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Joining together

Music and food benefit Ukraine

A charity focused on humanitarian aid for a war-besieged country is the beneficiary at an event that includes traditional food and a variety of music. Voices United For Ukraine began as a way for local musician Val Blachly to do something, even from a distance, to help.

“I thought a musical event would be a really nice way of going about raising money, so that’s how I got involved,” she said. “The country’s in need with what’s been going on and we really wanted to give back, and give to the people there.”

Hot Skillet Club will headline the show. They’re a newly formed trio that includes Blachly on upright bass and a pair of musicians she’s played with in other groups: guitarist Liza Constable, part of retro-swing group Swing A Cat, and Ellen Carlson, a fiddler she began working with in Sweet, Hot & Sassy, which had a 12-year run starting in the early 1990s.

A pair of Ukrainian accordion players will serenade during dinner, followed by Northern Lights, a vocal group organized by Concord musician Peggo Hodes. Acoustic quintet Wholly Rollers follows with old-time bluegrass and gospel, and what their website dubs “sea shanties and land shanties.” Folk singer Andriy Zharkov, another native of Ukraine, will perform between sets and speak about his journey of how he came to the United States.

After looking at some venues that didn’t fit the benefit’s modest budget, Blachly approached Concord’s Unitarian Church and found a perfect match. After a sit-down meeting, “I said, ‘this is my vision, I’d love to do something for the Ukraine, incorporate music and some people from there,’” she recalled. “They both looked at each other and said, ‘Oh, my God, this is exactly what we want to do … we’ve been talking about doing something like this.’”

Ukrainian native and activist Natalia Karaulova connected Blachly to Sunflower Network, an organization that directs donations to where they’ll do the most good. Karaulova found out about them while visiting Ukraine a few months ago, after a chance meeting with an old high school friend who was working with them to bring aid to the ravaged country.

“Everybody’s trying to help each other, to help displaced people and the army, because they are fighting the fight and making sure that the rest of the country is safe,” Karaulova said from her home in Warner. “That’s how I learned about Sunflower Network, just having that personal connection.”

Asked about the dinner preceding the concert, she said, “If somebody asked me to describe Ukrainian cuisine, I’d say it’s very earthy. People still grow most of their food…. It’s very hearty.” The evening menu will include staples like borscht and cabbage wraps, along with dumplings and a special dessert.

For their set, Northern Lights will perform “Will The Circle Be Unbroken,” and a Ukrainian folk song picked by Hodes with help from Karaulova. “She had Natalia assist her and the women in the group with pronouncing the lyrics,” Blachly explained. “This particular song was written by a Russian, so the pronunciation was a little different. Peggo called her in and said she really wanted to do it with a Ukrainian accent.”

Closing the show, Hot Skillet Club will draw from an array of selections. Their set will have throwbacks from the Boswell Sisters, a proto-swing vocal group at the center of Blachly and Constable’s band Honest Millie, along with Bob Wills and Asleep at the Wheel-flavored material delivered with a feminine touch.

“We’ve been listening to Swing Sisters and women that came into Western swing, the music that they came out singing, and picking up ideas,” Blachly said. “Ellen has that down on the violin, so it’s kind of a combination of the two.” They’ve also worked up a great version of Merle Haggard’s “Tonight The Bottle Let Me Down,” now up on Blachly’s Facebook page.

More recently, the trio started rehearsing gypsy jazz pioneer Django Reinhart’s song “Limehouse Blues.” The best part is the honey-sweet three-part harmonies that come easy for the old friends. “We’re all stepping up to the plate,” Blachly said.

Beyond the benefit show, there’s more on the way from Hot Skillet Club.

“It’s amazing that in the little time we’ve had together we have a fair amount of tunes,” Blachly said. “We’re so new we don’t even have our website up yet. And we already have 10 gigs.”

Voices United For Ukraine
When: Saturday, April 1, dinner at 5:30 p.m., concert 7:15 p.m.
Where: UU Church, 274 Pleasant St., Concord
Tickets: dinner $15, concert $20 per person (under 5 free)

Featured photo: Hot Skillet Club. Courtesy photo.

The Music Roundup 23/03/30

Local music news & events

• Thirty years on: When their breakthrough album River Runs Red was released in 1993, Life of Agony lead singer Mina Caputo identified as a man; she came out as transsexual (her term) in 2011. Her grunge-limned alt-metal band performed its first concert with her as a front woman in 2014 and has gigged steadily since. Their latest tour marks the anniversary of that album, by a very different group, three decades ago. Thursday, March 30, 7:30 pm., Wally’s Pub, 144 Ashworth Ave., Hampton, $25 at ticketmaster.com.

• New thing now: Mindset X pivots from prog rock into Horsefly Gulch, a band described on its web page as “a mixture of rock, folk, spaghetti western and whatever else comes into play.” The trio makes its hometown debut on a what should be described as a triple headliner bill, laden with local favorites, including blindspot and A Simple Complex. Their first single, “The One That Got Away,” debuted a few days ago. Friday, March 31, 8:30 p.m., Shaskeen Pub, 909 Elm St., Manchester. See horseflygulch.com.

• Gate City gala: After helping open Nashua’s new Center for the Arts, Ruby Shabazz celebrates her birthday with help from her husband, rapper Fee The Evolutionist, along with Adam Payne, Mighty Ceej & Blvck Vynl. It’s a great day for the city, with the new venue selling out its first event weeks in advance, and promising a bevy of big-name talent in the coming months, including Suzanne Vega on April 15. Saturday, April 1, 8 p.m., Fody’s Tavern, 9 Clinton St., Nashua. See facebook.com/rabihah.shabazz.

• Calling all kids: With a brand of folk music that reaches adults but especially children, Okee Dokee Brothers is the duo of Denver pals Joe Mailander and Justin Lansing, who grew up in the Rocky Mountains and decided to use their talents to urge kids and their parents to get outdoors and enjoy nature. They’ve earned four Grammy nominations, winning in 2021 but declining the statue due all the contenders being white. Sunday, April 2, 2 p.m., Capitol Center for the Arts, 44 S. Main St., Concord, $20.75 – $30.75 at ccanh.com.

• Upta camp comedy: As he begins a six-show run, Bob Marley is a comedian who never does the same show twice. The Maine-centric funny man entered the Guinness Book of World Record with the longest-ever set by a comic a few years back while barely repeating a joke. He’s a perennial favorite at this downtown hall. Wednesday, April 5, and Thursday, April 6, at 7:30 p.m.; Friday, April 7, at 6 and 8:30 p.m., and Saturday, April 8, at 5:30 and 8 p.m.. Palace Theatre, 80 Hanover St., Manchester, $39.50 at palacetheatre.org.

John Wick: Chapter 4 (R)

Keanu Reeves gets what feels like more fight scenes and even sparser dialogue in John Wick: Chapter 4.

John Wick (Reeves) has recovered from being shot by friend/Continental Hotel manager Winston (Ian McShane) at the end of the last movie (a benevolent shooting, I think?). He’s hanging out with the Bowery King (Laurence Fishburne, who is still having the very best time), who gets him a new suit. And off John Wick goes to the desert, to try to get someone to lift his “excommunicado” status in the assassin world (which means that killers worldwide are looking to take him out to collect a sizable bounty).

Meanwhile, back at the Continental, the classy assassin hang-out, the High Table (the underworld’s ruling body) has decided to mark the hotel as condemned, which is even worse than when it was deconsecrated or whatever in the last movie. An hour after The Harbinger (Clancy Brown) shows up to deliver the news about the hotel’s condemnation, the building is demolished like a faded Las Vegas casino and Concierge Charon (Lance Reddick, who was awesome in everything and died on March 17 and will be missed) is, uhm, let go.

The person behind all of this punishment aimed at Winston for the crime of helping John Wick is the Marquis (Bill Skarsgard), a snootypants we will enjoy rooting against. The High Table has given him a blank check to do whatever needs to be done to put an end to John Wick, both the man and the legend. The Marquis calls into service Caine (Donnie Yen), a former assassin who like John Wick tried to leave the life behind (possibly agreeing to have himself blinded to do it?). But he has a daughter and to keep her safe he occasionally freelances, I guess. He reluctantly takes the job to kill John Wick, an old buddy.

