Tag: 200813

Mahrajan in Manchester

Annual Middle Eastern food festival returns

The Mahrajan Middle Eastern Food Festival might look and feel different this year, but organizers promise it will taste just as delicious. The annual three-day festival featuring authentic Lebanese foods will return to Our Lady of the Cedars Melkite Catholic Church in Manchester from Friday, Aug. 14, through Sunday, Aug. 16.

According to Rev. Thomas Steinmetz, this year’s festival has been significantly scaled back to comply with guidelines from the city’s health department. Most of the attractions that have been added to the festival over the years — such as dance performances, a petting zoo and bounce houses — have been eliminated.

“We decided to just concentrate all of our efforts on the food this year,” he said.

For the first time in Mahrajan’s history, advance online ordering will be available. In addition to takeout there will be socially distant outdoor seating options at the church.

“The way it’s essentially going to work … is people will pull into the parking lot, and as they come in we’ll ask them if they plan to sit and eat or order their food to go,” Steinmetz said.

Face masks are required for all who enter the church grounds, and seats will be spaced out to allow for social distancing.

Festival co-chair Marylou Ashooh Lazos said this year’s menu is slightly limited compared to those from previous events, but it features many of the same favorites.

The beef skewers are most notably absent from the menu, but marinated chicken and lamb will still be available, served with rice pilaf, lubyeh (green beans cooked and served in a tomato sauce) and bread.

In addition to the lamb and chicken skewer dinners, there is a lubyeh dinner of green beans served over rice pilaf; and a kibbee dinner (Lebanese meatloaf) featuring lamb, beef, pine nuts and spices with a side of yogurt. You can also order items like warak arish (stuffed grape leaves) with lamb and rice, cooked in a lemon broth; lamb or chicken shawarma; fatayar (meat or spinach pie); bread with fresh hummus; and tabbouleh salad with cracked wheat, parsley, tomato, red onion, lemon and spices.

“We still have a pretty big spread of desserts,” Lazos said, adding that one of the most popular, the baklawa, will be returning. She described it as being a bit lighter in flavor and texture than the type of baklava that is more commonplace at local Greek festivals. Several versions of it will be available, including with walnuts, with pistachios, and a chocolate baklawa with hazelnuts.

Other returning dessert options are the coosa pita (a custard made with a light-skinned summer squash, similar to zucchini); the ghrybe (almond butter cookies with powdered sugar); and the maamoul (date or nut-filled cookies).

In past years, there has also been a small menu of hamburgers, cheeseburgers and hot dogs for kids and those not interested in sampling the Lebanese options — that too has been removed.

Starting on Friday, Aug. 14, you can go to the festival’s newly redesigned website, bestfestnh.com, and place orders to be picked up or enjoyed at the church on your day of choice.

Featured photo: Scenes from past Mahrajan festivals. Courtesy photos.

Mahrajan Middle Eastern Food Festival
When: Friday, Aug. 14, 5 to 9 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 15, noon to 9 p.m., and Sunday, Aug. 16, 1 to 5 p.m.
Where: Our Lady of the Cedars Church, 140 Mitchell St., Manchester
Cost: Free admission; food is priced per item
Visit: bestfestnh.com

Advanced online ordering is available. Masks are required when entering the church parking lot.

Treasure Hunt 20/08/13

Dear Donna,

This is a hanging ceramic plaque that belonged to my grandmother and I have always loved looking at it, especially when I was a little girl growing up in Texas. Can you tell me anything about this art? I have been to antique stores and can’t find one as pretty or similar to this one.
Crystal

Dear Crystal,
From your photo, it looks more like earthenware than ceramic. You can almost see the clay from the broken chip. This leads me to think it was a piece of majolica.

Majolica was pottery in Italy, Spain and Mexico. Some of the work is crude and some very detailed. Later stuff from Mexico seems to be less detailed and the glazes not so cleanly done.

It’s tough because not all pieces are marked by the makers. In some cases the piece is signed but the artist is not known. To give a value I think you have to look at the fine detailing and quality of this piece; if it is majolica it would help, but that’s not the total picture. I recommend you have someone look at it in person. For now, I think we are safe to say it is most likely in the $40 range just for the subject and quality of the plaque.

Kiddie Pool 20/08/13

Tinker Bell & the Fairy Godmother

The 2020 Bank of New Hampshire Children’s Summer Series wraps up next week at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588). Catch Peter Panon Thursday, Aug. 13, and Cinderella on Tuesday, Aug. 18, or Wednesday, Aug. 19. The kid-friendly shows are at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. and are about 45 minutes long. Tickets cost $10 and are only being sold over the phone.

Back to SEE

SEE Science Center (200 Bedford St. in Manchester; see-sciencecenter.org, 669-0400) opens to the general public for weekends starting this weekend, Saturday, Aug. 15, and Sunday, Aug. 16. Buy tickets and register a time in advance (you can call from the parking lot but openings are not guaranteed), according to the website. Some exhibits and demonstrations will not be open; the rules for visiting (including wearing masks, temperature checks, etc.) are on the website.

Play ball

Sign up for the Fisher Cats baseball or softball camp, which runs next Monday, Aug. 17, through Wednesday, Aug. 19, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday and Wednesday and 8:30 a.m. to noon on Tuesday. Get baseball instruction from Fisher Cats staff, according to nhfishercats.com, where you can sign up for $125 per child (with discounts for additional children; get a T-shirt for $10 per shirt). The camp is open for kids ages 6 to 15, the website said.

Movie nights

Finding Nemo (G, 2003) will screen Friday, Aug. 14, at 8:30 p.m. (or so, depending on darkness) at Fieldhouse Sports Drive-In (12 Tallwood Dr. in Bow; fieldhousesports.com, 226-4646). Tickets cost $25 per vehicle (for up to four people, $5 for each additional person) and can be purchased online. Tickets may also be available at the gate (cash only).

Catch Back to the Future(a 1985 PG; Common Sense Media gives it an age 10+ rating) on Sunday, Aug. 16, via O’neil Cinemas’ drive-in at The Ridge shopping plaza in Rochester (92 Farmington Road). The screening is one of four held in August by O’neil. Tickets to the Rochester presentation cost $30 per car with up to five occupants (additional people cost $6) and can be purchased in advance at drivedinerewind.com, as can concessions. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the screening starts at 8:30 p.m.

Head to Hampton Beach on Monday, Aug. 17, for Movie Night Mondays on the Beach featuring Frozen II(PG, 2019) starting at dusk, projected to be about 7:42 p.m., according to hamptonbeach.org. Admission is free; social distancing and mask wearing are required, the website said.

Out in Dover, the Dover Public Library (73 Locust St.; library.dover.nh.gov, 516-6050) is kicking off Movies on the Lawn Monday, Aug. 17, at 8:30 p.m. with the movie Labyrinth (PG, 1986; Common Sense Media rates it at age 8+), according to the library website. Showings will be limited to the first 50 people, the website said.

Red River Theatres in Concord (with the Concord Parks & Recreation department and Endicott Furniture) is presenting Toy Story (G, 1995) on Wednesday, Aug. 19, at dusk in Memorial Field. The event is free but preregistration for a spot (with a maximum of six family members per spot) is required. See redrivertheatres.org for the details.

And for a family movie night at home, check out Red River Theatres’ Virtual Cinema’s presentation of One Small Step, a collection of family-friendly short films, according to the website. The collection runs a total of 84 minutes long and costs $8 to rent. Find it at redrivertheatres.org/film/one-small-step-family-friendly-short-films.

Queen of the garden

Why tomatoes rule

If I could only bring the seeds of one plant with me when exiled to a distant island, I would bring tomato seeds. Tomatoes are the center of much of my cuisine from soups and stews to sandwiches and salads. They are tasty raw or cooked, are healthy to eat, and are relatively easy to grow and propagate. My tomatoes are ripening up now, and I’m not only eating them two or three times a day, I’m putting them up for winter use.

My mother and grandmother slaved over a hot stove in August and September to can whole tomatoes or to make sauce and store it in jars. I rarely do. Mainly I freeze tomatoes whole. I call them my “red rocks” and store them in zipper bags for use in soups and stews.

To prepare red rocks I simply rinse them off, allow them to dry, and slip them into gallon freezer-grade plastic bags. I use a straw to suck the air out of the bag after I have the zipper closed 99 percent of the way. That minimizes frost on the tomatoes in the freezer.

To use frozen tomatoes, I just run hot water from the faucet over them. The skin thaws quickly, and rubs right off. Or I’ll drop a few in a pan of hot water. That helps to thaw the tomatoes and makes them easier to chop up for use. If I freeze cherry tomatoes, I don’t bother removing the skins before cooking with them.

I have a couple of food dehydrators that I use to dry tomatoes, too. The Cadillac of dehydrators is the Excalibur. Mine is a $300 deluxe model that blows hot air sideways equally over all nine trays. My other is the NESCO American Harvester, a serviceable machine that pushes air up or down through a stack of trays.

The downside to the NESCO model is that you must rotate the trays to get equal drying. And it uses 1,000 watts of energy per hour, while the Excalibur uses only 660 watts. Still, at about $125 for the basic machine, it is more affordable. You can stack up to 30 round 15-inch trays over the fan and heating element, but the more trays you add, the longer it takes to dry all the food. I find about eight trays is as many as I want to stack.

Most summers I grow eight to 12 Sun Gold cherry tomato plants, and each is prolific. Most of the fruit I dry in my dehydrators. I cut them in half and dry, cut side up. I store them in zipper bags in the fridge or freezer, and use them in soups and stews. Dried tomatoes can be stored in the pantry, too.

Sometimes I dry plum or slicing tomatoes. I cut them about 3/8 of an inch thick. They tend to stick to the trays, so be sure to buy the special no-stick screens to put on the trays. That makes cleanup much easier.

A sandwich is not really a sandwich, for me, without slices of tomato. One way to save slices of tomato for winter use is to roast them. I do so in the oven at low heat until they are caramelized and soft, not tough and dry. Then I place them in zipper bags and freeze them — but just one layer of tomatoes per bag. When I crave a tomato in my sandwich, I pull out a few slices and heat in my toaster oven until warm. Not a fresh tomato, but better than most sold in the grocery store in January.

I also make tomato paste. Lots of paste. I store it by freezing it in ice cube trays, and then putting it in zipper bags when frozen. No more half-used cans of purchased paste going fuzzy in the fridge for me. To make paste I use imperfect tomatoes — and I usually have plenty. I cut out the bad spots, then core them. I squeeze the cored tomatoes in the sink, which gets rid of most seeds and lots of juice. Then I quarter them, place them in a food processor, puree, and then add to a large enameled iron pot and cook them slowly for hours. I know they are done when I can literally stand up a spoon in the pot. I let it sit all night, uncovered, to cool and lose some more water. In the morning I spoon the paste in the ice cube trays. When it’s frozen, I empty the trays and put cubes in zipper bags.

Canning tomato sauce the old-fashioned way is hard work and takes hours of work. Part of that work is blending the tomatoes and herbs, salt and pepper to get the flavor and consistency just right. In addition to pureed tomatoes I use onions, garlic, basil, oregano, parsley and thyme. I cook it for 45 minutes or so, as I like it nice and thick.

But then there is the canning itself. First you have to boil the jars and lids to sterilize them. Once they’re filled with cooked sauce, one needs to boil the sauce in sealed jars to kill the bacteria that causes botulism, a potentially fatal disease. Forty minutes at a rolling boil is recommended. All in all, making seven jars of sauce — which is what a canning pot can hold — takes an evening.

The Lazy Guy technique for making sauce is to freeze it, not can it. I have an aversion to using plastic for storing food, but make an exception for tomato sauce. I have quart plastic containers with screw tops, though one can also use zipper bags. Since I have two large freezers, I have plenty of space for garden produce.

People raise their eyebrows when I tell them I grow between 35 and 50 tomato plants each year. But since I eat my own stored tomatoes all year, I can barely grow enough of the Queen of the Garden.

Email henry.homeyer@comcast.net.

The Art Roundup 20/08/13

• Visit the Currier: The Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St., Manchester) announced on its website that it will reopen on Thursday, Aug. 20, with two new exhibitions, “Open World: Video Games and Contemporary Art” and “Richard Haynes: Whispering Quilts.” Guided tours of museum exhibitions, Frank Lloyd Wright houses tours, in-person art classes and the museum gift shop and cafe will be suspended until further notice. Visitors must wear face masks, and the number of visitors in each gallery will be regulated to allow for social distancing. Museum hours are Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and closed Monday through Wednesday. This month, the hour of 10 to 11 a.m. will be reserved for seniors and museum members. Tickets are $15 for adults, $13 for seniors age 65 and up, $10 for students, $5 for youth ages 13 through 17 and free for children under age 13 and must be purchased in advance online. Call 669-6144 or visit currier.org.

• Sculpture symposium begins: The 13th annual Nashua International Sculpture Symposium opening reception will be held on Thursday, Aug. 20, at 5:30 p.m. at The Picker Artists (3 Pine St., Nashua). During the symposium, three renowned sculptors will spend three weeks creating three new sculptures that will be permanently placed in various spots around the city. This year’s sculptors, all from the U.S., are Taylor Apostol from Massachusetts, Elijah Ober from Maine and Kelly Cave from Pennsylvania. The sculptors will work outside The Picker Artists studios Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., from Aug. 24 through Sept. 4, and will then work at their sculpture sites from Sept. 5 through Sept. 12. During those times, the public will be able to watch the sculptors work and interact with them during their breaks. The closing ceremony will be held on Saturday, Sept. 12. Both the opening reception and the closing ceremony will be livestreamed. “Now, more than ever, we need the arts and artists,” organizers stated on the Symposium’s Facebook page. “During this challenging time, we will continue to serve our mission of enriching the quality of life in Nashua with amazing sculptures for all to see, touch and enjoy.” A map of the 36 existing sculpture sites along with suggested walking and biking tour routes is available on the symposium website. Visit nashuasculpturesymposium.org.

