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.
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.
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.
Rig A Tony’s expands to Bedford; new Windham and reopened Derry spots on the way
Lisa DeSisto was gearing up for a 20th anniversary celebration of Rig A Tony’s Italian Takeout — and had just opened a second location in Windham — when the pandemic hit, followed by a fire in May 2020 that forced the closure of the downtown Derry Rig A Tony’s.
“I wasn’t going to close during Covid because I wasn’t going to let it defeat me,” said DeSisto, who is also in her second season as owner of Clam Haven in Derry. “Then when the fire happened, it made me say, ‘OK, I have an opportunity to rebuild my restaurant. What else can we rebuild and do differently?’ It made me start to think about what was next.”
A year later, DeSisto and her team are hard at work on reopening the original Rig A Tony’s on West Broadway in Derry, and the Windham location is moving into a larger space four doors down. Both are on track to open later this year. Meanwhile, a new Rig A Tony’s in Bedford opened last month, and while a third location hadn’t been part of DeSisto’s initial plans, she couldn’t pass up the chance to purchase the space that was previously home to Table 8 Pasta.
DeSisto has teamed up with longtime industry professionals Rich Vellante and Jason Berkman, who each now serve as business associates of the company. Vellante is the former executive chef and executive vice president of restaurants for Legal Sea Foods, a role he held for two decades. His and DeSisto’s families also happen to hail from the same region of Italy.
Uncle June’s Garden sandwich. Photo courtesy of Rig A Tony’s.
“With Jason and Rich, I was [introduced] to all these elevated products that I didn’t even know existed,” DeSisto said. “I feel like they’re here helping me carry on the family legacy.”
All three Rig A Tony’s locations have the same takeout and catering menus, which are filled with new options. Appetizers include wood-grilled Tuscan wings with lemon, rosemary and Calabrian pepper sauce; a whipped feta cheese dip with roasted pepper puree, garlic and parsley; and seared broccoli rabe with white beans, garlic, red chili flakes and white wine. Notable additions to the entrees menu are beer-braised boneless short ribs with a mustard glaze and stewed vegetables, and a spit-roasted porchetta with roasted carrots and apricot pesto.
“Porchetta is something you don’t see too often that we’ve introduced,” Vellante said. “It’s a highly seasoned pork that we do as a meal and on a sandwich as well. … We use fennel pollen, which gives it a more aromatic and floral flavor and smell to it.”
You’ll still find lots of Rig A Tony’s favorites on each of the menus too, from chicken or eggplant Parmesan to spaghetti and meatballs, Sicilian pan pizzas and other Italian staples. Even the pastas and the tomato sauces have received upgrades of their own.
“We chose to use the De Cecco brand pasta. They dry it in a very slow process, and also cut it with a bronze die, so what it does is it holds up a lot better and just complements the sauce,” Vellante said. “We tested a lot of different tomatoes, and what makes them taste so good is the soil. … These tomatoes that we have are actually grown at the base of Mount Vesuvius, and so it’s that volcanic soil that makes the difference.”
There are also new selections of savory salads, like pesto burrata and Sardinian couscous, and sweet treats from cannolis and Italian cookies to tiramisu and whoopie pies. Inspired by Vellante’s 2-year-old dog Barbuto, there is even a section of the takeout menu that is dedicated to man’s best friend, featuring homemade dog treats and hearty bowls, like chicken with sweet potato and peas, or beef with brown rice and carrots.
Rig A Tony’s Italian Takeout & Catering
Bedford: 254 Wallace Road (now open); current hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Derry: 38 W. Broadway (reopening; coming soon) Windham: 13 Rockingham Road (coming soon) Visit rigatonysitalian.com, find them on Facebook and Instagram @rigatonysitalian or call 488-2877
Featured photo: Chicken marbella. Photo courtesy of Rig A Tony’s.
Dear Donna, I am interested in finding out what this piece might be. Can you identify it?
RJ
Dear RJ, What you have is a Victorian (middle to late 1800s) infant or invalid feeder. They were very common, used mostly to feed sick children or adults. There were ceramic ones, silver ones and many with a wooden handle and a silver-plated or sterling feeder like yours.
The value on one like yours would be in the range of $30 to $50. Finding a buyer might be tough, but I am sure there are collectors out there somewhere.
Anthony Coy is an account manager for the Keene-based custom apparel business Beeze Tees Screen Printing, working out of the business’ second location and retail store in downtown Manchester.
Explain your job.
I connect with people, events and businesses that need [custom] stuff. … Basically, they call, email or come into the store and say, ‘Hey, I need some T-shirts,’ and I say, ‘Cool. What’s your logo? Where [on the shirt] do you want it? How many do you need?’ and I hook it up. They pay for it, and we print it.
How long have you had this job?