Caine is also old buddies with Shimazu (Hiroyuki Sanada), manager of the Osaka Continental, which is where John Wick goes for help. Shimazu’s concierge and daughter Akira (Rina Sawayama) isn’t so keen on Wick’s presence at the hotel; she’s less concerned with old friendship and more concerned with their continued survival in the here and now, especially when High Table henchmen show up with Caine.

Also at the Osaka is a character we come to know as Mr. Nobody (Shamier Anderson), a contract killer with a loyal dog because somebody in this movie has to have a Very Good Boy who can do cute doggie faces in the midst of balletic violence. Mr. Nobody is in the game to get John Wick but first he wants the “getting” price to go up and helps orchestrate this bounty inflation by occasionally knocking off competing assassins.

There are several memorable set-piece battles in John Wick Chapter 4: Caine fights a series of dudes in a kitchen using motion sensors; John Wick fights guys standing in the street while fast-moving traffic flows around and between them; John Wick fights in a building as we watch from overhead, giving an illusion that we are watching a continuous shot filmed through several rooms; multiple characters fight multiple characters on a steep set of stairs with the up and down climbing and falling part of the choreography of the fight. And in between that are several scenes of smaller battles and one-on-one fights. These scenes are all exciting and extremely well-choreographed. Like, there needs to be an Oscar that recognizes the skill of creating an energetic, technically beautiful fight scene that is also believable both for two humans to participate in and in the context of the movie. There needs to be an Oscar for this and it needs to go to a John Wick movie because this is a skill.

And yet.

And yet maybe this movie could have had fewer of these scens? I can’t believe I’m saying that but I think fewer and better highlighted would have been the way to go with these stretches of the movie which, when I think back to consider them individually, really were a marvel. In the movie, however, there is a frosting on frosting on frosting effect in the way this movie piles up fight scenes without the cake that allows the punch of sugar to really come through. The original John Wick was an hour and 41 minutes long. Each sequel has been a little bit longer than its predecessor, with this one clocking in at two hours and 49 minutes. Somewhere in here is a solid, well-paced, energetic hour-and-50-minute movie. But this nearly three-hour version gets bogged down in its questing — John Wick going here to engage with this person, then there, then we’re meeting these people. This has always been a part of these stories, particularly in the second and third installments, but it seemed a little more spinning-its-wheels here than it did in previous movies. Also, I did have the sinking feeling that some of this was setting up potential side-quel elements — Caine, Akira and of course Mr. Nobody and his dog.

So, Chapter 4? Loved the Keanu, as usual; loved the Fishburne and the McShane absolutely acting to, not just the back row, but the people on the street in front of the theater. Loved the precision of the fights, loved the ideas and the cleverness that went into them. This movie isn’t the gleeful ride of its immediate predecessor but it was an overall better-than-average bit of entertainment. B

Rated R for so so so much killing (“pervasive strong violence and some language” is how the MPA describes it, according to filmratings.com). Directed by Chad Stahelski and written by Shay Hatten and Michael Finch, John Wick: Chapter 4 is two hours and 49 minutes long and is distributed in theaters by Lionsgate.

Featured photo: John Wick: Chapter 4

Wolfish, by Erica Berry

Wolfish, by Erica Berry (Flatiron, 380 pages)

After Erica Berry was awarded a fellowship to work on a book about wolves, she took a train from Minneapolis to Portland, where she would spend a few weeks alone researching and writing in the delightful paid-for isolation awarded to writers of promise. By the time Berry had settled in her seat, I had already learned something new: that Amtrak cars are segregated into “families/couples” and “singles.” Maybe everyone in the world but me knew this already, but our brains like learning new things, and I discerned that Berry’s book about wolves and fear would be quite a trip. And it was, just not in the way that I expected.

After Berry settled down comfortably in her seat, happy to “watch the prairie buckle into the mountains” and read, she was dismayed to be joined by a somewhat threatening man who was eventually forcibly removed from the train. It was the first, it turns out, of many times that Berry felt threatened by men, causing her to move throughout the world in the emotional state of a rabbit or other small mammal that is always on cusp of being somebody’s dinner.

Enter the wolf.

More than a decade ago, Berry became interested in the politics of wolves in the West, where in some places wolves were being reintroduced to areas where they had gone extinct. (“More wolves, less politics” is actually a slogan for some wolf advocates.) Some of the wolves have been outfitted with tracking collars (despite the fact that some don’t survive the stress of temporary capture), and they had a cult following as they crossed state lines and found mates. Their exploits, and those of the people who follow them, are in fact more fascinating than much of what is found on network TV.

But Berry took it further. She started to think deeply about archetypes of wolves and why they are so embedded in our culture as animals that inspire fear, so much so that we compare terrorists to wolves. (It is a good question — why do we so frequently identify a killer as a “lone wolf” instead of, say, a lone Grizzly bear?) Wolfish is the result. The book is a gorgeously written, deeply researched and smartly plotted examination of animal fear that will be well reviewed and possibly win prestigious awards, but will be read by hardly anyone.

That’s in part because Berry is telling two painfully disparate stories: that of these beautiful, wild, unafraid creatures, and that of the crippling anxiety that seems to be part and parcel of the lives of so many young adults, especially women. In the world that Berry describes, young women are always moving through a terrifying forest with wolves around every tree; it is a story that we’ve been told since childhood, and it’s interesting to learn the origins of “Little Red Riding Hood.” (The oldest version in print dates to 1697; similar stories have long histories in China, Korea and Japan.)

And Berry does not seem to be exaggerating in terms of her own life. She has had a staggering number of threatening encounters with men, to include being surrounded by a silent group of men wearing white T-shirts (with slits for eyes) over their faces, to men who follow her in a park, whistle at her while she runs and murmur obscenities to her on a bus — to the point where she says friends have “suggested I was prone to ‘bad luck,’ as if the encounters I had were mistakes, aberrations, not just blips in the field of female — of human! — life.”

No woman, of course, should have to be subjected to constant threats and harassment, and every woman, whether or not they are as beautiful as Berry as is, has stories about feeling threatened — stories that even years later can leave us, in the language of Emily Dickenson, zero at the bone. But the narrative that Berry employs — interspersing tales of the famous wolf known as OR-7 and his travels, with stories of murdered women and children, and her own crippling fears — makes for unnecessarily dark reading, with just enough light for the occasional eye roll.

Cases in point: her agonizing over the ethics of flying to England for two weeks of wolf-watching paid for with yet another grant (“What could I observe about the wolves to justify two-pickup-truck-beds worth of sea ice melting, the amount the emissions from my round-trip seat will hypothetically finish off?”) and her guilt about calling authorities on another genuinely threatening man who showed up at her home (“It was a story about the power of my white female fear, a fear that could ignite the apparatus of a police state I had long ago come to doubt.”)

And so we go on like this for nearly 400 pages, Berry luring us forward with delectable wolf stories and treats while the reader wishes she had gotten professional help for her fear. Even her mother, it seems, has felt this way; Berry writes, “Whenever I used to tell my mother about being afraid of this or that, she would look worried,” she writes.

“How much fear should you stoke to stay alive? How much trust can you afford before it kills you?” Berry asks, and they seem to be questions she asks in her own defense. Fear is, of course, an evolutionary tool to keep us alive. It is also, like physical pain, more difficult to control once it gets past a certain point. She quotes from the Robert Browning poem “Ivan Ivanovitch,” which is about wolves attacking a family traveling by sled: “Who can hold fast a boy in a frenzy of fear?”

