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Pizza perfection

Ray Street Pizza on Main now open in Goffstown

Beau Gamache has spent the last several years mastering the art of pizza-making. In 2017 he started an Instagram account called “ThePizzaGram,” where followers could watch his journey creating dough, sauces and cheese blends. Eventually it became known as Ray Street Pizza (named after Gamache’s Manchester street), and in early 2020 he made the leap to host a series of pop-ups at what was then Brookstone Park in Derry.

“That was the first real kind of movement toward this becoming an actual business,” Gamache said. “I believe it was in March of that year when I moved to the ghost kitchen at Bayona [Cafe in Manchester] … and it kind of blew up from there, so I quit my day job.”

Meanwhile, the pop-ups continued — Gamache branched out to other locations across New Hampshire with a mobile setup, notably at breweries like Concord’s Lithermans Limited. But he knew that with his growing popularity came the need for a larger, permanent space.

Enter Ray Street Pizza on Main, now open in the former Vikster’s Pizza storefront in Goffstown. With the help of chef Jon Talbot, whom he has worked with on pop-ups and catering events, Gamache now has a regular brick-and-mortar spot where you can try many of the pizza recipes he has spent years perfecting. Even though it’s technically on Main Street, Gamache said he decided to keep his existing name simply because “too many people knew about it” by that point.

“Everyone thinks my name is Ray too, which is pretty funny,” Gamache said. “Someone would be like, ‘Hey, where’s Ray?’ so eventually I was just like, ‘It’s OK, I can be Ray.’”

Since the space was a turnkey operation, Gamache ended up inheriting some equipment, including the conveyor oven, which he said was different from the Ooni ovens he was used to.

“We had to adjust a few things in the dough … [by] just updating the recipe enough so that it cooks well and it looks nice,” he said. “We had to change the type of pans they were cooked on, and the proofing process is different now because it’s cooked at a different temperature.”

Aesthetically, Gamache described his pizza as being similar to a New York-style, while the dough itself more closely resembles a New Haven-style, due, he said, to its wet and soft texture.

The menu mostly combines pies Gamache had been dabbling in at the ghost kitchen with newer versions of some non-pizza items that had previously been available at Vikster’s.

“I wanted at least a majority of the menu to still be available for the folks who come in for lunch but don’t get pizza,” he said. “It’s just been updated in terms of quality, and quantity too. We add more steak in the steak and cheese [and] more chicken in the grilled chicken sandwich. … We’ve also upped the small size for pizzas. They used to be 10 inches, and they are 12 now.”

Slices of cheese and pepperoni pizza can usually be ordered Monday through Friday until about 4 p.m. A lineup of domestic and local craft brews is available, and Gamache is currently working toward implementing a full-service bar, which will additionally have wines and cocktails.

For the long term, Gamache has his hopes set on opening a flagship restaurant in a larger city.

“I want to do something kind of like Roberta’s in Brooklyn, where you walk in and you see this giant pizza and you can watch people make the pizza,” he said. “The menu would be tiny, just a handful of pizzas and maybe some small appetizers or salads and a nice big bar. … I think there’s something to be said about making pizza that’s so good that you don’t serve anything else and yet it’s busy, and Roberta’s is incredible.”

Ray Street Pizza on Main
Where: 23 Main St., Goffstown
Hours: Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. (hours may be subject to change)
More Info: Visit raystreetpizza.com, find them on Facebook and Instagram @raystreetpizza or call 497-8211
Local deliveries are available within about a five-mile radius.

Featured photo: Margherita pizza. Courtesy photo.

Stories around the table

Rambling House and TaleSpinner Brewery open in Nashua

Since Debbie and Denis Gleeson founded The Nature of Things (now known as 2nd Nature Academy) in 1997, the South Nashua school has evolved to have a multi-faceted curriculum focused on sustainability — the Gleesons also operate a sister farm where they raise their own eggs, lamb and cattle. Twenty-five years later, the couple has a new locally sourced restaurant with a seasonally rotating menu, along with an accompanying craft brewery onsite.

Rambling House Food & Gathering opened March 4 on Factory Street and it’s a true family affair — all three of the Gleesons’ daughters, Erin, Kerry and Meghan Ayer, are co-founders, while TaleSpinner Brewery is spearheaded by their uncle Dave, a longtime avid homebrewer.

Multiple connections to the family’s farm or school are present, from spent beer grains going back to feed the cows, to baked goods sourced directly from the campus’s commercial kitchen. It’s a concept that’s been several years in the making, said Erin Gleeson, who serves as president.

“When I was graduating college, I had it in my mind that I wanted to run my own business [and] I was interested in food, craft cocktails and farming,” she said. “I think what we were finding was that there were places around to eat and drink, but they felt like just that, places to just eat or just drink. … What we’re trying to be … is more of a community gathering space. That was our goal, and I think luckily since the time we started thinking about this, a lot of that has been popping up in Nashua. It’s growing in that way, which I definitely think is the right direction.”

In addition to the Gleesons’ own farm, the eatery’s dinner and bar menus feature ingredients sourced from purveyors all over New England, and an in-house cafe with locally roasted coffee and grab-and-go items is expected soon. Here’s a closer look at each core part of the business.

Rambling House

Erin and Kerry’s paternal grandfather, Maurice Gleeson, immigrated to the United States from Ireland as a teenager. Growing up on a farm in the small village of Glenflesk in County Kerry, Maurice would visit a traditional “rambling house,” an informal inn of sorts that was known by all the locals as the family home to come gather and share stories, play games or listen to music.

cocktail in glass with ice, set on fire — Crohan craft cocktail. Photo by Donna Desimone Photography.