I’ve been here since the store opened in January [2020].
What led you to this career field and your current job?
I worked in customer service and sales for a long time at Comcast … and then for Amazon … but I was always looking for something better. I saw this ad [for the job] on Facebook Jobs and thought, ‘Well, I’ll talk to them about it.’
What kind of education or training did you need?
You have to know how to talk to people, especially when they’re spending thousands of dollars on T-shirts, and my sales experience has definitely helped me to be able to navigate [those conversations] better.
What is your typical at-work uniform or attire?
We wear [apparel with] the Beeze Tees [logo], but the cool thing is we can choose whatever [apparel] we want, and Beeze Tees prints it for us for free. I went with a bunch of nice, comfy T-shirts.
How has your job changed over the last year?
When we first opened on Hanover Street, which was right before Covid — we were open for a month and a half before we had to close — everyone was telling us, ‘Oh, Hanover Street is a very busy street. You’ll get lots of foot traffic.’ I’ve still yet to see it, so there’s been a very big change in our expectations from when we first opened. It seems like things are starting [to improve], though; with the Palace [Theatre] reopening, we’re hoping to see more people popping in.
What do you wish you’d known at the beginning of your career?
I wish I knew more about hats. I’ve never been a hat guy, but apparently it’s a very big thing with a lot of options. That was the hardest thing for me to wrap my brain around. I get that there are different kinds of T-shirts — comfy, short-sleeve, long-sleeve — but the hat thing? I still don’t know as much as I’d like to.
What do you wish other people knew about your job?
How easy it is for someone to come in here with almost nothing [planned out] and have us turn around a really cool product for them. A lot of people are worried, like, ‘I don’t have any artwork,’ but I can work with almost nothing. If you pop in here and talk to me, we can make something work.
What was the first job you ever had?
KFC, slinging chicken.
What’s the best piece of work-related advice you’ve ever received?
Whatever you’re doing — it doesn’t matter what it is — do it well.
Five favorites Favorite book: The Jungle by Upton Sinclair Favorite movie:TheStar Warsseries Favorite music: Rammstein Favorite food: Cheese Favorite thing about NH: You’re an hour from everything; White Mountains, Boston, the coast — it’s all just an hour from Manchester.
By now your rhododendrons, lilacs and other spring bloomers have bloomed and are ready to prune. By pruning now, you will not damage buds that will form later this summer and bloom next spring. This is also a good time to prune evergreens like pines and hemlocks if you are trying to control their size.
Let’s start with rhododendrons and azaleas, as many gardeners seem to put off pruning them until they are blocking the view out the windows. If you just want to keep your rhododendrons the same size this year as they were last year, pruning is easy: you just look at the color of the stems, and cut off the new growth, which is bright green. Older growth is tan or brown.
Make your cuts just into the green growth. By doing so you are leaving a growing point for new growth next spring. Most rhododendrons blossom on old wood, which is to say growth that occurred the year before.
But what if you want to seriously reduce the size of your azalea or rhododendron? You can make your cuts farther down the stems. Make cuts just above a fork or place where branches grow in two or more directions. You will be cutting away the growth of two or even three years’ growth. There are dormant buds on those bare stems, and they will start new growth. The farther down the stem you cut, the longer it will take for growth to begin.
Most rhododendrons keep their leaves all year, but many azaleas drop their leaves and grow all new leaves each year. The old leaves of evergreen species will be a darker color than new leaves, making it easy to see new growth. By the time you read this — depending on your climate — some evergreen rhododendrons will have sent out new shoots after the flowers bloomed. In the middle of a cluster of light green leaves you may see a small very pointed bud. That is next year’s flower.
If you want to shape or reduce the size of your shrub and see new leaves and flower buds, you must make a decision: which is more important? Next year’s show of flowers, or getting your shrub under control? I say (as the Red Queen said in Alice in Wonderland), “Off with its head!” Since pruning is so easily put off for another year, just do it now — even if it means sacrificing some blossoms. There should always be more blossom buds that will appear later this summer.
Lilacs should ideally be pruned two to three weeks after blooming but can be done now, too. Buds are developed over the summer at the tips of branches to bloom next spring.
If your lilacs are not blooming as well now as they have in the past, it may be because the soil pH has gotten acidic from acid rain, or from pine needles. You can collect a soil sample and send it off to your state Extension Service for testing, but if you only want to know the pH, you can buy a simple test kit at your local garden center or hardware store.
Lilacs perform best with a soil that is near neutral (pH 7.0), or slightly higher and more alkaline. The soil test or pH kit will tell you how many pounds of lime to add per 100 square feet, but that is difficult to translate into action. So often I just wing it: I add lime around the base of a lilac and out 3 or 4 feet all around. I measure it out in a one-quart yogurt container. One quart for small lilacs, two for big ones. Not precise, but it helps. Do that now — lime takes time to change the pH.
