Tag: 210708

Crying in H Mart, by Michelle Zauner

Crying in H Mart, by Michelle Zauner (Alfred A. Knopf, 239 pages)

The first time that I, a southerner raised on white bread, meat loaf and McDonald’s, went to an H Mart, the traffic shocked me as much as the food offerings. In Burlington, Massachusetts, the closest H Mart to Manchester, you can hardly find a parking place any time of day.

For the uninitiated, H Mart is a supermarket that specializes in Korean food and products. Its name derives from a Korean phrase, han ah reum, which means an armload of groceries. And the store is stocked with things you don’t often come across at the Hannaford, such as frozen sliced octopus.

But I didn’t understand until reading Michelle Zauner’s powerful memoir why H Mart is always packed and rapidly expanding across the U.S., and it has little to do with the groceries and Korea’s famed beauty products. H Mart sells food, of course, but it taps into something deeper for Americans of Korean descent. As much as meat, produce and authentic ramen, H Mart sells a sense of home. Zauner reflects on this in her opening, as she describes people-watching at the H Mart food court, which typically offers sushi and Chinese and Korean food, fast-food style.

“It’s a beautiful, holy place. A cafeteria full of people from all over the world who have been displaced in a foreign country, each with a different history,” she writes. “Where did they come from and how far did they travel? Why are they all here?” They’re there to buy products that Trader Joe’s doesn’t carry, but ultimately for more. “I’m not just on the hunt for cuttlefish and three bunches of scallions for a buck; I’m searching for memories,” she says.

Zauner doesn’t travel far to the H Mart where she shops, near Philadelphia, and she grew up in Eugene, Oregon. But she cries at the H Mart because it reminds her of her mother, a Korean woman who married an American man, but took her daughter to visit relatives in Seoul every other year. Food, Zauner writes, was how her mother conveyed love; “I could always feel her affection radiating from the lunches she packed and the meals she prepared for me just the way I liked them.”

She was often harsh, yelling at her daughter if she got injured while playing, and once reacted to Zauner’s getting fired at a waitressing job by saying, “Well, Michelle, anyone can carry a tray.” By her teens Zauner had developed the adolescent revulsion to her mother’s touch, and the relationship further soured as her mother’s behavior bordered on full-blown abuse.

But when her mother developed Stage IV pancreatic cancer when Zauner was 25, she was devastated. The memoir is her account of a painful reckoning that they both endured during the mother’s treatment and final months of life, a cold and gritty look at the realities of hospital (“The house was quiet aside from her breathing, a horrible sucking like the last sputtering of a coffee pot”) and also the small moments of grace.

The memoir continues after the mother’s passing, as Zauner comes to fully understand her mother in ways she couldn’t while she was alive. It is taut and elegant, with no descent into melodrama: just a matter-of-fact but beautifully written elegy that explores the challenges of loving difficult people. But it is a deeply hopeful book, despite being centered around death. And don’t let the title fool you — while H Mart may appeal most to Koreans and other Americans of Asian descent, Zauner’s story is universal, as is the connection that she forges with her mother, both in life and in death, through food. To cope with her mother’s death, she starts seeing a therapist, but it wasn’t helping, so she starts cooking her mother’s Korean recipes, ultimately making so much that she had to start giving it to friends.

“The smell of vegetables fermenting in a fragrant bouquet of fish sauce, garlic, ginger and gochugaru radiated through my small Greenpoint kitchen, and I would think of how my mother always used to tell me never to fall in love with someone who doesn’t like kimchi. They’ll always smell it on you, seeping through your pores.”

Zauner did fall in love with someone who liked kimchi, a Korean side dish, and who married her during her mother’s treatment, so it wasn’t just cooking that helped her heal. There are other memoirs that make that claim; Zauner’s isn’t that simplistic. But hers is a surprisingly engrossing account of a mother and daughter’s struggle to love each other, and a crash course in a culture with which you might not be familiar. Familiarity with H Mart is not a prerequisite, but you’ll likely want to visit after reading this book. B+

Book Notes

Last week’s review of The Anthropocene Reviewed noted that the book’s genesis was the podcast of novelist John Green and his younger brother, Hank Green. This was interesting because podcasts are now a common form of book promotion, and so it’s becoming increasingly common for authors to start their own, after getting familiar with the medium.