“It was just the spot where everyone knew in the community to be almost like that safe harbor, and it was also the place where a weary traveler was always welcomed in by the fire to lay their head for the night,” Kerry Gleeson said. “He’d tell us all the time about how when he was young he would go visit the rambling house that was up the street from him. … He had such fond memories of it, and we just loved that sentiment, so that was a no-brainer for us for the name.”

Today, the Gleesons remain very much connected to their Irish heritage. Framed photographs taken by Maurice throughout the 1950s and early ’60s adorn the walls, and a small plaque by the door heading out to the upstairs balcony proclaims the “Margaret Mary Martha Murphy Mezzanine,” an inside joke and reference to their cousin overseas, with whom they are close.

But despite the strong family influences, Rambling House is not an Irish pub — rather, what you’ll find here is a diverse offering of meat, seafood and vegetarian options that will change every few months based on product availability and seasonality.

“We’re going to start with four menus a year, but that will probably grow to six menus a year, because our seasons are a little quick,” Erin Gleeson said. “We’ll keep a lot of the skeleton of the menu, so for example we’ll always have a burger on it, but the toppings will be different. We’ll always have a chicken [dish] on it but it might not be the lemon roast chicken we have now.”

The Gleesons have brought on Jeremy Guyotte to serve as the eatery’s head chef. A native of Gloucester, Mass., Guyotte has extensive experience working with seafood, notably during culinary stints he spent at Captain Carlo’s Oceanfront and at Passports Restaurant in Cape Ann.

Out of the gate, seafoods at Rambling House include a pancetta-wrapped Atlantic monkfish loin; pub mussels sourced from Blue Hill Bay in Maine with tasso ham, onion and herbs; and a bouillabaisse, featuring shrimp, scallops, mussels, littleneck clams and whitefish.

“When Jeremy first started making us seafood samples, we were like, ‘Oh, my gosh, who have we brought on?’” Kerry Gleeson said. “He is an artist, and our sous chef, Karyn [Polley], is fantastic too. She has been with us even longer, working at the school.”

Other menu items, like the porchetta and the shepherd’s pie, have so far received rave reviews. The latter is a traditional version made with lamb, veggies and house herbed gravy.

Baker Angel Lopez is an ardent bread maker and Erin Gleeson herself even makes her own small-batch ice cream, passion projects that are now part of Rambling House’s menu respectively in the form of desserts like brioche bread pudding and house brownie sundaes.

The restaurant’s main dining area features a unique post and beam layout with a bartop and shelves all designed by Erin and Kerry’s brother-in-law, Kyle Ayer of Green Building & Consulting Group. Once it gets a little warmer, an outdoor rooftop deck with additional seating areas will open, offering panoramic overhead views of the Nashua River.

“Our favorite thing so far is that when you’re up on that top deck, that skyline is where you can see the fireworks on the Fourth of July,” Erin Gleeson said.

A full bar features TaleSpinner brews on tap, in addition to a menu of craft cocktails, hard ciders, wines, non-alcoholic beer and hard kombucha. The cafe, meanwhile, is at the front of the restaurant and will soon be offering coffee from Bedford’s Flight Coffee Co., as well as various takeaway items like baked goods and breakfast sandwiches.

TaleSpinner Brewery

On the first level below Rambling House, TaleSpinner Brewery can be accessed through the opposite end of the building, on the Water Street side. The tasting room is at the top of a short flight of stairs from the entrance, and overlooks its full production area.

The brewery, which opened a few weeks earlier than its restaurant counterpart, was similarly named with Erin and Kerry Gleeson’s grandfather — described by Kerry as “a consummate tale spinner,” or storyteller — in mind. Their uncle Dave works closely with head brewer Scott Karlen to create TaleSpinner’s lineup of brews, which currently include a few New England-style IPAs, in addition to a Belgian blonde ale, a raspberry sour, a German-New Zealand Pilsner lager, and a Belgian strong ale. They’re also working on a peach apricot sour and an Imperial brunch stout with maple syrup, cacao nibs, vanilla bean and coffee from Flight Coffee Co. There are a total of 24 taplines: a dozen each in the restaurant and brewery.

“My uncle … made great stuff as a homebrewer and had a passion for it, and it became part of a conversation that it would be really fun to open a brewery,” Kerry Gleeson said. “So it was a natural sort of thing where the two concepts just fit into each other like puzzle pieces.”

A small bar menu is available out of the tasting room, featuring some items you’ll find upstairs at Rambling House, as well as others mostly exclusive to that space, like the fish and chips, the poutine and the duck confit flatbread. Those items, while not on the regular dinner menu at the restaurant, do become available upstairs as well after 9 p.m., Kerry Gleeson said.

Guyotte will sometimes cross-utilize TaleSpinner’s products with his food, notably a beer gravy for the poutine and spent grain waffles for the chicken and waffle sliders.

“There’s definitely a cycle with everything, and we want to build on that and make it as close to coming full circle as we can,” Kerry Gleeson said.

Rambling House Food & Gathering and TaleSpinner Brewery
Where: 57 Factory St., Nashua, Suites A and B
Current hours: Wednesday and Thursday, 4 to 10 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 5 to 11 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. (extended hours likely coming soon)
More info: Visit ramblingtale.com or follow them on social media (@ourramblinghouse and @talespinnerbrew on Facebook, and @ramblinghouse and @talespinnerbrew on Instagram)
TaleSpinner Brewery’s entrance is accessed at the opposite end of the building on Water Street.

Featured photo: Winter charcuterie. Photo by Donna Desimone Photography.

