A Gate City flavor tour

Taste of Downtown Nashua returns

Foodies will get a unique opportunity to discover the Gate City’s culinary scene during the annual Taste of Downtown Nashua, returning for a 27th year on Wednesday, June 7. Presented by the Nashua-based nonprofit Great American Downtown, the event pairs nearly two dozen area restaurants with participating businesses for a night of exclusive food and drink sampling.

“We have 20 stops, which is the most we’ve had in a few years,” Great American Downtown executive director Carolyn Walley said. “The tradition of the event is that there will be a flow of attendees going through the shops, and so you get a two-in-one experience. You get to check out the shops and the restaurants at the same time. … You also leave the event completely full, so you don’t have to buy dinner that night. I get messages from a lot of people saying that they like to go with their family and walk around downtown to try everything, and it’s fun.”

Pandemic woes forced the Taste of Downtown to pause for two years before it was able to return in full force last year. As a result, the 2022 event featured several first-time participants.

“It was so great to see Main Street buzzing again,” Walley said of last year’s Taste of Downtown. “That was the first time that a lot of us had seen such a crowd on Main Street in a couple of years. I think we sold about 750 tickets last year, and we’re expecting the same this time.”

Ticket holders will receive a map with a designated number for each assigned stop, featuring a participating restaurant or food truck paired up with another downtown retail business. Three outdoor areas of live local music — New Hampshire-based alternative rock band Hunter, Nashua group The Humans Being and the Nick Goumas Jazz Quartet — are also part of the experience.

The event is timed perfectly for attendees to discover Mike’s Italian Kitchen, which recently just rebranded from MT’s Local Kitchen & Wine Bar within the last several weeks. Walley said they plan to serve miniature Italian sausage subs, while their sister restaurant, Surf, will serve tiramisu.

Rambling House Food & Gathering and The Hidden Pig, two other local eateries that have joined Nashua’s dining scene within the last year, are also participating for the first time.

“This year we’ve really expanded our horizons from what downtown is usually considered,” Walley said. “We usually have it from City Hall to the Hunt Building and then east and west a few blocks. But we’ve expanded more down toward South Main Street, and so Root Awakening Kava Bar is participating, and then some of the other restaurants are down there. … I think downtown is naturally growing, so we’re trying to expand our normal perspective of it.”

In addition to the foods, of-age attendees will have access to two craft beer stops courtesy of Bellavance Beverage Co., at The Hidden Pig and The Peddler’s Daughter. Taste of Downtown tickets can be purchased in advance online via Eventbrite, and are also available the day of.

“I pair the businesses together and then it’s really up to them to collaborate … with coming up with the display and the offerings and things like that,” Walley said. “So it really generates a great sense of community between the businesses, which is what I like most about it.”

27th annual Taste of Downtown Nashua
When: Wednesday, June 7, 6 to 8:30 p.m.
Where: Main Street and several connecting side streets across downtown Nashua
Cost: $45 per person, which includes access to all the provided food samples (and beer samples for attendees ages 21+); tickets can be purchased online through Eventbrite
Visit: downtownnashua.org/taste
Maps of participating locations, which include parking guides, are available online or can be picked up at Scontsas Fine Jewelry (169-173 Main St.), CasaNova Men’s Boutique (147 Main St.) and Fresh of Nashua (178 Main St.) on the day of the event.