• Last chance for children’s theater: The 2020 Bank of New Hampshire Children’s Summer Series at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester) comes to a close with Peter Pan on Thursday, Aug. 13, and Cinderella on Tuesday, Aug. 18, and Wednesday, Aug. 19. Shows are at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Tickets cost $10. Visit palacetheatre.org or call 668-5588.

• Market Month continues: Intown Concord’s annual Market Days Festival, reimagined this year as Market Month, continues in Concord with a series of “Mini Market Days” being held every weekend in August. Thursday, Aug. 13, through Sunday, Aug. 16, is Restaurant Week, when Market Month will highlight downtown restaurants. Then, from Thursday, Aug. 20, through Sunday, Aug. 23, Concord will celebrate its diverse cultures with International Arts Week. That Saturday will include a full schedule of multicultural music and dance performances, arts and activities. Market Month will conclude with a Sidewalk Sale from Thursday, Aug. 27, through Sunday, Aug. 30. “People will be able to get outside with their families and enjoy games and activities, live entertainment and shopping — all the things they haven’t been able to do for a while,” Intown Concord event coordinator Haylie Stoddard told the Hippo earlier this month. Admission is free. Visit facebook.com/intownconcord.

• Photography on display: The New Hampshire Art Association presents its 41st annual Parfitt Juried Photography Exhibition now through Aug. 29 at the NHAA’s Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery (136 State St., Portsmouth). The exhibition features photography from both NHAA members and non-member area artists, juried by Don Toothaker, photographer, photography instructor and director of Photographer Adventures at Hunt’s Photo and Video in Manchester. The exhibition honors photographer and NHAA board member Jack Parfitt, now deceased, who spent his last 12 years travelling abroad, taking photographs in Russia, China, Afghanistan, Morocco, Iceland and Africa, and was given rare permission to photograph the Great Wall of China. Visit nhartassociation.org.

• Authors outside: The Music Hall (28 Chestnut St., Portsmouth) presents two author events this month, to be held outdoors by the theater. Meg Mitchel Moore will discuss her book Two Truths and a Lie on Thursday, Aug. 20, at 6 and 8 p.m. Tickets cost $44.75. Then, Acadia Tucker will discuss her book Growing Good Food on Thursday, Aug. 27, at 6 p.m. Tickets cost $38.75. Tickets for both events include a signed copy of the featured book. Visit themusichall.org.

• Financial relief for New Hampshire arts: Sixty-eight nonprofit arts and cultural organizations from all over New Hampshire have been awarded grants through the New Hampshire State Council on the Arts’s CARES grant program, according to a press release from the Council. The grants are intended to provide financial assistance with salary and facility costs to organizations impacted by Covid-19. Thirty-seven organizations were awarded $7,500, 18 were awarded $3,000 and 13 were awarded $1,000. “These funds recognize that cultural organizations are an important sector of the economy, that additional financial support is currently necessary to keep their operations functioning, and that these organizations add creative life to communities,” the press release said. Visit nh.gov/nharts.

Featured photo: The Nashua International Sculpture Symposium begins on Thursday, Aug. 20. Courtesy photo.

Hippo Best of 2020

The results are (finally) in!

Remember February?

Way way back then, before, well, just, before, you voted for your favorite pizza place, the best garden center and the butt-kicking-est fitness instructor. We counted the votes and were about two weeks away from presenting you with the answers when everything changed. We didn’t think it would be particularly helpful to give you a guide to places you couldn’t go and food you couldn’t eat, so we waited.

Now, finally, here are your picks — your favorite sub spot, the best place to shop for clothes to freshen up your wardrobe and outdoor spots for biking, canoeing or just hanging out.

Every year, what we present with our Best Of is a snapshot — here’s what readers loved and were thinking about during February (the voting month) of that year. This year, what we give you here is, like so many things right now, something of a hybrid. Some sections, like the categories that ask about places with a great crowd or spots to hang out after work with co-workers, can feel a little bit like artifacts from another world (remember “crowds”?). Some winners have modified operations right now (not all of the great bars for live music, for example, are currently offering live music) or might even be sitting out the season; we allowed businesses and events that are currently closed or canceled but give indication that they will resume in the future to still claim their win. A lot can happen in five months — businesses come and go, people move — but we did our best to track down the status of the winners. As always, this poll and the results are for entertainment purposes only and all results are (finally) final.

Despite all this, Hippo’s Best of 2020 still offers lots of places to go and delicious food to eat — and this year it feels especially worth celebrating the things that make southern New Hampshire special. We even came back in July with a new poll asking you to give a little extra love to the shops and takeout spots that helped brighten up those tough shutdown months. So get out (safely) and enjoy (with masks when needed) the unique delights of our piece of the 603. Where should you go? What should you do? Here are some ideas …

THE FINE PRINT

The vote
The results of Hippo’s readers poll are based on readers’ answers to a poll conducted online in February. Readers typed in the names of people and locations they voted for. In situations where the vote is tied or otherwise unclear, Hippo editorial staff makes an effort to determine the will of the greatest number of voters. Hippo reserves the right to disqualify individual votes, ballots and/or entries when they are incomplete or unclear, do not meet the letter or the spirit of the question asked or otherwise do not meet the requirements to make them a usable vote. Hippo’s editorial staff make the ultimate determination of the winners in the categories. Hippo’s advertising staff and its advertisers play no role in the determination of the winners. All results are final.

This survey is for entertainment purposes only and is meant to serve as a snapshot of the people and places in southern New Hampshire. Details about businesses, events and people listed may change between the time of the vote and publication — this year in particular. In some situations, winners may have modified schedules or operations or not yet have reopened since the shutdown. Businesses that have permanently closed or are closed with no indication of plans to reopen were no longer eligible.

Bests
The Best of 2020 is a celebration of all things local. Large national and international chains are, for the most part, not included in the count. Smaller chains are eligible. The “Best of the Best” designation goes to the person, place or thing that receives the most votes in the category. “Best of Manchester,” “Best of Nashua” and “Best of Concord” are awarded to the next top entries located in those areas. In categories with a “Best,” “Runner-up” and “Honorable Mention,” those there are the top vote-getters in that category.

Geography
Here, roughly, is the designation of “Manchester,” “Concord” and “Nashua” areas:

• Manchester area includes Manchester, Goffstown, Auburn, Candia, Bedford, Hooksett, Raymond, Litchfield, Derry, Londonderry, Windham, Salem, New Boston, Francestown and towns to the east along Route 101 to include towns on Route 125.

• Concord area includes Concord as well as Bow, Pembroke, Contoocook, Dunbarton, Hopkinton, Loudon, Boscawen, Chichester, Weare, Henniker, Suncook, Lee and some towns in the Lakes Region.

• Nashua area includes Nashua as well as Merrimack, Amherst, Milford, Hollis, Brookline, Hudson, Mason and Wilton.

Questions, Comments, Concerns
Did we get an address or phone number wrong? Do you have an idea for a new category? Let us know. Contact editor Amy Diaz at adiaz@hippopress.com. Corrections will appear on page 4 in future issues. Is your favorite category missing? Categories change regularly with some categories taking a sabbatical and new categories introduced, so please send your suggestions along. And, again, all results are final.

ARTS

Best Performing Arts Venue|
Best of the best: Palace Theatre, 80 Hanover St., Manchester, 668-5588, palacetheatre.org. The 890-seat theater is home to its own professional, youth and teen performing companies and hosts visiting theater, music, dance and comedy acts. Its next shows are Peter Pan on Thursday, Aug. 13, and Cinderella on Tuesday, Aug. 18, and Wednesday, Aug. 19, presented by the 2020 Bank of New Hampshire Children’s Summer Series, and comedian Bob Marley Thursday through Saturday, Aug. 20 through Aug. 22, and Aug. 27 through Aug. 29.

Best of Concord: Capitol Center for the Arts, 44 S. Main St., Concord, 225-1111, ccanh.com. The 1,304-seat theater hosts traveling theater shows, dance performances, musical and comedy acts, film screenings and more. Its next event with tickets still available is An Evening with Chevy Chase on Saturday, Oct. 24.

Best of Manchester: Tupelo Music Hall, 10 A St., Derry, 437-5100, tupelohall.com. The 700-seat venue presents music and comedy events and occasionally theatrical shows. It’s currently hosting a drive-in experience with upcoming shows including tribute bands Foreigners Journey on Friday, Aug. 14, and Saturday, Aug. 15, and The Breakers (Tom Petty tribute) on Sunday, Aug. 16.

Best of Nashua: Janice B. Streeter Theatre, 14 Court St., Nashua. The theater is home to Nashua theater companies Actorsingers and Peacock Players.

Best Art Gallery
Best of the best: Jupiter Hall, 89 Hanover St., Manchester, 289-4661, jupiterhallnh.com. The multi-purpose arts venue features visual art exhibitions, performance art, art classes and other events. The gallery is closed until further notice, according to an announcement on its Facebook page.

Best of Concord: League of New Hampshire Craftsmen Concord Gallery, 36 N. Main St., Concord, 228-8171, concord.nhcrafts.org. The gallery and shop features a variety of traditional and contemporary fine crafts created by New Hampshire craftspeople.

Best of Manchester: Art 3 Gallery, 44 W. Brook St., Manchester, 668-6650, art3gallery.com. A fine art retail gallery featuring art in a variety of media and styles by local, regional, national and international artists. It also offers custom framing and corporate and residential art consulting. Its current exhibition, “Freshly Imagined,” features works by 70 artists and is on display through Aug. 30.

Best of Nashua: ArtHub, 30 Temple St., Nashua, 966-4429, naaa-arthub.org. The collaborative gallery and workspace features art by Nashua Area Artists Association members and other artists in the greater Nashua area. The current exhibition, “Summertime,” is on view now through the end of the year.

Best Artists Market
Best: Concord Arts Market, 1 Bicentennial Square, Concord, concordartsmarket.net. The juried outdoor artisan and fine art market is currently running weekly on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., through September.

Runner-up: Craftsmen’s Fair, nhcrafts.org. The nine-day craft fair, hosted by the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen, normally takes place at Mount Sunapee Resort starting the first week of August.

Honorable mention: Manchester Craft Market, 1500 S. Willow St., Manchester, 716-5520, manchestercraftmarket.com. The shop features handmade gifts, souvenirs, decor, gourmet foods and more by New England artisans.

Best Live Theatrical Production
Best of the best: A Christmas Carol, a Palace Theatre professional production. The show ran at the Palace Theatre in Manchester Dec. 6 through Dec. 22, 2019.

Best of Concord: Frozen Jr., performed by the Children’s Theatre Project of The Community Players of Concord at the Concord City Auditorium on Oct. 18 and Oct. 19, 2019.

Best of Manchester: Piano Men, a Palace Theatre professional production. The show ran at the Palace Theatre in Manchester Jan. 10 through Feb. 2, 2020.

Best of Nashua: Frozen Jr., performed by youth theater company Peacock Players at the Janice B. Streeter Theatre in Nashua Dec. 13 through Dec. 22, 2019.

Best Dance Performance
Best of the best: The Nutcracker, performed by Ballet Misha at the Dana Center in Manchester Dec. 21 and Dec. 22, 2019.

Best of Concord: In The Field Irish Dancers’ performance at the Market Days Festival in Concord on June 22, 2019.

Best of Manchester: The Nutcracker, performed by the New Hampshire School of Ballet at the Palace Theatre in Manchester on Dec. 26, 2019.

Best of Nashua: DanceWorks Movement Design’s Recital, held in Milford on June 1 and June 2, 2019.

BEAUTY & HEALTH

Best Barber Shop
Best of the best: Lucky’s Barbershop and Shave Parlor, 50 S. State St., Concord, 715-5470, luckysbarbershop.biz. (Lucky’s also has a location in Portsmouth.)

Best of Concord: American Barber Studios, 4 Park St., Concord, 225-3052, americanbarberstudios.com

Best of Manchester: Dude’s Barber Shop, 1311 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, 626-0533, dudesbarbershop.us

Best of Nashua: The Polished Man, 707 Milford Road, Merrimack, 718-8427, thepolishedman.com. (The Polished Man also has a location in Nashua.)

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

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

Best of Manchester: Blank Canvas Salon, 1F Commons Drive, No. 38, Londonderry, 818-4294, blankcanvassalon.com

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

Best Spa
Best of the best: Renew MediSpa, 23 B Crystal Ave., Derry, 932-4701, renewmedispa.com

Best of Concord: Serendipity Day Spa & Float Studio, 23 Sheep Davis Road, Pembroke, 229-0400, serendipitydayspa.com

Best of Manchester: Pellé Medical Spa, 159 Frontage Road, Manchester, 627-7000, pellemedicalspa.com

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

Best Gym
Best of the best: Dynamic Strength and Conditioning, 115 Northeastern Blvd., Nashua, 882-2348, dynamicsc.com

Best of Concord: Get Fit NH, 287 S. Main St., Concord, 344-2651, getfitnh.com

Best of Manchester: Executive Health & Sports Center, 1 Highlander Way, Manchester, 668-4753, facebook.com/executivehealthclub

Best of Nashua: SPENGA, 493 Amherst St., Nashua, 324-0355, spenganashua.com

Workout Class That Will Get You to Your Goal Fastest
Best of the best: Smart Group Training, Get Fit NH, 287 S. Main St., Concord, 344-2651, getfitnh.com. Classes are held Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday on the hour from 5 to 9 a.m., and Monday through Thursday on the half hour from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.

