner-up: Seasons, yes all four of them. Even winter had its supporters — “winter and snow,” said one reader specifically. (Here’s another recipe for winter contentment: “Snow, fireplace, birds, wildlife, reading.”) “The scenery of the four seasons,” and comments praising not just the seasons themselves but the transition of seasons were common. Of the individual seasons, fall and the fall foliage probably received the most praise.

Honorable mention: Quality of Life. “Live free or die, baby!” and “Freedom” were popular answers, as were variations on “awesome friggin people.”

Category: Hippo Member Supported

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