That poem and other stories Berry tells, such as that of a young Alaskan teacher killed by wolves in 2010, remind us that there are in fact frightening beasts in the world that most of us will spend our lives comfortably distant from, seeking adrenalin elsewhere. Wolfish plumbs the depths of fear in interesting ways, but ultimately suffers from an author too much in its grip. B+

Album Reviews 23/03/30

Glitter Wizard, Kiss The Boot (Kitten Robot Records)

Sure, these guys are good for what they do, which, for over a decade, has been sort of a cross between T-Rex and the first two Kiss albums (stop cringing). This is a crew of five dudes from San Francisco who are into combining psychedelica, old glam rock, punk, and (sort of) prog in order to table a That 70s Show party vibe. The lead guitarist is decent, reaching for the acid-rock stratosphere with squealy, pinched notes around every corner, but what I actually like best is that the backing vocals are a complete mess, probably having been recorded on the cheap with the remaining 20 minutes of recording studio time. I’d venture to say that fans of Black Lips would be jiggy with this, but in the end, if this bunch sticks with this off-the-rack lo-fi engineering, they could probably end up putting out a single that ends up replacing Gary Glitter’s “Rock ’n’ Roll” at football games. Do I expect that to happen? Well, no, but who knows. A

The Church, The Hypnogogue (Communicating Vessels Records)

I’d say everyone who was club-hopping in the ’80s has heard of this Australian New Wave quintet, but being able to name one of their songs is a whole ’nother trick. If you rack your brain hard enough you might come up with the title of the one song that charted in the U.S., “Under The Milky Way,” which was sort of like what it might have sounded like if Lou Reed had stolen “Eleanor Rigby.” Anyway, they’re back, still led by bass player and singer Steve Kilbey, and they do seem to have evolved a little. They’re still purveyors of a lay-back-and-drink vibe; for instance, “No Other You” has the same sort of laid-back rawk energy as Train’s “Drops of Jupiter” but with a more, you know, throwback New Wave sound. The title track tables the same sort of sleepiness but takes something of a Savage Republic approach. Not sure why I’d ever listen to this record again, but you do you. A

Playlist

• A lot has come in lately, so let’s play a little catch-up with some releases from earlier this month, that’d be great. May as well start with So Much (For) Stardust, the new album from emo-rock heroes Fall Out Boy. I saw those dudes open up for someone years ago, I think it was Motley Crue, and they were only provided around a quarter of the stage on which to move around and sing their little emo songs. You’ve heard them before for sure, probably at a Chuck E Cheese or someplace else that has a lot of little kids running around and spazzing to barely punk-ish music that’s sort of like the Velveeta cheese version of Iron Maiden, i.e. the prototype for Imagine Dragons, like that one song of theirs that always plays over loudspeakers when you least expect it, “My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark,” with its spazzy millennial-whoop “oh-oh-oh” verse and matching chorus; it’s actually OK now that it’s too old for anyone to really care about anymore, like if you told a 9-year-old it was heavy metal they’d have no choice but to believe you. So this Illinois-based band, which originally tried to be taken seriously in the Chicago punk scene before choosing to rip off Taking Back Sunday and all those guys, wants you to know about this new album and its single, “Heartbreak Feels So Good,” a totally worthless, biodegradably recyclable hunk of music-trash that sounds like Dashboard Confessional trying to rewrite the main theme to Footloose, but first, at the top of the tune’s video, they insist that you watch them “pull a prank” by pretending to kidnap Weezer’s Rivers Cuomo from in front of an ice cream stand or something, but it all hilariously backfires and a bunch of girls start chasing them around like they’re The Monkees, and the total effect is like watching early MTV, when the world got its first insights into how rock stars shouldn’t try to make comedy videos. Talk about awful stuff, let’s move on.

• Borderline-goth-pop pioneers and closet Ultravox wannabes Depeche Mode are back, with their 15th album, Memento Mori. There are approximately 3,291 goth bands I like more than Depeche Mode, but owing to their rabid fan base, I think I can feign interest in them for a short little writeup here, so let’s go. David Gahan and Martin Gore are still in the band, but that’s about it, not that the fact that the band is barely Depeche Mode anymore could possibly detract from their sound, and remember, I don’t care in the first place, but never fear, people who love this band, literally nothing has changed: The single, “Ghosts Again,” may as well have come out in 1987, yes, it’s that dated. You know, Pet Shop Boys are literally a hundred times more listenable than this stuff, even though they’re also really old people, but if you insist, go ahead and pretend it’s relevant, I cannot prevent it.

• You’d probably have heard of British synthpop lady Ellie Goulding, but for the most part she’s really only popular in other countries. This is typical, of course, because the only singers Americans care about are Taylor Swift and Willie Nelson. Her new album, Higher Than Heaven, is coming out this Friday and it includes “Let It Die,” a Michael Jackson-ish tune that showcases her Dolly Parton-esque soprano. It’s OK.

• Lastly, look, it’s those three little Japanese teenage girls, Babymetal, with another album, The Other One! Did you even know they existed? I didn’t, but now I know that there is a band that combines Slayer with happy, super-high-pitched singing that would be more at home on a joke album. These little rascals have played shows in which Rob Halford from Judas Priest got up and sang with them. I give up.

If you’re in a local band, now’s a great time to let me know about your EP, your single, whatever’s on your mind. Let me know how you’re holding yourself together without being able to play shows or jam with your homies. Send a recipe for keema matar. Message me on Twitter (@esaeger) or Facebook (eric.saeger.9).

In the kitchen with Kassandra Santana

Kassandra Santana is the executive chef of Tuscan Kitchen (67 Main St., Salem, 952-4875, tuscanbrands.com), a regionally renowned restaurant known for its artisan Italian cuisine. A native of Lawrence, Mass., Santana joined the company in early 2011 as a busser before ultimately working her way up the ranks at both the Salem restaurant and its accompanying market. She is the first — and, to date, the only — female executive chef of Tuscan Brands, which also has restaurants in downtown Portsmouth and in Burlington and Newburyport, Mass., as well as in Boston’s Seaport District.

What is your must-have kitchen item?

A spoon, because I’m constantly tasting everything.

What would you have for your last meal?

My go-to would be some miso ramen soup.

What is your favorite local restaurant?

That would be Grand India. It’s pretty new in Salem. I love their mango shrimp curry — it’s outstanding.

What celebrity would you like to see trying something on your menu?

I would say Zendaya, the actress. I’ve always loved her, and she seems like a very kind-hearted person, for sure.

What is your favorite thing on your menu?

That would be the tortelli brasato [braised short rib stuffed pasta]. That was the first dish I actually walked to a table when I first got my chef jacket. … I’ve always loved it, and I think it’s because that sauce is the most time-consuming sauce to make. It takes about six hours just to cook the demi to create that sauce, so we put a lot of time and effort into that dish.

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

When it comes to trends in New Hampshire, I feel like it’s comfort food [and] cheesy dishes — the type of food that you take your time cooking all day. … Our wild boar ragu with truffled gnocchi is a good example and checks all of those boxes.

What is your favorite thing to cook at home?

I can’t go wrong with something from my own culture. I like to cook a true traditional Hispanic meal — it would be different types of rice and just a nice braised steak or an oven-roasted chicken.

Oat banana bread
From the kitchen of Kassandra Santana, executive chef of Tuscan Kitchen in Salem

2 large bananas
1 large egg
1 cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
Walnuts or chocolate chunks (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl or blender. Whisk or blend on high until the texture is smooth. Add chocolate chunks or walnuts to your liking. Pour batter onto a greased loaf pan. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes. Slice and enjoy.

Featured photo: Kassandra Santana, executive chef of Tuscan Kitchen in Salem. Courtesy photo.

Eat on Easter

Brunch buffets, special meals and sweet treats for Easter Sunday

With Easter Sunday right on our doorstep (Sunday, April 9), now is the time to make your plans. Whether you’re looking to reserve your spot to enjoy a brunch buffet, or you want to bring your Easter meals or desserts home this year, check out this list of local restaurants, function halls, bakeries and churches offering specialty items. Be sure to contact each establishment directly for the most up-to-date details on reservation availability. We’ve also included candy and chocolate shops on this list that have you covered for those Easter baskets and other sweet treats. Did we miss anyone that’s serving an Easter brunch or specials menu? Tell us about them at food@hippopress.com.

• 110 Grill (875 Elm St., Manchester, 836-1150; 27 Trafalgar Square, Nashua, 943-7443; 110grill.com) will serve special brunch menu features for Easter on Sunday, April 9, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., in addition to its regular menus. Options will include steak and eggs Benedict, chicken and waffles, crab cakes Benedict and several assorted brunch cocktails.

• 603 Charcuterie (603charcuterie.com) is taking orders for a variety of charcuterie specials for Easter, including pink (serves 4 to 5) or purple (serves 6 to 8) charcuterie boxes filled with local cheeses, meats and other accoutrements, as well as large (serves 16 to 20) and extra-large (serves 25 to 30) charcuterie platters; charcuterie “bouquets” (serves 5 to 6) and specialty painted cookie sleeves, courtesy of Zeezee Cookies. Order for pickup at The Factory on Willow (252 Willow St., Manchester) on Saturday, April 8, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. All charcuterie items are best if consumed within 24 hours of pickup.