Best of Concord: Strive Ride, Strive Indoor Cycling, 10 Hills Ave., Concord, 513-9464, striveindoorcycling.com. Classes are held on Monday and Wednesday throughout the day, Tuesday and Thursday in the morning and evening, Friday in the morning and afternoon and Saturday and Sunday morning.

Best of Manchester: Boot Camp, Inspire Strength & Fitness, 200 Perimeter Road, Unit 3, Manchester, 782-7933, inspirestrengthandfitness.com. Classes are held Monday through Friday throughout the day and Saturday mornings.

Best of Nashua: Adult Group Training, Dynamic Strength and Conditioning, 115 Northeastern Blvd., Nashua, 882-2348, dynamicsc.com. Classes held Monday through Friday throughout the day, and on Saturday mornings.

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

Best of Concord: Sharing Yoga, 64 N. Main St., Concord, 520-8987, sharingyoga.com

Best of Manchester: Sol Power Yoga, 25 S. River Road, Bedford, 732-6185, solpoweryoga.com

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

Best Dance Studio
Best of the best: Dimensions in Dance, 84 Myrtle St., Manchester, 668-4196, dimensionsindance.com

Best of Concord: Concord Dance Academy, 26 Commercial St., Concord, 226-0200, concorddanceacademy.com

Best of Manchester: New Hampshire School of Ballet, 183 Londonderry Turnpike, Hooksett, 668-5330, nhschoolofballet.com

Best of Nashua: The Dance Company, 130 Route 101A, Amherst, 864-8374, thedancecompanyonline.com

BEAUTY & HEALTH PERSONALITIES

Butt-kicking-est Fitness Instructor
Best of the best: Erin Constantin, Get Fit NH, 287 S. Main St., Concord, 344-2651, getfitnh.com

Best of Concord: Meagan Ferns, Strive Indoor Cycling, 10 Hills Ave., Concord, 513-9464, striveindoorcycling.com
Best of Manchester: Ryan Griffin, Inspire Strength & Fitness, 200 Perimeter Road, Unit 3, Manchester, 782-7933, inspirestrengthandfitness.com

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

Best Barber
Best of the best: Jason Drapeau, 5 Diamond Salon, 915 Holt Ave., Suite 4, Manchester, 459-3367, 5diamondsalon.com
Best of Concord: AJ Caron, South Mane Barbershop, 28 S. Main St., Concord, 952-2202, southmanebarbershop.com
Best of Manchester: Rafael Robles, Lineup Barbershop, 1271 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, 218-3294, lineupbarbershop.com

Best of Nashua: Rick Lindof, The Polished Man, 108 Spitbrook Road, Nashua, 718-1468, thepolishedman.com (The Polished Man also has a location in Merrimack.)

Best Hair Stylist
Best of the best: Samantha Courtois, 5 Diamond Salon, 915 Holt Ave., Suite 4, Manchester, 459-3367, 5diamondsalon.com

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

Best of Manchester: Lauren Gamache Dockx, Salon North, 102 Bay St., Manchester, 483-3011, 102salonnorth.com

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

Friendliest Dentist
Best of the best: Dr. Elizabeth Spindel, Spindel General and Cosmetic Dentistry, 862 Union St., Manchester, 669-9049, elizabethspindel.com

Best of Concord: Dr. Shannon Arndt, 280 Pleasant St., Concord, 228-4456, orzechowskiardnt.com

Best of Manchester: Dr. Carlivette Santamaria, Oasis Dental, 1525 S. Willow St., Unit 5, Manchester, 641-5200, oasisdentalnh.com

Best of Nashua: Dr. Charles Pipilas, 280 Main St., Suite 311, Nashua, 881-8280

Best Retail Store With Standout Service During the Shutdown
Best of the best: Junction 71

By Angie Sykeny
asykeny@hippopress.com

Modern, vintage, mid-century, bohemian, country, rustic and shabby-chic are just some of the aesthetics you’ll find at Junction 71 in Amherst. The home decor, furniture and gift shop consists of three separate units within a plaza, totaling 3,600 square feet with spaces by more than 50 artisans and dealers.

“It’s not your typical consignment or thrift shop,” said owner and operator Pam Robinson, who opened Junction 71 in June 2019. “We have a more eclectic mix. [The sellers] all have their own look, and we make sure that any new stuff we bring in isn’t stuff that we already have.”

The shop features handcrafted, locally made, new and antique products, including custom metalwork; framed wall art and paintings; upcycled and hand painted furniture; signs and flags; specialty food items like jellies and dips; and more.

“These are all very unique, one-of-a-kind pieces,” Robinson said.

Robinson decided to close Junction 71 in March, a few days before the statewide shutdown was instated. During the shutdown, she and her team posted pictures of products for sale on social media, interacted with interested buyers online and offered contactless curbside pickup. They processed more than 800 orders during the 10 weeks the shop was closed.

“I am so appreciative of our customers who have been so supportive and continued to shop with us online,” Robinson said. “They kept us in business; I don’t know that we would have made it through this without them.”

Junction 71 has reopened for in-person shopping, requiring customers to wear masks at all times and sanitize their hands at the “sanitation station” upon entry, and providing gloves to customers who want them. There will be a “socially distant social” on Thursday, Aug. 20, from 6 to 8 p.m., with a shop-wide sale, door prizes and complimentary rose wine and appetizers served outside.

Junction 71
Location: 71 Route 101A, Amherst
Hours: Wednesday and Thursday from noon to 6 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
More info: Call 213-5201 or visit junction71.business.site

Runner-up: Manchester Craft Market, 1500 S. Willow St., Manchester, 716-5520, manchestercraftmarket.com. The shop features handmade gifts, souvenirs, decor, gourmet foods and more by New England artisans. During the shutdown, customers were able to interact with the artisans directly through the “Manchester NH Craft Market Online” shopping group on Facebook, reserve items for pickup and place custom orders. The shop streamed a showing of its inventory on Facebook Live Sales every Wednesday evening (which it continues to do now every other Wednesday evening) and offered curbside pickup times, flat-rate shipping and local deliveries. Shop hours are Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m.

Honorable mention: Local Baskit, 10 Ferry St., Concord, 219-0882, localbaskit.com. The marketplace features all-local meal kits and individual food items like craft beer, wine, frozen meats and fish, specialty cheeses, select produce and more. During the shutdown, Local Baskit donated meals to frontline workers; created new meal kits, including a Morning Basics kit (with milk, eggs, coffee and bread), Protein Boxes, Pantry Boxes (included flour and sugar) and Longevity Baskits for older adults with low-sodium and diabetic-friendly options; offered curbside pickup for craft beer; and sponsored the NH Brewers Association’s Virtual Beer Festival. Current store hours are Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m., and by appointment for later pickup and beer orders.

WHAT TO WEAR

Best Independent Clothing Store
Best of the best: Gondwana & Divine Clothing Co., 13 N. Main St., Concord, 228-1101, clothingnh.com

Best of Concord: Indigo Blues & Co., 902 Main St., Contoocook, 660-9290, indigobluesandco.com

Best of Manchester: Alapage, 25 S. River Road, Bedford, 622-0550, alapageboutique.com

Best of Nashua: Camaraderie Boutique, 175 Main St., Nashua, 402-1908, camaraderiestyle.com

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: Red’s Shoe Barn, 22 Plaistow Road, Plaistow, 382-7688, redsshoebarn.com. (Red’s also has a location in Dover.)

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: Lilise Designer Resale, 7 N. Main St., Concord, 715-2009, liliseresale.com

Best of Manchester: OutFITters Thrift Store, 394 Second St., Manchester, 641-6691, outfittersnh.org. (The store also has a location in Concord.)

Best of Nashua: Lucky Dog Thrift Shop, 23 Elm St., Nashua, 882-3647, luckydogthriftshop.com

HOME & SERVICES

Best Car Repair Shop
Best of the best: Pro Image Automotive, 254 Sheffield Road, Manchester, 968-5159, proimageautomotive.com. Shop offers passenger vehicle and small engine automotive repair services with a specialization in snow plows.

Best of Concord: Weed Family Automotive, 124 Storrs St., Concord, 225-7988, weedfamilyautomotive.com. Services include New Hampshire state inspections, oil changes, electrical and electronic systems, brakes, air conditioning and repairs for hybrid vehicles.

Best of Manchester: Henry’s Collision Center, 330 March Ave., Manchester, 624-4086, henrysab.com. Shop offers cosmetic services like pinstriping, painting and small dent and scratch repair, as well as mechanical fixes like wheel alignments and frame repair.

Best of Nashua: Precision Collision, 234 Amherst St., Nashua, 809-4527, find it on Facebook. Services include repainting and custom paint jobs, scratch and dent repair and suspension work with a specialization in high-end performance cars.

Best Garden Center or Nursery
Best of the best: Demers Garden Center, 656 S. Mammoth Road, Manchester, 625-8298, demersgardencenter.com. Five acres of greenhouses help to keep the center stocked with a wide line of annuals, perennials, trees, herbs and gardening supplies like soil, fertilizer and more.

Best of Concord: Cole Gardens, 430 Loudon Road, Concord, 229-0655, colegardens.com. Find annuals, tropicals, perennials, trees and gardening supplies as well as a weekly farmers market.

Best of Manchester: Bedford Fields Home and Garden Center, 331 Route 101, Bedford, 472-8880, bedfordfields.com. Garden center offers trees, shrubs and perennials; fruit, berry and vegetable plants; and home decor and pet items.

Best of Nashua: House by the Side of the Road, 370 Gibbons Highway, Wilton, 654-9888, housebythesideoftheroad.com. Browse a wide assortment of annuals, perennials, house plants, shrubs, several greenhouses and a wide array of gardening accessories.

Most Fun Shopping Experience in an Indie Shop
Best of the best: Manchester Craft Market, 1500 S. Willow St., Manchester, 716-5520, manchestercraftmarket.com. Shop features crafts, confections, handmade clothing and more by more than 180 local vendors and artisans.

Best of Concord: Gondwana & Divine Clothing, 13 N. Main St., Concord, 228-1101, gondwanaclothing.com. Shop offers designer clothing, jewelry and accessories that rotate with the seasons, as well as in-store styling services.

Best of Manchester: Apotheca Flowers and Gifts, 24 Main St., Goffstown, 497-4940, apothecaflowershoppe.com. Shop offers coffee, tea and pastries; a wide selection of flowers and artisan gifts; and on-site craft workshops.

Best of Nashua: M&C Clothing and Goods, 135 Route 101A, Amherst, 886-6727, m-c-clothing-and-goods.myshopify.com. Browse handmade local items as well as consigned clothing, accessories, shoes, jewelry and household wares.

BEST RESTAURANTS

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

Best of Concord: Revival Kitchen & Bar, 11 Depot St., Concord, 715-5723, revivalkitchennh.com

Best of Manchester: Copper Door Restaurant, 15 Leavy Drive, Bedford, 488-2677, copperdoor.com (The Copper Door Restaurant also has a location in Salem.)

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

Best New Eatery
Best of the best: Troy’s Fresh Kitchen & Juice Bar, 4 Orchard View Drive, No. 6, Londonderry, 965-3411, troysfreshkitchen.com. Londonderry native Troy Ward Jr. opened this quick-service eatery in June 2019 with the help of his father and other family members. Troy’s is 100-percent gluten-free and dairy-free, offering smoothies, fresh-pressed juices, grain bowls, grilled wraps, breakfast scrambles and other items with fresh, all-natural and plant-based ingredients, many of which are made in house. The eatery also serves specialty coffee drinks using the Manchester-based Hometown Coffee Roasters.

Best of Concord: Georgia’s Northside, 394 N. State St., Concord, 715-9189, georgiasnorthside.com. A takeout-only Southern kitchen and craft beer market, Georgia’s Northside quietly opened its doors in late June 2019 in the space formerly housing the Korner Kupboard general store. Owner and chef Alan Natkiel posts the ever-changing menu to Facebook each day, which will often include meats from buttermilk fried chicken to barbecue ribs, smoked brisket and pulled pork, plus fresh market sides like Texas caviar, potato salad, tomato cucumber salad, grilled corn on the cob or green beans with bacon and blue cheese. Prior to opening the eatery, the Hill, New Hampshire, native owned Georgia’s Eastside BBQ in New York City for more than a decade.

Best of Manchester: California Burritos Mexican Grill, 655 S. Willow St., No. 103, Manchester, 722-2084, californiaburritosnh.com. Its fourth location overall, this fast casual Mexican eatery arrived in the Queen City this past February. Three locations in the Granite State preceded it — the original California Burritos opened at 101 Factory St. in Nashua in late 2014, followed by two more at 35 Lowell Road in Hudson, in 2017, and 2 Cellu Drive in Nashua, in 2018. Each location serves authentic Mexican options like tacos, burritos, burrito bowls and quesadillas, plus a few specialty items, like carne asada fries (loaded french fries with steak, guacamole, sour cream, cheese, pico de gallo and salsa verde), Dos Equis-infused fish tacos, and pupusas, or traditional Salvadoran dishes that feature cheese, refried beans and chicharrón (pork) filled inside a thick handmade corn tortilla.

Best of Nashua: Greenleaf, 54 Nashua St., Milford, 213-5447, greenleafmilford.com. Greenleaf is a casual farm-to-table restaurant that arrived in Milford in early May 2019. The space formerly housed the Souhegan Valley National Bank, which was operational all the way back in 1865 — an old bank vault has even been repurposed into a private dining area. Greenleaf’s menu changes all the time, and that’s because it’s based on what the chefs can get for product from the farms they partner with. But you’ll always find some type of beef, chicken, pork or vegetarian options; some popular options have included the grass-fed burgers, as well as the risotto. In late May they introduced Greenleaf Grille, an outdoor dining concept offering several backyard barbecue options under a tented space at the rear of the restaurant.