Participating food and beverage purveyors

  • Bellavance Beverage Co. (bellavancebev.com; beer stops will be at The Hidden Pig and The Peddler’s Daughter)
  • Caribbean Breeze (caribbeanbreeze-restaurant.com; paired with PRG Rugs)
  • Casa Vieja Mexican Grill (ordercasaviejamexicangrilltequilabar.com; paired with Enterprise Bank)
  • Cravings Cafe & Gift Shop (find them on Facebook @cravingscafe.nashua; paired with NBT Bank)
  • Edible Arrangements (ediblearrangements.com; paired with Purple Finch Properties)
  • Giant of Siam (giantofsiam.com; paired with Glorious Possibilities)
  • The Hidden Pig (thehiddenpig.com; paired with the Nashua Center for the Arts)
  • JajaBelle’s (jajabelles.com; paired with Meredith & Greene Candle Bar)
  • Mike’s Italian Kitchen (mikesitaliankitchennh.com; paired with CasaNova Men’s Boutique)
  • The Peddler’s Daughter (thepeddlersdaughter.com; paired with the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen)
  • Rambling House Food & Gathering (ramblingtale.com; paired with Tangled Roots Herbal)
  • Riverwalk Bakery & Cafe (riverwalknashua.com; paired with Fresh of Nashua)
  • Root Awakening Kava Bar (rootawakeningkava.com; paired with Creative Vibes)
  • Soel Sistas (soelsistas.com; paired with Fortin Gage Flowers & Gifts)
  • Stella Blu (stellablu-nh.com; paired with Bar Harbor Bank & Trust)
  • Sub Zero Nitrogen Ice Cream (subzeroicecream.com; paired with Nashua Coins & Collectibles)
  • Surf (surfseafood.com; paired with Wilfred’s Barber Shop)
  • Tostao’s Tapas — Bar (tostaostapasbar.com; paired with Scontsas Fine Jewelry)

Featured photo: Photo by Chris Michaud.

The Weekly Dish 23/06/01

News from the local food scene

• Bacon me crazy: There’s still time to get tickets to this year’s New Hampshire Bacon & Beer Festival, returning to Anheuser-Busch Brewery (221 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack) on Saturday, June 3, with general admission from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. and VIP admittance, directly following a cocktail hour, beginning at 12:30 p.m. A chief fundraiser for the High Hopes Foundation, the festival will feature more than 50 craft brewers serving beers, ciders, meads and cocktails. Local restaurants and food trucks and competitive barbecuers also join in on the fun, receiving bacon from Claremont’s North Country Smokehouse to create any kind of dish they want. Find a story about the festival in the May 25 edition of the Hippo on page 40; see hippopress.com.

• 110 Grill now open in Concord: The 110 Grill, a regional restaurant chain with several locations across New England and New York state, recently celebrated the grand opening of its newest spot in Concord. The 80 Storrs St. restaurant, the 110 Grill’s seventh New Hampshire location, opened on May 17, according to a recent post on its Facebook page. See 110grill.com to view the restaurant’s full menus.

• Getting corny: Join New Hampshire Audubon at its Massabesic Center (26 Audubon Way, Auburn) for Growing Corn: As Fresh As It Gets, a workshop on Thursday, June 8, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. featuring UNH Cooperative Extension master gardener Will Lowenthal. He’ll discuss how to select different varieties of local sweet corn this summer, including determining where and how to plant and maintain a healthy crop as well as how to address pests and other problems. Registration is required by June 5 — the cost is $15. Visit nhaudubon.org or call the Massabesic center at 668-2045 to register.

• Ya Mas on the move: Pelham eatery Ya Mas Greek Taverna & Bar is relocating to a larger space at the Mall at Rockingham Park (99 Rockingham Park Blvd., Salem), and has a projected reopening date of July 15, according to recent announcements on its Facebook and Instagram pages. “The Pelham location will be closing at the end of June,” the announcement goes on to read. See yamasgreektaverna.com.

On The Job – Annika Cozad

Optician

Annika Cozad is an American Board of Opticianry-certified optician and owner of Eyefix Family Optical in Concord.

Explain your job and what it entails.

I help my patients choose the perfect pair of eyewear. This means I need to be able to interpret their prescription and build a relationship with them to make sure their visual needs are met and they love what they wear. I also perform all preliminary testing needed to get patients ready for their exam with the optometrists. Of course, being a business owner means I get to do fun stuff like choosing frame inventory and less fun stuff like bookkeeping.

How long have you had this job?

I have been an optician for over 30 years, but my own shop, Eyefix, opened its doors in October of 2022.

What led you to this career field and your current job?