If you have a pine, hemlock or spruce in your yard or up against your house, you would probably prefer it to stay the same size, or at least not to tower over the house. It’s easy to do: You must prune off the new growth every year. Just look at the tips of the branches now. You will see that this year’s growth is a slightly different color than the rest of the branch. Just snip that off. Do it right away — this is the time to do it.
Use good sharp hedge shears to prune boxwood. Courtesy photo.
British gardeners — and hence, many American gardeners — love boxwoods. They love hedges and portly round balls. Some even create rabbits and other silly sculptures called topiary. If you have boxwoods, they need a light haircut every year in June or July. Never prune them after August, because pruning stimulates new growth and it will be tender, and turn brown and ugly in winter.
Prune your boxwoods with a good pair of hedge shears. Mine are about 24 inches long, with 9-inch-long blades. Don’t use old rusty ones — buy a good pair such as those made by Fiskars or Barnell. Most Fiskars tools are good quality and sold at a reasonable price. I don’t recommend electric hedge shears because they can ruin a shrub in the time it takes you to sneeze. I like lightweight shears for big jobs.
Boxwood after pruning. Courtesy photo.
When pruning boxwoods, just take a little off with each snip. You can work quickly, but just take a little at a time so you can get the exact shape you want and don’t create holes with a big cut.
Pruning can be fun. You can create a lovely piece of art if you take your time and step back to look at it as you go along. And if you goof and create an “oops,” well, it will all grow back. So go for it!
Featured photo:This young boxwood needs a light haircut. Courtesy photo.
Last week’s Kiddie Pool mentioned some places to check out for picking your own strawberries. Now it’s time for blueberries: Check out Brookdale Fruit Farm (with picking entrance across from farmstand at 41 Broad St. in Hollis; brookdalefruitfarm.com), which has blueberries and raspberries available to pick daily (8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends). Sunnycrest Farm’s (59 High Range Road in Londonderry; sunnycrestfarmnh.com) blueberries and raspberries will be open for pick your own on Friday, July 9, daily from 7 a.m. until noon, according to its website. Berry Good Farm (234 Parker Road in Goffstown; 497-8138) will open for pick-your-own blueberries on Thursday, July 8, and will be open Mondays through Fridays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., according to their Facebook page.
See a show
The 2021 Bank of New Hampshire Children’s Summer Series continues at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org) with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs on Thursday, July 8, at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Next week’s show is Peter Pan, which runs Tuesday, July 13, through Thursday, July 15, at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Tickets cost $10 per person.
Mr. Aaron, a children’s musician you may remember from his pandemic-era online videos will perform a free concert in the park at the Belknap Mill (25 Beacon St. E. in Laconia; belknapmill.org) on Wednesday, July 14, at 10:30 a.m.
And get your tickets now for next weekend’s production of Moana Jr. at the Capitol Center for the Arts’ Chubb Theatre (44 S. Main St. in Concord; ccanh.com) on Friday, July 16, and Saturday July 17, both at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $15 for adults and $12 for seniors and students.
See a show — with popcorn!
The Summer Kids Series of films continues at the O’neil Cinemas at Brickyard Square (24 Calef Highway in Epping; oneilcinemas.com) with the screening of 2004’sShark Tale(PG), an animated movie featuring the voices of Will Smith, Renee Zellweger and Jack Black, on Monday, July 12, and Wednesday, July 14, both at 10 a.m. Tickets cost $2 for kids age 11 and under and $3 for older moviegoers; the theater also offers a $5 popcorn and drink combo during these screenings.
Families with teens and people who were teens in the ’80s and ’90s can bring their own popcorn for a screening of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (PG-13, 1986) on Friday, July 9, at Wasserman Park (116 Naticook Road in Merrimack) as part of the town’s summer movies in the park. The screening starts at dusk and the films are free and open to residents and nonresidents, according to the town’s Parks and Recreation website.
Science storytime
Add some science to your storytime at SEE Science Center (200 Bedford St. in Manchester; 669-0400; see-sciencecenter.org). This summer they will hold Storytime Science Tuesdays geared toward kids ages 2 to 5 at 9:30 a.m. The program is about an hour long, according to the website, where you can pre-register (as is required). Admission costs $5 per person ages 3 and up and $2 per child under 3 and the cost includes an hour of exhibit time, the website said. SEE Science Center is open daily this summer with sessions from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. to 5 pm. Admission costs $9 for everyone ages 3 and up.