I subscribe to two podcasts because I previously read books by the hosts: Rich Roll, the ultra-athlete who wrote Finding Ultra (Crown, 288 pages), and Tim Ferris, who wrote Tools of Titans (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 736 pages) and the four-hour-everything series.

Podcasts are a weirdly intimate form of conversation, even more than radio, since they’re not on public airwaves. They feel like it’s just you, the host and a guest, sitting around the kitchen table. As such, they can give you a connection with authors beyond what you get on the printed page. Here’s a look at podcasts by well-known authors.

“Dear Sugars” is an advice podcast by Cheryl Strayed, author of Wild (Vintage, 336 pages), and Steve Almond.

Stephen Dubner and Steve Levitt obtained literary fame with their 2005 book Freakonomics (William Morrow, 256 pages); their podcast is “Freakonomics Radio.”

Elizabeth Gilbert, most famous for Eat, Pray, Love (Riverhead, 352 pages), also wrote a book called Big Magic (Riverhead, 288 pages), which she’s parlayed into a podcast called “Magic Lessons.”

Roxane Gay, author of Hunger (Harper, 320 pages), Bad Feminist (Harper Perennial, 336 pages) and other books, has a podcast with Tressie McMillan Cottom, author of Thick, and Other Essays (The New Press, 224 pages). It’s called “Hear to Slay.”

Malcolm Gladwell, who wrote Outliers (Little, Brown & Co., 309 pages), Blink (Little, Brown & Co., 288 pages) and other bestselling nonfiction books, has a podcast called “Revisionist History.”

And don’t forget, there are plenty of podcasts about books, most notably NPR’s “The Book Show” with Joe Donahue and “The Great Books Podcast” from John J. Miller and National Review. Locally, Concord’s Gibson’s Bookstore produces “The Laydown” podcast, with new episodes released monthly.

Books

Author events

• TERRY FARISH Meet-and-greet with picture book and young adult author. Kingston Community Library, 2 Library Lane, Kingston. Thurs., July 8, 3:30 p.m. Registration required. Visit kingston-library.org.

• CHRISTINA BAKER KLINE Author presents The Exiles. Hosted by The Music Hall in Portsmouth. Tues., July 13, 7 p.m. Virtual. Tickets cost $5. Visit themusichall.org or call 436-2400.

• MEGAN MIRANDA Author presents Such a Quiet Place. Hosted by The Music Hall in Portsmouth. Tues., July 20, 7 p.m. Virtual. Tickets cost $5. Visit themusichall.org or call 436-2400.

• JOYCE MAYNARD Author presents Count the Ways. Toadstool Bookstore, 12 Depot Square, Peterborough. Sat., July 24, 11 a.m. Visit toadbooks.com or call 924-3543.

• GIGI GEORGES Author presents Downeast: Five Maine Girls and the Unseen Story of Rural America. Toadstool Bookstore, Somerset Plaza, 375 Amherst St., Route 101A, Nashua. Sat., July 24, 2 to 4 p.m. Visit toadbooks.com or call 673-1734.

• JESS KIMBALL Author presents My Pseudo-College Experience. Virtual event, hosted by Toadstool Bookstores, located in Nashua, Peterborough and Keene. Tues., July 27, 6 to 7 p.m. Visit toadbooks.com or call 673-1734.

• CATHLEEN ELLE Author presents Shattered Together. Virtual event, hosted by Toadstool Bookstores, located in Nashua, Peterborough and Keene. Thurs., July 29, 6 p.m. Visit toadbooks.com or call 673-1734.

Poetry

• DOWN CELLAR POETRY SALON Poetry event series presented by the Poetry Society of New Hampshire. Monthly. First Sunday. Visit poetrysocietynh.wordpress.com.

• SLAM FREE OR DIE Series of open mic nights for poets and spoken-word artists. Stark Tavern, 500 N. Commercial St., Manchester. Weekly. Thursday, doors open and sign-ups beginning at 7 p.m., open mic at 8 p.m. The series also features several poetry slams every month. Events are open to all ages. Cover charge of $3 to $5 at the door, which can be paid with cash or by Venmo. Visit facebook.com/slamfreeordie, e-mail [email protected] or call 858-3286.

Book Clubs

• BOOKERY Online. Monthly. Third Thursday, 6 p.m. Bookstore based in Manchester. Visit bookerymht.com/online-book-club or call 836-6600.