The Weekly Dish 22/03/17

News from the local food scene

• Franco Foods challenge: Join the Franco-American Centre for its inaugural Fleur Délices Challenge, an amateur baking competition happening on Saturday, April 9, at 6 p.m., at Anheuser-Busch Tour Center & Biergarten (221 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack). Contestants are welcome to bring a cake of their own representing a country that’s part of the International Francophonie (or where French is among the most commonly spoken of languages). Winners will be chosen by a panel of local judges who will follow a grading criteria – they include pastry chef Alexandre Waddell of Cremeux French Patisserie in Merrimack and chef Matt Provencher of Red Beard’s Kitchen, a two-time winner of the New Hampshire PoutineFest. The cost is $20 and registration forms are due by March 18. See facnh.com for details.

• Bunny campaign: The Salvation Army Women’s Auxiliary is selling chocolate Easter bunnies made by Granite State Candy Shoppe now through April 1 as part of its Bite Out of Hunger Campaign. The cost is $8.50 for an eight-ounce solid milk, white or dark chocolate bunny. Proceeds benefit The Salvation Army’s Kids’ Café program, which offers evening meals and recreation activities to local children and teens multiple days a week. Call Sylvia Crete at 490-4107 to order a bunny, or visit nne.salvationarmy.org/manchester to download the bunny order form. Bunnies may be picked up at The Salvation Army’s Manchester Corps (121 Cedar St.) any Monday through Friday, between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.

• Between the vines: LaBelle Winery owner Amy LaBelle has partnered with Kerri Zane of KZ Enterprises to produce a lifestyle show based on her life. According to a press release, The Winemaker’s Kitchen Show will feature both of LaBelle’s restaurants in Amherst and Derry, as well as their vineyards, event centers and other amenities that were unveiled last year, like the Derry property’s onsite golf course and artisan food market. The show will also provide various culinary tips, tricks and recipes commonly covered in her regular cooking classes and seminars. LaBelle has hosted televised cooking shows previously, when she partnered with New Hampshire PBS last year to produce a series of interactive classes geared toward kids. In a statement, Zane, an Emmy Award-winning television executive producer, said LaBelle is “poised to unseat Martha Stewart as the reigning queen of all things kitchen.” Visit labellewinery.com.

• New spots for beer and barbecue: Concord’s newest craft brewery has landed — after more than a year of planning, Feathered Friend Brewing Co. (231 S. Main St.) officially opened last week in the former Taylor Rental space in the city’s South End. Owner Tucker Jadczak told the Hippo in February that the brewery’s name stems from his love and appreciation of birds. He has worked with head brewer Ryan Connor to create a lineup of craft beers that includes a red ale, a stout, a sour and a double dry-hopped IPA with Galaxy and Citra hops called Second Sun. Barrel-aged beers are also in their planning stages. An adjoining space next door to Feathered Friend Brewing Co. is the new home of Smokeshow Barbeque Co., which also recently opened its doors. Smokeshow owner Matt Gfroerer said the space triples the seating capacity of what he had before and allows him to build on his menu of Texas-style barbecue favorites. Visit featheredfriendbrewing.com or smokeshowbbq.com for more details on each.

On The Job – Melissa Gove

Melissa Gove

Weatherization specialist

Melissa Gove is the owner of Chase Hill Insulation, a weatherization business based in Weare that serves families in residential homes throughout the state.

Explain your job and what it entails.

My workday starts at 6:30 a.m., when my crew arrives at my shop. The job … is for a customer of the weatherization program, and the work … is based on an energy audit of the home. I have a work order that I follow that gives me specific details about the home and the measures my crew is supposed to install. My crew chief and I go over the work that needs to be done for that particular job and talk about any issues of concern for the job that either of us might have. The work truck is loaded with material, and my crew heads out. … Once they arrive at the job, they start the process of weatherizing the home, [which] may include insulating the basement, the walls and the attic.

How long have you had this job?

I’ve been weatherizing homes in New Hampshire for 16 years.

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

Before starting my business, I lived in Rhode Island, but I would spend all my free time at my family’s camp in Deering. It was always so sad to leave the camp, and I desperately wanted to move to New Hampshire, but I needed a career to support that dream. I did hours of research online and found that there was a need in New Hampshire for insulation contractors for weatherization assistance programs. I built my business plan around that need with the help of my ex-husband, who was an experienced insulator.

What kind of education or training did you need?

I worked as a bookkeeper at a wire mill in Rhode Island for seven years, but in 2003 the mill burned to the ground. I was given an opportunity to go back to school, and in 2005 I received my degree in business management. I also have a good friend that’s an expert in the weatherization field that’s been a mentor to me over the years of building my business.

What is your typical at-work uniform or attire?

Chase Hill Insulation long-sleeve shirts, sweatshirts, hats, jeans and work boots are our everyday work gear.

How has your job changed over the course of the pandemic?

It’s really hard to ask people to let you come into their homes when they’re afraid of getting sick. I have had to reassure all of my customers that my crew and I will take every precaution to work safely while working at their home, and we will wear all necessary PPE.

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

I wish I had known that business doesn’t always work out according to your plan. I had to learn to problem-solve, and I had to surround myself with good people. That’s how I continue to stay in business.

What do you wish other people knew about your job?

People aren’t always aware that their home is lacking insulation. Adding insulation to your home is something you can do right now to lower your heating bills for the rest of this winter and cooling costs for this upcoming summer. There are utility-funded programs available to help with these costs. People can reach out to their local utility company to see if they qualify.

What was the first job you ever had?

My first job was at my favorite pizza and sandwich shop in my hometown.

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

Take the time to listen to your customer’s needs and give them the attention they deserve.

Five favorites

Favorite book: Dracula
Favorite movie: The Shawshank Redemption
Favorite music: Classic rock
Favorite food: Italian
Favorite thing about NH: That I never have to leave, because I’m finally home.