American Independence Festival
The American Independence Museum (1 Governors Lane in Exeter; 772-2622, independencemuseum.org) is holding its annual American Independence Festival throughout July, both virtually and in person. On Saturday, July 10, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the day will include artisans (including people doing needlework, shoemaking, turning flax into linen and ropemaking) and reenactor groups, First Regiment of New Hampshire and Ladies Association of Revolutionary America, according to the website. Tickets are available online or at the door and cost $5 for adults, $3 for children 4 and over and are free to active military and veterans. A pass for all three days of the festival is also available for $10 per adult and $6 per child.
There is also a free concert on Saturday night with Theo Martey and the Akwaaba Ensemble at 5 p.m. (tickets available online).
Virtual programming includes a Revolutionary Storytime, which will be available on Thursday, July 8, and perhaps more for history-minded adults, a program on plagues and pandemics on Friday, July 9, and famous speeches on Tuesday, July 13.
The latest from NH’s theater, arts and literary communities
Live poetry and spoken word return: After a 15-month hiatus, Slam Free or Die’s live events are back at The Stark Tavern (500 N. Commercial St., Manchester). The weekly series of open mic nights for poets and spoken-word artists takes place in the restaurant’s function room every Thursday, with doors open and sign-ups beginning at 7 p.m., and the open mic at 8 p.m. The series also features several poetry slams every month. The events are open to all ages. There is a cover charge of $3 to $5 at the door, which can be paid with cash or by Venmo. Visit facebook.com/slamfreeordie, e-mail slamfreeordie@gmail.com or call 858-3286.
Coming together with cranes: A new community art installation, “1,000 Cranes for Nashua,” will be on display in The Atrium at St. Joseph Hospital (172 Kinsley St., Nashua) starting on Thursday, July 8. It features more than 1,000 origami paper cranes created by hundreds of Nashua-area kids, adults and families since April. “We have cranes of all sizes, colors, styles and skills,” project organizer Kate Pritchard said in a press release. “When stringing them together, you get a personal sense of the hands that folded them all, which makes them feel so distinctive individually, yet so powerfully united as a whole.” An opening reception with food, drinks and music will take place at 6:30 p.m. Visit nashuasculpturesymposium.org.
Artists look at animals: “Fur & Feathers/Paws & Claws,” is on view now through Sunday, July 18, at Twiggs Gallery (254 King St., Boscawen). The animal-themed art exhibit showcases paintings, drawings, prints, photography, jewelry and artist books by nine local artists reflecting on the world of domesticated pets and work and farm animals. “There is definitely quite an eclectic mix of styles and mediums,” gallery director Laura Morrison told the Hippo last month. Gallery hours are Thursday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. Visit twiggsgallery.wordpress.com or call 975-0015.
Kids shows all summer long: The 2021 Bank of New Hampshire Children’s Summer Series presents a series of shows at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester) with a Tuesday-through-Thursday run every week in July and August. The first show, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, is on stage now through Thursday, July 8. Peter Pan will run Tuesday, July 13, through Thursday, July 15, followed by Wizard of Oz, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Rapunzel, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty. Showtimes are at 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Tickets cost $10. Visit palacetheatre.org or call 668-5588.
“Setting Sarah,” a painting by Lennie Mullaney, featured in the NHAA Sheafe Warehouse Exhibit and Sale. Courtesy photo.
All kinds of art in Prescott Park: The New Hampshire Art Association’s annual Sheafe Warehouse Exhibit and Sale is going on now through Aug. 29 at Prescott Park (105-123 Marcy St, Portsmouth). It features works in a variety of media by nearly 40 NHAA artists. “There’s a real sense of excitement on the part of our artists, who are anxious to share the new works of art they have been creating over the past year,” Renee Giffroy, NHAA Board President, said in a press release. The Exhibit and Sale is open Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday, from noon to 5 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, from noon to 7 p.m. Visit nhartassociation.org or call 431-4230.
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Art
Exhibits
• “FRESH PERSPECTIVES” Exhibit features works by New Hampshire artists Peter Milton, Varujan Boghosian, Robert Hughes and others. New Hampshire Antique Co-op (323 Elm St., Milford). On view in the Co-op’s Tower Gallery now through Aug. 31. Visit nhantiquecoop.com.
• “FASHION FORWARD: AFRICANA STYLE” Exhibit showcases Black fashion and explores connections between African American and African design aesthetics from past to present. The Seacoast African American Cultural Center (located inside the Portsmouth Historical Society, 10 Middle St., Portsmouth). On view now through Sept. 1. Gallery hours are Monday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; visitors must reserve a 45-minute time slot in advance. Walk-in guests will be accommodated as space permits. Tickets cost $10 for the general public and $5 for Historical Society members and are available through eventbrite.com. Visit saacc-nh.org.
• “THE BODY IN ART: FROM THE SPIRITUAL TO THE SENSUAL” Exhibit provides a look at how artists through the ages have used the human body as a means of creative expression. On view now through Sept. 1. Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St., Manchester. Museum admission tickets cost $15, $13 for seniors age 65 and up, and must be booked online. Call 669-6144 or visit currier.org.