• GIBSON’S BOOKSTORE Online, via Zoom. Monthly. First Monday, 5:30 p.m. Bookstore based in Concord. Visit gibsonsbookstore.com/gibsons-book-club-2020-2021 or call 224-0562.

• TO SHARE BREWING CO. 720 Union St., Manchester. Monthly. Second Thursday, 6 p.m. RSVP required. Visit tosharebrewing.com or call 836-6947.

• GOFFSTOWN PUBLIC LIBRARY 2 High St., Goffstown. Monthly. Third Wednesday, 1:30 p.m. Call 497-2102, email [email protected] or visit goffstownlibrary.com

• BELKNAP MILL Online. Monthly. Last Wednesday, 6 p.m. Based in Laconia. Email [email protected].

• NASHUA PUBLIC LIBRARY Online. Monthly. Second Friday, 3 p.m. Call 589-4611, email [email protected] or visit nashualibrary.org.

Featured photo: Crying in H Mart.

Zin for your barbecue

Three variations on the versatile zinfandel

Zinfandel wine has a long and storied past.

Those of a certain age may remember it as a jug wine, bottled in huge tear-shaped bottles, or as a rosé, known as white zinfandel. But zinfandel has been around a lot longer than Gallo. The roots of this grape varietal can be traced to the southern “heel” of Italy, where it is known as primitivo, and well before that to Croatia, where it is indigenous, and was likely cultivated by ancient Greek colonists. Arriving in the United States in 1829, and cultivated in greenhouses on the East Coast as a table grape, it made its way west in the Gold Rush of 1849, where it became known as zinfandel by the 1870’s. In fact, some of these original vines still exist, known as “old vine” zinfandel — though the whole topic of what can be called or classified as “old vine” can be taken up in a separate column. Zinfandel grapes survived Prohibition in large numbers because they could be used in the production of homemade wine, which remained legal.

While it is grown across the United States, California takes the lead, by far. It can be made into late harvest dessert wines, rosés and Beaujolais-style light reds, all the way to big hearty reds and fortified wine in the style of port. As in all wine, the quality and character of the wine depends on the climate, location and age of the vineyard (terroir) as well as the technology and skill employed by the winemaker. Because of this wide spectrum of color, nose, taste, body and, yes, alcoholic content, zinfandel can accompany perhaps the widest of culinary offerings. It is especially good with barbecued meat: chicken and pork with sweet sauces, grilled beef, braised meats and casseroles, strong and bold cheeses from a dry Jack to aged goat cheese to Parmesan. It can be paired with spicy Mexican food and pasta dishes with robust red sauces, pizza, and root or grilled vegetables. The possibilities are virtually endless, surpassing most other wine types when paired with food.

Our first wine, Hierogram 2016 Vineyard Block 8 Old Vine Zinfandel (originally priced at the New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlets at $45.99, reduced to $22.99), is from Lodi, San Joaquin County, in the Central Valley of California, where some of the oldest zinfandel vines in California are planted. This wine results from them. It is dark maroon in color, and to the nose it has cherry and dark berry notes. These notes carry through to the tongue, with a full mouth feel and a bit of tangy spiciness and chocolate. Mild tannins from aging 15 months in 60 percent new American oak accompany the fruit to impart a rich, full sensation.

Our second wine, Neal Family Vineyards 2018 Rutherford Dust Vineyard Zinfandel (originally priced at the New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlets at $32.99, reduced to $29.99), hails from the floor of Napa Valley. This is a fully organically grown and produced wine with a low production of 613 cases coming from the Rutherford AVA. A blend of 91 percent zinfandel and 9 percent petite syrah, it is co-fermented and aged for 15 months in 40 percent new Hungarian oak puncheons. The adjacently planted two grape varietals complement one another. The color is a deep maroon, the nose is full of fruit — plum, with touches of vanilla. This carries through to the mouth, with a touch of tobacco from the oak along with an elusive herbal quality. A perfect wine for a weekend barbecue.

Our third wine, Shannon Reserve 2015 Two Bud Block Zinfandel (originally priced at the New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlets at $37.99, reduced to $17.99), is from Lake County, California. It is also a blend of 95 percent zinfandel and 5 percent petite syrah. It is aged for 20 months in 35 percent new French and American oak. The vineyards are sustainably farmed with sheep controlling the weeds and fertilizing the vines. The color is of a deep maroon, the nose of rich blackberries and vanilla, which carries through to the mouth enriched by a hint of chocolate. The oak imparts subtle tannins, all made for pairing to great barbecued fare.