• Airport Diner (2280 Brown Ave., Manchester, 623-5040, thecman.com) will be open during its regular business hours on Easter Sunday (from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.), serving its daily menus with specials.

• Alan’s of Boscawen (133 N. Main St., Boscawen, 753-6631, alansofboscawen.com) will serve a special Easter brunch buffet on Sunday, April 9, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., which will include fresh fruit, assorted cheeses and crackers, Danishes and breads, and carving stations featuring roast leg of lamb, sliced tenderloin and Virginia baked ham. Other options will include chicken piccata, tortellini alfredo, mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables and assorted desserts. The cost is $34.99 for adults, and complete Easter dinners are also available to order for takeout.

• All Real Meal (87 Elm St., Manchester, 782-3014, allrealmeal.com) is taking orders for special Easter feasts, with multiple sizes serving two, four or six people. Meals include marinated baked turkey, glazed baked ham, homestyle buttery mashed potatoes, cranberry apple stuffing, almond green beans, homestyle cornbread and mixed berry cheesecake for dessert. Order online for curbside pickup or delivery on Saturday, April 8.

• Alpine Grove Banquet Facility (19 S. Depot Road, Hollis, 882-9051, alpinegrove.com) will serve a special Easter brunch buffet on Sunday, April 9 — three time slots are available to choose from: 9 to 10:30 a.m., 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., and 1 to 2:30 p.m. Featured breakfast menu items will include assorted mini pastries and gourmet doughnuts, a local fruit and cheese display, Belgian waffles with maple syrup and seasonal compote, crepes, scrambled eggs and applewood bacon and sausage. For lunch options there will be grilled chicken breast with a honey glazed lavender sauce, baked Virginia ham with a rum sauce, slow roasted prime rib, baked macaroni and cheese, seasonal vegetable medley and more. The cost is $35 for adults, $30 for seniors, $15 for kids ages 3 to 12 and free for kids under 3. Reservations are being accepted online.

• Angela’s Pasta & Cheese Shop (815 Chestnut St., Manchester, 625-9544, angelaspastaandcheese.com) is taking orders for a variety of dessert pies courtesy of Slightly Crooked Pies of Bedford (cherry, black and blue crumble, and triple berry or blueberry lavender hand pies); dinner rolls and loaves from Iggy’s Bakery; quiches, pies and cakes in assorted flavors from The Crust & Crumb Baking Co.; and house pastries like seasonally-themed whoopie pies, shortbread cookies and more. Order by March 31. Pickups will be on Saturday, April 8, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Assumption Greek Orthodox Church (111 Island Pond Road, Manchester, 623-2045, assumptionnh.org) will host a walk-in Easter bake sale on Saturday, April 8, from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. inside its church hall. Spinach peta, cheese peta, Greek cookie and pastry platters and tsoureki (Easter bread) will be available for sale in limited quantities while supplies last.

• Atkinson Resort & Country Club (85 Country Club Drive, Atkinson, 362-8700, atkinsonresort.com) will serve a special Easter brunch buffet on Sunday, April 9, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. inside its Legacy Ballroom. The menu will include chef-attended omelet and waffle stations, hand-carved prime rib, a smoked ham carving station, and breakfast options, like scrambled eggs, bacon, cinnamon swirl French toast and more. The cost is $80 for adults, $30 for kids ages 3 to 10 and free for kids under 3. Reservations are required. Merrill’s Tavern and Stagecoach Grille, meanwhile, will each be serving a special Easter menu from noon to 4 p.m. that day.

• Back Bay Boathouse (51 Mill St., Wolfeboro, 515-1002, backbayboathouse.com) will serve a special Easter brunch buffet on Sunday, April 9, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., featuring an omelet and waffle station, prime rib and honey ham, fresh fruit, pastries, desserts, mimosas, mocktails and more. The cost is $25 for adults and $15 for kids ages 12 and under. The restaurant will also serve dinner from 4 to 8 p.m.

• The Bakeshop on Kelley Street (171 Kelley St., Manchester, 624-3500, thebakeshoponkelleystreet.com) is taking orders for a variety of specialty sweets and treats for Easter, including an Easter egg bread (sweet bread with colored cooked Easter eggs on top) and bottom layer carrot cake with a top layer cheesecake and cream cheese frosting. Also available to order are assorted flavors of pies, cakes, cookies, rolls, Danishes, tea and coffee cakes. Order by April 5. Pickups will be available through Saturday, April 8 (the shop will be closed on Easter Sunday).

• Bearded Baking Co. (819 Union St., Manchester, 647-7150, beardedbaking.com) is taking orders for eight-inch cakes (carrot or lemon poppy), lemon dream cheesecakes (serves eight to 12 people), chocolate flourless Parisian slices, blueberry lemon or carrot cake vegan doughnuts, and Easter candy cupcake boxes, featuring assorted cupcakes topped with Cadbury egg pieces, Reese’s peanut butter cups and cookies and cream pieces. Order by April 2. Pickups will be on Saturday, April 8.

• Bedford Village Inn (2 Olde Bedford Way, Bedford, 472-2001, bedfordvillageinn.com) will serve a special three-course prix fixe Easter Dinner on Sunday, April 9, with reservations available from 2 to 7 p.m. Meals will include your choice of a first course (Heron Pond Farm carrot bisque, New England clam chowder with chives, poached Nellie’s Farm egg or prosciutto and fruit salad); an entree (grilled tournedos of beef, pistachio and matcha crusted Icelandic cod loin, braised lamb shank, smoked North Country ham, boneless Cornish game hen, or herb roasted cauliflower “steak”); and a dessert (mixed berry Napoleon, matcha crème brûlée, chocolate mousse dome, “blackout” tiramisu, or blueberry crisp with cinnamon ice cream). The cost is $75 for adults and $39.98 for kids ages 10 and under.

• Belmont Hall & Restaurant (718 Grove St., Manchester, 625-8540, belmonthall.net) will serve an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet on Easter Sunday, with seatings at 8:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m. or 12:30 p.m. The cost is $18.99 per person. Additionally, the restaurant will be open for walk-ins only that day — no reservations required.

• Birch Wood Vineyards (199 Rockingham Road, Derry, 965-4359, birchwoodvineyards.com) will serve a special Easter Sunday brunch on Sunday, April 9, with seatings at 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. All meals will be served from a prix fixe menu — no substitutions. Entree options will include French toast, chicken and waffles, eggplant Napoleon, frittata, brown sugar maple glazed ham, baked haddock Newburg, braised lamb shank or slow roasted prime rib. All breakfast and lunch entrees will each be served with a salad (fruit salad with breakfasts), a variety of fresh baked breads, milk, juice or coffee, and a dessert buffet. The cost ranges from $55 to $70 per adult entree and $35 per kids’ entree. Reservations are required by April 2.

• The Black Forest Cafe & Bakery (212 Route 101, Amherst, 672-0500, blackforestcafeandbakery.com) is taking orders for pies (apple, Dutch apple, strawberry rhubarb, cherry, gluten-free chocolate cream and gluten-free grasshopper); cakes (carrot, lemon daisy, old-fashioned coconut, limoncello and chocolate mousse); and assorted shortbread cookies and Easter pastries. Order by April 5. Pickups will be on Friday, April 7, and Saturday, April 8 (the shop will be closed on Easter Sunday).

• Buckley’s Great Steaks (438 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, 424-0995, buckleysgreatsteaks.com) will be open on Sunday, April 9, from noon to 5 p.m., serving its regular menu in addition to some chef specials, like carrot and ginger bisque, smoked spiral ham and baked stuffed haddock. Call or visit the website to make a reservation.

• Buckley’s Bakery & Cafe (436 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, 262-5929, buckleysbakerycafe.com) and Buckley’s Market & Cafe (9 Market Place, Hollis, 465-5522) are taking orders for cakes (carrot, hummingbird, double chocolate caramel and gluten-free lemon blueberry); eight-inch pies (chocolate cream, Key lime, mixed berry crumble and lemon meringue); assorted breakfast and dessert pastry trays, Parker House rolls, cinnamon raisin bread and raspberry almond crumb cake. Order by April 5.