• “DON GORVETT: WORKING WATERFRONTS” Exhibit features more than 60 works by the contemporary Seacoast printmaker. The Portsmouth Historical Society (10 Middle St., Portsmouth). On view now through Sept. 12. Gallery hours are daily, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission costs $7.50 for adults and is free for kids under age 18, seniors age 70 and older and active and retired military. Admission is free for all on the first Friday of every month. Visit portsmouthhistory.org.
• “TWILIGHT OF AMERICAN IMPRESSIONISM” Exhibit showcases New England painters and masters of impressionism Alice Ruggles Sohier and Frederick A. Bosley. On view now through Sept. 12. Portsmouth Historical Society (10 Middle St., Portsmouth). Gallery hours are daily, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission costs $7.50 for adults and is free for kids under age 18, seniors age 70 and older and active and retired military. Admission is free for all on the first Friday of every month. Visit portsmouthhistory.org.
• “ROBERTO LUGO: TE TRAIGO MI LE LO LAI – I BRING YOU MY JOY” Philadelphia-based potter reimagines traditional forms and techniques with inspiration from urban graffiti and hip-hop culture, paying homage to his Puerto Rican heritage and exploring his cultural identity and its connection to family, place and legacy. The Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St., Manchester). On view now through Sept. 26. On view now. Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St., Manchester. Museum admission tickets cost $15, $13 for seniors age 65 and up, and must be booked online. Call 669-6144 or visit currier.org.
• “CRITICAL CARTOGRAPHY” Exhibit features immersive large-scale drawings by Larissa Fassler that reflect the Berlin-based artist’s observations of downtown Manchester while she was an artist-in-residence at the Currier Museum in 2019. On view now through fall. Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St., Manchester. Museum admission tickets cost $15, $13 for seniors age 65 and up, and must be booked online. Call 669-6144 or visit currier.org.
• GALLERY ART A new collection of art by more than 20 area artists on display now in-person and online. Creative Ventures Gallery (411 Nashua St., Milford). Call 672-2500 or visit creativeventuresfineart.com.
• “TOMIE DEPAOLA AT THE CURRIER” Exhibition celebrates the illustrator’s life and legacy through a collection of his original drawings. On view now. Currier Museum of Art, 150 Ash St., Manchester. Museum admission tickets cost $15, $13 for seniors age 65 and up, and must be booked online. Call 669-6144 or visit currier.org.
• ART ON MAIN The City of Concord and the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce present a year-round outdoor public art exhibit in Concord’s downtown featuring works by professional sculptors. All sculptures will be for sale. Visit concordnhchamber.com/creativeconcord, call 224-2508 or email tsink@concordnhchamber.com.
• “TENSION: PROCESS IN THE MAKING” The Surface Design Association’s (SDA) New Hampshire Group presents an exhibit featuring fiber art and textiles by New Hampshire artists. July 24 through Sept. 4. Twiggs Gallery (254 King St., Boscawen). Visit twiggsgallery.wordpress.com or call 975-0015.
• “SUMMER HAZE” Concord artist and gallery owner Jess Barnet hosts her first group art exhibit. Gallery located in the Patriot Investment building, 4 Park St., Suite 216, Concord. On view Aug. 6 through Sept. 3. Visit jessbarnett.com.
Fairs and markets
• CONCORD ARTS MARKET Outdoor artisan and fine art market. Every third Saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Now through October. Rollins Park (33 Bow St., Concord). Visit concordartsmarket.net.
• ARTS ON THE GREEN Arts and crafts fair will feature painters, potters, artisan jewelers, stained glass makers, bead workers, photographers and metal crafters. Presented by The Center for the Arts Lake Sunapee Region. Sunapee Harbor. Sat., July 17, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visit centerfortheartsnh.org.
• CRAFTSMEN’S FAIR Nine-day craft fair featuring work by hundreds of juried League of NH Craftsmen members. Sat., Aug. 7, through Sun., Aug. 15. Mount Sunapee Resort (1398 Route 103, Newbury). Visit nhcrafts.org.
• GREELEY PARK ART SHOW Annual outdoor juried art show hosted by Nashua Area Artists Association features a variety of artwork for sale. Sat., Aug. 21, and Sun., Aug. 22, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. 100 Concord St., Nashua. Visit nashuaareaartistsassoc.org.
Tours
• NASHUA PUBLIC ART AUDIO TOUR Self-guided audio tours of the sculptures and murals in downtown Nashua, offered via the Distrx app, which uses Bluetooth iBeacon technology to automatically display photos and text and provides audio descriptions at each stop on the tour as tourists approach the works of art. Each tour has 10 to 15 stops. Free and accessible on Android and iOS on demand. Available in English and Spanish. Visit downtownnashua.org/nashua-art-tour.