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

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

Best of Manchester: Copper Door Restaurant, 15 Leavy Drive, Bedford, 488-2677, copperdoor.com (The Copper Door Restaurant also has a location in Salem.)

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

Best Family Restaurant
Best of the best: The Puritan Backroom, 245 Hooksett Road, Manchester, 669-6890, puritanbackroom.com

Best of Concord: The Red Blazer Restaurant and Pub, 72 Manchester St., Concord, 224-4101, theredblazer.com

Best of Manchester: T-Bones Great American Eatery, 25 S. River Road, Bedford, 641-6100, t-bones.com (T-Bones also has locations in Bedford, Derry, Laconia and Salem, and a sixth one scheduled to open in mid-September in Concord.)

Best of Nashua: T-Bones Great American Eatery, 77 Lowell Road, Hudson, 882-6677, t-bones.com (T-Bones also has locations in Bedford, Derry, Laconia and Salem, and a sixth one scheduled to open in mid-September in Concord.)

Best Diner
Best of the best: The Red Arrow Diner, 61 Lowell St., Manchester, 626-1118, redarrowdiner.com (The Red Arrow Diner also has locations in Concord, Londonderry and Nashua.)

Best of Concord: The Red Arrow Diner, 112 Loudon Road, Concord, 415-0444, redarrowdiner.com (The Red Arrow Diner also has locations in Londonderry, Manchester and Nashua.)

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

Best of Nashua: The D.W. Diner, 416 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, 424-1116, thedwdiner.com

Best Eatery Whose Takeout Got You Through the Shutdown
Best of the best: Presto Craft Kitchen

By Matt Ingersoll
mingersoll@hippopress.com

Last month Chef Joe Grella and his wife Jessica celebrated the one-year anniversary of Presto Craft Kitchen, a carry-out restaurant on Manchester’s West Side specializing in Italian pasta dinners and made-to-order subs known as “sticks.” Grella also incorporated his dessert catering business, Custom Eats & Sweets, into the mix by featuring all kinds of unique items out of a refrigerated case, from his wildly popular Oreo cheesecake truffles to other treats like tiramisu, cheesecake and pudding cups, cookies and cannolis.

Already primarily a takeout restaurant, Presto Craft Kitchen has stayed open for business all throughout the shutdown, offering call-ahead ordering and over-the-phone payment options to minimize surface contact. During the onset of the pandemic, the eatery provided discounts for area hospital workers and free lunches for kids who had transitioned to remote learning.

“We didn’t just want to be busy. We also wanted to know that the community could count on us,” Grella said. “We’ve remained a part of so many people’s day-to-day lives and their dinner plans.”

In January, Grella began introducing a specials menu each month of his own unique takes on jumbo arancini, pasta and “stick” sandwiches. He kept it going even as the pandemic arrived in mid-March. The specials for the month of July — chicken Parmesan arancini, roasted garlic chicken florentine pasta, and an Italian cold cut stick — were so well received that he decided to keep them for another month, through the end of August.

Grella said he was very excited about learning he had been recognized in the Hippo’s mini Best Of poll, especially since Presto Craft Kitchen is just one year old.

“I think it shows that our goal is paying off, of putting our best foot forward and putting out food for the community that we are proud of,” he said.

Presto Craft Kitchen
Where: 168 Amory St., Manchester
Hours: Tuesday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 to 8 p.m., and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Contact: Visit prestocraftkitchen.com, find them on Facebook @prestocraftkitchennh or call 606-1252

Best of Concord: Revival Kitchen & Bar, 11 Depot St., Concord, 715-5723, revivalkitchennh.com. Known more for its in-house fine dining experience than for takeout, Revival Kitchen & Bar had to quickly pivot its daily operations back in March when restaurants in New Hampshire received an executive order by Gov. Chris Sununu to close for indoor dining. The eatery started with selections like special farm-to-table meals for two and burger and beer combos. When Granite State restaurants received the green light to reopen for outdoor dining in May, Revival had an all new outdoor deck built out in front of the restaurant’s doors. Indoor dining is back as of mid-June, but takeout from Revival is still available every Tuesday through Saturday.

Best of Manchester: Union Street Takeout, 90 Union St., Manchester, 260-7663. Union Street Takeout quietly opened its doors in January, before the onset of the pandemic. But since then, manager and cook Edwin Ward said that the takeout-only eatery has quickly become a popular spot for its meal deal options, including burgers, chili dogs, subs and more, all of which are served with chips and a drink.

Best of Nashua: Papa Joe’s Humble Kitchen, 237 South St., Milford, 672-9130, find them on Facebook. When the pandemic hit, Papa Joe’s felt its effects early on, spacing out the scheduling of its large volume of orders and choosing not to cook Easter dinners for the first time in more than two decades. The longtime Milford staple has always been known for its cooked-to-order gourmet burgers — of which there are countless customizable options — and it’s continued to feature specialty burgers every week.

FOOD SHOPPING

Best Bakery
Best of the best: Bread & Chocolate, 29 S. Main St., Concord, 228-3330

Best of Concord: The Crust & Crumb Baking Co., 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 (Buckley’s Bakery & Cafe also has a location in Hollis.)

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

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

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

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

Best Farmers Market
Best: Concord Farmers Market, concordfarmersmarket.com; after its opening date was delayed by a week, the market began its 2020 season on May 9. It’s expected to continue every Saturday, from 8:30 a.m. to noon, on Capitol Street in Concord (near the Statehouse), through October.

Runner-up: Nashua Farmers Market, downtownnashua.org/local; this market began its 2020 season on June 21 and will continue every Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., through Oct. 18. Due to several lane closures on either side of Main Street to accommodate outdoor dining space for restaurants, this year’s market moved from its normal spot between Temple and Pearl streets down to the area in front of City Hall Plaza (229 Main St.).

Honorable mention: Bedford Farmers Market, bedfordfarmersmarketnh.org; the market began its 2020 season on June 16 and will continue on Tuesdays, from 3 to 6 p.m., through Oct. 13. The market is a new spot this year, in the parking lot of the former Harvest Market (209 Route 101, Bedford), which closed its doors earlier this year.

DELICIOUS DISHES

Best Dish or Drink You Had in the Last Year
Best of the best: Chicken tenders at The River Casino & Sports Bar, 53 High St., Nashua, 881-9060, therivercasino.com. These hand-battered tenders are available with your choice of blue cheese, ranch, honey mustard, honey barbecue, sweet chili, Caribbean jerk sauce or mild, medium or hot inferno sauce.

Best of Concord: Garlic chicken nachos at Hermanos Cocina Mexicana, 11 Hills Ave., Concord, 224-5669, hermanosmexican.com. These nachos feature hand-cut yellow or blue corn tortilla chips with chicken, cheese and jalapenos, topped with garlic dressing.

Best of Manchester: Mudslides at The Puritan Backroom Restaurant, 245 Hooksett Road, Manchester, 669-6890, puritanbackroom.com. Options include the original mudslide with Baileys Irish cream, Kahlua coffee liqueur and vodka, as well as an Almond Joy mudslide, a maple mudslide and a Milky Way mudslide.

Best of Nashua: Filet mignon at Buckley’s Great Steaks, 438 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, 424-0995, buckleysgreatsteaks.com. The filet mignon available at Buckley’s features a red wine demi-glace and comes with creamy mashed potatoes and the vegetable of the day.

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, smokeshowbarbeque.com

Best of Manchester: Goody Cole’s Smokehouse and Catering Co., 374 Route 125, Brentwood, 679-8898, goodycoles.com

Best of Nashua: Smokehaus Barbecue, 278 Route 101, Amherst, 249-5734, smokehausbbq.com

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

Best of Concord: Tucker’s, 80 South St., Concord, 413-5884, tuckersnh.com (Tucker’s also has locations in Dover, Hooksett, Merrimack and New London.)

Best of Manchester: Purple Finch Cafe, 124 S. River Road, Bedford, 232-1958, purplefinchcafe.com (The Purple Finch Cafe reopened on Aug. 1.)

Best of Nashua: Tucker’s, 360 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, 413-6477, tuckersnh.com (Tucker’s also has locations in Concord, Dover, Hooksett and New London.)

Best Restaurant for Weekend Brunch
Best of the best: The Foundry Restaurant, 50 Commercial St., Manchester, 836-1925, foundrynh.com

Best of Concord: The Red Blazer Restaurant and Pub, 72 Manchester St., Concord, 224-4101, theredblazer.com

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

Best of Nashua: Tucker’s, 360 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, 413-6477, tuckersnh.com (Tucker’s also has locations in Concord, Dover, Hooksett and New London.)

Best Burgers
Best of the best: The Barley House Restaurant & Tavern, 132 N. Main St., Concord, 228-6363, thebarleyhouse.com (The Barley House also has a location 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, find them on Facebook

Best Fish & Chips
Best of the best: The Peddler’s Daughter, 48 Main St., Nashua, 821-7535, thepeddlersdaughter.com

Best of Concord: Johnson’s Seafood and Steak, 1334 First New Hampshire Turnpike, Northwood, 942-7300, find them on Facebook @johnsonsnorthwood

Best of Manchester: Goldenrod Restaurant, 1681 Candia Road, Manchester, 623-9469, goldenrodrestaurant.com

Best of Nashua: The Lobster Boat, 453 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, 424-5221, lobsterboatrestaurant.com (The Lobster Boat also has locations in Litchfield and Exeter.)

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 locations in Portsmouth and Massachusetts)

Best of Concord: O Steaks & Seafood, 11 S. Main St., Concord, 856-7925, magicfoodsrestaurantgroup.com (O Steaks & Seafood also has a location in Laconia)

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

Best of Nashua: Pressed Cafe, 108 Spit Brook Road, Nashua, 718-1250; 3 Cotton Road, Nashua, 402-1003 (this location is drive-thru only); and locations in Massachusetts; pressedcafe.com

Best Essential New Hampshire Dish
Best: Chicken tenders at The Puritan Backroom Restaurant, 245 Hooksett Road, Manchester, 669-6890, puritanbackroom.com

Runner-up: Poutine at Chez Vachon, 136 Kelley St., Manchester, 625-9660, find them on Facebook

Honorable mention: Lobster roll at The Beach Plum, 3 Brickyard Square, Epping, 679-3200; 2800 Lafayette Road, Portsmouth, 433-3339; 16 Ocean Blvd., North Hampton, 964-7451; thebeachplum.net

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

Best of Concord: Dos Amigos Burritos, 26 N. Main St., Concord, 410-4161, dosamigosburritos.com (Dos Amigos Burritos also has a location in Portsmouth, and a third location in Dover under the name “Dos Mexican Eats.”)

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

Best of Nashua: La Carreta Mexican Restaurant, 139 Daniel Webster Highway, Nashua, 891-0055, lacarretamex.com (La Carreta also has locations in Derry, Londonderry, Portsmouth and two locations in Manchester.)

Best Noodle Bowl
Best of the best: Buba Noodle Bar, 36 Lowell St., Manchester, 935-7864, bubanoodle.com

Best of Concord: Whiskey & Wine, 148 N. Main St., Concord, 715-8575, whiskey-wine.business.site

Best of Manchester: Pho Golden Bowl, 12 Lake Ave., Manchester, 622-2000, phogoldenbowlnh.com

Best of Nashua: You You Japanese Bistro, 150 Broad St., Nashua, 882-8337, youyoubistro.com

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

Best of Concord: Constantly Pizza, 39 S. Main St., Concord, 224-9366, constantlypizza.net (Constantly Pizza also has a location in Penacook.)

Best of Manchester The Pizza Man of Hooksett, 254 W. River Road, Hooksett, 626-7499, thepizzamandelivers.com (The Pizza Man also has locations in Manchester, and in Lyndonville, Vt.)

Best of Nashua: Nashua House of Pizza, 40 E. Hollis St., Nashua, 883-6177, nashuahouseofpizza.com

Best Poutine
Best of the best: Chez Vachon, 136 Kelley St., Manchester, 625-9660, find them on Facebook

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

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

Best of Nashua: Bar One, 40 Nashua St., Milford, 249-5327, find them on Facebook @baronenh

Best Salad and/or Grain Bowls
Best of the best: Pressed Cafe, 108 Spit Brook Road, Nashua, 718-1250; 3 Cotton Road, Nashua, 402-1003 (this location is drive-through only); pressedcafe.com (Pressed Cafe also has locations in Burlington, Mass., and Newton, Mass.)

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

Best of Manchester: Troy’s Fresh Kitchen & Juice Bar, 4 Orchard View Drive, No. 6, Londonderry, 965-3411, troysfreshkitchen.com

Best of Nashua: Big Kahunas Cafe & Grill, 380 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, 494-4975, nhkahuna.com (Big Kahunas opened a sister restaurant in Hooksett, Big Kahunas Smokehouse, in July)

Best Sandwich
Best of the best: Steak & Cheese sub at Sub Station, 1292 Hooksett Road, Suite H, Hooksett, 625-1800, substationhooksett.com. A shaved steak sandwich with your choice of American or provolone cheese. Subs can also be customized with teriyaki or barbecue sauce.

Best of Concord: The Black Russian sandwich at Beefside Restaurant, 106 Manchester St., Concord, 228-0208, beefsidenh.com. A white turkey breast and roast beef sandwich with Thousand Island dressing and Swiss cheese on pumpernickel bread, with hand-cut house fries.

Best of Manchester: Steak & Cheese sub at Nadeau’s, 776 Mast Road, Manchester, 623-9315; 100 Cahill Ave., Manchester, 669-7827; 805 Canal St., Manchester, 644-8888; 1095 Hanover St., Manchester, 606-4411; nadeaus.com. Steak & cheese subs can be ordered as steak tips or shaved steak. (Nadeau’s has a fifth location in Exeter and a sixth location in Concord that is temporarily closed.)