• The Cake Fairy (114 Londonderry Turnpike, Hooksett, 518-8733, cakefairynh.com) is taking orders for nine-inch pies (lemon cream, eclair and peach); four-inch cheesecakes (strawberry, lemon and blueberry); traditional whoopie pies, nine-inch blueberry cobbler, assorted Danish boxes and Easter bunny hut cupcake kits, featuring two vanilla cupcakes, two bags of frosting, two rings and three assorted toppings. Order by April 1. Pickups will be on Saturday, April 8, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Carina’s Cakes (14B E. Broadway, Derry, 425-9620, find them on Facebook @carinas.cakes) is taking orders for a variety of specialty cupcake flavors for Easter, like Peeps marshmallow, Andes mint, chocolate chip cookie dough, Oreo, Reese’s peanut butter cup, Funfetti, toasted coconut, carrot cake and more. Orders will be accepted through April 6 or until the shop reaches capacity.

• Caroline’s Fine Food (132 Bedford Center Road, Bedford, 637-1615, carolinesfood.com) is taking orders for Easter dinners serving four or eight people, featuring your choice of maple glazed pork loin, pan seared lemon rosemary chicken breast or garlic and rosemary roasted leg of lamb. All entrees are additionally served with shallot whipped potatoes, lemon honey caramelized carrots and sauteed asparagus. Several items are also available a la carte, like prosciutto-wrapped asparagus, charcuterie platters, roasted summer vegetables with dip, baby greens salad with a red wine vinaigrette, ham, Swiss and spinach or caprese quiches, and blueberry or lemon poppyseed scones. Order by April 3 at 2 p.m. Pickups will be Friday, April 7, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

• Castleton Waterfront Dining on Cobbetts (58 Enterprise Drive, Windham, 898-6300, castletonbcc.com) is taking orders for a variety of to-go items for Easter, including dinner packages of spiral glazed ham or roast leg of lamb with herbs — each comes with its own sides, like vegetables, dinner rolls or carrot cake. You can also customize your Easter dinner with a la carte items, like main courses (tenderloin of beef, spiral glazed ham with pineapple raisin sauce, roast leg of lamb with herbs and roast pork loin with cranberry apple stuffing); sides by the quart (honey glazed carrots, green beans almondine, tender spring peas with pancetta, au gratin potatoes, garlic and chive whipped potatoes, roasted rosemary red bliss potatoes, merlot sauce, mushroom demi glace, lamb gravy and pineapple raisin sauce); hors d’oeuvres by the dozen (scallop and bacon skewers, crabmeat stuffed mushrooms, asparagus and asiago wraps, smoked gouda macaroni and cheese bites, petite arancini, almond raspberry brie tarts and spanakopita); and baked goods (dinner rolls by the dozen, 10-inch carrot cake and 10-inch New York-style cheesecake). Order by March 31 at noon. Pickups will be on Saturday, April 8, from 9 a.m. to noon.

• The Coach Stop Restaurant & Tavern (176 Mammoth Road, Londonderry, 437-2022, coachstopnh.com) will serve a special a la carte menu for Easter on Sunday, April 9, with seatings at noon and 3 p.m., featuring items like spinach and artichoke dip, French onion soup, bacon-wrapped scallops, roast prime rib of beef, veal Oscar, lobster macaroni and cheese, baked lamb or ham dinners, baked haddock and more. Reservations are being accepted via phone.

• Colby Hill Inn (33 The Oaks, Henniker, 428-3281, colbyhillinn.com) will serve a special three-course prix fixe menu for Easter on Sunday, April 9, with seatings from noon to 5 p.m. and patio and lawn seating also available, weather permitting. The meal will include your choice of a first course (lemon chicken noodle soup, mushroom and buttermilk soup, spring greens and Easter radish salad, baby mizuna salad or red beet deviled eggs); a main course (Greek-style roast leg of lamb in oregano and garlic, maple and cider mustard glazed ham, prime rib smoked with pink peppercorn and rosemary, day boat scallops, rabbit pot pie or carrot spaetzle); and a dessert (Meyer lemon and raspberry chambord sorbet duo, lavender crème brûlée, strawberry rhubarb pie with ginger ice cream, maple walnut carrot cake, or an Easter chocolate trio featuring Belgian chocolate mousse, white chocolate Easter bark and a chocolate peanut butter egg). The cost is $70 per person and reservations are required.

• The Common Man (25 Water St., Concord, 228-3463; 304 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, 429-3463; 88 Range Road, Windham, 898-0088; 10 Pollard Road, Lincoln, 745-3463; 21 Water St., Claremont, 542-6171; 60 Main St., Ashland, 968-7030; thecman.com) will be open on Sunday, April 9, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at each of its locations, serving their regular menus with Easter specials.

• Copper Kettle To Go (39 Main St., Wilton, 654-2631, copperkettletogo.com) is taking orders for Easter dinners featuring your choice of lamb shank, ham or braised short rib, in addition to three-layer carrot cake by the slice and traditional sweet Easter pie (featuring a layered phyllo dough shell and a ricotta-orange filling). Orders will be ready for pickup on Saturday, April 8.

• Crosby Bakery (51 E. Pearl St., Nashua, 882-1851, crosbybakerynh.com) is taking orders for eight-inch or 10-inch sized pies (apple, apple crumb, blueberry, banana cream, cherry, chocolate cream, coconut cream, lemon meringue and pecan); eight-inch Bird’s Nest or limoncello cakes, seven-inch layered carrot cakes, assorted pastry and cookie platters, and savory items, like gorton (Canadian pork spread), meat pie, salmon pie, Parker House rolls, Boston baked beans and more. Order by April 5.

• The Crust & Crumb Baking Co. (126 N. Main St., Concord, 219-0763, thecrustandcrumb.com) is taking orders for a variety of specialty items for Easter, including Shaker squash or butter rolls, vanilla glazed cinnamon buns, pecan sticky buns, sour cream or raspberry lemon coffee cakes, hot cross buns, choreg (seeded Armenian Easter bread), quiches (ham and Swiss, asparagus and goat cheese, or bacon, broccoli and cheddar); French Canadian tourtiere; pork pie with apple, rosemary and sweet potato); sweet cakes (blueberry lemon mousse, raspberry coconut layer cake, flourless chocolate torte and others); and six-inch or nine-inch pies (apple streusel, forest berry crumb, maple bourbon pecan, lemon meringue, blueberry crumb, Key lime, chocolate cream, maple cream or coconut cream; the latter four can be ordered with graham crusts or gluten-free almond oat crusts). Order by April 1. Pickups will be on Saturday, April 8.

• The Derryfield Restaurant (625 Mammoth Road, Manchester, 623-2880, thederryfield.com) will serve a special Easter brunch on Sunday, April 9, with seatings starting at 10 a.m. The meal will feature an omelet station, a carving station with slow roast prime rib and oven-baked ham, a bread station with items like muffins, croissants and rolls, a salad station and a dessert station. On the main buffet table, there will be French toast, scrambled eggs, corned beef hash, bacon, sausage, fresh seasonal fruit, pancakes, baked beans, seafood Newburg and more. The cost is $34.95 for adults, $32.95 for seniors over 65 and $19.95 for kids under 12. Reservations are being accepted via phone.

• Foster’s Boiler Room (231 Main St., Plymouth, 536-2764, thecman.com) will be open on Sunday, April 9, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., serving its regular dinner menu with Easter specials. Reservations are being accepted via phone.

• Fratello’s Italian Grille (155 Dow St., Manchester, 641-6776, fratellos.com) will serve a special Easter buffet on Sunday, April 9, with seatings at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., featuring an egg and omelet station, a carving station with slow roasted prime rib au jus and apricot-glazed pork loin roast, and assorted parfaits, cakes and other treats. On the main buffet table there will be breakfast pastries, seasonal fruit, Belgian waffles, bacon and sausage, homestyle potatoes, chicken piccata, dill herb salmon, baked ham with a brown sugar glaze, wild rice pilaf, roasted sweet vegetable medley and more. The cost is $39 for adults, $18.95 for kids ages 4 to 11 and free for kids ages 3 and under. Reservations are required.