Workshops and classes
• GENERAL ART CLASSES In-person art classes for all levels and two-dimensional media. held with small groups of two to five students. Private classes are also available. Diane Crespo Fine Art Gallery (32 Hanover St., Manchester). Students are asked to wear masks in the gallery. Tuition costs $20 per group class and $28 per private class, with payment due at the beginning of the class. Call 493-1677 or visit dianecrespofineart.com for availability.
• DRAWING & PAINTING CLASSES Art House Studios, 66 Hanover St., Suite 202, Manchester. Classes include Drawing Fundamentals, Painting in Acrylic, Drawing: Observation to Abstraction, Exploring Mixed Media, and Figure Drawing. Class sizes are limited to six students. Visit arthousestudios.org.
Theater
Auditions
• HEATHERS THE MUSICAL Presented by Cue Zero Theatre Company. Auditions held Tues., July 27. Granite State Arts Academy, 19 Keewaydin Drive, Salem. Performers must be age 18+. Signups for a time slot in advance are required. Visit cztheatre.com.
Shows
• SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS The 2021 Bank of New Hampshire Children’s Summer Series presents. Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester). Wed., July 7, and Thurs., July 8, 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Tickets cost $10. Visit palacetheatre.org.
• SLEUTH The Winnipesaukee Playhouse presents. 33 Footlight Circle, Meredith. Now through July 17, with showtimes Tuesday through Saturday, at 7:30 p.m., plus a matinee on Thursday, July 8, at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $20 to $37. Visit winnipesaukeeplayhouse.org.
• PIPPIN The Seacoast Repertory Theatre PAPA Jr. presents. Virtual and in person at 125 Bow St., Portsmouth. Now through July 18. Visit seacoastrep.org or call 433-4472.
• YOU’RE A GOOD MAN, CHARLIE BROWN Prescott Park Arts Festival (105 Marcy St., Portsmouth). July 9 through Aug. 15, with shows daily at 7 p.m. More information is TBA. Visit prescottpark.org.
• PETER PAN The 2021 Bank of New Hampshire Children’s Summer Series presents. Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester). Tues., July 13, through Thurs., July 15, 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Tickets cost $10. Visit palacetheatre.org.
• DANI GIRL The Winnipesaukee Playhouse presents. 33 Footlight Circle, Meredith. July 14 through July 31, with showtimes Tuesday through Saturday, at 4 p.m. Tickets cost $29 to $39. Visit winnipesaukeeplayhouse.org.
• ‘TIL BETH DO US PART The Majestic Theatre presents. Virtual and in person at Majestic Studio Theatre, 880 Page St., Manchester. July 16 through July 25, with showtimes on Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m., and Sunday at 2 p.m. Visit majestictheatre.net or call 669-7469.
• WIZARD OF OZ The 2021 Bank of New Hampshire Children’s Summer Series presents. Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester). Tues., July 20, through Thurs., July 22, 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Tickets cost $10. Visit palacetheatre.org.
• CABARET The Seacoast Repertory Theatre presents. 125 Bow St., Portsmouth. July 22 through Sept. 5. Visit seacoastrep.org or call 433-4472.
• THE LITTLE MERMAID The 2021 Bank of New Hampshire Children’s Summer Series presents. Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester). Tues., July 27, through Thurs., July 29, 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Tickets cost $10. Visit palacetheatre.org.
Concord Chorale performs together in person for virtual concert
After months of rehearsing from home over Zoom, and then from their cars in what became known as “driveway rehearsals,” the Concord Chorale is singing together under one roof again.
Last month, 50 Chorale members, along with an instrumentalist group of percussionists, pianists and vocal soloists, gathered in an empty church to perform and record a free virtual concert of Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana that will premiere on the Chorale’s YouTube channel on Saturday, July 10.
A sneak peek at Concord Chorale’s virtual concert, premiering on July 10. Courtesy photo.
“Finally being able to hear everyone singing in harmony after spending a year apart was wonderful,” said Regina Wall, a second-year member, singing alto.
Carmina Burana’s iconic opening movement, “O Fortuna,” will be “familiar to essentially everybody,” music director Jenny Cooper said.
“It’s incredibly dramatic,” she said. “It’s been used throughout pop culture and in commercials and movies.”
The piece, which Orff composed in the 1930s, is based on a collection of medieval poetry of the same name, particularly on the text’s recurring theme of “Rota Fortunae,” the theoretical “wheel of fortune” that determines every person’s fate. It’s a timely theme for today, Cooper said.
“I find it really moving to hear the voices of people from so long ago who were also [thinking about] the lack of control that we have in our lives … and were experiencing many of the same feelings that we have now,” she said.