Best of Nashua: The Roman sandwich at Marc’s Pizza & Subs, 704 Milford Road, No. 5, Merrimack, 883-7000, eataroman.com. The sandwich includes mortadella, cooked salami, Genoa salami, imported ham, capicola and provolone cheese.

Best Seafood
Best of the best: Surf Restaurant, 207 Main St., Nashua, 595-9293, surfseafood.com (Surf also has a location 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

Bets of Nashua: The Lobster Boat, 453 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, 424-5221, lobsterboatrestaurant.com (The Lobster Boat also has locations in Litchfield and Exeter.)

Best Subs
Best of the best: Nadeau’s, 776 Mast Road, Manchester, 623-9315; 100 Cahill Ave., Manchester, 669-7827; 805 Canal St., Manchester, 644-8888; 1095 Hanover St., Manchester, 606-4411; nadeaus.com (Nadeau’s has a fifth location in Exeter and a sixth location in Concord that is temporarily closed.)

Best of Concord: Constantly Pizza, 39 S. Main St., Concord, 224-9366, constantlypizza.net (Constantly Pizza also has a location in Penacook.)

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

Best of Nashua: Bill Cahill’s Super Subs, 8 Kimball Hill Road, Hudson, 882-7710, find them on Facebook @billcahills

Best Tacos
Best of the best: Dos Amigos Burritos, 26 N. Main St., Concord, 410-4161, dosamigosburritos.com (Dos Amigos Burritos also has a location in Portsmouth, and a third location in Dover under the name “Dos Mexican Eats.”)

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

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

Best of Nashua: California Burritos Mexican Grill, 101 Factory St., Nashua, 718-8745; 2 Cellu Drive, Nashua, 417-6151; californiaburritosnh.com (California Burritos Mexican Grill also has locations in Hudson and Manchester.)

BEST RESTAURANT FOR

Specialty Diet
Best of the best: Troy’s Fresh Kitchen & Juice Bar, 4 Orchard View Drive, No. 6, Londonderry, 965-3411, troysfreshkitchen.com

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

Best of Manchester: Republic Cafe, 1069 Elm St., Manchester, 666-3723, republiccafe.com (Republic Cafe is currently operating under the roof of its sister restaurant, Campo Enoteca, at 969 Elm St. in Manchester.)

Best of Nashua: Pressed Cafe, 108 Spit Brook Road, Nashua, 718-1250; 3 Cotton Road, Nashua, 402-1003 (this location is drive-thru only); pressedcafe.com (Pressed Cafe also has locations in Burlington, Mass., and Newton, Mass.)

Best Guilty Pleasure Food
Best of the best: Cheesy bread at Romano’s Pizza, 27 Colby Court, Litchfield, 424-0500, romanosnh.com

Best of Concord: Drunken mac and cheese at Tandy’s Pub & Grille, 1 Eagle Square, Concord, 856-7614, tandyspub.com

Best of Manchester: Chicken tenders at The Puritan Backroom Restaurant, 245 Hooksett Road, Manchester, 669-6890, puritanbackroom.com

Best of Nashua: Chicken tenders at The River Casino & Sports Bar, 53 High St., Nashua, 881-9060, therivercasino.com

SWEET TREATS

Best Baklava
Best of the best: Glendi, stgeorge.nh.goarch.org. Glendi is a popular three-day festival celebrating Greek culture through food, music and dancing that’s usually held in mid-September at St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Manchester (2020’s Glendi celebration has been canceled).

Best of Concord: Cookies and Cakes Hooray, 585 Union Ave., Laconia, 528-2253, cookiesandcakeshoo.wixsite.com/website

Best of Manchester: Amphora Restaurant, 55 Crystal Ave., Derry, 537-0111, amphoranh.com

Best of Nashua: JajaBelle’s, 143 Main St., Nashua, 769-1873, jajabelles.com (In February, JajaBelle’s relocated to its current location from down the street, in the former space of Graffiti Paintbar.)

Best Candy or Chocolate Shop
Best of the best: Granite State Candy Shoppe, 13 Warren St., Concord, 225-2591, granitestatecandyshoppe.com (Granite State Candy Shoppe also has a location in Manchester.)

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

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

Best of Nashua: Nelson’s Candy and Music, 65 Main St., Wilton, 654-5030, nelsonscandymusic.com

Most Craveable Cookie
Best of the best: Peanut butter cookie (Union Street Takeout, 90 Union St., Manchester, 260-7663)

Best of Concord: M&M cookie (Pats Peak Ski Area, 686 Flanders Road, Henniker, 428-3245, patspeak.com)

Best of Manchester: Triple chip cookie (The Cake Fairy, 114 Londonderry Turnpike, Hooksett, 518-8733, cakefairynh.com. According to Brianna Lucciano, whose mother Lisa owns The Cake Fairy, the bakery was set to reopen on Aug. 12.)

Best of Nashua: Chocolate chip cookie (Buckley’s Bakery & Cafe, 436 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, 262-5929, buckleysbakerycafe.com. Buckley’s Bakery & Cafe also has a location in Hollis.)

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

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

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 (Hayward’s also has a location in Merrimack.)

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

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

Best of Nashua: The Big 1, 185 Concord St., Nashua, thebig1icecream.com

DRINKS

Best Beer Selection (at bar/restaurant)
Best of the best: New England’s Tap House Grille, 1292 Hooksett Road, Hooksett, 782-5137, taphousenh.com

Best of Concord: Area 23, 254 N. State St., Concord, 552-0137, thearea23.com

Best of Manchester: The Thirsty Moose Taphouse, 795 Elm St., Manchester, 792-2337, thirstymoosetaphouse.com (The Thirsty Moose also has locations in Dover, Exeter, Merrimack and Portsmouth.)

Best of Nashua: The Thirsty Moose Taphouse, 360 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, 670-0270, thirstymoosetaphouse.com (The Thirsty Moose also has locations in Dover, Exeter, Manchester and Portsmouth.)

Best Beer Selection at a Retail Shop
Best of the best: Bert’s Better Beers, 545 Hooksett Road, Manchester, 413-5992, bertsbetterbeers.com (In mid-December 2019, Bert’s Better Beers moved from Hooksett to its current location in Manchester.)

Best of Concord: Local Baskit, 10 Ferry St., Suite 120A, Concord, 219-0882, localbaskit.com

Best of Manchester: Lazy Dog Beer Shoppe, 27 Buttrick Road, Suite B4, Londonderry, 434-2500, lazydogbeer.com

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

Best New Hampshire Winery
Best: Labelle Winery, 345 Route 101, Amherst, 672-9898, labellewinerynh.com (LaBelle Winery also has a location in Portsmouth.)

Runner-up: Zorvino Vineyards, 226 Main St., Sandown, 887-8463, zorvino.com

Honorable mention: Flag Hill Distillery & Winery, 297 N. River Road, Lee, 659-2949, flaghill.com

Best New Hampshire-made Cider or Mead
Best: Ancient Fire Mead & Cider, 8030 S. Willow St., Building 1, Unit 7-2, Manchester, 203-4223, ancientfirewines.com

Runner-up: Moonlight Meadery, 23 Londonderry Road, No. 17, Londonderry, 216-2162, moonlightmeadery.com

Honorable mention: Contoocook Cider Co. (Gould Hill Farm), 656 Gould Hill Road, Contoocook, 746-1175, contoocookcider.com

Best New Hampshire Brewery
Best of the best: 603 Brewery, 42 Main St., Londonderry, 404-6123, 603brewery.com

Best of Concord: Lithermans Limited Brewery, 126 Hall St., Unit B, Concord, 219-0784, lithermans.beer

Best of Manchester: Pipe Dream Brewing, 49 Harvey Road, Londonderry, 404-0751, pipedreambrewingnh.com

Best of Nashua: Able Ebenezer Brewing Co., 31 Columbia Circle, Merrimack, 844-223-2253, ableebenezer.com

Where They Make Your Coffee Perfect Every Time
Best of the best: Revelstoke Coffee, 100 N. Main St., Concord, revelstokecoffee.com

Best of Concord: White Mountain Gourmet Coffee, 15 Pleasant St., Concord, 228-3317, wmgconline.com

Best of Manchester: Cafe La Reine, 915 Elm St., Manchester, 232-0332, cafe-la-reine.square.site

Best of Nashua: A&E Coffee & Tea, 135 Route 101A, Amherst, 578-3338, aeroastery.com (A&E Coffee & Tea also has a cafe location in Manchester and a wholesale roastery in Nashua.)

FOOD PERSONALITIES

Most Inventive Chef
Best of the best: Chris Viaud, Greenleaf, 54 Nashua St., Milford, 213-5447, greenleafmilford.com

Best of Concord: Corey Fletcher, Revival Kitchen & Bar, 11 Depot St., Concord, 715-5723, revivalkitchennh.com

Best of Manchester: Nicole Leavitt, Purple Finch Cafe, 124 S. River Road, Bedford, 232-1958, purplefinchcafe.com (The Purple Finch Cafe reopened on Aug. 1.)

Best of Nashua: Michael Buckley, Michael Timothy’s Dining Group (MT’s Local Kitchen & Wine Bar, 212 Main St., Nashua, 595-9334, mtslocal.com; Buckley’s Great Steaks, 438 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, 424-0995, buckleysgreatsteaks.com; Surf Restaurant, 207 Main St., Nashua, 595-9293; 99 Bow St., Portsmouth, 334-9855; surfseafood.com; Buckley’s Bakery & Cafe, 436 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, 262-5929; 9 Market Place, Hollis, 465-5522; buckleysbakerycafe.com)

Restaurant with the Friendliest Staff
Best of the best: Talia’s Breakfast and Eatery, 44 Nashua Road, Londonderry, 260-5339, taliaseatery.com

Best of Concord: Tucker’s, 80 South St., Concord, 413-5884, tuckersnh.com (Tucker’s also has locations in Dover, Hooksett, Merrimack and New London.)

Best of Manchester: The Pizza Man of Hooksett, 254 W. River Road, Hooksett, 626-7499, thepizzamandelivers.com (The Pizza Man also has locations in Manchester, and in Lyndonville, Vt.)

Best of Nashua: T-Bones Great American Eatery, 77 Lowell Road, Hudson, 882-6677, t-bones.com (T-Bones also has locations in Bedford, Derry, Laconia and Salem, and a sixth one scheduled to open in mid-September in Concord.)

OUTDOORS

Best Farm for Pick-Your-Own
Best of the best: Lull Farm, 65 Broad St., Hollis, 465-7079, livefreeandfarm.com. Pick-your-own opportunities include strawberries, apples and pumpkins. (Lull Farm also has a seasonal farm in Milford.)

Best of Concord: Carter Hill Orchard, 73 Carter Hill Road, Concord, 225-2625, carterhillapples.com. Pick-your-own opportunities include peaches, blueberries and apples.

Best of Manchester: Mack’s Apples, 230 Mammoth Road, Londonderry, 434-7619, macksapples.com. Pick-your-own opportunities include apples and pumpkins.

Best of Nashua: Brookdale Fruit Farm, 41 Broad St., Hollis, 465-2240, brookdalefruitfarm.com. Pick-your-own opportunities include strawberries, cherries, blueberries, raspberries, black raspberries, blackberries, apples and pumpkins.

Best City Park
Best of the best: White Park, 1 White St., Concord, 225-8690, concordnh.gov/facilities/facility/details/White-Park-21. Amenities include a baseball field, a basketball court, playground equipment, a pool, walking trails, soccer fields, a roller hockey rink, a sledding trail and an ice skating rink.

Best of Concord: Rollins Park, 116 Broadway St., and parking at 33 Bow St., Concord, 225-8690, concordnh.gov/facilities/facility/details/Rollins-Park-17. Amenities include paved walking paths, a full-sized playground, picnic tables with shelter, baseball and softball fields, a basketball court, tennis courts, a pool and ice skating.

Best of Manchester: Livingston Park, 156 Hooksett Road, Manchester, 624-6444, manchesternh.gov/Departments/Parks-and-Recreation/Parks-Trails-and-Facilities/Parks/Livingston-Park. Amenities include a baseball diamond, a soccer field, a running track, a green space, two playgrounds, walking trails, fishing, ice skating and a pool with a slide.

Best of Nashua: Greeley Park, 100 Concord St., Nashua, 589-3370, nashuanh.gov/Facilities/Facility/Details/Greeley-Park-29. Amenities include baseball and softball fields, a playground, picnic areas, horseshoes, a tennis court, walking trails, a wading pool and sledding.

Best State Park
Best: Pawtuckaway State Park, 7 Pawtuckaway Road, Nottingham, 895-3031, nhstateparks.org/visit/state-parks/pawtuckaway-state-park. The park features more than 5,000 acres of land and trails, overnight camping, a large beach on the lake, boat rentals, a picnic pavilion and a playground.

Runner-up: Bear Brook State Park, 61 Deerfield Road, Allenstown, 485-9874, nhstateparks.org/visit/state-parks/bear-brook-state-park. 10,000 acres and 40 miles of trails makes it the largest developed state park in the Granite State. Activities include biking, hiking, camping, archery, swimming and fishing.

Honorable mention: Hampton Beach State Park, 160 Ocean Blvd., Hampton, 926-8990, nhstateparks.org/visit/state-parks/hampton-beach-state-park. In addition to the sunny shoreline fit for all beachgoing pleasure, the park offers year-round recreation like swimming, fishing, picnicking and RV camping with full hook-ups in the campground.

Best Bike Trail or Spot for a Bike Ride
Best of the best: Nashua River Rail Trail, Nashua. The 12.3-mile asphalt rail trail connects Nashua to Ayer, Mass.