Featured photo: Melissa Gove. Courtesy photo.

Kiddie Pool 22/03/17

Family fun for the weekend

Art of the video game

SEE Science Center (200 Bedford St. in Manchester; 669-0400, see-sciencecenter.org) is now displaying “Video Game Art,” an exhibit celebrating the 100th anniversary of Ralph Baer’s birthday. Baer is the Manchester inventor who crafted the prototype for the first video game (find a statue commemorating him in Arms Park). The exhibit features pieces from 14 artists, according to the website, and is on display during SEE’s regular hours, Tuesdays through Sunday (10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays and until 5 p.m. on weekends). Admission costs $10 for guests ages 3 and up; advance registration is recommended.

SEE is offering a workshop for kids 12 and up next Saturday, March 26, wherein the kids make their own “Simon Says”-style game. The cost of the workshop is $5 extra and the workshop runs from 2 to 4 p.m. See the website to register and for materials requirements.

For more about Ralph Baer Projects Club, see ralphbaerday.com.

First veggies, then baked goods

Get kids excited about picking up some veggies, then grab a baked good or two at area winter farmers markets.

The Downtown Concord Winter Farmers Market runs Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon at 7 Eagle Square. This coming Saturday, March 19, musicians Eyes of Age will perform. Find a list of vendors at dcwfm.squarespace.com.

Also on Saturdays is the Contoocook Farmers Market, which runs from 9 a.m. to noon at the Maple Street School (194 Maple St. in Contoocook).

On Sundays, head to LaBelle Winery (14 Route 111 in Derry) for the Salem NH Farmers Market, which operates from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Find their list of vendors at salemnhfarmersmarket.org.

More maple

Like the cover story says, we are in maple season. In Warner, the maple producers are holding a town-wide maple celebration this Saturday, March 19, and Sunday, March 20, according to a press release. Seven sap houses will be offering syrup demonstrations; find maps for the houses in Warner area businesses, the release said.

On Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. the Pillsbury Free Library (18 E. Main St. ) will offer a children’s craft. The Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum (18 Highlawn Road in Warner; indianmuseum.org, 456-2600) will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with maple sugaring demonstrations, acorn pancake samples, fry bread and maple treats for sale, a book sale, walking tours and more, according to the museum’s website. Admission to the museum costs $9 for adults, $8 for seniors, $7 for children (ages 6 to 12) and $26 for a family, the website said.

On Sunday, head to the Warner Town Hall from noon to 3 p.m. for a maple syrup tasting contest, where you can vote for your favorite.

Find more details on the event at warnerhistorical.org and if you haven’t already, check out the cover story for a listing of more area sugarhouses and their plans for this weekend and the rest of Maple Month.

On stage

The Palace Teen Apprentice Company will present Wizard of Oz: Young Performers Edition at the Rex Theatre (23 Amherst St. in Manchester; palacetheatre.org, 668-5588) on Tuesday, March 22, and Wednesday, March 23, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost $15 for adults, $12 for kids (ages 6 to 12).

Older theater lovers, teens in particular, may want to check out teen drama 1950s-style at Bye Bye Birdie, the Palace Theatre’s current production, which runs this weekend at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, March 18, and Saturday, March 19; at 2 p.m. on Saturday and at noon on Sunday, March 20. Tickets cost $25 through $46. The show runs through Sunday, April 3.

Outdoors after school

Beaver Brook Association (117 Ridge Road in Hollis; beaverbrook.org, 465-7787) will hold a “Hike and Sketch” program Mondays from 3:30 to 5 p.m. for kids in grades 4 through 6. Kids will walk Maple Hill Farm with their sketchbooks and draw in different locations (or in the Spear Room, if necessary due to weather), according to the website. The season, which runs March 28 through May 23, costs $120.

Treasure Hunt 22/03/17

I am hoping you can guide me. I have this wedding band that belonged to my sister. I have no use for it and am wondering what I should do with it. It’s marked 14KT with no other markings. If I had to guess, I’d say it was from the 1970s.

Can you help by telling me what would be the best way to find it a new home, maybe with a jeweler or a gold buyer?

Karen

Dear Karen,

I think the first thing you need to do is confirm it is gold. It’s tough to really tell these days when there are so many fake marks out there.

Step 2 is find someone you can trust to do business with. The markup on jewelry is so high, returning it for a wedding band to sell again might not give you the best value.

I would see what the secondary buyback value is and then what the gold value is, assuming it is gold. That’s why dealing with someone you can trust is important. I can give you a couple names of who I always dealt with for gold and silver if needed. They can determine gold, weight and best value.

Early harbingers of spring

Skunk cabbage, witch hazel and more

Here in Cornish Flat, New Hampshire, we recently had our first day that shouted, “Spring is here!” After a night of cool rain, the sun came out and temperatures climbed into the 50s. Now all we need are spring flowers. Me? I solved that problem by potting up bulbs last November and storing them in my cool basement. They rested, grew roots, and now my windowsills are crammed with pots of daffodils and crocus, some blooming, others on the way. They will help to keep my spirits up when we get, as I know we will, day after day of gray drizzle before summer gets here.

Of the outdoor bulbs, the first to bloom are snowdrops. They push up through frozen earth on south-facing hillsides starting in late February. I imagine they can do this by the process of “thermogenesis.” That’s a process whereby a plant can produce a chemical reaction that produces heat. Few can do it, but those that do can get pollinated before anything else.

hand holding forsythia flower buds — Forsythia flower buds are pointy. Courtesy photo.

The poster child for thermogenesis is skunk cabbage. This is a plant I remember well from my boyhood home in Woodbridge, Connecticut. We had a small brook behind the house, and some wet areas along the banks in a woody area. Aside from being the first green plant to sprout, skunk cabbage had the ability to produce a noxious odor that was endlessly fascinating to young boys. I discovered that if I disturbed them they produced a skunky odor that my sister did not like.