Wall agreed.
“It touches on universal themes … like having life kick you in the butt,” she said. “Even though the words were written hundreds of years ago, they’re still applicable to us today.”
Cooper encouraged members to reflect on the piece’s emotional content and use it as a springboard for cathartic discussion about the current state of the world.
“It really allowed us to dig into some of that anger and fear — fear of the unknown, fear of wondering what’s going to happen — that we’ve all been feeling over the past year and a half,” Cooper said.
Though the traditional arrangement for Carmina Burana includes a full orchestra, Cooper decided to simplify the instrumentation for the virtual performance, but there is one element that she wasn’t willing to trim down.
“The percussion in this piece is so central to the feeling of it,” she said. “Everything from the huge bass drums and the gong to the bells and the glockenspiel — percussion has the ability to give it that full range of feelings, from huge to tiny, from terrifying to intimate.”
The Chorale presented its first virtual concert in January (which is still available to watch online). Since they could not perform together in person, the members recorded themselves performing their individual parts of the piece, and those recordings were spliced together to simulate a unified performance. Cooper said she anticipated having to use the same method for the Carmina Burana concert, but CDC guidelines eased up three weeks before the performance date. The new guidelines permitted the Chorale to rehearse and perform together in person, indoors and unmasked, so long as all members present had received the Covid-19 vaccine.
For the five members who have not been vaccinated, Cooper made accommodations to ensure that they could participate in rehearsals and the upcoming performance; they’ve been joining the in-person rehearsals from home over Zoom, and, for Carmina Burana, they’ll be able to record themselves performing at home, just as they did for the January concert, and have their voices mixed into the audio of the in-person recording.
“I highlighted specific movements in the piece [in which] I thought it would be great to have those extra voices added in,” Cooper said.
The Concord Chorale will continue rehearsing in person and hopes to perform for a live, in-person audience for their next concert in September.
“It’s a conversation that will have to keep going as we see how the virus progresses and the efficacy of the vaccine,” Cooper said, “but I think we’re really well-informed and have been making safe choices, so the plan is to move ahead into a regular in-person season.”
Concord Chorale presents Carmina Burana Where: Virtually, available to stream on the Chorale’s website and YouTube channel. When: Saturday, July 10, at 8 p.m., and Sunday, July 11, at 3 p.m. The concert will be available to stream after Sunday on demand for one year. Cost: Free More info: Visit concordchorale.org or call 333-5211.
Featured photo: The Concord Chorale. Courtesy photo.
Mini golf can be your date night family outing or relaxing way to hit the links
If you’re looking for something to do that’s active and fun for the whole family and gets you out of the house this summer, it’s hard to go wrong with mini golf.
“You don’t have to be a certain age, you don’t have to be in shape, none of that,” said Michael Accomando, owner of Mel’s Funway Park in Litchfield. “Husbands, wives, kids, parents, boyfriends, girlfriends — anyone can go out and play mini golf and enjoy it.”
Mini golf course at Mel’s Funway Park. Courtesy photo.
Mel’s features two 18-hole mini golf courses, an easy one geared toward families and young children, and one that is a bit more competitive.
“You don’t want to put the little ones out on a super challenging course, because you want them to have fun,” Accomando said, “but then you have the high school kids and the date nights and the families [without young children], and they want something that is challenging so they can get bragging rights after they beat someone.”
LaBelle Winery, which is headquartered in Amherst, purchased the property that was formerly Brookstone Event Center in Derry in December. In addition to its event spaces, a restaurant facility and a nine-hole executive golf course, the grounds included a mini golf course.
“It’s a great activity to get the kids away from their screens and to get outside in the fresh air and the sunshine,” said LaBelle Winery owner Amy LaBelle.
The course, called Mini Links, was designed by COST of Wisconsin, the same designers who do work for Disney World. It features 18 multi-level holes with sand traps, rock formations and a waterfall.
“It’s not like a get-the-ball-in-the-clown-mouth kind of mini golf,” LaBelle said. “It’s a beautiful, landscaped, upscale mini golf course.”
The holes vary in difficulty, making the course suitable for players of all ages.
“There are definitely easy holes that are totally geared toward a beginner, and then there are a couple others that are more challenging that even I find difficult,” LaBelle said, “so it’s a good mix. There’s a little bit of something for everybody.”
Over the last two years, Mel’s has been making big improvements to its mini golf courses, like installing new carpeting throughout and redesigning or expanding more than half of the holes.
“For some, we made the green different, or we added some new rock formations and more things in the middle for you to putt around,” Accomando said.
On the trickiest hole at Mel’s, known as “the granite hole,” players must putt the ball into a hole that is drilled into the middle of a slab of granite. It has gotten the park many repeat and regular visitors, Accomando said, who are determined to master the hole.