Best of Concord: Bear Brook State Park, 61 Deerfield Road, Allenstown, 485-9874, nhstateparks.org/visit/state-parks/bear-brook-state-park. The park features 40 miles of trails with opportunities for biking on various terrains and inclines.

Best of Manchester: Goffstown Rail Trail, Goffstown. The Goffstown Rail Trail is unpaved and runs for 7.5 miles from Goffstown to Manchester.

Best of Nashua: Mine Falls Park, Whipple Street, Nashua, 589-3370, nashuanh.gov/491/Mine-Falls-Park. The 325-acre park features around eight miles of trails.

Best Hike in Southern New Hampshire
Best: Mount Monadnock, Jaffrey/Dublin, 532-8862, nhstateparks.org/visit/state-parks/monadnock-state-park. The 3,165-foot mountain features more than 35 hiking trails of various levels of difficulty leading to the summit.

Runner-up: Mount Major, Alton, blog.nhstateparks.org/mt-major-family-friendly-hike. The main trail is 1.5 miles to the 1,785-foot peak, which offers panoramic views of Lake Winnipesaukee.

Honorable mention: Pack Monadnock, 13 Miller Park Road, Peterborough. Three hiking trails and a 1.3-mile paved, driveable road lead to the 2,290-foot summit.

Best Lake to Canoe or Kayak
Best: Lake Massabesic, Manchester, 624-6482, manchesternh.gov/departments/water-works/lake-massabesic-watershed. Three public boat launches allow for canoeing and kayaking over the 2,500-acre lake.

Runner-up: Pawtuckaway State Park, 7 Pawtuckaway Road, Nottingham, 895-3031, nhstateparks.org/visit/state-parks/pawtuckaway-state-park. The park offers canoe and kayak rentals and has a public canoe and kayak launch on Pawtuckaway Lake.

Honorable mention: Newfound Lake, boat launch at Wellington State Park, 614 W. Shore Road, Bristol, 744-2197, nhstateparks.org/visit/state-parks/wellington-state-park. The 4,106-acre lake is about 2.5 miles wide and seven miles long. Kayak rentals are available at the park.

Best Route for a Motorcycle Ride
Best: Kancamagus Highway, kancamagushighway.com. It offers a 34.5-mile scenic drive from Lincoln to Conway along New Hampshire’s Route 112, with views of the White Mountains, the Swift River and Lower Falls.

Runner-up: Route 1A on the Seacoast, or the Coastal Byway, visit-newhampshire.com/seacoast/scenic-drives. An 18.4-mile drive along New Hampshire’s coastline through Portsmouth, Rye and Seabrook.

Honorable Mention: Route 3A, northern segment. The 31-mile drive runs from Franklin to Plymouth and offers scenic views of the Lakes Region.

Best Road Race
Best: Nashua Soup Kitchen & Shelter Run & Walk for Food & Shelter, Nashua, held in April, 889-7770, nsks.org/run-and-walk-for-food-and-shelter. The race includes a Kids Sprint, 10K Run, 5K Run and 3K walk. All proceeds benefit the programs of the Nashua Soup Kitchen & Shelter.

Runner-up: Payson Center for Cancer Care Rock ’N Race, Concord, held in May, 225-2711., giveto.concordhospital.org/rock-n-race/home. The race includes a five-mile run and a one-mile walk. All proceeds benefit the HOPE Resource Center at Payson Center for Cancer Care at Concord Hospital.

Honorable mention: Hollis Fast 5K, Hollis, held in June, hollisfast5k.com. The unique 5K course drops 224 feet from start to finish, earning the title of the fastest 5K in New England. All proceeds are distributed by the Hollis-Brookline Rotary Club to local charities to be used to fund educational scholarships.

ENTERTAINMENT

Best Bowling Alley
Best of the best: Leda Lanes, 340 Amherst St., Nashua, 889-4884, ledalanes.com

Best of Concord: Boutwell’s Bowling Center, 152 N. State St., Concord, 224-0941, boutwellsbowl.com

Best of Manchester: Lakeside Lanes, 2171 Candia Road, Manchester, 627-7722, lakesidelanes.com

Best of Nashua: Merrimack Ten Pin Center, 698 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, 429-0989, merrimacktenpin.com

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

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

Best of Manchester: The Bookery, 844 Elm St., Manchester, 836-6600, bookerymht.com

Best of Nashua: The Toadstool Bookshop, Somerset Plaza, 375 Amherst St., Nashua, 673-1734, toadbooks.com. (The Toadstool also has locations in Peterborough and Keene.)

Best Game Night
Best of the best: Boards & Brews, 941 Elm St., Manchester, 232-5184, boardsandbrewsnh.com. A board game cafe.

Best of Concord: Trivia Night, Area 23, 254 N. State St., Concord, 552-0137, thearea23.com. Held every Tuesday at 7 p.m.

Best of Manchester: Trivia Night, The Farm Bar & Grill, 1181 Elm St., Manchester, 641-3276, farmbargrille.com. Not currently running.

Best of Nashua: Trivia Night and Bingo Night, The Pasta Loft Restaurant, 241 Union Square, Milford, 672-2270, pastaloft.com. Not currently running.

Best Escape Room
Best of the best: Granite State Escape, 795 Elm St., Manchester, 935-7455, escapenh.com

Best of Concord: Escape Room Concord, 240 Airport Road, Concord, 225-2271, escaperoomconcordnh.com

Best of Manchester: LOK’d Room Escape, Mall of New Hampshire, 1500 S. Willow St., Manchester, 945-3113, lokdrocks.com

Best of Nashua: Key to Escape, 3 Bud Way, Nashua, 809-4018, keytoescape.com

Best Place to See a Movie
Best: Red River Theatres, 11 S. Main St., Concord, 224-4600, redrivertheatres.org. The theater is not currently open but is screening movies through its virtual cinema program, featuring a line-up of new and older independent films; see the website for details.

Runner-up: Chunky’s Cinema, 707 Huse Road, Manchester, 206-3888, chunkys.com. (Chunky’s also has locations in Nashua and Pelham.)

Honorable mention: Chunky’s Cinema, 151 Coliseum Ave., Nashua, 880-8055, chunkys.com. (Chunky’s also has locations in Manchester and Pelham.)

EVENTS

Best Community Event
Best of the best: Market Days Festival, Concord, intownconcord.org. A three-day street festival, hosted by Intown Concord, featuring shopping, games and live entertainment on Main Street. Typically held in June, this year’s event has been reimagined as Market Month, with “Mini Market Days” going on every weekend in August.

Best of Concord: Midnight Merriment, Concord, intownconcord.org. A holiday event, put on by Intown Concord, featuring food, shopping, entertainment and more. This year’s event is tentatively scheduled for Friday, Dec. 4.

Best of Manchester: Intown Taco Tour, Manchester, intownmanchester.com. An annual street festival organized by Intown Manchester in May. Restaurants create and sell their own unique tacos, and attendees vote on their favorites. Intown stated that this year’s event has been postponed, with a new date TBD.

Best of Nashua: Winter Holiday Stroll, Nashua, downtownnashua.org. A holiday event, presented by Great American Downtown, featuring live music, food, holiday shopping, a candlelight stroll and a tree-lighting ceremony downtown. It’s normally held the Saturday after Thanksgiving, but Great American Downtown stated that the status of this year’s event is TBD.

Best Food or Drink Event
Best of the best: Glendi, Manchester, stgeorge.nh.goarch.org. A three-day festival hosted by St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral celebrating Greek culture through food, music and dancing. The festival is usually held in mid-September but has been canceled this year.

Best of Concord: New Hampshire Brewers Festival, Concord, granitestatebrewersassociation.org. The annual festival, presented by the New Hampshire Brewers Association in July, invites craft breweries from all over the state to pour their original brews for beer-lovers.

Best of Manchester: Intown Taco Tour, Manchester, intownmanchester.com. An annual street festival organized by Intown Manchester in May. Restaurants create and sell their own unique tacos, and attendees vote on their favorites. Intown stated that this year’s event has been postponed, with a new date TBD.

Best of Nashua: Great American Ribfest, Merrimack, greatamericanribfest.com. The three-day event at Anheuser-Busch features professional barbecue vendors from across the country as well as other food vendors, a beer experience, live entertainment, kids activities and more. It’s typically held on Father’s Day weekend but was canceled this year.

Best Event to Show Off Your Cosplay
Best: Granite State Comic Con, Manchester, granitecon.com. A two-day comic and pop culture convention produced by Double Midnight Comics, featuring guest celebrities and comic artists, educational panels and workshops, costume contests, gaming, vendors and more. It’s normally held in September, but this year’s event has been canceled.

Runner-up: Queen City Kamikaze, Manchester, facebook.com/queencitykamikaze. A one-day comic and pop culture convention held in March, featuring a cosplay contest, video game and tabletop game tournaments, live game shows, panels, vendors, artists and more.

Honorable mention: Free Comic Book Day, freecomicbookday.com, at Double Midnight Comics (245 Maple St., Manchester, 669-9636; 67 S. Main St., Concord, 669-9636, dmcomics.com) and Jetpack Comics (37 N. Main St., Rochester, 330-9636, jetpackcomics.com). The annual worldwide event, held the first Saturday in May, encourages comic book shops to hand out free comic books created specially for that day. The largest FCBD celebration in the state is the Rochester Free Comic Book Day Festival, a partnership between the City of Rochester and Jetpack Comics, featuring local comic creators, vendors, live entertainment, food, a cosplay contest and more throughout downtown. Double Midnight Comics in Manchester hosts a popular cosplay contest at its Manchester store. This year’s FCBD has been reworked as Free Comic Book Summer. Every Wednesday, now through Sept. 9, participating local comic book shops will put out five or six different free comics.

Best Parade
Best: Manchester St. Patrick’s Parade, saintpatsnh.com.

Runner-up: Litchfield Memorial Day Parade

Honorable mention: Manchester Christmas Parade, intownmanchester.com. Typically held in early December.

FUN — WITH PEOPLE!

Best After-Work Hang-Out Spot
Best of the best: The River Casino & Sports Bar, 52 High St., Nashua, 881-9060, therivercasino.com

Best of Concord: Area 23, 254 N. State St., Concord, 552-0137, thearea23.com

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

Best of Nashua: The Thirsty Moose Taphouse, 360 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, 670-0270, thirstymoosetaphouse.com. (The Thirsty Moose also has locations in Manchester, Dover, Exeter and Portsmouth.)

Best First Date Place
Best of best: Boards & Brews, 941 Elm St., Manchester, 232-5184, boardsandbrewsnh.com. A board game cafe.

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

Most Impressive Date Spot
Best of the best: Hanover Street Chophouse, 149 Hanover St., Manchester, 644-2467, hanoverstreetchophouse.com

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

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

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

Best Crowd at Whatever
Best: Get Fit NH, 287 S. Main St., Concord, 344-2651, getfitnh.com

Runner-up: The River Casino & Sports Bar, 52 High St., Nashua, 881-9060, therivercasino.com

Honorable mention: Area 23, 254 N. State St., Concord, 552-0137, thearea23.com

FAMILY FUN

Best Family or Kids Event
Best of the best: Market Days Festival, Concord, intownconcord.org. A three-day street festival, hosted by Intown Concord, featuring shopping, games and live entertainment on Main Street. Typically held in June, the event has been reimagined this year as Market Month, with “Mini Market Days” going on every weekend in August.

Best of Concord: Deerfield Fair, deerfieldfair.com. One of the largest agricultural fairs in the state, featuring rides, entertainment, food and more. It’s usually held for four days in September, but this year’s event has been canceled.

Best of Manchester: Glendi, Manchester, stgeorge.nh.goarch.org. A three-day festival hosted by St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral celebrating Greek culture through food, music and dancing. The festival is usually held in mid-September but has been canceled this year.

Best of Nashua: Kids Con New England, Nashua, kidsconne.com. The first and largest comic convention in New England created just for kids. Held in June, the one-day event features comic-centric activities, workshops and panels, gaming, family-friendly comic book creators and children’s book authors and artists.

Best Place to Take Your Kids
Best of the best: Fun City Trampoline Park, 553 Mast Road, Goffstown, 606-8807, funcitygoffstown.com. Closed until further notice, according to its Facebook page.

Best of Concord: Krazy Kids, 60 Sheep Davis Road, Pembroke, 228-7529, gokrazykids.com. An indoor playground and party venue. Currently running summer camps, but the indoor play area is closed to the public until further notice, according to the website.

Best of Manchester: Aviation Museum of New Hampshire, 27 Navigator Road, Londonderry, 669-4820, nhahs.org. Open only on select dates until further notice. Upcoming dates are Saturdays, Aug. 15 and Aug. 29.

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

Best Indoor Play Area
Best of the best: Fun City Trampoline Park, 553 Mast Road, Goffstown, 606-8807, funcitygoffstown.com. Closed until further notice, according to its Facebook page.

Best of Concord: Krazy Kids, 60 Sheep Davis Road, Pembroke, 228-7529, gokrazykids.com. An indoor playground and party venue. Currently running summer camps, but the indoor play area is closed to the public until further notice, according to the website.

Best of Manchester: Cowabunga’s, 725 Huse Road, Manchester, 935-9659, mycowabungas.com. An indoor inflatable playground and party venue. Currently closed, but plans to reopen this month.

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

Best Kids Summer Day Camp
Best of the best: Melody Pines Day Camp, 510 Corning Road, Manchester, 669-9414, melodypines.com

Best of Concord: New Hampshire Audubon Nature Day Camp, McLane Audubon Center, 84 Silk Farm Road, Concord, 224-9909, nhaudubon.org. (Camp is also held at the Massabesic Audubon Center in Auburn.)