Skunk cabbage is related to the common Jack-in-the-pulpit we all know and love. Like Jack, its flower is hidden inside a spathe, or outer leafy jacket. I bought a skunk cabbage plant at Garden in the Woods, a native plant sanctuary in Framingham, Mass., about 25 years ago.

What I did not know was that skunk cabbage is very slow growing and does not spread at all quickly, at least this far north. Only in recent years has it bloomed, though every year the leaves have gotten bigger. Now I know when buying plants to buy at least three in order to make a statement in a reasonable amount of time. Skunk cabbage produces big green leaves and a barely noticeable flower.

Of the native woody plants, spring witch hazel is the earliest that I know. In southern New England it can bloom in January, and here in New Hampshire it can bloom in March. I bought one last summer, and look forward to seeing the blossoms soon. I have several fall witch hazel that bloom in October and November. The blossoms vary from yellow to brownish red and are spidery in form. Small, but plentiful right near the stems.

close-up, hand holding leatherwood blossom — Leatherwood blossom, close-up. Courtesy photo.

Forsythia is a nice yellow-blossomed shrub originally from Asia and eastern Europe. Michael Dirr, my woody plant guru, describes it this way: “Rank-growing, deciduous shrub, differentially developing upright and arching canes which give it the appearance that the roots were stuck in an electric socket; always needs grooming, one of the most overrated and overused shrubs; will sucker (slowly) to form large colonies.” That from his “Manual of Woody Landscape Plants,” my favorite text on trees and shrubs.

His remarks notwithstanding, I grew up with it and like it. It is a burst of yellow at a time of the year — April, here — when not much else has bloomed or even leafed out. My gardening Grampy had a large patch of it that had suckered and created a bed 10 feet wide, 50 feet long and 8 feet high or more. My sister Ruth Anne and I would crawl inside the patch of forsythia in the heat of summer for a cool respite — and to hide from grownups.

The trick to managing forsythia is to prune it hard and often. Keep the tips of branches off the ground as they will root in if touching the soil. One can keep it as a nice vase-shaped shrub, and it really does not take much work to do so. Cold-hardy varieties that will bloom in Zone 4 include New Hampshire Gold, Vermont Sun and Meadowlark, among others. Ask at your local independent nursery.

Forsythia forces easily. Cut some stems with flower buds now and place them in a vase, and place it in a sunny window. I shall cut some today and get them blooming in a couple of weeks or less. The key is to recognize the flower buds: they are pointy and often appear on clusters without stalks, right on the stems. Straight young stems that grew last year rarely have flower buds.

In contrast to the flamboyant forsythia is a nice native, leatherwood. This understated plant blooms just as it leafs out in March, April or early May, depending on where you are. It does best in full shade. Although Dirr’s book says it prefers a moist, dark soil, I have it in a dry location and it does just fine. The blossoms are pale to bright yellow, small, but plentiful. The bark is a handsome gray. But it is hard to find in a plant nursery. I bought one several years ago and have looked for others, but have not found another nicely shaped specimen. Look for it. Slow growing, it requires little or no care.

T.S. Eliot wrote in his poem “The Wasteland” that April is the cruelest month. I disagree; I think March is. Muddy roads and gray skies predominate. Flowers are scarce. We have April to look forward to, but if you pot up some daffodils next November for forcing, you can at least have some indoor blossoms now, in March.

Featured photo: Skunk cabbage has big leaves and grows in moist shade. Courtesy photo.

The Art Roundup 22/03/17

The latest from NH’s theater, arts and literary communities

• Celebrating women aviators: The Aviation Museum of New Hampshire (27 Navigator Road, Londonderry) welcomes Keith O’Brien, author of Fly Girls: How Five Daring Women Defied All Odds and Made Aviation History, on Thursday, March 24, at 7 p.m. for a presentation and book signing to celebrate Women’s History Month. The book, published in 2018, tells the story of a group of five female pilots and friends who fought for their place in the male-dominated sport of airplane racing during the 1920s and 1930s. “This isn’t a book about airplanes,” O’Brien told the Hippo when the book was released. “It’s a compelling human story about women who fought against impossible odds and were determined to change the world.” Copies of the book can be reserved in advance, and a limited number of copies will be for sale at the museum that day. Tickets cost $10 for general admission and $40 for a package that includes admission and a hardcover copy of the book inscribed by the author at the event. Call 669-4877 or see “Aviation Museum Fly Girls” on eventbrite.com.

• Trash turned fashion: There’s still time to have your wearable art feature in the upcoming Upcycled Fashion Show, happening on Saturday, April 23, from 7 to 9 p.m. at Makers Mill (23 Bay St., Wolfeboro). The show, presented by Makers Mill and the Governor Wentworth Arts Council, invites designers of all ages to create fashion pieces composed of at least 75 percent recycled, reused or repurposed materials. Registration for designers is free and open now through the end of March or until participation is full. Additionally, a workshop, “Attachments & Embellishments,” will be offered on Saturday, March 19, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Brewster Academy (80 Academy Drive, Wolfeboro) in Room 103 of the Rogers Building Student Center. Participants will learn skills such as ancient lashing techniques, traditional zippers, basic buttons and hand and machine techniques; and about how to embellish a garment with dye, paint, hand sewing, hot glue and machine techniques. The workshop is open to registered designers for free and to the general public for a cost of $15. Visit makersmill.org/blog or call 569-1500.

