New eats

Foodie first-years

New Hampshire welcomed an all new roster of delicious eats from local restaurants this past year. Here are the five best new eateries as voted by Hippo readers.

1. Tucker’s BesT of The BesT

95 S. River Road, Bedford, 413-6503, tuckersnh.com Arriving in the former Outback Steakhouse on South River Road in Bedford in October 2021, this is the sixth Tucker’s restaurant overall and also the largest — the local diner chain has five other locations, in Hooksett, Dover, New London, Concord and Merrimack. Tucker’s features a menu of breakfast items like omelets and scramblers, and lunch items like sandwiches and bowls, plus a rotating selection of specials. The opening of the Bedford spot brought with it new menu concepts for the brand, like fresh juices, smoothie bowls and brunch-based cocktails.

2. New hampshire pizza co.

76 N. Main St., Concord, 333-2125, newhampshirepizzaco.com The latest venture of longtime Concord restaurateur Joel Harris, who opened the first Dos Amigos Burritos location in Portsmouth before coming to the Capital City four years later, the New Hampshire Pizza Co. opened in the former Crazy Goat space on Main Street in January 2022. This full-service dine-in restaurant features brick-oven artisan pizzas as its centerpiece, along with salads, brunch items, cocktails, homemade ice cream and more, with the overall focus of highlighting locally produced ingredients.

3. hare of The Dawg Bar & grill

3 E. Broadway, Derry, 552-3883, find them on Facebook @hareofthedawg Longtime Derry couple Kevin and Lesley Decker opened this family-friendly downtown bar and grill in early January 2022, taking over the space that had long been occupied by the C & K Restaurant on East Broadway. The eatery features a wide variety of comfort foods, craft beers and cocktails, with a 24seat custom bar built from the ground up by local woodworker Matt Daily.

4. The lucky moose casiNo & TaverN

16 Gusabel Ave., Nashua, 864-0175, luckymoosecasino.com A sister establishment of The River Casino & Sports Bar just off Main Street in the Gate City, The Lucky Moose opened in July 2021 as New Hampshire’s newest casino, complete with daily games of blackjack, roulette and Texas hold ’em, as well as a full bar and an elevated tavern menu out of a scratch kitchen. You’ll find it in the former Bugaboo Creek Steak House in the Nashua Mall plaza — the moose structure that adorns the roof has even been kept, with a brand new set of antlers.

5. elm house of pizza

102 Elm St., Manchester, 232-5522, elmhop.com This neighborhood restaurant and bar opened in the old Theo’s space in March 2021, channeling the nostalgic vibe of the 1970s downtown favorite of the same name among Manchester locals. You’ll find what co-founder and business partner Tim Baines calls a modern twist on the traditional house of pizza, featuring everything from house pies and appetizers to fresh seafood dinners, pastas, burgers and more.