So explore the subtle differences not only of these three zinfandels but of the other seemingly countless approachable “zins” to be enjoyed with a vast array of foods and cuisines.

Featured photo: Courtesy photo.

The Weekly Dish 21/07/08

News from the local food scene

• New spot for Granite State Naturals: After temporarily closing over the holiday weekend, longtime health store Granite State Naturals opened a new location on July 6, in the adjacent property on the corner of Granite Avenue and North State Street in Concord. Executive Chef Rob Cone has worked with owner Matt Jeannotte to expand the business into more of a superette — new items include grab-and-go sandwiches made with meats from North Country Smokehouse, as well as a variety of house side dishes, grain salads, house marinated meats, and dairy products sourced from both Brookford Farm in Canterbury and Huckins Farm in New Hampton. There is also now a selection of about 40 beers, ciders, seltzers, ready-to-drink cocktails and hard kombuchas, plus various wines from organic and biodynamic vineyards. The new location is open Monday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit granitestatenaturals.com.

• Canning and pickling: Join the Rodgers Memorial Library (194 Derry Road, Hudson) for Preserving the Harvest, a virtual program in pickling, canning, freezing and drying your own food that’s scheduled for Monday, July 12, from 7 to 8 p.m. Mark Gostkiewicz of Tri Gable Lea Farm in eastern Connecticut will discuss the pros and cons of each of these methods, as well as what details to pay attention to in order to avoid spoilage or food poisoning. Simple at-home projects using basic kitchen equipment will also be introduced during this live Zoom presentation. Participants can register at events.rodgerslibrary.org. If you can’t make the live class but still want to learn the information, a recording will be emailed to you, in addition to handouts and references that will be covered during the talk.

• Wine and barbecue: Get your tickets now for the next monthly wine dinners at the Colby Hill Inn (33 The Oaks, Henniker), set for Friday, July 16, and Saturday, July 17, in The Grazing Room. The event will feature a three-course dinner with wine on Friday evening, followed by an a la carte barbecue lunch beginning at noon on Saturday, then a three-course dinner that evening at 6 p.m. with pairings of McPrice Myers wines. The Colby Hill is also continuing its Sunday night out events with seatings on Sunday, July 11, from 4 to 7 p.m., where you can enjoy local seafood, barbecue items, and flight trios of wine, beer and sake. Visit colbyhillinn.com.

• Eating local: Half of Granite Staters report buying food from local farms at least twice a month, according to a University of New Hampshire news release. The research, which was conducted by UNH’s Carsey School of Public Policy, found that the frequency of local farm food purchases varies across the state, with the highest rates along the Vermont border. Between one-third and one-half of adults buy local at least occasionally across Hillsborough, Rockingham and Strafford counties. The study also noted that 88 percent of Granite Staters reported that in-person sales models like farm stands and farmers markets were easily accessible, while, despite a rise in online shopping during the pandemic, only 23 percent of people said the same about online market platforms for local food.

Cucumber gimlet

My grandparents were civilized people. One of my favorite memories of them is their rigorous observance of Cocktail Hour.

Every evening, when Opa got home from work, he would change clothes, then he and my Oma would sit down for a cocktail. This was not precisely a formal ritual, but it was one thoroughly saturated with respect. For an hour or so, they would sit together without distractions and focus on each other. Opa would slip in some form of compliment for my grandmother — her name was Grace, but he called her “Dolly” — and at some point, he would usually lean back, sigh with contentment and wonder out loud, “what the poor people” were up to that night.

For me, the classiest part of the whole ceremony — because, really, that’s what this was — was that they always had a small bowl of Pepperidge Farm Goldfish with their cocktails.

I remember once asking my grandmother if I could have a sip of her cocktail. Amused, she let me have one. It was the worst thing I had ever tasted up to that point in my life (I was about 8).

“What IS that?!” I asked, overcome with feelings of betrayal and disgust.

“It’s a gimlet,” she told me serenely, and it was seared into my memory. She let me have a handful of goldfish to clear my palate, and those are there, too.

I wish I had a profound lesson to tie this story to — other than the fact that Oma and Opa have both been gone for about 40 years, and I still miss them achingly.