“The ball moves a heck of a lot differently on granite than it does on the outdoor carpet, so you really have to think about how you want to do it,” he said, adding that, even for him, it usually takes five tries or so to get the ball in the hole. “People love to come back to that one.”
It comes as no surprise that the new Mini Links course has been popular with families, LaBelle said, but a unique feature of the course has made it also very popular with grown-ups:
“You can have a glass of wine on the mini golf course, so you see a lot of adults finding their way over there, too,” she said, adding that Mini Links will start hosting adult mini golf tournaments in August, with prizes including wine prizes.
For Mel’s, Accomando said, being open late (until 10 p.m. on weekdays, 11 p.m. on weekends) has been a big draw for adults as a date night or after-dinner activity.
“We always get a rush right around 9 or 9:30 [p.m.],” he said. “People love it, because you can work all day, go home, have dinner, and still have time to go out and play a round of mini golf and enjoy yourself.”
Another reason mini golf is so universally appealing, Accomando said, is that it can be as infrequent and casual or as structured and competitive as a player wants to make it. Most people do it as a one-time or occasional outing with family or friends; others play for fun on a weekly or monthly basis; but about 20 percent of the players Accomando sees at Mel’s take the game “extremely seriously,” he said.
“It’s amazing how much some people really get into it,” he said. “There are even people who come and ask for a certain color ball because they say it brings them luck.”
Atmosphere is just as important to the mini golf experience as the activity itself, Accomando said. The courses at Mel’s are filled with rock formations, bridges, caves, fountains and a large waterfall, measuring around 20 feet tall and 10 feet wide, that sends water cascading throughout the park.
“It’s everything together — the sights, the sounds, the colors, the water rushing all around you — that makes it a whole experience,” he said. “It’s an escape for people to get away from some of the reality of their work day and what is going on in their lives.”
Check out this list of family fun parks and country clubs for your next round of miniature golf. All outdoor times are weather permitting — be sure to contact each park directly for the most up-to-date information.
Chuckster’s Family Fun Park 9 Bailey Road, Chichester, 798-3555; 53 Hackett Hill Road, Hooksett, 210-1415; chucksters.com Hours: Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 9 p.m. Cost: Chichester rates are $9 per round of mini golf and $5 for ages 5 and under. Hooksett rates are $9.50 per round on one of the two courses and $6 for ages 5 and under. You can also play the second course on the same day for an additional $6.50. What makes it unique: Each Chuckster’s park claims to have the “world’s longest mini-golf hole,” as one of the featured holes, at just over 200 feet long. Both parks are also completely different from each other, with not a single hole duplicated.
Funspot 579 Endicott St. N., Laconia, 366-4377, funspotnh.com Hours: Sunday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Cost: $5 per person What makes it unique: This self-service indoor mini golf course features refurbished ornaments of New Hampshire landmarks.
Legends Golf & Family Recreation 18 Legends Drive, Hooksett, 627-0099, legendsgolfnh.com Hours: Daily, 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Cost: $8 for adults, $6 for kids ages 12 and under, and $3 for replays What makes it unique: With natural rock ledges, running streams and a waterfall, Legends is known for having among the more challenging mini golf courses in the area.
Mammoth Green Driving Range & Mini Golf 135 Nashua Road, Londonderry, 432-4653, mammothgreendrivingrange.business.site Hours: Daily, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Cost: $7 per person and free for kids ages 3 and under What makes it unique: Holes are of varying difficulty, with a driving range also directly adjacent to the course if you want to further test your skills.
Mel’s Funway Park 454 Charles Bancroft Hwy., Litchfield, 424-2292, melsfunwaypark.com Hours: Sunday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Cost: $10.50 for adults, $8.50 for kids ages 4 to 12 and free for kids ages 3 and under What makes it unique: Mel’s features two separate 18-hole mini golf courses to choose from, each with features like waterfalls and bridges. The property also has other attractions like go-carts, batting cages, bumper boats, laser tag and an arcade.
Mini Links at LaBelle Winery 14 Route 111, Derry, 672-9898, labellewinery.com Hours: Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday, 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Cost: $8 per person What makes it unique: Southern New Hampshire’s newest miniature golf course, the Mini Links at LaBelle Winery in Derry opened in May. There are opportunities for birthday parties and other personalized outings at the course, as well as Junior Golf Camp for players ages 8 to 14 that is underway.
Ponemah Green Family Golf Center 55 Ponemah Road, Amherst, 673-9908, playamherst.com Hours: Daily, 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Cost: $9 for adults and $6 for kids ages 8 and under What makes it unique: This newly renovated mini golf course has plenty of obstacles, as well as opportunities for birthday parties and other gatherings.