• Theater auditions: The Community Players of Concord is holding auditions for its upcoming production of Eugène Ionesco’s play The Bald Soprano on Monday, March 21, at 7 p.m. at the Players’ Studio (435 Josiah Bartlett Road, Concord). Roles are open for three male adults and three female adults. Proof of vaccination against Covid-19 is required to audition. The cast’s first read-through will be held on Monday, March 28, at the Players’ Studio. The show is scheduled to run for two weekends from June 17 through June 26 at the Hatbox Theatre in Concord. Visit communityplayersofconcord.org/auditions for more information about the play and to read the script.

Roommate humor
Don’t miss the final weekend of the Manchester Community Theatre Players’ production of Ripcord at MCTP Theatre (located at North End Montessori School, 698 Beech St., Manchester), with showtimes on Friday, March 18, and Saturday, March 19, at 7:30 p.m. The 2015 comedy by David Lindsay-Abaire follows a pair of ill-matched roommates at a senior living facility. Abby claims that nothing can scare her, while Marilyn claims that nothing can make her angry. The two make a bet — whoever gets the other to crack first will get the room to herself. Tickets cost $20 per person, and seating is limited. Proof of vaccination and masks are required. Visit manchestercommunitytheatre.com or call 327-6777.

• Spring art: Two Villages Art Society presents a new exhibition, “Reawakening,” at the Bates Building (846 Main St., Contoocook) from March 18 through April 9. It features work by artist members of the New Hampshire chapter of the Women’s Caucus for the Arts. “As sunshine and warmth return to the earth in spring, so we reawaken to our lives,” WCA/NH exhibitions committee chair Linda Greenwood said in a press release. “The theme not only illustrates our reawakening of spring, but it also represents an illustration of memories that remind us again of passions lying deep.” An opening reception with the artists and live music will be held on Saturday, March 19, from noon to 2 p.m. Regular gallery hours are Thursday through Sunday, from noon to 4 p.m. Visit twovillagesart.org or call 413-210-4372.

ART

Exhibits

“CONNECTING THREADS” New Hampshire Art Association fiber art invitational exhibition features hand-dyed fabrics, Japanese weaving, fine art quilting, embroidery and felting by New England fiber artists. Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery, 136 State St., Portsmouth. On view now through March 27. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Thursday, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sunday, from noon to 5 p.m. Visit nhartassociation.org or call 431-4230.

• “AWAKENING” New Hampshire Art Association exhibition features members’ works inspired by the natural or inner world. Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery, 136 State St., Portsmouth. On view now through March 27. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Thursday, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sunday, from noon to 5 p.m. Visit nhartassociation.org or call 431-4230.

• “SETTING THE STANDARD” Exhibition features new work from League jurors in all media areas. League of New Hampshire Craftsmen headquarters, 49 S. Main St., #100, Concord. On view now through March 31. Regular exhibition hours are Tuesday through Thursday, noon to 4 p.m. Visit nhcrafts.org.

• “STITCHED TOGETHER – ELEMENTS OF NATURE FROM TEXTILE FRAGMENTS” New Hampshire Art Association exhibition features the textile collages of Cheryl Miller, inspired by the colors in nature. On view now through April 15. Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce Visitors Center. Gallery hours are Monday througwh Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. All work is for sale. Visit nhartassociation.org or call 431-4230.

• “APPEAL OF THE REAL: 19TH CENTURY PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD” exhibition features photographs taken throughout the Mediterranean to record the ruins of ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome. The Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St., Manchester). On view now through June 12. Museum admission costs $15 for adults, $13 for seniors age 65 and up, $10 for students, $5 for youth ages 13 through 17 and is free for children under age 13 and museum members. Current museum hours are Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed Monday through Wednesday. Call 669-6144 or visit currier.org.

• “WARHOL SCREEN TESTS” exhibition features 20 films from Andy Warhol’s silent black and white Screen Tests, shown in loops across four largescale projections. The Currier Museum of Art (150 Ash St., Manchester). On view March 31 through July 3. Museum admission costs $15 for adults, $13 for seniors age 65 and up, $10 for students, $5 for youth ages 13 through 17 and is free for children under age 13 and museum members. Current museum hours are Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., closed Monday through Wednesday. Call 669-6144 or visit currier.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

• “HANDS-ON 3D PRINTING FOR BEGINNERS” A one-day crash course covering the basics of 3D printing. Making Matters NH (88 Village St., Penacook). Sat., April 9, from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The cost is $15 for Making Matters members and $50 for nonmembers. Call 565-5443 or visit makingmattersnh.org.

• “INTRO TO 3D PRINTING” Workshop for 3D printing beginners. Port City Makerspace (68 Morning St., Portsmouth). Wed., April 13 and June 8, from 6 to 9 p.m. The cost is $25 for members of the makerspace and $45 for nonmembers. Call 373-1002 or visit portcitymakerspace.com.

• WINTER ART CLASSES Art classes for teens and adults, including Pottery, Stained Glass, Intermediate Watercolor and Clay Hand Building. Studio 550 Art Center (550 Elm St., Manchester). Five-week sessions. Classes met for two hours a week. Call 232-5597 or visit 550arts.com for the full schedule and cost details.

• 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.

• GENERAL ART CLASSES Weekly art classes offered for both kids and adults of all skill levels and cover a variety of two-dimensional media, including drawing and painting with pastel, acrylic, watercolor and oils. Classes are held with small groups of three to eight to five students. Diane Crespo Fine Art Gallery (32 Hanover St., Manchester). Kids classes, open to ages 10 and up, are held on Thursdays and Fridays, from 4:15 to 5:45 p.m. Adult classes are held on Thursdays, from 6:30 to 8:15 p.m., and Saturdays from 10:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Tuition is pay-as-you-go at $20 per student per class, due upon arrival. Call 493-1677 or visit dianecrespofineart.com for availability.