• Frederick’s Pastries (109 Route 101A, Amherst, 882-7725; 25 S. River Road, Bedford, 647-2253; pastry.net) is taking orders for an array of specialty sweets and treats for Easter, like bunny cookie kits, speckled robin cakes, sheep cakes, baby chick or Easter basket-shaped cupcakes, carrot cake cheesecake cups, carrot cake cupcakes and more. Advance online ordering is recommended.

• Friendly Red’s Tavern (22 Haverhill Road, Windham, 437-7251, friendlyredstavern.net) will be open on Sunday, April 9, from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., for breakfast only.

• Gauchos Churrascaria Brazilian Steak House (62 Lowell St., Manchester, 669-9460, gauchosbraziliansteakhouse.com) will serve a special Easter brunch buffet on Sunday, April 9, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. featuring rodizio meats carved tableside, along with an all-you-can-eat selection of pastries and fresh fruit, and the restaurant’s famous chocolate fountain. The cost is $39.99 for adults, $14.99 for kids ages 6 to 10 and free for kids ages 5 and under.

• Giorgio’s Ristorante & Bar (270 Granite St., Manchester, 232-3323; 707 Milford Road, Merrimack, 883-7333; 524 Nashua St., Milford, 673-3939; giorgios.com) will be open on Sunday, April 9, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., serving its regular menu with chef-inspired specials. Reservations are being accepted via phone.

• Granite Restaurant & Bar (The Centennial Hotel, 96 Pleasant St., Concord, 227-9005, graniterestaurant.com) will serve a special Easter brunch menu on Sunday, April 9, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Items will include peaches and cream Belgian waffles, steak and eggs Benedict, shrimp and grits, red quinoa and farro bowls, “Amish-style” baked oatmeal with Greek yogurt, seasonal fruit and local honey, asparagus and mushroom toast, the house Centennial burger, a grilled breakfast burrito and more.

• Granite State Candy Shoppe (13 Warren St., Concord, 225-2591; 832 Elm St., Manchester, 218-3885; granitestatecandyshoppe.com) is offering a wide variety of pre-arranged Easter baskets available in three sizes each, featuring white, dark or milk chocolate selections. Other available items include milk chocolate peanut butter or marshmallow eggs, foiled chocolate eggs, chocolate-dipped marshmallow Peeps, pastel malted milk eggs, caramel quail eggs and more.

• The Hills Restaurant (Hampshire Hills Athletic Club, 50 Emerson Road, Milford, 673-7123, hampshirehills.com/the-hills-restaurant) will serve a special Easter brunch buffet on Sunday, April 9, from 8 a.m. to noon, featuring French toast, waffles, muffins, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, yogurt, brown sugar Easter ham and more. The cost is $25 for adults and $12 for kids, and reservations are being accepted online.

• The Homestead Tavern & Restaurant (641 Daniel Webster Hwy., Merrimack, 429-2022, homesteadnh.com) will serve a special a la carte menu for Easter on Sunday, April 9, accepting reservations from 11 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. Items will include spinach and artichoke dip, French onion soup, roast prime rib of beef, chicken and broccoli alfredo, baked stuffed haddock, shrimp and scallop risotto, New York sirloin, veal Oscar, roasted rack of lamb, barbecue baby back ribs, chicken Marsala and broiled salmon.

• Italian Farmhouse (337 Daniel Webster Hwy., Plymouth, 536-4536, thecman.com) will be open on Sunday, April 9, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., serving its regular dinner menu with Easter specials. Reservations are being accepted via phone.

• Jamison’s Restaurant (472 Route 111, Hampstead, 489-1565, jamisonsrestaurant.com) will serve a special Easter brunch on Sunday, April 9, with items that include slow roasted prime rib au jus, oven-roasted turkey breast, pesto crusted lamb leg, stuffed haddock and glazed spiral ham. Reservations are being accepted via phone.

• KC’s Rib Shack (837 Second St., Manchester, 627-7427, ribshack.net) will serve its annual all-you-can-eat Easter buffet on Sunday, April 9, from noon to 6 p.m., featuring starters like bacon Sriracha deviled eggs and fruit salad; meats, like smoked pit ham, beef brisket, pulled pork, spare ribs and smoked chicken; sides, like green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, baked beans, macaroni and cheese, corn casserole, cole slaw, applesauce and cornbread; and a variety of desserts. The cost is $30 for adults, $14 for kids ages 5 to 10 and free for kids under 5. The buffet is by reservation only, and the regular menu will not be available that day. The last reservations of the day will be taken at 4 p.m. Call to book parties of more than six people.

• LaBelle Winery (345 Route 101, Amherst; 14 Route 111, Derry; 672-9898, labellewinery.com) will serve a special Easter brunch buffet at both of its locations on Sunday, April 9 — seatings are at 10 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. at each. The buffet will feature a mimosa bar, an interactive doughnut designing station, fruit and bread display, a Belgian waffle station, an omelet station, and assorted breakfast items, like bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs and home fries. Also included will be carving stations with ham and prime rib, salad stations, and lunch items like chicken, baked haddock, vegetable pasta primavera, roasted potatoes and more. A full bar will be available throughout brunch, featuring wine, beer, cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages, while desserts will include chocolate cake, cheesecake, carrot cake, pot de creme, mini cannolis and chocolate-covered strawberries. The cost is $85 for adults, $35 for kids ages 3 to 12 and free for kids ages 2 and under. Reserve your table online with a $50 deposit, which will be applied toward your total brunch cost (only one reservation per party is needed).

• Lago (The Inn at Bay Point, 1 Route 25, Meredith, 279-2253, thecman.com) will be open on Sunday, April 9, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., serving its regular dinner menu with Easter specials. Reservations are being accepted via phone.

• Lakehouse Grille (Church Landing at Mill Falls, 281 Daniel Webster Hwy., Meredith, 279-5221, thecman.com) will be open on Sunday, April 9, serving breakfast from 7 to 10 a.m., followed by its dinner menu with Easter specials from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Reservations are being accepted via phone.

• Makris Lobster & Steak House (354 Sheep Davis Road, Concord, 225-7665, eatalobster.com) will serve a special family-style Easter brunch buffet on Sunday, April 9, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., featuring items like fresh fruits and cheeses, a salad bar, a carving station with prime rib and applewood smoked ham, and other main course dishes, like maple Dijon glazed salmon, lamb souvlaki and pasta primavera with a garlic wine sauce. The cost is $34.99 for adults, $31.99 for seniors and $14.99 for kids ages 12 and under.

• Mile Away Restaurant (52 Federal Hill Road, Milford, 673-3904, mileawayrestaurantnh.com) is taking reservations now for Easter, offering special meals that include your choice of one appetizer, salad, entree and dessert. Menu staples include appetizers like corn chowder, Swedish meatballs, fresh fruit plates with sorbet; Caesar salad or garden salad with blue cheese, house ranch, raspberry vinaigrette or balsamic dressing; entrees, like roast leg of lamb, honey-glazed ham, pork Provencal, piccata Milanese, maple salmon, vegetarian baked eggplant Parmesan, or grilled duck breast with an orange berry sauce; and desserts, like carrot cake, sorbet, cheesecake, chocolate ganache cake, lemon mascarpone cake or chocolate mousse cake.

• Morrisseys’ Porch & Pub (286 S. Main St., Wolfeboro, 569-3662, morrisseysfrontporch.com) will serve a special a la carte menu for Easter on Sunday, April 9, featuring items like shrimp cocktail, spring leeks with artichoke dip, prime rib, baked country ham with pineapple chutney and homemade carrot cake. Reservations are recommended.

• Mr. Mac’s Macaroni & Cheese (497 Hooksett Road, Manchester, 606-1760, mr-macs.com) accepts orders for both hot-and-ready and take-and-bake trays of macaroni and cheese, as well as macaroni salads, assorted green salads, desserts and more. Placing orders at least 24 hours in advance is appreciated.

• MT’s Local Kitchen & Wine Bar (212 Main St., Nashua, 595-9334, mtslocal.com) will be open on Sunday, April 9, from noon to 5 p.m., serving its regular menu in addition to some chef specials. Call or visit the website to make a reservation.

• Nelson’s Candy & Music (65 Main St., Wilton, 654-5030, nelsonscandymusic.com) is offering all kinds of specialty sweets and treats for Easter, like hand-poured chocolate mold bunnies, chocolate bunny pops and family-sized bunny boxes, which include assorted themed chocolates, jelly beans, molasses peanut butter zippers, chocolate-dipped Peeps, foiled chocolate eggs, fruit slices and caramel- or chocolate-covered popcorn.