Anyway, here is a recipe for a take on a classic summer gimlet, with cucumber.

Cucumber Gimlet

45 grams (3 thick slices) cucumber

1/2 ounce cucumber syrup (see below)

2 ounces gin (I’m using Wiggly Bridge this week, given to me by a friend who distributes it in New Hampshire.)

3/4 ounce lime juice, freshly squeezed (see below)

1. Muddle the cucumber and cucumber syrup aggressively in the bottom of a cocktail shaker. Be careful not to splash yourself.

2. Add the ice, gin and lime juice. If you have a choice, go with the lime that has been sitting around your kitchen for a week or so and is looking a little tired. If you think you can see his ribs showing, he’s the one you want. His juice will taste extra-limey.

3. Shake until the condensation on the side of the shaker starts to freeze.

4. Strain into a coupé glass.

5. Drink this while giving someone your undivided attention.

Gin and lime are a classic combination. The cucumber makes this drink more summery and refreshing. It provides a framework to hang the crispness of the gin and the fruitiness of the lime.

Is there a way to make this even more cucumbery?

Yes — I would shred half of an unpeeled cucumber with a box grater, and use it to infuse an equal amount of gin for a week or so. (I say I “would”; in point of fact, I am infusing a batch of it right now, but it’s hot out and I’m feeling nostalgic. I’d like a gimlet right now, please.)

Cucumber simple syrup

I tried and compared several different methods for making this syrup. I’ll spare you the details of my testing protocols, but here is the least fiddly method that gave me the sharpest cucumber flavor:

1. Wash an English cucumber, then roughly dice it, with the skin still on. Freeze it for an hour or two; ice crystals will help break down the cell walls and persuade the cucumber to give up its juice more generously.

2. Combine the frozen cucumber and an equal amount (by weight) of sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring regularly.

3. Remove from heat, then mash the cucumber pieces with a potato masher. Don’t be gentle.

4. Cover the pot and let the cucumber steep for half an hour.

5. Strain with a fine-meshed strainer, and use a funnel to bottle it.

Featured photo: Cucumber gimlet (with accompaniments). Photo by John Fladd.

Abbey Morrison

Abbey Morrison of Manchester is the owner and founder of The Fresh Chef Meal Prep (freshchefmp.com, and on Facebook @thefreshchefmealprepllc and Instagram @the_fresh_chef), a business she started last year specializing in lunch and dinner items with fresh ingredients delivered to your door. A graduate of Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island, Morrison first got an associate’s degree in culinary science, followed by a bachelor’s degree in nutrition and product development. She also completed an internship with Great New Hampshire Restaurants, working at the Copper Door’s new location in Salem in 2018. Each of her meals features ingredients that are in season, always containing a protein like chicken or steak, as well as at least one vegetarian option for both lunch and dinner. Everything is cooked the same day it’s delivered. Recent popular items have included salmon burgers, Mediterranean pizzas and fresh guacamole, while during the wintertime she’ll cook beef stroganoff, stuffed sweet potatoes and other heartier dishes. New menus are dropped each Monday, with ordering open until Friday afternoon for the next week and delivery times from either 3 to 5 p.m. or 5 to 7 p.m.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

It would be a French knife, hands down. If that was all I had, then I’d still be able to get the job done. It’s like an extension of my arm.

What would you have for your last meal?

My favorite dish, which is a treat to myself, is fresh sea scallops in a cast iron skillet with homemade pesto and gnocchi from scratch.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

Republic [Cafe in Manchester]. … Their curried cauliflower is my go-to every time.

What celebrity would you like to see ordering one of your meals?

I’m a die-hard basketball fan. It would be an absolute honor if I could cook for Skylar Diggins. She’s a WNBA star who currently plays for the Phoenix Mercury. I’ve followed her journey since she played at the University of Notre Dame. She’s a role model.

What is your personal favorite thing on any of your menus?

Since we’re in the summer, I would choose between either the salmon burger or the prosciutto pizza. The salmon burger is also a customer favorite.

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

Keto is a big one, and also fasting. I feel like those are the two biggest trends, not only in New Hampshire but all around the world.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

I love grilled pizza in the summer. I’ll throw a pizza dough on the grill, let it char right up within five minutes on each side, then put mozzarella cheese on top, with vegetables and a balsamic glaze. It’s super quick, easy and healthy.