THEATER

Auditions

• THE BALD SOPRANO The Community Players of Concord holds open auditions for its June production of The Bald Soprano. Mon., March 21, 7 p.m., Players’ Studio, 435 Josiah Bartlett Road, Concord. Visit communityplayersofconcord.org/auditions.

Classes/workshops

• STORYTELLING WORKSHOPS Monthly workshop series hosted by True Tales Live storytelling showcase. First Tuesday (except November), 7 to 8:30 p.m., virtual, via Zoom. Registration is required. Visit truetaleslivenh.org

Shows

• CHICKEN LITTLE presented by Upside Arts. The Players’ Ring Theatre (105 Marcy St., Portsmouth). Showtimes are on Sat., March 12, and Sun., March 13, at 10 a.m., and on Sun., March 20, at 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Tickets cost $18 for adults and $15 for kids under age 12. Visit playersring.org or call 436-8123.

• BYE BYE BIRDIE A mainstage production by The Palace Theatre. 80 Hanover St., Manchester. Runs March 11 through April 3, with showtimes on Friday at 7:30 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday at noon. Ticket costs range from $25 to $46 per person. Visit palacetheatre.org or call 668-5588.

• PIPPIN The Pinkerton Players present. Fri., March 25, and Sat., March 26, at 7 p.m., and Sun., March 27, at 2 p.m. Stockbridge Theatre at Pinkerton Academy, 5 Pinkerton St., Derry. Tickets cost $15 for adults and $10 for seniors and students. Call 437-5210 or visit stockbridgetheatre.com.

• TRUE TALES LIVE Portsmouth-based storytelling showcase. Monthly, last Tuesday (no shows in July and August), 7 to 8:30 p.m. Shows will be held in person (Portsmouth Public Media TV Studio, 280 Marcy St., Portsmouth) starting in April, and returning to Zoom format for the winter, starting in November. Each month’s showcase is centered around a different theme. The series is free and open to all who want to watch or participate as a storyteller. Pre-registration for attendees is required for Zoom shows but not required for in-person shows. Visit truetaleslivenh.org and email info@truetaleslive.org if you’re interested in being a storyteller.

Classical

• DRAWN TO THE MUSIC 2022 – STORIES IN MUSIC The New Hampshire Philharmonic Orchestra performs. Seifert Performing Arts Center, 44 Geremonty Drive, Salem. Sat., April 9, 2 p.m., and Sun., April 10, 2 p.m. Visit nhphil.org.

• “FROM THE NEW WORLD” Symphony New Hampshire presents. Concerto for electric harp featuring Rosanna Moore, performing Farrenc, Overture No. 1 and Dvořák, Symphony No. 9. A New Hampshire premiere. Sat., April 23, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m., at Keefe Center for the Arts (117 Elm St., Nashua); and Sun., April 24, 3 to 6 p.m., at Dana Center for the Humanities at Saint Anselm College (100 Saint Anselm Drive, Manchester). Tickets cost $20 to $60 for adults, $18 to $55 for seniors age 65+, and free for children with a paying adult. Visit symphonynh.org.

Love is all around

Real-life couple performs Love Letters

On stage and off, Kathryn and Erik Hodges are in love, and the married Penacook couple brings that real-life emotion to Love Letters, a two-person show that explores the relationship of Andrew and Melissa through letter writing over the course of 50-plus years.

“It’s an unconventional love story,” said Lauren Shelby Douglas, who’s directing the piece for Hatbox Theatre. “It’s not high-energy, it’s not anxiety-driven — it’s a very kind show.”

Love Letters was written by A. R. Gurney and nominated in 1990 for a Pulitzer Prize in drama. The Hodges first performed it to limited, socially distanced audiences in September 2020 at Hatbox, during the brief period when the venue was allowed to reopen after being shut down due to Covid, only to be shut down again shortly after.

“Love Letters was very well-received critically, but it was lightly attended,” Hatbox Theatre founder Andrew Pinard said. “[I brought it back because] I thought the work was really strong, and it’s a powerful piece about keeping people together when they’re apart. … I’m not so concerned about ticket sales. This level of work deserved more eyes.”

This is Douglas’s directorial debut, replacing the previous director and offering a new perspective.

“Everybody comes in with their own insight, which is what you want — even though our previous director did a wonderful job,” Kathryn Hodges said. “She’s a youngster, and she does have her own vision.”

Douglas said she had never seen or read the play before, so she really came into it with fresh eyes.

She said it’s a subtle, understated play, with no grand drama — just a conversation between two people that starts in grade school and continues through war, the Great Depression, marriages and more, with ups and downs throughout the years.

“It’s not your average play in the fact that the actors don’t memorize their lines — they read from the script right on the stage,” Douglas said. “Gurney strictly had instructions not to memorize lines, [because he] wanted it to be like they were really reading these letters.”

There are no costume or scene changes either, which allows the actors to focus on how they’re emoting through their words.

“You don’t have to sweat the small stuff — you don’t have to learn the blocking [for example],” Kathryn Hodges said. “The lights come up and you start reading these lovely snapshots of these bygone times.”

The real-life couple has been together for 36 years, and Kathryn Hodges said they really relate to the relationship between Andrew and Melissa.

“They are very fond of each other, they are very much each other’s best friend, and that’s us in a nutshell,” she said.

Andrew and Melissa’s relationship, though, evolved during a very different time period, so understanding their characters was a process.

“As a warm-up for this production we did a little exercise where we reversed roles,” Erik Hodges said. “This play is very much written from the analogous male point of view [and] seeing the character from her point of view was an eye-opener. While the male just sails through [life] … [Melissa], because she’s a little eccentric and different, she’s penalized.”