• Presto Craft Kitchen (168 Amory St., Manchester, 606-1252, prestocraftkitchen.com) is taking orders for a variety of specialty items for Easter, including appetizers, like pizzagaina (quiche-like ricotta pie with Italian meats), charcuterie platters, assorted devil’s egg platters (with classic, dill pickle and bacon and chive flavors). Also on the menu are family-sized entrees feeding four to six people (classic three-cheese lasagna, chicken or eggplant Parmesan with pasta and glazed ham with creamy mashed potatoes and carrots); and desserts (macaroons by the dozen, giant breakable chocolate Easter eggs, fresh filled cannolis and “carrot patches,” featuring a dozen strawberries dipped in orange chocolate and buried in a “dirt” of Oreo cookie crumbles). Order by April 1. Pickups will be on Friday, April 7, from 11:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

• The Puritan Backroom Restaurant (245 Hooksett Road, Manchester, 669-6890, puritanbackroom.com) will be open on Sunday, April 9, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., serving its regular menu in addition to some Easter specials, like baked ham, roast turkey and roast lamb. Reservations for parties of six or more are being accepted. Walk-ins are welcome, but between noon and 4 p.m. there will not be room for any large parties without a reservation.

• The Red Arrow Diner (61 Lowell St., Manchester, 626-1118; 137 Rockingham Road, Londonderry, 552-3091; 112 Loudon Road, Concord, 415-0444; 149 Daniel Webster Hwy., Nashua, 204-5088; redarrowdiner.com) will be open during its normal business hours on Easter Sunday at all four of its locations, serving a special pit ham dinner with mashed potatoes and carrots for $15.99.

• Rig A Tony’s Italian Takeout & Catering (38 W. Broadway, Derry, 425-6116; 13 Rockingham Road, Windham, 685-8122; 254 Wallace Road, Bedford, 488-2877; rigatonysitalian.com) is taking orders for family-sized Easter dinners, serving six to eight people and including your choice of stuffed pork loin, braised short ribs or spiral ham — each dinner also comes with mashed potatoes, roasted carrots, string beans and Rig a Tony’s house pasta and sauce. Other traditional a la carte Italian Easter specialties available to order include chicken or eggplant Parmesan, stuffed shells or manicotti, lasagna, Italian wedding soup, shrimp scampi, cannolis, homemade Italian cookies, chocolate cream pie and Maine blueberry pie.

• Route 104 Diner (752 Route 104, New Hampton, 744-0120, thecman.com) will be open during its regular business hours on Easter Sunday (from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.), serving its daily menus with specials.

• Ruby Cakes (Milford, ruby-cakes.com) is taking orders for specialty flavors of cakesicles, including lemon cake with lemon buttercream frosting and carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. Each order consists of three cakesicles in a box. Pre-order online for pickup between Thursday, April 6, and Saturday, April 8.

• Sky Meadow Country Club (6 Mountain Laurels Drive, Nashua, 888-9000, skymeadow.com) will serve a special Easter brunch on Sunday, April 9, with seatings at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. There will be assorted breakfast pastries and breads, local quiches and freshly sliced fruits, plus an artisan salad station with assorted vegetables and dressings. Lunch items will include maple brown sugar glazed ham, roasted beef tenderloin, braised leg of lamb ragu, potato-crusted haddock, honey garlic spring chicken breast, crispy eggplant cutlets with herb-whipped ricotta and Parmesan potato gratin, while there will also be assorted cakes, pastries and gluten-free desserts. The cost is $60 for adults, $19.95 for kids under 12 and $10 for kids under 5 ($10 for non-member kids under 5). Additionally, Sky Meadow will hold a bring-your-own-basket Easter egg hunt at 10:30 a.m. for kids ages 8 and under.

• St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church (1160 Bridge St., Manchester, stnicholasgreekchurch.com) is taking orders for Greek Easter dessert platters, which include six pieces each of baklava, kourambiethes (powdered sugar cookies) and koulourakia (butter cookies). Order by April 7, for pickup at the church on Friday, April 14 (Greek Easter is observed on Sunday, April 16, this year). Contact parishioner Barb George at 925-330-9966 or email stnicksgochurch@gmail.com to place your order.

• Stonebridge Country Club (161 Gorham Pond Road, Goffstown, 497-8633, ext. 2, golfstonebridgecc.com) will serve a special Easter brunch on Sunday, April 9, with seatings at 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Menu options will include Danishes, scrambled eggs, maple sausage, crispy home fries, cinnamon raisin French toast casseroles, roasted chicken breast in a herb cream sauce, baked haddock with a lemon cream and cracker crust, tortellini tomato pesto, mixed spring vegetables and a mini pastry table, as well as mimosa and bloody mary specials. The cost is $27 for adults, $12 for kids ages 2 to 10 and free for kids under 2. Reservations are being accepted via phone.

• Tilt’n Diner (61 Laconia Road, Tilton, 286-2204, thecman.com) will be open during its regular business hours on Easter Sunday (from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.), serving its daily menus with specials.

• Tuscan Market (9 Via Toscana, Salem, 912-5467, tuscanbrands.com) is taking orders for a variety of items for Easter, including family-sized dinner packages, each serving six to eight people and featuring your choice of bone-in spiral ham, carved roasted turkey breast or boneless roast leg of lamb. A variety of specialty options are also available a la carte, like half trays of scratch-cooked lasagna, pizzagaina (quiche-like ricotta pie with Italian meats), pecorino-stuffed artichokes, risotto and sausage-stuffed bell peppers, chocolate chip ricotta pie, eight-inch carrot, chocolate or strawberry cakes, tiramisu squares and Italian Easter breads with two or three eggs. At least a two-day advance ordering notice is preferred. Pickups will be on Saturday, April 8, from 10 a.m. to 1:45 p.m.

• Van Otis Chocolates (341 Elm St., Manchester, 627-1611, vanotis.com) is offering pre-arranged gourmet Easter baskets available in small or large sizes and featuring items like chocolate bunnies, Evangeline’s caramel corn, chocolate-dipped Peeps, foiled Oreos, jelly beans and Easter egg foils. Most of those items are also available to order a la carte, in addition to other Easter-themed goodies, like milk or dark chocolate Swiss fudge eggs with or without pecans, dark chocolate coconut cream fudge eggs, Easter-decorated chocolate-covered Oreos, and edible baskets made with milk, dark or white chocolate and filled with foiled candies.

• Ya Mas Greek Taverna & Bar (125 Bridge St., Pelham, 635-4230, yamasgreektaverna.com) will serve a special Easter brunch buffet on Sunday, April 9, starting at 11 a.m. and featuring a create-your-own omelet station, a Belgian waffle station, breakfast meats like bacon, sausage and kielbasa, and assorted cheeses, fruits, quiches, cupcakes and cookies. The cost is $29.99 for adults and $19.99 for kids. The restaurant will also hold an Easter dinner at 4 p.m., serving seasonal specials in addition to its full menu, and even has a Greek Easter celebration planned for Sunday, April 16, featuring a family-style menu of items like lemon roasted lamb, spanakopita and tiropita, Greek leek loukaniko (sausage), chicken kabobs and tsoureki (Greek Easter bread). Seatings for the April 16 celebration are available every two hours from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The cost is $83 for adults and $45 for kids.

• Yankee Farmer’s Market (360 Route 103 E, Warner, 456-2833, yankeefarmersmarket.com) is taking orders for holiday meats while supplies last, including pastured pork tenderloin roast, boneless leg of lamb and smoked ham roast. Order online for pickup the week of Easter Sunday.

• Wolfe’s Tavern (Wolfeboro Inn, 90 N. Main St., Wolfeboro, 569-3016, wolfestavern.com) will serve a special Easter brunch buffet on Sunday, April 9, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., featuring a farmers market salad bar, a bread and pastry station, a fruit and artisanal cheese display, and carving stations with black Angus prime rib and smoked pit ham with assorted mustards. On the main buffet table will be scrambled eggs, home fries, applewood smoked bacon, sausage links, waffles with fresh berries and Vermont maple syrup, grilled chicken florentine and crab-stuffed flounder with a maltese sauce. The cost is $45 for adults and $20 for kids. Reservations are being accepted via phone.