I decided to start the apprenticeship program in Germany after I finished their equivalent of high school and knew immediately that this was the perfect career for me.

What kind of education or training did you need?

I was lucky to start my career in Germany, where I attended a three-year program to become certified.

What is your typical at-work uniform or attire?

In my own shop, it’s business casual.

What is the most challenging thing about your work, and how do you deal with it?

A big issue these days is educating people about buying from online retailers and the potential consequences. … Most brick-and-mortar places cannot match the price of the Eyebuydirects and Warby’s, so it’s very important to me to inform my patients about the quality of the materials they are receiving. By showing my knowledge and passion for my profession, my patients can tell that they get better service and peace of mind when they buy from me.

What do you wish you’d known at the beginning of your career?

I will definitely not retire being a millionaire.

What do you wish other people knew about your job?

No. 1: Sometimes it takes a little while to adjust to a new prescription; give it a few days. No. 2: Not all frames are made by Luxottica, contrary to the 60 Minutes special in 2013 that is still haunting the industry. No. 3: I can adjust your glasses better than you can.

What was the first job you ever had?

I worked at a little fast food place called HellBurger, and it was hell. I am not cut out for the food industry.

What’s the best piece of work-related advice you’ve ever received?

One of my previous managers … told me to treat every patient like they are special. Fit them like you’d want your family member to be fitted.

Five favorites

Favorite book: The Good Fairies of New York
Favorite movie: Back to the Future
Favorite music: I listen to anything, but these days mostly to The Black Crowes station on Pandora.
Favorite food: German comfort food
Favorite thing about NH: It’s green and just rural enough.

Featured photo: Annika Cozad. Courtesy photo.

Kiddie Pool 23/06/01

Family fun for the weekend

Maker Fest

• More than 30 local makers will bring their tie-dyed fashions, worm bins, Star Wars costumes, trebuchets and more to the New Hampshire Makers Festival presented by the New Hampshire Children’s Museum (6 Washington St. in Dover; childrens-museum.org) on Saturday, June 3, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The festival will take place inside and outside the museum; admission is a suggested donation of $5 (you can donate onsite or via the website in advance). The line up of makers, displays and activities at this family-friendly event include a Rube Goldberg machine expert, a children’s business fair, a kid-friendly exhibit to explore by the Woodman Museum, a STEM van by the Girl Scouts of the White Mountains, kid conservationist Jack Dalton, a former American Idol contestant and more, according to a press release.

Fun in the sun

• Give field research a shot with the Harris Center for Conservation Education (83 Kings Highway, Hancock) and its program Kids Count for Wildlife: Red-backed salamander survey on Friday, June 2, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Kids ages 9 to 18 will get a chance to do some searching in the woods for the woodland species. Kids younger than 12 must be accompanied by a guardian. Registration is required and can be completed at harriscenter.org.

• Head to West Running Brook Middle School (1 W. Running Brook Lane, Derry) for touch a truck on Saturday, June 3, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Derry police department will have emergency response vehicles, heavy machinery and other equipment for kids to climb and explore. There will also be a BMX stunt show, free helmet giveaway, food, music and dancing. Visit derrynh.org/police-department for more information.

• Cuddle up to some farm animals at farm baby snuggles at Under-N-Acre Farm (24 Canaan Road, Strafford) on Saturday, June 3, and Sunday, June 4. Each day has two time slots, June 3 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 4 p.m. and June 4 from 10 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m. Sessions start at $7 and can be purchased at tinyurl.com/farmbabysnuggles.

Indoor activities

• Visit Pumpkin Blossom Farm (393 Pumpkin Hill Road, Warner) for a special after-school sensory class on Wednesday, June 7, from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Kids between the ages of 5 and 11 will make lavender-scented bubbles after learning a little bit about lavender and the five senses and after they explore the farm. Kids must be accompanied by an adult. The class costs $15 and spaces can be reserved at pumpkinblossomfarm.com.