The Hodges have been part of the local theater scene for decades; Erik Hodges started performing with the Community Players of Concord when he was 10, and Kathryn Hodges joined the Players when she was 20.

“Even though both Erik and I have a long history with community theater, we don’t often appear in the same show, or if we are in the same show our characters have nothing to do with each other,” Kathryn Hodges said.

Love Letters has been a special opportunity for them as actors, and it’s a unique play for audiences to experience as well.

“The show seems very, very simple, but it’s so much more,” Kathryn Hodges said.

Love Letters
Where: Hatbox Theatre, 270 Loudon Road, Concord
When: Friday, March 18, and Saturday, March 19, at 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, March 20 at 2 p.m.
Tickets: $22 for adults, $19 for members, seniors and students and $16 for senior members. Tickets may be reserved by calling 715-2315 or visiting hatboxnh.com.

The future of Hatbox Theatre

It’s been a tumultuous month for Hatbox Theatre founder Andrew Pinard. The venue was unexpectedly served with an eviction notice from Steeplegate Mall Realty on Feb. 11; that notice was rescinded shortly thereafter. Pinard said in a phone interview on March 9 that he couldn’t imagine how he would have packed everything up and gotten out of there in 30 days.

Now, Pinard has faith that the verbal agreement that Hatbox made with the mall to stay put — and to extend the amount of eviction notification time — will be honored.

“We’re waiting for the mall to provide written confirmation. We expect that will be the case,” he said.

And while the news that Hatbox could stay came as a relief, it also served as a wake-up call.

“It was a very alarming moment in time,” Pinard said. “[We realized] we need to be thinking of our future and forever homes. We hope to stay in our current location for a long time, but we have to be pragmatic and look into other options.”

Even if the mall allows Hatbox to stay indefinitely, the theater company itself has been struggling since the pandemic started, which might force some changes anyway.

“The numbers are still not what they ought to be,” he said. “Things where people congregate — sports, concerts … are still not attended in the way that people expect.”

Pinard recently attended a meeting with fellow performing arts groups, and the general consensus is that most are not expecting to get back to even 70 percent of their typical audience numbers until summer 2023.

“From an artistic perspective … even though we’re starting to reconnect in person, there’s still a lot of concern,” he said.

Along with less income from ticket sales, venues are also dealing with increased costs. Pinard said he had about $7,500 worth of utility bills in two months, when revenue was “maybe $800, maybe $1,000.”

“We can only continue to operate a deficit for so long,” he said. “We’re in the hole, and every weekend we do performances, if we don’t meet a certain number of attendees, we continue to be in the hole.”

Pinard said he’s “cautiously optimistic that we’re going to make it through this,” and they’ve invested heavily in protective measures like UV filters to make sure patrons are safe and feel comfortable returning. But things are going to need to start improving fairly quickly.

“If this doesn’t come back within a year, we may not be able to afford to stay open,” Pinard said.

Featured photo: Courtesy photo.

Backyard Sugarhouse

New space and new equipment for Beaver Brook Maple

Curiosity — that’s essentially how Andrew Mattiace ended up with the brand new sugarhouse on his property in Bow. After his grandmother’s funeral in 2017, Mattiace and his family visited her favorite sugarhouse in Charlestown; at one point, Mattiace looked at the evaporator and thought, “This thing just boils water? I can do this.”

So, being a “curious engineer,” he built his own evaporator, tapped some maple trees in his backyard, and in 2018 produced maple syrup for the first time — a whopping 5 gallons.

“The first year was horrendous,” he laughed.

Mattiace learned mostly by scouring the internet, and then through trial and error — and there were a lot of errors, he said. But what he produced in the end was good stuff, worthy of bottling and selling.

“It was like, OK, I can make syrup now, but how do I sell it?” he said.

He decided to build a self-serve farmstand on his property and named his business Beaver Brook Maple. Once he started selling, the demand quickly outpaced how much he was producing, even after he started to get the hang of it.

Andrew Mattiace’s sugarhouse at Beaver Brook Maple. Photos by Meghan Siegler.

Mattiace now has plenty of sap, tapping into some of his neighbors’ trees too. On a recent Friday 13-year-old Miles Miller and his dad Joe dropped off almost 130 gallons of sap from their own trees. It was their second run of the week; a few days earlier, they’d brought 80. Miles, who does the majority of the tree tapping and sap collecting, walked away Friday with $55 for that day’s delivery. He said they’ve lucked out with the maple trees on their property.

“They have a pretty high sugar content,” he said.

With neighbors selling him sap and plenty of people buying his syrup, the sugarhouse was the next logical step for Mattiace. He wanted to upsize his tank to produce more syrup in a shorter period of time.

Plus, he said, “I got tired of freezing my a** off. It’s very laborious and time consuming, and I wanted to get out of the outdoor process.”

His old evaporator processed eight gallons of sap in an hour, while the new one can process 35 gallons. His goal for this year is to produce 50 gallons of syrup, up from 23 last year, which will be much easier with the new equipment and warmer space, he said.

Mattiace isn’t in this for the money. In fact, if he sells those 50 gallons, he’ll just about break even.

“If I count my labor, I’m completely in the red,” he said.

Mattiace doesn’t want to grow Beaver Brook Maple into a big business. He has a full-time job that pays the bills, and this “hobby” already takes a lot of time.

“I want to make it worthwhile, but I never want to exceed 100 gallons a year,” he said.

Mattiace’s main goal has always been to create a sense of community, a place where friends and family come to hang out.

“That’s a real driving factor for me,” he said. “Everybody loves sweet, sugary things.”

Featured photo: Andrew Mattiace and his new sugarhouse at Beaver Brook Maple. Photos by Meghan Siegler.

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