• Woodstock Inn Brewery (135 Main St., North Woodstock, 745-3951, woodstockinnbrewery.com) will serve a special Easter brunch buffet on Sunday, April 9, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., featuring an omelet bar, a waffle bar, a carving station with ham and prime rib and a wide selection of desserts. The cost is $32.99 for adults and $18.99 for kids ages 12 and under. Reservations are being accepted via phone.

Looking for Easter brunches a little farther away? Go to hippopress.com to see some additional eateries in the Lakes Region and beyond that have Easter plans of their own.

The Weekly Dish 23/03/30

News from the local food scene

• Celebration of brews: Join the New Hampshire Brewers Association in celebrating New Hampshire Craft Beer Week — the 10-day campaign returns from Thursday, April 6, through Saturday, April 15. Organized to coincide each year with National Craft Beer Day (April 7), New Hampshire Craft Beer Week features more than 120 events statewide. Among this year’s happenings is the inaugural downtown Nashua craft beer tour — participants are encouraged to visit each of the Gate City’s six downtown craft breweries during the week for access to special food and beverage deals, available with a special stamp book. Tickets are $30 per person and also include commemorative pint glasses. See downtownnashua.org/beertour for more details, and be sure to follow New Hampshire Craft Beer Week’s Facebook page @nhcraftbeerweek for updates on more ongoing events and campaigns as they become available.

• And speaking of beer: The Rodgers Memorial Library (194 Derry Road, Hudson) will host “Brewing in New Hampshire: An Informal History of Beer in the Granite State from Colonial Times to the Present,” a program scheduled for Wednesday, April 5, at 7 p.m., in partnership with New Hampshire Humanities. Presenter and author Glenn Knoblock will explore the history of the state’s beer and ale brewing industry from its colonial days to today’s modern breweries and brew pubs. Admission is free, but registration is required. Knoblock is also scheduled to hold similar lectures at the Campton Public Library (1110 Route 175, Campton) on Monday, April 17, at 6 p.m., and the Epsom Public Library (1606 Dover Road, Epsom) on Monday, April 24, at 6:30 p.m.. Visit nhhumanities.org.

• Grow your knowledge: The Northeast Organic Farming Association of New Hampshire recently announced the rollout of its “Feeding the Family” organic gardening series. According to a press release, the series comprises four online workshops, to be held Thursday evenings from March 30 through April 20, and one in-person workshop on Saturday, April 29. Each installment in the series offers instruction for home growers “seeking to build skills to feed themselves and their families,” according to the release. Topics include The Science and Art of Tomato Culture (online, on Thursday, March 30); Protecting Edible Crops from Deer Damage (online, on Thursday, April 6); Understanding Forest and Garden Impacts of the Invasive “Jumping” Earthworm (online, on Thursday, April 13); Integrating Nitrogen Fixing Plants into Diverse Settings (online, on Thursday, April 20); and Truly No-Till Beds with Sheet Mulching (in person, at Dandelion Forest Farm in Nottingham, on Saturday, April 29). Register for each of the workshops online at nofanh.org/gardeningseries.

• Spirit of the environment: The New Hampshire Liquor Commission, in partnership with Jack Daniel’s whiskey, is celebrating Earth Month with the launch of “Bring Back Jack,” a new program that encourages customers to return and recycle glass bottles at select Liquor & Wine Outlet locations, according to a press release. Each Saturday from April 1 through May 20, customers can bring empty glass wine and spirits bottles to participating stores statewide to be recycled and receive special perks, including $25 coupons off a purchase of $150 or more for every 12 glasses, and $5 discounts off single Jack Daniel’s products for every branded bottle. Additionally, the release said, all New Hampshire on-premises licensees who bring at least 107 empty glass bottles (an ode to Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7) will receive 10 percent off an in-store purchase up to $10,000. See liquorandwineoutlets.com/bringbackjack for a full list of participating stores.

Treasure Hunt 23/03/30

Hello, Donna.

My name is Gayle and I have inherited this piece. Not sure what it is — it was used as a doorstop. It is very heavy — 15 pounds, 12 inches high, 6 inches wide (at wheels) and 7 1/2 inches long. Not sure if it is brass or if it is plated. I see no markings. Your input would be greatly appreciated.

Dear Gayle,

I have to say you got me!

Using it as a doorstop with that weight is a great use for it. I do think it’s all brass; it has a warm smooth rounded finish to it like copper. Brass would make it heavy as well.

Gayle, as far as what it was originally, I think it was just a decorative piece. The value would be in the range of $50 decoratively. Using it as a doorstop is priceless!

Thanks for sharing, Gayle.

Donna

Kiddie Pool 23/03/30

Family fun for the weekend

Showtime

• The Southern New Hampshire Youth Ballet is performing Fancy Nancy and the Mermaid Balleton Sunday, April 2, at 4 p.m. at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester). The dancers will also perform The Ugly Duckling. Fancy Nancy follows two girls, Nancy and Bree, as they audition for the exciting and glamorous ballet Deep-Sea Dances. Tickets cost $25 for adults and $20 for children ages 12 and younger. See palacetheatre.org.

• Classic fairytales are retold in the Sondheim classic Into the Woodsperformed by the Palace Youth Theatre on Monday, April 3, and Tuesday, April 4, at 7 p.m. Tickets cost $15 for adults, $12 for children ages 6 to 12. For more information, visit palacetheatre.org

Bunnies, eggs and more

• Join the Lions Clubs of Pinardville and Goffstown on Saturday, April 1, at Roy Park playground (31 Rosemont St., Goffstown) for an Easter egg hunt. Ages 1 and 2 hunt at 9 a.m., ages 3 to 5 at 9:45 a.m., ages 6 to 9 at 10:30 a.m., and ages 10 to 12 at 11:15 a.m. The clubs encourage hunters to bring their own egg baskets. Visit goffstownlions.org.

• Starting on Saturday, April 1, Charmingfare Farm (774 High St., Candia) will have Easter egg hunts from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The hunts will continue on Sunday, April 2, and Saturday, April 8, and Sunday, April 9. Kids ages 2 to 12 can hunt for a dozen candy-filled eggs that are prepackaged for them to bring home. The farm’s website gives a hint on where the eggs are located: Find the Easter Bunny and you will find the eggs. The hunt costs $22 a person and tickets must be purchased in advance at visitthefarm.com.

• Join the Educational Farm at Joppa Hill (174 Joppa Hill Road, Bedford) for its Egg-citing egg hunt on Saturday, April 1, at either 10 a.m. or noon. In addition to collecting eggs, kids can meet the Easter bunny, and get a special prize if they find the special golden egg. Tickets for the egg hunt cost $20 and can be purchased at theeducationalfarm.org

• The Easter Bunny will arrive at the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire (27 Navigator Road, Londonderry) on a student-built airplane at 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 1. He will pass out candy and be available for photos until 12:30 p.m. Visit nhahs.org.

Outdoor activities

• Ring in spring at the Goffstown Citizens Committee SpringFest 2023 at Goffstown High School (27 Wallace Road) on Saturday, April 1, at 10 a.m. There will be a kids’ carnival featuring bounce houses, slides, table games, face painting, a vendor area with 70 booths set up, a food court for snacks and meals, and more. Tickets are $5 for adults; children 12 and younger are free. Visit allevents.in/goffstown/200024205160156.

• The Educational Farm at Joppa Hill (174 Joppa Hill Road, Bedford) is hosting Goat Stories and Masks for kids ages 1 to 6 on Monday, April 3, at 1 p.m. Kids will get to go around the farm and see and learn more about the goats before having the chance to make their own goat mask out of material provided for them. Tickets cost $15 per child. Visit theeducationalfarm.org for more information.

Save the date

• Join the Our Promise to Nicholas Foundation at the NH Sportsplex (68 Technology Drive, Bedford) for an indoor maze and egg hunt on Saturday, April 8, at 8:30 a.m. There will be 15,000 plastic eggs filled with candy and other prizes for kids to find spread out across the plex’s turf. Tickets for one egg hunter cost $8 online, $10 at the door, with pricing options available for families and larger groups as well. Visit ourpromisetonicholas.com to purchase tickets.

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