The Utopian now open in Amherst
Adam Parker’s culinary journey has taken him from upstate New York all the way down to Boca Raton, Florida, with multiple stints in New Hampshire in between. Now the seasoned chef and Nashua native has his own new spot — a cozy bistro in Amherst specializing in scratch-made small plates, entrees and monthly wine dinners.
The Utopian, now open in the MC Square plaza on Route 101A, is Parker’s first restaurant as owner. He learned about the vacant space that was previously used as A&E’s coffee roastery through a friend and said the pandemic ended up being the ultimate driving force for him.
“It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, [but] with the pandemic I looked around and I said to myself that at any given point everything can come to a screeching halt and I’d rather be in charge of my own destiny,” said Parker, who studied at the Culinary Institute of America and most recently served as the corporate chef overseeing operations at Fratello’s Italian Grille and The Homestead Restaurant & Tavern. “From there it just slowly started coming together.”
Parker said The Utopian’s concept can best be described as “farmhouse artisan,” with tabletops made from repurposed wood and an always changing selection of locally sourced options. The eatery’s name is a nod to Sir Thomas More’s 16th-century book Utopia, a word he coined for a perfect world or place in which people can come together to live in commonality.
The menu combines Parker’s own favorite foods to eat and cook with items his guests have responded well to over the course of his career. There’s a base offering of shareable plates like Parmesan chicken egg rolls, meat and cheese platters, artichoke or Buffalo chicken dips, and porcini ricotta meatballs with sage cream. But Parker has dabbled in a variety of other dishes out of the gate, from beef stroganoff and chicken Marsala to a vegan butternut squash risotto.
He has even added items to his regular menu that originated as individual customer requests.
“I just kind of listen to the environment that’s around me and I try to be in touch with what’s going on. That seems to help,” he said. “Everything’s made fresh and cooked to order, and I really love being able to individually create food for each person.”
For the last decade, Parker has owned New Hampshire Hot Sauce, a purveyor of four signature hot sauces that can be found across 50 different locations across the state, including The Utopian.
Desserts are fresh too, like chocolate peanut butter pie, Key lime pie, chocolate mousse “bombs,” and cannolis with homemade filling. The Utopian also features a full lineup of both local and imported wines, and has begun holding ticketed wine dinners, usually on the first Tuesday of each month. The next available wine dinner is scheduled for Jan. 11.
The Utopian
Where: 135 Route 101A, Unit A1, Amherst
Hours: Wednesday through Friday, 5 to 8:30 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, noon to 8 p.m.
More info: Visit theutopiannh.com or find them on Facebook and Instagram
Featured photo: Photo courtesy of The Utopian.