Best of Manchester: Boys & Girls Club of Manchester’s Camp Foster, 36 Camp Allen Road, Bedford, 625-5031, begreatmanchester.org

Best of Nashua: YMCA of Greater Nashua’s Camp Sargent, 141 Camp Sargent Road, Merrimack, 880-4845, campsargent.org

Best Place to Hold a Kids Birthday Party
Best of the best: Cowabunga’s, 725 Huse Road, Manchester, 935-9659, mycowabungas.com. An indoor inflatable playground and party venue. Currently closed, but plans to reopen this month.

Best of Concord: Krazy Kids, 60 Sheep Davis Road, Pembroke, 228-7529, gokrazykids.com. An indoor playground and party venue. Currently running summer camps, but the indoor play area is closed to the public until further notice, according to the website.

Best of Manchester: Fun City Trampoline Park, 553 Mast Road, Goffstown, 606-8807, funcitygoffstown.com. Closed until further notice, according to its Facebook page.

Best of Nashua: Wild Salamander Creative Arts Center, 30 Ash St., Hollis, 465-9453, wildsalamander.com.

PETS

Best Doggie Day Care
Best of the best: American K9 Country, 336 Route 101, Amherst, 672-8448, americank9country.com. Day care and boarding for dogs and cats and training classes in dock jumping, obedience, agility and more for dogs.

Best of Concord: Paws on Pine, 913 Pine St., Contoocook, 568-4022, pawsonpinenh.com. A small boarding and day care center for dogs that specializes in Flower Essence aromatherapy for dogs.

Best of Manchester: All Dogs Gym & Inn, 505 Sheffield Road, Manchester, 669-4644, alldogsgym.com. Training, boarding and day care services for dogs as well as classes in various dog sports.

Best of Nashua: Cloud K9, 29 Columbia Circle, Merrimack, 424-6166, cloudk9.net. Day care and boarding for dogs with an enclosed turfgrass play area.

Best Dog Groomer
Best of the best: Sarah’s Paw Spa, 16 Manning St., Derry, 512-4539, sarahspawspa.com. A certified grooming service with a custom tub and full spa experience that includes tooth brushing, nail painting and aloe facial cleanses.

Best of Concord: Bark Now, 237 S. Main St., Concord, 229-3700, barknow.com. Full grooming treatments available as well as facials, luxury baths, paw pedicures and Reiki energy therapy.

Best of Manchester: Hollywood Hounds Pet Spa, 250 Wallace Road, Bedford, 472-7387, hollywoodhoundsnh.com. A full-service pet spa using only all-natural, hypoallergenic materials and offering basic grooming, flea and tick removal and emergency de-skunking.

Best of Nashua: Cloud K9, 29 Columbia Circle, Merrimack, 424-6166, cloudk9.net. Grooming services include blow-outs, brush-outs, ear cleaning and plucking and nail trims and cuts. Package deals with half-day day care and grooming are available.

Best Place to Let Your Dog Off Leash
Best of the best: Hudson Dog Park at Benson Park,19 Kimball Hill Road, Hudson, 886-6000, hudsonnh.gov/bensonpark/page/dog-park. A fenced-in public dog park that includes two separate areas for large and small dogs. Dog waste bags are available.

Best of Concord: Terrill Park, Old Turnpike Road, Concord, 225-8690, concordnh.gov/facilities/facility/details/Terrill-Park-28. The 21-acre park features a fenced-in dog park for both large and small dogs.

Best of Manchester: Hooksett Dog Park, 101 Merrimack St., Hooksett, 668-8019, hooksett.org/parks-recreation-cemeteries-division/pages/dog-park. Two off-leash fenced-in play areas for small and large dogs. Dog waste bags are available.

Best of Nashua: American K9 Country, 336 Route 101, Amherst, 672-8448, americank9country.com. Fenced-in dog park available at the doggie day care, free of charge.

Best On-Leash Dog Outing
Best of the best: Mine Falls Park, Whipple Street, Nashua, 589-3370, nashuanh.gov/491/Mine-Falls-Park. A 325-acre park with forest, wetlands, open fields and around eight miles of trails.

Best of Concord: Downtown Concord, North Main Street, Concord. The open lawn green space of the Statehouse lawn, the weekly Farmers Market and Market Days offer a great chance for humans and dogs alike to get out and about in the Capital City.

Best of Manchester: Livingston Park, Hooksett Road, Manchester, 624-6444, manchesternh.gov/Departments/Parks-and-Recreation/Parks-Trails-and-Facilities/Parks/Livingston-Park. Includes a loop walking trail that circles Dorr’s Pond.

Best of Nashua: Benson Park,19 Kimball Hill Road, Hudson, 886-6000, hudsonnh.gov/bensonpark. A 166-acre recreational spot with plenty of walking trails.

NIGHTLIFE

Best Bar for Live Music
Best of the best: The Shaskeen Pub and Restaurant, 909 Elm St., Manchester, 625-0246, theshaskeenpub.com. Regular live music has not yet resumed, but there will be a trial run performance by Marty Quirk on the patio on Sunday, Aug. 16, at 3 p.m.

Best of Concord: Area 23, 254 N. State St., Concord, 552-0137, thearea23.com. Live music every Friday and Saturday night and Saturday afternoon.

Best of Manchester: Strange Brew, 88 Market St., Manchester, 666-4292, strangebrewtavern.net. The bar stated that it will not be having any live music in the near future due to Covid-19 regulations.

Best of Nashua: The Pasta Loft Restaurant, 241 Union Square, Milford, 672-2270, pastaloft.com. The bar stated that it does not have live music at this time.

Best Bar with an Outdoor Deck
Best of the best: The Derryfield Restaurant, 625 Mammoth Road, Manchester, 623-2880, thederryfield.com

Best of Concord: Downtown Cheers Grille & Bar, 17 Depot St., Concord, 228-0181, cheersnh.com

Best of Manchester: Murphy’s Taproom, 494 Elm St., Manchester, 644-3535, murphystaproom.com

Best of Nashua: The Pasta Loft Restaurant, 241 Union Square, Milford, 672-2270, pastaloft.com.

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

Best of Concord: The Barley House Restaurant & Tavern, 132 N. Main St., Concord, 228-6363, thebarleyhouse.com. (The Barley House also has a location in North Hampton.)

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

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

Best Sports Bar
Best of the best: Billy’s Sports Bar & 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: The Thirsty Moose Taphouse, 795 Elm St., Manchester, 792-2337, thirstymoosetaphouse.com. (The Thirsty Moose also has locations in Merrimack, Dover, Exeter and Portsmouth.)

Best of Nashua: The Thirsty Moose Taphouse, 360 Daniel Webster Highway, Merrimack, 670-0270, thirstymoosetaphouse.com. (The Thirsty Moose also has locations in Manchester, Dover, Exeter and Portsmouth.)

Best Regular Event at a Bar
Best of the best: Famous Friday Rubber Chicken Toss at The River Casino & Sports Bar, 52 High St., Nashua, 881-9060, therivercasino.com. Held every Friday at 7 p.m. Players get three rubber chickens. Sink one rubber chicken into the pot and win a six-piece chicken tenders dinner; sink two, win a 12-piece chicken tenders dinner; sink all three, win $200.

Best of Concord: Open Mic Night at Area 23, 254 N. State St., Concord, 552-0137, thearea23.com. Every Wednesday at 5 p.m.

Best of Manchester: Queen City Improv at Stark Brewing Co., 500 Commercial St., Manchester, 625-4444, starkbrewingcompany.com. The Manchester-based improvisational theater troupe typically performs at the bar monthly, but shows have been put on hold until further notice.

Best of Nashua: Open Mic at Fody’s Tavern, 9 Clinton St., Nashua, 577-9015, fodystavern.com. Fody’s is planning to resume open mic soon.

Where to Go when you want to See and be Seen
Best of the best: The Shaskeen Pub and Restaurant, 909 Elm St., Manchester, 625-0246, theshaskeenpub.com

Best of Concord: Tandy’s Pub & Grille, 1 Eagle Square, Concord, 856-7614, tandyspub.com

Best of Manchester: The Derryfield Restaurant, 625 Mammoth Road, Manchester, 623-2880, thederryfield.com

Best of Nashua: The River Casino & Sports Bar, 52 High St., Nashua, 881-9060, therivercasino.com

NOTABLE LOCALS

Friendliest Mechanic
Best of the best: Mike Alton, Pro-Image Automotive, 254 Sheffield Road, Manchester, 644-8480, proimageautomotive.com

Best of Concord: Gunnar Wicklund, Wicklund’s Automotive Center, 240 N. State St., Concord, 224-2102, wicklundsauto.com

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

Best of Nashua: Chad Tanguay, Merrimack Auto Center, 9 Webb Drive, Merrimack, 216-9596; 150 Amherst St., Nashua, 546-0157; merrimackautocenterllc.com

Best Local Music Act
Best: Alli Beaudry, allibeaudry.com

Runner-up: Matt the Sax, find him on Facebook @mattthesax

Honorable mention: Songs With Molly, find them on Facebook @songswithmolly

Friendliest Librarians
Best: Concord Public Library, 45 Green St., Concord, 225-8670, concordpubliclibrary.net (The Concord Public Library reopened to the public on July 13, operating under limited hours.)

Runner-up: Bedford Public Library, 3 Meetinghouse Road, Bedford, 472-2300, bedfordnhlibrary.org (The Bedford Public Library is currently closed to the public, but contact-free curbside pickups are available every Monday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Wednesday from 5 to 7 p.m.)

Honorable mention: Aaron Cutler Memorial Library, 269 Charles Bancroft Highway, Litchfield, 424-4044, cutlerlibrary.blogspot.com (The Aaron Cutler Memorial Library is currently closed to the public, but porch pickups are available every Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.)

New Hampshire-based Celebrity Who Seems Like They’d Be the Most Fun at a Party
Best: Pete Psaledas, Director of Distributor Relations at Presence Marketing and a Litchfield resident

Runner-up: Fred “Fritz” Wetherbee, “Fritz Wetherbee’s New Hampshire,” as seen on WMUR’s New Hampshire Chronicle

Honorable mention: Steven Tyler, frontman of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band Aerosmith

Favorite Fictional Granite Stater
Best: The Old Man of the Mountain (a series of cliff ledges resembling the profile of a man’s face, The Old Man of the Mountain was a popular tourist attraction at Franconia Notch State Park until its collapse in May 2003.)

Runner-up: President Josiah “Jed” Bartlet (who is portrayed by Martin Sheen in the critically acclaimed political drama series The West Wing.)

Honorable mention: Binky Sears (a fictional character often featured in Fritz Wetherbee’s stories in “Fritz Wetherbee’s New Hampshire,” as seen on WMUR’s New Hampshire Chronicle.)

LIVING HERE

Happiest Place in NH
Best: Get Fit NH (287 S. Main St. in Concord; getfitnh.com, 344-2651). Get Fit NH is currently offering both in-person and virtual fitness classes.

Runner-up: The White Mountains (The Forest Service’s website, fs.usda.gov/whitemountain, sells day-use passes online to the White Mountain National Forest as well as maps and more. At visitwhitemountains.com, you can find more about visiting the area, including advice on alternative hiking and parking sites when popular locations are crowded.)

Honorable mention: Hampton Beach (Though many of the regular Hampton Beach events have been canceled for this summer, you can still find outdoor movies on Monday nights and nightly live music starting at 7 p.m. See hamptonbeach.org.)

Best Thing About Living in NH in the Winter
Best: Skiing (As one reader said “Skiing is Awesome.”)

Runner-up: Snow

Honorable mention: Snowshoeing

Best Thing We Forgot to Ask About
Best: Best New Hampshire Product/Best Jams and Jellies made in NH: Laurel Hill Jams & Jellies (laurelhilljams.com). Find them at stores throughout the area including Bedford Hannaford and Christmas Tree Shops in Nashua and Salem; see a list on the website.

Runner-up: Best Tattoos: Arrows and Embers Tattoo (117 Manchester St. in Concord; arrowsandemberstattoo.com, 988-6067)

Honorable mention: Best Massage Therapist: Bethany Chabot, LMT 444 Hands, Innately Integrative Massage & Energy Therapy, located in The Wellness Center at Family Chiropractic of Merrimack, 36 Baboosic Lake Road, Merrimack, 834-2758, 444hands.com.

This Week 20/08/13

Thursday, Aug. 13
The Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St. in Manchester; currier.org, 669-6144) inches closer to opening by holding a member preview weekend today through Sunday, Aug. 16. Go online to reserve timed tickets for members (memberships currently start at $50 for an individual, $80 for a household). The Currier will open to the general public on Thursday, Aug. 20, when it will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., with music from Paul Nelson starting at 5 p.m. The Currier is recommending about two-hour gallery visits and safety protocols include wearing masks, offering hand sanitizer and more.

Friday, Aug. 14
The Fisher Cats kick off their “Socially Distanced Concert Series at the Stadium” with David Clark’s Songs in the Attic (the music of Billy Joel) tonight at 7 p.m. (the gates open at 5:30 p.m.) at Delta Dental Stadium in downtown Manchester. Tomorrow, Saturday, Aug. 15, catch Changes in Latitude (the music of Jimmy Buffett), also at 7 p.m. Tickets to either show cost $23. See NHFisherCats.com. The series continues the weekend of Aug. 28 and runs through Sept. 12.

Friday, Aug. 14
It’s a tribute-band-lover’s summer! Catch more tribute bands playing this weekend at the Tupelo Music Hall’s Drive-In (10 A St. in Derry; tupelomusichall.com, 437-5100). Foreigners Journey plays Friday, Aug. 14, at 6 p.m. and Saturday, Aug. 15, at 3 and 6 p.m. Or, for the music of Tom Petty, see The Breakers on Sunday, Aug. 16, at 3 and 6 p.m. Crazy on You, a Heart tribute band, will perform on Aug. 22 at 3 and 6 p.m.