Blackened salmon with mango salsa
From the kitchen of Abbey Morrison of The Fresh Chef Meal Prep in Manchester

1 8-ounce fillet fresh Atlantic salmon
3 tablespoons blackened seasoning
¼ cup mango salsa
1 cup cauliflower rice
Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder
2 lime wedges

Remove skin from the salmon with a knife, then use tweezers to pull the fin bones out. Wash the salmon and pat it down dry. Place the salmon in a bowl and add the blackened seasoning, making sure all corners of the fillet are covered. On a medium-sized flat top over medium to high heat, add salmon with one tablespoon of oil. Cook for five minutes on each side, or until the desired temperature is reached. Measure cauliflower rice and place in a small saute pan over medium heat. Cook for 5 minutes or until translucent. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and garlic powder and set aside. Cut lime wedge, then take cauliflower rice and place at the bottom of a disposable meal prep container. Place cooked blackened salmon on top of the rice and finish with mango salsa and a lime wedge.

Featured photo: Abbey Morrison

Highway eatery

Sherman’s Pit Stop opens in Wilton

Inspired by the idea of what you might encounter across famous highways like Route 66, a new restaurant is serving up everything from specialty burgers, sandwiches and hot dogs to fried seafood, barbecue and ice cream.

Sherman’s Pit Stop is the latest venture of owners Steve and Diane Yurish, who formerly ran Moulton’s Market in Amherst for 16 years. The eatery arrived on Route 101 in Wilton last month, its menus and walls adorned with pictures of the family’s beloved pitbull, Sherman.

taco wraps and french fries on a black and white checkered napkin
Courtesy of Sherman’s Pit Stop in Wilton.

“To us, this is kind of like a highway pit stop, or any mom-and-pop place that you’d find on the side of the road anywhere,” Steve Yurish said. “So we thought the name kind of worked out in that regard, and then you have the reference of a barbecue pit in there too.”

While there isn’t any one particular style of barbecue that Sherman’s Pit Stop specializes in, Yurish said the eatery has begun serving all kinds of Southern-inspired options. The Louisiana Lightning, for example, features Cajun blackened chicken breast with pepper Jack cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, jalapeno and chipotle mayonnaise, while the Raleigh, a reference to North Carolina, has pulled pork that’s topped with coleslaw on an onion roll.

Each of the hot dogs — also known on the menu as “barkers” — is available a la carte using the Sabrett natural casing brand. Some are baseball-themed, like the Sweet Caroline, a Fenway Park-style dog with mustard, ketchup, relish and onion; and the Bronx Bomber, which has sauerkraut, mustard and red onion and is a reference to Yurish’s stomping grounds in New York.

“The Sabrett hot dogs are what you’ll find on all the hot dog pushcarts in New York City,” Yurish said. “I actually have to drive down to New York to get them. … Anyone who’s a transplant from New York, Connecticut or New Jersey will definitely recognize them.”

The fried oysters and the whole belly clams have been among some of most raved about seafood options, according to Yurish, while others include shrimp, scallops, lobster rolls, and fried haddock tacos with chipotle cream, lettuce, tomato and fresh mango pineapple salsa.

For drinks, you’ll find cold brew coffee from A&E Coffee & Tea of Amherst, as well as six beers on tap and a line of cocktails. Out of an adjoining takeout window, there are around a dozen ice cream flavors sourced from The Ice Cream Machine of Cumberland, Rhode Island, for cones, sundaes, frappes, freezes and floats.

The back of Sherman’s Pit Stop has spacious outdoor dining overlooking Blood Brook, a connecting stream to the Souhegan River. Several live local music acts are planned for the space.

While the eatery is starting out with options reflective of a seasonal summer menu, Yurish said the goal is for Sherman’s Pit Stop to operate year-round. For decades, the building housed the original Gary’s Harvest Restaurant and was a popular spot among local diners for breakfast.

“People still pull up in the morning looking for breakfast,” he said. “We’d like to try to start with Saturday and Sunday breakfast, or even just breakfast on Sundays.”

Sherman’s Pit Stop

Where: 944 Gibbons Hwy., Wilton
Hours: Wednesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. (hours may be subject to change)
More info: Visit shermanspitstop.com, follow them on Facebook and Instagram @shermanspitstop or call 654-2600

Featured photo: Courtesy of Sherman’s Pit Stop in Wilton.

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