• Let’s Make Music & Make Art (136 Lowell Road, Hudson) is having an open house on Wednesday, June 7, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Kids and families can learn more about music and get started with how to play an instrument. Registration is required and can be done at letsplaymusic.com.

Museum madness

• The American Independence Museum (1 Governors Lane, Exeter) is offering active military and their families free admission until Sept. 4. Admission to the museum includes access to more than 3,000 artifacts and guided or self-guided tours throughout the building. For more information, visit independencemuseum.org.

• The Little Learners series is starting at the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center (2 Institute Drive, Concord) on Friday, June 2, from 12:30 to 1 p.m. The month of June will be devoted to teaching kids ages 4 and younger about comets. The program runs the first and third Friday of the month, as well as the second and fourth Wednesday of the month. June will have an additional day on Friday, June 3. Participation is included with general admission. General admission costs $12 for adults, $9 for children ages 3 to 12, and free for children younger than 3 years old. Visit starhop.com.

Writers network

NH Writers’ Project conference connects authors

Publishing the great American novel, or a memoir, or a biography, or any other written text, is a monumental challenge. The New Hampshire Writers’ Project is looking to help aspiring authors with that endeavor.

NHWP is now in its third decade of hosting the 603 Writers’ Conference, which has helped get local authors information and connections through a number of events and classes. The event takes place at Southern New Hampshire University, a partner of NHWP.

The highlight of the day is a pitch party, a competition where authors have to give a one-sentence pitch of their story, and judges determine whether it’s an accurate representation in comparison to the longer description of the book.

“The first winner in 2019 won and her pitch for her book, The East Indian, went on because she said she was able to revise her query letter and went on to not only secure a top literary agency but now has a two-book deal with Scribner, and the book is being published in the States as well as in the United Kingdom,” said Masheri Chappelle, the project’s chairwoman. “This is just a glorious example of what the conference will be doing to help people.”

This year, Chappelle said, the conference will have 10 classes for attendees to choose from. The classes will range from creative writing to building high-quality author websites. The classes are kept small, to maintain the ability for one-on-one interaction with the teachers.

Before the classes start, Mark Dagostino will give the keynote speech. Dagostino is known for assisting in many celebrity biographies, including his New York Times bestseller The Magnolia Story with Chip and Joanna Gaines. Chappelle said he will be discussing memoirs and biography writing.

In addition to Dagostino’s keynote talk, there will be a panel discussion at the luncheon about what to do when an author’s book is chosen to be adapted for television or movies.

“It will be exciting to hear what it takes to have your book go from the library to the screen,” Chappelle said. “On the panel we’ll have authors and entertainment attorneys discussing the process of pitching, [and] finding a literary agent and entertainment attorney.”

Chapelle said hosting an event like this is only part of what makes the New Hampshire Writers’ Project important. She wants to give these authors a shot at publication, but she also wants the literary world to take note of everything happening in the New Hampshire arts scene.

“We have a lot of talent that is not recognized that needs it,” Chappelle said. “I would like [New Hampshire] to become a writers’ colony. Our topography is stunning. We have the mountains, the lakes, beautiful trails, and great cities with a lot of cultural development.”

603 Writers’ Conference
Where: SHNU Banquet Dining Facility, 2500 N. River Road, Manchester
When: Saturday, June 3, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Price: $125 for SNHU teachers and students, $165 for members, $185 for nonmembers
Visit: nhwritersproject.org

Treasure Hunt 23/06/01

Dear Donna,

Is my mom’s mother’s recipe book of any interest or value to anyone? I have all the recipes I need and hate to toss it. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks for your time. Enjoy reading your responses in the Hippo.

Shannon

Dear Shannon,

I’m laughing because my first response is they should be priceless! Some of the most important things to people make it through time. I’m thinking how well-used this booklet was from the 1930s to the present.

I remember when I was growing up recipes within the family were secreted. Barely ever given out. When holidays came you couldn’t wait for that one yummy item to come!

The value on it, Shannon, is around $40-ish. To keep it in the family, though, and keep passing it is priceless!

Thanks for sharing with us and for reading.

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