Wednesday, Aug. 19
Enjoy a mid-week evening of relaxation with a live performance of the band Crossroads at the Merrimack Parks & Recreation Summer Concert Series in Abbie Griffin Park (6 Baboosic Lake Road) tonight from 6 to 8 p.m. Bring blankets and dinner; organizers ask for masks and social distancing, the website said. Crossroads plays classic rock, modern rock, country and pop, according to merrmackparksandrec.org.

Save the date! Friday, Aug. 21
Add a little sweetness to these final days before school starts with La Belle Winery’s cupcake frosting and decorating class for kids on Aug. 21, from noon to 1 p.m. The cost is $29 per kid and kids will make their own frosting and decorate their cupcake (and then eat it), according to the website, which also recommends that parents can enjoy lunch in the Bistro during the event. The event will take place at the winery (345 Route 101 in Amherst; labellewinerynh.com) and is recommended for ages 9 and up; register in advance, the website said.

Quality of Life 20/08/13

Saving Valley
Efforts to take back and clean up Valley Cemetery in Manchester are being relaunched as a group of volunteers — the Original Friends of Valley Cemetery — pivots its focus to restoring gravestones and the chapel, according to Tanya Frazier Orr, who is leading the efforts. Orr said in an email that on Saturday, Aug. 22, a cleaning and restoration workshop will be held for anyone who wants to learn how to conserve various types of gravestones. In addition, the Manchester Memorial Company will be cleaning the Samuel Bell monument to provide an example of what can be accomplished with simple cleaning.
Score: +1
Comments: “Combined forces and fresh energy spell nothing but success for this team and their restoration goals,” Orr said in her email.

Pick up trash with Carter
Five-year-old Carter Manson of Manchester was named July’s Granite Stater of the Month by U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan for encouraging people to get outside and help clean up their communities, according to a press release. Carter has wanted to be a garbage collector since he was 3, so it was fitting that during the April stay-at-home orders he asked his mom, Kelly, if he could go outside and pick up trash. Kelly said yes and took pictures of him in the act, then posted them on Facebook. After getting positive feedback from her friends and family, she decided to create a group called Carter’s Clean Up Crew, which now has nearly 800 members from across the United States and Canada, according to the release. The crew has raised $1,400 to help get members of the group supplies like trash grabbers and gloves.
Score: +1
Comment: Carter is asking local residents to join him and his crew on Saturday, Aug. 29, at Pulaski Park in Manchester from 8 to 10 a.m. for a community clean-up, according to a post on wzid.com.

Second Jamestown Canyon virus case this year
The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services announced last week that an adult from Bow tested positive for Jamestown Canyon virus. According to a press release from the Department, the person experienced fever and mild neurological symptoms but was not hospitalized and is doing well. This is the second case of the mosquito-borne pathogen in New Hampshire this year, and the 11th since the first case was reported in 2013. The arboviral risk level, which indicates the risk of transmission of these infections from mosquitoes, for Bow has been increased to high and is at moderate for the surrounding towns of Goffstown, Dunbarton, Hopkinton, Allenstown, Hooksett, Pembroke and Concord.
Score: -2
Comment: DHHS noted in its press release that risk of infection with Jamestown Canyon virus as well as Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus and West Nile virus will continue to increase throughout the summer and into fall.

All aboard for Hopkinton history
The Hopkinton Historical Society has created a driving tour that includes seven stops in Hopkinton and Contoocook that feature railroad points of interest. According to a press release, the tour is taking the place of what was supposed to be a summer exhibit: “Given the continued uncertainty regarding opening dates and people’s comfort levels with gathering in groups indoors, we decided the best approach was to take our exhibit on the road!” the release reads. The tour looks at how the railroad impacted farmers, tourism, mills and factories, among other things.
Score: +1
Comment:The tour can be found at HopkintonHistory.org, or followed on Clio, a downloadable app for driving tours of historical and cultural sites.

QOL score: 51
Net change: +1
QOL this week: 52
What’s affecting your Quality of Life here in New Hampshire? Let us know at news@hippopress.com.

The week that was

With news coming fast and furious in the restart of three major sports along with more from NFL camps and in college football, we’ll try to keep up with it all, through a series of news briefs to look at the headlines from emerging stories.

Bloom off the Rose at Fenway: With the Red Sox having the worst pitching staff I’ve ever seen them have, I’d say Chaim Bloom’s bargain-basement shopping approach to finding value pitchers is off to a rocky start. Though even more shocking is that six teams in MLB have even worse team earned run averages than the Sox’s 4.74. Also, seeing the statistics-driven decision-making forcing Ron Roenicke to bat lead-footed J.D. Martinez second is not a confidence-inspiring move either. It was done to let them go lefty-righty through the fifth spot in the order to combat late game relief pitching match-ups even though it puts their best RBI guy hitting directly behind the eighth and ninth dead spots in the order 80 percent of his at-bats. Plus the match-up issue is overrated when guys like Xander Bogaerts hit .317 against right-handed pitching in 2019 and just .291 vs. lefties, while J.D. hit 17 homers and drove in 65 runs against the righties. The order thing changed fairly quickly, but it’s not a good sign that they don’t realize batting that guy there probably knocks 30 RBI off his total in a full season. It’s early in the development process for Bloom, so the headline is a little unfair. But since I’m a guy who thinks it’s smarter to not outsmart yourself as baseball so often does in favor of letting top talent just play, let’s just say I’m not really impressed so far.

The Double Negative and More Thing on Red Sox Pitching Award: Does Matt Barnes never not walk someone when he pitches? I’m just asking ’cause every single time I watch him pitch he’s pitching in trouble due to unnecessary walks. As someone who mourns the passing of the three-hour-and-42-minute game I find it beyond annoying.

Michigan-OSU Rivalry Kicked Up a Notch:Good to see local lad Ryan Day go right back at mouthy Michigan coach/instigator Jim Harbaugh at Big 10 media day last week after he made claims about improper coaching going on at thee Ohio State. Day basically said you worry about your team and I’ll worry about mine. With the game earlier than usual in mid-October Harbaugh might be just getting in some early head games, or, more likely, damage control given the heat he must be feeling for being 0-5 vs. OSU after last year’s 56-27 rout. Especially with Big Blue having lost 15 of the last 16 to their bitter rival. As for Day, word was he later told associates he wants to hang 100 on Harbaugh this time, which given last year’s thumping might be doable.

Plymouth State Alumni News Notes: Of course hanging 100 on Michigan wouldn’t be good news for Plymouth State alumni who still fondly remember the dominant days between 1993 and 1995 when head man Don Brown’s teams went 25-6. He’s now defensive coordinator for Big Blue in Ann Arbor and 100 on the resume is rather unsightly.

Celtic/NBA Alumni News: The sad news of the weekend came from Nashua/Bishop Guertin alum Mike Lupica. The New York Daily News columnist writing one tweet asked the basketball world to pray for his long-time friend Paul Westphal as the one-time Celtic/NBA Hall of Famer has brain cancer.

Celtics Cement 3-Seed in East: Friday’s not-as-close-as-the-122-100-final score-indicated win over Toronto was arguably their best and most satisfying of the year. It featured a balanced attack with seven guys in double figures, but most notably had the kind of fierce defense by all of its parameter defenders that they have not shown enough of in the regular season. The latter suffocated the Raptors potent 3-ball game and that will be paramount for them to duplicate come playoff time. So take it as a good sign.

The 2016 Nightmare: While he didn’t have a strong game, seeing Raptors All-Star Pascal Siakam Friday again brought reminders from the 2016 draft. Danny Ainge had three picks in Round 1 and started by taking Jaylen Brown third overall. Given theversatile inside, mid-game and long-range scoring threat he’s turned into, that was a great pick. But then (gulp) came Guerschon Yabusele at 15. Really? A finesse player being 30 pounds overweight on draft night wasn’t a red flag? Next came Ante Zizic at 23. An in-the-witness-protection 7-footer after landing in Cleveland in the horrid Kyrie Irving trade. Four picks later, the NBA’s savviest judge of young talent, Masai Ujiri, took Siakam for Toronto. Missing him twice gets me every time.

Groundhog Day – The Football Edition: Really? They’re gonna give the XFL yet another try? Yup. Not even four months after it filed for bankruptcy again, ex-Miami footballer turned mega-movie star Dwayne Johnson, better known as the Rock, bought the XFL remnants for $15 million last week with a pledge to try it a third time. That will make it five tries overall for spring football, starting with the USFL in the 1980s. That one at least produced real talent and some eventual big names like Famers Steve Young, Jim Kelly and Reggie White, along with the now on to bigger things owner of the New Jersey Generals, Donald Trump.

Faces in the Non-Crowds: Best face in the Sgt. Pepper’s-like virtual sports crowds last week was Bernie Lomax. If you don’t remember Bernie, he was the dead guy everyone partied around in his Hamptons beach house after the illicit insurance executive was bumped off by his mob boss partner in the 1989 major Hollywood motion picture Weekend at Bernie’s. He was at the Dodgers game Friday and, if you’re wondering, he still looked dead to me.

Now hiring

UNH alumni help tech companies find diverse talent with Shtudy

Shtudy (shtudy.co) is a career advancement startup that matches talented tech professionals of color — specifically those who are Black, Latinx and Native American — with leading tech companies looking to increase diversity, equity and inclusion in their workplaces. Founded by UNH alumni Geno Miller and Ravoughn Millings, Shtudy recently moved from Washington, D.C., to Manchester and expanded its services with a new online platform that screens and trains job seekers to provide employers with a selective hiring pool of guaranteed qualified candidates. Miller talked about how Shtudy works, why it’s needed and how job seekers and employers can work toward a more inclusive tech industry in New Hampshire and beyond.

What is the mission of Shtudy?

Everything we do comes back to bridging the racial wealth gap in America, and we feel like the fastest, most efficient way of doing that is through [the] tech [industry]. The average tech employee’s salary is $135K. The average Black family makes $60K a year, and the average Latinx family makes $68K a year, so the average tech worker makes more than both of those families combined. … The current amount of people of color in tech jobs is nine percent. Our mission is to double that to 18 percent.

How was Shtudy born?

I was born and raised in Prince George’s County, Maryland, which is about five minutes away from D.C. Growing up in a city environment and underrepresented community, there are a lot of trials and tribulations, like drugs and guns. I was fortunate enough to overcome those things, but I had a lot of friends who weren’t as fortunate. … When I got a full football scholarship to go to the University of New Hampshire, I saw a world of opportunity open up to me, and I couldn’t help but think, ‘Wow. What if the people I grew up with knew there were opportunities out there for them, as well? How can I help provide opportunities to people who look like me and come from areas similar to where I come from?’ … Then, I met my [Shtudy] co-founder Ravoughn Millings, also a UNH alum, who had a similar experience to me. He was always at the top of his classes, but when it came time to find a job, he was having trouble. That told us there was a huge disconnect between the processes companies use to find top talent, and what job seekers are doing to try to get in front of those employers in a way that they can actually stand out. That’s what led to the development of Shtudy. … We launched toward the end of 2017 … and moved to New Hampshire about a month and a half ago.

How does it work?

[Job seekers] sign up and select their desired career path. Then, they take a quiz to prove they can do the thing they say they can do. These quizzes are verified by companies like Google, Facebook and Amazon and are what they use to hire their engineers. Once they pass those quizzes, we introduce them to our “Soft Skills Training Library,” where they can watch videos teaching them what they need to know for interviews and how to handle issues that often arise for people of color in a workplace. The next step is to do a one-on-one mock interview with a corporate recruiter. Then, we enter them into the hiring pool so they can be viewed by employers interested in hiring them.

Is it effective?

Definitely. We’ve gotten two [hundred] to three hundred signups [from job seekers] in the last two weeks, alone … and in the time we’ve been doing this, somewhere between 30 and 50 [job seekers] have been successfully placed [in tech companies].

Why is the number of people of color in the tech industry so low?

Based on the research we conducted … employers want to hire people of color, but they’re looking in the wrong places … and candidates who want to work for these companies don’t have the tools in their toolbox to get directly in front of employers in a way that they’ll get noticed. There are a multitude of different reasons for that. Implicit bias is definitely a thing. There’s also a huge communication barrier to overcome between employers and people who come from different backgrounds than them.

Why is Shtudy needed now, and in New Hampshire?

There’s a lot of social injustice right now, especially racial injustice. In addition to that, we have Covid-19, [which has resulted in] a lot of employers having to change their traditional hiring process of conducting on-site, in-person interviews. Shtudy helps with both of those things. We’re providing opportunities for people of color who need them, and we’re making it easy for employers to tap into a reliable pool of candidates, specifically in New Hampshire, because the goal is always to bring more diverse young talent to the state.

What would you like tech companies to know about hiring people of color?

This isn’t a one-off thing where employers can just check a box and expect the full benefits of hiring people of color who actually enjoy their experience at the company. There has to be a mental shift. The entire company has to buy in, from the executive board down to the junior and associate-level workers. That’s what it takes to transform a company and bring people of color into an environment where they can thrive.

What advice do you have for young people of color who are interested in pursuing a career in tech? How can they set themselves up for success?

The first thing I’d say is that they can do it. I feel like that’s something young people of color don’t hear enough, especially in the tech world. … In regards to advancing their careers, I’d say, dress up your LinkedIn [profile], revamp your resumes and build internal networks. Look at the resources out there that can help you get better grades and stand out in competitive workplaces. And, of course, use Shtudy. That’s what we’re here for.

Featured Photo: Geno Miller

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